Hong Kong: Relief for aviation support sector set Aviation support service operators at Hong Kong International Airport can apply for an anti-epidemic subsidy via the Airport Authority from today, the Government announced. After vetting the applications, the authority will disburse a one-off subsidy between $3 million and $8 million depending on company size. Eligible aviation support service operators should be licensees or franchisees of, or holders of operating permits issued by the authority. Furthermore, their businesses have to be adversely impacted by the drop in passenger traffic at the airport during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government explained that the airports passenger throughput had declined by 98% in the period from January to November 2021 compared with the same period in 2019, significantly hitting the passenger aviation industry, especially aviation support service operators whose businesses are highly dependent on passenger traffic. In view of this, it is providing the subsidy under the fifth round of the Anti-epidemic Fund to help the industry through this difficult time. This story has been published on: 2022-01-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Chinese FM, U.S. secretary of state hold phone conversation over China-U.S. relations, Ukraine situation Xinhua) 07:54, January 28, 2022 Photo taken on Sept. 24, 2015 shows the national flags of China (R) and the United States as well as the flag of Washington D.C. on the Constitution Avenue in Washington, capital of the United States. (Xinhua/Bao Dandan) China and the United States, as the world's two largest economies and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, should bear in mind the fundamental interests of the people of both countries, follow the trend of global development, and well implement the important consensus reached between the two heads of state, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. BEIJING, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday held a phone conversation over China-U.S. relations and the current situation in Ukraine. The top priority for China and the United States at present is to truly implement the important consensus reached by Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden during their video meeting in November last year, said Wang. During the video meeting, Wang recalled, Xi summarized the experience and lessons of China-U.S. exchanges over past more than half a century, and put forward three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, charting the course for the healthy development of China-U.S. relations. Biden responded positively by then, and said that the United States neither seeks a "new Cold War" with China, nor pursues a change in China's system, the revitalization of its alliances is not anti-China, and the country does not support "Taiwan independence," and has no intention to have conflict and confrontation with China, sending a positive signal which is different from the previous U.S. administration, said the Chinese foreign minister. However, Wang said, what the world has seen is that there has been no substantive change in the tone of the U.S. policy towards China and Biden's pledges have not been fully delivered. The U.S. side is still making erroneous words and deeds related to China, which have dealt a new blow to bilateral relations, Wang added. Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the "Shanghai Communique," Wang said that China and the United States having no intention of changing each other is the precondition of the normalization of bilateral relations, and should be the guarantee of peaceful coexistence between the two countries in the future. Competition between major countries is not the theme of a post-pandemic world that will encounter new situations and challenges, nor will it address the problems facing the United States and countries worldwide, Wang said. Photo taken on Oct. 28, 2021 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) China and the United States, as the world's two largest economies and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, should bear in mind the fundamental interests of the people of both countries, follow the trend of global development, and well implement the important consensus reached between the two heads of state, he said. Wang said the two countries must have a good grasp of the general direction of bilateral ties, take concrete actions to fulfill commitments, expand the positive aspects of bilateral cooperation, and manage differences constructively. Pressure will only make the Chinese people more united, and confrontation will not stop China from becoming stronger, he stressed. At present, the top priority for the U.S. side is to stop interfering in the Beijing Winter Olympics, stop playing with fire by playing the "Taiwan card," and stop forming all kinds of small cliques aimed at working against and containing China, he said. For his part, Blinken said it is important for the two sides to maintain regular communication, stressing the position that U.S. President Joe Biden elaborated in the virtual meeting between the two heads of state has not changed. The United States and China have shared interests as well as differences, Blinken said, noting the United States is ready to manage differences responsibly. The U.S. stance on the one-China policy remains unchanged, he said, and the United States will cheer for its athletes who participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics and wish the Chinese people a happy Chinese New Year. U.S. President Joe Biden arrives at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States on Jan. 24, 2022. Biden reiterated Tuesday that there is no intention in his administration or within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to send troops into Ukraine, but that Russia will face serious economic consequences if it invades the former Soviet republic. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) Blinken then stated the U.S. position on issues including the issue of Ukraine. The Chinese foreign minister said to address the tensions in Ukraine, it is necessary to return to the 2015 Minsk Agreements approved by the Security Council, which is a fundamental political document recognized by all parties and should be implemented in earnest. China will support any effort that conforms to the direction and spirit of the agreements, he said, adding China calls on all parties to remain calm and refrain from inflaming tensions or hyping up the crisis. Wang stressed that the security of one country should not be at the expense of the security of others, and regional security should not be guaranteed by strengthening or even expanding military blocs. In the 21st century, all parties should completely abandon the Cold War mentality and form a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism through negotiations, he said, adding Russia's legitimate security concerns should be taken seriously and addressed. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) An excavator pulls debris from the remains of a vacant row house on Stricker Street as ATF investigators search for the cause of a fire that resulted in the death of three Baltimore City firefighters Monday morning. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun) Walking along South Stricker Street in Baltimore, evidence of abandonment is difficult to overlook. A vacant rowhouse with a scorched facade. A sofa torn asunder beside a front stoop. A stuffed animal wedged between the boards where a window once was. Advertisement On Monday, residents were reminded once more that this neglect can come at great cost. Before 6 a.m., a vacant house at 205 S. Stricker caught fire. When firefighters rushed in, the three-story building collapsed, trapping them in the rubble. Three were killed and another was seriously injured, making the blaze in Central Southwest Baltimore one of the deadliest for firefighters in city history. For 38-year-old Aboni Ward, who lives down the block, its evidence that the city isnt equipped to deal with abandoned homes before tragedy strikes and the situation becomes an emergency. Advertisement A Baltimore police investigator holds crime scene tape at an abandoned building at the corner of Stricker and McHenry streets, near the site of a fire that killed three firefighters. (Karl Merton Ferron/The Baltimore Sun) They really dont care until something like this happens, she said. Now, the city will have to demolish what remains of 205 S. Stricker, along with a vacant home next door and another that was occupied. The owners will be billed for the costs, and any unpaid fees will result in liens against the properties. The New Southwest/Mount Clare neighborhood where the fire occurred has the sixth most vacant houses in Baltimore, a city with about 16,000 vacants, according to online data. A persistent problem for a depopulating city and a consistent headache for neighbors vacants also pose unique dangers to emergency personnel when they burn. Its often unclear whether any occupants are inside, and firefighters considering going in must weigh the risk of fire spreading from one rowhouse to the next against the possibility of collapse. An excavator pulls debris from the remains of a vacant rowhouse as investigators search for the cause of a fire that resulted in the death of three Baltimore firefighters. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun) Nationally, vacant building fires have an outsized impact on firefighter safety, a 2018 study by the National Fire Protection Association showed. Just 6% of all structure fires occur in vacant properties, but they account for 13% of firefighter injuries, according to the study. Between 2006 and 2016, 20 U.S. firefighters were killed fighting blazes in vacant buildings. The study also showed the rate of spread for fires in vacant buildings to surrounding structures is almost triple that of all structure fires combined. The Baltimore City Fire Department could not provide data on structure fires in vacant city properties. However, they have proved deadly for city firefighters in the past. In 2014, Lt. James Bethea succumbed to smoke inhalation after falling inside a vacant house where he was battling a blaze. During a news conference Monday, Fire Chief Niles Ford cited the occupied home next to the Stricker Street property as a potential reason for the firefighters going inside. Advertisement They made the determination they could control the fire and put it out, he said. Its up to those individuals on the scene to see the circumstances they have, and they did. Battalion Chief Josh Fannon, president of the Baltimore Fire Officers Association, said Thursday that first responders were told there may be a person trapped inside the dwelling. If we have a report of people trapped and were able to do so, then were going to make an interior attack to try to get to that victim, and seconds count, he said. A commanders decision to enter a burning home may need to be made in a split second, with little information, said Steve Hirsch, chairman of the National Volunteer Fire Council and a firefighter in Kansas for about 35 years. Uncertainties complicate efforts to stick to the mantra of risk a little to save a little and risk a lot to save a lot, he said. You recognize there are people who are homeless who can set up shelter in houses that have been perhaps vacant or abandoned for a long period of time, so the fire department doesnt know when they pull up on scene whether or not that might be a possibility, Hirsch said. Mount Clare resident Richard Helmick said vacants are a persistent problem in the neighborhood. The danger they pose worries him and his neighbors. (Karl Merton Ferron/The Baltimore Sun) Answers about what started the Baltimore fire, how firefighters responded and how they were hurt may not be known until an investigation is complete. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which is among the agencies investigating the fire, said Friday a cause had not been determined but agents are seeking a person of interest who they believe has information about the blaze. Advertisement Lee Laubach, a former city fire chief from Pennsylvania, said vacant buildings are a quandary because firefighters dont know for sure that a structure is vacant until theyre inside. Firefighters conduct a process called overhaul once flames have been initially suppressed, he said. During overhaul, firefighters enter a building to search for people and put out hot spots that cant be reached from outside. Laubach said overhaul has proved dangerous for firefighters. Laubach pointed to a 2018 collapse of a former industrial building in York, Pennsylvania, that killed two firefighters during the overhaul. Overhaul is one of the top things that kills firefighters, he said. In the case of Mondays fire, firefighters may not have known the home they were about to enter, vacant since at least 2010, had caught fire six years ago, injuring three firefighters. The city condemned it as a result of that fire, and offered it for sale due to unpaid taxes, but it found no takers, so it remained with its owners, said Tammy Hawley, spokeswoman for the city housing department. Efforts by The Baltimore Sun to reach them were unsuccessful. Each year, vacant property owners must complete a registration, and the owner of the home on Stricker was cited in 2020 for failing to do so. The property was last inspected Jan. 4 when an inspector found the front of the home adequately boarded up and clean. Advertisement Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 42 Baltimore City firefighters salute as an ambulance carries the body of Lt. Paul Butrim from the scene of a vacant row house fire on S. Stricker Street. Four firefighters were trapped in a collapse while fighting the fire Monday morning. Three have died and a fourth is in critical condition. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun) Local housing advocates say the deaths of fire lieutenants Paul Butrim and Kelsey Sadler and Paramedic/Firefighter Kenny Lacayo could be a catalyst for city leaders to take a deeper look at the policies that created Baltimores vast stock of vacant properties and to hold owners to higher account. Nneka Nnamdi of Fight Blight Bmore said the fire is the first in a long time when firefighters have lost their lives in a vacant property, but far from the first time vacant buildings have killed in Baltimore. They kill people every day, whether its asthma rates, whether its the longer term effects of living in a neighborhood without food, whether its housing insecurity in a global pandemic, she said. Blight, vacancy, dilapidation has been killing people for years in this city. Nnamdi said its the responsibility of city leaders to better hold owners responsible for the condition of their properties: making sure property taxes are paid and that properties are properly boarded up and cleared out until they can be restored to useful condition. Nnamdi called the Stricker Street property fruit of a poison tree. When you have 500 years of racist housing and community development policy, this is the result, she said. I dont know that specifically the last inspector out there could have done more. I doubt it. This system is not set up to hold property owners accountable. Advertisement A vacant home across from the collapsed rowhouse on S. Stricker Street where three Baltimore City firefighters were killed. (Karl Merton Ferron/The Baltimore Sun) City Councilman Ryan Dorsey said hes concerned that insufficient funding for the citys code enforcement staff contributes to the problem. Also, properties like the one on Stricker Street have tax rates so low theres little incentive for an owner to mind the property, he said. State and city real estate records list the value of the building, built in 1900, as $6,000 and the combined state and city tax bill for the current year at about $150. It doesnt cost you anything to sit and wait on it as speculative real estate for years on end, he said. Dorsey, a Democrat who represents Northeast Baltimore, said he can see the benefits of charging a higher tax rate on blighted or vacant properties, something that would require a change in state law. In lieu of that, Baltimore can issue a $900 citation to owners of properties who dont resolve issues at buildings that have been tagged as vacant but not razed or improved. The Stricker Street property never received such a citation, he said. Theres a possibility we didnt issue the citation there because we didnt have the enforcement capacity, Dorsey said. If you look at the records, there is no routine follow up on vacant building notices. Breaking News Alerts As it happens Be informed of breaking news as it happens and notified about other don't-miss content with our free news alerts. > The Southwest Partnership, a coalition of neighborhood groups, has considered using grant money or other funding sources to pay someone to check on vacant homes in the area, said executive director Tony Scott. While someone making such checks couldnt board up homes, they could take charge of submitting 311 requests to the city when the homes are breached or otherwise create a hazard. Advertisement Meanwhile, the partnership is aiming to use nodes of real estate strength, like historic Carroll Park and Union Square, to encourage development block by block. At the same time, the partnership is trying to provide resources to keep residents keep living there: advising them on how to assist the homeless population; what to do if they see someone experiencing an overdose, and how to adjust to the loss of community when more homes become vacant. A shoe lies among debris inside one of three vacant homes in the 300 block of S. Calhoun Street. (Karl Merton Ferron/The Baltimore Sun) These things wear down on the psyche of residents, Scott said. The growth in vacant homes has lately surpassed efforts to reduce their grip on Mount Clare, a low-income, majority-Black community. During the most recent three fiscal years, 25 vacant homes were rehabbed and 19 demolished, while 47 homes became vacant, resulting in a net increase of three vacant homes, according to city data. Richard Helmick, 57, said hes lived in the neighborhood for about 10 years, and vacant homes are a persistent problem. Helmick lives next to a home with no regular occupants, though he said the landlord comes to check it once in a while. He and his neighbors, ever worried that something could go wrong while the home remains empty, monitor it carefully. Circling the neighborhood, Helmick pointed out sources of frustration and concern, such as boards ripped aside at homes near his, perhaps by unhoused people seeking shelter from the cold nights of January. It scares me a little bit, he said. Because you never know when somebody might break into the back door and go in there and start sleeping in it, and then the homes that are next to me its like four or five of them catch on fire. FRIDAY, Jan. 28, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- When delivering a liver cancer diagnosis, Dr. Thomas Marron pulls no punches: "Liver cancer is one of the deadliest cancers," he tells patients. Jeffrey Foster heard a similar message loud and clear when he was first diagnosed by another doctor with hepatocellular carcinoma the most common type of liver cancer back in 2020. At the time, the 68-year-old retired vet was told by his surgeon that "cutting out the mass then found on my liver doesn't mean the cancer wouldn't come back." But at the same time, "the surgeon also told me about Dr. Marron and his immunotherapy trial," Foster recalled. Marron, an associate professor of medicine, hematology and medical oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, had begun to research whether immunotherapy could boost survival in those with less advanced liver cancer. "Immunotherapy is a bit of an umbrella term for many different types of medicine that help the immune system do its job and attack cancer," Marron noted. "For liver cancer and many other types of cancer immunotherapies are now the mainstay of treatment for people with advanced disease, meaning for patients in whom surgery is not a potential cure." Marron's idea was to start offering immunotherapy infusions to patients like Foster who have less advanced disease before they go under the knife. The goal was "to help kill the tumor that we see," explained Marron, "as well as teach the immune system to recognize and kill any residual tumor cells that remain hidden after surgery that will [otherwise] eventually grow into new tumors." Foster was told he would be "a good candidate" for the study's eight-session immunotherapy program, involving a medication called "neoadjuvant cemiplimab." Immunotherapy before surgery a powerful strategy "Dr. Marron explained they would do two infusion therapies before my surgery, three weeks apart," Foster said. "And then after the surgery there would be six more, also three weeks apart. So, a total of eight." But the Long Island native hesitated at first, worried about the two-hour home-to-hospital commute each way and the long treatment slog. "Each infusion takes about a couple of hours of time actually in the hospital at the infusion center," Foster added. "Because they have to do blood work, taking probably eight vials of my blood every time. And I have to wait for the drug to be mixed on the spot. And then the therapy itself was about a half hour of the infusion. And then I had to wait an hour afterwards to make sure I was OK." In the end, a friend of Foster's a neonatal nurse familiar with medical lingo and hospital protocols asked him a simple question: "If the hospital was around the corner from your home, would you do it?" The answer was yes. So, Foster began immunotherapy treatment, followed by surgery. By May 2021, all eight infusions were under his belt. "They really monitored me very closely, and I only had two side effects," he noted. "A rash on my back and arms, which was very itchy, but which they told me about prior to doing it. And I lost some appetite a little bit. I probably lost about 20 pounds, and I'm a thin person." Since then, Foster has regained all the weight, and the rashes have disappeared. And the results, he said, speak for themselves. "The doctors are all pretty much through the roof," he said. "They're very encouraged. I just made an appointment for another MRI, but I had one about six months ago and it came back perfect. As far as the last MRI, I'm cancer-free. And they're pretty sure I don't know if it's 100% sure but they're pretty sure that it won't come back." Marron, who serves as assistant director of Mount Sinai's Immunotherapy and Phase 1 Trials, explained that "if liver cancer is going to come back, it typically does so within two years." So, Foster will continue to be monitored for any potential cancer recurrence. New approaches needed to tackle liver cancer But the trial results so far suggest that the first two sessions of immunotherapy administered before surgery effectively kill off liver cancer tumors in about one-third of patients. And Marron predicts that "nearly all the patients whose cancer was [already] dead when we cut it out will remain cancer-free." In addition, the team also identified some degree of immunotherapy-triggered benefit among the remaining patients. But Marron stressed that firm answers as to precisely which liver cancer patients might be ideal immunotherapy candidates and what might predict long-term remission awaits completion of his team's ongoing post-surgical analysis. The study findings were published online recently in The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Dr. Julie Gralow, executive vice president and chief medical officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, said the impetus behind studies like this is that when it comes to liver cancer treatment, "we need to do better." "If diagnosed with liver cancer at an early stage, the five-year survival rate is 34%," she noted. "If the cancer has spread to surrounding tissues, the five-year survival rate is 12%. If the cancer has spread to a distant part of the body, the five-year survival rate is 3%." As an effort to improve on these numbers, Gralow said the latest findings are "promising." But she said more and bigger studies will be needed to determine how best to design immunotherapy treatment, which patients will truly benefit, and whether the treatment really reduces the risk for recurrence and death. Foster, however, thinks he already has all the information he needs. "This was absolutely a no-brainer," he said. "It was worth it. It was worth getting up at 5 o-clock every morning, and driving into the city for two hours. And I would do it again in a heartbeat, if I had to." More information There's more about liver cancer and immunotherapy at the American Cancer Society. SOURCES: Thomas Marron, MD, PhD, associate professor, medicine, hematology, and medical oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, and assistant director, Immunotherapy and Phase 1 Trials, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City; Julie Gralow, MD, executive vice president and chief medical officer, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, Va.; Jeffrey Foster, liver cancer patient; The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Jan. 19, 2022, online You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. FRIDAY, Jan. 28, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Older people who live near or downwind of fracking sites have an increased risk of premature death, likely due to airborne contaminants from the sites, according to a new study. "There is an urgent need to understand the causal link between living near or downwind of [unconventional oil and gas development] and adverse health effects," said study co-author Francesca Dominici. She is co-director of the Data Science Initiative at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in Boston. For the study, the researchers analyzed data on more than 15 million Medicare beneficiaries who lived in all major U.S. fracking exploration regions between 2001 and 2015. Those who lived closest to fracking sites had a 2.5% higher risk of premature death than those who didn't live close to such sites a statistically significant difference, the study authors noted in a school news release. The Harvard team also found that people who lived near or downwind of unconventional oil and gas development (UOGD) sites had a higher risk of premature death than those living upwind. The findings were published Jan. 27 in the journal Nature Energy. "Our findings suggest the importance of considering the potential health dangers of situating UOGD near or upwind of people's homes," said lead author Longxiang Li, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of environmental health. Senior author Petros Koutrakis, a professor of environmental sciences, noted that while UOGD is a major industrial activity in the United States, "very little is known about its public health effects." Koutrakis said the new study is the first to link death rates to exposure to UOGD-related air pollutants. About 17.6 million Americans live within 6/10 of a mile of at least one active fracking site. Previous research has linked fracking to increased human exposure to harmful substances in the air and water. It has also linked exposure to fracking with pregnancy, lung, heart and cancer risks. But little was known about whether fracking was associated with increased risk of premature death in seniors, or how it might increase that risk. More information For more about fracking and health, visit the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. SOURCE: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, news release, Jan. 27, 2022 You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. Community Medical Center has agreed to a demand by local nurses asking the medical group to bring on an independent auditor to assess the company's pay crisis. The situation started in December and has been plaguing nurses and other hourly employees at CMC for over a month. Over 250 nurses say they've been shorted in hourly wages for pay periods in December in amounts ranging up to thousands of dollars. Both CMC and MNA attribute the pay issues to a ransomware attack on CMCs timekeeping software vendor, Kronos Enterprise system. The Montana Nurses Association requested CMC retain a third-party auditor earlier this week and gave the hospital until Wednesday to meet this demand or be faced with a lawsuit. In a new letter sent Wednesday to CMC's attorney, MNA's attorney says the hospital agreed to hire a third-party auditor "to ensure the accuracy of all compensation." MNA continues to urge CMC to provide supplemental checks to affected staff who can show the amount of their underpayments. "MNA will remain vigilant and is prepared to vigorously defend the rights of any nurses who do not receive the compensation they have earned," the letter reads. CMC said Thursday they are pleased to retain the services of a third-party, independent auditor "to review and validate the accuracy of the hospital's payroll reconciliation process." "Community Medical Center looks forward to a final resolution of this matter, and to the restoration of confidence among staff regarding the integrity of the restored Kronos payroll timekeeping system," CMC Marketing Director Megan Condra said. The Montana Nurses Association is represented by McConnell Law Offices PLLC and Raph Graybill of Graybill Law Firm PC. CMC is represented by Glenn Bunting of Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete LLP out of Atlanta. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 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. State and federal experts confirmed their confidence in research justifying stringent limits on selenium in Lake Koocanusa on Thursday, while lawyers for the Canadian coal mine responsible for the pollutant claimed the studies need more review. The different views came before a special committee of state legislators studying the selenium rule, which was approved by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and federal Environmental Protection Agency last winter. Both state and federal officials OKd a level of 0.8 micrograms per liter for selenium in Lake Koocanusa. Canadian mining company Teck Resources and the Lincoln County Commission objected to the rule, and the 2021 Legislature ordered a review to determine whether the 2020 site-specific standards for Lake Koocanusa are appropriate. Selenium can damage fish eggs and reproductive tissue. DEQ water quality science specialist Lauren Sullivan said the selenium damage doesnt affect adult fish or cause deformities in young fish. Rather, it results in fewer eggs hatching or the baby fish failing to reach maturity. It can also cause winter stress syndrome, where adult fish can no longer survive the stress of winter water conditions. 2020 studies of selenium levels in the system found them to be the highest on record, with some doubling previous amounts, Sullivan said. Teck has five open-pit coal mines in the upper Elk River drainage of British Columbia. It also has proposals to open new coal mining operations in the same area. The company digs metallurgic coal, needed for metal smelting. Most of Tecks coal production goes overseas to Chinese steel producers. It produces about 9 million metric tons of coal a year, with a current estimate of 28 more years of probable reserves. Waste rock from those mines totals more than 7 billion tons equivalent to several hundred of the slag piles surrounding Anaconda, according to Sullivan. Rain and snowmelt passing through that waste rock leaches selenium into the river. Canadian studies found the Elk River flowing out of the mine area contributed 95 percent of the selenium detected at a testing site just north of the United States border. The EPAs national standard for selenium is 1.5 micrograms per liter of water. But the agency allows for site-specific standards as necessary, and Sullivan said the Koocanusa fish tissue studies showed that level was too high. The 1.5 microgram standard was clearly not protective, Sullivan said. The 0.8 microgram standard does meet them. Sullivan added that the 0.8-microgram level would have no economic impact on Montana businesses or communities, and no one in the state would be required to treat the water. However, she said the selenium discharge would hurt fishing. DEQ Director Chris Dorrington added the U.S. Forest Service has indicated the selenium rules wont affect any timber harvest or other forest activity. Rep. Steve Gunderson, R-Libby, said hed been frequently asking, Where are the two-headed trout? He also wondered why Montana officials werent considering the extensive water treatment work Teck has done near its mines to control selenium discharge. If there are no detectable problems found on Lake K, and weve set the standard so low, what defects have been found on Elk and Fording rivers (near the Teck mines)? Gunderson asked. Why have we not seen any major problems? DEQ Water Quality Standards Section Chief Myla Kelly replied that the standards are set to protect beneficial use. Using the example of lead poisoning, Kelly said the agency shouldnt wait for people to get neurological damage before regulating lead levels. Like the lead example, we dont set standards on what entities can treat to, Kelly said. We set on whats safe to consume. We dont use treatment technology to set the standard. We have the fish tissue data, Kelly added, and we are seeing exceedances in Montana. Canadian authorities fined Teck $60 million in 2021 for fisheries damage from selenium and calcite discharges in the Elk River watershed an amount 10 times greater than any previous punishment under the Canadian Fisheries Act. While Canadian standards set a 2-microgram-per-liter selenium limit, a 2012 investigation found Teck was releasing between 9 and 90 micrograms into the upper Fording River upstream of the Elk River and Lake Koocanusa. The upper Fording River also lost nearly 95% of its adult cutthroat trout population between 2017 and 2019. An internal report by Teck concluded the fish died because of excessive ice in waterways where it had changed the habitat, but not because of selenium. Teck attorney Vicki Marquis said the company was in the process of building covers for 500 acres of waste rock, and had already spent about $1 billion on other treatment efforts. Teck plans to spend close to $800 million in the future to control selenium releases. This is the largest treatment project theyre aware of anywhere in the U.S. or North America, Marquis said. The 0.8 milligram standard came through a rushed process and is far more stringent than other EPA selenium limits, Marquis told the committee. She also questioned whether the state studies adequately considered the impact of Libby Dam on Lake Koocanusas water conditions, and if Lincoln County stakeholder concerns were properly addressed. It would be helpful to know and validate that model and be sure were moving in the right direction, Marquis said, recommending the legislators consider a work plan proposed by Teck to review the findings. That drew an angry response from Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Natural Resources Department Director Rich Janssen. It confounds logic that the state would consider the plan of a foreign, for-profit company that is the source of the contamination over the DEQ plan, Janssen said. He called for the review process to be concluded and the standards retained. House Joint Resolution 37, which created the study group, gave it until April 1 to finish its work. Gunderson proposed extending the deadline to August, but the legislators voted that down 5-3. Study group chairman Sen. Walt Sales, R-Manhattan, called for another review session in February, saying the group should be able to complete its findings or seek an extension by then. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 3 Funny 0 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. A new home for houseless military veterans in Missoula is in the works. The Poverello Center, the largest homeless shelter in Montana, has purchased the 17-room Clark Fork Inn property at 1010 W. Broadway, just down the street from the Poverellos headquarters. On Dec. 8, the Poverello Center entered into a contract to purchase the Clark Fork Inn for our Housing Montana Heroes program, said Jill Bonny, the Povs executive director. That is our transitional housing program for veterans experiencing houselessness. That program has been located on the second floor of the Poverello Center since 2015. We serve around 35 veterans every year in that program, Bonny said. We are excited about the opportunity to expand our services. This new space will help transform lives and provide more veterans with safe housing through the COVID pandemic and beyond. The Poverello Center has room on the second floor for 20 veterans in shared rooms, and the Clark Fork Inn has 17 rooms. Well be working over the next 18 months to renovate the current building and also add three additional units, Bonny said. We look forward to releasing more details as well as finalizing a timeline. For many years, the Clark Fork Inn has been used as long-term apartment housing by residents of Missoula and has almost no vacancy. Bonny said the Pov is committed to making sure all the current residents are relocated into housing. Because we are using federal dollars, we are required by federal law to have a robust relocation protocol as well as making sure rental assistance is available to all tenants," she said. "We have been in communication with them. The hotel was listed on the Multiple Listing Service and could have been bought by a private developer. The Pov bought the property for $1.57 million. The Pov is the best purchaser because our staff is committed to making sure the current residents find stable housing, Bonny said. She was in charge of veterans services at the Pov for many years before becoming executive director. The Poverello Center obtained a $1 million capital grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for the project. The city also committed $834,000 from its federal American Rescue Plan Act allocation to help the Pov buy the building, and Missoula County pitched in a similar amount. This really was made possible by the national (Department of Veterans Affairs') effort to shift houseless veterans services from congregate (group) shelters to wanting them to have apartment-style or at least single-occupancy housing, Bonny said. When we heard that this was a possibility, we decided to apply and we were excited when we received it. A bonus to the project is that it will create extra room in the Pov, which has had to reduce capacity during the pandemic for safety reasons and is often full. This will free up space in the current location at our main shelter, so were hoping we can serve more clients that way, Bonny said. Thats another advantage. Sen. Jon Tester, chairman of the U.S. Senates Veterans Affairs Committee, hailed the purchase in an email to the Missoulian. The Poverello Center does incredible work helping Montana veterans and their families find reliable housing across the state, and its why Im proud to have led the effort in Congress to cut red tape on funding to help them further their mission here in Missoula, Tester said. This new space will help transform many lives in the area providing more veterans with a safe place to call home during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Montana James, the deputy director of the citys community development division, said Mayor John Engen and the city council approved the allocation of federal funding to the project last year as part of the fiscal year 2022 budgeting process. We dont have a role in that other than to make sure the project is compliant with the regulations that come with our funding, James said. James confirmed that there is a stipulation with the federal funding that requires the Pov to work with the existing residents to make sure they can find comparable housing. The Pov and other community organizations submitted letters requesting funds, and those get kind of categorized within departments where it makes sense, James said. The city and county have invested heavily in expanding resources and shelter options to unhoused residents over the last year, and the city was really interested in committing ARPA funds to this project. James said the project fits with the citys wider goal of reducing houselessness. We know our unhoused residents and residents without stable housing are some of the hardest-hit because of the pandemic, and this supports the larger goal we have in providing resources to support folks who need shelter and support, James said. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 11 Funny 2 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1 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. On a dreary winter morning in Missoula, theres nothing but vibrant colors, cheerful music, laughter and evocative scents inside the new Buff City Soap shop in Missoulas Northgate Plaza at 2230 N. Reserve Street. A group of four workers are busy making batches of soap bars and soap bombs by hand, using buckets and trays and oils to carefully create layers and colorful designs. Buff City Soap only sells plant-based soaps, meaning they use sustainably sourced palm oil, coconut oil and other ingredients in place of animal products. The Missoula location opened in the fall of 2021. Beth and Stephen Stone are from Tennessee, but their son, Boston, chose to attend school at the University of Montana so they decided to be with their only child. Buff City Soap is a national chain that started in Memphis, and Beth Stone said people in the South love the shop. That's why they decided to open one here. Its only a matter of time, she said, before Montanans feel the same way. We chose Buff City Soap for many reasons, but primarily because of our love of the products, Stone said. We loved the companys approach to offer plant-based goodness with every product, and we were impressed with its overall vision for growth. We cant wait for the community to visit and see what weve got. Their products are an alternative to commercial soap products that are full of harsh chemicals, detergents, animal fats and sulfates, she said. Theyve got shower oils, body butters, laundry soap, pet care products, bath accessories, mens care products and other items. Some soaps are made to smell like fruity breakfast cereal, while other mixes contain scents like pomegranate and cream. One of our customers just loves getting laundry soap that smells like Fruit Loops, Stone said. Laundry soap is definitely our biggest seller. Customers can watch soap getting made almost every day and can customize their products. On Dec. 15, Buff City Soap donated 20% of their in-store sales to the local Jadyn Fred Foundation. Jadyn Fred was a young Missoula girl who passed away two decades ago due to an extremely rare cancer. The foundation now financially supports thousands of families who are dealing with medical expenses. Alecia Fred, Jadyns mom, was at the store and pointed out a special handmade soap made especially in Jadyns honor. It contained scents of vanilla, wisteria and juniper. Jadyn loved her blanket and took it everywhere with her, Fred explained. She loved when it was clean and she loved how it smelled like fabric softener. So this soap really kind of smells like that. Beth Stone said she and her family have no regrets about picking up and moving their lives to Montana. We are very excited to bring Buff City Soap to Missoula, she noted. To have the local community interact and experience the clean, fresh, creativity of Buff City Soap gives us pride in what we do. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 2 Funny 0 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. Millers Farm and Farm Market in White Hall will be featured on Maryland Public Televisions original series Maryland Farm & Harvest on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The segment, entitled Sunflowers Help Grow a Farm Business, features the Millers Farms large field of sunflowers planted by the roadside a display that gets the attention of those driving between Baltimore and Harford counties in the summer. Advertisement The Millers have been farming this property since 1957 and recently expanded the operation to include a market in Harford County to sell beef and other farm products. To help draw in customers, the family planted a field of sunflowers. According to Jake Miller, when the sunflowers are in bloom, their business increases 20 to 30 percent. To capitalize on the plants popularity, customers can enjoy a walk through the field and cut flowers to take home. Viewers can watch on MPT-HD and online at mpt.org/livestream. Encore broadcasts are available on MPT-HD Thursdays at 11 p.m. and Sundays at 6 a.m. Each episode also airs on MPT2/Create on Fridays at 7:30 p.m. Advertisement Past episodes can be viewed at video.mpt.tv/show/maryland-farm-harvest/, while episode segments are available on the series YouTube channel at youtube.com/c/MarylandFarmHarvest/featured. Now in its ninth season, the weekly series takes viewers on a journey across the state, telling stories about the farms, people and technology required to sustain and grow agriculture in Maryland, the number one commercial industry in the state. More than 10 million viewers have tuned in to Maryland Farm & Harvest since its fall 2013 debut. The series has traveled to nearly 400 farms, fisheries and other agriculture-related locations, covering every Maryland county, as well as Baltimore City, Washington, D.C., and Delaware. Butterfly landing on sunflower at Miller's Farm and Farm Market in White Hall, Maryland (Maryland Public Television) Since Russias illegal invasion of Ukraines southeast flank in 2014, nearly 14,000 innocent Ukrainians have perished and more than a million have been displaced. Now, the free world is watching with growing alarm as Russia amasses more than 100,000 well-armed soldiers at Ukraines border, awaiting the signal to unleash further bloodshed. What a terrible waste of human potential. The Kremlin is preparing to sacrifice the lives of thousands of its own men and women for no other reason than to bolster the ego of its ruthless dictator, Vladimir Putin. Having twice taken bites out of Ukraines territory, Putin is hungry for more. His callous and unyielding aggression toward a nation that voted by 90% for its own independence from tyranny must be halted. Let us recall that in 1990, when Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein ordered his Republican Guard across the border into Kuwait, the United States led a United Nations-backed coalition to drive the invading troops back. With Putin eager to embark on a similar course, President Joe Biden should seek such a coalition. When liberty falls under siege, the world has an obligation to act. Russia has engaged in countless atrocities this is part of Putins legacy of madness. The free world cannot sit back as he alone isolated from the norms of decent behavior beats the Russian drums of war. Harsh sanctions against the Russian oligarchy and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project must be stiffened. The delivery of critical military weaponry to Ukraine must continue. But hasnt enough blood already been shed on Ukrainian soil? The free world must demand an unequivocal cease-fire and quickly form the protective shield to ward off those who wish Ukraine harm. In 1994, the United States and the United Kingdom signed the Budapest Memorandum assuring they would come to the aid of Ukraine in the event it was preyed upon. It is painfully clear the moment to make good on those assurances has arrived. Story continues Ukraine is the scrimmage line for liberty on the European continent. If Russia is allowed to carry out its brutal schemes, the slaughter of countless innocents is inevitable. Let us slam the door on Putins wild nightmare. It is time for the free world to rise up together. Let the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe rally the global coalition that is needed to defend Ukrainian sovereignty and independence, and preserve European stability for generations to come. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-1, represents Bucks County and a portion of Montgomery County. Rep. Andy Harris, a Republican, represents Maryland's 1st District. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, a Democrat, serves Ohio's 9th District. Rep. Mike Quigley, a Democrat, is Illinois' 5th District congressman. They are co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Ukraine Caucus. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Op-Ed: With Ukranian liberty under siege, the U.S. must act U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently awarded Steven Corley of Morganton the Field Office Directorates Superior Achievement Award. This award recognizes someone who made a major contribution toward USCIS mission and exemplified its core values. Corley, a senior immigration services officer stationed at the Charlotte Field Office, served a two-year detail as field office director at the field office in Anchorage, responsible for citizenship and immigration services in the state of Alaska. In 2020, USCIS was under a hiring freeze and several key positions in the Anchorage Field Office were vacant. In addition to managing the Anchorage Field Offices operations, Corley stepped up and performed duties to cover for vacancies including analyzing data, servicing information appointments, conducting immigration interviews and managing the application support center, which gathers biometrics for applicants. Despite adding all of this to his normal duties, he mentored his officers, building their analytic and writing skills. Under his leadership, his office saw an improvement in processing cases. When Corleys detail in Anchorage ended in May 2021, he returned to the Charlotte Field Office to resume his duties as a senior officer. When asked to comment on his award, Corley said, I owe so much to the men and women of Team Anchorage who it was my privilege to lead. The agencys mission is ingrained in my core and I am indebted to my Western leadership. I would not be able to excel without the support of innovative and supportive leaders within USCIS. Steven Corley and wife Karen live in Morganton, his hometown. Hes a 1978 graduate of Freedom High School, a retired Navy commander and a 1982 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. A Port Authority bus that was on a bridge when it collapsed Friday Jan. 28, 2022, is visible in Pittsburgh's East End. A two-lane bridge collapsed in Pittsburgh early Friday, prompting rescuers to rappel nearly 150 feet (46 meters) while others formed a human chain to help rescue multiple people from a dangling bus.(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) (Gene J. Puskar/AP) PITTSBURGH A 50-year-old bridge collapsed in Pittsburgh early Friday, requiring rescuers to rappel down a ravine and form a human chain to reach a few occupants of a municipal bus that plummeted along with the span. No deaths were reported. The collapse came hours before President Joe Biden arrived in the city to promote his $1 trillion infrastructure law, which has earmarked about $1.6 billion for Pennsylvania bridge maintenance. Advertisement At least four people required hospital treatment. Five other vehicles were also on the bridge at the time. The cause was being investigated, and crews searched under the debris for additional victims. A large crack showed on the end of the bridge where the segmented bus landed 150 feet (46 meters) down in the ravine, as if hit by an earthquake. A car landed upside down in front of the bus, which was operated by the Pittsburgh areas transit agency. Advertisement The Forbes Avenue bridge over Fern Hollow Creek in Frick Park came down at 6:39 a.m., city officials said. The loud noise from the collapse was followed by a hissing sound and the smell of natural gas, witnesses said. The first sound was much more intense, and kind of a rumbling, which I guess was the structure, the deck hitting the ground, said Ken Doyno, a resident who lives four houses away. I mean, the whole house rattled at that point. This is just terrifying. Craziest image of the bridge collapse in Frick Park Ive seen (from @gainey_ed). Cannot even possibly imagine being on the bridge when it happened, and grateful that there seem to be only minor injuries. Have crossed that bridge so many times pic.twitter.com/tTs8TzJV1i Dave DiCello (@DaveDiCello) January 28, 2022 Ruptured gas lines along the bridge produced the leak, and the supply of gas was shut off within a half-hour, city officials said. As Biden toured the scene, an officer told him a person who was running by helped first responders get people out of cars. He called it a miracle. It really is, its astounding, Biden said. By midafternoon, three adults were being treated, and all were in fair condition, the UPMC hospital system said. A fourth person had received treatment and was released. The National Transportation Safety Board sent a team to investigate. The agency tweeted a photo late Friday of Chair Jennifer Homendy at the scene. A search-and-rescue team combed the area, said Sam Wasserman, a spokesperson for Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey. Drones were brought in to help. Advertisement Most of the 10 people evaluated for injuries were first responders who were checked for exhaustion or because of the cold and snowy weather, Gainey said. The segmented bus operated by the Port Authority of Allegheny County had two passengers in addition to the driver, said Adam Brandolph, spokesperson for the agency. The bus driver, Daryl Luciani, told WPXI-TV that as soon as he reached the bridge, he believed it was collapsing. I could just feel it, Luciani told the station. The bus was bouncing and shaking and it seems long, but it was probably less than a minute that the bus finally came to a stop, and I was just thankful that nobody on the bus was hurt. The passengers appeared to be OK, he said, so he pulled the air brake and waited for help to arrive. First responders reached them after descending with flashlights in the predawn darkness and used a rope to help him and other occupants get to safety, Luciani said. About two hours after the collapse, Brandolph said, one of the passengers was on another bus, began complaining of injuries and was taken to a hospital. The driver and other passenger were not hurt, according to Brandolph. Advertisement The bus had started its route in downtown Pittsburgh and had been heading to the suburban community of Braddock. Judging by the time of day, had this bus been traveling inbound, toward downtown, there likely would have been more people on the bus and obviously could have been a much, much more dire situation, Brandolph said. The bus had seven or eight cameras, and any footage they captured of the collapse will be part of the investigation, Brandolph said. Neighbors said a gas company worker went door to door to get them to evacuate from the immediate vicinity before the gas was successfully shut off. Apart from just this abiding noise, we could begin to smell gas and that was the truly frightening thing, then with that smell we both said, lets get dressed and get out of here, said Lyn Krynski, whose home is nearest the bridge. It sounded like a weather phenomenon more than anything, said Douglas Gwilym, who was shoveling about an inch of snow when he heard the noise. It was all I had to compare it to it was this odd, whooshing sound. Advertisement Breaking News Alerts As it happens Be informed of breaking news as it happens and notified about other don't-miss content with our free news alerts. > The bridge is an important artery that leads to the Squirrel Hill and Oakland neighborhoods and is a popular route toward downtown Pittsburgh. Authorities told motorists to avoid the area. Several neighbors said a weather-prompted two-hour school delay may have prevented a far worse human tragedy. At the site of the collapse, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman called it just an awful, surreal scene. I hope its a wake-up call to the nation that we need to make these infrastructure investments, Fetterman said. The steel bridge, which was built in 1970, carries about 14,500 vehicles a day, according to a 2005 estimate. Wasserman said the most recent inspection occurred in September but the report was not immediately available. But a September 2019 inspection of the city-owned bridge revealed the deck and superstructure to be in poor condition, according to the U.S. Department of Transportations National Bridge Inventory. Advertisement A spreadsheet on the state Department of Transportation website listed the bridges overall condition as poor, which, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, means deterioration of primary structural elements has advanced. Butte, Highway Patrol arrests Suspicious man A call came in right after midnight Thursday about a suspicious man checking out cars in a parking lot in the 900 block of Montana Street. A man fitting the description, Richard Frank Bleick, 53, of Butte, was stopped near Safeway on Front Street. Turns out, Bleick had a $10,000 felony warrant for his arrest out of Flathead County so he was taken to jail. MHP arrests Cameron Thomas Baker, 19, of Butte was arrested early Thursday at the intersection of Montana and Gold by a trooper with the Montana Highway Patrol. He was jailed for the misdemeanor offenses of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, attempt to obtain an intoxicant, failure to wear a seat belt and no liability insurance in effect. Christian Antoney Lulgjuraj, 24, of Virginia Beach, Virginia was headed south on I-90 when he was stopped by a MHP trooper. He was jailed just after midnight Wednesday for misdemeanor driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Simple assault Dara Rene Povrzenich, 39, of Butte was jailed just after 3 a.m. Wednesday for misdemeanor simple assault and felony probation violation. Police were called to the 1700 block of Grand Avenue to investigate an assault. According to the police report, an intoxicated Povrzenich allegedly had been arguing with a man and then reportedly assaulted a 27-year-old woman by grabbing her hair and pulling her to the ground. Stolen car Late Tuesday night, an officer observed a silver four-door car driving at a high rate of speed. The car with Texas plates was driven by Alexander Gregory Parkhill, 31, of Texas and was stopped at Montana and Gold. When the officer checked, it turned out the car had been reported stolen out of Oklahoma and Parkhill was taken into custody without incident. He was jailed for felony buying or possessing stolen property. Four or more DUIs Early Monday morning, an officer stopped a gray Jeep near the intersection of Stuart and Argyle for failing to use a turn signal. The driver, Skyla Marie Komeotis, 25, of Butte appeared to be intoxicated and failed sobriety maneuvers at the scene. At the detention center, she refused to take a Breathalyzer and had her blood drawn at St. James Healthcare. She was jailed for felony driving under the influence (fourth or subsequent offense), felony probation violation and the misdemeanor offenses of no liability insurance in effect and failure to use turn signal. Miscellaneous crimes A snow blower was stolen Monday from the back yard of a residence in the 700 block of North Montana Street. A transient was cited Monday afternoon for taking packages from a porch on the 600 block of South Main Street. All the packages were returned to the owner. Apparently, the work environment had turned toxic for two male co-workers at a business in the 1100 block of Front Street. On Monday afternoon tempers escalated and the two took a swing at each other. So far, neither one has pressed charges against the other. A Butte man had no idea his 2011 Dodge Ram had been stolen until police in Coeur dAlene, Idaho, called him Monday night to say they had his truck. He then contacted Butte police. Late Monday, someone broke the passenger-side window of a vehicle parked in the 800 block of South Arizona Street. It was reported Tuesday morning that gas had been siphoned at the U-Haul Moving & Storage, 3300 Harrison Ave. Also on Tuesday morning, the drivers side window of a Toyota Tacoma was broken as it was parked in the 700 block of South Montana Street. A resident living in the 1300 block of Maryland attempted to rewire his electrical box so he could bypass the NorthWestern Energy meter. For his tampering effort, which was discovered Tuesday afternoon, he was cited for theft of services. A man called the Butte Detention Center Tuesday afternoon to report a theft but his phone was dying so he told the dispatcher he would have to call them back. He has yet to do that. An inmate reportedly spit in the face of one of the detention officers Tuesday afternoon. Charges are pending. On Wednesday morning, two tires were slashed on a vehicle parked at Child & Family Services, 700 N. Casey St. Sometime Wednesday morning, an amplifier was taken from a truck parked in the 900 block of South Montana Street. All four tires were slashed Wednesday afternoon on a vehicle near the Lube Alley, 1502 Holmes Ave. It was also reported Wednesday that medication was stolen from a mail box on the 2100 block of South Wyoming Street. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 3 Sad 2 Angry 12 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. Its easy to take homeschooling for granted in 2022. Easy, that is, if you havent been watching the legislative action in Montana over the last 40 years. The opportunities homeschoolers have today are the result of thousands of families joining forces and speaking up, time and again, for the right to choose their childs education. This National School Choice Week (Jan. 23-29), the uphill climb for homeschooling in Montana is a reminder that expanding choices for our children requires hard work and stick-to-it-tivity. Just think back 40 years. Nearly 10,000 Montana students identified as homeschooled last school year, but in the early 1980s, school choices were few and far between. Parents like us who wanted to home educate their children faced big legal challenges. This didnt change until 1983, when an extraordinary bill provided an "exemption" from public school enrollment for students attending nonpublic or home schools. Parents from across our state filled the hearings to overflowing, showing support for the flexibility and opportunity afforded by school choice. The Legislature overwhelmingly supported the bill too. Imagine how the recent pandemic when the rate of Montana households homeschooling jumped from 8% to 18% in a six-month span would have hit families even harder if we hadnt stood up for that choice then. Both then and now, when families freedom to choose the best educational fit for their children expands, its worth celebrating. But it also requires commitment for educational freedom to last. Community organizations and regular meet-ups can be invaluable ways for parents to stay invested in preserving and expanding learning opportunities. In fact, thats why other parents and I originally formed the Montana Coalition of Home Educators in 1988. As a case in point, just a few years after the coalition formed, a bill was introduced that would adversely affect homeschoolers. In response, we worked together to draft a bill spelling out our God-given right to be responsible for the educational philosophy, curriculum, instruction and testing of our children. What took place in that 1991 session has not been forgotten by those who were there. Our bill (with 48 co-signers, both Democrats and Republicans), passed out of the Senate and into the House. Again, the room was filled with supporters from across the state. Through the hard work and commitment of those willing to speak up for choice, our bill passed in the House, was signed into law with zero changes, and is an important component of Montana homeschooling law today. The battle for greater educational opportunity continues for Montana families. Encouragingly, in 2021, the door was opened for private and homeschool students to participate in public school extracurricular activities. This bill received support from both sides of the aisle. It represents a growing recognition that families need flexible learning arrangements, and hearkens to a future where hybrid learning opportunities will be more widespread. These good developments, which recognize that families know their kids learning needs best, dont come from thin air. They require steadfast commitment, like that of the more than 4,000 supporters of homeschooling who showed up in the 2007 session, making it the largest hearing turnout in our states history. Challenges to parental rights in education remain. Parents, educators and legislators must come together and continue the task of refining education law and policies. We must always appreciate and defend our freedom to be the primary educators for our children. At heart, thats who the battle for school choice is fought for: our children, the next generation. Steve White is a homeschool father and founding member of the Montana Coalition of Home Educators. He has led the effort to pass positive home education bills in legislative sessions over the past 30-plus years. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 We are sorry, we can't find the page you were looking for. The page may have moved as part of the recent university-wide website redesign. If you followed a link, the link may be out of date. Please let us know where you found the broken link so we can fix it. If you typed the address, please be sure it was typed correctly. Contact our Web Management office Please contact us if you need help or to report any issues. Charley Allen-Dunn, Web and Digital Advertising Manager. Brittney McWaters, Design Specialist Jerry and Victoria Bayne Jan 28, 2022 Jerry and Victoria Bayne during their time at Murray State and where they are today. "It was a wonderful privilege to attend Murray State University. Victoria and I first met in January of 1974. She was returning from a year of studying abroad in France. I had returned to MSU to enroll in the Journalism Master's Program and was starting my second semester. We fell in love and married on January 4, 1975 at the Chandler park overlooking Kentucky Lake. The campus ministry pastor performed the service. We both graduated in May of 1975, Victoria with a Bachelor's Degree in French & English and I earned a Master's in Journalism and the SCT Degree in Community College Education. We spent the summer camping across American before I accepted a teaching position in the Illinois Community College system. We both had 30-year careers teaching and administration, Victoria teaching French and English in high school while I taught journalism and worked in community college administration. We both retired from full time work in 2005 and 2007 respectively. I am still employed here managing a performing arts venue. We recently celebrated our 45th year of marriage. We have two successful children and four wonderful grandchildren. Our journey has been one full of great blessings. We now divide out time between our home in Mount Carmel, Illinois and our cattle ranch in SW Florida. We are so thankful for our years at Murray State University and how our experiences there were the cornerstone for life journey together." A Columbus Junction teen and an Iowa City woman have been arrested by Washington, Iowa, police in connection with the shooting of a man the night of Jan. 7, Washington Police Chief Jim Lester said in a news release Thursday. Jaden Miller, 17, of Columbus Junction and Mya Wright, 19, of Iowa City each is charged with first-degree robbery and attempt to commit murder. Each of the charges is a Class B felony that carries a prison sentence of 25 years, 70% of which, or 17 years, must be served before parole can be granted. Lester said that at 8:10 p.m. Jan. 7, Kenneth James, 41, of Coralville, was shot while he was sitting in his car in a parking lot in the 600 block of Adams Street in Washington. Miller and Wright had conspired to rob James after inviting him to Washington for a drug deal. During the course of the attempted robbery, Miller shot James one time in the torso. Both Miller and Wright were being held Thursday night in the Washington County Jail on cash-only bonds of $500,000 each. They are expected to make a first appearance on the charges Friday in Washington County District Court. The investigation continues and additional charges are possible. The Washington Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation were assisted in the investigation by the Washington County Sheriffs Office, Washington County Attorneys Office, and the Columbus Junction Police Department. Miller already is awaiting an April 5 trial in Washington County District Court on a charge of willful injury causing serious injury. In that case, Miller is accused along with another person of beating and severely injuring a man at the McDonalds restaurant on Oct. 2, 2021, at 200 W. Madison St. in Washington. Prosecutors in that case had moved to change the conditions of Millers release after it was learned on Jan. 13 that he was not living at his reported address, 126 Maple Street, Apt. 2, Columbus Junction, nor his mothers address at 126 Maple Street, Apt. 1. Instead, Miller was found living in another persons house in Washington. Additionally, two handguns were discovered inside the room where Miller was staying, according to Washington County District Court records. A hearing in that case is scheduled for Feb. 11. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 I should forward the many letters I receive from disgusted Baltimoreans to Mayor Brandon Scott so he can convince them to feel optimistic about city life, remain a taxpaying resident or visit a city restaurant for an interesting meal. I should send a few to indicted Baltimore States Attorney Marilyn Mosby so she can respond to those who blame her for the citys violent crime the way she blamed her predecessor. (During Mosbys two terms, the city has averaged 337 murders per year; during the four years previous, when Gregg Bernstein was states attorney, the city averaged 215.) Advertisement I would forward suggestions for stemming the shootings to Police Commissioner Michael Harrison, but I dont have any. People who write to complain about the incessant violence offer no constitutionally sound ideas about how to stop it; they just blast the Baltimore Police Department for not doing so. Things are getting worse, they say, not better. And thats true, but not just in Baltimore. Advertisement The FBI reports a 30% increase in homicides nationwide since 2020. Using state police data, ABC News found that at least 12 major cities broke annual homicide records in 2021. Why this happened is not clear, though experts contacted by ABC cited strained law enforcement staffing, a pronounced decline in arrests and continuing hardships from the pandemic. I can only address one cause at a time. Today Ill respond to those who assert that Baltimores immediate and long-term problems with criminality stem from a too-lenient criminal justice system. Ive heard that a lot over the years, and I heard it again this past week as readers expressed outrage and hopelessness about the citys street violence. The laws changed, criminals dont serve time, wrote a man from Owings Mills. They are let free and go out and commit more crimes. You read everyday that the criminals, the murderers all have huge criminal records. Theres no doubt that repeat violent offenders are a problem. Thats been the case for years. But some perspective is needed here. Despite what you hear on talk radio, most people who go to prison for murder are not quickly released. Killers still get long sentences Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams recently sentenced one to life plus 52 years and most of them stay in our prisons for decades. Over the last 30 years, very few murderers were set free by Maryland governors, even longtime lifers who had been recommended for release by the states parole commission. As of 2018, Maryland had a lower rate of incarceration than the national average but, at 531 inmates per 100,000 population, a higher rate than any democracy in the world, according to a global analysis by the nonprofit Prison Policy Initiative. Advertisement By summer 2019, the state reported 18,244 inmates in our prisons. About half of them were serving sentences of at least 10 years and another 2,341 were serving life sentences. While the states prison population has fallen since then, we still have more than 16,000 inmates, and that does not include Marylanders in federal prisons, local detention centers or our juvenile system. More than 86% of prison inmates are serving time for violent crimes, according to an analysis by the Justice Policy Institute, a Washington-based nonprofit that has conducted research on the Maryland correctional system. The JPI finds that more than 13% of inmates are serving sentences ranging from 10 to 15 years; 40% are serving 15 years or more and about 14% are lifers. Of course, we have a parole system that allows inmates to earn time off their sentences. According to the most recent data from the state, among 16,652 inmates, the average sentence length was 19.8 years, while the length of stay was 7.5 years. Some will look at those last two numbers and say, Theres your problem: Were not keeping them in prison long enough. They get out, come back to Baltimore and commit more crimes. I agree. Thats what frequently happens. But why? Advertisement Its because we do too little to prepare inmates for release. Its not that they get out too soon, its that they are not ready to take the bus back from Hagerstown and start a job in Baltimore that will move them to a better life than the one they had before prison. Prison is a waste of time and money a lost opportunity if we do not use the time and money ($46,000 per inmate now) to not only punish offenders but prepare them for a different and decent future. Some skills training already takes place behind the walls, and thousands of inmates are employed in manufacturing products for state agencies. But all of that needs to be scaled up to prepare them for jobs in sectors that regional economists have projected for growth health care, manufacturing, skilled trades and technology. Doing this requires a fundamental change in a system weve had in place for decades. It means, from the moment a convicted felon arrives to serve his sentence, emphasizing rehabilitation over punishment. It means hiring more counselors, teachers, skills instructors and therapists. We need a transformation from a system focused on confinement to one focused on the future. I realize this is not an immediate answer to Baltimores crime problem, but we need to treat the causes of violent crime as well as the symptoms. If we dont make big changes at the state level, the city will continue to suffer. RIDGELAND, Miss. (AP) The director of a Mississippi library system says a mayor is withholding $110,000 from his city's library because LGBTQ books are on the shelves. Tonja Johnson, executive director of the Madison County Library System, told news outlets that Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee received citizen complaints about a handful of books that depicted members of the LGBTQ community. "Funding for this year was being withheld until we removed what he called 'homosexual material' from the library," Johnson told WAPT-TV. "His reasoning that he gave was that, as a Christian, he could not support that, and that he would not release funding until we remove the material." The move is part of a larger trend of conservatives across the country trying to limit the type of books that children are exposed to. A Pulitzer Prize-winning book about the Holocaust was recently banned by a Tennessee school district, while the Republican governors in South Carolina and Texas have called on superintendents to perform a systemic review of "inappropriate" materials in their states' schools. In a statement to news outlets, McGee didn't expressly confirm that he wasn't providing the funding over LGBTQ literature but said he believes some of the books are "inappropriate for children." "There is a minimum, sexual connotations are not appropriate for children when they enter the library," said McGee, a Republican who has been mayor of the Jackson suburb since 1989. The Ridgeland Board of Aldermen approved the city budget in the fall, and Alderman Ken Heard told WAPT that the mayor doesn't have the authority to unilaterally deny funds to the library. Johnson said the library board will request a public hearing before the Board of Aldermen to seek clarification and receive the funds, according to the television station. A meeting was held at Ridgeland's library Tuesday night to discuss the ultimatum. Jason McCarty, executive director of LGBTQ advocacy group MS Capital City Pride, attended and said he believes libraries should be safe spaces where people can learn about new things. "I think when we start putting our personal opinions into situations, that's when we can go wrong," McCarty told WLBT-TV. *** Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Four opponents of a 11,600-head cattle feedlot in northeast Iowa have filed an Iowa Senate ethics complaint against Sen. Dan Zumbach, saying Zumbach used his position to pressure state employees to approve the feedlot owned by his son-in-law. The complaint alleges Zumbach, a Ryan Republican who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, met with Iowa Department of Natural Resources officials at least twice about the feedlot between 2017 and 2020, despite neither the feedlot nor the owners being in his district. The complaint was filed Wednesday by Steve Veysey of Ames; Wally Taylor of Marion, Larry Stone of Elkader and Jess Mazour of Des Moines, all members of the Committee to Save Bloody Run Creek. According to the complaint, Zumbach weighed in with the DNR before critical decisions about the project. These included: The DNRs 2017 decision to allow an earthen manure storage basin to be classified as an industrial wastewater treatment lagoon. Earthen basins are not allowed in the porous, karst terrain of northeast Iowa. When the DNR was considering in 2017 issuance of a federal stormwater permit for construction at the site near Monona. Feedlot owners got the permit after two face-to-face meetings including Zumbach and DNR staff, the complaint states. The DNR legal staff argued in 2018 stormwater permit violations at the feedlot should be handled the Iowa Attorney Generals Office, which may pursue higher penalties. The state Environmental Protection Commission in July 2018 failed to take a vote, leaving the matter with the DNR. The DNRs 2020 decision to approve a nutrient management plan for the feedlot. Zumbach acknowledged to The Gazette last spring he had a phone conversation with DNR Director Kayla Lyon on Oct. 2, 2020, about Supreme Beef, owned by Mike Walz, Dean Walz and Jared Walz. Jared Walz is the husband of Zumbachs daughter, Chelsea, and father of Zumbachs grandchildren. Since I sit on the Natural Resources Committee, Im in communication with the DNR, and I simply asked Kayla to get the right folks in contact with Supreme Beef so they could continue working through the permitting process, Zumbach said. I dont know the players at all, he said. Thats not part of my concern or my responsibility. I simply asked the director if she could help this constituent get to the right folks. The Walzes do not live in Zumbachs District 48, which includes Delaware County and portions of Linn, Buchanan and Jones counties, nor is the Supreme Beef site near Monona in Zumbachs district. Zumbach said earlier this year that was irrelevant. When anyone from the state of Iowa calls you, we represent all of Iowa when were down here (Des Moines), not just our districts, he said. The complaint says Zumbach broke the Senate Code of Ethics, which says members should strive to avoid both unethical and illegal conduct and the appearance of unethical and illegal conduct. Further, the code says: Whenever a senator appears before a governmental agency or board, the senator shall carefully avoid all conduct which might in any way lead members of the general public to conclude that the senator is using the senators official position to further the senators professional success or personal financial interest. The complaint does not allege Zumbach had any financial stake in the feedlot. The group is asking the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate, including interviewing DNR and legislative staff, and, if a violation is found, to sanction Zumbach. The committee is chaired by two Republicans, Sen. Carrie Koelker of Dyersville and Sen. Jim Carlin of Sioux City. Zumbach has 10 days after receiving the complaint to respond if he wants to do so. Zumbach did not immediately respond to The Gazettes request for comment Wednesday. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Joint Information Center reported two more fatalities linked to Covid-19 at Guam Memorial Hospital. A new sub-type of the omicron Covid-19 variant has reared its head and is spreading quickly, according to a Deutsche Welle report. More than 400 people were infected with the sub-type, dubbed BA.2, in the UK during the first ten days of January, and it has already been detected in 40 other countries. Denmark is feeling the brunt of BA.2 the most, with 79% of infections detected in the Scandanavian nation. Denmark is followed by the UK with 6%, India with 5%, and Sweden and Singapore, both with 2%. The rapid spread of BA.2 has earned it the designation of variant under surveillance from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), as it could be more contagious than the original omicron variant. It is the nature of viruses to evolve and mutate, so its to be expected that we will continue to see new variants emerge as the pandemic goes on, Meera Chand, incident director at UKHSA, said. Our continued genomic surveillance allows us to detect them and assess whether they are significant. So far, there is insufficient evidence to determine whether BA.2 causes more severe illness than omicron BA.1, Chand added. The UKs Secretary of Health, Sajid Javid, said the emergence of the new sub-type emphasises the importance of Covid-19 vaccinations. I encourage you to give yourself and your loved ones the best protection possible and get boosted now, he said. According to the report, there are concerns about the potential recombination of the omicron and delta variants. German virologist, Christian Drosten of Berlins Charite University Hospital, explained that if any of the omicron variants combine with the Delta variant, it could develop an even more dangerous virus. This is because the Omicron variants mutations make it easier for the virus to evade immune defences. It is feared that combining the variants would bring their strongest features together. There is such a thing, it has already been described, you have to fear that something like this could happen at the moment, Drosten warned. South African scientists were first to detail the omicron variant in November 2021, and its discovery prompted several nations to close their borders to travellers from South Africa. South Africa reached the peak of its fourth wave of Covid-19 infections which was primarily driven by the omicron variant in December 2021 and exited the wave in January. A driver was pronounced dead early on Friday after crashing on Interstate 80 following a vehicle pursuit that began late Thursday night in American Canyon, according to police. 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: Subscribe for $5.99 per mo A stolen vehicle was reported to American Canyon Police at about 10:45 p.m., and its driver led officers on a chase after an attempted stop, according to American Canyon Police Chief Rick Greenberg. The vehicle later crashed on I-80 in Solano County, near the Napa County border, Greenberg said. Police received information that a gray Toyota SUV was stolen out of Oakland and spotted a car matching that description driving southbound in the 2500 block of Flosden Road, according to a police press release. After running the vehicle's license plate and determining it matched the stolen vehicle, officers attempted a traffic stop. The driver stopped near Corcoran Avenue in Vallejo, just outside American Canyon city limits, but drove off after officers commanded the occupants to exit the vehicle, the press release says. Officers continued their pursuit onto eastbound Highway 37 to eastbound I-80. The driver reached speeds of more than 100 miles per hour, according to the press release, and lost control of the vehicle near the Red Top Road exit in Solano County. The driver went off the roadway and over the guard rail and was ejected from the vehicle, according to the press release. No other vehicles were involved in the collision. A nearby ambulance gave first aid to the driver, and they were transported to the North Bay Medical Center in Fairfield, the press release says. The driver was pronounced dead early on Friday, and the Solano County Coroner Office took over the death investigation, according to the press release. The driver's name isn't being released by police at this time. The incident was one of two pursuits that began in American Canyon on Thursday. Earlier, just after 8:30 p.m., police began following a car that had been reported stolen, leading to a high-speed chase that ended with the drivers arrest in Richmond, according to American Canyon Police. Napa County hopes for a big-time rain year to emphatically smash the deep, two-year drought have somewhat withered amid a mostly sunny, warm, dry January. More than 18 inches of rain fell at Napa State Hospital from the beginning of the rain year on Oct. 1 into early January. That huge head start made a drought-buster look at least possible. 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: Subscribe for $5.99 per mo Three bone-dry weeks later, reaching even the normal rainfall season total of 25 inches at Napa State Hospital looks questionable. Given the chances for big storms typically peter out after March, the next two months will tell the story. The first half of February does not look promising, said Mike Pechner of Fairfield-based Golden West Meteorology. Still, spring rains to bail out the rain season are not out of the question. Weve had Miracle Marches before, he said. The city of Napa receives most of its water from Lake Hennessey reservoir that relies on runoff in the mountains east of Rutherford and from the State Water Project that relies on the Sierra Nevada snowpack. January hasnt been a big help to either. Lake Hennessey is 87% full, just a little fuller than in early January. The State Water Project is to deliver 25% of the citys allocation, with no carry-over from past years available. Neither of those totals portends an end to the drought. Weve said all along this is going to be a multi-year recovery, City of Napa Deputy Utilities Director Joy Eldredge said. Without more rain, Lake Hennessey could be below 60% again by next fall, going into a zone that Eldredge called "uncomfortable." Conservation measures imposed by the city last year, such as restrictions on irrigation, remain in effect. We still need to be prudent, Eldredge said. I will feel better when were back having some carry-over on the state side and having Hennessey completely full. The nature of storms is important, she said. One storm or two storms spread out don't do much for Lake Hennessey recharge. The key is having three to four storms in close succession. St. Helena's Bell Canyon Reservoir filled up amid the early rainy season storms after falling to 35% last summer. The city lifted penalties for exceeding water usage allocations but is still emphasizing conservation. Pechner said high pressure over Washington and northern Idaho kept the storm track away from Napa County during much of January. A recent vegetation fuel moisture reading on Atlas Peak was 6.7%, which is almost a summertime reading. A historic October storm and particularly wet December have been key to the rain season so far. Without those two events, wed be in just dire straits, Pechner said. Wed be as dry as you can be in the middle of winter. The National Weather Service for much of latter January said computer models indicated a wet start to February. But in recent days, it backed off this forecast. "Looking at all available long-term guidance, not seeing any signs of rain through at least the first week of February," said a forecast posted Thursday morning on the National Weather Service Bay Area website. On Friday, the long-range prognostic had forecasters thinking about the latter half of February for significant rain chances. Notable California droughts include 1863-64, 1929-1934, 1976-77, 1987-92, 2007-09, and 2012-16, according to the state Department of Water Resources. And now theres the latest drought that has been dented but not vanquished. Napa State Hospital in rain year 2019-20 received only 12.19 inches of rain and in 2020-21 received only 10.24 inches, a historic double-punch of dryness. The rain year runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. The supercharged start to the 2021-22 rain year made a drought-buster look oh-so-close. Yet, for now anyway, the rain has given way to an all-too-familiar run of sunny days. You can reach Barry Eberling at 256-2253 or beberling@napanews.com. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Workers at Providence Queen of the Valley are continuing to battle the COVID-19 pandemic amid staffing challenges during another surge in positive cases. The workers say the impact of staffing shortages has intensified because a greater number of employees have contracted COVID-19 this time around. Though most COVID-19 patients have been presenting milder symptoms, according to hospital administration, the quantity of local hospitalizations has remained high while Napas seen record-breaking case counts over the past few weeks. 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: Subscribe for $5.99 per mo Last week, a group of hospital workers nursing assistants, respiratory therapists, housekeepers, and medical technicians, all represented by the National Union of Healthcare Workers picketed in front of the Queen of the Valley Medical Center on Trancas Street in Napa during their break times. The workers said they were there to protest understaffing at the hospital and draw attention to ongoing wage negotiations. Paula Raimers, a respiratory therapist at the hospital for nearly 29 years, said the situation at the hospital has been very discouraging. Its brutal at the hospital, Raimers said. Were short-staffed, underpaid, stressed out, tired, exhausted, and theres no end in sight. Raimers said many employees have been out because of the virus. Half of her department contracted COVID-19 at one point during an outbreak, she added, and the remaining workers had to compensate for the difference. Approximately one in 10 of the unionized service staff was on leave because of the current coronavirus surge, according to a union press release. The National Union of Healthcare Workers represents more than 400 workers at the Queen of the Valley, the press release says. People are at a breaking point, Raimers added. Ive been putting in overtime for over two years. Raimers also said the service staff members are underpaid. Raimers added that, according to her own research, staff members in her department are being paid $5 to $10 an hour less than they would make at other hospitals. She said she knows of skilled respiratory therapists who have applied for jobs at the hospital and turned down offers because the pay wasnt high enough. Queen of the Valley is committed to negotiating fair and market-competitive pay for all our caregivers and pay rates are established based on comprehensive market information and are competitive when compared to those offered by other area employers for comparable jobs, according to a statement from the hospital. Jay Clemons, a surgical technologist for the hospital for 27 years, said many of the workers have retired and quit throughout the pandemic, and nobodys been there to replace them. Without a sufficient quantity of support staff, he added, patients and hospital workers become more vulnerable. With less workforce, were still expected to maintain the same workload daily, Clemons said. Even today, I missed another break this morning. Missing breaks and missing lunches has become the standard. Clemons added that working conditions are the worst theyve ever been. I think that since Providence has taken over, things have gotten worse, Clemons said. When I came to work here 27 years ago, it was a community hospital; you were proud to work at The Queen of the Valley. And its not like that anymore. Raimers also said this is the worst its ever been during her 29-years working at the hospital, but shes continued to work at the Queen of the Valley because she loves her job. Ive been doing this for so long I dont know if I could stop, Raimers said. I have passion for my job; I love to help people. It makes me feel good to be able to help people. Breathing is so basic. I have asthma myself. Its a struggle when you cant breathe. And when you help people breathe, theyre so grateful. Queen of the Valley chief executive Terry Wooten said in a statement hospital management doesnt currently consider the hospital to have a critical staffing shortage. The biggest impact to operations this time around, he said, is the number of care workers who have had to quarantine and not come into work. But the need for intensive care has been lower than in previous surges because fewer patients have been critically ill, he added. Overall, Wooten added, he doesnt think this surge will be more difficult to handle than past surges because patients are generally having milder symptoms. During this surge, he said, the hospital has not had to cancel elective surgeries or procedures like it has in previous surges. The Queen of the Valley is following revised guidelines from the California Department of Public Health that allow workers who test positive to come back after 5-day quarantines after a negative test and if symptoms arent present, as opposed to the previous 10-day requirement. Raimers said the result of following that guidance is that workers come in to work still sick with COVID. Im just hearing the staff in my department being told to come in after five days when theyre still sick, Raimers said. "I told one therapist dont listen to them. They shouldnt be coming in and spreading it around all over the hospital. The hospital is not, however, using CDPH guidelines that allow asymptomatic, COVID-19 positive staff to return to work without isolation or additional testing, Wooten said. We are able to wait the recommended quarantine time, Wooten said. We appreciate that this option is available if clinical staffing becomes critically short and we have preplanned ways we could potentially use staff in the COVID unit and separate from non-ill co-workers, but is not necessary at this time. Union workers are demanding that the hospital improve recruitment and retention, which, according to a union press release, would allow the hospital to provide safer care. According to a hospital statement, "We recognize the additional challenges our staff is facing during this latest COVID-19 surge. We deeply appreciate every one of our caregivers, and we thank them for continuing to pour their hearts into our mission of caring for our neighbors and all those in need." The hospital laid off emergency department technicians, administrative assistants, and engineers in April 2021 and hospital nurses previously spoke out about working conditions and staff shortages at a Napa City Council meeting in August last year. The California Hospital Association anticipated the Omicron surge would last four to six weeks, CalMatters reported on Jan. 13. More than one-third of hospitals have reported severe staffing shortages during the current surge, according to CalMatters About 20% of the healthcare workforce, citing burnout, have left the field during the pandemic, according to an article from U.S. News & World Report. You can reach Edward Booth at (707) 256-2213. 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. Denmark, Finland support European Commission proposal on Russian oil sanctions Bulgaria to seek exemption from EU proposed Russian oil embargo Biden says he is ready for additional sanctions against Russia Switzerland braces for serious power shortage Uruguay freezes ambassador appointment to Ankara after Cavusoglu's gesture Czech Republic to seek exemption from proposed EU embargo on Russian oil imports Charles Michel on the likelihood of Moldova's EU membership Resistance Movement actions to resume tomorrow early morning Elon Musk is invited to UK Parliament for buying Twitter Disobedience march reaches France Square, rally starts US crude oil shipments to Europe hit highest level in April NEWS.am digest: Large-scale protests being held in Armenia to demand PMs resignation Armenia Defense Minister meets with Georgian PM UK bans imposes sanctions on 63 individuals and organizations in Russia EU plan to completely ban Russian crude oil threatens Hungary's energy security EU interested in expanding energy cooperation with Azerbaijan Germany: Gradual EU ban on Russian oil imports could lead to 'supply disruptions' Opposition demonstration reaches government residences Aliyev insists so-called Zangezur corridor 'is already a reality' Slovakia seeks exemption from EU oil embargo for three years Defense Ministers of Armenia and Georgia sign cooperation program for 2022 Romanian President approves entry of Stryker Brigade and US fighter squadron into country Dollar goes up, euro also rises in Armenia EU studying possibility of providing military assistance to Moldova Public demand for Nikol Pashinyan's resignation Opposition supporters move toward Armenian parliament building EU envoys can not agree on Russian oil Armenia Security Council chief briefs Georgia PM on Karabakh conflict settlement process Armenia deputy police chief says law enforcement has right detain MPs Large-scale opposition rally starts in central Yerevan Many teenagers in New Zealand are illiterate AFP: EU proposes to impose sanctions on Patriarch Kirill Arestovich says Israel could supply Ukraine with weapons Azerbaijan used in Karabakh war Parliament speaker threatens Armenian opposition, clergy Armenia opposition MP: Ex-President Serzh Sargsyan will not hold office in new government Beijing closes over 60 subway stations due to COVID-19 outbreak Bayramov, Roquefeuil discuss Azerbaijan-Armenia relations normalization process Armenia FM meets with US National Democratic Institute president Armenia ruling force MP: Opposition will not achieve its goal Armenia 2nd president Robert Kocharyans son blocking road with citizens in Yerevan Oklahoma bans almost all abortions Number of children in Japan falls to record low Karabakh President meets with of Free Homeland-UCA parliamentary faction members Armenian judge waves Artsakh flag at Ironman Triathlon (PHOTOS) There is still lot to do in 'October 27' case, says Armenia Prosecutor General Ambassador Wiktorin to finance minister: EU ready to continue providing assistance to Armenia government Armenia Prosecutor General admits there are difficulties in investigation of 'March 1' criminal case Copper price is stable 3 COVID-19 new cases confirmed in Armenia American Armenian youth hold protest rally outside Armenia embassy in Washington Japan protests against North Korean missile Gold is getting cheaper U.S.-Armenia Strategic Dialogue issues joint statement Newspaper: Armenia Patrol Guard Service head to be summoned to Investigative Committee to give explanation Armenia parliament regular sittings continue Newspaper: Armenia opposition members falling into National Security Service trap by opening links Civil disobedience protests resume in Yerevan Earthquake shakes Armenia-Georgia border zone Microsoft urges to abandon Internet Explorer Mark Milley: Potential for significant international conflict between great powers is increasing EU: Poland fines in rule of law dispute now top $170 million Putin and Lukashenko discuss ongoing situation Greece and Bulgaria say new LNG terminal will help reduce dependence on Russia German vice chancellor calls for rapid construction of LNG terminals Rally of Resistance Movement takes place in France Square Robert Kocharyan takes part in opposition march Mario Draghi calls on EU to abandon requirement of unanimity in making foreign policy decisions Finland and Sweden not yet decided whether to join NATO Croatian president uses veto power to block Finland and Sweden from joining NATO Slovakia will seek exemption from the EU embargo on Russian oil imports NEWS.am digest: Blinken meets Mirzoyan in US, people detained during protests in Yerevan Turkish Foreign Ministry on meeting of special envoys in Vienna Opposition rally in central Yerevan starts with Sirusho's performance Italy to face serious issues in winter if Russian gas supplies are cut off now Johnson announces new military aid to Ukraine in amount of 300 million euros Resistance Movement rally on France Square in Yerevan EU hopes to adopt sixth round of sanctions against Russia at next EU Council meeting Peaceful rallies of disobedience held in Spitak Spain extends OVID-19 entry restrictions Vayk joins demand for Nikol Pashinyan's resignation Putin and Macron discuss Ukraine Citizens demanding Pashinyan's resignation block road from Vayots Dzor to Yerevan Peaceful rallies of disobedience held in Vanadzor demanding PM's resignation Citizens demanding Pashinyan's resignation block Gyumri-Yerevan highway Sirusho: Today I will join our compatriots in France Square Third meeting of Armenia and Turkey special representatives held in Vienna Dollar rises slightly after long decline, euro also goes up in Armenia Civil disobedience actions in regions: Yerevan-Goris highway blocked Azerbaijan settling occupied Armenian Hadrut, Shushi cities of Artsakh New colors and new services: Team Telecom Armenia completes rebranding Armenia legislature speaker receives France-Armenia Friendship Group delegation France senator: We are leaving for Armenia with Senate group Putin signs decree on economic measures against unfriendly countries Armenia legislature speaker: Authorities have repeatedly proposed dialogue to opposition Backpack action of protest being held outside Armenia parliament (PHOTOS) Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD statement does not correspond to reality Armenia defense minister receives Kansas National Guard delegation Armenia Police: Yerevan-Sevan motorway reopened Ned Price: Mirzoyan-Blinken meeting will launch US-Armenia strategic dialogue Mirzoyan, Nuland discuss Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement process Mark DeLuca of the Howard County Department of Public Works discusses the unique challenges brought about from waterways which travel under housing in historic Ellicott City during a tour of several project sites with Ellicott City's flood mitigation plan on Wednesday, August 18, 2021. (Brian Krista/Baltimore Sun Media). (Brian Krista/Baltimore Sun Media) The taxpayers of Howard County are purchasing flood prone properties in Ellicott City and funding public works projects to fight flooding in the area (As Maryland faces growing flood threats, retreat is an unpopular solution. What would it take to change that? Jan. 20). But is there any logic to these expenses? Do they permanently mitigate flooding? Or are these costs the first installments on a never-ending spiral of flood mitigation efforts? Do the politicians and bureaucrats who fund these efforts care about the accumulated costs? When does it end? Advertisement I understand why politicians support such investments; they buy votes from local residents. But is there a limit to the cost to taxpayers before the politicians stop the bleeding? Who speaks for prudent spending rather than the endless efforts to sustain water-logged Ellicott City? Robert Flynn, West Friendship Advertisement Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter. YEREVAN. Today we have an army, which, at this moment fulfilling the tasks set before it, will become the army left to us by [the late Supreme Commander and statesman] Vazgen Sargsyan. Andranik KocharyanChair of the Standing Committee on Defense and Security of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia and an MP of the ruling majority "Civil Contract" Faction in the NAtold this to reporters at Yerablur Military Pantheon in Yerevan Fridayon Army Day. "But for that, we must all unite our goals and get out of the situation, as a result of which we had failures, defeats in the 44-day war [in the fall of 2020]. For that, we must make a reality what is noted in the government's program: to build the army that must be equipped with modern weapons, intellectual capabilities, and invulnerable from the viewpoint of fulfilling the tasks set before it," Kocharyan said. To the question whether today Armenia is able to acquire proper military equipment to counteract the adversary, he answered: "What do you think? Is that work possible without it? By always solving such problems, we must finally fulfill the tasks set in the government's program. For that, everyone should invest what opportunities they have for the benefit of our country's security." January 28 marks the 30th anniversary of the Armenian Armed Forces, but it is virtually not celebrated today. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has contracted the coronavirus and self-isolated. Most of the high-ranking officers of the army General Staff, who had attended the recent wedding of Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan, are in the same situation. We must learn lessons from the defeat, we must engage in increasing our defense capabilities, rehabilitating, reviving the army, like all other state institutions. No state can have another alternative. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated this to reporters at Yerablur Military Pantheon Fridayon Army Day. To the remark that the opposition claims that the Armenian authorities are desecrating Yerablur with their current foreign policy, particularly in terms of Armenian-Turkish relations, Mirzoyan responded: "I do not want to comment on the viewpoints of the opposition on various issues. But please ask the opposition how it happened that there was almost no year since the late 1990s when there were no talks, discussions, correspondence, contacts in the Armenian-Turkish direction. () There is no need to go, negotiate somethingas it has been for years, then come home, announce something else from various platforms and carry out another campaign. What I am negotiating, I say directly during the question and answer session in the National Assembly. There is nothing secret, everything is public." "Of course, we [i.e., Armenia] have national red lines that should not be crossed in any way. On the other hand, we are not the first and last people, unfortunately, on a planet that has had a very long conflict with a neighboring country. We are ready to building stable, lasting peace in the region. () At the same time, we must feel an obligation to the memory of those same fallen [Armenian soldiers] because they died for life, for the homeland, they died so that others could live. As long as we remember and respect their memory, we still have an obligation to take care of the living, too" the Armenian FM added. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Friday issued a congratulatory message on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Armenian Armed Forces. The message reads as follows: Dear compatriots, Honourable representatives of the Armed Forces, I congratulate all of us on the 30th anniversary of the foundation of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia. During these three decades the Armenian Army has had both glorious days and passed through many challenges. The Armenian people appreciate the heroism of all our heroes, those soldiers, officers, generals and volunteers who have fought until the end for the defense, security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Homeland. Today we are pursuing the path of systematic reforms aimed at further developing the Armed Forces, by re-assessing the past path of the Army, the advantages, shortcomings and problems it had. The Republic of Armenia will have a professional army, and the Government will carry out that work tirelessly, without despondency and pessimism, but with optimism on the path of building our security environment. Improving the Armys combat readiness, arsenal and the military service conditions is our priority. Since 2018, the Government of Armenia has started the process of improving the social and living conditions of servicemen, and it will be continuous. Each soldier and officer of the Republic of Armenia must feel the states support, and we will be consistent in that process. Military service should deserve special public respect and appreciation, which must be expressed also by the system of special social guarantees to the servicemen and their families. In parallel, service assessment criteria for intellectual, professional, physical and psychological preparedness should also be raised, and the public respect and appreciation towards the Army should be based on these points. Dear compatriots, On the occasion of the Army Day, I would like to specially thank all volunteers, soldiers, officers and generals who were at the roots of the formation of the Armenian Army. I would like to thank all defenders of our Homeland, all servicemen for the sacrifices they made for unconditionally serving our country and people in these difficult conditions. I also like to thank their families for their patience, endurance, and for standing firm with their servicemen relatives and the Homeland. I bow to our heroic martyrs. Their memory is immortal, their work is sacred. God bless the Armenian army. A bipartisan group of US senators is drafting a bill that would dramatically increase US military aid to Ukraine. A group of five Democrats and five Republican senators made progress in negotiations on the bill, a source familiar with the talks told Reuters. Their goal is to write a bill that will be passed by the Senate next week. To become law, it must also pass through the House of Representatives and be signed into law by President Joe Biden. Lawmakers from both parties have said they want to act quickly to support Ukraine. There is still disagreement between bipartisan senators, especially over whether sanctions should be imposed on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. They are also developing a plan on what sanctions should be imposed on Russia now and what should be imposed in the event of an invasion. At the moment, there is a mutual understanding at the highest level regarding the railway, and this is confirmed by the statements. Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan told this to reporters at Yerablur Military Pantheon in Yerevan Fridayon Army Day anniversary, referring to the matter of unblocking roads in the region. "I believe this is a very positive progress. At the moment, expert work is being done more. I will additionally inform about our future meetings as a result of that work," added the deputy PM. According to Grigoryan, the aforesaid railway is already a constructive work because at this stage, the working group is carrying out work that is very specific and pursues a specific goal. "It is the construction of a railway in the parts that of the Republic of Armenia," the deputy premier explained. Israel will follow its strategy to fight Iranian aggression regardless of whether world powers reach an agreement with the Islamic Republic at the Vienna talks, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told The Jerusalem Post. Israel's strategy does not depend on whether there is an agreement or not, Bennett said. A deal that sends tens of billions of dollars to this rotten and weak regime will be a mistake because that money will go to terror against IDF soldiers and Americans in the region, Bennett said. Tehran, according to Bennett, is playing poker with a very weak card, but it is bluffing. Israel has conveyed a message to its friends in the US and Europe who are negotiating with Iran that the mullah regime should not receive the money, the prime minister said. Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, accompanied by the members of the Armenian clergy, visited Yerablur Military Pantheon in Yerevan Fridayon the 30th anniversary of the Armenian Army. Karekin II told reporters there that they had visited Yerablur to raise their prayers to God for the peace of the souls of brave Armenians who have fallen. According to the Catholicos of All Armenians, they ask the Lord to bless the life of the Armenian people to live in peace and security, in a ceremonial and creative life, and in prosperity. "Also, we raised our prayer to God so that with the blessing of the Lord, the Armenian army would be strengthened and protect the peaceful, secure life of our country and our people," he added. On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Armenias Armed Forces, third President Serzh Sargsyan on Friday visited the Sardarapat Heroic Battle Memorial, from where he issued a message, informed the office of the third President. Sargsyan paid tribute to Armenian heroes who fell in the Sardarapat Battle by laying a wreath at the Sardarapat Memorial. Earlier in the day, a wreath was also laid at Yerablur Military Pantheon at the memorial wall which immortalizes those who made the greatest contribution towards building the Armenian Army and those heroes who fell for the sake of freedom and Homelands independence. And third President Serzh Sargsyans aforesaid Army Day message states as follows: Today I am sending my Army Day-dated message from the Sardarapat Memorial, which symbolizes the victorious spirit of the Armenian soldier and the Armenian national dignity. Every symbol has its significance here a venue, where the remains of the Sardarapat Battle heroes and Artsakh freedom-fighters lie, where the immortal souls of Armenian heroes continue to inspire strength, determination and unwavering faith to anyone ready to defend the homeland. The embodiment of all those forces that view things in a sober light was formed here as a warning addressed to the enemy, but also as an awakening call addressed to our people, so that they never lost their vigilance and refused to be ruined through vain promises. This is a pledge for reinstating and re-evaluating Armenias independence that was lost for centuries in a fight-to-death struggle; this is a message for Armenias rebirth; this is a call for being ready to stand next to the Armenian soldier at crucial moments and for making it possible again what seemed to be impossible. On the occasion of the anniversary of the Armenian army, which saw both glorious victories over the past three decades and a bitter defeat in the latest war under the command of treacherous and bashful leaders, I urge everyone to listen to the call of Sardarapat and live up to the memory of our heroes martyred for the sake of homeland. I believe that the Armenian state will rise from its slumbers; I believe in the wisdom of the Armenian people and in our upcoming victories. I do believe because my comrades-in-arms and I listened to the call of Sardarapat as Shushi and Artsakhs other settlements were being liberated some 30 years ago. I believe that the Sardarapat Memorials bells will herald ever new victories forged by the glorious Armenian army, the 30-year-old child of our people. Happy birthday, Armenian army! I see a risk in not normalizing relations with Turkey. The chairman of the Bright Armenia Party (BAP), Edmon Marukyan, stated this to reporters at Yerablur Military Pantheon in Yerevan Fridayon the Army Day anniversary. "That risk has already taken place. And if [then Armenian President] Serzh Sargsyan's initiative [on normalizing relations with Turkey] had not been hindered in 2008 and that initiative had taken place, this war [i.e., the 44-day Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war in the fall of 2020] might not have happened this way. Therefore, in 2008 as well I had believed and supported the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations without preconditions. Today I am happy that after the [recent] first meeting of the envoys [of the two countries] there is a clear statement in the statement of the Turkish and Armenian Foreign Ministries that the talks have started without preconditions," Marukyan said. To the remark that Azerbaijan is still firing on, attacking, and killing Armenians, Marukyan said that this is why relations should be normalized. "Such a catastrophe happened to us [Armenians] because we did not use the chances given to us at the time, or we did not use [them] well, or we used [them], [but] did not work. Now we have a chance again to use it, to normalize relations. It is the non-normalization of relations that will lead to new wars, new conflicts, and new casualties in the future," the BAP leader added. As for the fact that Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev sees the normalization of relations with Armenia in the context of Armenia recognizing Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and opening a corridor for Azerbaijan through Syunik Province of Armenia, Edmon Marukyan noted: "In Armenia, we discuss more what the Azerbaijani leader sees than what we see. The leader of Azerbaijan may see a lot. And I see that Artsakh is an established factor, with its president, its flag, its coat of arms, its army. Security is maintained there through Russian peacekeepers." The Armenian side does not have clarifications yet on which of the proposals on border demarcation and delimitation is unacceptable for Azerbaijan. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated about this to reporters at Yerablur Military Pantheon in Yerevan Fridayon Army Day anniversary, adding that these clarifications are being determined. To the question as to whether the Armenian side is waiting for the proposals of the Azerbaijani side, or will it present new proposals, the Armenian FM responded as follows: "There is a constant discussion, the discussion continues. Now we are trying to get clarifications as to especially which part [of these proposals] is unacceptable [for Azerbaijan]. On what grounds? And, accordingly, what new solutions there can be?" On January 19, Ararat Mirzoyan had announced in the National Assembly: "The Armenian side has prepared a package of several measures aimed at de-escalating the situation, reducing tension, raising the level of security and stability on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border zone, and has transmitted [this package] to both the Russian and Azerbaijanmediated by the Russian side, [as well as] to the other partners." The Americans really want an immediate de-escalation with Russia, but dialogue is not possible with thousands of Russian troops at the Ukrainian border, a senior NATO source representing an EU member state in Brussels told EURACTIV. Believe me, the Americans really want an immediate de-escalation with Russia, the source said, adding that NATO knows that the direct threat is Russia but is also aware that the danger in the wider picture is China, which is now comfortably observing two powerful elephants wrestling. Beijing has not threatened the West strategically or militarily, but you have to predict the future, and China is not growing only commercially, the source said. Asked about the Ukrainian crisis and Moscow's next steps, he said that only President Vladimir Putin knows what will happen, while even the Kremlin leadership has no idea. At the same time, the source added, it would be nice if the West would also pulled Ukraines ear a bit, as some in Kyiv are staging "unnecessary provocations." In his estimation, Russia is not planning an invasion of Ukraine. To invade such a large country with such military forces [like Ukraine], you need military capabilities other than those that have been currently deployed, the source said. He stressed that NATO has no obligation or right to militarily intervene in Ukraine because it is not a member of the Alliance, but things would be very different if a NATO country were attacked. If Russia made the mistake of attacking a NATO member state, then we would have a third world war. Nevertheless, the source added, Ukraine is a "partner with increased capabilities" of NATO, which means that the alliance has certain moral obligations that could lead to massive sanctions against Moscow. The armed forces and servicemen of independent Armenia are the true children of their homeland, who stand out by their courage and bravery. This is noted in a statement posted Friday on the Facebook page of the Russian embassy in Armenia. "They are the proud continuation of the glorious military traditions of the generation of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Without exaggeration, their loyalty and unwavering service are the main guarantee of the country's peace and prosperity," the statement also reads. The Russian embassy added that in a world that is complex, rapidly changing, and full of various challenges, effective cooperation between the Russian and Armenian Armed Forces is an inseparable element of the entire complex of Russian-Armenian allied relations, and that bilateral strategic cooperation in the military sphere plays a key role in protecting the national interests and sovereignty of the two countries. The army is the structure that, with its organization and level of discipline, is obligated be the first to stand up and straighten its back, restoring its reputation as a former victor and a competitive army in the region. Seyran Ohanyan, leader of the opposition "Armenia" Faction in the National Assembly and former defense minister of Armenia, stated this on the TALK TIME program of Armenian News-NEWS.am. "Where the army and the people are united, they are invincible. But in this 44-day war [in the fall of 2020], that unity was not seen. In parallel with the war, our authorities failed to move the state on the military tracks, unite the whole nation, and lead to victories. The rear of the army remained openat least in terms of personnel and logistics. In 2018, the capabilities of our army sharply decreased, first of all, the society was hit, the society was divided into parts," he said. And to the remark that the incumbent Armenian authorities announce that the army was armed the most right after the revolution in 2018, Seyran Ohanyan responded: "The authorities are not rightat the very least. If the authorities invite me to any open or closed discussion in the same Ministry of Defense, I can submit. Twenty-seven years of work cannot be compared to [just] three years of work. They have inflated the central apparatus, whereas the military organizations, the mobilization organizations have reduced them. It can be said that they decided to organize PR on the army; that is, the [army] rear support, food, and equipment was underscored more than the armament of the army. The US will carry out about 45 flights to supply additional assistance to Ukraine worth $200 million, the RBC-Ukraine newspaper reported, citing a source in the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. "The specified assistance includes means of a defensive nature: ammunition, counter-battery fighting means, anti-tank means, small arms and other," the report said. Earlier it was reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a telephone conversation thanked US President Joe Biden for the supply of lethal weapons to the country. On 25 January, Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Anna Malyar said on her Facebook page that a new batch of technical assistance from the USA for the Ukrainian Armed Forces had arrived at Boryspil International Airport. According to her, the aid consists of modern defense equipment and ammunition. In the publication she thanked US partners for their support and practical assistance. The Armenian Defense Ministry denied the report of the Azerbaijani side. Earlier today, Azerbaijani media reported with reference to their country's defense ministry that the Armenian Armed Forces allegedly shelled Azerbaijani positions in the Tavush direction in the evening of 27 January. "The report circulated by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry that Armenian Armed Forces units opened fire at Azerbaijani combat positions located in the northeastern section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border on 27 January is misinformation. In fact, around 10 p.m. on 27 January, random shots were fired from the Azerbaijani side in the said section of the border, but the Armenian units did not reply to them," the report says. Armenia on Friday marks the 30th anniversary of the creation of its armed forces. However, as Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan and some high-officials from Defense Ministry have tested positive for COVID-19 a reception dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Armenian Armed Forces has been postponed. Meanwhile, National Assembly (NA) speaker Alen Simonyan, and many members of the ruling majority Civil Contract Faction of the NA have visited Yerablur. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed the decision on approving the composition of the Council on Constitutional Changes. According to the text of the decision the Council on Constitutional amendments was formed, its individual composition and activity order were approved. The professional commission of constitutional amendments will be formed within two months after the formation of the council. EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar has summarized the results of the EU delegations recent visits to Yerevan and Baku. "The meetings allowed us to follow up on the substantive discussions that the two leaders held with President Charles Michel in Brussels in December, as well as on their meeting with President Emmanuel Macron following the Eastern Partnership Summit," he noted. Earlier he noted that they support contacts of Yerevan and Ankara within the so-called 3+3. We also support the upcoming resumption of flights between Yerevan and Istanbul and other high-level contacts between Armenian and Turkish officials, such as the contacts within the so-called 3+3 platform and other possible contacts in the framework of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Klaar stressed. Armenian side does not have clarifications yet on which of the proposals on border demarcation and delimitation is unacceptable for Azerbaijan, said Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan. Asked whether the Armenian side is waiting for the proposals of the Azerbaijani side, or will it present new proposals, the Armenian FM noted: "There is a constant discussion, the discussion continues." On January 19, Ararat Mirzoyan had announced in the National Assembly that the Armenian side has prepared a package of several measures aimed at de-escalating the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The fountain built in memory of famous Armenian painter Arshile Gorky (Vostanik Manoug Adoian) was damaged by unknown people in the Turkish province of Van, according to the Gazeteduvar website of Turkey. In the latest vandalism, the signs telling the story of Gorky's life were removed and disappeared. When asked why the water from this fountain was cut off, the district administration said that it was due to lack of water, and denied any information about the damage. The risk of dying from Covid-19 is significantly higher in countries with populist governments. A study by an international team of researchers found that populist governments have handled the crisis worse than non-populist governments. The researchers analyzed the excess deaths in 2020, the first year of the pandemic. They found that excess mortality was, on average, more than twice as high in populist-governed countries as in non-populist-governed countries. Before the pandemic, the so-called populist wave swept through many countries, when radical and anti-establishment leaders came to power. Of the 42 countries included in the analysis, 11 were classified as populist-run in 2020: the US, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the UK, India, Israel, Mexico, Poland, Slovakia, and Turkey. Countries that were considered non-populist included Japan, Canada, and Sweden. Connecticut Brownfields Initiative Evolves to Technical Assistance for Brownfields Program By: Eli Freund, Editorial Communications Manager, UConn School of Engineering After the successful awarding of the University of Connecticut as a regional Technical Assistance to Brownfields provider by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, UConn will now be offering its expertise and services to communities and organizations around New England, expanding the scope of the Connecticut Brownfields Initiative. The Connecticut Brownfields Initiative, launched in 2017, was a program run specifically to assist communities in Connecticut with multiple brownfield sites that have negative impacts on the environment, public health and economic development. Throughout its four years of existence, the program combined hands-on education and outreach skills for students in the program, with pro-bono assistance to local communities. The new UConn TAB program is expanding on efforts originated in CBI and replicating that model for any municipality, regional planning organization or non-profit located in EPA Region 1, which includes Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. Because of the increased reach of the TAB program, and the overlap of activities, UConn TAB Director and Civil and Environmental Engineering Department Head Marisa Chrysochoou commented that this is the perfect time to merge CBI and its activities into the TAB program. When we launched CBI in 2017 to serve Connecticut communities, our goal all along was to acquire additional resources and serve more communities Chrysochoou said. As the regional TAB provider, were integrating CBI, and becoming one, cohesive organization that serves all of our partners in the region. Our collaboration with the Center for Land Use Education and Research, the School of Social Work, and the Center for Population Health at UConn allows us to tap into additional expertise needed to serve communities. The UConn TAB program is offering a variety of services to communities, including research support for grant proposals, direct technical assistance for brownfield projects, community engagement support, continuing education and networking opportunities. The service learning program Brownfield Corps will continue to be an integral part of TAB, offering experiential learning that is a cornerstone of Life-Transformative Education. We are excited to offer our student opportunities to work with a wider range of communities beyond Connecticut, said Assistant Research Professor and TAB Program Manager Nefeli Bompoti. Many of our students come from neighboring states and will have the opportunity to forge professional connections closer to home, and learn about a wider range of issues that New England communities face. For more information on all the services offered by UConns TAB program, or to contact the program as a potential partner, please visit https://tab.program.uconn.edu. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- NATO and the U.S. on Wednesday rejected Russia's demand to roll back the alliance's presence in 14 Eastern European countries that became members after 1997. The idea likely would have gained little traction in those countries, where Russia's leadership has been highly unpopular since it annexed Crimea in 2014. Since then, median approval across the mostly former Eastern bloc countries has never topped 30%, and disapproval has never dropped below 46%. In 2021, before the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, nearly half (49%) disapproved. Line graph. Median levels of views of Russian leadership among NATO members in Eastern Europe. In 2021, a median 49% of the public disapproved of Russia's leadership, while a median 27% approved and 25% did not know or refused to answer. The latest approval ratings of Russia come from surveys in Eastern Europe in 2021, mostly before the Russian government began massing large numbers of troops on the Ukrainian border in October 2021. After nearly two months of heightened tensions between Russia and Ukraine and Ukraine's NATO allies, the Russian government issued a series of demands to deescalate the situation. Key among the demands was the withdrawal of NATO forces and equipment from any country that was part of NATO's enlargement since 1997. From 2009 through 2013, levels of disproval for Russia's leadership had been substantially lower among NATO members in this region, not exceeding 36% median disapproval. However, disapproval shot up 22 percentage points in 2014 following Russia's annexation of Crimea early that year. Disapproval Varies Across Eastern European NATO Members While there is a median of 49% disapproval for Russia's leadership across NATO members in Eastern Europe, it is not monolithic. Of the 13 Eastern European NATO members that Gallup was able to poll in 2021, seven are at or near majority-level disapproval for Russia's leadership. Those 13 countries include the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Albania, Croatia and North Macedonia. Russian Leadership Disapproval in Eastern European NATO Countries, 2013 vs. 2021 ** Do you approve or disapprove of the job performance of the leadership of Russia? Disapprove - 2013 Disapprove - 2021 Change % % pct. pts. Albania 20 49 +29 Poland 51 79 +28 Hungary 18 39 +21 Bulgaria 12 33 +21 Slovakia 34 51 +17 Croatia 31 43 +12 Latvia 38 49 +11 Estonia 46 56 +10 Romania 27 37 +10 Czech Republic 45 53 +8 Lithuania 42 44 +2 North Macedonia 29 30 +1 Slovenia 60 56 -4 Montenegro 31 * - *Data not available **Among countries that joined NATO in 1997 or later Gallup Disapproval of Russia's leadership is highest in Poland, where 79% of adults disapproved in 2021. That level of disapproval is 28 points higher than it was in 2013 before the annexation of Crimea. Current levels of disapproval are also particularly high in two of the three Baltic states, Estonia at 56% and Latvia at 49%. Disapproval in both countries is 10 and 11 points higher than in 2013, respectively. Estonia and Latvia -- and Lithuania -- have sent weapons to Ukraine to support the country against a potential Russian invasion. In three of the largest Eastern European NATO member countries, disapproval of Russian leadership remains substantially below majority levels, with Hungary at 39%, Romania at 37% and Bulgaria at 33%. Disapproval of Russia's leadership remains well above where it was before the annexation of Crimea. In both Hungary and Bulgaria, levels are 21 points higher in 2021 than in 2013, while in Romania, the level of disapproval is 10 points higher than where it previously stood. Bottom Line After the fall of the Soviet Union, NATO expanded membership to many of the countries formerly in the Soviet sphere in Eastern Europe. The Russian government has consistently claimed that the presence of NATO forces in these countries is a threat to Russia's security and that the U.S. had previously pledged not to expand the alliance into the area. Gallup has previously found that most NATO member countries in the region have seen the alliance as protection rather than the threat that Russia portrays, while those in former Russia and other former Soviet states outside of Eastern Europe were more likely to see it as a threat. The Russian government would clearly like to remove or severely downgrade NATO's presence near its western border, and the country's most recent demands are aimed squarely at doing so. The demands were handed over to the U.S. government, suggesting that Russia sees the U.S. as the primary arbiter of NATO policy. While the U.S. arguably plays an outsized role in the alliance, other member countries retain a voice in their own defense and security policies. Both the U.S. and NATO, in general, have rejected Russia's demands that forces and equipment be withdrawn from these countries. Current levels of disapproval for Russia's leadership among the Eastern European members of NATO strongly suggest these countries would support maintaining NATO's presence in Eastern Europe. To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on Twitter. Learn more about how the Gallup World Poll works. For complete methodology and specific survey dates, please review Gallup's Country Data Set details. His letter to the White House arrived on Thursday, confirming the news that had been widely reported the day before: Longtime justice Stephen Breyer would retire from the U.S. Supreme Court at the end of the current term. I have found the work challenging and meaningful, Breyer wrote of his nearly 30 years on the nations highest court. His departure paves the way for President Joe Biden to make his first Supreme Court nominationa justice who, if confirmed, will likely serve for decades and, in the immediate future, maintain the current 6-3 split between conservative and liberal justices. Appointed to the nations highest court by President Bill Clinton in 1994, the 83-year-old Breyer has long been known for his pragmatic approach to the law, a jurist who believes that the work of the courts is justice, not politics, said Frances Hill, a professor of law and Deans Distinguished Scholar for the Profession at the University of Miami School of Law. He believed in facts, not ideologies, as the basis of judicial opinions. He believed that people should choose their leaders based on the votes of the people of the United States, Hill said. He supported voting rights, transparency in campaign finance, and accountability of the peoples elected representatives. She noted that Breyer and Associate Justice Sandra Day OConnor, who served on the court from 1981 to 2006, worked together on public education regarding the Constitution and the role citizens play in our constitutional system. He also played a central role in convincing his colleagues on the court to uphold Obamacare, Hill said. As time passes, he is likely to be considered a consequential justice who understood his role on the court and who understood the importance of leaving when his departure could protect at least some of his values, Hill explained. Now, attention quickly shifts to who Biden will nominate to fill Breyers shoes. During his presidential campaign, the candidate promised that he would nominate a Black woman to the nine-justice court, and during a Thursday news conference at the White House with Breyer in attendance, Biden reaffirmed that pledge, saying such a nomination is long overdue. The person I will nominate will be someone with extraordinary qualifications, character, experience, and integrity, and that person will be the first Black woman ever nominated to the United States Supreme Court, Biden said. Among the leading candidates to succeed Breyer: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, and South Carolina U.S. District Court Judge J. Michelle Childs. Of course, any Biden nominee will almost certainly fit the model of what is oversimplified as a liberal justice: sympathetic on combatting police violence against people of color, the issue of a womans right to choose, and to an expansive view of equal protection that strongly affirms the autonomy of women, gays, and immigrants, said professor of law Donald Jones. But a Black woman stands at the intersection of two social identities, both gender and race. As such, the difference she is likely to make is in her ability to bring a unique voice and perspective to her interpretation of constitutional questions. Should a Black woman be confirmed to the Supreme Court, it would definitely diversify the court in terms of racial representation, said professor of political science Louise Davidson-Schmich, noting that only two Black justices, Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas, have ever served on the court. And they were men, she said. Ketanji Brown Jackson and Leondra Kruger are both Ivy League-educated as are most other justices on the court, she said. But J. Michelle Childs would add additional diversity in terms of educational background, as she went to law school in South Carolina. But any pick will bring his or her personal life experiences to the cases heard before the high court, and certainly African American womens life experiences are likely to have differed from that of other men or women serving as justices, Davidson-Schmich said. Overall, however, the addition of one African American woman is unlikely to change the Supreme Court as an institution; and ideologically, anyone Biden picks will likely be part of the courts liberal wing just as Justice Breyer was. If anything, Bidens nominee, should she be confirmed, will likely continue two common trends of Supreme Court justices: most are graduates of either the Harvard or Yale law schools, and most have clerked for the high court, noted Charlton Copeland, professor of law and Deans Distinguished Scholar at the University of Miami. With the exception of Amy Coney Barrett, who attended Notre Dame, the Harvard and Yale law schools have a lock on the court, with four current justices having each gone to one of those two schools of law, said Copeland, adding that Jackson and Kruger are products of Harvard and Yale, respectively. And Jackson clerked for Justice Breyer, and Kruger for the late John Paul Stevens, he said. But how would Jackson, Kruger, or Childs change the court? Neither attended a law school with a tenured Black woman on its faculty. So, they quite likely bring experience of being the first, the only, at numerous professional settings, Copeland said. While this would have been true of many of the women justices and [Associate Justice] Clarence Thomas, they are younger by decades, and I think issues of access, inclusion, and the fair distribution of elite resources are likely not to be lost on them. And while we are talking about these women as Black women, their careers have not revolved around race in the way that Thurgood Marshalls or Clarence Thomass pre-court careers did. [Jacksons, Krugers, and Childss] careers mark something of the promise of the civil rights movement and the movement for gender equity in the profession. At a time when Bidens approval rating has hit a new lowjust 41 percent of Americans approve of the job he is doing, while 56 percent disapprove, according to a new Pew Research Center surveywould nominating and putting a Black woman on the Supreme Court give a boost to his presidency? Given the deep divide between the left and right in the United States, this appointment is not likely to shift public opinion markedly up or down in the short run, said Casey Klofstad, a professor of political science in the College of Arts and Sciences. Support for the president may be buoyed among Americans who approve of the appointment, while those opposed may double-down on their negative views on Biden, effectively canceling each other out. The potential impact of this appointment on the Biden presidency is longer-term. It will have a direct impact on Bidens legacy as well as future SCOTUS decisions. What Matters to UStudent Governments popular speaker serieskicks off this semester with Tabitha Brown, a successful author, actress, and vegan lifestyle personality. Brown will visit campus on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 6 p.m. for an engaging conversation hosted in person at the Shalala Student Center. Tabitha Brown is an excellent choice to kick off Black Awareness Month on campus, said Meera Patel, a junior and chair of What Matters to U. She is a successful woman of color, and her background as a Black female influencer and vegan highlights the importance of intersectionality. In addition to her bestselling debut book, Feeding the Soul (Because Its My Business!), Brown has taken various business ventures by storm. She launched a line of vegan-based haircare products; partnered with McCormick and Company on her own signature seasoning recipe; and is an equity partner of Orro, a plant-based meal replacement. Brown has also appeared on screen in shows such as Will & Grace, The Chi, and The Conners. Boasting more than 12 million followers across multiple social media platforms, the North Carolina native inspires others to have faith, perseverance, and pave their own paths to achieving their dreamsall while delighting fans with her funny stories and upbeat cooking demonstrations. The What Matters to U platform invites speakers to provide their perspectives on a variety of experiences that are relatable to students, Patel added. Ms. Browns journey is inspiring, and her story appeals to our campus diverse student community. Tuesdays discussion will be moderated by Kennedy Robinson, assistant director with the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, and Tiyah Snell, a senior studying creative advertising. Students can reserve their tickets for the in-person event starting Tuesday, Feb. 1 beginning at noon. Emily Tucker to lead Opportunity Orange Scholars Media Contact: Christy Lang | Manager | 405-744-9740 | christy.lang@okstate.edu Emily Tucker has been named the director for Opportunity Orange Scholars, a new postsecondary education program for students with intellectual disability at Oklahoma State University. Tucker, who was selected following a national search, also will serve as assistant professor of professional practice in the Department of Human Development and Family Science. She will officially begin her appointment in June. Tucker brings an extensive record of scholarship and engagement with individuals with disability and with their families. She is currently an assistant researcher at the Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities, where her project work focuses on self-determination for people with disability across the life course. She is slated to complete her doctorate in Medical Family Therapy from East Carolina University in May. Tucker earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Science (2016) and followed with a Master of Science in Human Development and Family Science, specialization in marriage and family therapy, as well as an Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Studies Graduate Certificate (2019), all from OSU. I am thrilled to be coming back to Oklahoma State to work with Opportunity Orange Scholars, Tucker said. This program has been a long time coming, and it is so exciting to see all of the support from across the university as well as community partners across the state. I truly cannot think of a better job than one where I get to spend my time fostering inclusion and belonging for the next generation of Cowboys. Dr. Jennifer Jones and Dr. Kami Gallus lead the Institute for Developmental Disabilities at OSU. While a student, Tucker worked closely with Jones and Gallus on engagement and research work with individuals who have developmental disability and their families. She was a founding member of a universitywide student organization focused on providing inclusive opportunities for adults with intellectual disability and OSU students on the Stillwater campus. Tucker was also a long-term research assistant for numerous projects, including Oklahoma National Core Indicators and Lets Take a Walk. It is a pleasure to welcome Emily back home to the Department of Human Development and Family Science at OSU, Jones said. As a previous undergraduate and graduate student, Emily contributed significantly to the success of many research and community-engagement programs that have paved the way for Opportunity Orange Scholars. Since leaving OSU to pursue her doctoral degree, Emily has continued to expand her knowledge and experience. Opportunity Orange Scholars is designed for individuals between the ages of 18 and 26 who have intellectual disability and do not meet OSUs degree-seeking admission criteria. Students admitted into the academic program can pursue a two-year, non-degree Certificate in Career and Community Studies with an additional, non-degree advanced Certificate in Community Living and Engagement. Students will be fully immersed in the OSU experience, as they live and learn on campus. Emilys personal experience as a student on the Stillwater campus and the relationships she has developed with stakeholders will be such an asset to this new academic program, Gallus said. Emily knows what it means to be part of the Cowboy Family and will ensure that future scholars and their families are fully welcomed and find a community of belonging at OSU. Applications for the first cohort, to begin in August 2022, are now open. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2022. Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], January 28 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Embassy Office Parks REIT (NSE: EMBASSY / BSE: 542602) ('Embassy REIT'), India's first listed REIT and the largest office REIT in Asia by area, reported results today for the third quarter ended December 31, 2021. Michael Holland, Chief Executive Officer of Embassy REIT, said, "We are delighted to announce another great set of results despite Covid disruptions, once again underscoring the resilience and growth potential of Embassy REIT. We continue to see multiple positive indicators for our business - the uptick in new leasing, our delivery of the 1.1 million square feet ('msf') JP Morgan campus, our 4.6 msf of development pipeline, and a 5 msf potential acquisition opportunity in Chennai. Positive leasing momentum gives us the confidence to increase our guidance for the full year FY2022 as we look beyond the external challenges of the past two years. We are excited for the next phase of growth and value creation for our Unitholders through our focused investments in developing, enhancing, and expanding our world-class portfolio." Business Highlights Leased 428k square feet ('sf') at 24% spreads across 15 deals, achieved 14% rent increases on 1.8 msf Raised FY2022 full year guidance for new leasing from 400k sf to 1 msf, already achieved ~700k sf YTD Added 8 new occupiers including from high-growth sectors such as SaaS, logistics and e-commerce; occupier roster now over 200 Successfully integrated Rs 9,782 crores Embassy TechVillage ('ETV') property within a year of acquisition, delivered better than underwriting on a number of metrics Financial Highlights Grew Net Operating Income ('NOI') by 30% to Rs 621 crores, with operating margin of 84% Raised FY2022 full year guidance for both NOI and Distribution per Unit ('DPU'); NOI estimate now up by 3% to Rs 2,450 crores Raised Rs 4,600 crores at 6.5% to refinance existing zero-coupon bond, delivered significant 300 bps or Rs 130 crores proforma annual interest savings Maintained strong balance sheet with low leverage of 24% and Rs 11,600 crores debt headroom to finance growth Growth Initiatives Delivered 1.1 msf JP Morgan campus at ETV within budget, commenced new growth cycle with 1.9 msf new office development Continued construction in full swing on 4.6 msf on-campus development projects, labor at sites at peak strength Received Right of First Offer ('ROFO') notice for 5 msf Embassy Splendid TechZone, Chennai from Embassy Sponsor Launched one of Asia's largest solar rooftop projects, with over 20 MW scale and over 30% projected IRR; committed to 75% renewable energy by FY2025 The Board of Directors of Embassy Office Parks Management Services Private Limited ('EOPMSPL'), Manager to Embassy REIT, at its Board Meeting held earlier today, declared a distribution of Rs 493 crores or Rs 5.20 per unit for Q3 FY2022. Of this, Rs 4.32 per unit or 83% of distributions are tax-free for Unitholders. The record date for the Q3 FY2022 distribution is February 07, 2022 and the distribution will be paid on or before February 12, 2022. Investor Materials and Quarterly Investor Call Details Embassy REIT has released a package of information on the quarterly results and performance, that includes (i) reviewed condensed consolidated financial statements for the quarter and nine month period ended December 31, 2021, (ii) an earnings presentation covering Q3 FY2022 results, and (iii) supplemental operating and financial data book that is in-line with leading reporting practices across global REITs. All these materials are available in the Investors section of our website at www.embassyofficeparks.com. Embassy REIT will host a conference call on January 28, 2022 at 18:00 hours Indian Standard Time to discuss the Q3 FY2022 results. A replay of the call will be available in the Investors section of our website at www.embassyofficeparks.com. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India) Alpharetta (GA) [USA], January 28 (ANI/PNN): "Data," as we know it, has evolved and grown in stature and importance significantly over the past decade. Data has gone from being a simple component of computing processes to becoming an integral part of business operations (data science). Data is the actual product/asset in several notable cases and a key business differentiator for several firms. Data now fuels many industries - generated through targeted, personalized advertisements to mobile and website tracking of users to learn about their behaviors and preferences. As the application and the value of data grows, so does the potential to exploit it. As a result, the privacy of individuals is under significant threats than ever before as malicious actors, data brokers, and several other business entities try to harvest, sell, or monetize personal or enterprise data for their own commercial purposes. While most organizations process personal data for business purposes, they run the risk of running afoul of global data privacy regulations owing to a lack of awareness about the data privacy principles laid down in regulations such as the GDPR and the CCPA. Recently there have been several public data breaches and regulatory actions on several organizations when they were found to breach the trust of their customers by engaging in personal data processing in violation of the data privacy acts. To this end, Data Privacy Day-celebrated globally on January 28th-is dedicated to ensuring that data collection, use, and sharing is conducted ethically by organizations, and individuals are appropriately sensitized about the importance of their personal data privacy and their rights as the owner of their personal information. This includes educating the end-users on best practices to ensure their data is not captured without their consent, advising them not to share their sensitive data unless necessary, and improving the security of their data altogether to prevent identity theft and unauthorized profiling. At Cyble, we believe that a critical step in contributing towards Data Privacy Awareness is helping people understand the extent of their personal data exposure on the surface web and the dark web to help them safeguard themselves from a potential personal data breach. On this Data Privacy Day 2022, we invite you to head over to AmIBreached.com to assess your personal data privacy exposure and be a part of the growing privacy-aware community. Cyble is a global threat intelligence SaaS provider that helps enterprises protect themselves from cybercrimes and exposure in the surface web, deep web, and dark web. Its prime focus is to provide organisations with real-time visibility to their digital risk footprint. Backed by Blackbird Ventures, Xoogler and Y Combinator as part of the 2021 winter cohort, Cyble has also been recognised by Forbes as one of the top 20 Best Cybersecurity Start-ups, along with several other industry recognitions. Headquartered in Georgia, United States, and with offices in Dubai, Australia, Singapore, and India, Cyble has a global presence. To learn more about Cyble, visit www.cyble.com. This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN) New Delhi [India], January 28 (ANI/NewsVoir): For over 25 years, Top Employers Institute is the global authority on recognising excellence in people practices. Being certified as a Top Employer showcases an organisation's dedication to a better world of work, through excellent HR policies and people practices. Sandeep Gulati, Chief Executive Officer India at Egis said, "We at Egis in India are immensely proud to have been officially recognised as a Top Employer 2022. Our talent and people practices have been critical drivers for overall organizational growth. With our progressive 'people first' policies and practices, we are working to consistently improve employee value." Suneel Wasan, Director, HR, Egis in India said, "It is a recognition of our agility, of our capacity to transform despite the health crisis, of the support we provide to our managers and more generally of our commitment to our employees. Despite the challenging year, we have experienced, which has certainly made an impact on organisations around the world, Egis in India has continued to demonstrate the power of putting their people first in the workplace. We are proud to receive this prestigious award and wish to congratulate all other organisations that have been certified in their respective countries. In 2021, we stayed committed to our employees more than ever: flexible work policies; insurance, assisting employees and their families in maintaining their physical and mental wellbeing; investing in learning and development; evolving into an even more inclusive workplace; and continuing to attract the best and most diverse talent. This certification gave us the opportunity to conduct an in-depth study of our HR practices." The Top Employers Institute certifies organizations based on the analysis and benchmark of their HR Practices. The survey covers 6 HR domains consisting of 20 topics including People Strategy, Work Environment, Talent Acquisition, Learning, Well-being and Diversity & Inclusion and more. More than 1,857 Top Employers have been certified and recognised in 123 countries/regions across five continents. Top Employers Institute is the global authority on recognising excellence in People Practices and help accelerate these practices to enrich the world of work. Through the Top Employers Institute Certification Programme, participating companies are validated, certified and recognised as an employer of choice. Established over 30 years ago, Top Employers Institute has certified over 1,857 organisations in 123 countries/regions. These certified Top Employers positively impact the lives of over 8 million employees globally. Egis is an international player active in the consulting, construction engineering and mobility service sectors. We create and operate intelligent infrastructure and buildings capable of responding to the climate emergency and helping to achieve more balanced, sustainable and resilient territorial development. With operations in 120 countries, Egis places the expertise of its 16,000 employees at the disposal of its clients and develops cutting-edge innovation accessible to all projects. Through its wide-ranging fields of activity, Egis is a central player in the collective organisation of society and the living environment of citizens all over the world. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) Dubai [UAE], January 28 (ANI/Heylin Spark): Niner Pharmaceuticals LLC led by Mr Balaji is a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Dubai. With a vision to provide world-class pharmaceutical products to meet the needs of end consumers, Niner Pharmaceuticals LLC manufactures and supplies quality medicines. As a progressive move Niner Pharmaceuticals is planning to get the manufacturing facilities in India certified by USFDA, EU and UK MHRA. This would help the company gain better feasibility to market the intended products across the EU region. All the products go through rigorous quality checks and are manufactured as per quality standards of WHO, GMP, and Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention and Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation (PIC/S). Besides, the company also emphasizes the packaging of pharmaceutical products. Niner Pharmaceuticals envisions bridging the gap between the small & mid-scale pharmaceutical companies and the global markets. With world-class WHO certified and other regulatory accreditation products, Niner Pharmaceuticals strives for excellence. Niner Pharmaceuticals LLC is the leading manufacturer of pharmaceutical formulations in Powder Injection, Liquid Injection, Tablet, Bolus, Oral Liquid, Oral Powder, Aerosol External preparation and Ointment. Mr Balaji, the Chairman and Founder of Niner Pharmaceuticals says, "My vision is to see Niner Pharma among the top pharmaceutical companies. "We are negotiating to fund Indian mid and small scale pharmaceutical companies, intermediaries manufacturing companies and API plants to optimize their production capacity and provide them business to export their products to overseas countries like ASIAN, SAARC, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. Mr Balaji is an MBA graduate and possesses over 16 years of experience across multiple industries. Currently, he heads JB Group of Companies (Singapore), JB Radiant Power Energy (Singapore), JB Medicare (Vietnam) JB ITES Solution (Dubai UAE), and JB Global Trade LLC (Dubai UAE). He has received the Best Entrepreneur of the Year Award from Africa, Best Investor and Entrepreneurs Award from African Eagles Friends 2020, Business Excellence Award from the Government of Zimbabwe, and Nelson Mandela Peace Award 2021. Backed by knowledgeable C-Level Executives and a team of qualified professionals, the company is committed to providing the best quality products at economical prices. Niner Pharmaceuticals LLC is committed to the quality of medicines, protecting patients, helping build the public's trust and confidence in drug therapies, enabling people to live longer and healthier. Currently, the company is supplying covid related medicines, Vitamin supplements to Vietnam, Cuba, Mexico, and the Middle East and is looking forward to expanding its services to the European market in the coming years. To know more click www.ninerpharma.com. This story is provided by Heylin Spark. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/Heylin Spark) Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], January 28 (ANI/NewsVoir): NIPS Hotel Management Institute has continued its tradition of being recognized and honoured for its dedication to quality and excellence in hospitality education. The institute has been awarded with Eastern India's No. 1 Hotel Management College Award by Education Leadership Award-2021 held in Mumbai for 8 consecutive years in a row. The faculty and the students have received the accolade for their hard work and excellence in hospitality management. NIPS has an impressive team of internationally acclaimed celebrity faculty members who are headed by celebrity Chef Joseph Uttam Gomes. NIPS's faculties' extensive knowledge and incredible experience is the real reason behind student's success at the national and international level which bring global recognition to the institute. Speaking on the achievement, Chef Joseph Uttam Gomes, Deputy Director of NIPS Group, says, "This is indeed an occasion of pride for NIPS to achieve these prestigious accolades. It is our beloved students who are responsible for the continuous growth and development of the institute in combined efforts with our extremely proficient faculty members." NIPS has been recognized as "Asia's Greatest Brand", for the year 2019-2020. It is the first hotel management college in India to receive the prestigious "Best International Placement Award", Bangkok, Thailand, 2019-2020. NIPS is also a recipient of Best Institute of the year by CMO Asia Magazine, Singapore. Vivek Pathak - Founder Managing Director of NIPS credits the students and faculty of the institute for this brilliant feat. He says, "It's a moment of glory and pride for NIPS to receive the prestigious award for Eastern India's No. 1 College by Education Leadership Awards 2021, Mumbai. The achievements and worldwide recognition of the college do not come easy. The drive for excellence permeates deeply the college culture." "On this occasion, I must express deep gratitude to all our teachers for their priceless efforts, understanding, support, guidance, and contribution towards students to learn not just from the books but also qualities that make good human beings. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire staff for the professionalism and commitment in building a solid foundation for the college. Thanks to the parents for their support and thanks to students for your diligent work and engagement in the school," he added. NIPS has had an exemplary best placement & Internship record since its inception in 1993. Placement cell of NIPS is headed by Celebrity Chef Joseph Uttam Gomes himself. Under his leadership, NIPS is the first hotel management college in India to receive the prestigious "Best International Placement Award", Bangkok, Thailand, 2019-2020 and Best Placement Award by ASSOCHAM, 2017-2018. NIPS's alumni list speaks about the innovative and effective learning environment at the college and leadership expertise is imparted during studies. During the glorious journey of 26 years, NIPS has created a legacy of producing some of Industry's best Executive Chefs, General Managers, HODs, Entrepreneurs, Mixologists, Wine Experts, Captains, Cruise Managers, Food & Product Experts, etc. Many of the students are working abroad or settled as permanent residents in countries like the US, England, France, Canada, Germany, South Africa, China, Thailand, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia and Russia, etc. To know more about NIPS admission process contact at admission@nipsgroup.in. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman Dinesh Kumar Khara said on Friday all the required approvals to set up the National Asset Reconstruction Company or what is popularly called a 'bad bank' has been granted, including by the Reserve Bank of India. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget 2021-22 proposed to set up the new entities to help lenders in cleaning up their books by acquiring toxic assets. Addressing a virtual press conference from Mumbai, SBI chairman said National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd (NARCL) and India Debt Resolution Company Ltd (IDRCL) have received all requisite approvals including the required approvals from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to start operations. NARCL has been incorporated under the Companies Act and had applied to the Reserve Bank of India for license as an Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC). NARCL has been set up by banks to aggregate and consolidate stressed assets for their subsequent resolution. PSBs will maintain 51 per cent ownership in NARCL. IDRCL is a service company/operational entity which will manage the asset and engage market professionals and turnaround experts. Public Sector Banks (PSBs) and Public FIs will hold a maximum of 49 per cent stake and the rest will be with private sector lenders. Khara said NARCL will acquire and aggregate the identified NPA accounts from banks while IDRCL under an exclusive arrangement will handle the debt resolution process. "This exclusive arrangement will be as per the scope defined in the 'Debt Management Agreement' to be executed between the two entities," he said. SBI Chairman said that this arrangement will be on a 'Principal-Agent' basis and final approvals and ownership for the resolution shall lie with NARCL as the Principal. This is as per the structure originally envisaged. This arrangement will also be in full conformity with provisions of SARFAESI Act as well as the Outsourcing guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India. Both the companies will comply with applicable regulatory guidelines at all times. Public Sector Banks have taken a majority ownership in NARCL and IDRCL will be majorly owned by Private Sector Banks. Khada said that this unique Public Private partnership is envisaged to get the best talent in terms of ability to handle large exposures, benefit of aggregation, domain expertise in O&M and debt resolution processes, with personnel on boarded on terms and conditions that are market driven. NARCL plans to acquire the identified assets on a 15:85 - Cash: SR structure and these SRs issued in favour of transferring lenders will be secured by Govt of India guarantee for its face value. Both the companies have their respective Boards in place, consisting of seasoned professionals from the market. To start with both companies are having their MD & CEOs on a secondment basis. Padmakumar Nair, a Chief General Manager from SBI's Stressed Assets vertical will manage NARCL while Manish Makharia, Head of Alternate Investment Fund, SBI Funds Management Pvt Ltd will be heading IDRCL. Subrata Biswas, the nominee director on the Board of NARCL will be the interim Chairman and Diwakar Gupta continues as the Chairman of IDRCL. SBI Chairman said that a total of 38 accounts aggregating to Rs 82,845 crore has been identified for transfer to NARCL, however, the transfer will happen in a phased manner. Under Phase one, about 15 accounts aggregating to Rs 50,335 crore are expected to be transferred in the current financial year, i.e. on or before 31st March 2022. (ANI) A whole host of celebrities will be honouring the late Betty White in the NBC primetime special -- 'Celebrating Betty White: America's Golden Girl'. As per People Magazine, the special is set to air on January 31, exactly one month after the iconic actress died at age 99. The star-studded TV event will include tributes from President Joe Biden, Drew Barrymore, Valerie Bertinelli, Cher, Bryan Cranston, Ted Danson, Ellen DeGeneres, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Ana Gasteyer, Goldie Hawn, Vicki Lawrence, Jane Leeves, Jay Leno, Anthony Mackie, Wendie Malick, Joel McHale, Tracy Morgan, Jean Smart, Mary Steenburgen and more. "Co-stars, friends, admirers and those who shared special moments with White recount their favourite memories and reveal untold stories to commemorate the life and legacy of the trailblazing television star," NBC said in a news release. "The telecast will include clips and never-before-seen footage that best capture White's irreverent tone, spirit and impeccable comedic timing that are a hallmark of her decades-long career." White died on December 31, six days after suffering a stroke, according to a copy of her death certificate obtained by People Magazine earlier this month. Her death came nearly two weeks before she would have celebrated her 100th birthday. "Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever," her agent and friend Jeff Witjas said in a previous statement. "I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much," he continued. "I don't think Betty ever feared passing because she always wanted to be with her most beloved husband Allen Ludden. She believed she would be with him again." Ahead of her centennial year, White herself opened up to People Magazine about how she was feeling about turning 100 years old. According to the 'Golden Girls' icon, being "born a cockeyed optimist" was the key to her upbeat nature. "I got it from my mom, and that never changed," she said. "I always find the positive." 'Celebrating Betty White: America's Golden Girl' airs on January 31 at 10 pm ET on NBC. (ANI) Shamita's fellow contestant Tejasswi Prakash has been receiving huge backlash for calling Shamita 'aunty' on the show recently. After Gauahar Khan voiced her support for Shamita on Twitter, Shilpa Shetty responded to her gesture by writing, "Thank you @GAUAHAR_KHAN for being so vociferous. Takes a strong woman to take up for another, That you are.#respect. Never give up on 3 things. Your family, your heart or your Dignity. @ShamitaShetty so proud, u showed grace under fire #ShamitaIsTheBoss #ShamitaShettyForTheWin." In her tweet, Gauahar had written, "Disgusting behaviour. It just keeps getting worse . Calling someone aunty is still proof of your insecurity but chadh gayi uspe is sheer filth of someone's mindset . #shamita was such a sport . U cant teach dignity , it's inbuilt . #bb15." Earlier Bipasha Basu also took to Twitter to express her disappointment over the incident. The grand finale of 'Bigg Boss 15' will take place on January 30. (ANI) Hollywood actor Jason Momoa is supporting Zoe Kravitz for her work after his breakup with her mom Lisa Bonet. As per People magazine, earlier this month, Momoa, 42, and Bonet, 54, revealed in a joint statement that they are "parting ways in marriage" though "the love between us carries on." They began dating in 2005 and later wed in October 2017. They share daughter Lola, 14, and son Nakoa-Wolf, 13. Bonet shares daughter Zoe, 33, with ex Lenny Kravitz. On Instagram, Momoa shared a poster for Zoe's upcoming movie 'The Batman', in which she plays Catwoman. The 'Aquaman' actor wrote in the caption, "so proud. can't wait. march 4th love u zozo." Zoe replied in the comment section, "i love youuuuuuuuuu @prideofgypsies." Momoa and Bonet said in their statement, "We have all felt the squeeze and changes of these transformational times... A revolution is unfolding and our family is of no exception... feeling and growing from the seismic shifts occurring. And so we share our Family news that we are parting ways in marriage." "We share this not because we think it's newsworthy but so that as we go about our lives we may do so with dignity and honesty," the statement continued. "The love between us carries on, evolving in ways it wishes to be known and lived. We free each other to be who we are learning to become..." The statement concluded, "Our devotion unwavering to this sacred life our children. Teaching our children what's possible. Living the Prayer. May Love Prevail J & L." (ANI) Actor Evangeline Lilly, who plays Hope van Dyne/Wasp in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has confirmed her attendance at a Washington DC protest over the weekend in support of "bodily sovereignty." She took to her Instagram handle and went on to explain that she stands in opposition to government-mandated vaccine policies. Lily wrote, "I believe nobody should ever be forced to inject their body with anything, against their will, under threat of violent attack, arrest or detention without trial, loss of employment, homelessness, starvation, loss of education, alienation from loved ones, excommunication from society...under any threat whatsoever." Talking about vaccine mandates, she added, "This is not the way. This is not safe. This is not healthy. This is not love. I understand the world is in fear, but I don't believe that answering fear with force will fix our problems. I was pro-choice before COVID and I am still pro-choice today." At the start of the COVID pandemic in March 2020, Lilly made headlines after she posted about refusing to social distance and quarantine, adding, "Some people value their lives over freedom, some people value freedom over their lives. We all make choices." The actor faced backlash and eventually apologized. In a statement, she wrote, "My direct and special apologies to those most affected by this pandemic. I never meant to hurt you. When I wrote that post 10 days ago, I thought I was infusing calm into the hysteria. I can see now that I was projecting my own fears into an already fearful and traumatic situation." As per Variety, Lilly is set to return to the MCU with a role in the upcoming 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania', which is slated for a 2023 release. (ANI) Giving fans a peek into her past love life, Hollywood star Drew Barrymore has recently revealed that she was previously in an 'open relationship' with actor Luke Wilson. The 46-year-old actor has been a part of showbiz since her childhood and is known to share some of her wilder memories on her talk show when she reminisces with other stars she's known for decades. According to Fox News, during Thursday's episode of 'The Drew Barrymore Show', the actor chatted with Kate Hudson, another former child star, about their "young and wild" days together in the early 2000s. "When we first met, we were young and wild," Barrymore said as she and Hudson pieced together that they first met at a restaurant called Chez Jay in Santa Monica, California. Their fellow actor Luke Wilson was also present, both of them recalled. "You were doing 'Alex and Emma' together, I think," Barrymore said of the 2003 romcom starring Hudson and Wilson, who is now 50. She continued, "And I was dating him, but I think he was also dating other people." She then explained that theirs "was an open relationship," adding, "We were young." Barrymore isn't the only one to have had such an experience, as Hudson added, "I've been there with a Wilson, too." Page Six reported that Barrymore and Wilson dated beginning in the late 1990s, while Hudson dated the actor's brother Owen Wilson after they met in 2006 while filming "You, Me and Dupree." Barrymore further explained, "It's so fun because when you're young, you're like, 'It's low-stakes,' we're just young, we're having fun, we're all playing, acting, hanging out." She said that while they weren't taking anything "seriously" at the time, she and Hudson "had the best time" together. As per People magazine, Barrymore also gave Hudson props for her impression of her on 'Saturday Night Live' back in 2000, saying, "You nailed it." (ANI) After allegedly hurting religious sentiments with a controversial statement during an event in Bhopal, actor Shweta Tiwari, on Friday, issued an apology to people. "I have, however, come to understand that when taken out of context, it has unintentionally hurt feelings of people. Please be assured that it has never been my intention to hurt anyone, with my words or actions. Hence, I would like to humbly apologise for the hurt that my the statement has unintentionally caused to a lot of people," she said. Shweta had landed in controversy for passing controversial remarks on God at the promotional event of her new web series 'Show Stopper', which also features Sourabh Raaj Jain. During the press conference in Bhopal, Shweta had said, "Mere bra ki size bhagwan le rahe hai (God is taking the measurements for my bra)." For the unversed, the web series 'Show Stopper' is a show about fashion and stars Sourabh Raaj Jain in the role of a bra fitter. Sourabh is best known for playing the role of Lord Krishna in 'Mahabharat'. Explaining her statement, Shweta added, "It has come to my notice that a certain statement of mine referring to a colleague's previous role has been taken out of context and has been misconstrued. When put in context, one will understand that the statement in reference to 'Bhagwan' was in context with Sourabh Raj Jain's popular role of a deity. People associate character names to actors and hence, I used that as an example during my conversation with media. However, it has been completely misconstrued which is saddening to see. As someone who has been a staunch believer of 'Bhagwan' myself, there is no way that I would intentionally or unintentionally say or do any such thing that would hurt sentiments by and large." Earlier in the day, the police in Bhopal registered a case against Shweta. (ANI) Bulletin file photo Former school resource officer John Manzella conducts a DARE course on bullying at Cloud Peak Elementary School in 2017. While there is no longer a permanent police presence in Johnson County schools, Gov. Matt Mead recently signed a bill that will allow teachers, with school board approval, to carry concealed weapons onto school property. American media personality and businesswoman Paris Hilton has spoken about accidentally wearing two different heels during her recent appearance on 'The Tonight Show'. According to People magazine, the fashion mishap was first pointed out on social media by 'The Tonight Show's' official account, which paired a video of the star walking onto the show's set to greet host Jimmy Fallon with Kreepa's song 'Oh No'. As Hilton, sporting a neon green sequin dress, walked across the stage, the clip zoomed in to her feet, revealing that she had on a nude heel on one foot and a clear, crystal-embellished stiletto on the other. "When you rush out of the house with the wrong shoes," The 'Tonight Show' captioned the short clip, tagging Hilton's own handle. The entrepreneur and DJ soon set the record straight about the fashion fiasco in her own social media post on Thursday. Paired with 'The Tonight Show's' original clip, Hilton stood before a portrait of Marilyn Monroe while wearing a pink velour tracksuit with matching pink sunglasses, as per People magazine. As the clip played and highlighted her shoe flub, she put her face into her palm and shook her head as the footage played on. "This is what happens when you rush out to watch the finale episodes of #ParisInLove @peacocktv," Hilton captioned the clip, promoting her new television series. (ANI) Soon after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's day-long visit to Punjab culminated on Thursday where he addressed a virtual rally 'Navi Soch Nava Punjab', the party claimed that as many as 9 lakh people connected within two hours on various platforms to join the rally. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was on a one-day visit to Punjab on Thursday during which he visited religious places along with 117 candidates in an apparent show of strength ahead of Assembly elections that are due next month. With both Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi and state Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu eyeing the top job, Rahul Gandhi said that the chief ministerial face would be decided by the party workers soon as he admitted that "two people cannot lead (the state), only one can" With the curtains closing on the virtual rally on Thursday, the Congress party has claimed the completion of one of the most successful digital rallies in the modern era. Addressing a virtual rally in Jalandhar, Rahul Gandhi said, "We have had a talk in the car that who will lead Punjab going forward. Media people call this the CM candidate. Both Channiji and Sidhuji told me that this is the most crucial question in front of Punjab that who will lead the Congress." "See, two people can't lead. Only one will lead. Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi and State Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu assured me that whoever becomes the CM face, the other person will support him. I was listening to them. I was happy. We will ask Congress workers to decide Punjab Chief Ministerial candidate," Rahul Gandhi added. Speaking to ANI, Rohan Gupta, Social Media Head of AICC said, "More than 4,00,000 people watched on social media with 30,000 comments, 9,000 shares and over 9 lakh people reach within only two hours of the rally making it most successful hybrid virtual rally of the country." "The grand virtual rally, set-up after arduous efforts by the various departments of the Congress party in complete cohesion, saw a fool-proof system created at the rally venue at Jalandhar where Rahul Gandhi, Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi and PCC President Navjot Singh Sidhu and other Congress leaders addressed the public- both physically & digitally," he added. Talking about the arrangements of the virtual rally, Gupta said that the arrangements were made in all the 117 Assembly constituencies where people listened to the Congress leader adhering to the COVID protocols. "The digital relay from the Jalandhar venue was connected through LEDs across all 117 assembly constituencies and 22 district headquarters of Punjab where upto 300 people gathered at each location following the strictest Covid19 protocols," he said. Notably, this is the first visit of Rahul Gandhi since the imposition of a ban on physical rallies by the Election Commission of India at the start of the month. Punjab will go to the assembly polls on February 20. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI) The Directorate of Goods and Service Tax Intelligence, Ghaziabad Regional Unit has busted a syndicate involved in creating and controlling fake firms and issuing of bills by these fake firms without supplying any Goods or Services and encashment of GST refund. According to a press release by the Ministry of Finance, after developing precise Intelligence, two office premises were searched from where various incriminating documents/things pertaining to more than 200 fake firms were recovered i.e. mobile phones, digital signatures, debit cards, PAN cards, Aadhaar cards, photos of persons, rent agreements, laptops, pen drives, rubber stamps, keys of offices, SIM cards, cheque books and some 'Kuccha' records. Further, an in-depth investigation was conducted which revealed that the data of this network is being compiled and used from the cloud. After analysis of the evidence and data, it was revealed that this network consists of 275 bogus firms which exist only on paper. These firms have issued fake invoices having a total value of Rs 3,189 crore involving total GST evasion of Rs 362 crore. One of the key persons who was instrumental in the collection of identities of individuals for the creation of fake firms namely Tinku Yadav was arrested earlier. Based on the information given by Tinku Yadav and analysis of IP addresses, the actual masterminds of the network namely Vipin Kumar Gupta alias Nikku, and Yogesh Mittal have been apprehended and arrested. It has been learnt that both Vipin Kumar Gupta and Yogesh Mittal are habitual offenders. Both the offenders have been arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) earlier, said the press release. (ANI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday slammed the Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh over their stand on Article 370 and said that the Narendra Modi government is not scared of their vote bank politics and "uprooted" the Article 370 despite opposition in the Parliament. "When the proposal was brought to the Parliament to integrate Jammu and Kashmir with India and revoke Article 370, it was not only Congress that had opposed the move, BSP and SP had also opposed the proposal. When they come to Dadri to seek votes, the people of Noida will ask why did you oppose the move? Is the vote bank politics above the nation? If you want to do vote bank politics, you can do it, we are not scared of vote bank politics. PM Modi uprooted Article 370," Shah said. The Home Minister further said that this was possible because the people of the state voted PM Modi to power two times with a two-thirds majority. "People voted Narendra Modi to power two times. I want to say it proudly that the expectations that you had with our government, PM Modi has humbly fulfilled them. You had asked PM Modi to revoke Article 370, you had not pelted stones. When you gave the two-thirds majority, PM Modi uprooted Article 370 and 35A on August 5, 2019," Shah on Thursday said during a door-to-door campaigning in Tughalpur village of Greater Noida in Dadri constituency which will go the polls in the first phase. Shah said that wherever he has gone in western Uttar Pradesh and Braj area of state after declaration of elections, people's faith in BJP is clearly visible. "Wherever I have gone in western Uttar Pradesh and Braj area of the state after the declaration of elections, people's full faith in BJP is clearly visible," he said. Talking about the national security, the Union Minister hit out at the Opposition and said that the soldiers were mutilated by the enemies from across the border during the Congress rule which was supported by Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, however, during the rule of the present government, the Indian forces have conducted surgical strikes and airstrikes in Pakistan. Shah's public engagements are significant as elections on 403 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh will be conducted in seven phases starting from February 10. The second phase of the Uttar Pradesh elections will be held on February 14, the third phase on February 20, the fourth phase on February 23, the fifth phase on February 27, the sixth phase on March 3 and the seventh and the last phase will be conducted on March 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI) Taking a jibe at Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party on his day-long visit to poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that both the parties did not give Constitutional recognition to the Backward Classes Commission when they were in coalition with Congress government at the Centre. However, it was the Narendra Modi government that finished the long-pending demand. "OBCs did not have reservations in medical and engineering admissions during the Congress' rule. There was no reservation in the examination. The BJP started the reservations for the OBC and today thousands of students are doctors and engineers. SP and BSP supported Congress for years. Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had delivered a speech on the reservation of the OBC for more than one and a half hours in the Lok Sabha," Shah said addressing here. Shah also lauded former chief minister of the state Kalyan Singh who was awarded Padma Vibhushan on the 73rd Republic Day this year, and said that he had resigned from the chief minister's office with a smile on his face for the sake of the construction of Ram Temple. "PM Modi honoured former chief minister Kalyan Singh with Padma Vibhushan award on this Republic Day. He had started the administration of a mafia-free government for the first time in Uttar Pradesh. For the first time, I saw a person on TV resigning with a smile on his face showing that the chief minister's post can be sacrificed 100 times if Ram Temple is constructed and we have honoured that person (Kalyan Singh)," he said. Hitting out at Akhilesh Yadav over his objection on the GST raids that were conducted at Kanpur based businessman Peeyush Jain later last year, Shah said that when SP chief is not going to use the money the investigative sleuths recovered from Jain, then why he is criticising the governance issues. "PM Modi has provided housing, medical colleges, toilets to poor by seizing properties worth over Rs 2000 crore from land mafias under Gangster Act .They (Samajwadi Party) have problems when GST or Income Tax department raids are conducted. When the bundle of note are recovered in the raids, they say that we are doing politics. Why are you scared, Akhilesh Yadav? What connection do you have with them?" he said. "They said that the raids are being conducted to have an impact on the election. Tell the people of the state did you want to contest the election with that money(recovered from raids)? If black money is recovered from a man, how would the election be impacted by this? This is because you wanted to contest the election with that money. Currently, the Modi government is at the Centre, strict action will be taken against the ones who evade tax," Shah added. Shah's public engagements are significant as elections on 403 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh will be conducted in seven phases starting from February 10. The second phase of the Uttar Pradesh elections will be held on February 14, the third phase on February 20, the fourth phase on February 23, the fifth phase on February 27, the sixth phase on March 3 and the seventh and the last phase will be conducted on March 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI) Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary on Thursday denied the possibility of a post-poll alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party in the upcoming Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. Union Minister Amit Shah during a meeting with Jat leaders in New Delhi had said BJP doors are always open for RLD. Speaking to the reporters here, Chaudhary said, "They (BJP) did nothing for farmers. The police force was used against students in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh two days back. In such an environment, how can they think that anyone would join hands with them?" Earlier, the RLD chief had tweeted on the matter and said that the invitation should not be given to him, but to all the families of farmers whose lives were destroyed during the farmers' protest. "Don't give this invitation to me. Give it to all those 700 farmers' families whose houses you have destroyed," RLD chief tweeted. Referring to the RLD-SP alliance for Uttar Pradesh polls, BJP MP Parvesh Verma after a meeting of Jat leaders from poll-bound Uttar Pradesh with Union home minister Amit Shah, had told ANI, "On (RLD chief) Jayant Chaudhary, he (HM Amit Shah) said that there are many possibilities after the polls. For now, he has chosen a party. People of the Jat community will speak to Jayant. BJP's doors are always open for him." Earlier, RLD formed an alliance with Samajwadi Party to contest Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections that are scheduled to take place in seven phases beginning on February 10. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7. (ANI) Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Thursday said that most of the positive COVID-19 samples, sent for the genome sequencing, are being tested positive for the Omicron variant of the virus while there are fewer Delta variant samples. Speaking to the reporters here, George said, "Continuous sequencing of Covid positive samples is being done. Almost 94 per cent of samples test positive for Omicron and 6 per cent for delta." George said: "It is now clear that the third wave in Kerala is the Omicron wave." The Health Minister further informed that less than 4 per cent of the patients of COVID-19 in the state have needed hospitalisation out of which less than 1 per cent of them needed oxygen beds. "Out of total positive cases in Kerala, only 3.6 per cent is hospitalised, out of which 0.7 per cent require oxygen beds and 0.6 per cent require ICU," she said. As on 27th Jan, there are 22,02,472 active cases in India. The case positivity rate is at 17.75 per cent(in last one week). 11 States have more than 50,000 active cases. Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala have more than 3 lakh active cases," said the Union Ministry of Health. "Overall case positivity rate across the country was nearly 17.75 per cent during the last week. There are over 50,000 COVID active cases in 11 states, 10,000-50,000 active cases in 14 states &less than 10,000 active cases in 11 states," Luv Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry said. (ANI) As per the ministry, the country's active caseload mounted to 21,05,611, which is 5.18 per cent of the total COVID-19 cases reported so far. As many as 627 covid-19 deaths and 3,47,443 recoveries from the virus have also been reported in the last 24 hours. The weekly positivity rate too witnessed a drop today; was recorded to be 17.47 per cent. 164.44 crORE vaccine doses have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive. The Ministry, in its release, informed that 15,82,307 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours. Over 72.37 crore tests have been conducted so far in the country, said the ministry. Meanwhile, under the ongoing nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive, 1,64,44,73,216 vaccine doses have been administered so far. (ANI) Four wagons of a goods train going towards Kollam in Kerala derailed at Aluva railway station on Thursday night which affected train services on the route but no injuries were reported, railway officials said. The freight train was carrying cement from Andhra Pradesh. The second, third, fourth and fifth wagonos of the train derailed while entering the third platform of the Aluva station around 10.30 pm. Following the incident, some trains were stranded for hours at different stations leading to a disruption in services. Four up trains and two down trains that were affected due to the incident. However, traffic through one of the tracks was restored at 2.15 am. "We hope to restore services soon. Already some services are on. One line is already working. Second line, we hope to restore services by 9 am," said R Mukund, Railway Divisional Manager, Thiruvananthapuram Division. "Disruption resulted in some cancellations, some trains have become short termination. Some trains have been rescheduled. We are trying to restore services quickly. There will be some late running. It will get adjusted by evening. Right now we are busy with completing the balance works. We hope to do it in another two-three hours," he added. A total of 11 trains have been cancelled including Guruvayur - Thiruvananthapuram Express, Ernakulam - Kannur Express, Kottayam - Nilambur Express, Nilambur - Kottayam Express, Guruvayur - Ernakulam Express Special, Thiruvananthapuram - Tiruchchirappaffi Intercity Express, Ernakulam - Alapuzha Express special, Alappuzha - Ernakulam Express special, Palakkad - Ernakulam MEMU Express special, Ernakulam - Palakkad MEMU Express special, and Shoranur - Ernakulam MEMU Express special. Reportedly, the accident happened while the train was switching tracks. However, the railway official said, "I can't pinpoint a single reason for the incident. There are many aspects. There will be an inquiry." (ANI) In a tweet today, Adityanath said in Hindi, "They are worshipers of 'Jinnah', we are worshipers of 'Sardar Patel'. Pakistan is dear to them, we sacrifice our lives on Maa Bharati." As Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections are around the corner, several political leaders in Uttar Pradesh have been hurling comments on Jinnah. National Spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party Gaurav Bhatia on Thursday slammed Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for "chanting Jinnah's ideals". "Akhilesh Yadav said Pakistan is not a real enemy of India. Besides this, he keeps on chanting "Jinnah" to appease the Muslim community of Uttar Pradesh," tweeted Bhatia. Earlier on January 24, taking a jibe at Centre's call to install a statue of Sardar Patel at India Gate, Samajwadi Party leader Imran Masood said to reporters, "Not Samajwadi chief Akhilesh Yadav but those who worked with (Pakistan's founder Mohammad Ali) Jinnah and supported two-nation theory will install statues of him." This development holds significance as Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will be conducted in seven phases starting on February 10. The second phase of the Uttar Pradesh elections will be held on February 14, the third phase on February 20, the fourth phase on February 23, the 5th phase on February 27, the 6th phase on March 3, and the last phase on March 7. The counting of votes for 403 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh will take place on March 10. (ANI) China looks to enhance communication with European military for regional peace: spokesperson Xinhua) 08:07, January 28, 2022 BEIJING, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese military spokesperson on Thursday expressed hopes for the defense departments of China and European countries to enhance communication and coordination in order to jointly safeguard true multilateralism and regional peace and stability. Wu Qian, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks at a press conference. According to Wu, the Chinese military held strategic consultations with its British and French counterparts over defense affairs via video link on Jan. 12 and 13, respectively. During the talks, the Chinese military and its counterparts shared views on military exchanges and cooperation, regional security, as well as the development of armed forces and national defense. The Chinese side stated its position on and concerns over matters involving Taiwan and the South China Sea, urging relevant parties to strictly adhere to the one-China principle, Wu said. All sides agreed to enhance strategic communication, exchanges and cooperation to increase mutual trust and properly manage differences, according to Wu. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) It's a great place to visit or shop The new street is nice but shops have disappeared I have no reason to go there Vote View Results Speaking to ANI over the phone, Ramesh, Station House Officer of Police, Kanipakam said, "Unknown people burnt the chariot in early hours of Thursday. Based on the information received from temple authorities, the police launched an inquiry into the incident." According to the police, the chariot was not in use for the last couple of years as it was not fit for use. It was placed outside the temple, the SHO said. After detailed investigation only, the police could comment on it further, he maintained. Further investigation into the incident is underway. (ANI) The incident led to the seizure of a huge cache of drugs, arms, and ammunition. "As suspected, smugglers both across the IB as well as inside Indian territory between Border Post No 33/06 and 33/07 were observed while engaging in illegal activity, taking cover of dense fog at about 5.15 am, alert BSF team comprising of Head Constable Gyan Singh and Constable Raju Biswas challenged them," said the force. On being challenged, miscreants resorted to firing on the BSF personnel of 89 Battalion, it added. Further, the BSF said, "Showing exemplary courage and presence of mind, Gyan Singh immediately fired back in retaliation along with Raju Biswas providing support fire. In the ensuing gunfight suspected smugglers fled away." During the exchange of fire, as per the force, Gyan Singh sustained bullet injuries to his hand and head. "In spite of the dense fog conditions in the area, owing to the keen alertness of Gyan Singh and Raju Biswas, the nefarious attempt by armed smugglers to smuggle drugs, arms and ammunition could be successfully thwarted," the BSF said in its statement. Injured Gyan Singh has been taken to a hospital, and his condition is reportedly stable. In the operation, the BSF has so far recovered 47 yellow plastic-covered packets suspected to be heroin, seven small packets suspected to be opium, one pistol (Norinco made in China) with two magazines, 44 rounds of three calibers. Some other items were seized near the fence, including a blue-coloured plastic pipe of approximately 15 feet, 74 rounds AK-47 with four magazines, 9 mm Pietro Bretta pistol with one magazine, 9 mm 12 rounds, one shawl, one muffler, and a winter cap. Further search is in progress, the force said. (ANI) After getting the information, Pune police rushed to the spot. "As per the information received, the victim called the accused by their names. The accused found it offensive and beat him up," the Pune police official said. The police informed that they have arrested four accused in the matter. "Four of them have been identified as Rohan Waghmare, Prashant Athwade, Aditya Kate, Prem Shinde and have been arrested," the police said. Further probe in the matter is underway. (ANI) Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) Anil Baijal told the High Court that the appointment of additional Special Public Prosecutors (SPPs) have been recommended for an efficient, speedy, and just prosecution of the cases which are highly sensitive in nature, such as the North East Delhi violence cases. The LG, through an affidavit, further submitted that the same has no bearing on the competence or independence of the prosecutor who is an "officer of the court" and fulfils the duty of efficiently assisting the court. LG Baijal through an affidavit filed in the Delhi High Court opposed the Delhi Government's petition challenging the decision of the Lieutenant Governor to allow Delhi Police's chosen lawyers as Special Public Prosecutors (SPP) for cases related to North East Delhi Violence and farmers protest. In the reply, the LG office, while defending the appointment of additional SPPs, submitted that the petition filed by the Petitioner (Delhi Government) is steeped in malafides and an erroneous understanding of the law surrounding the exercise of powers by the respondents and therefore needs to be dismissed with cost. Earlier, the Delhi HC had sought a response on Delhi Government plea challenging the decision of the Lieutenant Governor allowing Delhi Police's chosen lawyers as Special Public Prosecutors (SPP) for cases related to North East Delhi Violence and farmers protest. The Petitioner, Delhi Government, had stated that the orders of LG dated July 23, 2021, and MHA August 4, 2021, by which Special Public Prosecutors (SPP) have been appointed for prosecuting the cases relating to Farmers' agitation and Delhi Riots/Anti-CAA protests. "These SPPs appointed have been chosen by the Delhi Police and thus have a serious conflict of interest. The SPPs are taking charge of the matters by displacing the regular public prosecutors and therefore, urgent directions are required from the Court to enable the regular public prosecutors to continue so as to not jeopardise fair trial in the said cases," they said in the plea. The plea submitted that a "difference of opinion" and consequent referral thereof to the President by LG is in the teeth of Article 239AA(4) as interpreted by the Supreme Court in as much as "appointment of SPPs" is a routine matter and not an exceptional matter for which reference to the President can be made and LG had no sound reason for referring the matter to the President when the Petitioner had agreed to appoint independent SPPs. The Additional Standing Counsel for Delhi Government, Advocate Shadan Farasat said, "The appointment of the SPPs chosen by the Delhi Police in the present case will seriously jeopardise the fair trial in the cases related to farmers' agitation and North-East Delhi Riots/Anti-CAA protests. LG's belief that the SPPs chosen by the Delhi Police will act independently is merely wishful thinking and has no basis in fact or logic." In the present case, neither the Delhi Police nor the LG has any complaint against the work of the regular public prosecutors in conducting the cases related to the farmers' agitation and North East Delhi riots. "There are also no complaints that the cases are being delayed due to an inadequate number of public prosecutors. Thus, there existed no reason for the Delhi police to seek an appointment of SPPs or LG to approve the same," the plea read. The appointment of SPPs for cases pertaining to the North East Delhi violence and farmers' protest has emerged as the new sticking point between the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. (ANI) Ahead of the commencement of the Budget Session, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla reviewed the preparations at the Parliament premises on Friday. The Lok Sabha Speaker has also called an all-party meet on January 30 ahead of the commencement of the Budget Session of the Parliament. In this customary meeting, floor leaders of various political parties will be present to discuss the smooth functioning of the Parliament session under the chairmanship of the Lok Sabha Speaker. On January 30 at 3:00 pm, the government has called for an all-party meeting with leaders from the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha to discuss how to go about the business as well as take into concern the opposition's demand for discussion. At 5:00 pm the same day, the Rajya Sabha chairman has called for a meeting of the Rajya Sabha leaders. This meeting will take place virtually and will be chaired by M Venkaiah Naidu. The Budget Session of Parliament will begin on January 31 at 11: 00 am with the President of India addressing both houses in a joint session following which the economic survey will be tabled.Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget at 11:00 am on February 1 and this time, it will be a Paperless Budget. (ANI) The 'Mediation Bill, 2021' has been referred to the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice for examination and report, said the Rajya Sabha Secretariat on Friday. As per an official statement, the Bill inter-alia proposes to encourage and promote institutional mediation for resolution of disputes. "To have a wider consultation on the Bill, the Committee has decided to invite Memoranda containing views/suggestions from concerned Stakeholders interested in the subject matter," the statement read. A copy of the Bill, along with other details are available on the website of the Rajya Sabha under the link 'Bills with the Committee'. Those desirous of submitting the Memoranda to the Committee, have been asked to send it electronically to Goutam Kumar, Deputy Secretary, Rajya Sabha Secretariat at rs-memocpers@sansad.nic.in, within fifteen days starting January 28. Those who wish to appear before the Committee for tendering oral evidence, besides submitting memoranda, have been asked to specifically indicate so. However, the Committee's decision in this regard shall be final, it stated. During the winter session of Parliament in December last year, the Bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha and the government subsequently moved it for further consideration into the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice on demand of the Opposition parties. On November 5 this year, the Ministry of Law and Justice released a draft of the Mediation Bill, 2021 for public comments and consultation. Following close on the heels of India signing the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (Singapore Convention), the Bill looks to cement the position of mediation as a sought-after mode of alternative dispute resolution in India. Its many objectives include the promotion, encouragement, and facilitation of mediation, especially institutional mediation, enforcement of domestic and international mediation settlement agreements, and notably, making online mediation an acceptable and cost-effective process. The Bill is divided into four parts with Part- I dealing with domestic mediations and Part- III dealing with mediations under the Singapore Convention. As per Section 2 of the Bill, a domestic mediation has been defined as one conducted in India, where all or both parties habitually reside in or are incorporated in or have their business in India. The mediation agreement provides that the Mediation Act, 2021 would apply to the mediation; or the mediation is international mediation. A salient feature of the Bill is the adoption of the international practice of using the terms 'mediation' and 'conciliation' interchangeably, as evident from the meaning of mediation set out under Section 4. The Bill defines a 'mediation service provider' as a body or organization that provides for the conduct of mediation and has in place procedures and rules to govern the conduct of the mediation in conformity with the provisions of the statute. Lok Adalats constituted under the National Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, and mediation centres annexed to courts have also been included under this head. The Bill recognizes online mediation conducted through the use of applications and computer networks, resorted to either wholly or in part, at a certain stage of the mediation process. It further states that the conduct of all such mediations shall be governed by the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000. (ANI) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said Punjab needs a chief minister who is very honest and urged people in the state to choose AAP over parties who have been accused of selling 'drugs' and 'sand'. "Today Punjab needs a very honest CM. On one hand, we've people with allegations of drugs sale against them, who have allegations of sand mining against them. On the other hand there's a very honest man who never took even 25 paise from anyone," said Kejriwal while addressing a town hall in Phillaur. Assembly elections are set to be held in Punjab next month and Bhagwant Mann has been named as the chief ministerial candidate of AAP, which is taking on the ruling Congress Party. At the rally today, Kejriwal took a potshot at Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal stating that Mann despite being an MP for seven years still lives in a rented house. When a person becomes an MLA in Punjab, he can acquire big cars and houses. But Mann has been an MP for seven years and still stays in a rented house," Kejriwal said. "We speak about Punjab's development, how to improve the agriculture and how to get back the industries in the state", said Kejriwal. According to the AAP national convenor, 26 years of Congress rule and 19 years of Akali Dal rule had drained Punjab. "Badal family and Congress looted Punjab. Today Punjab needs an honest government. There was an ED raid at CM Channi's relative's house. Everyone saw the bundle of notes seized in the raid", claimed Kejriwal. He promised that like Delhi, Punjab too will get free electricity for 24 hours. "To get free electricity like Delhi you have to vote AAP in the election", said the Delhi CM. Punjab will vote on February 20 and the counting is on March 10. (ANI) Union Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju on Friday countered former Vice President Hamid Ansari's latest controversial statement on the atmosphere of intolerance and insecurity for Muslims in the country and said that before 2014, communal riots and violence were regular, but India is more peaceful now. Taking to the micro-blogging platform, Rijiju said, "Some isolated incidents do take place at an individual-community level, but Indian culture is always inclusive. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mantra is 'Sabka-Sath Sabka-Vikas Sabka- Vishwas Sabka-Prayas'." "What Hamid Ansari Ji said is wrong. I belong to a minority community and I can proudly say that India is the safest nation," he added. The Law and Justice Minister also added that the minorities facing trouble in any of India's neighboring countries prefer to seek refuge in India because India is safe. "Let's be grateful to our great nation," he said. Slamming those who "enjoy the best freedom and privilege in India", Rijiju said, "Why do some people who enjoy the best freedom and privilege in India join the anti-India propaganda peddled by foreign-based anti-India forces? What's the satisfaction that they acquire by defaming India? At least, people in remote villages without facilities are loyal to the motherland." Recently, Ansari has made a controversial statement on Hindu nationalism. Addressing the Indian American Muslim Council program, Ansari had said, "Hindu nationalism is a matter of concern. People are being divided on religious lines in the country. Controversy is being created among the people regarding nationality." "Especially people of a particular religion are being instigated. Intolerance is being fueled and an atmosphere of insecurity is being created in the country," he had added. Ansari has faced political backlash for this statement. (ANI) The BAPL is a joint venture company of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). "The contract is an important step forward for the Government of India's policy of promoting responsible defence exports," the Ministry added. The Indian team of BrahMos Aerospace in India, led by BrahMos CEO Atul D Rane, Deputy CEO Sanjeev Joshi, Lt Col R Negi, and Praveen Pathak, was present at the signing of the deal. These missiles are meant for the Philippines Navy. Earlier this month, the Philippines accepted BAPL's proposal worth USD 374.9 million to supply Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile systems for the Philippines Navy. DRDO and BAPL together have been pushing hard for exports of this missile to friendly foreign countries for the last few months. The BrahMos export order would be the biggest for the country in this field and is likely to propel India amongst arms exporting countries as more orders for the missile are expected from other friendly countries. Negotiations with some other nations are at an advanced stage. The missile has also become more capable due to added range and other modern technologies being incorporated into it. ANI) Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Friday hit out at former Vice President Hamid Ansari and said that as Uttar Pradesh elections are approaching, the supporters of the 'Tukde Tukde' Gang are getting exposed. His statement came as a reaction to Ansari's recent statement that there is an atmosphere of intolerance and insecurity for Muslims in the country that is extremely "unfortunate" and "condemnable". "Uttar Pradesh elections are approaching and the supporters of the Tukde Tukde Gang are getting exposed," Mishra told the media persons in Bhopal. "Hamid Ansari was made Vice President twice by the country. In this way by saying anti-national things on the online global platform, he has shown his petty mentality," he added. "Mishra said that Congress leaders whether it is Kamal Nath who used to call Great India as Badnaam Bharat. Be it Digvijay Singh, Salman Khurshid, Rashid Alvi. At any level, they leave no stone unturned to talk anti-national things or defame the nation," he further said. Mishra stated, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that there is propaganda to defame the country. It is slowly and steadily coming in front of us." Earlier, Ansari, while addressing the Indian American Muslim Council programme, had reportedly said, "Hindu nationalism is a matter of concern. People are being divided into religious lines in the country. Controversy is being created among people regarding nationality." Ansari had further said, "Especially people of a particular religion are being instigated. Intolerance is being fueled and an atmosphere of insecurity is being created in the country." Meanwhile, Mishra informed that Madhya Pradesh reported 7,763 cases in the last 24 hours, informed Narottam Mishra The state reported 10,016 new recoveries, he added. The current active cases in the state stand at 67,945, he further added. The daily positivity rate stood at 10.89 per cent, while the recovery rate is 90.08 per cent, he stated. (ANI) Dakota graduated from Bret Harte in 2013 and went to Davidson College, NC where she earned a bachelor's degree in Arab studies. After spending time studying in the Middle East and Europe, she is happy to be home, writing about the community she loves. Comment Policy Calaveras Enterprise does not actively monitor comments. However, staff does read through to assess reader interest. When abusive or foul language is used or directed toward other commenters, those comments will be deleted. If a commenter continues to use such language, that person will be blocked from commenting. We wish to foster a community of communication and a sharing of ideas, and we truly value readers' input. According to the officials, both the pilots in the aircraft are safe. "An aircraft of the Indian Army's Officers' Training Academy in Gaya, Bihar today crashed soon after taking off during training. Both the pilots in the aircraft are safe," said Army officials. Further details awaited. (ANI) Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Jagat Prakash Nadda on Friday held a door-to-door campaign in Shahjahanpur in support of BJP candidates. "Went from door to door in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh and appealed to the public to give their blessings and support to the BJP," he said in a tweet. Earlier while addressing the "Prabhavi Matdata Samvad" at Gandhi Auditorium here, he said Zardozi work is being encouraged under the Yogi government's 'One District-One Product' scheme in Shahjahanpur. "Today, there are five international airports in Uttar Pradesh. Metro rail construction is underway in Noida, Lucknow, Kanpur, Ghaziabad. Earlier, there was land mafia in the State, but now lakhs of houses have been constructed. Over 2 crore 'Izzat Ghar' also constructed," said the BJP President. He further slammed Opposition parties and said that their agenda was to promote land mafia, sand mafia, and there was no law and order in the State "Their agenda was to promote land mafia, sand mafia, no law and order in the State. But today, the mafia has surrendered in the State. Some of their (SP) election candidates are either in jail or on bail," he added. Earlier in the day, Nadda convened a meeting of party workers in the Shahjahanpur district. Nadda is also scheduled to participate in various other programs of the party in Bareilly later in the day. In Uttar Pradesh, the first phase polling will be held on February 10, the second phase on February 14, the third phase on February 20, the fourth phase on February 23, the fifth phase on February 27, the sixth phase on March 3 and the seventh phase on March 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI) The Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in a COVID-29 review meeting with Southern states and UT's Health Minister on Friday stressed upon e-Sanjeevani, teleconsultation, monitoring, home isolation and increasing RT-PCR tests in states which are reporting lower percentage testing, official sources told ANI. The Union Health Minister conducted a high-level meeting on Friday through video conferencing in the context of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 with Health Ministers of Southern States/UT's Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar Island. The meeting was also attended by senior health officials. Earlier, he conducted a high-level meeting with nine Northern States and UTs and advised them to send COVID testing and vaccination data timely. The Union Health Minister also said that testing should be ramped up in the States where it has gone down. He also advised states and UTs to ensure that those in home isolation are efficiently monitored in line with the National Guidelines. He said, "This will ensure that the vulnerable categories of active cases in home isolation get the required medical help in a timely manner." The Union Health Minister re-emphasised the need for ramping up testing in the states and UTs. Those states/UTs that are showing a lower share of RTPCR testing were requested to ramp up tests through RTPCR. States and UTs were also reminded to keep a close watch on the emerging clusters and hotspots and monitor the trend of hospitalised cases along with the deaths in the state. Mandaviya said that with our past experience, 'Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate & Adherence to COVID Appropriate Behaviour' along with monitoring of cases remains crucial for COVID management. The Union Health Minister also urged the States and UTs to adopt the hub and spoke model for teleconsultation. According to the Union Health Ministry, "Dr Mansukh Mandaviya urged the States and UTs to adopt the hub and spoke model and ensure that more and more centres of tele-consultation are opened. This will enable beneficiaries to access expert advice from experts stationed at the district hubs." He also said that e-Sanjeevani has been able to provide services to more than 2.6 crore beneficiaries where people can seek medical advice from the confines of their homes. e-Sanjeevani OPD is a flagship telemedicine platform of the Government, developed by the Centre for Development of Advance Computing (C-DAC), Mohali under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). It provides free teleconsultation services to people in need. "This will prove to be a game-changer and will be of immense value and importance for the hard-to-reach and far-flung areas, and especially in the northern regions in the current winter season," he said. Mandaviya also urged the nine States and UTs to review and expedite the implementation of activities under the India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package: Phase-II (ECRP-II package) for strengthening the health infrastructure, an amount of Rs 23,123 Crores which was approved by Union Cabinet in view of the second wave of the pandemic. "Health Ministers and the State authorities to plug the existing gaps by efficiently utilizing the amount sanctioned for various infra projects. With strengthened health infrastructure, we can meet any health emergency and public health crisis with better preparedness," he added. (ANI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday informed that approx 4-5 lakh pending files lying in the State secretariat will be disposed of within a year under the "Project Sadbhawana'." Speaking to ANI, Sarma said, "We are starting a new project named 'Sadbhavana'. Under this project, all files, petitions, pending in our secretariat will be disposed of within a year. A portal will be created where people can inform of their pending files. Approx 4-5 lakh cases will be disposed of." Earlier on Thursday, the chief minister said as a potential step towards citizen-centric governance, it will launch project Sadbhavana on February 1 to dispose of all pending files lying in the State secretariat since the 1900s. The move is aimed at giving succour to people as well as taking governance to people's doorsteps. As per the official release issued by the Assam Chief Minister's office, it may be noted that under the project the files pending for several reasons for years together will be disposed so that quick governance can be rendered to the people of the state. Under the project, all the pending files till the period of May 10, 2021, will be taken up for disposal. In the next step files following this period will be taken up. Along with project Sadbhavana, a Swachhata Abhiyan in Janata Bhawan will also be launched to give a facelift of the cleanliness aspect in all the departments in the Secretariat. Interacting with the officers, Chief Minister said that the success of the project will invariably be dependent on the cooperation of the officers and employees of the State Secretariat. He, therefore, requested them to lend their cooperation towards the success of the project wherein files from the 1990s and onwards will be disposed of. He said that as a part of the project a portal will be created and citizens can apply through that portal citing the file numbers and correspondence details. (ANI) Soon after India signed a deal worth USD 375 million to supply 290 km strike range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile to the Philippines, the CEO of the missile firm Atul D Rane said the contract would open the way for various new export projects for India. In an exclusive interaction with ANI, Rane said the deal with BrahMos was the first for India to supply a full major weapon system to a foreign country. "This is the first export deal that India has signed for a full major weapon system and this paves the way for many more to come forward," he said. Rane said the deal was a "very good one" for India and the Philippines as the South East Asian country "chose BrahMos as the first choice for signing the deal which shows that BrahMos is important for them but they obviously have many more things to come." Asked about the potential for India after this contract, he said, "this opens the doors for all the defence equipment that is being made in India including BrahMos and other items." "DRDO has worked a lot on research and development and industries are also doing a lot of work in that direction. So all of them have now potential to export to not just Philippines but to the different parts of the world," he added. Rane said that a lot of countries have shown interest in Brahmos. "Doing defence deals is not an easy job and with the support of the government of India, we would be exporting Brahmos to countries they point us to," he emphasized. (ANI) Several incidents of violence were reported at various places in West Bengal after the announcement of the state Assembly poll results on May 2. A four-member team deputed by the Ministry of Home Affairs and NHRC's team also visited the violence-affected areas to separately probe the allegations. The Calcutta High Court had ordered a court-monitored CBI probe into the incidents of post-poll violence in West Bengal. The High Court also ordered to set up Special Investigation Teams (SIT) for investigation of relatively less serious crimes and senior officers from West Bengal cadre will be a part of the team. The CBI has registered several cases in connection with post-poll violence in West Bengal. (ANI) After the Supreme Court quashed the Maharashtra Assembly's resolution to suspend 12 BJP MLAs for alleged unruly behaviour, the BJP's Maharashtra unit on Friday thanked the apex court and said that the Thackeray government's ego is at its peak. Thanking the Supreme Court, which had termed the suspension of MLAs as unconstitutional, BJP said - 'Truth may be upset, but not defeated'. A three-justice bench quashed the dictatorial decision of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, said BJP MLA Ashish Shelar. "The entire judgement is yet to come. However, I will apprise you of the operative part and the order as I was connected online during the time of the judgement," he said. The BJP MLAs were suspended for one year on July 5, 2021, for unruly behaviour in the Assembly. "In the operative order, the court clarified that the decision taken by the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and the Shiv Sena alliance government in Maharashtra was unconstitutional, illegal and irrational. This is for the first time that the Supreme Court slammed the government," he said. "This is a historic decision and an eye-wash for democracy. The Maharashtra government was given a chance to rectify its own mistake. During the hearing, the Supreme Court had directed the Legislature to take an appropriate decision in this regard. But only the wise can apprehend the meaning," said Shelar. "The Thackeray government seems to have lost its wisdom due to its ego. The Thackeray government is affected by this historic decision. This could have been averted. Had our application for revocation of suspension been considered during the Assembly session, the Thackeray government could have averted this unrealistic discussion about Maharashtra," the BJP leader said. "But the Thackeray government's ego is at its peak. The government does not seem to accept any system, be it the investigation system or any other traditions or constitutional processes abiding the country and the state. It has become an arbitrary government," the BJP said. "The court had stated earlier that the suspension of the MLAs was worse than expulsion. Even worst was the resolution and decision which was a threat to democracy, the court had said," said Shelar. "Today the court ruled that the resolution was illegal, unconstitutional and irrational. The court also ruled that the suspension cannot be extended beyond the session in which the suspension was made. Legal rights and benefits must be immediately given to all the 12 MLAs soon after the session ended," he said. (ANI) The Delhi High Court has allowed a woman to medically terminate her 27-week pregnancy as the foetus was suffering from anencephaly, open neural tube defect and kyphoscoliosis disease. The High Court granted permission on the basis of the report submitted by the medical board constituted at AIIMS. The board reported that a woman has 27-week pregnancy and was suffering from anencephaly, open neural tube defect and kyphoscoliosis in the foetus, which is incompatible with life. Justice V. Kameswar Rao, in the recent order, said, ''I am of the considered view that in the light of the opinion given by the Medical Board, continuing the pregnancy shall be a great hardship to the petitioner and upon that her extreme amount of mental, emotional and even financial distress." He said, "No doubt, there are certain risks to the petitioner, considering and noting the medical opinion given by the board, the compelling reasons for petitioner to seek permission to end her pregnancy can be understood." Justice Rao said, "This court is of the view that this is a fit case where the petitioner can be granted permission to undergo medical termination of her pregnancy. Accordingly, the petitioner is permitted to have her pregnancy terminated without any further delay." High Court gave this direction disposing of a petition moved by a woman to seek permission for termination of pregnancy. Petitioner on December 14, 2021, came to know that the foetus was suffering from ''Anencephaly along with spinal deformities." The petitioner said that thereafter another ultrasound was done for reassurance on December 15 and December 31, 2021, which suggested that the foetus had severe cranial neural tube defect (Anencephaly) and that the foetal skull bone was not visible. The consequence of the above-cited deformity is that the foetus affected by anencephaly mostly are stillborn or die at birth. The counsel for the petitioner said that the petitioner along with her husband decided to undergo a medical termination of pregnancy. Unfortunately, the ongoing strike by doctors in General Hospital, Shahadara, where she was undergoing treatment caused unnecessary delay for the petitioner. While the petitioner was admitted to GTB Hospital and was under medication for abortion, she completed her 24th week of pregnancy. Therefore, despite already being administered heavy doses of medications, she was refused the service of termination of pregnancy by GTB Hospital, citing the need of a court order to continue with the abortion. The bench hearing the petition had on January 18, directed AIIMS to constitute a Medical Board to examine the petitioner and to submit a report. Pursuant to the direction, the medical board constituted submitted its report advising the medical termination of pregnancy. (ANI) Those named in the charge sheet are identified as Deepthi Marla alias Maryam, Mohammed Waqar Lone alias Wilson Kashmiri, Mizha Siddeeque, Shifa Haris alias Ayesha, Obaid Hamid Matta, Madesh Shankar alias Abdullah, Ammar Abdul Rahiman and Muzamil Hassan Bhat. NIA had registered the case on March 5 last year pertaining to terrorist activities of Mohammed Ameen alias Abu Yahya, a resident of Kerala, and his associates. Yahya and his associates, the NIA said, have been running various ISIS propaganda channels on different social media platforms such as Telegram, Hoop and Instagram for propagating the violent Jihadi ideology of ISIS and radicalizing and recruiting new members for the ISIS module. Earlier, NIA had filed a chargesheet against three accused persons in this case on September 8 last year. "Investigation has revealed that all the eight accused persons charge-sheeted today are affiliated with banned terrorist organisation ISIS and were involved in radicalising, recruiting, organising terror funds and grooming like-minded gullible Muslim youth through different secured social media platforms to perform Hijrat to ISIS-controlled territory for joining ISIS," said the NIA. (ANI) The International Labour Organization on Friday hosted a Policy Dialogue with Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, to understand what sectoral and MSME policy approaches and initiatives emerging economies are adopting to catapult their rise as global sourcing hubs and sector leads. The ILO organized a 'Policy Dialogue: Building a market-responsive, resilient, and inclusive MSME ecosystem for job-rich and sustainable growth' in collaboration with the State Government of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). Speaking at the session, BB Swain, Secretary, Ministry of Micro Small Medium Enterprises, Government of India said, "The MSME sector is important for India's GDP. MSMEs have been impacted by preventive measures taken against COVID-19. To boost the ecosystem, India is trying to formalize the sector not to lose any benefits going to MSMEs. The resilience of MSMEs and market responsiveness will need technology to respond to the demands. This dialogue will support the knowledge building in the two states and support them to develop the evidence-based policymaking." "Andhra Pradesh, being a new state, is collaborating with international agencies, in the field of technology, skills along with market linkages, to help strengthen market mechanism in identified sectors. Learnings from Vietnam, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, as well as knowledge sharing from Korea, will provide insights on the global best practices at this high-level, multi-stakeholder policy dialogue," said Karikal Valaven, Special Chief Secretary to Government, Industries and Commerce, Government of Andhra Pradesh. Informal workers, many of whom are women, youth and other marginalized groups form the backbone of the MSME sector. The Policy Dialogue discussed the need for developing a wider system of rules, regulations and supporting functions surrounding value chains and markets which will promote entrepreneurship, improve productivity and working conditions to enhance MSME competitiveness; innovation; and digitalization, all while preventing vulnerable groups from sinking into poverty. "Odisha looks forward to the ILO's technical assistance for capacity building of state institutions and MSME enterprises along with focusing on the state's entrepreneurial segment. Odisha has focused on the development of female entrepreneurs through its SHG movement, and many prospective female entrepreneurs are ready to step into social inclusion through training. The state is creating a positive growth-oriented policy ecosystem to support the MSME ecosystem and startups, to drive Odisha's MSME development journey", said Ranjana Chopra, Principal Secretary, Department of MSME, Government of Odisha. The discussion focused on four countries, namely South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Bangladesh to facilitate knowledge building for India, particularly for Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, to adopt similar economic development models. The countries elaborated upon the efforts made by them in transforming to market-based economies by transitioning from a low-value agrarian to high-valued manufacturing products and emerging as sectoral leads or sourcing hubs. The dialogue discussed how economies seized the opportunity provided by the COVID-19 wake-up call to accelerate building resilience and help formal and sustainable MSMEs sustain global against the competitiveness of sectors. (ANI) Danny is a writer and a Calaveras County native. He studied creative writing and marketing at San Francisco State University and has previously done work as an automotive journalist. He is happy to be back and writing about the local community. Comment Policy Calaveras Enterprise does not actively monitor comments. However, staff does read through to assess reader interest. When abusive or foul language is used or directed toward other commenters, those comments will be deleted. If a commenter continues to use such language, that person will be blocked from commenting. We wish to foster a community of communication and a sharing of ideas, and we truly value readers' input. "These units include elements of the 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, which regularly maintains high readiness, as well as elements of the 18th Airborne Corps who are also based at Fort Bragg," Kirby said during a press briefing on Thursday. "Additionally, from Fort Campbell, elements of the 101st Airborne Division and from Fort Carson, Colorado, elements of the Fourth Infantry Division have been placed on increased readiness." Kirby added that other units placed on high alert are located at Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Fort Hood, McChord Air Force Base, Fort Polk, Robins Air Force Base, Fort Stewart, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, among others. Kirby added that these military units include aviation support, logistics support, medical support and combat formations. US President Joe Biden said earlier this week that he does not intend to send any US forces in Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly dismissed claims by the United States and its European allies, including Kiev, alleging that Russia plans to invade Ukraine. Russia has warned that NATO's actions near its borders represent a national security threat and it reserves the right to move troops within its own sovereign territory. (ANI/Sputnik) The United States is doing everything possible to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and does not do anything to hinder the flow of such aid into the country, said State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said on Thursday (local time). "We want to be very clear to the international community that not only are we not standing in the way of the provision of much needed humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, but we are doing everything we can to facilitate the flow of vital assistance and support to the Afghan people," Sputnik quoted Price as saying during a press briefing. The United States has committed USD 308 million to the people of Afghanistan earlier this month bringing the total humanitarian assistance to more than half a billion dollars since mid-August alone, Price said. Price claims the United States remains a humanitarian leader with respect to Afghanistan and will continue to be one while the scale of the crisis in the country continues to be enormous and requires a global response, Sputnik reported. The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated drastically since the Taliban took control of Kabul in mid-August last year. A combination of a suspension of foreign aid, the freezing of Afghan government assets, and international sanctions on the Taliban, have plunged the country, already suffering from high poverty levels, into a full-blown economic crisis. (ANI) During the call, Biden underscored the commitment of the United States to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the White House said in a statement. Biden noted the United States has provided Ukraine with over half a billion dollars in development and humanitarian assistance in the last year, and is exploring additional macroeconomic support to help Ukraine's economy amidst pressure resulting from Russia's military build-up. Biden made clear that despite the departure of American family members of embassy personnel, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, remains open and fully operational. According to the statement, the leaders discussed coordinated diplomatic efforts on European security, underscoring the principle of "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine." President Biden relayed the United States' support for conflict resolution efforts in the Normandy Format, expressing his hope that the sides' recommitment on January 26 to the terms of the July 2020 ceasefire will help decrease tensions and advance the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, the statement added. (ANI) Special Representatives and Special Envoys of the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, the UK and the US met in Oslo on January 24 to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, including sessions with representatives of the Taliban and civil society actors. In a joint statement, the Western envoys stressed the urgent need to address the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and highlighted necessary steps to help alleviate the suffering of Afghans across the country. Participants recognized steps taken to ease access for humanitarian workers, male and female, while also expressing concern that there are still certain impediments in place, and participants also reiterated the importance of swiftly removing all conditions and obstacles to the delivery of humanitarian aid, the statement added. They raised the importance of respect for human rights and the strong need for an inclusive and representative political system to ensure stability and a peaceful future for Afghanistan. The Special Representatives urged the Taliban to do more to stop the alarming increase of human rights violations, including arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, media crackdowns, extra-judicial killings, torture and prohibitions on women and girls' education, employment and freedom to travel without a male escort. "Noted with grave concern the absence from, and limitations on access to, secondary schools for girls in many parts of the country and underscored the importance of higher education for women as well as job opportunities for women in all fields," the joint statement read. During the meeting, the envoys made it clear that their meetings with the Taliban in no way implied any sense of official recognition or legitimization of the interim government announced by the Taliban in September 2021. The talks in Oslo came about in response to a request from a number of Afghan organisations and in consultation with Western allies. On Sunday, an all-day meeting took place between the Taliban delegation and other Afghans from a variety of backgrounds. These included women leaders, journalists and people working to safeguard human rights and address humanitarian, economic, social and political issues. On Monday, meetings took place between the Taliban and special representatives for Afghanistan from Norway and other Western countries. Afghanistan is contending with drought, a pandemic, an economic collapse and the effects of years of conflict. Some 24 million people are experiencing acute food insecurity. According to United Nations estimates, more than half the population will be facing famine this winter and 97 per cent of the population could fall below the poverty line this year. (ANI) "Thank you, President @HHichilema for your greetings! India greatly values its friendship and development partnership with the Republic of Zambia," PM Modi tweeted. Extending greetings, the Zambian President said that he joined the people of India in celebrating 73 years since their adoption of the Indian Constitution and the establishment of their Republic. "We join @narendramodi and the people of India in celebrating 73 years since their adoption of the Indian Constitution and the establishment of their Republic," Hakainde Hichilema said in a Tweet. The celebrations this year are special as Indian Republic Day falls in the 75th year of Independence, being celebrated as "Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav" across the country. To mark the occasion, the Indian Ministry of Defence has conceptualized a series of new events during the main parade on Rajpath, New Delhi on January 26 and the 'Beating the Retreat' ceremony at Vijay Chowk on January 29. It has been decided that the Republic Day celebrations will now be week-long from January 23-30 every year in India. This year, the celebrations commenced on January 23, the birth anniversary of great freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and will culminate on January, 30 which is observed as Martyrs' Day. (ANI) During a meeting with Taliban officials at the Ministry of Interior Affairs- Afghanistan, the UNAMA Human Rights said that there is a need for investigations, transparency and accountability of such cases in Afghanistan. "UNAMA Human Rights met with Taliban officials at @moiafghanistan today. Discussed alleged cases of human rights violations and concerns re ex-ANSF/Govt members, civsoc, media, judiciary, religious clerics and women activists. Need for investigations, transparency & accountability," the "UNAMA said in a Tweet on Thursday. Several media persons, government members, religious clerics and women activists have been killed in Afghanistan. At least 30 journalists and media workers have been killed, manhandled, and injured in Afghanistan from the start of 2021 till July 2021, while many of them were also threatened by government officials, according to a report by an Afghanistan non profit Nai. Last year in December, a religious scholar was killed in Afghanistan's western Farah province. In November, four women activists in the Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif in the northern Balkh province were killed. Various violent incidents against women have emerged since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan after the fall of the government in August. Despite repeated calls from all around the world, the Taliban have failed to deliver its promises on women's safety and their assurance of an inclusive government. (ANI) The four people found dead near the Canada-US border last week have been officially identified as Indian nationals, the Indian High Commission in Ottawa confirmed on Thursday and said that this tragedy has brought into focus the need to ensure that migration and mobility are made safe and legal. The high commission in a statement said Canadian authorities, through a medical examination, have determined all the deaths to be consistent with exposure to outdoor elements. "Canadian authorities have confirmed the identities of the four deceased as; Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel, male, 39 years; Vaishaliben Jagdishkumar Patel, female, 37 years; Vihangi Jagdishkumar Patel, female, 11 years and Dharmik Jagdishkumar Patel, male, 3 years," the high commission said. Earlier, Canadian authorities found the bodies of four people, who froze to death while trying to cross the Canada-US border in Emerson, Manitoba, near the Canada/US border on January 19. All four were from the same family. Speaking at a presser on Thursday afternoon, Manitoba RCMP Chief Supt. Rob Hill confirmed the identity of all Indian nationals. "We apologize for that error, but please understand that the frozen state in which the bodies were found and the clothing worn by the family made the initial confirmation difficult. It is also why the process to confirm the names took an extended period of time," Hill said. The case involved human smuggling and local authorities would like to speak to anyone who may have helped or seen the family while they were in Canada, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported. "We need anyone who had interaction with the Patel family or has information about their journey to the border to think about what they went through and step forward," Hill said. In the press statement, the Indian High Commission said a special team led by an officer from the Consulate General of India in Toronto is currently in Manitoba helping with the investigation. "People-to-people relations are an important pillar of India-Canada bilateral relations. Canada is a preferred destination for Indian immigrants and students. India and Canada work together to ensure the safety and well-being of all Indian immigrants into Canada." Stating that both India and Canada have a regular dialogue on migration and welfare issues, the high commission said this tragedy has brought into focus the need to ensure that migration and mobility are made safe and legal. "On longer-term issues that this tragedy has brought into focus is the need to ensure that migration and mobility are made safe and legal and that such tragedies do not recur. A number of ideas remain under discussion between India and Canada," the statement added. (ANI) A 66-year-old man attacked three medical workers making a visit to his home near Tokyo on Thursday night, shooting at least one of them, police said, adding that the hostage was later confirmed dead, Kyodo News reported. According to the police, the deceased was identified as 44-year-old doctor Junichi Suzuki, Kyodo News reported. The shot medical worker, a 41-year-old physiotherapist, remains unconscious. The three visited the house around 9 pm on Thursday, apparently to express condolences over the recent death of the suspect's mother. They were in charge of home medical care for the mother, Kyodo reported citing investigative sources. (ANI) Pakistan's National Security policy released earlier this month has sparked debate both in the media circles and among the security experts in the country. Despite tall claims, experts say little focus has been given to the geo-economics and human resource development aspect of the policy, to make the country's security holistic. NSP was approved by the federal cabinet last month after it got the nod of the country's National Security Committee. A few weeks later, the public version of the recently approved National Security Policy (NSP) was released. This policy defines the direction country should take in the coming years, which the makers NSP have said placed a special emphasis on economic security. Since its launch, National Security Policy has received severe criticism from some corner security experts and media in Pakistan. In a recent commentary in the Dawn newspaper titled "Bridging the gap", a Pakistani writer said for historical reasons, Pakistan is hurtling from one crisis management to the next. The country is forced to take short-term decisions without a long-term view on how to steer the nation forward, the writer added. According to another political commentator Ayesha Siddiqa, the NSP cannot succeed unless Pakistan effectively conducts its geo-economics "with the larger neighbour." Those who have to carry out the 'action' -- the business community, and the traders -- are awaiting the government to put the document to planning and implementation, Islam Khabar reported. Another point that comes to the forefront is that despite claims to have conducted "wide-ranging" discussions, the Imran Khan government kept out mainstream opposition and even its allies. Pakistan's Senate Committee on Defence was 'briefed', however, the opposition boycotted that meeting. The Pakistani media said presently the realities are at odds with NSP goals, adding that the real challenge will be to match intent with action. (ANI) The United Kingdom Foreign Office has pledged to release another 97 million pounds (130 million USD) of emergency aid to Afghanistan amid concerning reports about the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in the country, Sputnik reported citing Sky News broadcaster on Friday. The decision came after Valerie Amos, former UN Under-Secretary-General, said on Thursday that unless money was urgently sent to the country, "three million children under five who will face acute malnutrition by March. Of those, a million children will die." "The UK continues to provide vital humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan. We have doubled UK aid this year to save lives, protect women and girls, and support stability in the region," Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said, commenting on the worsening situation in the country, according to Sputnik. In August 2021, the UK doubled its humanitarian aid to Afghanistan to 286 million pounds (383 million USD) to help address the crisis in the country. Truss added that these additional funds that will provide "essential food, shelter and health supplies will reach those who are most in need." Meanwhile, the foreign office repeatedly stated that no funds are transferred directly to the Taliban (under UN sanctions for terrorism), being allocated to humanitarian organizations that operate in the country. On Thursday, UK Ambassador to the United Nations James Kariuki stated at the UN Security Council briefing on Afghanistan that the humanitarian situation in the country remains "a matter of deep concern", with over 20 million people, half the population needing urgent assistance, Sputnik reported. The Taliban's swift ascension to power in Afghanistan occurred in mid-August, triggering an economic disarray and food shortages that push the country to the brink of a humanitarian crisis. Thousands of Afghans fled the country fearful of the Taliban, widespread violation of human rights, and the deprivation of women and girls of their freedoms. According to the UN estimates, around half of the country's population needs humanitarian assistance, twice as many as in 2020, with about 22 million people facing acute food insecurity. The UN predicts that up to 97 per cent of Afghans may slide below the poverty line by the middle of this year, it added. (ANI) Italian by blood and gregarious by nature, June Amundson says I felt like I came home when I moved to Little Italy. The 50-year-old embraced the social aspects of the close-knit East Baltimore community, spending nights and holidays with her neighbors. Increasingly, though, her fondness for the more than century-old neighborhood has turned to concern for her safety. She worries about walking from her car to her house on S. High Street after dark. Advertisement Last Sunday, Amundsons friend Chesley Patterson, the general manager at La Scala restaurant and a beloved figure in the community, was shot dead while driving home from work. He was blocks away from the restaurant where he spent much of the past 17 years. Baltimore police say they do not yet have a suspect in the killing, one of 32 homicides so far this year alone. This kind of is the straw that broke the camels back, Amundson said through tears Wednesday evening at a vigil honoring Patterson. Advertisement People gathered outside La Scala restaurant Wednesday evening in Little Italy for a candlelight vigil to honor the longtime general manager Chesley Patterson, who was fatally shot last weekend. (Amy Davis/Baltimore Sun) Amundson was one of around 300 mourners who gathered outside the Eastern Avenue restaurant where Patterson worked, braving the frigid temperatures to remember a man they say embodied hospitality. Always impeccably dressed in a suit, he would stop to chat with neighbors on his way to buy bread every afternoon for the evenings dinner service. Chesley was a friend of mine, his death hits pretty personally, said city councilman Zeke Cohen, whose district includes Little Italy. Patterson, he said, had an otherworldly quality that made people feel good. Patterson, 44, was one of those people who made everyone feel like his best friend, recalled longtime customer and friend Suzanne Costa through tears. The 72-year-old nurse came with her husband from Ellicott City for the vigil. Its just such a tragedy, she said. It makes you almost not want to come downtown anymore. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 13 Ted Jabara and his fiancee Thomasina Poirot light candles for the candlelight vigil to honor the longtime general manager of La Scala restaurant, Chesley Patterson, who was fatally shot early Monday morning. Jabara said of Patterson, He was one of a kind who made sunshine on a cloudy day. (Amy Davis / Baltimore Sun) Many present said the death was prompting them to consider moving out of the neighborhood despite long ties to the area. Mark Orendorffs family has been in Little Italy for 100 years. Now, the 41-year-old who works for the city and his wife, Jesel, say they are contemplating leaving Baltimore because of the violence, particularly as they look to start a family. The citys not safe at all, said Jesel, 26, who moved from the Philippines three years ago. The crime in the area makes me think crazy, she said. I think we should move. While homicides have long made headlines in Baltimore, recent killings in the city have brought the violence home. Advertisement Among the victims are James Blue III, 43, who was married to a Baltimore police lieutenant and the brother of Shelonda Stokes, president of the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore. Hours after Pattersons death, a 51-year-old grandmother was killed in Northeast Baltimore while delivering food for DoorDash. Flowers festoon the front entrance of La Scala restaurant in Little Italy in memory of longtime general manager Chesley Patterson, who was fatally shot in the 1700 block of Eastern Avenue, less than a half mile from the restaurant. (Amy Davis/The Baltimore Sun) In the wake of Pattersons killing, his former co-worker Julio Cervantes said he and his wife were planning to move from their home in Ridgleys Delight to Baltimore County with their young children. I have no belief that this is going to get better, he said. It was hard for him to wrap his mind around the killing of someone as generous as Patterson, whom hed worked with at La Scala a few years ago before changing careers. The lack of information about Pattersons death makes it all the more disturbing for residents, said Seema D. Iyer, an associate professor at the University of Baltimore who has researched Baltimore communities and the reasons residents move away. In the majority of fatal shootings, the perpetrator and victim are connected in some way. Deaths like Pattersons, she said, are the types of things that do drive people from the city, when it seems so random. While researchers have much to learn about how communities have shifted during the pandemic, Iyer said an overall drop in foot traffic in urban areas has made many areas feel less safe. Advertisement Weve had two years where the density of our activity is so much lower than it normally would be, she said. You can imagine in a normal situation there would be other people on the street. Pam Needleman, who owns the Little Italy hair salon Sweet Louies, recalled how just over the weekend she had been remarking on the beauty of newly-installed cafe lights illuminating the areas old Formstone facades. She remembered thinking: It looks good to see the neighborhood coming back. Just more than 24 hours later, Patterson was killed. We take one step forward and then the city drags you three steps back, she said. His death was a gut punch, gut punch, gut punch. Chesley Patterson, longtime La Scala manager, was shot and killed last weekend after leaving work in Little Italy. Photo by Samantha Stern/handout (Samantha Stern/Samantha Stern) Needleman, who lives in the neighborhood, said shes become jumpy and suspicious of strangers. She too, is considering a move. Baltimore is a bad boyfriend I cant defend anymore, she said. Advertisement In addition to Pattersons killing, other violence has put the area on edge, too. Last November, Father Bernie Carman, the pastor of St. Leo the Great Roman Catholic Church on S. Exeter Street, was mugged and pistol-whipped at four in the afternoon. The crime shocked and outraged residents. Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. > Still, until Pattersons killing last weekend, Paula Pizza, 59, said she had been looking at apartments near Little Italy, where she grew up. She had recently moved to Sparrows Point, partly to escape the crime of the city. But for all the peace and quiet, she said, its lonely out in the county. Her social life remained in her old neighborhood, particularly at La Scala, where she and Patterson were very close. He greeted her with a loving Paulaaaaaa! Despite Baltimores notorious crime, Pizza said, village-like Little Italy felt insulated from whatever violence surrounded it. But Pattersons death has shattered her view of the neighborhood. Days later, a grief-stricken Pizza has been unable to return to work and cant imagine moving back. Supporters of the city and of Little Italy hope the neighborhood will press onward. Advertisement Im hoping that we all galvanize and strengthen Little Italy and address some of these issues in his memory and make Baltimore an even stronger place, Iyer said in the aftermath of Pattersons death. Leaving wont do that. La Scala, for now, will remain open. Pakistan opposition leader Marriyum Aurangzeb has demanded that all records, including those revealed by the State Bank of Pakistan, be made public as per the orders of the Election Commission of Pakistan. Earlier this month, the scrutiny committee of the election organising authority unearthed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had concealed several accounts and around Rs 310 million between 2008 and 2013 from the electoral body, The Express Tribune reported. "The huge sums of money that Prime Minister Imran Khan took through private accounts of his employees were also kept a secret," she said in a statement cited by The Express Tribune. The Pakistan Muslim League (N) spokesperson said that the details of the premier's "accounts in foreign banks including the UK, US, Australia, Finland are yet to be exposed. She termed the turning of "charity money for Shaukat Khanum into a political fund another "undeniable proof of Imran Khan's fraud and forgery". "The listing of the hospital's donors as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's donors in the ECP report is a dreadful disclosure," she added in the statement, according to The Express Tribune. The report compiled by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)'s on PTI's funding has found that the party is guilty of concealing 53 bank accounts regarding public funding, according to Daily Times. If the PTI is as confident about the order in its house it should honour its word and lend the helping hand to auditors. Information about over Rs 300 million missing from the bank statements should be accounted for. as per the demands of the Pakistan opposition, according to Daily Times. The ECP report stated that the PTI provided "false information" regarding the party's funding. It's said the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) statement revealed that the party had received Rs 1.64 million in funding. (ANI) Tokyo [Japan], January 28 (ANI/Sputnik): An old man attacked three doctors visiting his home in the Japanese prefecture of Saitama near Tokyo, shooting one of them with a hunting gun and allegedly killing another that was held hostage for over 11 hours, media reported on Friday. According to Kyodo News Agency, the incident took place in the city of Fujimino outside Tokyo at around 21:00 (12:00 GMT) on Thursday. Law enforcers reportedly got a call from a local resident saying that he had heard loud bangs in a neighboring house. After that, the police received a report of two persons with gunshot wounds, the media said. According to the materials of the investigation, three medical workers came to the man's house allegedly to express condolences over the death of his elderly mother. One of the doctors reportedly received a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Another one was teargassed in the face. Both were later taken to the hospital. The medical worker remains unconscious after the gunshot, the media said. The third doctor was reportedly held hostage by the man for almost 12 hours. According to Kyodo, police talked with the suspect by phone during the hostage incident, but the man made no specific demands. On Friday morning, the police reportedly stormed the building and arrested the man on suspicion of abduction and attempted murder. The hostage was later confirmed dead, the newspaper reported, citing the police. As a result of the incident, about 100 people were evacuated from neighboring houses and placed in school buildings nearby. Classes at three schools in the area were canceled on Friday. The cause of the incident is still unknown. (ANI/Sputnik) "At the policy level in Afghanistan there is total positivity on Pakistan," said Yusuf, at a meeting of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee, the Dawn newspaper reported. Yusuf said ties with the new regime in Afghanistan was in complete contrast to the hostility and acrimony towards Pakistan witnessed during the previous government. Answering questions on multiple border incidents with the Taliban, Yusuf said those incidents were "local level issues" that were addressed locally and had nothing to do with the policy of the Taliban government. As the Taliban try to establish themselves politically in Afghanistan, the issue of the Durand Line has resurfaced. Recent media reports said the Taliban have damaged parts of the 2,670-km Durand Line erected by the Pakistan army. On one hand, Pakistan has vowed to "resolve the issues diplomatically." On other hand, the Taliban insists that the Durand Line "has divided one nation on both sides," which the Islamic outfit "do not want." Earlier, the Taliban military has tried to stop the Pakistani military from erecting barbed-wire fences and outposts in the Nangahar Province on the Durand Line. Pakistan wishes to fence the border to control the movements of Pashtuns across its border, who are scattered between the Durand Line. (ANI) Hundreds of people in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province held a rally in Peshawar against prolonged power suspensions and demanded repair of the damaged supply lines, according to a media report. Despite the commitment, officials of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) were reluctant to ensure a smooth power supply to his constituency (PK-72) and the people had to face prolonged power suspensions, Dawn quoted the Member of the Provincial Assembly Faheem Khan, who led the protesters, as saying. "We persuaded the people to remove the illegal connections and installed thousands of power meters in different localities as per commitment with the PESCO officials, but the consumers are still facing unprecedented load-shedding," he complained. The PESCO staff was reluctant to repair the damaged power supply lines, said the lawmaker, stressing other pending issues such as bifurcation of supply lines, issuance of photometers and others, according to Dawn. Khan also informed that he held a meeting with the PESCO chief and presented him a list of demands. "We also asked for the replacement of SDO and superintendent of Tajabad subdivision for not resolving the consumers' issues," the lawmaker added. The main reason for the power suspensions was line losses ranging between 80 to 95 per cent, said PESCO spokesperson Shaukat Afzal, emphasising that it was impossible to ensure continuous power supply to the areas where the people were not ready to remove illegal connections. The spokesperson also informed that the main cause of damage to supply lines and transformers was overloading. (ANI) Beijing [China], January 28 [ANI]: China has started to step into the US shoes in the Middle East by forging a strategic partnership with Iran causing concern in Washington. China and Iran, the two main adversaries of the US together with Russia, formally inked a deal for 25 years worth USD 400-billion, aimed at bolstering economic and political ties, according to Geopolitica. China also backed Iranian efforts to revive the latter's 2015 nuclear deal with major powers that the US unilaterally walked out of in 2018, writes Valerio Fabbri for the Gepolitica. Meanwhile, China and Iran, both subject to US sanctions, signed the 25-year agreement in March 2021, bringing Iran into China's Belt and Road Initiative. The projects nearly 100 of them including airports, high-speed railways and subways are very much in line with President Xi Jinping's ambitions to extend China's economic and strategic influence across Eurasia through the Belt and Road Initiative, the (in)famous project that aims to significantly expand China's economic and political influence and has raised concerns in the US and elsewhere, according to Geopolitica. They fear Chinese money will invariably weaken the effectiveness of American sanctions against Iran, which will make it all the more adamant about any future negotiations on its nuclear program. Also, the China-Iran pact also calls for both sides to conduct, much to the worry of the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia, combined military training, exercises, weapons development, and intelligence sharing. In any case, combined with Russia, both China and Iran have already conducted military exercises in the Indian Ocean and in Russia in December 2019 and September 2020, respectively, writes Valerio Fabbri for the Gepolitica. However, the military relations with Iran will be tempered by China's simultaneous efforts to build bridges with other Arab governments in the Gulf. Chinese authorities have recently met Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, so any military agreement with Iran will necessarily have to be such as not to agitate these countries. Meanwhile, the restoration of the American sanctions in 2018 crippled the Iranian economy by way of cutting into its vital source of revenue from oil sales. Oil and petroleum products account for 80 per cent of Iran's exports. Further American sanctions imposed on 18 major Iranian banks in 2020 caused the Iranian Rial to fall further against the US dollar, writes Valerio Fabbri for the Gepolitica. (ANI) In a virtual weekly media briefing by the official spokesperson of MEA, Arindam Bagchi said, "Government is committed to providing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people comprising food grains, COVID vaccines, and essential life-saving drugs." He also informed that in the last few weeks, 3.6 tonnes of medical assistance and 5,00,000 doses of COVID vaccines have been supplied to Afghanistan. Regarding the process to procure the wheat and to arrange its transportation, Bagchi said, "The process to procure wheat and to arrange its transportation is currently underway. Naturally, this takes some time. We will share the updates as soon as we have them. We hope to be able to do it shortly." Since the Taliban took over control of Kabul on August 15, the country witnessed deep economic, humanitarian and security crises. The suspension of foreign aid, the freezing of Afghan government assets, and international sanctions on the Taliban have plunged the war-torn country, already suffering from high poverty levels, into a full-blown economic crisis. (ANI) China has stepped up its information against India in the Maldives with much help from both the local news portal Dhiyares and former President Abdulla Yameen ahead of next year's Presidential elections in the atoll nation. The 'India Out' campaign in the Maldives is known to be driven politically by former President Abdulla Yameen. Much before Yameen took the driver's seat, a section of the Maldivian media led by the news portal Dhiyares, had begun a concerted campaign against India. It is, therefore, necessary to trace the roots of this campaign and understand the motives behind the campaign, according to Policy Research Group (PRG)'s Insight Two things stand out about Ahmed Azaan, the founder of Dhiyares. First, he has consistently been calling for greater Chinese presence in the Maldives and second, he has used social media to the hilt to attack India and its alleged military presence in the country. The Chinese angle to this entire sordid episode can only be adduced based on the context of Azaan's anti-India campaign, as analysed by PRG's Insight. Interestingly, the website of The Maldives Journal states that Ahmed Azaan is a journalist and writer with a BA in International Relations and describes him as one of the co-founders of "Dhiyares" and "The Maldives Journal". His BA is apparently from ADA University in Azerbaijan. His areas of interest are said to be politics and economics. On the other hand, during the presidency of Abdulla Yameen from 2013 to 2018, the Maldives had borrowed heavily from China, leading to a debt trap situation. As of now, Maldives owes China around USD 1.5 billion, which is huge for a country with a GDP of USD 4.9 billion The reality is that China is displeased with the grant of several infrastructure projects to India in recent days, and would like to take these over. Meanwhile, by flooding Twitter space in the Maldives with #IndiaOut content, Azaan has been able to create a mirage that a large number of Maldivians are rooting for #IndiaOut. This is not the case in reality as Azaan footprint for the #IndiaOut campaign has been exceedingly high and all the major supporters of the hashtag are also Azaan's close associates. Notably, around 210 handles had contributed a gigantic amount of 80 per cent to the hashtag. This basically means that the entire #IndiaOut hashtag can be traced to Azaan and his followers, working with a special agenda in mind. A far more important issue here is to trace the Chinese connections of Azaan and his publications. These platforms of disinformation need to be monitored for they have shown a marked capability to create a rift in India-Maldives ties. It is time to identify and expose the dangerous inroads made by the Chinese in Maldivian media and social media, as described by PRG's Insight. (ANI) China's President Xi Jinping faces hurdles ahead of this year's National Congress meeting as people in China begin to feel, deep down, that they may have a different top leader in five years, their attitudes may well change from that moment forward, as reported by Nikkei Asia. As things stand now, there is only one thing that everybody is sure of: that Xi, who doubles as party general secretary, will not retire at this upcoming national congress this year. What more he can secure will depend on how his political battles go over the next nine months or so sixth plenary session of the Chinese Communist Party's 19th Central Committee in November this year. If a leader of a democratic country has another five years in office, there is little talk of him or her becoming a lame-duck anytime soon. But this common sense does not apply in China, where everything is decided through a power struggle within the party, of which outsiders know little, according to Nikkei Asia. Earlier, former President Hu Jintao began to lose his grip on domestic issues and diplomacy as early as 2008, the year after his second term began at the national congress the autumn before. Disobedience toward Hu Jina who was set to retire a few years later also affected China's diplomacy toward Japan. China failed to implement an agreement with Japan on gas fields in the East China Sea, a deal reached Hu Jintao's initiative. The 2008 agreement initially presaged reconciliation between the Asian neighbours. But negotiations on the treaty, which concerned joint development of the gas fields, failed to progress and ran aground, as reported by Nikkei Asia. On the other hand, Xi Jinping proclaims anti-corruption campaign as biggest achievement and the administration warns that it will tighten its political stranglehold in the run-up to the national congress. The successful fight against corruption is about Xi's only achievement. And with the Chinese economy slumping, Xi has no choice but to barrel ahead with his signature campaign to take down enemies. If the administration succeeds again, Xi will be able to not only secure another five-year term but also have the power to name the new lineup of the Politburo Standing Committee in a way that is favourable to him. If people feel Xi will reign as China's top leader for at least another 10 years, or even for life, he can avoid becoming a lame duck, as reported by Nikkei Asia. (ANI) As the Russian troop build-up around the borders of Ukraine continues and tension in the region and beyond peaks, India has said it is following the developments closely and called for peaceful resolution of the situation. "We have been closely following the developments relating to Ukraine including ongoing high-level discussions between Russia and the US. Our Embassy in Kyiv is also monitoring local developments," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Aridnam Bagchi said at the regular media briefing. Russia has demanded that there should be no presence of NATO forces in Ukraine and other former territories of the erstwhile Soviet Union. Moscow, which shares friendly and very close ties with India, has denied that it is planning a war on Ukraine. However, US and NATO allies believe that Russia is preparing for an assault. The US has said there will be no change in its policy vis-a-vis the NATO alliance and is standing by Ukraine. Experts have said that the current crisis reminds them of the cold war era. Bagchi said there should be a peaceful resolution to the situation through sustained diplomatic efforts. "We call for a peaceful resolution of the situation through sustained diplomatic efforts for long term peace and stability in the region and beyond," he said. Asked whether amid escalating tensions India fears that the US may impose CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) as India is procuring the S-400 missile system from Russia, the spokesperson referred to India's partnership with both countries. "India and US have a comprehensive global strategic partnership, India has a special and privileged partnership with Russia. We pursue an independent foreign policy. This also applies to our defence acquisitions and supplies which are guided by our national interest," he said. (ANI) India and China have agreed to hold the commander-level meeting at the earliest on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western sector to resolve the standoff between the two nuclear nations. Answering queries on disengagement talks, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, in a virtual weekly media briefing said, "The 14th round of India-China core commander-level meeting was held on January 12 this year. The two sides agreed that the resolution of the remaining issues will be held at the earliest, would help in the restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the Western sector and enable progress in bilateral relations." India and China have been engaged in a standoff since April-May 2020 over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including the Finger area, Galwan Valley, Hot springs, and Kongrung Nala. The situation worsened after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in violent clashes with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in June 2020. New Delhi and Beijing have been engaged in holding talks on the Line of Actual Control in the Eastern Ladakh area to resolve the standoff. So far, 14 rounds of talks have been held. The talks led to some disengagement of troops from several friction points along the LAC, but not all of them. The talks have also failed to reach any agreement over the frontier. "The two sides agreed to stay in close contact and maintain dialogue via military and diplomatic channels and work out mutually acceptable resolutions of the remaining issues at the earliest," said Bagchi. "In this context, it was also agreed that the next round of commander-level talks should be held at the earliest. We will share with you, once we have any update on this," added Bagchi. (ANI) Outside of teaching, Benjamin L. Coale was an artist who worked in oils and acrylics. Benjamin L. Coale, a teacher and artist who brought his lifelong love of history and English to his classroom and an understated sense of humor to his artwork, died of esophageal cancer Jan. 11 at the University of Maryland Medical Center. The former Mount Vernon resident who lived in Glacier View, Alaska, was 39. Tristan Davies, former senior lecturer in the writing seminar at the Johns Hopkins University, had been Mr. Coales teacher in two graduate seminars as well as his thesis adviser. Advertisement I was very impressed with Ben. He was a very gentle guy and a very thoughtful, nice person, and it served him well as a teacher, Mr. Davies said. He was just a Baltimore guy, friendly, unassuming, without pretense and really very smart. And as a writer, he worked very hard and got better. Benjamin Latrobe Coale, son of Joseph Merryman Coale III, a writer, historian and former aide to Gov. Harry R. Hughes, and his wife, Mary McKim Macdonald Coale, an interior designer, was born in Baltimore and raised in Roland Park and Ruxton. Advertisement He was the great-great-great-grandson of architect Benjamin H. Latrobe, a designer of the United States Capitol and the Baltimore Basilica, among other notable historic structures. After graduating in 2001 from St. Pauls School for Boys in Brooklandville, Mr. Coale earned a bachelors degree in 2005 in English with an emphasis in creative writing from Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, Virginia. In 2008, he obtained a masters degree in English and creative writing from the Johns Hopkins University, and in 2011, an ACT teaching certificate in secondary education from Notre Dame of Maryland University. While completing his masters degree and earning a teaching certificate, Mr. Coale lived in Mount Vernon and worked at Mick OSheas Irish Pub on North Charles Street as a server-bartender. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 61 Ron Galella, the celebrity photographer whose pursuit of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis resulted in a restraining order against him after he stalked her for years, died at age 91 on April 30, 2022, at his home in Montville, N.J., of congestive heart failure. (Carlo Allegri/AP) From 2007 to 2008, he was a substitute teacher at Ruxton Country School where he taught English, history, study skills and science. He was also a middle school and high school English intern for Baltimore City Public Schools in 2011. In 2018, he and his wife, the former Michelle Saltmarsh, whom he met at college and married in 2011, moved to Glacier View when he accepted a teaching position at Glacier View School in Sutton, Alaska. I got it, because Ben had a very adventuresome streak and I wouldnt have been surprised if I got a call from him asking for a recommendation for a job in Sumatra, Mr. Davies said. Alaska was an adventure that he wouldnt shy away from, and he was rough and ready for it. He lived life to the fullest. Wendy J. Taylor is principal of Glacier View School, where Mr. Coale taught middle and high school English and history. Advertisement Ben found his passion for teaching here in Alaska and were going to miss his passion for life and learning, Ms. Taylor said in a telephone interview. His confidence built in teaching and in doing so built confidence in our kids. He grew as much as he allowed our kids to grow. He was big on relationships and humor and the laughter that came out of his room. He believed relationships were the first step in educating a child. He wanted them to feel confident and successful in whatever they wanted to do. He knew how to catch their attention, Ms. Taylor said. He challenged them to get out and look at the world. He loved Alaska and didnt take anything for granted, she said. He encouraged our kids to appreciate nature and what Alaska had to offer. It wasnt uncommon for Mr. Coale to assemble his students outside to take in a beautiful sunrise, and when it came time to study state government, he took his students on a four-day trip to Juneau, the state capital, where they met legislators and attended lectures. He was hands on, Ms. Taylor said. Advertisement Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 24 Lois H. Feinblatt was a pioneering sex therapist who practiced with the Johns Hopkins Sex and Gender Clinic for more than three decades and was a also a philanthropist. (handout) Mr. Coale excelled at connecting with his students. He was a kid himself and he could get their attention by going to their level and finding out what they were interested in and then hed try it, Ms. Taylor said. In addition to his daily teaching regimen, Mr. Coale conducted after school classes including guitar lessons. You could see that Ben knew how to run a classroom, had humility when it came to listening to students, and all done with a great sense of humor, Mr. Davies said. He had a very dry and wry sense of humor. Mr. Coale was also an accomplished artist who worked in oils and acrylics, and like filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock, liked turning normal into the abnormal. In one of his paintings, he featured marshmallows and hot dogs with faces, standing around a campfire under a starry nighttime sky toasting a miniature figure of a human being attached to a stick. He liked turning the tables on reality, his father said. And he never took one art course. He was self-taught. Advertisement His art had a certain sense of whimsy to it, said his wife of 10 years, a personal trainer. They were very intense, pessimistic, whimsical, kooky and funny. He had a wide range of subjects and they were nutty and reminded me of the Far Side cartoons. Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. > Ms. Coale added: They were vibrant and the colors that came from his palate were vibrant and came alive on canvas. [ Thomas A. Perrera, Peppermill Restaurant co-founder, dies ] Mr. Coales father remembered his sons many passions and talents. Ben had a curiosity and creativity that explored life in many directions, contributing to his happiness and others. Some of these paths led to his personal success and in making a difference for others, his father wrote in an email. Through his music, art, photography, education archaeology, travel and passion for teaching he was an uplifting spark that gained respect from colleagues and gave inspiration to his students, he wrote. His hope was to inspire a younger group of young people, although geographically isolated, to make the most of their dreams and potential. Advertisement Plans for a celebration-of-life gathering to be held in May at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore are incomplete. In addition to his wife and parents, Mr. Coale is survived by a brother, Robert Bowen Coale, of Ruxton; and two nephews. India today said that its High Commission in Ottawa and Consulate General in Toronto are working closely with the Canadian authorities on all aspects of the investigation of the tragic case of death of four people whose bodies were recovered near the Canada-US border in Manitoba in Canada on January 19. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a regular media briefing that the Indian mission is also providing consular services to the family of the deceased. "Our missions in Canada and USA have been following regularly this tragic case of death of four people whose bodies were recovered near the Canada-US border in Manitoba in Canada on 19 January. The Canadian authorities have confirmed that all four who perished were Indian nationals who belonged to one family. The next of kin of the deceased have now been informed," he said. Bagchi said Canadian authorities have also informed that based on the circumstances, the death of all the persons has been determined to be consistent with exposure to the outdoor elements. "Our High Commission in Ottawa and our Consulate General in Toronto are working closely with the Canadian authorities on all aspects of the investigation and providing consular services to the family of the deceased. Our High Commission in Ottawa has issued a detailed press release on the subject yesterday," he said. Canadian authorities found the bodies of four people, who froze to death while trying to cross the Canada-US border in Emerson, Manitoba, near the Canada-US border on January 19. Canadian authorities have confirmed the identities of the four deceased as Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel, 39; Vaishaliben Jagdishkumar Patel, 37 and their children Vihangi Jagdishkumar Patel, and Dharmik Jagdishkumar Patel. The Indian High Commission had said a special team led by an officer from the Consulate General of India in Toronto is currently in Manitoba helping with the investigation. "People-to-people relations are an important pillar of India-Canada bilateral relations. Canada is a preferred destination for Indian immigrants and students. India and Canada work together to ensure the safety and well-being of all Indian immigrants into Canada," the High Commission statement said. Stating that both India and Canada have a regular dialogue on migration and welfare issues, the High Commission said this tragedy has brought into focus the need to ensure that migration and mobility are made safe and legal. "On longer-term issues that this tragedy has brought into focus is the need to ensure that migration and mobility are made safe and legal and that such tragedies do not recur. A number of ideas remain under discussion between India and Canada," the statement said. (ANI) Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi reaffirmed on Friday that the Government of India is initiating steps to get back seven Indian sailors who were on board the UAE flagged cargo vessel Rwabee seized by the Houthis earlier this month. "As per the latest information, received by the shipping company based in UAE, seven Indian sailors captured by Houthis are in good health and are being provided with regular meals, however, their captors have not allowed them to communicate with their families," he said during the weekly MEA's media briefing held virtually. "Government of India is in touch with multiple sources including the United Nations Mission to support the Hudaydah Agreement to reaffirm the safety and well-being of our sailors and reinforce the message to the Houthis to release the sailors soon," he added. Further, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi reaffirmed India's stance towards the recent terror attack in UAE. "Foreign Minister Jaishankar has condemned the terror attacks in UAE in strongest terms to his UAE counterpart in his telephonic conversation," he said. "UNSC also condemned the heinous terrorist attack in UAE on January 17. We are continuously monitoring the situation," he added. Two Indians were among the casualties in the January 17 attack involving three oil tankers and a fire in the construction site of Abu Dhabi's new airport construction site. Also, the UAE Foreign Minister and International Cooperation, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan shared the details of the attack and conveyed the deepest condolences of the UAE government on the death of two Indians. (ANI) A United Kingdom jury has declared 31-year-old British-Pakistani Gohir Khan guilty of conspiring to kill self-exiled blogger Ahmad Waqass Goraya in the Netherlands. The jury returned the verdict two days after the trial came to a close at the Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court after both sides concluded arguments, Dawn reported. Khan, following his conviction, is expected to be sentenced in the second week of March in a criminal court. Khan, born on February 16, 1990, was charged in June last year with one count of conspiracy to murder Goraya. Goraya is an activist and blogger who left Pakistan after he and five other bloggers were abducted and later released in Islamabad in 2017. According to the Pakistani publication, during the trial, the prosecution maintained that Khan was hired by persons who appeared to be based in Pakistan to carry out the "intended killing" of Goraya. The prosecution said that Khan had travelled to Rotterdam, Netherlands last year as part of a conspiracy to murder Goraya, and that he had undertaken a reconnaissance mission outside his home and even bought a tool with the aim to succeed in his mission, Dawn reported. It further reported that the financial rewards for his actions were believed to be significant, with a payment of 100,000 on offer. At the time, the prosecution said, the defendant was in significant debt, with no clear means of paying his creditors. Khan was "enthusiastic" about "carrying out the killing to earn the money and to carry out further attacks" in the future, the prosecution told the jury. The jury was also told how Pakistan-based middleman Muzamil allegedly contacted Khan in 2021 with an offer to pay 80,000 for the job, while telling him about his own commission of 20,000, Dawn reported. It is unclear who Muzamil was working for, but evidence that 5,000 was paid into a Pakistani bank account and received through a hundi transfer in London was shared in the court. At the last hearing, the jury had heard the defence counsel make a final statement in which the prosecution's allegations against defendant Khan were rebuffed, Dawn reported. Though Khan was born and largely raised in the UK, he left for Lahore when he was 13 to attend school and lived as a boarding student at the Sharif Education Complex. He returned to London in 2007, without taking final exams for he had to struggle with lessons often being in Urdu, the Pakistani publication reported. Khan is the third youngest of six siblings. His parents moved from Pakistan to the UK in the 1970s. He was born and raised in London, and has lived at his Forest Gate address his entire life. He is married with six children aged between 11 and three, Dawn reported. (ANI) The United States has put its troops on "high alert" and hasn't "actually moved any troops" in response to the buildup of Russian troops on Ukraine's border, said US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday (local time). "We put troops on higher alert. And the second point that I would make is that even if and when we do move troops, the purpose of those troops deploying would be to reassure allies or directly in support of [the North Atlantic Treaty Organization] both. So I think that, again, before we make any decisions on readiness or movement of troops, we always take those things into mind ... the impact on other leaders," CNN quoted Austin as saying. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley also said the US is "increasing our readiness levels." Earlier in his remarks, Milley said that "there is a small contingent of US and NATO advisers and trainers currently in Ukraine. The United States has zero offensive combat weapon systems, nor any permanent forces nor bases in Ukraine," CNN reported. "Our role is limited in that we help train, advise and assist with tactics, techniques and procedures. We participate in institutional development with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. As the secretary of defense has noted, we continue to provide military material support to Ukraine along with many other countries from NATO. And we are ready, capable and prepared to uphold our obligation under treaty to NATO. As mentioned by the secretary, an attack against one NATO ally is an attack against all," he said. Milley also said that "we strongly encourage Russia to stand down" and to pursue a resolution regarding Ukraine "through diplomacy." Milley further stated the troop movements from Russia along the border with Ukraine and into Belarus are "different" from what the US has seen "in recent memory. "It does feel different," Milley said, adding "This is larger in scale and scope in the massing of forces than anything we've seen in recent memory, and I think you'd have to go back quite a while into the Cold War days to see something of this magnitude," CNN reported. "They do annual exercises, and we watch those closely. But this is different. So, we'll continue to monitor very, very closely. But yet it does feel different," Milley said. (ANI) US Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez will be visiting Lithuania to meet with senior government officials and discuss the United States' continuing strong support for Lithuania in the face of political pressure and economic coercion from China. "Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez will travel to Vilnius, Lithuania, January 30 - February 1, and to Brussels, Belgium, February 2-4, 2022," the US department of state said in a statement. During his visit to Vilnius, Fernandez will meet with senior government officials to discuss U.S.-Lithuania relations, opportunities for deepening bilateral economic cooperation, and our shared commitment to rules-based policies that encourage responsible, sustainable economic development. The Under Secretary will also discuss the United States' continuing strong support for Lithuania in the face of political pressure and economic coercion from the People's Republic of China, read the statement. The U.S. delegation led by Under Secretary Fernandez will include senior leaders from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) to discuss the implementation of the recently signed USD 600 million memorandum of understanding to expand opportunities for U.S. exporters and Lithuanian buyers in areas such as high-tech manufacturing, business services, and renewable energy, the statement said. According to the statement, in Brussels, the Under Secretary will meet with EU officials to discuss issues of common concern, including countering economic coercion and deepening and expanding transatlantic trade and investment through the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC). In both capitals, Under Secretary Fernandez will discuss collaboration to deliver a positive economic agenda that increases prosperity for the people of the United States, Lithuania, and the entire European Union, the statement added. (ANI) FAIRFIELD, CT Fairfields school board reduced the district's 2022-23 budget by about $1.5 million before approving it Thursday, but the spending plan is still roughly $10.4 million more than the one passed last year. Now that the $202.5 million 2022-23 budget a 5.4 percent year-over-year increase has cleared the Board of Education, it will head to town hall for further consideration. When Superintendent Mike Cummings presented the document earlier in the month, he said the spike was due to factors including increased demand for special education, higher heating and maintenance costs related to the supply chain, contract raises, and cybersecurity investments. On Thursday, Cummings detailed $1.7 million in proposed reductions. Among them were using grant funds to cover more than $500,000 in math textbooks, not filling a nearly $115,000 ventilation technician position and cutting almost $139,000 to adjust for lower projected enrollment. Board members approved the reductions, but also added about $157,000 in expenses. Prior to the budget talks Thursday, residents lobbied for a new scoreboard at Fairfield Ludlowe High School and to save the Math Academy, a program for accelerated math learners that consists of two classes, one for fourth-graders and another for fifth-graders. One of the requests was granted. The other was not. Theyre asking for their shot at excellence and we are getting rid of it, said board member Jennifer Maxon-Kennelly, before adding she would not make a motion regarding the Math Academy, because she felt she wouldnt have the support of the board to pass it. Cummings said the district is hoping to find a no-cost option to address the needs of advanced math students. Were not giving up on this concern thats been raised, he said. The $140,000 scoreboard replacement passed unanimously. We all know that it hasnt been working for many, many years, member Jennifer Jacobsen said. We need a permanent replacement to this item. Story continues Also approved was just over $17,000 to make the districts music coordinator position full-time. Our music program has suffered tremendously during this pandemic, member Carol Guernsey said. Some students have not been able to sing due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has also coincided with double-digit declines in high school music program enrollment, she noted. I think the music program is the jewel in the crown here in town, member Jeff Peterson said. Whatever we can do to support this program is well worth the investment. The addition was narrowly approved, with Maxon-Kennelly, Chair Christine Vitale, Vice Chair Nick Aysseh and Secretary Jessica Gerber opposed. This article originally appeared on the Fairfield Patch Lee en espanol The bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix submitted his resignation letter on his 75th birthday after serving for 18 years as the head clergyman of the institution. Thomas J. Olmsted was installed as the bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix in 2003. Olmsted sent a letter of resignation to Pope Francis as he celebrated his birthday on Friday, Jan. 21. Bishops are required to resign when they turn 75, according to the Catholic Church. When the pope receives the letter, he may deny the resignation, in which case Olmsted would remain bishop of the diocese for a little while longer. If the pope accepts the resignation, someone new will be appointed to lead the Phoenix diocese. Olmsted is the fourth person to serve as the bishop of the diocese. The diocese was established in 1969 by Pope Paul VI. The Most Reverend Eduardo A. Nevares, auxiliary bishop of the diocese, described Olmsted as "a tremendously humble man." Nevares has worked closely with the bishop since joining the diocese in 2010. "That's exactly how bishop (runs the diocese), being very humble. ... He's one that knows how to delegate and one that trusts people in their positions to know the mind of the bishop and to be his arms and legs to carry out his policies," Nevares said. According to a 2003 article in The Arizona Republic, it was unexpected when he was appointed to be bishop of the Phoenix diocese. One of his priorities moving to Phoenix was to get to know the community since he didn't have any prior connections to the area. "I wanted to get to know the leaders (of the diocese) because they would know the area quite well," Olmsted told The Republic. "That was my priority for the first six months." A strong focus on marriage, family as head of Phoenix diocese As bishop, he is responsible for all clergy members of the diocese, as well as all teachings, but his main priority has been supporting the institution of marriage and family. Story continues "When you're working with children, you have to work with their parents because they're the first teachers of their children," he said. Olmsted's colleagues said he treats everyone who works for the diocese as family too. He asks about their spouses and children, makes an effort to sit with new people during lunch every day and always says to put family before work, according to members of the diocese's leadership team. Working in a diocese that serves over a million people makes it difficult to work with everyone, so the bishop holds evangelizing central to the diocese's mission, according to Father John Nahrgang, vicar for evangelization and education of the diocese. One way he does outreach in the community is by holding Mass for sexual abuse victims twice a year and hosts meetings with them personally. In the mid-2000s, Olmsted spoke out about sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, thus starting his biannual Masses dedicated to survivors. "This is a horrible scandal within the church, but also within the whole society. ... We have a very deep obligation as the church to reach out to these people whether they've been abused by someone in the church or somebody else in society," Olmsted said. He also helped develop a list of clergymen in the diocese who have committed sexual abuse and released it to the public in 2012. The bishop's work encompasses other issues as well. During his time as bishop, he handled a controversy involving the excommunication of Sister Mary McBride after an abortion took place at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. McBride excommunicated herself from the church following an abortion she permitted at the hospital in 2009. Nicole Delaney, director of tribunal for the diocese, explained that there are only a few times that people are automatically excommunicated from the Catholic Church and one is if you perform or allow someone else to perform an abortion. Olmsted decided to remove the Catholic status of St. Joseph's after it allowed the abortion. The decision was not taken lightly, according to Delaney. "It was a painful time," said Mike Phelan, director of marriage and family life. "These decisions were not lightly made. They were after a long series of dialogues. ... Then bishop decided to remove the Catholic status of the hospital." Olmsted attempts to find other solutions to problems like this before making decisions, members of the leadership team told The Republic. 'Bishop Olmsted is one in a thousand' Olmsted said he does not have a final plan for when the pope accepts his resignation. He said he has spent a majority of his life letting "the Holy Spirit guide" him, through his work in the church. Olmsted was born in Oketo, Kansas, where he grew up with his family on a farm. He was ordained into the Catholic Church in 1973. He later moved to Rome, where he lived for 16 years earning his master's degree in theology and a doctorate in canon law. In Italy, he also spent nine years working as an assistant in the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, the central governing body of the Catholic Church. Olmsted then served as the bishop of the Diocese of Wichita for two years from 2001 to 2003 before being appointed to the Diocese of Phoenix. In addition to his work as bishop, Olmsted has served on multiple boards of directors and was a founding member of the Catholic Association of Latino Leaders in California. He doesn't have a plan as to what he wants to do next, but he knows he would like to stay in Arizona and work within the church. He said there's something special about practicing Catholicism in the desert since so much of the symbolism in the Bible is centered around it as well. The rest of the diocese awaits Olmsted's successor. "We're praying hard," Nevares said. "Because Bishop Olmsted is one in a thousand." Reach breaking news intern Jane Florance at jflorance@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @Florance_Jane. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Bishop Olmsted to resign after leading Phoenix diocese for 18 years The excess weeds and expansive foliage abutt the crumbling remnants of a former St. Landry Parish elementary school. The building is now stripped of any remaining valued contents and has been awaiting removal or attention for at least a decade. Although the demolition process for what was once Morrow Elementary School on La. 71 might seem a simple process, school officials now say it could cost an estimated $550,000 to level the classroom building and a gymnasium where Class B high school basketball was once played. What to do about what is left of Morrow Elementary is a topic discussed several times over the last five years by school officials, but nothing was ever decided about what should be done with the property or building. St. Landry School Board member Milton Ambres discusses the situation at Morrow Elementary on Monday night. The school district, in past action taken by board members, has solicited for appraisals and advertisements have been posted. Board members once voted to have the building, now considered beyond repair, placed on the real estate market, but the condition of the school last used around 2010, made it less attractive for any buyers. Making any purchase proposals more difficult is a portion of the Morrow Elementary property was once donated, making a title transition and potential sale more complicated. Residents Say Property Is Hazardous School Board members Bianca Vedell and Milton Ambres, who once coached basketball and served as a school administrator at Morrow, say people who live in the area are requesting that the school building be demolished. There are safety concerns. The property is now abandoned and you dont want to leave it in the condition that it is in, Vedell, who represents District 5 in the Palmetto, Melville and Morrow, told a Building, Lands and Sites Committee on Monday night. Operations Director Claudia Blanchard, said what remains of the school includes 15 classrooms, a cafeteria, office space and the gym. Blanchard said about four and a half acres were apparently donated by families who wanted to see a school built in the Morrow area. Story continues That (donated) property belongs to the people who gave it for the school. Another 12 acres are what belongs to the school board, Ambres pointed out. Ambres said the school cannot be renovated, probably requires asbestos abatement and the skeletal remains of the classroom buildings are no longer of any value. The property has gotten to be an eyesore. You have drug dealers going behind the school and doing their thing. All the copper has been removed. Sometimes the homeless sleep there. "The school is gutted. Everything worth selling has been taken, said Ambres who added a new school cafeteria was built before students who once attended classes there were sent to other campuses. Debating The Process On Monday night the Committee discussed the matter without taking any action. The people (in the Morrow area) are saying the property is a safety hazard. At the least they are asking that things around there be cleaned up, Vedell said. Ambres said any action needed to determine that needs to be done at Morrow is overdue. The responsibility for this now lies with the School Board. We need to start cleaning it up, doing something. If we dont tear it down, we should at least go in and clean the building, Ambres added. Superintendent Patrick Jenkins told the Committee that if the Board decides to sell the property, then there will be an abatement process attached for either the District or any potential buyer. Lyn Kenley, who represents Volkert, Inc. a construction management company employed by the District, said whichever decision the Board makes in disposing of the building and property is likely to be expensive. This article originally appeared on Opelousas Daily World: What's next for abandoned Morrow Elementary? School board at a loss mother and daughter sitting outside looking at cell phone Illustration by Francesca Spatola; Getty Images (1) There's nobody better than Abuela to school you on life while simultaneously dishing out some love. So when we started seeing our cherished matriarchs popping up on TikTok sharing timeless wisdom, showing off slick dance moves, andyummiest of allteaching the secrets to their delicious cooking, we were all, "go, grandma!" Over the last year, Latinx TikTokers have created a treasure trove of videos showcasing their grandmothers' recetas, from Puerto Rican sofrito to Bizcocho Dominicano, all with a single common ingredientabuela's love. It's the reminder we all needed that food is still one of the best and tastiest ways to connect to our Latinx roots. With chilly winter months providing the perfect excuse to retreat to the warmth of the kitchen and experiment with dishes old and new, here are five Abuela-approved TikTok recipes to inspire your weeknight dinners. Sofrito Packed with flavor, this vegetable puree is the base of many Caribbean dishes. TikToker @pinkhodzilla shows us how her Puerto Rican abuelita makes sofrito with peppers, garlic, and, of course, the fresh herb that sets Puerto Rican sofrito apart from all othersrecao. Arepas Colombians and Venezuelans both claim arepascornmeal cakes often stuffed with cheeseas their own. We won't veer into that debate, but we can say with certainty that these arepas made by @isabela.buza31, with her grandmother's guidance, pass the eye test. Pollo al Verdeo Even popular TikTok chefs need help from grandma from time to time. Watch as @lasrecetasdesimon enlists his abuela to demonstrate how this traditional Argentinian dishchicken in a creamy scallion sauceis made. Chilaquiles In Mexico, it's common to eat chilaquiles, corn tortillas simmered in salsa and topped with a fried egg, for breakfast. But watching @_masmasa in action proves breakfast is really just a social construct! This dish can warm your soul any time of day. Bizcocho Dominicano We can't forget el postre! This Traditional Dominican sponge cakemade with an abundance of butterfrom @laabuelamily has our sweet tooth buzzing. Just make sure to turn the sound on for a full sensory experience! A 15-year high school reunion followed by a house party ends with the host dead at the bottom of his cliffside abode in the comedic whodunit The Afterparty on Apple TV+. Coming on the heels of Knives Out and Only Murders in the Building, we seem to have a modest murder mystery resurgence on our hands and nothing could make me a devotee of Murder, She Wrote still to this day (with episodes a-piled on my DVR) any happier. Its as if the shows creators put 1997s Romy and Micheles High School Reunion in a blender with Agatha Christie and, voila, may I interest you in The Afterparty? Or as I prefer to think of it: Murder on the Millennial Express. Tiffany Haddish arrives, eyes narrowed, as the ambitious police detective called to the scene. Dave Franco is the not-so-dearly departed homeowner. And an assortment of comedy ringers play his old classmates including Sam Richardson, Ilana Glazer, Ike Barinholtz, Zoe Chao and Ben Schwartz all of whom become potential suspects. If The Afterparty lacks a tight storytelling structure, thats because theres a gimmick framing this eight-part series from executive producers Christopher Miller and Phil Lord: Each episode emulates the tropes of a different genre, be it rom-com, horror, muscle car action, animation or musical. Each episode also zeros in a different characters memory of the night, Rashomon-style, as they are interrogated by Haddishs increasingly exasperated Detective Danner, and they become more humanized in the process. Its a compelling mashup of tropes not only on an episode level but on a character level, because the show is also playing around with high school archetypes; maybe the bully isnt as aggro as everyone assumed, and maybe the frazzled one-time ace student hasnt gone entirely off the deep end in adulthood. Its a hoot and the variety of it all feels of a piece with Lord and Millers creative output as writers, directors and producers, which is so joyously informed by pop cultural literacy and spans a gamut from 21 Jump Street to The Lego Movie to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Story continues The heart and soul of The Afterparty is Richardsons Aniq, your classic nice guy with a low-key charisma whose self-confidence could use a boost (he designs escape rooms for a living; love this detail). Hes hoping to reconnect with this old crush, Zoe, who is now the schools vice principal. Played by Chao, she is the lovely woman in the room all the guys want to be with, including her ex-husband Brett, an intense meathead in a leather jacket, played by Barinholtz. Then theres Schwartz as Aniqs best pal Yasper, an aspiring musician who makes his living installing home sound systems his is the musical episode, with a song that zings a certain number from Hamilton in the most perfectly awkward way possible: We all get one shot, twice, he sings. In other words we get two shots and Glazer plays Chelsea, who is best described as a person going through some things the night of the reunion. The object of their collective scorn and polite fascination is Francos Xavier, a guy who didnt stand out much as a teenager but blossomed into an obnoxious and skeezy pop star high on his own supply of overconfidence. He shows up at the reunion via helicopter, in a suit but no shirt, and proceeds to slime his way through the gymnasium before inviting everyone back to his swanky house for the titular after-party. Franco is very funny here and were treated to a brief montage of Xaviers career highlights, which includes a Daryl Hall and John Oates biopic co-starring Channing Tatum in a cameo, and all I can say is the blond feathered wig they put on Francos head is a thing of beauty because its so alarmingly accurate to Halls look in the 70s and I love that so much care has been given to a throwaway joke about Xaviers ridiculous career. That he was likely pushed to his death is shocking to his former classmates, but no one at the party seems too broken up about it. The semi-hapless Aniq becomes the initial suspect, which compels him to quietly launch his investigation on the side to clear his name (if anyone knows a thing about clues, its the guy who designs escape rooms) along with Yaspers enthusiastic wingman assistance. Richardson was such a standout during his years with Second City in Chicago and Im happy whenever hes on screen, regardless of the project, hes just that kind of actor who brings a wonderful energy to whatever hes in. Hes usually in supporting roles (notably his breakout performance in Veep) but here hes carrying so much of the story and its clear that he can and really should be a leading man more often going forward. I also like how the show has conceived of Chaos pretty girl archetype. You understand why everyone is drawn to her shes smart and funny and nice to everyone, but shes not the blandly boring It Girl that tends to be the object of affection in these types of stories. Shes a fully developed character with her own desires and insecurities and she doesnt take herself too seriously. Chaos performance is just complicated enough to keep us guessing as to what shes really thinking. Schwartz is also a lot of fun here, more or less serving as Aniqs hype man, as is Barinholtz, who finds the doofy vulnerability buried within in this numbskull who used to rule the campus. Theres also an episode that flashes back to their senior year in 2006 wherein many of the dynamics among this group are very different and suddenly were in Cant Hardly Wait territory. All of these references Ive mentioned arent Easter eggs so much as the collective influence of pop cultures past being incorporated into something new and all its own. In her autobiography, Agatha Christie noted that, It is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize how much you love them. Funny, that also happens to be one of the more subtle but persistent themes of the show itself. The Afterparty 3 stars (out of 4) Where to watch: Apple TV+ Nina Metz is a Tribune critic nmetz@chicagotribune.com What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. Sign up for our Eat. Watch. Do. newsletter here. To Howard Countys new fire chief, Louis Winston, being prepared for anything life throws your way is important. Some of the unique challenges that weve seen with this pandemic is that you dont know what the emergency will be, Winston said. Our challenge is to be prepared for whatever the needs of the community are as it comes to public safety, fire rescue and [emergency medical services] and that we are prepared as a fire department to meet those needs of the community whatever they may be. Advertisement After retiring in 2020 from a three-decade career in fire and rescue services, Winston, 55, of Columbia was appointed to his role in September as the chief of the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services by Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. Winston joined the department in 1990 and has served under seven fire chiefs and six county executives. He fulfilled a number of roles including assistant chief, battalion chief and chief officer before retiring as deputy chief in January 2020. Advertisement Winston grew up in Turner Station in Baltimore County, and said it was not until he was a student at Millersville University in Pennsylvania that he became interested in the fire service. A friend who worked in fire and rescue services convinced him to take a test for a position at the Howard County department. After that test, he dedicated his career to public safety. He says his work has been about promoting safety through data-driven information, education and training. I absolutely enjoyed every moment of my career with the Howard County Fire and Rescue, Winston said. Coming into fire services with no experience and having the opportunity to serve the community and citizens and visitors of Howard County has been my absolute pleasure. Ball said he selected Winston for the fire chief position because of his experience and dedication to public safety. I wanted somebody who shared my commitment to public safety, ensuring that each and every one of our residents and visitors were not only safe, but felt safe, Ball said. Having Chief Winston, who not only had a wonderful career in the department, but was so well respected and, frankly, a mentor to a lot of the next generation of chiefs was just a no-brainer. As fire chief, Winston oversees a staff of 500 career firefighters, 75 civilian and contingent staff and about 300 operational volunteer firefighters from the six volunteer corporations in Howard County. Typically, the department responds to about 38,000 incidents each year, with the majority involving providing emergency medical care, he said. After his 2020 retirement, Winston said he still felt a strong desire to serve the community. He returned to the department to work part-time on the incident safety review board at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Advertisement When you work in public safety for a long time and a pandemic happens, your natural willingness to serve doesnt just leave you, Winston said. I felt like I wanted do something to help out at a time when the community certainly needed volunteers or people to step up and help as we were trying to navigate through the pandemic. Building a decades-long career in fire and rescue services did not come without its challenges, Winston said. One of the challenges he faced early on in his career, he said, was his lack of experience. Coming into the fire services with no experience, its about building confidence, he said. As I got confidence, the job became easier for me and I think that the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue [Services] does an excellent job of providing its members with the tools to be successful, so it was just applying myself a little bit more to grow in the profession. As fire chief, he faces the challenge of leading the department through the pandemic. Since the emergence of the omicron variant, he said the department has experienced a reduction in staff. Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. > The omicron variant is now affecting our workforce, he said. Thats a big challenge as these different variants come along and [we] try to assure that we have sufficient staff to continue to provide the excellent public safety services to the citizens of Howard County. Advertisement Bruce Bennett of Union Bridge has worked with Winston for more than three decades. Initially serving as a mentor to Winston, Bennett said he continued to cross paths with Winston throughout their careers at the department. Bennett said Winston handles the role of fire chief with an honest approach. [Hes] an honest, hardworking guy that will be willing to listen and actually hear different peoples perspectives and then he looks at that and tries to come up with a way we can collaborate together to resolve whatever issue were dealing with, he said. Winston said it has been a privilege to return to the department to serve as fire chief. To have the opportunity to come back and lead the department which I grew up in and just to be able to serve with this department in this county was kind of a no-brainer for me, he said. It is my honor to be the fire chief and its a great deal of responsibility, but I accept that challenge and I look forward to moving this department into the future to face the many unique and unpredictable challenges that todays public safety environment faces. UPPER EAST SIDE, NY The COVID-19 testing company that has drawn Upper East Siders' ire for making misleading claims has now received a warning from the state's top prosecutor. Attorney General Letitia James released a letter Thursday to PacGenomics, a California-based company that has operated pop-up testing tents around the Upper East Side. Earlier this week, City Councilmember Julie Menin said constituents have complained that promised same-day results took well over a week to arrive, while others got results with incorrect test dates. "New Yorkers are depending on accurate and timely COVID test results to make decisions and they shouldnt have to wait longer than they were told to know if they can return to work, travel, or gather with loved ones," James said in a statement. "We are entering year three of the pandemic and COVID-19 testing sites should not be misleading consumers." Constituent complaints shared by Menin's office describe widespread confusion among those who were tested by PacGenomics, whose tents have appeared on the corners of East 70th Street and First Avenue, East 68th Street and Third Avenue, and East 72nd Street and Second Avenue, among others. "After receiving numerous complaints from my constituents about false and misleading claims made by PacGenomics, we referred this company to New York Attorney General Letitia James and are pleased that she is taking action," Menin said in a statement. James's letter asks PacGenomics to update its website and signage to reflect accurate turnaround times, and also contact the attorney general's office to explain the incorrect dates included in some results. The company did not respond to Patch's request for comment earlier this week. The attorney general's latest letter follows similar missives she has sent to COVID testing companies like ClearMD, LabQ and Labworq, over what she called misleading claims made to consumers. Previous coverage: UES COVID Testing Sites Are Misleading Residents, Menin Says This article originally appeared on the Upper East Side Patch The Daily Beast ReutersTroops sent into Ukraine to back up Russian forces say they had no choice but to leave because Russian military was in shambles and they deceived us at every step.Soldiers from the breakaway state of South Ossetiaspeaking to South Ossetian leader Anatoly Bibilov at a meeting publicized by the independent news outlet MediaZonarattled off a list of complaints about faulty equipment, lack of leadership and intel, and brainless tactics.South Ossetia, which relies heavily on military and f Paul Drayton was jailed for drink-driving but has now been freed. (Getty) Alan Carrs estranged husband Paul Drayton has been freed from jail after winning an appeal over his 14-week drink-driving sentence. The 50-year-old - who recently announced his split from comedian Carr - was jailed earlier this week after drunkenly reversing into a police car with an alcohol test reading off the scale last October. Drayton, who has battled alcoholism, has now walked free after two harrowing nights in custody. Drayton had been handed a 14-week jail term on Wednesday after pleading guilty to a single count of driving a motor vehicle when alcohol level above limit. He was also banned from driving for three years. But on Friday a judge told him that he should be given the opportunity to turn his life around and that his sentence would be suspended. Read more: Alan Carr says he quit Twitter because of the cancel culture Paul Drayton has won his appeal. (PA) Drayton, who cares for rescue horses, broke down in tears in the dock as he was told his liberty was being restored. John Dye, representing Drayton, told the court: This is a very serious drink-driving offence. It crosses the custody threshold. I think to say anything other than that would be absurd. But he emphasised Draytons previous good character, mental health struggles and problems with alcohol. The two nights in custody have been extremely difficult for someone who has poor mental health, he added. Alan Carr and Paul Drayton in 2015. (PA) Read more: Alan Carr gave up alcohol for six months At the mention of his nights in prison, Drayton broke down in silent tears. Judge Shani Barnes responded: I am sure they have been harrowing. The judge told Drayton he would receive a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 24 months. Carr and Drayton announced their separation on 21 January, saying in a joint statement: "After 13 years as a couple and three years of marriage, Alan Carr and Paul Drayton would like to announce they are separating. "They have jointly and amicably made the difficult decision to divorce and go their separate ways. We request that their privacy is respected at this sensitive time." Watch: Alan Carr's estranged husband Paul Drayton has been jailed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas visited El Paso for a border briefing Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022. Is Alejandro Mayorkas the right person to handle border security and immigration? Its a legitimate question. And not just because Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and other Republicans want him gone as the Homeland Security secretary. Mayorkas has a big job overseeing everything from counterterrorism to cyber and border security to aviation and enforcing immigration laws. But it is security at the 2,000-mile border with Mexico that has come to define him, and so far, his job performance is dubious at best. Border agents' complaints were music to GOP ears Im calling on Mayorkas to step down and step aside, Ducey demanded after Border Patrol agents in Yuma reportedly gave Mayorkas an earful and questioned Bidens immigration policies. From what I hear, the Border Patrol Agents were honest with Mayorkas about whats happening at our southern border, Ducey said on Twitter. And the truth hurts. Im calling on Mayorkas to step down and step aside. He has failed Americans in his role as Homeland Security Secretary he even admitted the border is the worst its been in over 20 years. 3/ Doug Ducey (@dougducey) January 26, 2022 Border Patrol agents are hawkish and usually balk at Democratic humanistic policies. Apparently, the agents are upset that theyre processing immigrants seeking asylum instead of securing the U.S.-Mexico border. The sentiment of Border Patrol agents is in sync with Republicans like Ducey and those who are seeking to replace him or running for U.S. Senate, who are using border crossers as political scapegoats. Just scan social media or watch TV and youll get bombarded with campaign ads selling voters the idea that America is under attack from border-jumping invaders. Its hard to discern whats real amid that war for power, where exaggerations or outright lies are splashed everywhere. Story continues Mayorkas leaves both sides scratching their heads But Mayorkas ability or lack thereof to carry out President Bidens policies has left many across the political spectrum scratching their heads. Mayorkas isnt the only one responsible for the spike of border crossers. U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures show 1.7 million encounters just during the calendar year that ended on Sept. 30 and has since broke new records. The new spike of asylum seekers was expected because Biden ended many of Trumps restrictive immigration policies. But everything is a mess under Mayorkas, and his confusing messaging over immigration and border security isnt helping. Is he taking a hard line on immigration or not? Two recent examples: 1. In audio snippets of this weeks Yuma meeting published by the conservative website Townhall, Mayorkas is heard saying: We are going to close the gaps along the wall. We are going to do anything that we can both to stop the flows, to interdict the flows, to return when we can. Close the gaps along the wall? That to me means building, fixing or reenforcing the wall along the southern border, exactly what Republicans are clamoring in their scare-tactic politicking and which Democrats have fiercely criticized. Is that really what Mayorkas means? If so, he and Biden should say it clearly and loudly. No more speaking from both sides of their mouth, depending the audience in front of them. 2. Earlier this month, Mayorkas made a jaw-dropping plea to mayors when he asked for their cooperation on immigration enforcement. Mayorkas again failed to explain. Does he really mean the kind of help that led the likes of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio to racially profile Latinos and which cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars? If so, Mayorkas needs to explain why he needs local authorities everywhere not just along the southern border to help him enforce immigration laws. Everything seems to be backlogged The immigration system is broken. Its been broken for years and both Republicans and Democrats have failed to fix it. But Mayorkas is in charge now. And he appears to be doing everything wrong. He has failed to address huge backlogs of work permits for essential workers, remains slow to process asylum seekers and has failed to clearly articulate Bidens immigration policies. As Homeland Security secretary, Mayorkas is tasked with advising the president and carrying out his boss directives. And so far, hes either not been frank, or hes a terrible communicator. We may disagree about those actual policies, like keeping the Trump-invoked health rule known as Title 42 that allows Border Patrol to immediately expel migrants. But we dont know exactly why and how many are summarily expelled at any given week, who is being allowed and how hes protecting the border from drug traffickers. Transparency is a problem. We need a better adviser and communicator Mayorkas told mayors that ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is not the agency of the past, presumably suggesting that hes taking a gentler approach to immigration enforcement. Thats not going to cut it. A gentler approach doesnt by itself result in sound policy. Pro-immigrant advocates are furious over these inconsistencies while Republicans are quick to seize the immigrant surge to drive the open borders message to voters. Is it time for Mayorkas to go? Perhaps. Its true that Biden sets policy, and thats unlikely to change with a new border hawk. But the president and the country deserve a sound policy adviser on immigration and a great communicator. Mayorkas is neither. Elvia Diaz is an editorial columnist for The Republic and azcentral. Reach her at 602-444-8606 or elvia.diaz@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter, @elviadiaz1. Subscribe to get more opinions content. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Maybe Alejandro Mayorkas is not the best Homeland Security secretary By Marc Jones and Walter Bianchi LONDON/BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentina's breakthrough agreement with the International Monetary Fund for a $44.5 billion new deal should bolster domestic markets in the weeks ahead, investors and analysts said, though the longer-term outlook remains hazy. The South American country said on Friday it had struck a deal with the IMF over a new standby program to replace a failed $57 billion loan from 2018, easing fears of a potential default as major payments come due this year. That will likely bolster bond prices that had sunk into the 20-30 cents on the dollar range over the past year as the talks had dragged, bogged down by disagreements over the speed of fiscal consolidation. "It gives them some breathing room for the next couple of years," said Peter Kisler, Trium Capital emerging market portfolio manager, who holds Argentine debt. Bonds could "easily go up another 20% if there is a bit more optimism," he added. "The agreement is not as detailed as we would have liked, so we don't see prices flying from here, but there was a real risk of a default to the IMF." Bonds were up some 3 cents on Friday after the government and the IMF announced the agreement, which still needs to be ironed out and approved by Congress and the IMF board. Argentina was facing some $18 billion in payments due to the IMF this year which it said it could not pay after years of economic crises compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. It restructured over $100 billion in private debts in 2020. (Graphic: Argetina's bonds had fallen to all-time lows, https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/byprjxlmzpe/Pasted%20image%201643388344345.png) 'NO FISCAL EFFORT' The deal "relieves financing needs for the coming years and reduces uncertainty in Argentina's economy" amid a tentative recovery over the past year, said Eugenio Mari, chief economist at research organization Fundacion Libertad y Progreso. Story continues Carlos de Sousa from Vontobel Asset Management forecast the deal clinched by the leftist government would be approved by Congress, where the conservative opposition will likely back it. "I think the opposition will approve it as they don't want to be seen as the irresponsible ones that vote it down," he said. "For 2022 and 2023 there is virtually no fiscal effort so Argentina basically got what it wanted." In a note, Goldman Sachs analyst Alberto Ramos said it remained to be seen how robust the plan would be and whether it would solve Argentina's economic issues. "Overall, the macro-financial picture shows deep imbalances and widespread distortions rendering a gradual policy adjustment strategy inherently risky," he wrote. An Argentine stock trader, who asked not to be named, said the market remained tense but the announcement did help give a bit more certainty. He was keen to see the fine print of the final deal and how it was carried out in practice. "The announcement gives some breathing space to the market, but we have to be cautious and see how the agreement is implemented," he said. (Reporting by Walter Bianchi and Marc Jones; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Rosalba O'Brien) Department of Natural Resources big-game managers held an online chat Wednesday evening about depleted whitetail populations in northeast Minnesota, and their message to frustrated hunters was, "Get used to it.'' In fact, the webinar part of the DNR's deer population goal-setting process wasn't so much about deer as it was about moose, the agency's big-game animal du jour. Never mind the odds are stacked against the state's remnant moose population. Shorter, warmer winters. Tick infestations. Wolves. Bears. Liver flukes. Bacterial infections. Each kills moose, adults and calves alike. But it's deer the DNR has in its moose-benefiting crosshairs, saying correctly that while whitetails can carry (and spread) brainworm benignly, the parasite poses a major threat to moose survival in the northeast. So, despite the hue and cry of deer hunters who have seen their tradition nose-dive in the northeast in recent years, thanks to perennially low whitetail numbers, the DNR is happy enough with the status quo. "In developing the (proposed deer-population goals for the northeast) we realized deer hunters wanted more deer,'' DNR big game program leader Barb Keller said at the outset of Wednesday evening's 1.5-hour webinar. But, Keller said, "Moose ... did inform these deer population goals.'' In the region's six Deer Permit Areas (DPAs), the DNR proposes a marginal population increase in only one, DPA 133. How rare are deer in the northeast? Last year, hunters killed fewer than .3 of an animal per square mile, down significantly from a still-meager .9 as recently as 2011. Statewide, the deer harvest average is 2.5 per square mile. "Compared with other areas of the state, we're dealing with a very low harvest,'' Keller said. Left unsaid during the webinar was that moose enjoy greater favor among the broader public than deer do. This support translates into political cache that resonates throughout the DNR, to Gov. Tim Walz's office and beyond. Story continues The moose's wide-ranging popularity also is why the DNR is reluctant to attempt to recover deer populations in the northeast by intensified forest habitat management admittedly a long shot, anyway, given the northeast's periodic deer-killing winters. Deer in parts of the northeast already are at levels well below those called for in the DNR's 2011 moose management plan, which recommended whitetails in the moose zone shouldn't exceed 10 animals per square mile. Turns out, the 10-per-square-mile limit was just a guess, the DNR said Wednesday. "We actually don't know'' what level deer populations should be in the moose zone, was the new message. Most straightforward among webinar presenters Wednesday was Seth Moore, the longtime Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa director of biology and environment. A respected moose researcher, Moore made a convincing case that if northeast moose are to increase (their numbers, though less than half what they were about 15 years ago, have stabilized since about 2013), deer populations will have to be kept low. Meaning, perhaps, at minimal levels. Moore said many deer in the northeast migrate to Lake Superior in winter, before moving back inland in spring. Some carry brainworm with them on the return trip, which ultimately infects moose. Among Moore's study animals in research that began in 2010, brainworm caused 24% of moose deaths. Deer also support high wolf populations in moose country, Moore said, which further contribute to moose mortality. Moose calves are particularly vulnerable to wolves in the calves' first two weeks of life. Overall, Moore said, "We're seeing close to 80 percent calf moose mortality. There is no possibility with that (mortality rate) the moose population will increase.'' Wolf predation of moose will require "some difficult decisions,'' he said. "If you want to restore moose in the core moose range, some level of wolf management will be necessary,'' Moore said. The DNR knows this as well but its managers won't say so publicly, in part because Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a Native American, are against wolf hunting. Due this spring, the DNR's long-awaited wolf management plan is expected to remain neutral on wolf hunting. Yet sooner or later, as Moore said, difficult decisions will have to be made. Minnesotans who don't hunt deer or care about deer hunting might be indifferent to the tradition's decline in the northeast. But if the same people are moose and/or wolf advocates, and if they want both animals to flourish in the northeast, they'll have to acknowledge that wolf hunting must be part of the mix. Minnesota most recently held regulated wolf hunts in 2012 (413 wolves killed), 2013 (238) and 2014 (272). The Lake Superior Band of Chippewa didn't allow wolf hunting during those years, but radio-collared moose the tribe was studying at the time benefited, Moore said. "We saw the effects of the wolf season'' in reduced moose mortality, he said. Bears also kill moose. Among moose calves studied by Moore between 2013 and 2021, 22% were killed by bears a rate that declined between 2016-2018, when the Lake Superior Band of Chippewa authorized both spring and fall bear hunting. Ostensibly, Wednesday's DNR webinar was about establishing northeast Minnesota deer-population goals. But the gathering was more emphatically about moose and how continued low deer numbers in the northeast can contribute to the big animal's possible resurgence, or at least stability, and how deer hunters, frustrated though they might be, should get used to it. Editor's note: More information about the DNR's deer population goal-setting meetings this winter, along with a chance to comment on the agency's proposals, is online at tinyurl.com/2p994ver. Jan. 27LIMA With continued freezing temperatures predicted for the Lima region this weekend, local animal rights activists and dog lovers are worried some dogs may be left outside in the frigid temperatures in violation of Lima's new tethering ordinance. The ordinance Lima Ordinances 618.12 went into effect on Nov. 8, 2021, and regulates how residents tether a dog and the times the animal is left outside. The new city law was debated for months by Lima council, leading to its passage last fall. Lima Police Department Maj. Ron Holman, commander of the city's patrol division, said in a telephone interview that most dog owners in the city are in compliance with the ordinance and only a "few" incidents of alleged violations of the new ordinance have been investigated since November. "Most people are compliant. Obviously, inclement weather like what is predicted can be harmful to an animal's well-being," Holman said. "We advise residents to try not to leave (dogs) outside any longer than necessary for them to do their business." The ordinance lists a range of situations that are regulated, including the type, length and weight of tether or restraint; the location of the tethered animal in proximity to a fence or property line; whether or not the animal can access food and water; and the times of day and hours a dog can be tethered outside throughout the year. Of concern to numerous animal welfare advocates who contacted The Lima News about the ordinance were restrictions on the time a dog can be tethered outside in light of the extreme cold in the forecast. The city ordinance prohibits leaving a domestic animal outside from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. year-round. From Oct. 1 through March 31, no domestic animal can be tethered outside from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Those rules equate to very limited outside tether time for dogs in the winter months, leaving only the periods of 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. for outside tethering. Story continues Allen County Dog Warden Julie Shellhammer said her office does not enforce the city's ordinance, but she hopes that all residents county or city follow the law for the health and welfare of their animals. "It is Lima's law, and I cannot speak for them. We do not enforce (the ordinace), only state law," Shellhammer said. "It is sad. I've been on TV three times in the past 24 hours talking about cold weather and how to keep safe." Shellhammer said her office is mainly focused on enforcing Ohio Revised Code Chapter 955, which she said regulates dog licenses, dogs running with no leash and dog bites, among other issues. She said the Humane Society enforces Ohio Revised Code Chapter 959, which deals with animal cruelty complaints, including dogs with no food, water, shelter or which are being severely neglected. Holman said any resident who wishes to report a violation of the tethering ordinance should call the city's non-emergency response telephone line, 419-227-4444, to report alleged violations. He stressed tipsters do not call 9-1-1, as that is only for more serious crimes and emergencies. "If we get an allegation a dog has been left outside longer than the times (in the ordinance), or it is outside after the curfew times, we'll send someone out and investigate and possibly issue a citation. We do our best," Holman said. Several firefighters set out across Jacksonville's West 13th Street neighborhood Tuesday with safety resources and prevention equipment in hand for residents. The reason they were there was tragically vivid as they passed the charred remains of a home some had fought flames in the night before. Three people were hospitalized, a man and woman downstairs as well as another woman trapped upstairs, fire officials said. Armed with new smoke detectors plus flyers on how to stay safe if fire strikes, men and women from Stations 2 and 4 joined fire prevention officials in going door to door offering a courtesy check on equipment and installing free alarms to those who didn't have one. The same action was repeated two days later on West 21st Street where a 78-year-old woman died in a Jan. 11 blaze. More free alarms were given away as city officials announced that a new fire prevention and safety position will be added to the fire department as a result of their efforts. Apartment fire: Blaze guts part of Jacksonville Heights complex, leaving at least 28 homeless First responders: Jacksonville firefighter suffers burns in house fire during rescue attempt With four people dead from fires only weeks into 2022, then multiple serious blazes since, more people need to know about the city's long-running smoke detector program, Fire Chief Keith Powers said. With those injuries and deaths fresh in his mind, Powers said his crews addressed a serious need in the community surrounding the West 13th Street home. Firefighter Garrett Adamson (left) and Chief Kevin Jones install a smoke detector for Geraldine Walker in her Jacksonville home on West 12th Street. The free detectors were handed out in the community Tuesday as part of a long-running city program following a fire that injured three people the night before on West 13th Street. "One of the reasons we are canvassing these neighborhoods is to make sure folks understand the importance of a working smoke detector," Powers said. "They are still investigating whether there was a working detector in here, so I can't answer that. But it is extremely important, especially in the middle of the night, to alert you that there is something going on and early enough before it gets so bad that you get trapped." Story continues Grateful for first responders When Christy Seckman spotted firefighters near the burned home, she took them up on their offer, very aware of the nearby fire during this cold part of the year. "This is just great and I really appreciate what they are doing," she said. "This will keep us safe. It's that time of year, and everybody is trying to keep warm." Firefighter Brent DeLoach (left) along with Chief Kevin Jones hands a free carbon monoxide detector to Christy Seckman. Fire officials were offering free smoke detectors as well to residents living near a house fire in the 1100 block of West 13th Street. For Charleyne Martin, firefighters confirmed her smoke detector works in her home on West 12th Street. She said she saw the fire around the corner the night before, glad those firefighters were out saving lives again with the smoke detectors. "That's fantastic, especially since we had a major fire just yesterday and these are older homes occupied by people who may not be aware that smoke detectors are necessary," she said. "... I saw the flames from here and the smoke, then I saw it on TV to see how really bad it was." As multiple beeps confirmed that two new free smoke detectors just installed by firefighters in Geraldine "Gerre" Walker's home worked, she also expressed her appreciation. "I think it's terrific, looking after us seniors," she said. "I do feel safer. I didn't know things were that bad." Sounding the alarm Florida's fire-prevention code requires smoke detectors inside and outside each bedroom and on every floor for new home construction. State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis has said working smoke detectors could mean the difference between life and death, since 171 civilians died in about 2.8 million Florida fires reported in 2020. That compares to 151 deaths the year before in about 2.7 million fires. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department will provide and install a free smoke detector for any qualified resident living in a single-family or two-family residence. The department also will install replacement batteries in existing smoke detectors for free. The department installs about 50 smoke detectors and 10 batteries each month through requests made via (904) 630-2489 (CITY), fire officials confirmed. Jacksonville firefighters survey a home damaged by fire that many of them fought the day before. Chief Keith Powers (left) joined them in warning residents of the need for smoke detectors. Then firefighters and safety officials installed free detectors for neighbors if needed as part of a long-running city program. Not many seem to know about the smoke-detector program, although more do reach out to the city after news of fires leaving people homeless, injured or worse, Capt. Eric Prosswimmer said. He confirmed that smoke detectors have alerted residents of some recent fires in time for them to escape. Right now, it's unknown if smoke detectors were working or installed in the recent blazes that involved fatalities. But he reminds residents that a detector senses smoke before anyone usually knows it's there. "The smoke rises, which is why detectors are put up high, and there's layers of smoke as a house fills with it," Prosswimmer said. "The key is to stay low so you can see, breathe to get out." Restaurant fire: Grumpy's in Middleburg 'to build back stronger' after devastating fire Junior's Seafood: Family-owned landmark North Jacksonville restaurants to rebuild after catastrophic fire City officials say that not everyone will meet the criteria for a free smoke detector due to limited resources, adding that the program does not include businesses, contractors and rental properties. Along with the smoke detector, Prosswimmer reminds families to have an escape plan when there's a fire, including a site outside where everyone can meet "and know that you have everybody." The Red Cross Home Fire Campaign offers telephone seminars with families on how to get tips on escaping and habits to prevent a fire. After the seminar, those families are put on a list to receive a free alarm installation. In 2020 and 2021 the Red Cross said it installed 1,597 free smoke detectors in 840 Jacksonville and Gainesville homes in that program. The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation recently made a $250,000 donation to the Red Cross to help it install the smoke detectors for those who cannot afford them. Victim's family salvages what they can Monday's blaze happened about 6:30 p.m. Fire was pouring out of the front window when the first crews rolled up, Powers said. "It was going up to the second floor. There were two victims laying in the yard," he said. "... They started to put the fire out as one of our ladder crews went past them and went upstairs without protection of a hose because they knew somebody was up there." The victim upstairs was barricaded in a bathroom, still on the phone with a 911 operator who directed firefighters to where she was to save her, Powers said. Wanda Phillips and her family were saving what they could from the charred home as firefighters gave away the smoke detectors nearby. The home's living room was gutted as burnt siding in front showed where flames spread. Phillips said her sister was injured downstairs where the fire started, as was the boyfriend of the woman trapped upstairs. Wanda Phillips sheds tears at her sister's home in the 1100 block of West 13th Street as they salvage items from a fire Monday that injured three people. Jacksonville firefighters handed out free smoke detectors and fire-safety information Tuesday to residents near the fire. "The fire started right by her bed," Phillips said. "My one sister called, then the other called telling me this sister was burned up and the house was on fire. That's all I know." Showing photos of the burns on her sister's arms, Phillips said all three victims were taken to the UF Health Shands Burn Center. As Powers spoke with firefighters nearby, she said she is glad they are providing the safety devices. "You have got to take advantage of that," Phillips said, tears streaming down her face. "I don't know if smoke detectors were in here or not. If they were here, they didn't have enough batteries in them. My sister is going to be fine. God will take care of her." dscanlan@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4549 This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: After another fire in Jacksonville, JFRD hands out smoke detectors Here's what to know if your face flushes, tingles or burns when your stress increases. (Photo: Kanawa_Studio via Getty Images) Dealing with anxiety is more common than most people realize, but accepting how frequently it may happen is only the first step. Understanding what anxiety is and how it manifests, is crucial in the treatment and management of this mental illness. One of the physical ways anxiety shows up? Facial burning or tingling. Facial burning often feels like your skin or your face is hot, and also yields to redness. This occurs because of your bodys stress response, according to Shanya Hardie, a psychiatrist at MyPsychiatrist PLC in Virginia. Anxiety causes the brain to release chemicals into the body, which then prompt your blood vessels to spring into action. The surge of blood to the face as the vessels relax causes reddening or the sensation of heat, Hardie explained. The painful sensation tends to be concentrated around the cheek area, but it can also flush out to your whole face. The burning can last at least 15 minutes or until youre able to abate extreme stress. Anxiety affects different body mechanisms as your brain responds to situations or thoughts it perceives as threatening. Some common physical manifestations of this include an increased heart rate, gastrointestinal issues, muscle tension and shortness of breath. Facial redness is just another one of those physical manifestations. If this sounds familiar, youre certainly not the only one who experiences it. (You also shouldnt ignore it; sometimes face tingling can be signs of a stroke, neuropathy or other health condition that deserves prompt medical care.) Heres how to reduce facial burning when you have anxiety, according to experts: Identify what triggers your anxiety. Anxiety can be triggered by a thought, a physical sensation, smells, certain people or situations, said Jennifer Bronsnick, an anxiety treatment specialist based in New Jersey. Anxiety can also come on without really understanding why because it can be triggered by an unconscious memory. Everyones experience is unique. Story continues To help you figure out whats prompting your symptoms, start bygoing through a mental checklist of what may have prompted your facial burning. Could it be negative thinking, financial concerns, conflict, stress at work or a flashback to a traumatic event? What happened right before you started feeling your symptoms? Keeping a record of past triggers can also help in the elimination process and aid you in identifying new triggers. Distract your mind. Experts also suggest shifting your focus to something different than the sensations youre feeling. Try counting the number of objects in a room, smell a scent you enjoy or talk to a trusted friend about what you are feeling. Purposeful, deep breathing can also physically calm your body down if youre feeling stressed or anxious. Try a simple breathing technique like the 4-7-8 method, where you inhale through your nose for a count of four, then hold your breath for a count of seven. Then, release by exhaling through your mouth for a count of eight. Inhaling and exhaling increases oxygen to the brain and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system that creates a feeling of calm. Other ways to distract your mind can be listening to soothing music, cuddling pets, reading a book, playing a video game, coloring an adult coloring book or watching a mindless show. Deep breathing using the 4-7-8 method can help mitigate some anxiety. (Photo: FG Trade via Getty Images) Apply a cool cloth to your face. While the burning sensation likely wont stop completely until the anxiety is controlled, applying a cool cloth on your face can ease the discomfort. Simply run cold water over a washcloth or towel, squeeze out excess water, fold and apply to your face. Making a cold compress by adding ice cubes to washcloth can also help, but make sure its not too cold, as that can cause other skin issues. Stand in a cool shower. Using the shower gives the same benefit of the application of a cool cloth, and may even help distract your brain from an anxiety or panic spiral. Research shows cold or cool showers can improve blood circulation, which may help bring blood pressure down if its high due to anxiety. Talk to a therapist. If you are struggling with physical symptoms of anxiety like burning or tingling that wont go away, it might be time to reach out to a mental health professional. This is particularly important if its impacting your personal relationships or your ability to function in everyday life. Therapists can help you work through anxiety and give you coping resources for when it comes up in the moment. If you have a history of experiencing anxiety and are just now experiencing facial burning, this may be a new manifestation. Just like all other medical issues, see a doctor to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... Abundant data documents the precipitous decline of the Chesapeake Bay and its living resources. None is as significant and tragically sad as the collapse of the oyster population. By the late 1800s, Maryland was the greatest oyster producer in the world, with 39% of the entire U.S. oyster harvest, more than twice the combined harvest of all foreign countries. Marylands oyster industry employed 20% of all Americans in the fishing industry. Oyster processing was the third-largest industry in Baltimore with 60 packing companies. Advertisement Maryland harvests rose from 3 million bushels in 1861 to a peak of 15 million bushels in 1884. Two years before the peak, signs of a declining fishery from this rampantly unsustainable and little-regulated harvest led the Maryland legislature to create an Oyster Commission to advise it. Into the breach stepped William K. Brooks as commission chair. The Johns Hopkins scientist discovered that the Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, did not reproduce internally as thought. He found that each female could release millions of eggs and males fertilized 98% of these eggs in his water watch glasses and tumblers. He knew this could revolutionize oyster production, through oyster farming and aquaculture, and increase oyster harvest a hundredfold or more. The commission released its findings in 1884, noting that an oyster decline stemmed from overfishing and great potential lay in oyster farming, suggesting the state should lease out tracts of the bay bottom for private oyster growers. The commission declared, These investigations have placed it within our power to multiply the oyster to an indefinite amount. Advertisement Recommendations were made to halt harvests during breeding season, set size limits, and dump shucked shell back in the Bay to replenish oyster reefs. These would have represented the first steps toward scientific management of oysters. They were ignored. Oyster skipjacks and patent tongers crowd City dock with a tonger unloading to a truck in 1968. A common winter sight the author saw but will never see again due to the oyster collapse. (Courtesy Carol Swan) Within five years of this report, the harvest was down to a third of its historic high. The General Assembly made no move to adopt restrictive measures or to encourage oyster aquaculture. Now, despite current harvests declining to 2% of historic highs, this failure to properly regulate is still occurring as anti-leasing forces, led by oystermen, have managed to cripple every pro-farming initiative, both through political power and poaching, not just during Brookss era but during the next 125 years. Then as now, legislators and regulators use oyster advisory commissions and calls for new oyster management plans in lieu of acting to restrict or close harvest and switch to aquaculture. This century-old failure is done to appease oyster fishermen, a vociferous minority in the state, while ignoring the science and precipitous decline in oysters. The results are predictable a collapsed oyster population, a tragedy of the commons, with oysters sinking to 1.5% of historic population levels despite the expenditure of more than $500 million in public funds on failed recovery efforts over the past 40 years. The expensive shell plantings along with growing spat and placement on shell plantings have done little to increase the oyster population as wild harvest and poaching continue. All too many people believe throwing more money into such efforts is the answer and many have succumbed to government largesse, preventing them from speaking out on the need to close the wild fishery and convert to aquaculture. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and their scientists called for a moratorium on wild oyster harvesting in 1991, and in 2010 they recommended a transition from a wild harvest to aquaculture. In an August 2011 study published by five Maryland scientists, a moratorium on all wild harvesting was recommended, citing a massive decline of 92% in Maryland oysters since 1980. They concluded that if harvesting had stopped in 1986, adult abundance would be 15.8 times greater than in 2011. Again, the state failed to act, instead appointing more advisory commissions. The latest one was packed with oystermen and industry folks. It took three years of effort and 24 meetings to report last month that they agreed on nothing of significance to conserve oysters. This occurred as the Department of Natural Resources increased harvest pressure by opening up another weekly harvest day and opening harvesting north of the Bay Bridge. Oyster harvest permits increased from 822 in 2018 to 1,239 last year, the most in two decades, as DNR encouraged more intensive harvesting of a collapsed species. After decades of banning the use of heavy metal dredges that destroy small oysters and the oyster reefs themselves, legislators and regulators caved to oystermen and hindered recovery by expanding their use in the past 20 years so that this once outlawed method now dominates harvest. Advertisement This occurred as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the lead scientist in the 2011 study reversed their closure positions and instead supported the last ill-fated advisory commission, setting back oyster conservation by another three years. Interestingly, the foundations refusal to follow its own positions despite a precipitous decline in oysters comes as it rated oysters an F for failing in its latest Chesapeake Bay report card. The foundation receives $3 million from the federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to plant seed oysters while the 2011 report lead scientists organization receives millions of dollars to produce seed oysters and conduct oyster research. The oyster collapse has had a huge economic impact as oyster landings sunk to an annual average of 228,396 bushels over the past five years. A NOAA estimate covering only the past three decades shows this has meant a loss of more than $4 billion for the economies of Maryland and Virginia. Even worse, is the ecological impact. The Chesapeake Bays health has suffered as oysters are its top keystone species, with large adults able to filter and cleanse 50 gallons of water a day. This removes excess nutrients and settles sediments, the two major pollutants. Oysters used to filter all the bays water in three to five days; now it takes at least 1.5 years. They also serve as the bays coral reefs, providing habitat for hundreds of other species including blue crabs. Excessive sediment, primarily from agriculture, has smothered oysters, killing them and rendering 70% of Maryland oyster reefs nonproductive. In 2010, Gov. Martin OMalley fought to gain passage of legislation to encourage oyster aquaculture, removing some long-standing legal impediments to private leasing of bay bottom. New oyster sanctuaries were carved out of traditional harvest grounds increasing the amount of habitat protected from harvest from 9% to 24% of bay bottom but still allowing wild harvest on potentially more than 100,000 acres. This move was vigorously opposed by watermen who surrounded the State House in their trucks in protest and who continue to poach from sanctuaries, block new ones, and appeal new aquaculture leases. Aquaculture still lags in Maryland, with only 7,518 acres under lease and a harvest of only 47,000 bushels in 2020 compared to a wild harvest of 332,946. Watermen and some property owners continue to block leases by filing appeals for permits that stop new ventures for years, including 96 pending applications. This is occurring as 95% of global oyster harvest comes from aquaculture after wild oysters faced the same collapse as in the Chesapeake. Successful oyster producers in the U.S. and globally have wisely switched to aquaculture and closed their wild fisheries. Advertisement Next week my column will detail solutions to oyster recovery, including a phased closure of wild harvest and switch to aquaculture a centuries-old idea whose time has come. Gerald Winegrad is a former Maryland state senator. He can be reached at gwwabc@comcast.net. A former member of the Piru street gang in Athens was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison for killing another gang member nearly four years ago. Western Circuit Superior Court Judge Lawton Stephens imposed the sentence on 29-year-old Randy Junior Leverette, who was convicted during an October jury trial of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during a felony. Leverette was handed a 25-year sentence, the first 20 to be served in prison for the aggravated assault conviction and a consecutive five years on probation for the gun violation. Leverette was tried in October on a murder charge, but the jury acquitted him of murdering 24-year-old David Big Koop Cooper. More: Athens man acquitted of murder in trial that shed light on gang presence in Athens The shooting occurred July 17, 2018, in a convenience store parking lot off Cedar Shoals Drive. Witnesses testified that Leverette was lured to the location, where he was approached by gang members Cooper and William Hunxho Worley, 22, the latter who is now living in South Carolina. Worley had testified they wanted to confront Leverette who had quit the Piru gang after only four months of membership about an issue involving a rival gang. Leverette remained in the Athens-Clarke County Jail for the sentencing and appeared on camera, where he was also able to view the courtroom. He expressed remorse for the killing of Cooper. I wanted to say that I do show remorse toward the victim because I did grow up with him, he said, adding the shooting has created problems between their families. Im apologizing now. Im sorry. Im sorry and I ask they forgive me, he said. Evidence at trial showed that as Cooper confronted Leverette, Leverette fired once, hitting Cooper in the chest with a wound that would likely have caused Coopers death. Leverette also chased Cooper and shot him seven more times in the parking lot. The jury found the first shot justifiable, but found the additional shots as Leverette chased Cooper unjustified, according to Stephens in explaining the aggravated assault conviction. Story continues An active member of the Rolling 20 street gang testified during the trial that Leverette began carrying a firearm when he quit the Piru gang out of concern for his safety. The prosecutor, John Regan of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia, asked the judge to impose a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, while defense attorney Nefertara Clark of Elberton recommended a sentence of five years with one year in prison and the remainder on probation. Family members on both sides were allowed to speak about the impact of the slaying on their lives. Coopers family, including his mother and sister, asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence, while letters pleading for leniency from Leverettes family, friends and others were presented to the judge. Leverettes wife stood before the longtime judge and asked him to show mercy on her husband. He didnt go out looking for trouble that night. It came to him, she said. This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Athens man gets 20 years in prison in shooting death of Piru gang member NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Law enforcement officers fatally shot a man walking on an interstate in Nashville Thursday afternoon, a deadly encounter that shut down traffic on a normally bustling travel corridor in Tennessee, authorities said. The 37-year-old man was agitated and carrying a box cutter in his left hand, Metro Nashville Police Department spokesman Don Aaron said. The agency said the man was walking along the highway before he was shot. Officers tried for about a half-hour to de-escalate the situation but nine officers from three agencies fired at the man when he quickly pulled an unknown silver, shiny cylindrical object from his right pocket, Aaron said. He said he did not know what the object was but said it was not a firearm. A video recording of the encounter obtained by WKRN-TV showed officers surrounding the man, who has his back to the berm between the northbound and southbound lanes. The footage shows officers opening fire after he removes his right hand from his pocket. Bursts of gunfire can be heard. The man was hit multiple times and died, Aaron said. No officers were injured. Interstate 65 in Nashville was closed in both directions for a time during the encounter and afterward as agencies remained on the scene including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, or TBI, authorities said. Two southbound lanes later became the first to reopen. The TBI identified the man as Landon Eastep, 37, in a statement late Thursday. No hometown was given. The agency said a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper first spotted Eastep about 2 p.m. on the northbound shoulder of the interstate at mile marker 76 and soon an off-duty officer from another jurisdiction, then others, arrived. The trooper attempted to negotiate with Eastep, and soon, an off-duty Mount Juliet Police Department officer also stopped, along with back-up officers from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department" and more Highway Patrol troopers, the statement added. It said those negotiations seeking Eastep's surrender continued for about 30 minutes before at least nine officers fired at the man and he died at the scene. A look at some of today's top stories, the weather forecast and a peek back in history. The Avondale City Council has asked the Arizona Attorney General's Office and its own attorneys to investigate the issues surrounding the city manager it fired in December. Has your massage therapist received a complaint? Proposed Arizona legislation would require more information online. Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, a Japanese chain, opened two locations in metro Phoenix. Here's what's on the menu and what to expect at the restaurants. Today, you can expect it to be sunny and breezy, with a high near 71 degrees. Mostly clear at night, with a low near 44 degrees. Get the full forecast here. Today in history On this date in 1874, the town site of Safford was located by C.M. Ritter. In 1887, the first train robbery in Arizona history took place when two masked men took $20,000 from the Southern Pacific passenger train 17 miles (27 kilometers) east of Tucson. In 1889, a bill which moved the territorial capitol from Prescott to Phoenix was signed. In 1996, the Super Bowl was played for the first time in Arizona at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. In 1973, a cease-fire officially went into effect in the Vietnam War, a day after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords by the United States, North Vietnam and South Vietnam. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: AZ Briefing: Avondale asks AG to investigate fired city manager GENEVA (Reuters) - U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet is in talks with China for a possible visit in the first half of 2022, but it must be "meaningful, with unsupervised access" to the Xinjiang region, her spokesperson Rupert Colville told Reuters on Friday. Earlier the South China Morning Post, citing unidentified sources, said that China had agreed that Bachelet can visit Xinjiang after the Beijing Olympics, but activists and a Western diplomat expressed doubt after years of stalled talks. [L1N2U80FX] "It is important that such a visit be meaningful, with unsupervised access to a wide range of civil society actors and locations as well as high-level engagement with government officials. As the High Commissioner has said, meaningful, unfettered access to the Xinjiang region is crucial," Colville told Reuters in an email reply. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay) Family, friends, and firefighters from in and around the High Desert gathered Saturday for a full-service memorial to the life and career of David Spink, a decadeslong Barstow Fire engineer who became the local departments first line-of-duty death earlier this month. The memorial began in the early morning of Jan. 22 with an armada of first-responders, fire engines and vehicles, and bagpipe players marching the streets of Barstow. It concluded with a sorrowful service at Barstow Community College Performing Arts Center in honor of Spink, who was critically injured in the early hours of Dec. 5 after a car hit him at highway speed as he assisted with a separate crash Interstate 15. After more than a month fighting the injuries at Loma Linda University Medical Center, Spink died on Jan. 9, with an assembly of first-responders carrying his body by a hearse that night to Victor Valley Memorial Park & Mortuary. Spink would have turned 57 years old in June of this year. He spent more than three decades fighting fires in Barstow, beginning his career as a paid call firefighter in 1990, then joined Barstow Fire Protection District full-time two years later and took on the rank of engineer in 1999. BFPD interim Chief Nick DiNapoli told the Daily Press he has never had to plan a firefighters funeral in his roughly four decades at the Barstow department. A fire service memorial Jan. 22, 2022, honored longtime Barstow Fire Protection District engineer David Spink, who became BFPD's first line-of-duty death after more than a month fighting injuries sustained Dec. 5. The services were amazing but I wish we didnt have to have a service, he said. I wish that he was still alive with us. DiNapoli said Spinks family is suffering, as is every worker in the small fire department of only 25 personnel, which has continued handling an always heavy volume of first-response calls with a tremendous hole in our hearts. The funeral we put on and the procession was for Dave, but it was also for all the calls he went on, DiNapoli said. For all the people he ever served, and the ones that didnt make it, we reflected on all those folks as well. You cant possibly not reflect on every experience like that. Story continues BFPD Fire Captain Travis Espinoza told the Daily Press in a text, His passing has left a void that can not be filled! He added that it was amazing to see the support from our fire service family and community at the memorial and throughout his hospital battle. This tragic death has shook the core of our organization, yet we will try to move forward in whatever our new normal is, Espinoza said. Losing our brother has forever changed us. We will continue to get on the engine and do our best to represent Dave. Spinks legacy within BFPD lives on partly through his son, firefighter and paramedic Dallen, who spoke at the memorial Saturday. DiNapoli said the senior Spink stayed on the force as long as he did in part for the opportunity to fight fires with his son. A memorial flyer stated Spink's family prefers donations be made to the California Fire Foundation or the Inland Empire Ronald McDonald House in lieu of flowers. Charlie McGee covers the city of Barstow and its surrounding communities for the Daily Press. He is also a Report for America corps member with the GroundTruth Project, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization dedicated to supporting the next generation of journalists in the U.S. and around the world. McGee may be reached at 760-955-5341 or cmcgee@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @bycharliemcgee. This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Barstow Fire vet honored after line-of-duty death Civilian volunteer troops practice in Ukraine. Sean Gallup/Getty Images President Biden reiterated to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday that there is a "distinct possibility" Russia could invade Ukraine in February. White House National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne told reporters that Biden has "said this publicly and we have been warning about this for months." An estimated 100,000 Russian troops are stationed along the border with Ukraine, and Biden believes when the ground freezes, they could attack from the north of Kyiv, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. There is heavy equipment alongside the troops, and Russian President Vladimir Putin will want optimal ground conditions to move into Ukraine, the sources said. Russia invaded and later annexed the Crimean Peninsula in late February 2014. Moscow has made several security demands, including that NATO roll back military deployments in Eastern Europe and prohibit Ukraine from ever joining the organization. The United States responded with a letter on Wednesday, rejecting those requests while also addressing some concerns that have the potential of being worked out. Having received this message, Russia believes there is "little ground for optimism," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, but "there always are prospects for continuing a dialogue, it's in the interests of both us and the Americans." The United Nations Security Council will hold a meeting on Monday to discuss Russia's "threatening actions," U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, as the country's amassment of troops poses "a clear threat to international peace and security and the U.N. charter." The U.S. has also warned of sanctions, should Russia invade Ukraine, that would target high-ranking officials and industries. Senior U.S. officials told AP if Moscow doesn't cooperate, Germany would likely not allow Nord Stream 2, a new gas pipeline from Russia, to start operations. Story continues You may also like Florida's Ron DeSantis is very upset the FDA canceled 2 antibody cocktails that don't work against Omicron The threat of Ukrainian resistance is the likeliest spur to Russian compromise Senate candidate J.D. Vance defends caustic jokes because 'our country's kind of a joke' Few people have created a yacht with their favorite comic-book character in mind. In fact, the owner of the 251-ft. luxury ice-breaker Yersin carried it even farther by including a world-famous ocean explorer and renowned bacteriologist as the triumvirate that heavily influenced the design. I drew inspiration for Yersin from Jacques-Yves Cousteau, the great physician-bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin and the intrepid Tintin, the owner told Robb Report. These influences contributed to the ethos around the boatA.S.E.which stands for adventure, science and education. Tintin, of course, was the Belgian comic-book character who traveled the world with his dog, Snowy, solving unsolvable crimes. More from Robb Report The ownerwho, unlike his heroes, asked to remain anonymouscreated something quite novel when he built Yersin, not only because it was an authentic explorer yacht, but also a sustainable project from Frances Piriou shipyard. Classified as a Bureau Veritas Clean Ship, its decks are made from non-wood recyclable resin and its exhaust catalysts filter 99.8 percent of fine particles. An advanced water treatment kills resistant bacteria, and the hull is coated in silicon non-biocide and antifouling paint, so that the boat wont carry potentially infectious microbes on its voyages. On board, its equipped with scientific laboratories to facilitate academic research on new species. The go-anywhere explorer was designed to leave no footprint. - Credit: Courtesy Fraser Yachts Courtesy Fraser Yachts So that takes care of the Cousteau and Yersin elements. In Tintin mode, the owner and his crew have traveled the world since the boats delivery in 2015, from tundra at the Arctic Circle to palm-fringed islands of Micronesia. Story continues The maiden voyage was extreme and arduous, hundreds of miles of cruising in remote parts of Iceland and Greenland, then crossing Baffin Bay and cruising down Baffin Island, through Labrador, Newfoundland and New Brunswick, ending the journey in Nova Scotia. On this voyage of discovery, the yacht encountered polar bearsfive, including a couple of cubson Baffin Island, ice floes, gale-force winds and night-long sightings of the northern lights, or aurora borealis. Greenland was his favorite. The island countryslightly bigger than Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom put togetherhad wide open spaces, with plenty of local fauna and wildlife. The landscape is vast, the air is free of pollution, so visibility is really clear, he said. Mountains 6,500-ft. high rise out of the sea. We came so close that we felt like we could touch them, despite being miles away. Tough on the outside, luxurious on the inside. Yersins interior goes mano a mano with any expedition superyacht. - Credit: Courtesy Fraser Yachts Courtesy Fraser Yachts That same sense of awe came with the glaciers. It is exceptional to be able to sail for days in that kind of landscape, he says. Yersin was designed for that kind of off-grid travel. The boat is ice-classed and capable of withstanding temperatures of -50 degrees. On top of that it has a 12,000-nautical range and can be autonomous for 50 days. Its tenders can carry ATVs for shoreside exploration. Which brings us back to Cousteau and Yersin. Piriou understood what I wanted to develop; an open-sea explorer capable of discovering the world without leaving any environmental trace of its passage, the owner says. Many places around the world only tolerate yachts with zero ecological impact. This means that Yersin explored places where no other boat has yet ventured. Who needs a movie screen when you have a window beneath the oceans surface? - Credit: Courtesy Fraser Yachts Courtesy Fraser Yachts That science included studying whales in Iceland, the formation of ice and glaciers in the fjords of Greenland, and sea scallop colonies in Novia Scotia. In Labrador, we were in an unknown and uncharted area. There are no boats there, so there are no set sailing routes, says the owner. Ships going there make their own route, so our journey is now on charts. Water depths are unknown in many places around the polar regions, so the crew used sonar to check for icebergs and rocksa real necessity when cruising near Greenlands Ilulissa region. Its home to the 40-foot-long Jakobshavn Glacier, famed for producing the iceberg that sunk the Titanic. After that very literal shakedown cruise, Yersin has traveled the globe for scientific research, from exploring the 607 islands of Micronesia to crossing the Atlantic to the Caribbean. The conference room is designed for researchers. - Credit: Courtesy Fraser Yachts Courtesy Fraser Yachts During that time, Yersins owner has shared his passion with the scientific community, welcoming researchers on board. Where possible, the yacht partakes in the production of natural history documentaries. But after six years, the owner has put his beloved explorer up for sale. Even Tintin had to go home. I hope the next owner will share the same passion as me for the environment, says the owner. I hope Yersins legend will continue. The pilothouse has one of the owners favorite explorers, Tintin, looking down from his boat. - Credit: Courtesy Fraser Yachts Courtesy Fraser Yachts Yersin is now listed for sale for 59 million, or about $69.2 million, with Fraser yachts. Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Ivan Toney is being investigated by Brentford after a video of him appearing to castigate the club surfaced on social media (Nick Potts/PA) (PA Wire) Brentford have launched an investigation after a video of striker Ivan Toney appearing to say f*** Brentford was published on social media. Toney is thought to be on holiday in Dubai during the Premier Leagues winter break. The 25-year-old has struck six goals in an impressive Premier League campaign so far. But now the Bees are looking into a video posted on Twitter that could land the former Peterborough United player in hot water with his club. Ivan Toney has been in decent form with Brentford this season (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire) Brentford FC are aware of the video and are investigating, said a club spokesperson. Brentford boss Thomas Frank accepted an 8,000 fine on Friday, following his red card after the 2-1 Premier League loss to Wolves last weekend. The Dane was dismissed after the final whistle by Peter Bankes after confronting the referee on the Brentford Community Stadium pitch. Frank has now accepted the FA charge of improper behaviour towards the match official due to his overzealous remonstrations. Club Statement: Thomas Frank accepts FA charge after Wolverhampton Wanderers match#BrentfordFC https://t.co/Gmd6q8NoyG Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) January 28, 2022 Brentford have now suffered six defeats in their last seven top-flight matches after a fine start to their maiden Premier League campaign. Brentford FC head coach Thomas Frank has accepted a Football Association fine, read a club statement. Thomas was charged with a breach of FA Rule E3.1 following Brentfords Premier League game against Wolverhampton Wanderers last Saturday, 22 January. Thomas admitted the charge and accepted the standard penalty. He was given an 8,000 fine. The FA charge was that Thomas language and/or behaviour towards referee Peter Bankes after the final whistle was improper. Story continues Thomas accepted this charge, and the financial penalty. Brentford FC has no further comment to make on the matter. Thomas Frank, centre left, receives his first yellow card from referee Peter Bankes (Nick Potts/PA) (PA Wire) Frank and his assistant Brian Riemer have both recently signed new deals to stay at Brentford until 2025, though the defeat to Wolves left an air of frustration in west London. Frank admitted he had let his emotions get the better of him when speaking to the officials at full-time. I was frustrated we didnt get a point but I was relatively calm and there was a situation which triggered it, said Frank. I got a yellow card after a confrontation with a Wolves player, then I turned round to Peter and said you can give me a second one as well. He said it was because I was turning around and too aggressive. NICEVILLE Bridgeway Center Inc. (BCI) recently announced a new partnership with Northwest Florida State College in which BCI will provide Student Behavioral Health Support Services (SBHS) to students. BCI staff will be on-site at the Niceville campus one day per week. Students are able to contact BCI staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week for access to behavioral health therapy. Innovative tech: New system alerts Bridgeway Center when mental health patients show up at the ER Related story: Mental health issues are rising. The number of mental health care providers is falling BCI and NWF State are committed to eliminating barriers that would prevent students from receiving mental health services. BCI staff will meet with students to determine the appropriate coordination of care. BCI will also provide linkage to other community supports based on students' needs. BCI and NWF State are providing a safe and confidential space for students to receive assistance for their behavioral health needs. Therapy is available both in person and via telehealth. Behavioral health consultation and education for students and faculty will also be provided. This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Bridgeway, NWF State provide mental health services for students The National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas, sent an unusual message to its supporters on Thursday announcing it would close for three days because of threats from supporters of former president Donald Trump. While that message and its more eye-popping details, including a visit from a Virginia congressional candidate looking for illegal border crossers and allegedly nearly running over the directors son with a car might sound odd for a missive from an insect preserve, for staff and friends of the National Butterfly Center, conspiracy theories and threats have been the norm for more than four years. The National Butterfly Center first made headlines when it filed a lawsuit to prevent the Trump administration from building its border wall on the centers property. The lawsuit became such an issue for the administration that Jared Kushner, reportedly, proudly told stakeholders more than a year later that hed solved the butterfly thing. In 2019, the center and its director Marianna Trevino-Wright filed another lawsuit against We Build the Wall, a crowdfunding organization that Trump associates Steve Bannon and Brian Kolfage used to try to build part of the wall next door to the butterfly center. When the two men were charged in August 2020 with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in connection with We Build the Wall, the National Butterfly Center celebrated on Twitter. Bannon and Kolfage pleaded not guilty. The centers lawsuit accused Kolfage of defamation after he tweeted what the center says are a number of baseless claims, including that the center was ignoring the rampant sex trade and death bodies on its property and that sex traffickers were using inflatable rafts to smuggle people to the centers dock and into the US. Kolfages Twitter account has been suspended. He did not respond to a request for comment. Those tweets are when the threats of violence really started, Trevino-Wright told BuzzFeed News on Thursday. While there have been some periods of relative tranquility since 2019, Trevino-Wright said that the threats have started to ramp back up recently. Trump supporters are planning an immigration-focused event nearby this weekend and Trevino-Wright said that a former Republican state legislator passed along warnings that she and the center could be targeted by the group. The former legislator did not respond to a request for comment. Story continues So when two women showed up at the National Butterfly Center last Friday asking to see the illegals crossing on rafts, Trevino-Wright said, her son at the front desk quickly knew what was going on. The women identified themselves as Kimberly Lowe, who is running for Congress in Virginia, and a person whom Kimberly referred to as Michelle, and identified herself as a Secret Service agent in an audio recording, but whose identity BuzzFeed News could not verify. According to an affidavit that he later prepared for police, Trevino-Wright's son, Nicholas, told the women that they needed to pay an admission fee to enter the property. Michelle, he wrote, told him that she was with the Secret Service and that both women had big sway in Washington, DC, and they wanted to see the immigrants crossing on the rafts. Trevino-Wright said her son came to get her and that she googled Lowe before approaching the women. She provided BuzzFeed News with an audio recording of her interaction with Lowe and Michelle, as well as a recording of a Facebook Live video Lowe posted of the incident as it took place, which has since been deleted. In the audio recording, Trevino-Wright quickly tells the women their agenda is not welcome here and asks them to leave. So youre not for keeping the illegals out? Michelle counters. Lowe jumps in as well: So youre not for helping all these poor people in the humanitarian crisis? Youre OK with children being sex trafficked and raped and murdered? Trevino-Wright again asks the women to leave, and Lowe agrees, but not before adding, I'm sorry that you're okay with children being raped and murdered. From there, things appear to devolve. Michelle again insists shes with the Secret Service and they leave the building. Outside, Trevino-Wright says, Lowe started trying to record her. Trevino-Wright told BuzzFeed News shes had her photo posted online by right-wing trolls and faced threats of doxxing, so she really didnt want Lowe to record her and reached up toward Lowes phone. Lowe says she took the phone. Then, Trevino-Wright says Michelle pushed her to the ground. Lowe says Trevino-Wright fell. Either way, Trevino-Wright ended up on the ground and Michelle clearly says on the audio, Stay the fuck down, bitch. Lowe then made a run for her car where she started up the now-deleted Facebook Live video and started screaming for Michelle to get in the car with her. Once Michelle is inside the car, she points out that Nicholas is closing the gate in front of them. In the video, the camera is pointed at Lowe as she hits the gas and the engine revs. Michelle yells, Whoa whoa whoa, KC! Lowe looks forward shouting, Get the fuck out of my way. Get out of my fucking way. Get the fuck out of my way. Jesus Christ. Nicholas wrote in his affidavit to police that he had to jump out of the way of the car to avoid being hit. He wrote that he tried to close the gate to keep the women from leaving before police arrived and because he believed they had his mothers phone. Lowe denied that she tried to hit Nicholas and accused the Wrights of assault and kidnapping for trying to prevent them from leaving and attempting to close the gate. Lowe also sent BuzzFeed News a copy of her Facebook Live video, but a version that cuts off before she speeds up the car toward the gate. She said she took it down because of an investigation. I was scared and did not approach her son to hit him period, Lowe wrote in a text to BuzzFeed News, adding that she had her children with her. I was trying to escape to safety with my children and did not attempt to hit him!! Asked why she went to the butterfly center in the first place and accused Trevino-Wright of allowing sex trafficking, Lowe said via text, Someone suggested I walk to the river to see what may be happening. I came to TX to see what is happening at the border. Lowe said she is planning to join a private border tour this weekend featuring Michael Flynn, Trumps former national security adviser and one of the biggest proponents of 2020 election conspiracy theories, as part of the pro-Trump events near the butterfly center. But Lowe emphasized that the event was not the reason for her trip. Lowe repeatedly said that Trevino-Wright's story was a politically motivated attack against her. And she did not answer when asked multiple times whether Michelle has any affiliation with the Secret Service or for her last name. I'm a good person with a big heart putting myself out there to truly help people I don't deserve this mess from her, she said in a text. Both women said that they spoke to Mission, Texas, police about the incident. Lowe said in a text that she was cleared by police, but the police department did not respond to a request for comment on whether the case is still open or for copies of police reports from the incident. But there was a witness. Bob Axford, a Canadian man who said he is snowbirding in Texas for the winter, was standing in the parking lot as the scene played out and confirmed many of the details provided by Trevino-Wright and her son. Axford told BuzzFeed News he did not know any of the people involved in the altercation and had never been to the National Butterfly Center before Friday; hed just dropped by to confirm its location and grab a map of the property ahead of a planned visit with a friend. He stood behind the women as they talked with Trevino-Wright's son, he said, and overheard that one of them was named Lowe and was running for Congress. Once he got Nicholass attention and got a map, Axford said he went to sit in his truck for a few minutes and take a look at it. Then I saw a couple minutes later, four people kinda tumble out the door and be at each others throats. He saw one of them fall down and said he believed it was Trevino-Wright, but that he was too far away to see how she fell. He called 911. Then he saw Lowe get into her car and back it up closer to the others. Once Michelle got into the car with her, he said, she went full blast and almost directly at me. I almost got hit there. But I was in a bigger truck than they were, he said. The car then headed for the gate and Trevino-Wright's son at speed, he said. Axford said he believed Nicholas probably did have to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. It just looked like a commercial, he said. Axford said he spoke to police about the altercation and repeatedly called Lowes driving completely reckless. This person should not be an elected official in any way, shape, or form, he said. On Friday night, after this story published, Lowe told BuzzFeed News that she was turned away from the border tour because of the hit pieces about her trip to the butterfly center, saying that she was being cancelled by the right. Lowe said that Christina Hutcherson, the founder of Women Fighting for America, and Arizona state Rep. Mark Finchem, another major proponent of election conspiracy theories, refused to let her on the bus Friday night and told her that she had endangered their event. Neither Finchem nor Hutcherson immediately responded to a request for comment. Lowe said she had driven all the way from Virginia to spend two weeks at the border. After being turned away on Friday night, she said she was able to get out of her hotel booking and was on the road, driving back home. UPDATE Jan. 28, 2022, at 23:01 PM More on this A guard watches over immigrant detainees at the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Facility. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times) Immigration authorities must preserve coronavirus safety measures that allow for social distancing and vaccination mandates for staff and detainees at two California detention facilities, according to a class-action lawsuit settlement reached Thursday. The settlement also limits the authority of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to re-detain hundreds of immigrants who were released as a result of the lawsuit. The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups filed the lawsuit in April 2020, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, to challenge unsafe conditions at the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Facility in Bakersfield and the Yuba County Jail, north of Sacramento. When we filed this lawsuit, ICE had put our clients and communities at risk by detaining as many people as possible in filthy, crowded dorms and cells, creating a tinderbox for COVID-19, Bree Bernwanger, of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, said in a statement. As the coronavirus spread, advocates filed similar lawsuits for other detention facilities around the country. The settlement comes as coronavirus infections in detention centers have surged since December to 3,129 nearly 15% of the total detained population as of Wednesday. Eleven people in ICE custody have died of COVID-19, according to the agency. Two medical advisors for the Department of Homeland Security this week denounced the "slow and inconsistent" efforts to control the spread of the virus in detention facilities. In a whistleblower letter Wednesday first reported by CBS News, physicians Scott Allen and Josiah Rich urged Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines and approved treatment medications, as well as to ensure detainees have effective protective equipment, such as N95 masks. The population at the two California facilities collectively dropped from 462 to 62 during the course of the litigation, lawyers said. The settlement agreement prevents around 250 immigrants who were released because of health vulnerabilities from being detained again unless they pose a threat to public safety, national security or are considered a flight risk. Story continues It also establishes three more years of protections for those in custody, including population limits to allow for social distancing, testing, vaccination mandates and the continued release of vulnerable people. Documents uncovered during litigation showed that ICE and the private prison contractor GEO Group deliberately limited coronavirus testing while there was an outbreak at the Bakersfield facility because they believed it would be too difficult to quarantine those who tested positive. In a searing response, federal Judge Vincent Chhabria in San Francisco called the conduct of officials in charge appalling and said ICE had "lost the right to be trusted." ICE declined to comment. GEO Group did not respond to a request for comment on the settlement. Plaintiff Brenda Ruiz Tovar said in a statement that she is grateful for the two years she has spent out of detention with her family. She said that after her release, she completed school and found work as a dental assistant. When COVID hit, I was terrified because the government was crowding so many of us together in such a dangerous place and not doing anything at all to protect us from the virus, Ruiz Tovar said. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A flight attendant on an airplane. Matej Kastelic/500px/Getty Images A man who was charged in connection with groping a flight attendant on an American Airlines flight will serve six months in prison. Enio Socorro Zayas pleaded guilty to one count of assault in October. The case comes amid a national spike in disruptive and unruly passenger behavior on planes. A Canadian man who pleaded guilty to assault in connection with groping a flight attendant during an American Airlines flight in August was sentenced to six months in prison earlier this week. Enio Socorro Zayas, 50, was sentenced in Miami federal court on Monday after he pleaded guilty to one count of assault in October, according to court documents reviewed by Insider. Zayas was charged following the August 6 flight from Cancun to Miami International Airport. According to a criminal complaint, a short while into the flight, the flight attendant in question was walking down the plane's aisle serving passengers snacks. When she came across Zayas, seated in an aisle, she believed him to be asleep and set a packet of snacks in his lap. As she turned her back to serve another passenger, she told authorities that she felt a hand grab the bottom of her thigh and move up toward her lower buttocks before "rubbing firmly side to side." The flight attendant immediately turned around and said "you can't do that," according to court documents. Zayas then mumbled an intelligible response, prosecutors said. After the incident, several passengers who witnessed the groping approached the flight attendant to express disbelief and anger, according to court documents. Many told the stewardess that they would be willing to describe what had happened to law enforcement. Once the plane landed in Miami, the flight attendant spoke to law enforcement. The investigating officer also spoke with another passenger who was sitting in a nearby aisle seat and corroborated the stewardess' account, saying she saw Zayas touch the woman's buttocks inappropriately with a "sick" expression on his face. Story continues Nayib Hassan, an attorney for Zayas told Insider that the final sentencing was a "give-and-take" between his client and the government, saying both sides made concessions. According to Hassan, the original charge filed against Zayas was sexual assault. The attorney told Insider that he believes the government didn't have enough evidence to prove the more serious charge, so prosecutors lowered the indictment to a misdemeanor assault charge in exchange for the six month prison sentence. A spokesperson for American Airlines did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, nor did a spokesperson for the Justice Department. The case comes amid a national spike in disruptive and unruly passenger behavior. In October, several flight attendants told Insider's Sarah al-Arshani that they were fed up with the growing number of violent in-flight encounters. Others have said the mounting stress has left them afraid for their safety. Read the original article on Insider Pittsburgh Public Safety Four cars and a bus were left teetering on the edge of disaster when a Pittsburgh bridge with decade-old structural issues collapsed early Friday morning, snapping into multiple pieces and tumbling into a park below. Photos of the bridge, which was consistently rated as being in poor condition as far back as 2011, showed cars trapped in a chasm of cracked concrete and snow, and a Port Authority bus teetering just inches from a huge crack. It happened just hours before President Joe Biden was set to visit Pittsburgh to talk about his $1.2 billion infrastructure plan. BREAKING: A bridge along Forbes Avenue near Frick Park has collapsed. (: Jeremy Habowski) https://t.co/tBmXgKOsnM pic.twitter.com/QebLGfSRa9 KDKA (@KDKA) January 28, 2022 Miraculously, there were no fatalities but 10 people Pittsburgh Fire Bureau Chief Darryl Jones said 10 people suffered minor injuries, and three were taken to a hospital. Officials said crews rappelled almost 150 feet to reach some people, while others formed a human chain to get the driver and two passengers out of the dangling bus. Port Authority spokesman Adam Brandolph said the collapse caused the bus to slide backwards at a 45-degree angle, but it somehow snagged on some rubble and stopped just short of a massive crevice. Its surreal, the entire span of the bridge has collapsed into the park and the walking trail below, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman told CNN. Thankfully, he added, schools were on a two-hour delay due to snow on Friday morning so the bridge didnt have its usual school traffic. ***BREAKING NEWS*** Pictures coming in of the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse (Forbes Ave. in Frick Park) Watch LIVE continuing coverage now ---> https://t.co/mmXOytnrtc pic.twitter.com/LaK980kLgh Scott Harbaugh (@WPXIScott) January 28, 2022 Mayor Ed Gainey said the bridge, which goes over Hot Dog Dam Dog Park and through Frick Park, was inspected just last September. Records from that inspection werent yet publicly available. Story continues The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation database on bridges in Pittsburgh rated the state-owned bridge as in poor condition after a 2019 inspection. The 52-year-old, 447-foot steel bridge, which carries about 14,000 cars a day, had poor deck and superstructure condition, with advanced deterioration of primary structural elements. It had satisfactory substructure condition, with some minor deterioration. It was weight restricted with a 26-ton limit. The National Bridge Inventory says that the bridges superstructure (i.e. everything that support the roadway and connects the main elements of the bridge) has been in poor condition since 2011. A 2017 inspection, the last available, recommended $1.5 million in repairs due to general structure deterioration or inadequate strength. Then in 2018, a passer-by posted a photo to Twitter showing an X beam entirely rusted and detached. @Pgh311 I hope someone is keeping an eye on the underside of the Forbes Avenue bridge over Frick Park? One of the big "X" beams is rusted through entirely (and, yes, I see the cables, so it's probably not a crisis). pic.twitter.com/UQScawPEGQ Dr. G Kochanski (@gpk320) December 29, 2018 The bridges condition isnt unusual for Pennsylvania, which ranks second only to Iowa for the most structurally deficient bridges in the nation, according to a 2019 assessment. PennDOTs database shows that more than 150 local- and state-owned bridges in Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh and surrounding areas, are in poor condition, however that can range from serious structural deficiency to potholes, officials previously said. Allegheny County has both the highest number of bridges in the state, and the highest number in poor condition. About eight percent of its 1,186 state-owned bridges and 20 percent of its 397 local-owned bridges are in poor condition. Upkeep is a constant struggle in Pittsburgh, the so-called City of Bridges, due in part to the vast number of bridges over its three intersecting rivers. Road salt and severe weather also speed up corrosion. Pittsburgh Public Safety said Friday morning that the a gas line was cut during the collapse and there was a strong smell of natural gas in the area, prompting surrounding homes to be evacuated. The Red Cross has been contacted for victim assistance. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. BEIJING (Reuters) - China has consistently opposed any form of official interaction between the United States and Taiwan, the foreign ministry said on Friday, after a brief meeting between the U.S. and Taiwanese vice presidents in Honduras. Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian made the comment at a daily news briefing in Beijing. China considers self-governed Taiwan to be part of its territory. (Reporting by Emily Chow; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Himani Sarkar) Batya Ungar-Sargon, Kim Iversen, and Robby Soave react to the Chinese government's alternative "Fight Club" ending. About Rising: Rising is a weekday morning show with bipartisan hosts that breaks the mold of morning TV by taking viewers inside the halls of Washington power like never before. The show leans into the day's political cycle with cutting edge analysis from DC insiders who can predict what is going to happen. It also sets the day's political agenda by breaking exclusive news with a team of scoop-driven reporters and demanding answers during interviews with the country's most important political newsmakers. Follow Rising on social media: Website: Hill.TV Facebook: facebook.com/HillTVLive/ Instagram: @HillTVLive Twitter: @HillTVLive A city charter-mandated group of five citizens gets to not only chime in on that topic this spring, but also set a hard cap on how high any City Council-approved pay raises may go. Do Columbus' elected leaders deserve a pay raise? A city charter-mandated group of five citizens gets to not only make a recommendation on that topic this spring, but also set a hard cap on how high any City Council-approved pay raises may go. "In no event may council adopt an ordinance establishing salaries which exceed the recommendations of the commission," according to the charter language, adopted by voters in 2014, which requires the commission to review pay every four years. Sitting on the commission are: Fred Ransier, a retired attorney; Keisha J. Hunley-Jenkins, assistant director of the Boys & Young Men of Color Collective at Ohio State University and former external affairs director for former Mayor Michael B. Coleman; Sarah Ingles, a labor attorney; Quiana Williams, a human resources vice president with OhioHealth; and Michael Kasler, who worked a variety of administrative roles in various city departments before retiring in 2018, and will act as commission chair. "We welcome public comment and participation," Kasler said, noting that while in high-inflationary times like today salaries typically go up, his reading of the commission's powers theoretically could be for a proposed pay cut for elected leaders. "We look at similarly sized cities around the country, and we look at the compensation models ... and try to make some determinations based on our setup," said Ransier, who chaired the panel the last time it convened in 2018. "For instance, our council is still part-time, but that in my opinion is a fiction, but their compensation is reflective of that. "Columbus is the growing city in the state of Ohio, so that I think we have to also recognize. ... It's all of that. I think we'll try to be as thorough as possible." The city's human resources department will gather the criteria on which Columbus salaries will be compared, Kasler said. According to the city charter, akin to the city's constitution, the commission may also issue an "annual cost of living adjustment which shall not exceed the average increase in the consumer price index, or successor thereto, during the preceding four years." Kasler said those COLAs compound year over year. Story continues Annual salaries this year for top city officials are: the mayor, $204,683; council president, $86,977; council members, $72,301; and the city attorney and city auditor, $200,339 each, according to Council President Shannon Hardin's office. Hardin and other members declined to comment pending the recommendations of the commission, said spokesman David Miller. Four years ago, commission members pointed to survey data from 25 other cities in delivering a recommendation to raise the pay of the council members and president by 20%. Commission members said they believe council members actually work full-time, dealing with community issues and attending public events in addition to council meetings. In 2023, the seven-member council will grow by two seats because voters approved a charter amendment in May to change the size and structure of the body. Ransier acknowledged that the topic of public officials' compensation is politically sensitive, and a difficult subject for elected leaders. The commission's role is to take a hot topic off their plates. But after the commission's recommendations, the final decisions will be up to the City Council, which theoretically could decide to reject any recommendations boosting their pay and the pay of other leaders, he said. "Realistically, I would be very surprised if they decided legislatively to take less than we recommend," Ransier said, laughing. "It's just not human nature." Any recommended salary changes approved by the current council wouldn't take effect until 2026, under Ohio Ethics Commission guidelines that prohibit elected leaders from voting on or influencing their own financial positions, according to the Columbus city attorney's office. That effectively lets voters decide who collects any approved pay raises. wbush@gannett.com @ReporterBush This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Do Columbus city leaders deserve a raise? Panel will recommend LeJuan "El'Ja" Bowens performing a spoken word poem As a teenager in Fayetteville, Neil Ray found his passion for writing poetry and noticed there wasn't a prominent community of poets in the city, so he started one. Since the late 1990s, Ray has worked to build up the poetry community in the Fayetteville area. As a member of the Writer's Guild, a Fayetteville writers group, he said he helped it create its first newsletter called The Ink Pad. He also started hosting Java Expressions at The Coffee Scene, which is still held today. "That's probably one of the longest events that we've ever had, especially since it started at a time where it may seem to some people we were doing things in Fayetteville at that time was real new in the arts kind of way," he said. Ray, a Terry Sanford High School alumni, said he found his niche in writing poetry while in high school and would even write poetry for people in exchange for lunch money. After high school, he served in the military for four years but he had a love for music and poetry that stayed strong. In 2012, Ray started the Poetry Festival because he said Fayetteville deserved one. "I'm a community guy," he said. "I grew up in Fayetteville and I love my city, I love what it does. It's not perfect but none of them will ever be so I had no problem with that, and I said 'we should have something like this.'" Ray eventually passed the torch of the poetry festival to LeJuan "El'Ja" Bowens who he said has transformed the festival in a great way. "He had that fire," Ray said. "I just felt he had that hunger and he kept that hunger alive and was making a big difference in our community." Ray said he wanted people to be happy and excited to be a part of the festival. "I want them to go out, especially young people and create new stuff and create some community action on their own," he said. "With the addition of the projects we have in the festival; we have workshops, we have nerd slams, we have the ugly poem slam .... so we're trying new ideas and people get excited." Story continues More: Ideas of Freedom: Fayetteville art series aims to highlight the Black experience Bowens, who is from Michigan, was writing poetry as a hobby and it wasn't until his last deployment in the military in about 2007 that his chief warrant officer suggested he get a poetry book together. When he got out of the military that same year, he went to his first open mic and later learned about the Fayetteville poetry community at the Coffee Scene. "Just getting around, seeing a slam, seeing some poets at the time that I did not know were like doing poetry for years across the country ... it started getting me more intrigued with wanting to do more with my work." For the poetry festival, Bowens said the importance of performing poetry is seeing a different point of view. "You are hearing stories from people that you did not expect because their story may be the story that you're living and you just needed to have that perspective," he said. "That perspective of knowing that there's someone else out there and living that same story that you're living." Bowens encourages poets and spoken word artists trying to join the poetry community to just go to an open mic and give it a try. "You can go to an open mic and you sign up and if you enjoy what you hear, then you continuously come back and if you think it's not for you, then some people just stop coming," he said. "The biggest thing is just finding your niche and finding what event fits you. Fayetteville always have numerous scenes that's out." Through the poetry community, Bowens has connected with many other creative speakers who also motivate others to express themselves with their voice, like Yolanda "Yogii" Barnes. Yolanda "Yogii" Barnes encourages other to find their voice through poetry. Support local journalism with a subscription to The Fayetteville Observer. Click the "subscribe'' link at the top of this article. When it comes to the Fayetteville poetry community, Barnes describes it as diverse. "It's vast, it's amazing, it is powerful; it is a lot of underground," she said. "It is definitely diverse through voices; the stories from the military, from the mothers to the students, even our youth poets are amazing." Performing poetry is something that Barnes said leaves her feeling refreshed and when it comes to the youth within the artistic community that is an aspect that's important for them. "Right now for the youth, especially with COVID, they felt so much bottled up in them and you would be so amazed at what they write," she said. "The complexity of what they write just really makes you really, really think. Like you don't think they understand much but they got a handle on some things and they know how to verbalize it. So the importance of letting them express themselves, that's the part where you have to, as the adults say, you can say what you need to say." Highlighting the art of poetry in the Fayetteville community is part of not just expressing the beauty in the art form but also in the city. "We don't have to be Seattle, we can be Fayetteville," Ray said. "We make a noise. People don't know it, but we make a lot of noise here; we're sneaking up on people. We don't have the tall buildings, we don't have all the elaborate but what we got is art and our artistic community. I challenge people, I say we are a city of stars." Staff writer Akira Kyles can be reached at akyles@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville poetry community highlights the art of spoken word The Cleveland Guardians have reached an agreement to extend their lease at its downtown ballpark through at least 2036 while making improvements to the facility, team owner and CEO Paul Dolan announced Thursday. CLEVELAND (AP) The Cleveland Guardians have reached an agreement to extend their lease at its downtown ballpark through at least 2036 while making improvements to the facility, team owner and CEO Paul Dolan announced Thursday. Team officials said they've obtained financing to renovate Progressive Field, a ballpark that opened for play in 1994. The cost of the improvements has been estimated at just over $200 million. Renovation work is expected to begin after the 2022 season. We are confident that this agreement will create a more compelling fan experience and keep this facility modern and relevant for many more years to come," Dolan said in a statement. The Cleveland City and Cuyahoga County councils previously approved the agreement. The city and county will contribute a total of $17 million, Ohio $2 million and the team $10 million a year to pay for the improvements and costs such as repairs, maintenance, operations and property taxes. The agreement could be extended another 10 years to 2046, team officials said. This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Cleveland Guardians have reached an agreement to extend their lease through at least 2036 The cryptocurrency industry is gearing up to invest big in the midterms. A group of crypto financiers said Friday it's launching a super PAC that aims to spend more than $20 million to support congressional candidates ahead of the November elections. The backers include a top executive at the digital currency trading platform FTX, as well as SkyBridge Capital, the hedge fund led by former Trump communications director Anthony Scaramucci, who is trying to start a Bitcoin investment fund. The group, dubbed GMI PAC, said it has already attracted $5.3 million in contributions that it will use to back candidates and members of Congress "who work to give consumers and innovators the opportunity to build and use next-generation technologies and services here in America." This is long overdue, CMS Holdings co-founder Dan Matuszewski, a member of the group's board, said in a statement on Friday. GMI PAC is the crypto communitys campaign arm and we are here to stay. GMIs launch comes as well-heeled crypto startups and top venture capital firms ramp up lobbying to influence laws and regulations impacting the $1.6 trillion market, which saw an explosion in trading last year before experiencing a major dip in recent weeks. Industry associations are mounting aggressive campaigns to fight policies that would crack down on trading. A growing number of politicians on both sides of the aisle have started to court the industry and crypto enthusiasts for support. GMI said its founding donors and board of directors include Matuszewski, FTX Digital Markets CEO Ryan Salame (the head of FTX's Bahamian subsidiary) and Framework Ventures co-founder Vance Spencer. Other funders include investment firms Multicoin Capital and Blockchain Capital. More crypto-focused political committees are likely in the offing. Top executives at FTX one of the largest digital currency trading platforms are major backers of the new super PAC Protect Our Future thats expected to invest in Democratic races this year. Its initial donors include FTX founder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried as well as Nishad Singh, head of engineering at the company. It plans to spend $10 million as it kicks off. BERLIN (Reuters) - Daimler AG will be formally renamed Mercedes-Benz Group AG on Tuesday - nearly a year after the spin-off of its truck and bus division was announced - in a move its boss hopes will unlock shareholder value for the premium carmaker. The change is the latest in a string of structural reshuffles for the carmaker that began its life as Daimler-Benz AG in 1926. The Mercedes brand, named after the daughter of an automobile entrepreneur, was officially adopted by Daimler AG in 1902. "We have a real chance to raise the multiple," CEO Ola Kaellenius told reporters on Friday, without naming a specific target valuation for the firm now worth just under 77 billion euros ($85.70 billion). Shares of Daimler Truck AG, spun off from the newly anointed Mercedes-Benz last December, have risen slightly since their market debut to trade at 32.23 euros on Friday. Mercedes-Benz shares, at their highest levels since 2015 in November 2021, reached 74.25 on the day of the split, but have trended slightly lower since to trade at 71.15 euros. Still, a premium carmaker battling over the luxury market, by definition small and finite, could only grow so much, analysts said. "Investors could start viewing Mercedes as a Lucid Motors or Tesla type and start to give it an EV (electric vehicle) multiple," European auto analyst at RBC Capital Markets Tom Narayan said. "But Lucid and Tesla get to start at 100% EV. For Mercedes you have to convert your existing ICE (internal combustion engine) business to EVs. That may be a limitation on how far the multiple could go near-term." Daniel Schwarz, management director at Stifel, said valuations reflected the view that German brands were on the defensive, forced to protect their market share. "Tesla's valuation is based on the assumption that Tesla will win market share from German manufacturers, who don't have a comparable revenue growth potential." (Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, Ilona Wissenbach; Editing by Tomasz Janowski) Rep. Frank Mrvan, a Democrat from Indiana, is seen on the House steps during the vote on the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, the American Rescue Plan Act. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Rep. Frank Mrvan filed a congressional financial disclosure indicating his net worth was more than $50 million. When Insider asked about his wealth, the congressman acknowledged the disclosure was incorrect. He told Insider that he takes personal responsibility for what his office called a "data entry error." Freshman Rep. Frank Mrvan declared in a congressional financial disclosure that he was personally worth tens of millions of dollars. In actuality, he's closer to broke. Mrvan, a Democrat who represents Indiana's 1st Congressional District, last year reported in an annual financial disclosure that he owned a public employee retirement fund annuity worth "over $50 million." When Insider asked Mrvan about this asset, the congressman acknowledged he made a mistake that led to him vastly inflating his total wealth. His office attributed this to a "data entry error" the holding is actually worth between $50,001 and $100,000. Insider calculated Mrvan's new net worth to be at least $100,000 in the red after subtracting his liabilities from his total reported assets. Rep. Frank Mrvan's original, handwritten 2020 financial disclosure erroneously values his "Indiana PERF Annuity" at "over $50,000,000." US House of Representatives "I am responsible for the actions of my office, and I take sole responsibility for the honest data entry error on my financial disclosure form," Mrvan told Insider. "The public employee retirement fund amount should have been in the thousands and not millions. When brought to my attention, I corrected the form and resubmitted it to the House where it will again be made publicly available." Mrvan declined to say who, specifically, was responsible for the error and how months passed without him, or anyone on his staff, noticing it. He did not respond to a question about how he plans to avoid such a mistake in the future. Members of Congress are required each year to submit an updated financial disclosure of their family's personal assets, liabilities, and other finances as mandated by federal law, including the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012. The purpose: to foster public trust through transparency, curb insider trading, and defend against potential financial conflicts of interest. Story continues Insider's recent "Conflicted Congress" investigation, which delved into each member of Congress' financial disclosures, discovered that at least 54 members of Congress have recently violated the STOCK Act. But congressional financial disclosures are not always rigorously reviewed for accuracy by government officials and are not subject to independent audits. Mrvan originally appeared in an analysis of the 25 wealthiest members of Congress, published as part of "Conflicted Congress." Insider has now removed him from the list. Delaney Marsco, the senior legal counsel for ethics at the Campaign Legal Center, told Insider that some of the blame for the disclosure also lies with the House Committee on Ethics, which does not comment publicly on specific House member financial filings. "The Committee on Ethics is supposed to review all of the financial disclosures to make sure they're timely and accurate and complete," she said. Given how wealthy many members of Congress are, Marsco said it's not surprising that the mistake went unseen by the committee as the large asset value may not have stood out to reviewers. Still, she said, the error is partially related to the committee's reliance on a "disclosure-only model," where the committee must fully trust the veracity of each disclosure. Marsco also noted that Mrvan's mistake could have been avoided if congressional disclosures were, in general, structured differently: She suggested removing the requirement to file asset values in broad ranges, instead providing a more precise value for each asset. "There's definitely logical reasons why we have ranges, but I wonder if this could have been averted if he had been required to say the exact amount of the asset," Marsco said. "It's a lot harder to misplace the zero if you're rounding to the nearest tenth of a cent." Read the original article on Business Insider After the Covid-19 pandemic torpedoed Adrienne Cooper's plans to open a disco roller rink in Tennessee, she was stuck with 500 rental skates. Finding herself in a situation where some might throw up their hands, Cooper pivoted. She had her rental skates redesigned into three sleek, new colors and branded them "Moon Boots," launching a social media campaign on Instagram to generate buzz. Adrienne Cooper. (NBC News) After months of promoting the Moon Boots, they went on sale online at midnight May 15. "That night we sold almost every pair," Cooper said. "We made over $200,000 in one day." She woke up her husband in the middle of the night, telling him, Hey, you have to quit your job because I have to literally start a company tomorrow. Cooper's experience exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit unleashed by the pandemic as people look for new ways to make a living in an ever-shifting economic landscape. For Cooper, turning to roller skating was a no-brainer. Her grandmother once worked at a Chicago Skates factory, her aunts took her skating as a child, and her 11th birthday party was held at a roller rink. Since then, Cooper had dreamed of opening a rink of her own. After serving in the Navy, Cooper worked at a catering company with the skating idea always on her mind. I was working full time, and any ounce of spare time that I had, I spent trying to pursue my goal of opening an adult brick-and-mortar skating rink that served beverages and had a nightlife vibe, she said. In spring 2019, Cooper went for it, leaving her catering job and founding Moonlight Roller. Her plan was to start small, renting out skates at pop-up events in Chattanooga and surrounding areas. Eventually, when she had enough capital, she would open her own skate palace. But after she poured her life savings into Moonlight Roller, the pandemic hit, and she said all she had left was about 500 pairs of rental skates that we designed and nowhere to use them. Story continues Exterior of Moonlight Roller. (NBC News) Almost two years later, Moonlight Roller is thriving. It raked in $4.5 million in gross revenue in the first year since the launch of the Moon Boot, and the company's on track to make roughly the same this year. Cooper also opened a brick-and-mortar skate shop in Chattanooga, and she's in the process of establishing the roller rink of her dreams. "Were coming full circle," she said. Cooper, who is married and has a 4-year-old son, credited her time in the Navy with helping her succeed as an entrepreneur. "The biggest skill I learned from the Navy is discipline," she said. "Whenever youre pursuing your own business, some days, you dont wake up with all the motivation in the world. "Youve had multiple investors tell you no, people shoot down your ideas, and it can really suck the motivation and joy out of the project. But if you can maintain discipline and stick to a schedule, I think you can succeed." By Paresh Dave OAKLAND, Calif. (Reuters) -Apple Inc is stifling competition through its mobile app store, attorneys general for 34 U.S. states and the District of Columbia said on Thursday, as they appealed against a ruling that let the iPhone maker continue some restrictive practices. While dozens of state attorneys general have filed recent antitrust lawsuits against other big tech companies, including Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google, none had so far taken aim at Apple. Thursday's remarks, led by the state of Utah and joined by Colorado, Indiana, Texas and others, came in a lawsuit in an appeals court against app store fees and payment tools between "Fortnite" video game maker Epic Games and Apple. "Apple's conduct has harmed and is harming mobile app-developers and millions of citizens," the states said. "Meanwhile, Apple continues to monopolize app distribution and in-app payment solutions for iPhones, stifle competition, and amass supracompetitive profits within the almost trillion-dollar-a-year smartphone industry." The action comes after a U.S. district judge in Oakland, California, mostly ruled against Epic last year. That decision found that commissions of 15% to 30% which Apple charges some app makers for use of an in-app payment system the company forced on them did not violate antitrust law. Epic challenged the ruling in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. On Thursday, professors, activist groups and the states weighed in through court filings that described legal arguments in support. Apple's reply is expected in March. On Thursday, the company said it was optimistic that Epic's challenge would fail. The states said in their filing that the lower court erred by failing to adequately balance the pros and cons of Apple's rules and also by deciding that a key antitrust law did not apply to non-negotiable contracts Apple makes developers sign. "Paradoxically, firms with enough market power to unilaterally impose contracts would be protected from antitrust scrutiny precisely the firms whose activities give the most cause for antitrust concern," they said. (Reporting by Paresh Dave; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) 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. Drakeo the Ruler, whose real name was Darrell Caldwell, was fatally stabbed in an altercation at a Los Angeles music festival in December. (Wyatt Winfrey / Associated Press) The family of rapper Drakeo the Ruler announced Thursday it will file a wrongful death lawsuit against the promoters of the L.A. music festival where he was fatally stabbed backstage, blaming a lack of security at the December event. The family of the 28-year-old rapper, whose real name was Darrell Caldwell, also released a video showing a mob of men dressed in red assaulting Drakeo before he was stabbed. Drakeo was one of a dozen high-profile rappers scheduled to perform at the Once Upon a Time in L.A. festival on Dec. 18 at the Banc of California Stadium in Exposition Park. The video shows the assailants swarm Drakeo, who falls to the ground as half a dozen young men repeatedly deliver blows. Drakeo was stabbed in the neck and rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died of his injuries, authorities said. His killers remain at large. "Mr. Caldwell was essentially lynched by over 40 to 60 people, and as you also saw, Mr. Caldwell had no security," said attorney James Bryant, who represents the Caldwell family. "That video ran for a full minute and you didn't see one security officer there. The video you saw was one of the last few moments of Darrell Caldwell's life." Bryant alleged that Drakeo was only allowed an entourage of eight people backstage and that when he arrived, a fight broke out and dozens of men dressed in red were able to flow into the area. He said Drakeo was then corralled by the mob without any security personnel around. There was a surge, he said, and "we believe knives came into play." "It should have never have happened," Bryant said. "The concert Once Upon a Time in Los Angeles had 50 of the most iconic music artists in the industry, but ... you also knew there could be an element of danger. You had Bloods. You had Crips and affiliations amongst them. We all know those groups don't go together." He and other attorneys for the Caldwell family allege that Live Nation, Bobby Dee Presents and C3 Presents did not provide adequate security at the event. "This would have never happened if those promoters had had the proper security protocol. This was a preventable death," Bryant said. Story continues A lawsuit will be filed next week against the promoters seeking upward of $20 million, he said. After the brutal attack, authorities were forced to shut down the event about 8:30 p.m. The concert was slated to go on until 11 p.m. Festival organizers on Thursday released a brief statement: Once Upon a Time in L.A. joins Drakeos family, friends, and fans in grieving his loss. The festival is continuing to support local authorities in their investigation as they pursue the facts. The rapper's death left his 5-year-old son, Caiden, fatherless, his family said at a news conference Thursday. "It's been hard," said Caiden's mother, Tianna Purtue, who held the boy as she talked to reporters. "It has been a real tragedy for him. ... How can I explain his dad is not coming back? ... He is gone and we not going to see him again." "I love my dad. I miss my dad," the boy said. Drakeo, an L.A. native who had become an increasingly popular rapper, had released 10 mixtapes and put out his first studio album early last year. He recorded the mixtape Thank You for Using GTL, a reference to prison communications company Global Tel Link, with verses recorded over a phone while he was being held at Mens Central Jail awaiting trial in connection with the 2016 killing of a 24-year-old man. Drakeo was acquitted of felony murder and attempted murder charges, but L.A. County prosecutors sought to retry him on conspiracy charges in the slaying. The second case was ultimately resolved with a plea deal and he was released in November 2020. Bryant noted that Drakeo's fatal stabbing was the latest in a series of deadly incidents involving Live Nation concerts. "This did not start with Astroworld," he said, referring to the November music festival in Houston in which 10 people died and hundreds more were injured after crowds rushed the stage toward the start of Travis Scotts set. "It has happened time and time again." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Sen. Elizabeth Warren spoke at a town hall Thursday as part of a push for student-debt forgiveness. She repeated arguments from a letter Democrats sent urging President Joe Biden to act "immediately." The letter argued Biden should forgive up to $50,000 a borrower before the end of the payment pause. Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Thursday said canceling $50,000 in student-loan debt could give 36 million borrowers "permanent total relief." Warren appeared at a virtual town hall with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Rep. Ayanna Pressley to continue Democrats' push for broad student-loan forgiveness. The Massachusetts senator reiterated her call on President Joe Biden and his administration to "do the right thing" and offer relief to student-loan borrowers. "Canceling $50,000 of student-loan debt would give 36 million Americans permanent total relief," Warren said during the town hall. "That would be the end of their debt burden. And it would aid millions more by significantly reducing the principal on their debt." Sen. Elizabeth Warren at a press conference on July 23, 2019, in Washington, DC. Win McNamee/Getty Images Federal student-loan debt totaled $1.6 trillion in 2021, held by more than 43 million borrowers. The Biden administration has faced mounting pressure to fulfill his campaign promise and cancel at least $10,000 in student-loan debt a figure some Democrats have been urging him to raise significantly. More than 80 Democratic lawmakers sent a letter this week urging Biden to "immediately" cancel student debt before May, when the pause on payments is scheduled to end. The letter, which mentioned the $50,000 and 36 million figures that Warren cited at the town hall, also urged the administration to publicly release a memo outlining its authority to provide student-loan relief to borrowers; thus far the administration has instead asked Congress to send a student-debt bill to Biden's desk. "When Elizabeth and I started on this, they denied that they had the authority to do it they don't deny that anymore," Schumer said during the Thursday town hall. "We've made the conclusive case." "The president can do it with a flick of the pen all he has to do is sign an executive order. He doesn't need a single Congress member on his side he just has to do it," he continued, adding: "And if the administration signs this, it will provide immediate relief to millions of Americans currently saddled with this awful debt." Read the original article on Business Insider Nicole Ferreira is executive vice president of Development at Beacon Communities LLC. The Rome Common Council recently gave unanimous approval to an important project that will improve living conditions for local low-income seniors and disabled individuals while also helping the state meet its ambitious climate change goals. The $29 million rehabilitation of the Colonial II apartment complex will also support the ongoing economic recovery effort, generating construction jobs and a revenue stream for local government through a Payment In Lieu of Taxes agreement. Colonial II will be a model of sustainable development and how to bring low-to-zero carbon multi-family buildings to scale, establishing a blueprint that can be replicated statewide. The project received support from the New York State Energy & Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) to help execute its climate-friendly design. Buildings generate nearly 40 percent of annual global CO2 emissions, of which operations are responsible for 28 percent and construction 36 percent of global energy use. Poorly constructed, outdated buildings are less energy efficient, which is costly for the environment and residents alike. In 2019, New Yorks Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) established some of the nations most ambitious climate laws, mandating 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2040 and economy-wide, net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Gov. Kathy Hochul has doubled down on that commitment, proposing legislation that ensures all new construction statewide reaches zero emissions by 2027. She also called for a dedicated green electrification fund through New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR)s new $25 million, five-year housing capital plan to advance her goal of creating green, affordable housing. Beacon Communities, which is partnering with the Rome Housing Authority to rehabilitate the Colonial II property at 310 Cottage St., will help combat climate change by achieving zero carbon and near net-zero energy usage. This will be achieved in part through the adoption of geo-thermal sourced high efficiency heat pumps and a reliance on renewable solar electricity. Story continues Heat pumps have been shown to be two to four times as efficient as conventional oil, propane, or electric systems, and are healthier for residents and workers because they do not burn fossil fuels or generate harmful emissions. The brick facade at Colonial II will be replaced with a panel system, improving the apartment's temperature control and insulation capabilities while decreasing energy use. Once completed, this project will be one of New Yorks most energy efficient public housing developments. The rehabilitation of the buildings interior will transform the original 99 units into 74 modern and affordable apartments that will be available to households with incomes at or below 50 percent of the area median income. The Colonial II project will provide residents with the most up-to-date affordable units available. It builds on the success of the Colonial I rehabilitation a $22 million project completed in 2019 that created 83 energy-efficient, affordable homes for seniors and disabled individuals, upgrading a 1966 building constructed by the Rome Housing Authority. New York is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis that has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Contrary to conventional wisdom, housing insecurity and homelessness is not limited to New York City, though the issue upstate is not a lack of housing stock, but rather a dearth of modern, safe, and affordable units. Through the Colonial II project, Beacon Communities and its partners will help address the affordable housing shortage while also combatting climate change two critical undertakings that will benefit both the local community and the state for years to come. Nicole Ferreira is executive vice president of Development at Beacon Communities LLC and oversees the firms team that develops affordable housing for New York State residents. This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Essay: Colonial II project will be a model for sustainable development Eversource is seeking to reassure residents that they're prepared to handle what could be a crippling snowfall with blowing snow from near-hurricane force wind gusts. In a press release, officials from the energy provider say the heavy snowfall and high winds expected late Friday night and into Saturday can bring down trees or tree limbs onto electric lines and equipment causing power outages. To that end, Eversource said it is "strategically prepositioning equipment and line and tree crews across the state," so theyre ready to respond quickly and safely to storm-related outages. This story is available to all as a public service and is made possible by our subscribers. Please support quality local journalism with a subscription to one of our publications. That includes hundreds of crews from out of state. "Weve had a close eye on this storm since the beginning of the week and continue to carefully track its path using several weather services and storm models, said Bill Ritchie, Eversource's vice president of electric field operations for Massachusetts, in a statement. This storm has been tough to track, and we arent leaving anything to chance." Eversource officials say they have flown in hundreds of out-of-state crews to assist with power outages anticipated to occur as a result of this weekend's storm. Ritchie said the company had "hundreds of crews" flying into the region throughout Thursday, with more arriving on Friday, from southern and western parts of the country. "We dont have to wait for them to drive here," he said. "Theyll be geared up and ready to respond to this storm alongside our Eversource crews." A warning to customers Despite the advance preparation, Ritchie reminded customers that power restoration may take longer than usual, "as we ensure the safety of our employees who will be responding in challenging road conditions. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said getting essentials like food, water and batteries should be done now. The agency said this storm has the potential for power outages and people should be prepared to be without electricity for some time. Story continues "If you lose power, you want to have flashlights and extra batteries on-hand," Tom Lyons, of MEMA, told WCVB-TV. "Think about what you would do, if you lost power for a couple of days, because that could happen in a situation like this." Other items residents should have as part of their "storm kit" include water, non-perishable foods, pet food and essentials and any needed medications, Eversource officials . In addition, make sure cellphones and devices are fully charged, create an emergency plan with family members and check on elderly neighbors and friends. Eversource reminds customers to always stay clear of downed wires and to report them immediately to 9-1-1. Outages can be reported online at Eversource.com, or by calling 800-592-2000. Customers who signed up for the companys two-way texting feature can send a text to report an outage and receive outage updates as they happen. Eversource transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas and supplies water to 1.8 million customers throughout Massachusetts. This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Eversource flies in extra crews to help with Massachustts blizzard Businessman Valeriy Averyanov heads a group affiliated with Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces in Mariupol, Ukraine. Averyanov and other civilians are prepared to take part in Ukraine's defense if Russian troops invade. (Nils Adler / For The Times) In normal life and in normal times, Valeriy Averyanov is a businessman. But these days, his main preoccupation is making preparations for what he and his neighbors would do if Russian troops attacked their hometown, a prosperous but rust-riddled industrial port in southeastern Ukraine. Averyanov, who cradled a shotgun as he spoke, heads a military-civil group in Mariupol, a city of about half a million people that sits by the strategic Sea of Azov. If Russian forces moved in, either by land or sea, his local militia would transform itself into partisan groups that could operate behind enemy lines, he said. In the event of a brutal invasion, everything that needs to be done will be done, said Averyanov, a short-statured 46-year-old with a ferocious smoking habit and an intense stare. With more than 100,000 Russian troops massed near Ukraines borders and tense diplomatic talks unfolding daily, thousands of volunteers across the country are joining Ukraines newly reconstituted Territorial Defense Forces, which come under the wing of the Ukrainian military but whose ranks are being bolstered by ordinary civilians. In cities and towns across this country of 40 million people, Ukrainians from all walks of life accountants and teachers, shopkeepers and software engineers are making ready for possible war. Under the instruction of regular Ukrainian troops and army veterans, these citizen soldiers stage weekend drills in snowy woods and fields, heft wooden model guns or real ones, rush to offer simulated medical aid, drop to their bellies and crawl through mud. Senior Ukrainian military officials have welcomed the existence of locally organized groups to support the war effort, should it come to that. No one must stand aside when it comes to the security of their home, village, city and their country as a whole, Gen. Yuriy Halushkin, the recently appointed commander of the Territorial Defense Forces, told the state news agency Ukrinform this month. Story continues Mariupol, the site of a historic Cossack encampment, could find itself a prime target if hostilities were to break out, military experts say. It is 25 miles from the Russian border, and even closer to the front lines of the years-old conflict between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces. The Sea of Azovs shores touch Ukraine and Russia as well as Crimea, the strategic peninsula Russia invaded in 2014 and then illegally annexed. In the event of a fresh invasion, an early Russian strike could involve amphibious operations to seize the coastline between Mariupol and Crimea, retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, the former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe, wrote in a recent paper for the Center for European Policy Analysis. The operational objective in the first days will be the isolation of Ukraine from the Azov Sea and the Black Sea, with main operations focused along both coastlines, Hodges wrote. Or Russia could target Mariupol under the auspices of separatist forces, thus giving it a measure of deniability of responsibility. Averyanov, for one, believes that such a provocation is likelier than a direct assault. The Territorial Defense Forces, while operating under new organization, date back to 2014, following the last Russian invasion. Originally set up to train part-time military reservists after the seizure of Crimea, drawing backing and membership from the protest movement that galvanized the countrys pro-democracy revolution, the defense forces were formally expanded last year to encompass civilian participation. No one thinks these defensive units would have any chance of staving off the Russian army, but military experts say they could form a kind of insurgent rear guard, harassing and disrupting invading forces. Those are precisely the types of guerrilla operations that evoke unhappy memories in Moscow of protracted, bloody conflicts of attrition in the past, like those in Afghanistan and Chechnya. Ukraine can raise the cost to Russia by preparing for a long war complete with significant guerrilla activity behind Russian lines, T.X. Hammes, a research fellow at the U.S. National Defense University, wrote last month on the Atlantic Councils UkraineAlert blog. While the Ukraine leadership, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, has sought to present a calm front in the face of the invasion threat, the Biden administration has been far more blunt in assessing the likelihood of Russian President Vladimir Putin making a significant military move. At the Pentagon on Friday, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said the buildup of troops, armor and artillery along Ukraines borders gave the Russian leader a range of options. While we dont believe that President Putin has made a final decision to use those forces against Ukraine, he clearly now has the capability, Austin told reporters. In Mariupol, one of the gargantuan steelworks dominating the port is named for Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, better known as Vladimir Lenin, the first head of the Soviet state. But some in this largely Russian-speaking city find it a point of irony that Putin has been an unwitting booster of Ukraines sense of its own sovereignty. The countrys increasing tilt toward the West, and its aspirations to someday join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, are in large measure due to the Kremlins relentless propaganda campaign painting the former Soviet republic as a pit of treachery and a source of aggression, many analysts and observers say. Ukrainian democracy today, not Ukrainian membership in NATO in some distant future, is the real threat to Putin, Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, wrote on Twitter this month. While smoke-belching steel, iron and metallurgy plants lend Mariupols industrial zone a dystopian air, the city a lively metropolis with distinctive architectural features imparted by past waves of Greek immigration remains economically important as well as strategically significant. It lies along a potential land bridge from Russia to Crimea, and its port provides a logistical lifeline for whoever controls it. Its defenders both the regular Ukraine army and the irregular forces mustering for battle are keenly aware of that. We are always ready, said Averyanov. To lose this city would really put Ukraine on its knees. Special correspondent Adler reported from Mariupol and Times staff writer King from Washington. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Languerand holding a "Pepe the Frog" flag on the Upper West Terrace on January 6, 2021. The Department of Justice A man who assaulted officers during the Capitol riot was sentenced to over three years in prison. Nicholas Languerand, a former Army private, received a 44-month sentence earlier this week. Prosecutors say Languerand threw several dangerous items at law enforcement on January 6, 2021. A former Army private who threw objects at law enforcement during the Capitol riot received a 44-month sentence after pleading guilty to a felony count of assaulting officers in November. Nicholas Languerand, of Little River, South Carolina, was sentenced to more than three years behind bars following a ruling by US District Judge John Bates on Wednesday. Languerand, who has been jailed since his arrest in April 2021, is expected to receive credit for time served. Prosecutors initially recommended a 51-month sentence for the defendant, but Bates offered a "modest reduction" in his final ruling, citing Languerand's "extremely difficult and chaotic upbringing," Reuters reported. An attorney for Languerand told the court that Languerand's father spent six months behind bars after blowing up the family trailer in an attempt to kill Languerand's mother, WUSA reported. Languerand later lived with his father in a rundown home built from downed telephone poles, his legal team said. Languerand's grandparents testified in court this week, describing how their grandson became enamored with the far-right QAnon conspiracy movement ahead of the Capitol riot. Languerand was administratively discharged from his role in the Army after a positive drug test, WUSA reported, and became "consumed" by the extremist movement after he was laid off from work. Prosecutors said Languerand, who was living in Vermont in January 2021, traveled to Washington, DC, to attend President Donald Trump's "Stop the Steal" rally on January 6, 2021. After the rally, Languerand made his way to the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol, where photos and video show him throwing a variety of dangerous items at law enforcement, including a large traffic barrier, an audio speaker, pieces of wood, and sticks, charging documents said. Story continues Photos also show him waving a "Pepe the Frog" flag atop the Upper West Terrace, charging documents said. As Insider previously reported, political extremists in 2016 began associating the meme frog with white nationalism and far-right extremism. Authorities say Languerand also took an officer's riot shield, slammed it into the ground multiple times, and then pushed it back at police. Court records said Languerand left the immediate area after law-enforcement officers began using tear gas. An Instagram post of Languerand outside the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. The Department of Justice Prosecutors emphasized that though Languerand didn't enter the Capitol on January 6, 2021, "it was not for a lack of trying." An anonymous witness contacted the FBI in February to say Languerand had posted an Instagram picture of himself at the Capitol during the insurrection, charging documents said. Upon further review, investigators found several social-media posts and comments made by Languerand discussing his role in the siege. "No I never made it inside but I got some good shots in," Languerand wrote on Instagram on January 6, 2021, court documents said. "A stole a riot shield got pepper sprayed gassed it was lit." When agents searched Languerand's trailer and bedroom last spring, they found a stockpile of weapons, a makeshift, humanlike target full of bullet holes, and a notebook containing a "target list," a sentencing memo said. On Wednesday, Languerand briefly addressed the courtroom to express remorse. "I have represented my community in an extremely poor way," he said, WUSA reported. Languerand's 44-month sentence marks one of the longest sentences yet in a Capitol-riot-related case. Two other men convicted of assaulting officers received 46 and 63 months in prison, respectively. An attorney for Languerand did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. More than 760 people have been arrested in connection with the attack, and more than 170 have pleaded guilty. Read the original article on Business Insider TOKYO (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) said it is looking into allegations a regional director in Asia bullied staff, used racist language and leaked sensitive vaccine data to Japan, accusations the official denies. WHO said in a statement to Reuters on Thursday it "is aware of the allegations and is taking all appropriate steps to follow up on the matter," following a report on the complaints by the Associated Press. In a statement provided by the WHO, Takeshi Kasai, the Manila-based director of the Western Pacific region, acknowledged being "hard on staff" but rejected charges of racism or that he shared confidential information with Japan. He wrote that he was considering how to improve his management style and the work environment. Kasai did not respond to an e-mailed request for comment by Reuters. Japan's health and foreign ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the alleged leaks of vaccine data. The AP reported on Thursday the abuse charges were outlined in an internal complaint filed in October and in an email last week, sent by "concerned WHO staff" to its senior leadership. Kasai's authoritarian style has led to the departure of more than 55 key staff in the past year and a half, and most of them have not been replaced, the report quoted unidentified WHO staff as saying in the email. Kasai, a physician from Japan who has worked for more than 15 years at the WHO, was also accused of sharing confidential data to the Japanese government to help it gain diplomatic favour from COVID-19 vaccine donations to neighbours. The AP said the complaint and email accused Kasai of making "racist and derogatory remarks to staff of certain nationalities" and creating a "toxic atmosphere" with "a culture of systemic bullying and public ridiculing." The WHO statement quoted Kasai as saying, "Regarding the accusation of racism towards particular cultures or countries: this I reject. Story continues "It is true that I have been hard on staff, but I reject the suggestion that I have targeted staff of any particular nationality. Racism goes against all of the principles and values I hold dear as a person and an international civil servant, and have throughout my life and career." He also said he takes "the concerns raised about my management style and working culture in WHO's Western Pacific Region very seriously". He said he was "committed to listening carefully to staff about their concerns, reflecting on ways of working, and thinking carefully about how I can improve, as well as improve the working environment for all our staff now and into the future." (Reporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Miyoung Kim and William Mallard) The Federal Aviation Administration says it has reached an agreement with AT&T and Verizon (Engadget's former parent company) regarding the rollout of their C-Band 5G networks at and around airports. The agency said the three sides have found common ground "on steps that will enable more aircraft to safely use key airports while also enabling more towers to deploy 5G service." According to the FAA, the providers offered "more precise data about the exact location of wireless transmitters and supported more thorough analysis of how 5G C-Band signals interact with sensitive aircraft instruments." The agency said it used the data to "determine that it is possible to safely and more precisely map the size and shape of the areas around airports where 5G signals are mitigated, shrinking the areas where wireless operators are deferring their antenna activations. This will enable the wireless providers to safely turn on more towers as they deploy new 5G service in major markets across the United States. The accord follows a months-long tussle between airlines and wireless providers over C-Band 5G. AT&T and Verizon voluntarily delayed the rollout for six weeks to address concerns that their services could interfere with aircraft systems and electronics, due to C-Band frequencies being close to ones used by altimeters. Earlier this month, the CEOs of airlines including Delta, United and Southwest claimed in a letter to the federal government that the networks could affect their planes' instruments and lead to a catastrophic event. AT&T and Verizon activated their C-Band 5G networks last week after agreeing to create temporary buffer zones around dozens of airports they haven't switched on C-Band 5G towers within two miles of some runways. They also argued that similar networks have been deployed in 40 other countries without issue. It's not clear when AT&T and Verizon plan to turn on C-Band 5G towers closer to airports following the FAA agreement. The providers declined to comment. The CTIA, a trade association for the wireless industry, was bullish about the news. "This is a positive development that highlights the considerable progress the wireless industry, aviation industry, FAA and FCC are making to ensure robust 5G service and safe flights," CTIA chief communications officer Nick Ludlum told Engadget in a statement. Meanwhile, the FAA said it would continue discussions with helicopter operators and other stakeholders in the aviation industry "to ensure they can safely operate in areas of current and planned 5G deployment." Strong link between Party and religious work stressed 08:11, January 28, 2022 By ZHANG YI ( China Daily China's top political advisor Wang Yang meets with leaders of national religious groups ahead of the Spring Festival in Beijing, Jan 27, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua] China's top political adviser Wang Yang extended Spring Festival greetings on Thursday to religious figures and believers nationwide and called for efforts to encourage religions in China to better adapt to socialist society. Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, extended the greetings at a symposium with leaders of national religious organizations in Beijing ahead of Spring Festival. Wang said that religious groups serve as a bridge for the Party and the government to unite religious figures and believers. He stressed the need to fully implement the Party's theories and policies on religious work in the new era, and to gather positive energy for the new journey and the realization of the Chinese dream. Speaking highly of the religious groups' work last year, Wang urged them to strengthen self-education. Efforts should also be made to continue enhancing the identity of the motherland, the Chinese nation and culture, the CPC, and socialism with Chinese characteristics among religious figures and believers, he said. Wang said that religious groups in China should better adapt to socialist society and the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Stressing the importance of running religious schools well, Wang said it's necessary to train both grassroots teaching staff and high-level religious talent who are well versed in classical doctrines and traditional Chinese culture. Regarding religious events during Spring Festival, Wang called for strict implementation of COVID-19 control measures and advised a reasonable reduction in the number of gatherings. Stressing that the Party and the government attach great importance to religious work, he called for related departments to support religious groups in their work and help solve their practical difficulties. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) FLATHEAD RESERVATION Tribal Council directed staff to distribute a letter to Tribal agricultural producers this month to gather feedback related to the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project (FIIP). Council is considering the creation of a joint entity with the Flathead Irrigation District, or FID, to assume operation and maintenance of FIIP through a self-governance contract with the Secretary of the Interior and the BIA. This joint CSKT-FID entity would operate FIIP like a utility responsible for making agricultural water deliveries. To help reach the Tribal ag community, were accepting thoughts through email, FIIPcomments@cskt.org Or, you can mail in written comments to: Chelsea Colwyn Legal Department P.O. Box 278 Pablo, MT 59855 Those who would like to talk with staff can also request a time to visit in person. All comments are due by March 31. We are also working on an open house at Salish Kootenai College to share more information on these issues and other topics related to the Water Compact. Notices of that open house will be out soon. Former Oregon standouts Cole Hocker, left, and Cooper Teare will make their professional debuts Saturday in the men's 3,000 meters during the Millrose Games indoor meet in New York. Cole Hocker and Cooper Teare will make their professional track debuts Saturday in New York City. Its only fitting that theyll open against each other. The former Oregon stars helped lead the Ducks to the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship last March, concluding the meet with a 1-2 finish in the 3,000-meter finale won by Hocker. Thats the event theyre entered in Saturday at The Armory for the Millrose Games, the prestigious indoor track and field meet that returns for its 114th season after having to cancel in 2021 due to COVID-19. Hocker was coming off a freshman season that also included a win in the 1,500 at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials and a sixth-place finish in Tokyo when he turned pro in September. Teare, who won the NCAA outdoor 5,000 title, competed for the Ducks during the fall cross country and then turned pro with a senior season of track still on the table. There are four other former NCAA champions entered in the race Wesley Kiptoo, Geordie Beamish, Conner Mantz and Mason Ferlic. Former Oregon standout James West is also entered. Hocker, Teare and West are just three of many former Ducks entered in the meet. Raevyn Rogers, who won bronze in the 800 at the Summer Games in August, is entered in the womens 400, two-time Olympian Devon Allen makes his season debut in the mens 60 hurdles and 2016 Olympic gold medalist English Gardner is opening her season in the 60. Jessica Hull and Charlie Hunter, Tokyo Olympians for Australia who are members of the Nike Union Athletics Club in Portland, are entered in the womens Wanamaker Mile and mens 800, respectively. Hunter, the 2021 NCAA indoor 800 champion, made his pro debut two weeks ago when he ran 1:48.29 in a meet at Texas A&M. Hull also ran in the 3,000 at that meet. Former Ducks Sam Prakel, Johnny Gregorek and Colby Alexander are entered in the mens Wanamaker Mile, as is Union Athletic Clubs Craig Engels. Other members of the Union Athletic Club expected to compete are Konstanze Klosterhalfen, Shannon Osika and Ella Donaghu in the womens Wanamaker Mile and Donavan Brazier in the mens 400. Story continues Follow Chris Hansen on Twitter @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com. For more sports coverage, visit registerguard.com. Want more stories like this? Subscribe to get unlimited access and support local journalism. The 114th Millrose Games 11:30-1:30 Saturday at The Armory in New York. TV: NBC. This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Former Oregon stars Hocker and Teare will go head-to-head in pro debut Units in Fort Braggs 82nd Airborne Division and 18th Airborne Corps are among the 8,500 troops placed on a heightened alert status because Russia might invade Ukraine, a Pentagon spokesman said. Its unclear if the status of the 82nd units is a step up from the divisions usual readiness. As part of the 82nds role as the nations Immediate Response Force, units in the division are always prepared to deploy anywhere in the world within 18 hours of notification. Paratroopers assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division conduct security as they continue to help facilitate the safe evacuation of U.S. citizens, Special Immigrant Visa applicants, and other at-risk Afghans out of Afghanistan as quickly and safely as possible from Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Aug 25. Pentagon Spokesman John F. Kirby said Thursday that Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III placed the 8,500 troops on a heightened preparedness to deploy if Russia invades Ukraine. I can say that today that these units include elements of the 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, which regularly I think you all know maintains high readiness, as well as elements of the 18th Airborne Corps, also based at Fort Bragg and some elements from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, he said, according to a transcript of a press briefing at the Pentagon. More: Russia insists it won't start war with Ukraine, NATO prepared for 'the worst': What we know Kirby said in a statement released by the Pentagon that units on alert also include parts of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell and the Fourth Infantry Division at Fort Carson. Other units also now have an increased readiness posture, the statement said. Support local journalism with a subscription to The Fayetteville Observer. Click the "subscribe'' link at the top of this article. Kirby said the forces are on a heightened preparedness to deploy but have not been activated. These units, all told, include medical support, aviation support, logistics support and of course, combat formations, he said. Most of the troops are dedicated to the NATO Response Force. The NATO website says the force is a highly ready and technologically advanced multinational force made up of land, air, maritime and Special Operations Forces components that the Alliance can deploy quickly, wherever needed, according to the statement. Story continues Kirby said U.S. officials still believe that diplomacy can end tension between Russia and Ukraine. But thus far, it has not achieved the kind of results that the international community would like to see, he said. A Pentagon spokesman said Friday that he could not be more about the specific alert status of units, including the 82nd, since the notice only told the forces to prepare to deploy. The 82nds three brigade combat teams operate on a readiness cycle that has one of three on alert, another going through a retrofit, and the third preparing to be on alert. Units from the division and other troops from Fort Bragg deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq numerous times over the past 20 years. In August, a brigade and a battalion from the 82nd were sent to Afghanistan to support the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country. The effort signified the end of a nearly 20-year mission in Afghanistan that began shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In January 2020, about 3,500 paratroopers from the 82nds 1st Brigade Combat Team and other troops were sent to the Middle East after tensions rose in the area. The move was the divisions first no-notice combat deployment in more than 30 years. The Fort Bragg soldiers were sent to the region after an airstrike in Baghdad ordered by President Donald Trump killed a top Iranian general. Some paratroopers provided security for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, which had been attacked by protesters earlier. Local news editor Steve DeVane can be reached at sdevane@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3572. This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fort Bragg troops from on alert due to possible invasion of Ukraine PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA Free at-home COVID-19 tests are coming to libraries across Prince William County on Monday, Jan. 31. If supplies last, some branches will also distribute tests on Tuesday, Feb. 1 and Wednesday, Feb. 2. The tests will be available at all library branches except for Bull Run from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 31. All branches except for the Dale City library will also distribute tests from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, if supplies last. Central, Chinn Park, Haymarket Gainesville, Manassas City, Montclair, and Potomac libraries will also distribute kits from 5:00 7:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The at-home test distribution is the latest effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the region. Currently, all Virginia localities are experiencing high levels of community transmission, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Testing is a critical piece in helping our community stay healthy and managing daily life during the pandemic, " Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chair-At-Large, Ann Wheeler said."We are so glad that we can offer these free kits to our residents. It is important that we do everything we can to support and help each other during this time." Depending on the availability of supplies, the county said they may announce more distribution times. Updates about at-home test distribution will be posted on the county's website. Before leaving home, residents are encouraged to call their local library to see if tests are still available. Some sites will provide curbside pickup, while others will require residents to enter the library. Anyone who has to go inside a library is encouraged to wear a mask. Our vision at Prince William Public Libraries is to be the hub connecting people to the transforming power of information, the library system's director, Deborah Wright, said. Sometimes information takes the form of literacy, sometimes its learning through free classes and programs, and sometimes its through providing a public service like distributing free COVID-19 test kits." Story continues Read more: Librarians To The Rescue: Scheduling Vaccines, Providing Tests Library employees will not be able to administer tests inside libraries. Instead, residents are encouraged to take the test home and complete it on their own. Anyone with questions can reach out to the testing company's customer service line, which will be shown inside the test kit. In a news release, Wright noted that unprecedented "We strive to be a community resource no matter what challenge is presented." This article originally appeared on the Manassas Patch PARIS (Reuters) - French investigators are preparing to go to Saudi Arabia soon as part of their investigation into incidents targeting French nationals that marred last month's Dakar sports car rally, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday. French RMC radio said later that a mission including French DGSI secret service agents and an investigating magistrate would travel to Saudi Arabia, where the rally was held, as soon as Saturday for several days, citing sources close to the probe. "They will be welcomed by the Saudi authorities before a first briefing on Sunday", RMC said. French anti-terrorism prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation earlier this month into an explosion under a support vehicle at the rally at the end of December, in which French race driver Philippe Boutron was seriously injured. They have also heard from witnesses about a second incident in which a support truck, belonging to the team of Franco-Italian rally competitor Camelia Liparoti, caught fire, the source confirmed to Reuters. French radio RMC said the driver heard a "boom" before the fire broke out. "A mission is planned for very soon," the source said, adding that, contrary to what has been said in some French media, "the Saudis have never been resistant" to cooperating. The source said there had been no urgency for French investigators to go on the ground because they started their probe by hearing French witnesses as they came back from Saudi Arabia. This phase of the probe is now over, the source said. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has said "there were hypotheses" that the incident, in which Boutron was injured, "was a terrorist attack". But Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry said on Jan. 8 that an initial investigation into the first blast had not raised any criminal suspicions. The source said that at this stage, Saudi Arabia's stance has not changed. Some of the witnesses debriefed upon return to France mentioned the second incident, the source said, without adding any details. The origin of the fire is unclear, Liparoti herself said on Instagram at the start of January. (Reporting by Alain Acco and Tassilo Hummel; writing by Ingrid Melander; editing by Christian Lowe, Andrew Cawthorne and Philippa Fletcher) By Andreas Rinke BERLIN (Reuters) - Russia is prepared to attack Ukraine but has not yet decided whether to do so, the head of Germany's foreign intelligence service (BND) said amid escalating tensions between Moscow and Kyiv. Russia has massed troops near Ukraine's border but says it does not plan to invade, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying on Friday that if it depended on Russia, there would be no war. The United States has spent weeks trying to build agreement with European partners on a strong sanctions package if Russia attacks.[nL1N2U80LR] "I believe that the decision to attack has not yet been made," Bruno Kahl, the head of Germany's foreign intelligence service, told Reuters in an interview. "The crisis can develop in thousands of ways," Bruno Kahl told Reuters, listing scenarios including moves to destabilise the government in Kiev or to support separatists in the east and push the demarcation line forward as possible scenarios. It was unclear whether talks underway would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin's demands. "In view of his far-reaching demands, that would be quite a trick," Kahl added. Kahl declined to comment on whether and what sanctions should be taken against Russia in the event of an attack, but he supported Germany's approach of keeping Moscow in the dark about what moves it might have in store. "That's what Putin does," Kahl said. He also expressed doubt about the viability of a lasting alliance between Russia and China as the interests of the two countries were too different. "In the long run, the Russian bear will not feel comfortable in the claws of the Chinese dragon," he said. Putin is due travel to China next month to hold talks with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, with the focus mostly on European security and Russia's dialogue with NATO and the United States. (Reporting by Andreas Rinke; Writing by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Thomas Escritt and Chizu Nomiyama) Vaccine administration. KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images Over ten billion vaccine doses have now been administered globally, representing a new milestone in the fight against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, The New York Times reports. That said, however, the achievement does not arrive without its shortcomings; though "10 billion doses could theoretically have meant at least one shot for all of the world's 7.9 billion people," distribution has, in reality, meant anything but, notes the Times. In wealthy countries, 77 percent of people have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine, versus less than 10 percent in low-income countries. Even as the U.S. and parts of Europe build out their booster campaigns to fight the Omicron variant, "more than one-third of the world's people, many of them in Africa and poor pockets of Asia, are still waiting for a first dose." "Ten billion doses is a triumph of science but a complete failure of global solidarity," Madhukar Pai, a professor of epidemiology at McGill University, told the Times. For example, the U.S. has administered "five times as many extra shots about 85 million as the total number of doses administered in all of Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation." Despite the World Health Organization's global sharing initiative, Covax, disparities remain perhaps at least in part because rich countries have not agreed to waive IP restrictions, or pressured drug companies to "share their technology so that poorer nations can manufacture doses locally," per the Times. "We have learned through this pandemic that charity does not work in global health, and charity is not the same as justice," Pai added. "And that is what countries are looking for a just approach to be able to save themselves." You may also like New poll shows Biden's standing with Georgia voters 'has fallen off a cliff' The spectacular risk of cryptocurrency investing The fantasy of a Trump-slaying Republican The San Antonio Police Department is asking for the San Angelo publics assistance in the January 1, 2021 murder investigation of Army Staff Sergeant Jessica Ann Mitchell, according to a news release. Homicide Detectives believe that an individual or individuals in the San Angelo area may have information in Mitchell's murder investigation. On Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, Mitchell was celebrating New Years Eve with friends at the 4th Quarter Sports Bar, 8779 Wurzbach, in San Antonio. Sometime after 2 a.m., Mitchell left the bar in her 2019 white Dodge Charger alone, a news release stated. A screen shot shows a red SUV detectives with the San Antonio Police Department are trying to locate in the murder investigation of Army Staff Sergeant Jessica Ann Mitchell. Detectives are asking for the publics assistance in the San Angelo area. Mitchell was traveling eastbound on IH-10 and had just passed the Vance Jackson exit when detectives believe someone in a red vehicle opened fire and struck the driver side of her vehicle, a news release stated. Mitchell may have swerved into the red vehicle causing minor damage. She was shot several times, according to the news release. Mitchell was transported to the hospital where she passed away at approximately 3:21 am. Others are reading: Don't be fooled by police impersonators. Here's what to do if stopped by an unmarked car. The San Antonio Police Department is asking for the publics assistance in the San Angelo area in the January 1, 2021 murder investigation of Army Staff Sergeant Jessica Ann Mitchell. Homicide Detectives are asking for the publics assistance in the San Angelo area. Crime Stoppers and the U.S. Army CID is offering a combined $30,000 reward leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for Mitchells murder. You can remain anonymous. If anyone has any information on this vehicle or the case, they are urged to call Crime Stoppers at 210-224-STOP, reference case SAPD 21-000072. John Tufts covers enterprise and investigative topics in West Texas. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: Reward offered in death of Texas Army Staff Sgt. Jessica Ann Mitchell Isaac Turner took over this month as Hutto's new interim city manager after the previous city manager left because he could not commit to moving his family to the city, officials said. They said the city is searching nationally for a new city manager with the help of a search firm. The process is expected to take several months. Turner was the city manager of Taylor from 2014 to 2019, according to a city of Hutto news release. "In addition to managing comparably sized cities in Florida for a decade, in Texas he managed the city of McKinney from 1997 to 2000 after holding an executive-level position with the city of Dallas for several years," the release said. READ: Hutto names Hutmacher as new city manager It said Turner earned a masters degree in public administration from the University of Kansas and a bachelors degree in political science from Kansas State University. Isaac Turner began as the new interim city manager for Hutto after the previous city manager left because he couldn't commit to moving his family to town. The town's previous city manager, Warren Hutmacher, left his position on Nov. 12 because he could not commit to moving his family to Texas, the city announced in another city news release. The Hutto City Council approved a separation agreement with Hutmacher in November that was "significantly less than his contract called for, allowing him to keep relations amicable with the city," the release said. The city paid Hutmacher $142,998, which was seven months worth of his salary and also paid $10,300 for seven months of insurance coverage for Hutmacher and his family, according to the separation agreement. Hutmacher had 22 years of experience in local government around Atlanta before he became city manager in Hutto in October 2020. We believe its important for our city manager to live in the city where we all live, Hutto Mayor Mike Snyder said in a statement. Despite Warren making headway in leading the city forward with his vision to rebuild our culture starting with hiring experienced, skilled professionals in several critical roles for the city the timing just wasnt right for him and his family." Story continues Hutmacher was the third city manager to leave Hutto since 2016. City Manager Karen Daly resigned in January 2016 after being accused of having "broken relationships" with the Hutto school district, firefighters and county officials. She was replaced by interim City Manager Micah Grau. The city chose Odis Jones, whose previous jobs included executive director of economic development for the city of Cincinnati, to be the new city manager in December 2016. Jones left in December 2019 after reaching a mutual agreement with the City Council and saying he wanted to move on to new opportunities. Jones, who is Black, sued the city in December 2020 saying he was racially discriminated against when the City Council voided his $412,000 separation agreement that month. The lawsuit is still pending. READ: Former city manager files lawsuit against Hutto after separation terms voided Charles McDaniels became the interim city manager after Jones left until the City Council selected Hutmacher as the new city manager in October 2020. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Hutto has new interim city manager after previous leader left due to family issues My own traumatic birth experience led me to pursue midwifery as a career to help other women. In 2004, a birth I attended almost ruined the profession for me. I'm still dealing with PTSD. This is a midwife's story, as told to Lauren Crosby Medlicott. I became a midwife in 1999, deciding that the degree I'd been pursuing in architecture wasn't something I felt passionately enough about not like I did about the birth of a baby. Following the traumatic delivery of my daughter when I was only 18, I knew I was meant to empower and support mothers through birth. After a three-year training course, I qualified to work as a midwife and spent most of my time on the labor ward, where I met women at their most vulnerable points and guided them through one of the most memorable experiences of their lives. Birth is the most incredible thing in the world, and I found such satisfaction in being a part of it. In 2004, after five years of practicing, I had a home-birth experience that almost ruined the profession of midwifery for me. It even came back to haunt me during the birth of my grandchild. It showed me how hard the job was: The pressure is huge, and you literally hold moms' and babies' lives in your hands. The birth that changed it all for me It was a cold night, and one of my colleagues delivering a baby at a home in the community called me to support her as a secondary midwife. It was an odd birth from the beginning. The windows were all open, and it was freezing inside. The mom didn't want our help, and her husband was quite hostile toward me. As she progressed in labor, I quietly tried to speak to her and listen for the baby's heart rate. But she didn't make any eye contact, talk to me, or let me use the handheld Doppler to check that the baby was OK even though I continued to insist. When a woman is contracting quite strongly, there is a normal physiological reduction in oxygen through the placenta. Most babies can cope with that, but the whole point of a midwife attending a home birth is to catch any abnormalities early on. But the mom told me to get away from her. Story continues Right as the baby was about to be born, she decided to let me listen for the heart rate. It was unbelievably low. Before we knew it, we saw the top of the baby's head and prepared equipment to resuscitate it. My colleague had to do an episiotomy on the mom, who was shaking, to get the baby out quickly. The baby arrived basically dead white and floppy. I patted him down and immediately started resuscitation, desperate to get his heart rate above the 40 beats per minute it was pumping at. The paramedics came to take the baby to the hospital, and as I left, I looked around the house the blood, the cold, the shaking hands. It all imprinted on my mind. Three days later, the baby died. I treated my PTSD by attending more home births In the months that followed, I unknowingly treated the post-traumatic stress disorder caused by the event. According to the American Psychological Association, PTSD can be treated with "prolonged exposure" instead of avoiding what triggers the trauma, you're exposed to it to get over your triggers or fears. Instead of running away from home births, I requested to continue doing them, but only in an observational capacity, without the responsibility for life and death, so that I could remember that positive home-birth experiences do happen. But that night still haunted me with flashbacks in slow motion, which were triggered by nothing in particular. Even all these years later, I still have moments of panic when I replay what happened and think of all that could have been different. Recently, my daughter had a home birth and requested that I be there to support her as a mother, not as a midwife. I waited in the living room while my daughter labored, and the midwife helping came to speak to me. "The baby is crashing through the pelvis and going to be born quickly, hence why the heart rate is low," she told me. "I've called the paramedics just in case." My grandson was born flat, lifeless. He needed to be resuscitated. For those 20 minutes, when we didn't know what was going to happen, that case from all those years ago came back like a bad dream and frightened me. But my grandson was OK in the end. I'm no longer a clinical midwife. Instead, I teach the next generation of midwives. The PTSD I experienced was horrific, but I couldn't abandon the profession. The miracle of life is just too addictive to ignore. Editor's note: The midwife has remained anonymous for the privacy of her patients. Read the original article on Insider Harry Caul and The Conversation are back, listening in on a new generation of rampant, justifiable paranoia. Writer-director Francis Ford Coppolas 1974 drama came out between The Godfather (1972), the fraught and studio-undermined shooting experience of which Coppola has often called a nightmare, and The Godfather Part II (1974). Thats a trifecta rarely equaled and never bettered in contemporary film. Advertisement The Conversation returns this week in a terrific, newly struck 35 millimeter print supervised by Coppola and distributed by Rialto Pictures, playing Jan. 28 to Feb. 3 at the Music Box. Its enveloping chill feels, looks and crucially, in a story about a man who eavesdrops for a living sounds as arresting as ever. With a role originally offered to Marlon Brando, Coppolas modestly scaled masterwork turned out to be two of Gene Hackmans finest hours, in which he delineates a morally haunted surveillance experts world in incremental, barely perceptible ways, usually through action and reaction, not words. Advertisement Harry reveals little. His San Francisco apartment, furnished in the style of Early Anonymity, contains nothing of value, as he tells his building manager in a testy phone call early on, when Harry learns the manager has a key to his place. Outside Harrys place the building across the street is being razed; Coppolas script originally filled in many details and larger forces regarding whos building the new San Francisco, and how. Harry has no car, no phone, a frosty working relationship with his less fastidious fellow surveillance expert Stan, played by John Cazale. The subtly extraordinary opening sequence in The Conversation, endlessly rewatchable thanks to sound designer/editor and film editor Walter Murchs brilliant aural and visual manipulations, takes place in Union Square at lunch time. The sound wizards record fragments of conversation, from various locations and with various electronic means, between an apparent pair of young lovers (Cindy Williams of Laverne and Shirley and Coppola regular Frederic Forrest). Harry has been hired to tape their open-air rendezvous and deliver the results, for $15,000, to an unnamed businessman (Robert Duvall) and his achingly smug assistant (Harrison Ford, a year after American Graffiti). Harry doesnt know anything about their reasons for the surveillance, or care. A surveillance expert played by Gene Hackman realizes his assignment may lead to murder in "The Conversation." (Rialto Pictures / HANDOUT) What he discovers on the tapes, alone, later, at one of his three reel-to-reel recorders, suggests a crime in the making. Harrys clouded past has blood on it already. An earlier job Harry worked resulted in the murder of three people. A devout Catholic, he lives his clam-like life with all his residual guilt crammed inside the shell. Theres barely room for occasional trysts with a lover (Teri Garr), or awkward socializing with acquaintances in the bugging community (Allen Garfield plays an East Coast rival). Guided, gently, by composer David Shires solo piano fragments loneliness, crystallized The Conversation owes an acknowledged debt to Michelangelo Antonionis international 1966 sensation Blowup, as well as to Hermann Hesses Steppenwolf, with its riddle of a protagonist, isolated from society and even from himself. What Antonioni did with photography, and the notion of a sinister subplot hiding in plain sight, Coppola and Murch did with sound, and images carefully attuned to that sound. Coppola began working through the themes of The Conversation in the late 60s, when wiretapping was still legal. On The Godfather, Coppola narrowly avoided getting fired off his own movie, by firing those who were conspiring to fire him first. The Conversation may have been a smaller project, in the wake of the huge financial success of the first Godfather, but it wasnt much easier for Coppola, as he revealed in a remarkable interview with fellow filmmaker Brian De Palma. Many pages, some key to the lucidity and back story of the narrative, went unfilmed due to time and money. Many, including me, suspect the movies far richer and more troubling without those pages. Some would claim The Conversation is Coppolas most essential work a bridge between his commercial filmmaker self and the filmmaker striving for personal expression. Its rarely either/or, of course, with moviemakers who have greatness to share. Hackman often spoke of his frustrations with Harry, whom even Coppola described as a blank, a cipher. The film has its limitations: not all of the expository details are handled with equal finesse, partly because of those unfilmed pages; in this primarily male universe, the women are expendable, dismissible; and in an otherwise superb portrayal, Hackman seems ever so slightly uncertain in what he has to say, and how, in a key dream sequence. Gene Hackman is wiretapping expert Harry Caul in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Conversation." (Rialto Pictures / HANDOUT) These are small matters in a key film of its decade. (I had the good fortune to introduce it on Turner Classic Movies once.) Seeing it again in this beautiful new 35 mm print, The Conversation seems itself in conversation with an earlier San Francisco-set classic, Hitchcocks Vertigo. Like Coppolas film, Vertigo met an indifferent, vaguely mystified public reception in its initial release. The Conversation is also fully conversant in the language of 70s downbeat genre pictures with a difference. (Hackman soon went on to director Arthur Penns pungent detective tale Night Moves.) In that decade, so much modestly budgeted, modestly profitable studio work pre-Star Wars wasnt afraid to unsettle an audience, or leave it hanging, in the service of a story unconcerned with tidy solutions, or dime-store redemption. Advertisement Hackman turned out to be exactly right for Harry Caul: He gives us a formidable island, trying desperately not to be seen, or judged. The climax delves into precognition visions of horror, of Harrys own making. Nothing can be trusted, not even the recorded sounds on Harrys reel-to-reel. Its not always what you say. Its how you say it. Or hear it. The Conversation 4 stars (out of 4) MPAA rating: R (violence, language, some nudity) Running time: 1:53 How to watch: New 35mm edition runs Jan. 28-Thurs. Feb. 3, Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave.; musicboxtheatre.com. Advertisement Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic. mjphillips@chicagotribune.com Twitter @phillipstribune Big screen or home stream, takeout or dine-in, Tribune writers are here to steer you toward your next great experience. Sign up for your free weekly Eat. Watch. Do. newsletter here. The incoming director at a law and research organization at Georgetown University apologized on Friday for his tweets criticizing President Biden's commitment to selecting the first Black woman to the Supreme Court. Ilya Shapiro, the current vice president and director at the Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies at the Cato Institute who is set to assume the role of executive director for the Georgetown Center for the Constitution on Feb. 1, said the appointment could wind up being "a lesser black woman" in a tweet on Wednesday. The tweet drew widespread rebuke. "I apologize. I meant no offense, but it was an inartful tweet. I have taken it down," he tweeted. After news broke that Justice Stephen Breyer was stepping down and the president reaffirmed his campaign pledge to nominate the first Black female justice, Shapiro tweeted that if Biden followed through on that commitment, the appointment "will always have an asterisk attached. Fitting that the Court takes up affirmative action next term," according to The Washington Post, which reviewed the now-deleted tweets. In a separate tweet, Shapiro said a better pick would be Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. "Objectively best pick for Biden is Sri Srinivasan, who is solid prog & v smart. Even has identify politics benefit of being first Asian (Indian) American," he tweeted, according to the Post. "But alas doesn't fit into the latest intersectionality hierarchy so we'll get lesser black woman." Another tweet included a poll asking whether Biden was racist, sexist, both or neither for selecting a Black woman. The tweets drew criticism, including among Shapiro's future colleagues. "The tweets' suggestion that the best Supreme Court nominee could not be a Black woman and their use of demeaning language are appalling," said Bill Treanor, the dean of Georgetown Law, in a message to students, according to Reuters. Story continues Shapiro has also come under fire for other comments on race. The law administrator criticized affirmative action, speaking recently against it on a video at the Cato Institute regarding a Supreme Court challenge against the University of North Carolina on whether universities can use race as a factor in the admissions process. And after Justice Sonia Sotomayor was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2009 by then-President Obama, Shapiro called the move "identity politics" in a CNN column. Jordan Peterson, a Canadian academic and philosopher popular among the alt-right, has come in for heavy criticism following an appearance on Tuesday on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. On the show, Mr Peterson made basic errors speaking about global heating and declared theres no such thing as climate." And in responding to outrage from scores of climate scientists, he has noted that his information came in part from a climate-denier who has accepted funding from right-wing billionaires and oil interests. The fracas began on the show, the top podcast in the nation, with an estimated audience of 11 million listeners, when the Canadian psychology professor argued that the complexity of the world rendered modelling climate change impossible. Another problem that bedevils climate modelling, too, which is that as you stretch out the models across time, the errors increase radically. And so maybe you can predict out a week or three weeks or a month or a year, but the farther out you predict, the more your model is in error, he said. And thats a huge problem when youre trying to model over 100 years because the errors compound just like interest. Actual climate experts quickly condemned these statements as a word salad of nonsense , based on a basic error conflating infinitely variable weather with straightforwardly predictable climate. Responding to the criticisms, Mr Peterson cited the book Hot Talk, Cold Science: Global Warmings Unfinished Debate, by S Fred Singer, on Twitter on Thursday. Singer, who died in 2020, was the founder of the Science and Environment Policy Project, a climate-sceptic advocacy group that received funding from the Heartland Institute, a think tank backed by oil interests, ExxonMobil, and the Koch family, as Desmog reports . Singer held a number of deeply fringe views on climate society, calling human climate emissions trivial and criticising the UNs Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, considered the worlds foremost authority on climate science, which makes peer-reviewed findings based on the work of the best climate scientists around the globe. Story continues The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has to provide proof for significant human-caused climate change; yet their climate models have never been validated and are rapidly diverging from actual observations, Singer wrote in an article in 2016. In fact, as climate scientists have noted, models have been accurately predicting the climate crisis for decades on end. For what its worth, we have been projecting future warming since the first climate models in the late 1960s/early 1970s, wrote climate scientist and IPCC contributor Zeke Hausfather on Twitter this week. We can look back to see how well they have performed. It turns out our models generally did a good job. For what its worth, we have been projecting future warming since the first climate models in the late 1960s/early 1970s. We can look back to see how well they have performed. It turns out our models generally did a good job: https://t.co/xxi1BgiDO0 pic.twitter.com/Ehan82kHFc Dr. Zeke Hausfather (@hausfath) January 26, 2022 Back in the early 1970s, scientists were building simple climate models and they hypothesised that rising greenhouse gas emissions would warm the planet, added Dr Simon Evans, policy editor at Carbon Brief, in DeSmog. Well, the results are in , and those scientists were right. Not only that, those models and other more recent ones have been pretty accurate in estimating how much warming we would get. Jordan Petersons statements are making the ancient climate sceptic error of mixing up weather and climate, Professor Steve Sherwood, of the Climate Change Research Centre at the University of New South Wales, told The Guardian. [Petersons] argument is like saying we cant predict whether a pot of water on a flame will boil, because we decide in advance what variables to put in our model, and cant predict each bubble, he said . The Independent has reached out to Jordan Peterson for comment. The Joe Rogan podcast on Spotify has increasingly come in for criticism on all sides, due to its frequent airing of fringe opinions on Covid and other vital topics, inspiring rock legend Neil Young to boycott the platform and remove his music until the coronavirus misinformation was removed. Two months after he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence on Interstate 70, Kansas Rep. Aaron Coleman was charged with two traffic infractions, and no DUI. Last week, the Douglas County District Attorney charged Coleman with exceeding maximum speed limits and failing to yield to emergency vehicles. The charges, which were not publicly announced, were first reported Thursday by FOX 4 Kansas City. Coleman is also facing charges for misdemeanor battery in Johnson County. The 21-year-old Kansas City Democrat, who has a long history of alleged abusive and erratic behavior, was arrested in the early hours of Nov. 27 for speeding and failing to yield to a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper. When the trooper observed signs of impairment a field sobriety test was performed but results were not released as they were part of a pending investigation. The Highway Patrol did not immediately respond to questions Friday and why they suspected Coleman of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol. According to court records, Coleman was driving 92 miles per hour in a 75-mile-per-hour zone and failed to immediately yield when the trooper tried to pull him over. The highway patrol said in November that Coleman exited the highway before pulling over. In a court record last month, prosecutors said they were awaiting test results from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation before filing charges. A spokesperson for the Douglas County District Attorneys office said Friday that Coleman faced no further charges. Coleman is scheduled to appear in court for an arraignment in April. State law prevents prosecutors from requiring him to appear in court over misdemeanor charges while the Legislature is in session. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been calling for Colemans resignation for months. In a statement Friday, Joseph Le, chief of staff for House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, said that position hadnt changed. We stand by our previous statements and continue to encourage the Representative to seek appropriate mental health support and resign, Le said. Story continues Coleman is also facing charges for misdemeanor battery in Johnson County. According to court records he allegedly pushed, spit on and hit his brother before threatening to physically attack his grandfather in October. The representative is seeking diversion in that case and is scheduled to appear in court next week. Prosecutors said last month they believed his Douglas County arrest made him ineligible for diversion, a process in which defendants agree to a set of conditions in lieu of prosecution. House investigation The twin criminal cases triggered an investigation in the Kansas House of Representatives that could result in the 21-year-old Democrats censure or expulsion. Rep. John Barker, an Abilene Republican running the inquiry, said Friday he is taking a wait and see posture with the investigation and wants to see the criminal cases against Coleman conclude before acting. This could mean any action wouldnt occur until after the end of the Legislative session. His two-year term ends in early 2023. Barker said he planned to confer with the ranking democrat on the committee, Lawrence Rep. Boog Highberger, and determine next steps. He said he didnt want to act without full information and that the decision to charge for traffic infraction, rather than DUI, reduced the severity of the allegations. Theres no hurry to go forward, Barker said. This is the second time Coleman has faced possible expulsion from the Legislature. An investigative committee was formed following a complaint last year alleging a pattern of abusive behavior toward women. Though lawmakers at the time found the allegations against Coleman including physical abuse of an ex-girlfriend to be credible, they did not take action because his behavior occurred before he took office. Since joining the House, however, Coleman has been arrested twice and was banned from the Kansas Department of Labor premises after he berated a security guard. Coleman is the third Kansas lawmaker to face criminal charges this year but the only one to face a formal Legislative investigation. Rep. Mark Samsel, a Wellsville Republican, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after he allegedly kicked a student in the groin while substitute teaching. Sen. Gene Suellentrop, a Wichita Republican, drove the wrong way down Interstate 70 in Topeka while drunk. He pleaded guilty in October to driving under the influence and reckless driving. Both remain in office. His body was reportedly found in a park in McLean, Virginia The mayor of the City of Hyattsville in Maryland, an urban area outside of Washington, D.C., has reportedly died by suicide at age 44. Mayor Kevin Ward died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound Tuesday, the New York Post reported. No additional details about his death have been publicly released. Credit: City of Hyattsville. It is with great sadness that we report that our beloved Hyattsville Mayor Kevin Ward passed away yesterday, January 25, from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, a post on the official website for Hyattsville said on Wednesday. Mayor Ward was a valued and trusted leader and a fierce advocate for all the people of Hyattsville. We are heartbroken at this loss and extend our deepest sympathy to his family. Wards body was found in Fort Marcy, a park in McLean, Virginia, by United States Park Police officers, according to the report. The First Lady and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Hyattsville Mayor Kevin Ward, Marylands Republican Gov. Larry Hogan tweeted. We extend our most heartfelt condolences to the Ward family and the people of Hyattsville as they grieve this tragic loss. My heart is with Mayor Wards family and the people of Hyattsville after the loss of this dedicated, thoughtful and fiercely passionate public servant, Rep. Anthony Brown, who represents Marylands Fourth District, said on Twitter. My heart is with Mayor Wards family and the people of Hyattsville after the loss of this dedicated, thoughtful and fiercely passionate public servant If you or someone you know is struggling, you arent alone and help is available. The National Suicide Hotline is 1-800-273-8255 https://t.co/IlKgwCrpw3 Anthony Brown (@RepAnthonyBrown) January 26, 2022 We are so heartbroken and devastated to learn of the passing of Hyattsville Mayor Kevin Ward, Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks said on Twitter. Mayor Ward was an outstanding leader for the residents of Hyattsville and deeply loved his City. Story continues In a follow-up tweet, Alsobrooks added: He was a wonderful partner in serving the needs of all our residents, and he accomplished so much for Hyattsville during his time as a Councilmember and his time as Mayor. We will continue to uplift his family, friends and loved ones in our prayers during this difficult time. He was a wonderful partner in serving the needs of all our residents, and he accomplished so much for Hyattsville during his time as a Councilmember and his time as Mayor. We will continue to uplift his family, friends and loved ones in our prayers during this difficult time. County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (@CEXAlsobrooks) January 26, 2022 State Del. Nicole Williams (MD-22) tweeted, I am so sad to hear this news. Mayor Ward was more than just a municipal leader in my District, he was my friend. My heart is heavy right now. His partner and his children are in my prayers right now. I am so sad to hear this news. Mayor Ward was more than just a municipal leader in my District, he was my friend. My heart is heavy right now. His partner and his children are in my prayers right now. https://t.co/jDPNVpJPAb Nicole Williams (@nwilliams23) January 26, 2022 State Del. Alonzo T. Washington (MD-22) said: I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my friend and City of Hyattsville Mayor Kevin Ward. Kevin was a wonderful friend, father, husband, and fierce advocate for the citys residents. I want to extend my deepest condolences to his family. He will be sorely missed. City Council Vice President Robert Croslin will serve as the citys interim mayor, according to FOX Baltimore. Ward served as interim mayor in 2019 before being elected in 2021. He leaves behind a husband and two sons. Per the citys official website, community members in need of grief counseling or mental health support are encouraged to contact Community Crisis Services, Inc.: dial 211 and press 1 or call 800-273-TALK; or the Affiliated Sante Group crisis support line: 301-429-2185. Have you subscribed to theGrio podcasts Dear Culture or Acting Up? Download our newest episodes now! TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Download theGrio.com today! The post Kevin Ward, Hyattsville mayor, dies by apparent suicide appeared first on TheGrio. In one Minnetonka, Minnesota, kindergarten classroom, the children chose loving as their one-word resolution for 2022. And as a now-viral photo snapped during a lesson on Martin Luther King Jr. shows, the students are living that message of love in the best way they know how. We were watching a video "My First Biography Scholastic Read-Aloud" about Martin Luther King Jr. It was read aloud on Youtube by Ms. Clarks Reading Corner with added footage of MLK, Gatewood Elementary School kindergarten teacher Katie Schmidt told TODAY. Earlier in the week we had a discussion about what they already knew about MLK and we read a book, so they knew a little about him. The story, Schmidt said, was simply written and very age-appropriate. The students took the lesson to heart. As they watched the footage of Martin Luther King Jr., a Black child and a white child embraced. Special education paraprofessional Line Kuether caught the moment on camera. It was such a profound moment that brought tears to our eyes, said Schmidt. We felt it should be captured. It was so beautiful and our staff is so committed to embracing diversity that we shared it with our staff. From there, our principal saw its beauty, then the district and now apparently, the world. The photo has been shared on Facebook more than 80,000 times. The teachers told TODAY that social-emotional learning is a top priority in their classroom. In addition to being loving toward one another, the school as a whole focuses on kindness. As the teachers provide lessons to the children, the kids are also teaching the adults at Gatewood Elementary. The two of us [were] reminded of the empathy children have and how they are capable of sharing innocence and friendship, Schmidt said. The world of Bombshell is populated with familiar faces playing familiar faces; in addition to Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly and Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson, youll catch actors including Richard Kind playing Rudy Giuliani and John Lithgow as Fox News head Roger Ailes. Advertisement But for maximum impact with minimum screen time, it's Alanna Ubach who stands out as Fox News star Jeanine Pirro. She is an Ailes defender and in one particularly tense scene, Pirro confronts Kelly over her refusal to publicly support their embattled boss. Ubach is a familiar face from such shows as Girlfriends Guide to Divorce and a familiar voice for her role as Mama Imelda in Coco. Shell next be seen in the Fox series Filthy Rich opposite Kim Cattrall. Advertisement Ubach said: "I was called into just another audition, I had absolutely no idea who Jeanine Pirro was back then. I had exactly 24 hours to bring her to life. I had known Jay Roach from Meet the Fockers, and I thought, If hes gonna be there, Im just gonna go all out. I had the false eyelashes, the pantyhose, push-up bra, the chicken cutlets and the hooker heels on. I went to town. "The fortunate thing about playing a famous person in 2019 is you just have to Google them and watch videos. I watched her footage for hours. Then I finally came across this TMZ footage of her being bothered at the airport and I really saw who she was behind closed doors. If I just played celebrity Jeanine Pirro, the one whos in interviews, then it was going to come across very SNL. This was Charles Randolph writing the script and were going to want to see what shes like behind closed doors. So thank God for that footage. "There was also a Lebanese publication shes Lebanese where she was just an open book. They asked her a lot of questions about her youth and she talked about how insecure she was going to an all-Catholic school in upstate New York. She was the only Lebanese girl at this school. I think that had a lot to do with her finally becoming who she became. She had a lot of drive. John Lithgow, left, and Alanna Ubach in a scene from "Bombshell." (Hilary Bronwyn Gayle) "My main scene is with Charlize Theron where Jeanine confronts Megyn to support Roger. I like to call Charlize the Charlie Parker of acting. She was amazing and made up to look so much like Megyn Kelly. It was a scene at the end of the day and I thought to myself, 'I better nail this because I know she's dying to go home and take all that makeup off.' She brings it every single time. It's amazing to watch and be a part of. My job is to use substitution. Im extremely liberal, so for me to say these lines and defend someone I myself would never defend in a million years, is to substitute. So the child-immigration horror is something that I used. I had to defend something that I wholeheartedly believed in. It really did occupy my brain and soul the entire time. It was the only thing I could stand behind and believe its wrong, it should be illegal, its terrifying. So I thought of children being separated at a border and imagined that Megyn Kelly was for it. LAS CRUCES Las Cruces Public Schools and Gadsden Independent School District have each asked the state to provide substitute teachers through the National Guard. New Mexico this year began a program putting members of the New Mexico National Guard through substitute training and placing Guardsmen and Guardswomen in classrooms to help mitigate teacher shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Weve heard from multiple districts that a lack of substitute teachers is among the most critical staffing issues right now, and theyve asked for the states support," said New Mexico Public Education Department Secretary Kurt Steinhaus in a Jan. 19 news. This "Supporting Teachers and Families" initiative asks both National Guard members and state employees to substitute teach to help keep schools in-person. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham volunteered as a substitute teacher in an elementary classroom Wednesday. The Associated Press reports that New Mexico is the first state in the country to ask National Guard members to work in schools. Source NM reported Monday that 59 National Guard volunteers completed preliminary background checks and licensure to begin substituting in classrooms. Earlier this week, Farmington, Bloomfield, Aztec, Clovis, Portales, Las Vegas, Questa, Raton, Springer, Hondo, Silver City, Cobre, Deming, Alamogordo, Loving, Hagerman, Artesia, Hobbs, Los Lunas, Moriarty and Estancia received volunteers. In Dona Ana County, LCPS and GISD have each asked for support, while Hatch Valley Public Schools is nearly fully staffed. LCPS hopes to get National Guard subs soon LCPS, the second largest district in the state, is doing what it can to balance vacancies through the pandemic. Prospective Las Cruces Public Schools substitute teachers apply for substitute teaching licenses Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, the first of a two-day event to address a severe substitute teacher shortage in the district. LCPS said 238 people participated in the event. In August, the district had a pool of just 129 substitute teachers. Ideally, it would have about 1,000 subs. Using different strategies over the next six months, the district brought the number of subs available to 700. "We were doing pretty good before the Christmas break, we had a lot of positions filled, and we also were able to get a lot of long-term and permanent substitutes in place," said Coordinator of Human Resources Jeff Spaletta. "But in the last few weeks, things have gotten a little bit worse as far as the new virus (variant) and quarantines." Story continues LCPS has reached out to the National Guard for substitute support. Spaletta said there's no target number of volunteers in mind. LCPS will be happy to accept any aid it can. Spaletta said he learned through communicating with the PED and National Guard that the initiative's goal was to help rural school districts first. Any National Guard member who wishes to volunteer as a substitute will go through a background check and the substitute licensure process. Once that is complete, they will be sent to the district they are assigned. The state will be accommodating them in a hotel or other living situation while they are helping the district. Spaletta said once LCPS receives a National Guard member, the district will put them through a five-hour onboarding process. "(The state) told me that they would consider us for this week, so I haven't heard back from them yet," he said Wednesday. Spaletta said high schools have the greatest need for subs right now, but will look at which schools to prioritize when volunteers come in. LCPS has 189 vacancies, LCPS Chief Human Resource Officer Miguel Serrano told the school board on Jan. 18. Out of over 3,000 employees, this is a 6 percent vacancy rate. The district has 23 teacher vacancies, 46 educational assistant vacancies, 19 custodial vacancies, three maintenance worker vacancies, 10 secretary vacancies and 88 nutritional service staff vacancies. "We spread out our workforce to make sure that every campus has enough people to do the work," Serrano said. "We reallocate our resources, but we are definitely trying with with our current job fair to fill all of them up." LCPS continually hosts virtual job fairs. To find out more information, contact Spaletta at 575-636-8786 or email jspaletta@lcps.net. Gadsden Independent School District seeks substitutes from National Guard GISD, which serves students in southern Dona Ana County, is the fourth-largest district in the state. Out of about 1,900 staff members, there around 64 vacancies, a 3.4 percent vacancy rate. "We have a lot of turnover historically, and even more so now," said Superintendent Travis Dempsey. Currently, GISD has 19 teacher vacancies, 17 instructional aide vacancies, 13 custodial vacancies, 15 nutritional staff vacancies and a couple of nurse vacancies, according to Dempsey. Dempsey noted there has been a sharp increase in mid-year teacher retirements, even compared to last academic year. He said this could largely be due to the seemingly never-ending pandemic. "I really do think COVID has had an impact onon our teachers," Dempsey said. "I think those that might have (retired) had the pandemic not occurred probably would have kept going. I think right now, it feels like it's too big a risk at some level." Dempsey said that this increase in retirements is "more or less" driving the school to seek assistance from the National Guard. The district has applied for 30 National Guard volunteers to substitute, but Dempsey said he will take whatever the state can offer. Las Cruces Public Schools had 238 people complete background checks and apply for their substitute teaching licenses amidst a severe substitute teacher shortage on Sept. 1 and 2, 2021. "We've actually be able to increase our sub pool over the course of the last two years, but I think the piece there is the quarantines," Dempsey said. "I could have a school with 0 students positive, but if I get 45 percent of that staff in quarantine, I can't supervise kids. Then we have to shift to remote. That factor has hit us really hard." Since school resumed in early January, GISD has had to move 11 different schools remote for brief periods. Hatch Valley Public Schools balances staff In the northern part of the county, Hatch Valley Public Schools Superintendent Michael Chavez said the district is doing okay as far as vacancies go. Out of 197 staff members, there are only six open positions, a 3 percent vacancy rate. HVPS is by far the smallest district in Dona Ana County, with about 1,200 students enrolled, compared to GISD's 12,600 and LCPS' 23,800. "Currently, we are very fortunate to be fully staffed with our teaching positions," HVPS Superintendent Michael Chavez wrote in an email. "I do have one long-term sub in a classroom however, we are not looking to replace that position this school year. All of our open positions are support positions." HVPS is looking to hire three educational assistants, one bus driver and one custodian. The district also has one special education teaching position vacant. HVPS has not made a decision on whether they will ask for National Guard assistance. Miranda Cyr, a Report for America corps member, can be reached at mcyr@lcsun-news.com or @mirandabcyr on Twitter. Show your support for the Report for America program at https://bit.ly/LCSNRFA. This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Las Cruces, Gadsden school districts seek National Guard substitutes Lawrence County has officially joined the America250PA commission, which will be used to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nation, as well as to celebrate all the achievements Pennsylvania has made to the nation. NEW CASTLE Lawrence County has officially joined the Pennsylvania Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial, also known as America250PA. County commissioners officially agreed to have the county join the commission. The America250PA commission was established by the state Legislature and Gov. Tom Wolf in 2018, to plan, encourage, develop and coordinate the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, Pennsylvanias integral role in that event, and the impact of its people on the nations past, present, and future. More: America250PA website Ginny Jacob, the assistant director for Visit Lawrence County, said this commission is part of the larger, nationwide America250, with each state expected to have its own celebratory commission to plan celebratory events for each states accomplishments and achievements. She added Pennsylvania was the first to set up its own commission. According to the commission website, america250pa.org, the commission hopes to have the support of leaders and residents of all 67 counties, as events are planned over the next five years. Patrick Burns, the president and CEO of Metro Philly Management consulting firm, serves as the chairman of the commission, with Wolf, and former governors Tom Corbett, Ed Rendell, Tom Ridge and Mark Schweiker serving as honorary co-chairs. More: List of commission members Nicholas Vercilla is a staff reporter for the Ellwood City Ledger. He can be reached at nvercilla@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Ellwood City Ledger: Lawrence County joins America250PA Commission Lawrence County recently received $1.25 million, through the Pennsylvania HOME Investment Partnership Program, to support affordable housing. Gov. Tom Wolf recently announced Lawrence County will receive $1.25 million, through the Pennsylvania HOME Investment Partnership Program, to support affordable housing. HOME is a federally funded program that provides municipalities with grant and loan assistance to expand and preserve the supply of decent and affordable housing for low and very low-income Pennsylvanians. Of that funding, $500,000 will be going to Union Township for existing owner-occupied housing, with the other $750,000 going to other existing owner-occupied housing in the county. Both of these funding programs are in partnership with the Lawrence County Community Action Partnership (LCCAP). LCCAP CEO Thomas Scott said this funding, as well as other funding sources the county has received, will be used to help with housing availability in the county and to also establish more housing units in the county for those in need. In May 2021, Ellwood City was awarded $500,000, in HOME funding, that would be used to rehabilitate 12 owner-occupied homes in the borough. Nicholas Vercilla is a staff reporter for the Beaver County Times and Ellwood City Ledger. He can be reached at nvercilla@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Ellwood City Ledger: Lawrence County receives $1.25 million for affordable housing Typing on a keyboard On Jan. 13 the Herald-Times reported that Monroe County had moved into Indiana's red advisory level, the most serious level on the state's COVID-19 dashboard. The surge from the omicron variant, which arose in Africa, has demonstrated yet again that America cannot protect itself from the pandemic while low- and middle-income countries remain unprotected. The United Nations, with United States leadership, has set a goal of vaccinating 70% of the world's population by September 2022. It is estimated that this will cost $63 billion and that low- and middle-income countries can pay $20 billion of it. The United States' proportionate share of the remainder is $17 billion. President Joe Biden should request that Congress include $17 billion for that purpose in its 2022 spending bill. U.S. Sens. Todd Young and Mike Braun and U.S. Rep. Trey Hollingsworth should do everything in their power to support that investment. Gene Arnholt, Bloomington This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Letter: Support bill funding vaccinations abroad A teenager found guilty of committing multiple sexual assaults in multiple Loudoun County, Va. schools will not have to register as a sex offender after Judge Pamela Brooks reversed an earlier ruling on Friday. The teenager, a 15-year-old, is set remain on probation in a juvenile detention facility until his 18th birthday. He was found guilty on multiple counts earlier this month, when Brooks had originally sentenced him to both probation and a spot on the sex offender registry. His lawyers have claimed that he is being unfairly penalized as a result of a national media outcry. The case was first reported on by the Daily Wire, and became a focus of the Virginia gubernatorial campaign last fall. One of the victims parents alleged that the Loudoun County School Board and administration had covered up the first of the teenagers assaults. After that incident, the culprit was moved to another school, where the second incident occurred. His lawyers had argued that the teen has been cheated by the failure of the system, and suggested that placement on the sex registry would get in the way of his rehabilitation Judge Brooks explained the change in sentencing by asserting that this court made an error in my initial ruling. The court is not vain enough to think its perfect, but I want to get it right, and citing data showing the continued development of the male brain through the age of 27. Loudoun County Commonwealth Attorney Buta Biberaj had argued that he be placed on the registry for the communitys protection, while acknowledging that it might harm his future prospects. More from National Review A 15-year high school reunion followed by a house party ends with the host dead at the bottom of his cliffside abode in the comedic whodunit The Afterparty on Apple TV+. Coming on the heels of Knives Out and Only Murders in the Building, we seem to have a modest murder mystery resurgence on our hands and nothing could make me a devotee of Murder, She Wrote still to this day (with episodes a-piled on my DVR) any happier. Its as if the shows creators put 1997s Romy and Micheles High School Reunion in a blender with Agatha Christie and, voila, may I interest you in The Afterparty? Or as I prefer to think of it: Murder on the Millennial Express. Tiffany Haddish arrives, eyes narrowed, as the ambitious police detective called to the scene. Dave Franco is the not-so-dearly departed homeowner. And an assortment of comedy ringers play his old classmates including Sam Richardson, Ilana Glazer, Ike Barinholtz, Zoe Chao and Ben Schwartz all of whom become potential suspects. Advertisement If The Afterparty lacks a tight storytelling structure, thats because theres a gimmick framing this eight-part series from executive producers Christopher Miller and Phil Lord: Each episode emulates the tropes of a different genre, be it rom-com, horror, muscle car action, animation or musical. Each episode also zeros in on a different characters memory of the night, Rashomon-style, as they are interrogated by Haddishs increasingly exasperated Detective Danner, and they become more humanized in the process. Its a compelling mashup of tropes not only on an episode level but on a character level, because the show is also playing around with high school archetypes; maybe the bully isnt as aggro as everyone assumed, and maybe the frazzled one-time ace student hasnt gone entirely off the deep end in adulthood. Advertisement Tiffany Haddish plays the ambitious police detective who interrogates the party guests. (Aaron Epstein/Apple TV+ ) Its a hoot and the variety of it all feels of a piece with Lord and Millers creative output as writers, directors and producers, which is so joyously informed by pop cultural literacy and spans a gamut from 21 Jump Street to The Lego Movie to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The heart and soul of The Afterparty is Richardsons Aniq, your classic nice guy with a low-key charisma whose self-confidence could use a boost (he designs escape rooms for a living; love this detail). Hes hoping to reconnect with this old crush, Zoe, who is now the schools vice principal. Played by Chao, she is the lovely woman in the room all the guys want to be with, including her ex-husband Brett, an intense meathead in a leather jacket, played by Barinholtz. Then theres Schwartz as Aniqs best pal Yasper, an aspiring musician who makes his living installing home sound systems his is the musical episode, with a song that zings a certain number from Hamilton in the most perfectly awkward way possible: We all get one shot, twice, he sings. In other words we get two shots and Glazer plays Chelsea, who is best described as a person going through some things the night of the reunion. Ben Schwartz and Sam Richardson in The Afterparty." (Aaron Epstein/Apple TV+) The object of their collective scorn and polite fascination is Francos Xavier, a guy who didnt stand out much as a teenager but blossomed into an obnoxious and skeezy pop star high on his own supply of overconfidence. He shows up at the reunion via helicopter, in a suit but no shirt, and proceeds to slime his way through the gymnasium before inviting everyone back to his swanky house for the titular after-party. Franco is very funny here and were treated to a brief montage of Xaviers career highlights, which includes a Daryl Hall and John Oates biopic co-starring Channing Tatum in a cameo, and all I can say is the blond feathered wig they put on Francos head is a thing of beauty because its so alarmingly accurate to Halls look in the 70s and I love that so much care has been given to a throwaway joke about Xaviers ridiculous career. That he was likely pushed to his death is shocking to his former classmates, but no one at the party seems too broken up about it. The semi-hapless Aniq becomes the initial suspect, which compels him to quietly launch his own investigation on the side to clear his name (if anyone knows a thing about clues, its the guy who designs escape rooms) along with Yaspers enthusiastic wingman assistance. Richardson was such a standout during his years with Second City in Chicago and Im happy whenever hes on screen, regardless of the project, hes just that kind of actor who brings a wonderful energy to whatever hes in. Hes usually in supporting roles (notably his breakout performance in Veep) but here hes carrying so much of the story and its clear that he can and really should be a leading man more often going forward. Dave Franco in The Afterparty." (Aaron Epstein/Apple TV+) I also like how the show has conceived of Chaos pretty girl archetype. You understand why everyone is drawn to her shes smart and funny and nice to everyone, but shes not the blandly boring It Girl that tends to be the object of affection in these types of stories. Shes a fully developed character with her own desires and insecurities and she doesnt take herself too seriously. Chaos performance is just complicated enough to keep us guessing as to what shes really thinking. Schwartz is also a lot of fun here, more or less serving as Aniqs hype man, as is Barinholtz, who finds the doofy vulnerability buried within in this numbskull who used to rule the campus. Theres also an episode that flashes back to their senior year in 2006 wherein many of the dynamics among this group are very different and suddenly were in Cant Hardly Wait territory. All of these references Ive mentioned arent Easter eggs so much as the collective influence of pop cultures past being incorporated into something new and all its own. Advertisement In her autobiography, Agatha Christie noted that, It is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize how much you love them. Funny, that also happens to be one of the more subtle but persistent themes of the show itself. Second City alum Sam Richardson in The Afterparty." (Aaron Epstein/Apple TV+) The Afterparty 3 stars (out of 4) Where to watch: Apple TV+ Nina Metz is a Tribune critic nmetz@chicagotribune.com What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. Sign up for our Eat. Watch. Do. newsletter here. Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball with daughter Lucie Arnaz (left); Javier Bardem playing bongos (right). Bettmann/Getty Images; Rich Fury/Getty Images Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's daughter Lucie Arnaz initially thought Javier Bardem was "too big" and "magnificent" to play her dad. Lucie said she eventually saw that Bardem had the "gravitas" she felt was needed to play Arnaz. By the end of "Being the Ricardos," Lucie said she was "in tears" because she felt "grateful" for Bardem's moving portrayal. Casting Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz for Aaron Sorkin's film "Being the Ricardos" was a complicated endeavor. The couple's daughter, Lucie Arnaz, who executive produced the film with her brother Desi Arnaz Jr., once said she "couldn't have taken it" if Nicole Kidman looked too much like her mother. But she revealed in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter that she felt differently when considering Javier Bardem for the part of her father. In a joint interview with Bardem, Lucie admitted that when someone first mentioned casting Bardem as Arnaz, she thought: "Oh, he's too big, he's too magnificent." "My father was slimmer, he was a wisp of a thing compared to Javier, and then I said: 'Their profiles are different. Geez, I don't know,'" she continued. But as time went by, no one else felt right for the part, according to Lucie. "My dad was so complicated and incredibly multifaceted," she said. "His personality and his talents, to pull that off, you have to have a certain amount of maturity, a certain gravitas, if you will." Javier Bardem. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Lucie explained that Arnaz had been through "revolutions" and built his life in the US from "absolutely nothing." The actor who played him in Sorkin's film would also have to have Arnaz's instincts, humor, and charm, she said. She wasn't convinced Bardem could embody her father, even though she was "a huge fan" of his previous work. Then, someone sent Lucie footage of Bardem being interviewed that completely changed her mind. "I went, 'That's my dad. Wow, oh my God, that's my dad,'" she recalled, pointing to the "charm," "effusiveness," and "joy" Bardem shared with Arnaz. Story continues Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Michael Ochs/Getty "He loved living, he loved the world. He loved the ocean and fishing and music and sex and cooking," Lucie said of her father, who starred on the classic sitcom "I Love Lucy" with Ball. When Lucie eventually watched "Being the Ricardos," she was thrilled with Bardem's performance as Arnaz. "I saw the man, the humor, the charm, the sex appeal, the intuitiveness, his ability to arbitrate, which was an amazing quality," Lucie said of watching Bardem's performance in the film. Lucie added that she was "in tears" by the end of the film because she felt "so very grateful" for the project and for how Kidman and Bardem captured the "essence" of her parents' relationship perfectly. Read the original article on Insider Jan. 27AUGUSTA, Maine Public and private Maine colleges and universities would have to stop withholding transcripts from students who owe them smaller amounts of money under a bill advanced by Democratic lawmakers on Thursday. The measure from Senate Majority Leader Eloise Vitelli, D-Arrowsic, would keep four-year universities from withholding transcripts if the student owes them $2,500 or less. The similar cutoff for two-year community colleges would be $500. Students with institutional debt over those thresholds could access transcripts if they agree to a payment plan. Transcript withholding, used by most colleges to recover unpaid fees from students ranging from tuition, unpaid library or parking fines and other expenses not covered by student loans, has been targeted by states in recent months. U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in December the practice should end, citing barriers to the workforce. Institutional debt is slightly divorced from a wider conversation about student debt, but it is still a significant problem for many students and institutions. For example, the University of Maine System has more than $38 million past due from nearly 11,000 people who cannot access transcripts, though it will often release transcripts to prospective employers or other colleges. Vitelli's bill, which was advanced along party lines by the Democratic-led Legislature's education committee on Thursday over united Republican opposition, was the product of a compromise between Vitelli and Maine's university and community college systems. The initial version would have released transcripts to any student regardless of their amount of institutional debt. "I'm really appreciative of this work and this compromise that's come up that sort of balances the needs for this bill and the needs of the university," said Rep. Sue Salisbury, D-Westbrook, a member of the education committee. The current version established the thresholds governing release of transcripts without any promise of payment. Those above the thresholds would have to agree to a payment plan, but they would not have to actually make a payment before they get access to transcripts. Story continues The Maine measure, which now faces votes in the House and Senate, would not forgive any institutional debt. Colleges and universities will still be able to send any amount to collections agencies. Leaving it unpaid could affect students' credit ratings or their state tax returns. Vitelli's plan does not go as far as some others emerging across the country, including in New York, where Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, announced this week that the state university system there would immediately stop withholding transcripts. She will also be submitting legislation to bar them at all postsecondary institutions statewide. Legislative Republicans saw the measure as an overreach. Rep. Paul Stearns of Guilford, their lead committee member, supported the state institutions' efforts to establish uniform policies but going no further, saying colleges appear to already be working with students. "The notion that someone would get the idea that they are not responsible for a debt that they incur is going to, in my opinion, cause ramifications for that individual for the rest of their life," he said. The Singapore State Courts. (PHOTO: Dhany Osman / Yahoo News Singapore) SINGAPORE A 42-year-old male nurse from the Philippines was on Friday (28 January) jailed for 10 months along with one stroke of the cane for molesting a 23-year-old female subordinate at a Singapore hospital. The culprit pleaded guilty at the State Courts to one out of three charges of molestation, with the remaining counts considered in sentencing. He and the Malaysian victim cannot be named under a gag order. On the morning of 3 April last year, the culprit went up to the victim and wrapped his right arm around her waist for a few seconds while she was seated and writing patient reports. He then used his right hand to pat her shoulder. She stood up and got away from him. Later that day, at about 1pm, the culprit hugged the victim from the front inside a room. He then pulled down his face mask and kissed the left side of her neck once before kissing the other side of her neck. She demanded to know what he was doing and quickly left the room. Still, that didn't deter him. About an hour later, the culprit asked the victim to follow him to the staff pantry to look for food. She followed as she was hungry. As they passed by the staff changing room, he pulled her inside and closed the door. There, he pulled down both their masks and kissed her on the lips while groping her breast and buttocks. As she protested, he grabbed her right hand and put it into his pants and underwear. He let go after a while and the victim quickly left the room. She made a police report a few days later. As a result of the trauma and distress, she later saw a psychiatrist. For his proceeded molest charge, the culprit could have been jailed for two years and also jailed and fined. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore A man is accused of yelling racial slurs and using a pipe to smash this Toyota Camry while three students sat inside the car in an unprovoked attack, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. A Volusia County man was charged with a hate crime after yelling racial slurs and using a pipe to smash a car occupied by three high school students in an unprovoked attack in the Osteen area, according to the Volusia County Sheriffs Office. Richard Burnham, 58, who lives near DeLand, was arrested Wednesday and charged with criminal mischief causing damage of $1,000 or more, and three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. The charges were enhanced to a hate crime due to Burnhams use of a racial slur during the attack, according to the release and a charging affidavit. Two of the three victims are Black, according to the charging affidavit. The students attend Mainland High School in Daytona Beach. Hate crime: Daytona man who spray-painted racial slurs against Asians sentenced to a year in jail Volusia crime: 2 men accused of placing antisemitic stickers, graffiti in Ormond Beach More: DeLeon Springs man who pointed gun at Black family charged with hate crime Deputies responded to the Circle K at 320 N. State Road 415 in Osteen shortly before 3 p.m. Saturday after the three students, who are 17 and 18 years old, reported the incident. They told deputies they were getting gas when a man became hostile and aggressive toward them and hurled racial slurs at them, the release and charging affidavit stated. They said the man then went into the gas station and when he came out, he grabbed a pipe from his truck, the release stated. As the students sat inside the Toyota Camry, the man smashed the passenger side of the vehicle with the pipe, according to the release. The man shattered the front passenger window and dented the passenger door panels before the students were able to drive away on State Road 415, the release stated. The students said the man got in his pickup and followed them for about 2 miles before turning away, the release stated. The students provided a detailed description of the man, his pickup and the trailer it was pulling with two four-wheelers, according to the release. Story continues West Volusia man identified Using surveillance video and help from analysts at the Volusia County Crime Center, deputies identified Burnham, whose photo and vehicle matched the descriptions. When interviewed by detectives on Wednesday, Burnham confirmed he was at the gas station and was involved in a verbal altercation with the young men, the release stated. Burnham denied using a racial slur and said he only called them losers, according to the charging affidavit. Burnham claimed the men had shot him with an airsoft gun and threatened to kill him, the release stated. Burnham said that prompted him to throw a metal pipe at the car, the release stated. But deputies at the scene did not find an airsoft gun with the high school students, according to the release. And Burnham did not contact law enforcement to report the incident, the release stated. Burnham also changed his story from being shot twice to being shot three or four times when confronted with discrepancies in his timeline, according to the release and charging affidavit. Burnham was released from the Volusia County Branch Jail on Wednesday evening after posting a $40,000 bond. Burnham could not be reached for comment. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida man charged with hate crime in attack on high school students In the weeks since the military began separating troops for failing to comply with its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, the Marine Corps has consistently been the most aggressive branch, having removed 399 from the service. Meanwhile, the Marine Corps quietly made a subtle change to how it deals with vaccine-refusing service members, making it easier for them to return. In late December, the Corps released a message announcing it would discharge Marines with the reentry code RE-3P instead of RE-4. Read Next: Pentagon Pumps the Brakes on Civilian COVID Vaccine Mandate The distinction is significant. A discharge with an RE-4 code is typically a bar on reenlisting in any service, while RE-3 codes would allow someone to reenlist with a waiver. When asked about the change, Capt. Ryan Bruce, a spokesman for the Marine Corps, said, "If a Marine is willing to be vaccinated, even after separation, we would welcome them back. "The adjusted reentry code reduces the administrative burden and timeliness of that process," Bruce added. Despite the continued pressure by the Marine Corps to remove troops who have failed to meet the vaccine mandate, the service also announced Thursday that it had granted another religious exemption to its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, bringing the total to three. It is the first, and so far only, branch to grant any religious exemptions to the militarywide vaccine mandate out of thousands of applications. The first two exemptions were announced by the branch on Jan. 13, 2022. So far, the Marines are the only branch to make reenlisting easier for those removed for refusing the vaccine. Capt. Dave Hecht, a spokesman for the Navy's chief of naval personnel, told Military.com in an email that "all Navy separations based on COVID-19 vaccine refusal will normally result in an RE-4" code. However, the Navy announced last month that sailors who start getting vaccinated, weeks after the formal deadline, may be allowed to stay in. Story continues The Air Force is apparently less rigid in its separation policy. Ann Stefanek, the branch's chief spokeswoman, told Military.com in an email that "there is no pre-established reenlistment code for those separated for vaccine refusal." "Each case is assessed on its own merits as is the discharge characterization," she added. The Air Force did not immediately respond to questions of whether it is mirroring the Marine Corps' policy goals of easing reentry for troops who changed their minds. As of Jan. 21, the Air Force has discharged 111 active-duty airmen for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The most recent data released by the service showed that 96% of the total force is fully vaccinated. One airman, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of punishment, said some of his colleagues, specifically pilots, are being told that, if they get separated, they can wait out the mandate and potentially rejoin. The Marine Corps wouldn't comment on the idea that the policy is somehow an invitation for Marines to separate in an effort to "wait out" the mandate. "It would be inappropriate to speculate on potential changes in policy," Bruce said in response to the suggestion. The Army, when asked for its policy, provided a status update on its overall vaccination numbers but also noted that "Army officials intend to issue further guidance for the mandatory initiation of separation for Soldiers who refuse this lawful order" later this month. -- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin. -- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly. Related: Marine Corps Grants Two Religious Exemptions for COVID-19 Vaccine, First for Any Service The legal clock is ticking for anyone who wants to challenge the new map of Marylands General Assembly districts. Following Thursdays final adoption of a map laying out the boundaries for all 47 senators and 141 state delegates, Chief Judge Joseph M. Getty of the Court of Appeals issued a schedule on Friday for the anticipated legal challenges. Those who wish to challenge the maps must do so by Feb. 10, and the state will be required to offer its response by Feb. 15. On Feb. 17, a conference will be held to schedule the rest of the legal process. Getty appointed retired Judge Alan M. Wilner as a special magistrate overseeing the scheduling issues. The scheduling order was issued at the request of Attorney General Brian Frosh, whose office will be tasked with defending the map that lawmakers approved. Time is of the essence, as the legal process runs up to the Feb. 22 deadline for candidates to file paperwork with the Maryland State Board of Elections to run in the 2022 election. All seats in the General Assembly are up for election this year, with primary elections scheduled for June 28 and a general election in November. At least one group, Fair Maps Maryland, has already vowed to challenge the new map, charging that it was drawn in secret to give Democrats an unfair advantage. Several Republican lawmakers have said they hope the court overturns the map. Democratic leaders have been circumspect in their defense of the map, saying generally that they considered public testimony and the resulting districts are in compliance with the state constitution and federal voting rights laws. About a year ago, in Round Rock, Texas, about 20 miles outside Austin, complaints about a book on the history of racist ideas in the United States led to threats to remove it from the schools reading list. But as the local school district debated whether Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You should remain part of the curriculum, thousands of parents, teachers and community members signed a petition calling on the district's board of trustees to keep the book on school shelves. The Round Rock Black Parents Association was a crucial part of the mobilization against the attempt to ban the book, which is by the Black authors Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi, and is a young adult adaptation of Kendi's "Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America," which won the national book award for nonfiction in 2016. Image: Members of Round Rock Black Parents Association (Courtesy Charles Glenn Photography) One way the parents association did this was organizing groups such as ACT Anti-racists Coming Together to speak out in support of diverse literature at a local school board meeting. Taking away that book would have completely whitewashed history, and thats not what we are for, Ashley Walker, 33, one of more than 400 members of the Round Rock Black Parents Association, said. The districts trustees ultimately decided to keep Stamped, which the American Library Association said was one of the most challenged books of 2020, on school shelves. Over the past year, as a nationwide campaign to remove books by and about LGBTQ people or people of color from schools has heated up, Black parents have been getting organized, pushing back against challenges to books that deal with racism and racial identity and calling on schools to reinstate previously banned books. While these bans often occur under the pretext that the books are teaching critical race theory, a decades-old academic framework for analyzing racism in the U.S., Walker said the books being targeted in her state have nothing to do with critical race theory. Story continues Its about kids experiences, she said. Its about Black boy joy or Black girl magic, yet, were being told it is about critical race theory just because our kids need to see themselves in these books. We will fight that battle Last year, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, a Republican, signed a bill that regulates how U.S. history and certain ideas about race can be taught in schools. At least nine states in mostly Republican areas have passed similar anti-critical race theory bills. Before the bill became law, Walker and her daughter, whos in first grade, tried to persuade state senators to vote against it. Walker recalled knocking on senators doors at the Capitol building in Texas, pleading with them to reconsider their votes. We went to speak to them and ask them not to support this bill because it was going to hinder kids from learning the truth, Walker said. My daughter being with me, she just turned 6, but she was able to speak about how she wanted to see herself in school books and curriculum. After the bill passed, state Rep. Matt Krause, a Republican, released a list of about 850 books that he wanted to ban from school libraries. He claimed the books make students feel discomfort because of their content about race and sexuality. Unfortunately, they did pass it anyway, Walker said of the bill. Now were in Texas, and were having to deal with everybody criticizing every single book you can think of. This is not the first time book bans have targeted Black communities. For decades, Richard Wrights autobiographical 1940 novel Native Son, about a poor Black man living in Chicago, faced bans in the U.S. due to complaints of violent and sexually graphic content. Yet amid criticism of Wrights books, his popularity soared, according to Maryemma Graham, the founding director of The Project on the History of Black Writing at the University of Kansas. Graham added that protests against book banning have always been part of the fight for integration and equal rights for Black people in the U.S. Even as these challenges to Black literature persisted, Black parents have always used other outlets, including churches, book clubs and historically Black colleges to fill in these gaps. There was always this notion, OK, we will fight that battle, but we will also teach these books and write these books and encourage writers in these other contexts, Graham said. What you see parents doing now is a resistance in terms of what is considered formal education, but I dont want us to forget about all those other informal approaches that people have much, much more control over. So you want to do both and not just one. My eyes were opened While challenges to books in schools are becoming more common, Nora Pelizzari, the director of communications for the nonprofit National Coalition Against Censorship, said a majority of challenged books are ultimately kept on shelves. Book review policies when theyre well written solicit the input and the decision of a diverse group of stakeholders and encourage the review process to focus on educational value as opposed to reading a particularly explicit passage out loud in a school board meeting, Pelizzari said. Still, Pelizzari said it can be difficult for Black parents in majority non-Black communities to publicly protest these challenges. An advocate from the Round Rock Black Parents Association, who asked not to be named out of fear of retaliation, said that school board meetings over the challenged books can get especially heated. My eyes were opened to the fear that some parents have that their white children will be made to feel less than for being white, the parent, whose children are bi-racial, said. But my question to them is, Either your ancestors are associated with abolitionists or were pro-slavery. Which one are you trying to protect your child from? The parent continued: Racial equity should not be a trigger word for anybody, but it is, and more often than not, for white parents, its a trigger word because that equates to calling them and their children racist. In San Diego, Rai Wilson, an educator and parent of two school-age children, said its frustrating to see the ongoing fight to limit diverse books. My sixth-grader read 'Stamped,' Wilson said. When they see themselves in a curriculum, it makes their history more understandable to them. He wouldnt put it down. Wilson said the debate centers around the needs of white families. Its ironic when white parents say, Teaching this is going to make my kid feel bad, when not teaching this is going to make our kids feel bad, Wilson said. We are truly about learning Cara McClellan, an assistant counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said the states and school districts mounting these challenges are making themselves vulnerable to complaints of discrimination. School districts have a responsibility to ensure that they are providing an inclusive environment for all students, McClellan said. In districts where students are already experiencing hostility based on race, or LGBT status, or religion schools are now taking away materials that we know could be a buffer against hostility. Walker said her daughter has a personal library of books that feature Black characters, yet that hasnt stopped her from asking her mom for long blonde hair. At school, shes getting the message that her Black skin isnt pretty, and so weve had to have that conversation, and its heartbreaking, she said. If my 6-year-old, who lives in a house with someone who is very active in the Black community, is going through this, what about those kids who dont get the same opportunity? Before the Round Rock Texas Board of Trustees struck down the challenge to Stamped, Walker said parents, who were anxious about the boards decision, bought the book so their kids could read it on their own. In case the book did get banned, we still had people who were going out supporting this book, and showing that we are truly about learning the full story, she said. Follow NBCBLK on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. President Biden and first lady Jill Biden have welcomed a new furry feline friend to the White House. The couple has announced they have a new cat named Willow, a 2-year-old short-haired tabby with green eyes and gray and white stripes. The First Lady named Willow after her hometown, Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, said Michael LaRosa, press secretary for the first lady. Willow is the first cat in the White House since the George W. Bush administration. (The White House) The animal is named for the first lady's home town, Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. (The White House) The first lady met Willow two years ago on a campaign stop in her home state. Willow made quite an impression on Dr. Biden in 2020 when she jumped up on the stage and interrupted her remarks during a campaign stop, LaRosa added. Seeing their immediate bond, the owner of the farm knew that Willow belonged with Dr. Biden. LaRosa also said the new "first cat" is learning the ins and outs of her new home on Pennsylvania Avenue. Willow is settling into the White House with her favorite toys, treats, and plenty of room to smell and explore, he said. Willow Willow catches up on her sleep. I love having animals around the house, Jill Biden told a local news station in 2020. (The White House) Willows addition comes about nine months after the couple said a new cat was on its way. She is waiting in the wings, Jill Biden told Craig Melvin in April 2021, while saying the pet is a female. The Bidens have talked about getting a cat since before the 2020 election, and word about the animal's arrival has been swirling for months. Id love to get a cat. I love having animals around the house, the first lady told Fox 5 in Washington, D.C., during the campaign. Willow joins a long list of presidential pets, becoming the first feline in the White House since President George W. Bushs cat, India, in 2009. The Bidens have a well-known love of pets. Their German shepherd Major, whom they adopted in 2018, became the first rescue dog to live in the White House. He gained a measure of fame for nipping the hand of a Secret Service agent in March 2021. After being sent away for additional training, the pup has been living with friends of the Biden's in Delaware. In December, the White House brought another dog into the fold when the Bidens announced they had welcomed another German shepherd, Commander. His arrival followed the June 2021 death of German shepherd Champ at the age of 13. BALTIMORE (AP) Fire officials in Baltimore announced plans Friday for a memorial for three firefighters who died earlier this week after a vacant rowhome partially collapsed, trapping them inside. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Baltimore Convention Center, the Baltimore City Fire Department said in a news release. Four firefighters were battling the blaze inside the rowhome early Monday when part of the three-story building collapsed, fire Chief Niles Ford has said. Crews removed piles of debris to reach the trapped firefighters and one firefighter was immediately freed and taken to a hospital, Ford said. Two other firefighters were pronounced dead at the hospital and another at the scene Monday. Ford identified those killed as Lt. Paul Butrim, firefighter/paramedic Kelsey Sadler and EMT/firefighter Kenny Lacayo. EMT/firefighter John McMaster was released from the University of Maryland Medical Centers Shock Trauma Center on Thursday. The fire department tweeted photos of colleagues greeting McMaster as he left the hospital. The department also announced Thursday that Sadler was posthumously promoted to the rank of lieutenant. TVA Allen Fossil Plant seen across McKellar Lake onThursday, Oct. 1, 2020. The coal plant, which closed in 2018, is likely responsible for much of the carbon Memphis put in the atmosphere over the last six decades. A federal judge in Memphis wants the Tennessee Valley Authority to fork over documents about the environmental impact and potential hazards of its long-term contract offer to supply Memphis with electricity. U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker issued an order Monday that compelled TVA to hand over further documents about how it came up with the contract offer in front of Memphis a contract that 140-plus other local power companies have already signed. Parker's order is in response to legal filings from Protect Our Aquifer, a Memphis-based nonprofit, and two other environmental nonprofits. Those nonprofits have argued that TVA's long-term contracts aren't actually 20-year deals but never-ending contracts that violate two federal laws the TVA Act, which governs TVA, and the National Environmental Policy Act. Parker has not ruled on those claims. For the past four years, Memphis, Light, Gas and Water has considered leaving the TVA and purchasing electricity elsewhere. The city-owned utility purchases about 11% of TVA's electricity and represents about the same amount of revenue for TVA. "The public needs to know about the environmental impacts associated with TVA's decision to enter into new power supply contracts because TVA's power supply operations have an incredibly big footprint on communities across Tennessee," Amanda Garcia, an Southern Environmental Law Center attorney for the plaintiffs, said in an interview Thursday. TVA, in a statement, described Parker's order as a routine happening. "The court ordered TVA to submit additional background information to complete the record. This is a normal part of the judicial process. This is not a ruling on the underlying merits of the case," TVA spokesman Buddy Eller said. "The TVA Boards decision to offer the Long-Term Agreement fully complied with TVAs legal obligations. And we are pleased that 146 of 153 local power companies have signed." Story continues Garcia noted the environmental impacts of TVA's operations in Memphis contractors are removing coal ash from the former Allen Fossil Plant site while, across the street, TVA uses hundreds of millions of gallons of water a year to operate the Allen Combined Cycle Plant. "The challenge for our clients, in this case, is that this isn't a case where TVA did an environmental review, and we have information that we can evaluate and say, is this sufficient or not," Garcia said. "The challenge here is really that TVA made this decision to enter into more than 130 new power supply agreements without doing any sort of environmental review at all. And so the public has really been kept in the dark about the environmental implications." The loss of Memphis would be a significant setback for TVA, one that it has long feared. As the largest local utility in TVA and because it has not yet accepted TVA's contract offer, Memphis proved the ideal forum for Protect Our Aquifer and other nonprofits to test their theory that the long-term deals TVA is offering are illegal. The electricity bidding process that Memphis is going through offers what Garcia describes as a check on TVA's power over the local utilities it serves, a check on TVA not unlike the lawsuit she is mounting against the company. ELECTRICITY SUPPLY: Memphis got more bids than expected on its electricity supply. Here's what that means LEAVING TVA?: The bidding for Memphis' electricity just ended. Here's when we'll know if MLGW will leave TVA Memphis is currently reviewing the bids from about 20 bidders on its power supply, a process that Garcia argues the long-term contracts local utilities have signed with TVA don't offer them. "MLGW's process is the kind of process that we think is important for all communities to have access to in TVA's territory," Garcia said. "It's an important check on TVA's very broad authority and footprint to have these limits in place on their power....so there's accountability of federal law; there's accountability at the local power company level... MLGW is a great example of how things are supposed to work in terms of being able to evaluate other options occasionally for how you want your power to be supplied." Samuel Hardiman covers Memphis city government and politics for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached by email at samuel.hardiman@commercialappeal.com or followed on Twitter at @samhardiman. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis judge orders TVA to supply documents about its offer to Memphis MOSCOW Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Friday the buildup of Russian forces along Ukraines border has reached the point where President Vladimir Putin now has a complete range of military options, including actions short of a full-scale invasion. While we dont believe that President Putin has made a final decision to use these forces against Ukraine, he clearly now has the capability, Austin told a Pentagon news conference. Advertisement In Moscow, the Kremlin said Putin told French President Emmanuel Macron that the West has failed to take Russian security concerns into account, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a radio interviewer that Russia doesnt want war but sees no room for compromise on its demands. Soldiers take part in an exercise for the use of NLAW anti-aircraft missiles at the Yavoriv military training ground, close to Lviv, western Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. (Pavlo Palamarchuk/AP) Austin said Putin could use any portion of his force of an estimated 100,000 troops to seize Ukrainian cities and significant territories or to launch coercive acts or provocative political acts like the recognition of breakaway territories inside Ukraine. He urged Putin to de-escalate tensions, and appeared to warn Moscow against what the White House recently said was Russias intent to paint Ukraine as the aggressor using a false-flag operation to justify an attack. Advertisement We remain focused on Russian disinformation, including the potential creation of pretext for further invasion or strikes on Donbass, said Austin. This is straight out of the Russian playbook. Theyre not fooling us. Austin spoke alongside Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in what were their first extensive public comments about the crisis, marking a subtle shift in the administrations approach to public communications about the escalating situation. While both have consulted regularly with their NATO and Ukraine counterparts, the public discourse has focused on the diplomatic efforts. Milley painted a grim picture of Russian military capabilities around Ukraine, saying there are not only ground troops and naval and air forces but also cyber and electronic warfare capabilities, as well as special operations forces. He said the buildup is the largest hes seen in recent memory, and he urged Putin to choose a diplomatic path over conflict. If Russia chooses to invade Ukraine, it will not be cost-free, in terms of casualties and other significant effects, Milley said. He was referring to Russian costs, while also noting that Ukraines armed forces are more capable today than in 2014, when Russia seized Ukraines Crimean Peninsula and intervened in support of pro-Russian separatists in the eastern industrial heartland. Earlier Friday, the Kremlin said Putin told Macron that the West has failed to consider Russias key conditions of halting further NATO expansion, stopping the deployment of alliance weapons near Russian borders, and rolling back its forces from Eastern Europe. The U.S. and NATO formally rejected those demands this week, although Washington outlined areas where discussions are possible, offering hope that there could be a way to avoid war. Despite that, U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that there is a distinct possibility that Russia could take military action against the former Soviet state in February. Russia has repeatedly denied having any such plans. Zelenskyy sought to play down the war fears, saying Western alarm over an imminent invasion has prompted many investors in the countrys financial markets to cash out. Advertisement We dont need this panic, he said at a news conference. It cost Ukrainians dearly. Putin told Macron that Moscow will study the U.S. and NATO response before deciding its next move, according to a Kremlin account of their call. The Russian president has made no public remarks about the Western response, but Lavrov said it leaves little chance for reaching agreement. While they say they wont change their positions, we wont change ours, Lavrov told Russian radio stations in a live interview. I dont see any room for compromise here. There wont be a war as far as it depends on the Russian Federation, we dont want a war, he added. But we wont let our interests be rudely trampled on and ignored. A senior Biden administration official said the U.S. welcomed Lavrovs comments that Russia does not war, but this needs to be backed up with action. We need to see Russia pulling some of the troops that they have deployed away from the Ukrainian border and taking other de-escalatory steps. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk publicly. Lavrov said the U.S. suggested the two sides could talk about limits on the deployment of intermediate-range missiles, restrictions on military drills and rules to prevent accidents between warships and aircraft. He said Russia proposed discussing those issues years ago, but Washington and its allies never took them up on it until now. Advertisement He also said those issues are secondary to Russias main concerns about NATO. He said international agreements say the security of one nation must not come at the expense of others, and said he would send letters to ask his Western counterparts to explain their failure to respect that pledge. Washington has warned Moscow of devastating sanctions if it invades Ukraine, including penalties targeting top Russian officials and key economic sectors. Lavrov said Moscow had warned Washington that sanctions would amount to a complete severing of ties. NATO, meanwhile, said it was bolstering its deterrence in the Baltic Sea region, and the U.S. has put 8,500 troops on higher alert for potential deployment to support NATO allies. Austin and Milley said Friday that no U.S. forces have been yet been deployed or moved around Europe. They said the U.S. has taken into account the risk that any troop movements could inflame the situation, but stressed the need for America to reassure its allies. Russia has launched military drills involving motorized infantry and artillery units in southwestern Russia, warplanes in Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, and dozens of warships in the Black Sea and the Arctic. Russian troops are also in Belarus for joint drills, raising Western fears that Moscow could stage an attack on Ukraine from the north. The Ukrainian capital is just 75 kilometers (50 miles) from the border with Belarus. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said there will be no war unless Belarus or Russia come under attack and he accused the West of trying to drown our Slavic brotherhood in blood. Despite the alarming rhetoric, Ukrainian officials have repeatedly tried to project calm. Advertisement Zelenskyy said the decision by the U.S., Britain, Australia, Germany and Canada to withdraw some of their diplomats and dependents from Kyiv was a mistake, and said internal destabilization poses the greatest risk to his country. He also bemoaned NATOs failure to offer Ukraine a roadmap to membership, saying the alliance should state clearly if it doesnt plan to embrace Ukraine and not offer vague promises. Zelenskyy also challenged U.S. warnings of an imminent Russian attack, insisting we arent seeing any escalation bigger than before. He said the Russian buildup could be part of Moscows attempts to exert psychological pressure and sow panic. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told parliament the number of Russian troops near Ukraine about 130,000 is comparable to Moscows military buildup last spring, when Moscow eventually pulled its forces back after massive exercises. Following the 2014 ouster of a Kremlin-friendly president in Kyiv, Moscow annexed Ukraines Crimean Peninsula and backed an insurgency in the countrys eastern industrial heartland. Fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels has killed over 14,000 people, and efforts to reach a settlement have stalled. ___ Advertisement Karmanau reported from Kyiv, Ukraine, and Isachenkov reported from Moscow. Lori Hinnant in Paris, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Nomaan Merchant in Washington contributed. The New York Times WASHINGTON She was once pressed to run for governor of California by President Bill Clinton. She was considered as a running mate to former Vice President Walter Mondale. And after the bitter 2008 Democratic primary, it was in her living room that former Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton met to make peace. These days, however, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the trailblazing Democratic power broker who has served in the Senate for 30 years, is far from the towering presence she once was on the Ame NEW YORK Michael Avenatti threw the kitchen sink at his former client Stormy Daniels on Friday, questioning her about poltergeists, prison rape, "Game of Thrones" and Michael Cohens podcast as the disgraced lawyers fraud trial took a bizarre turn. Avenatti is accused of stealing $300,000 of book advance payments from Daniels, his former client. Avenatti, acting as his own lawyer, sought to portray Daniels as unstable and holding a grudge against him. You stated that I was f------g myself nice and hard, and that when I go to prison, there will be a long line of people to a-- rape me, Avenatti said to Daniels in Manhattan Federal Court. I dont deny it, replied Daniels, 42, adding that she didnt remember making the statement. Avenatti, 50, asked his former star client about another comment she made that her eponymous line of lube, Tempest by Stormy, might come in handy while he awaited trial behind bars. Because you can just bring me a gift basket in prison? asked Avenatti. Daniels confirmed that she had mocked Avenatti on Twitter as he stewed behind bars. Inquiring about the online show Spooky Babes, which showcases Daniels work as a paranormal investigator, Avenatti asked the porn star how she communicated with the dead. It just happens sometimes, said Daniels. The nonliving. Avenatti also asked Daniels about her discussions about the case on Cohens podcast, Mea Culpa. Cohen, President Donald Trumps former personal attorney, notoriously arranged the $130,000 hush money payment to Daniels in the run-up to the 2016 election. The payout bought Daniels silence about her alleged affair with Trump during the height of the presidential campaign. Avenatti rose to prominence in 2018 while representing Daniels in her legal effort to void the nondisclosure agreement tied to the payment. Judge Jesse Furman did not allow Avenatti to probe Daniels unlikely friendship with Cohen. Cohen, who betrayed Trump, served three years in prison and has apologized to Daniels, sat in the courtrooms back row, chuckling. Story continues During another bizarre back and forth, Daniels told the court she referred to her security guards as her dragons in a nod to Queen Daenerys Targaryens character in the HBO show Game of Thrones. The porn star previously said she made scathing jibes about Avenatti after learning that he had stolen her money and lied about it for months. Very, very angry, shocked, disbelief, hurt, and I felt very betrayed and stupid, she testified. I dont know if there is a word stronger than furious, but that would be it. And shock. Prosecutors say Avenatti forged Daniels signature and directed advance payments for her book, Full Disclosure, to accounts he controlled. Scores of texts entered in evidence show Avenatti warning Daniels literary agent never to contact her directly because she was an insane porn actress who doesnt understand the real world. At the same time, Avenatti was texting Daniels about the publisher being difficult and claiming it was withholding payments because her book had not sold well. Bank records show the publisher wired the advance payments on time to a trust account at Avenattis firm. If convicted, Avenatti faces up to 22 years in prison. He is yet to begin a 2 1/2-year sentence for trying to extort Nike of $25 million. Adult film actress Stormy Daniels, left, follows her attorney Michael Avenatti, right, as she leaves federal court, Monday, April 16, 2018, in New York. Daniels has taken her star turn on the witness stand at California lawyer Michael Avenatti's trial, telling a jury on Thurday, Jan. 27, 2022, he stole from her and lied to her. AP Michael Avenatti cross-examined his former client Stormy Daniels in his high-stakes fraud trial. Avenatti asked her about how she once said watching him work was like "watching the Sistine Chapel painted." Daniels shot back: "That's what you told me to say." Stormy Daniels took the stand this week to testify against her former lawyer, Michael Avenatti, who's accused, among other things, of stealing $300,000 from her. But in a plot twist, Avenatti himself cross-examined his former client after securing permission earlier this week to represent himself. The cross-examination started late Thursday and continued on Friday. At one point, Avenatti asked Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, about her own public statements regarding his representation of her against then President Donald Trump and Trump's longtime former fixer, Michael Cohen. "Didn't you tell the New York Times that watching me work was like watching the Sistine Chapel painted?" Avenatti asked. "That's what you told me to say," Daniels shot back. Avenatti also asked Daniels to elaborate on her interest in paranormal activity and her claim that she can talk to dead people. "How do you speak to the dead?" Avenatti asked his former client, according to The New York Times. "I don't know," Daniels said. "It just happens sometimes." He also grilled Daniels on other claims she's made, including that a "dark entity" had entered her home through a "portal" a few years earlier, and that she has the ability to speak with a haunted doll named Susan. "Susan speaks to everyone on the show; she is a character on Spooky Babes," Daniels said, referring to a project she's a part of whose stated purpose is investigating paranormal activity. "Isn't it true, Ms. Daniels, that you have claimed that you have the ability to speak to the doll and that she speaks back to you, yes or no?" Avenatti pressed, according to a transcript of Thursday's proceedings. Story continues "Yes," Daniels said. "She even has her own Instagram." The back-and-forth is the latest twist in Avenatti's high-stakes fraud trial, in which he's charged with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. During opening arguments, federal prosecutors said Avenatti pocketed $300,000 out of Daniels' $800,000 book advance by forging her signature on a letter to the book's publisher. Assistant US attorney Andrew Rohrbach said that in addition to sending the unauthorized letter, Avenatti directed Daniels' agent to send money to his own bank account and lied to Daniels about where the money was. When Daniels first took the stand on Thursday, the majority of her testimony zeroed in on how Avenatti had allegedly lied to her about the disappearance of the money. But she appeared to become frustrated when her former lawyer asked her if he was respectful when he represented her against Trump. "You lied to me, that's not respectful," Daniels said, according to The Wall Street Journal. But she eventually acknowledged that she told federal investigators Avenatti was in fact polite and respectful towards her. Read the original article on Business Insider Chef Michael Lugo, owner of Michael's in St. Augustine, is working to open a second restaurant in the Hyatt Place under construction in Vilano Beach. Lugo hopes to open Pesca later this year. With the success of Michael's a gourmet steakhouse in St. Augustine under his belt, local restaurateur Michael Lugo had been wanting to expand his brand for several years now. After searching a number of locations, Lugo found just the right spot for his second venture inside the Hyatt Place, a 120-room upscale hotel under construction in Vilano Beach. The new restaurant, called Pesca by Michael's, will occupy a main dining room in the Hyatt as well as a rooftop bar atop the 3-story building. Each space will seat about 125 guests, with the rooftop space being a little more casual than the dining room. Vilano development: Magic Beach Motel sale falls through after County Commission denies design approval application Local food scene: Inaugural St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival aims high Lugo anticipates opening his doors at Pesca sometime in the third quarter of 2022. Lugo, a native of Puerto Rico, established Michael's 16 years ago in the historic district of St. Augustine. Since then, the business has undergone several changes in name (it was originally called Michael's Tasting Room), interior renovations and menu items. Pesca (which means "fishing" in Spanish) will not only be a much larger enterprise for Lugo and his staff Michael's has an intimate capacity of just 50 but it will also allow the chef/owner to push his creativity in another direction. Lugo said the Pesca concept is based around Florida's coastal cuisine, with other influences such as Caribbean, European and, of course, Latin. "If I do Chinese food, it's going to be like Latin Chinese; always have to bring some of that in," he said with a laugh. Just an example of some of the menu items Pesca will include: escabeche with pickled rainbow carrots, cauliflower, peppers, onions and shishito peppers; scallop crudo with hazelnut salsa macha, mint and orange segments; and bacalaitos, a Spanish salt cod fritter. The restaurant will also offer a seasonal selection of oysters, grilled lobster, filet mignon, lamb chops and burgers. Story continues Additionally, Pesca will be the dedicated caterer for events held in the banquet room of the hotel. With the Hyatt's building design inspired by Miamis Art Deco style, Lugo said he is enjoying decorating Pesca's interior, which he said would emphasize "bright colors and a lot of life and energy." Lugo said Michael's had always attracted a good mix of tourists and locals, the latter of which he said "help you build your identity," and he expected Pesca to draw a similar crowd. And with Vilano Beach's proximity to downtown St. Augustine, he hoped the two brands would be complimentary and increase exposure for each restaurant. With Vilano's Main Street adding more development in hotels, housing and restaurants, Lugo said he was happy to be a part of its renaissance. "We are excited to be expanding our artistic voice in the community," he said. This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: St. Augustine restaurants: Chef Michael Lugo to open Pesca at Hyatt Anyone who attended two college fraternity events one Jan. 20 in Ann Arbor and another Jan. 22 in East Lansing may have been exposed to meningococcal meningitis and should start antibiotic treatment immediately, health officials warned Thursday. A case of the rare and serious bacterial infection, which can cause swelling of the membranes around the spinal cord and brain and may lead to death, was confirmed in a University of Michigan student who attended an event 10:30 p.m.-12 a.m. Jan. 20 at the Delta Kappa Epsilon residence, 800 Oxford Road, Ann Arbor. The student also attended an event near the Michigan State University campus. It was a ticketed event Jan. 22 hosted by Sigma Beta Rho at Club Rush, 131 Albert Ave., East Lansing. More: Michigan health department to give out free KN95 masks to residents More: Free at-home COVID-19 tests, N95 masks are arriving in Michigan: What you need to know "Immediate antibiotic treatment is critical for anyone ill or to prevent infection for anyone who may have been exposed through close contact," the Washtenaw County Health Department advised. Even those who have been vaccinated against bacterial meningitis should still get antibiotic treatment, such as ciprofloxacin and rifampin. "Prophylaxis involves taking a single dose of an antibiotic to prevent infection in anyone who might have had close contact with the case patient prior to illness," said Dr. Preeti Malani, U-M's chief health officer. Symptoms may include fever, headache, stiff neck, vomiting, rash, or confusion and typically begin within 10 days after exposure, but usually within the first five days. Anyone with symptoms should seek an immediate evaluation from a health care provider. Meningitis is spread through contact with the saliva or nasal secretions of an infected person whether through coughing, sneezing, sharing food or drink or kissing. It also can spread when an infected person is in a crowded space with poor ventilation for a prolonged period of time with others. Story continues Public health officials say anyone who attended either event is considered exposed and should receive antibiotic treatment. They also should check their vaccination status to ensure they've gotten a meningococcal disease vaccination. This is not an outbreak and risk to the larger community remains low, but meningococcal meningitis is a very serious illness, Dr. Juan Luis Marquez, medical director of the Washtenaw County Health Department, said in a statement. We are working as quickly and collaboratively as possible to provide information and treatment options to anyone with potential and direct exposure to the known case. How to get antibiotics if you were exposed If you're a student at the University of Michigan: Notify University Health Services by completing the following online form: tinyurl.com/3kxjhb49. If you are a not a U-M student: Contact your health care provider immediately. If you do not have a health care provider, call the county health department at 734-544-6700. If you are an MSU student or live in Ingham County: Antibiotic treatments are being distributed for free through the county health department and MSU. Distribution clinics will give away the medicine 1-5 p.m. Jan 28-29 in the MSU Room on the third floor of the MSU Union Building. Enter the Union from the entrance off of Abbott Road and take the stairs to the third floor. Parking will be available in Ramp 6 off Grand River. If you are unable to attend a distribution clinic, contact your health care provider to get antibiotics. If you do not have a health care provider, call the county health department at 517-887-4308 (or after hours call 517-342-9987). At this time, no MSU students have shown symptoms suggesting an infection, Ingham County Medical Director Dr. Adenike Shoyinka said in a statement. Early treatment for close contacts will aid us in containing further spread. Contact Kristen Shamus: kshamus@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kristenshamus. Subscribe to the Free Press. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Student with meningitis exposed others at these MSU, U-M frat events (Bloomberg) -- After being criticized by a London judge for being dishonest, one of Britains most prominent tech tycoons now awaits a final decision by the U.K. government over his extradition to the U.S. to face criminal fraud charges. Most Read from Bloomberg Mike Lynch dressed-up his software company Autonomy Corp. for sale, and induced Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. to acquire the firm for $11 billion, Judge Robert Hildyard said, reading a summary of his judgment on Friday. While HP was seeking $5 billion in damages from Lynch, the judge said the final amount is likely to be substantially less. The tech entrepreneur plans to appeal the decision. All attention will now turn to the U.K. Home Secretary Priti Patel, who has until the end of the day to decide whether to extradite Lynch to the U.S. Its the critical political moment in Lynchs case, which is otherwise a matter solely for the courts. The extradition is a test of Britains treaty with the U.S., which critics call highly unequal. Patel and the Conservative Party have regularly fought the courts over recent rulings and are considering ways to curtail the powers of judges. Lynch, who personally made $850 million from the sale of the firm he built into the U.K.s second largest software company, was sued for $5 billion by HP in 2015. The Silicon Valley company alleged that Lynch and his chief financial officer Sushovan Hussain illegally bolstered revenue wherever they could, including by disguising hardware sales and booking fake transactions, to dress Autonomy up for a sale. It was an argument that the judge largely agreed with. Story continues Dr. Lynch and Mr. Hussain kept a very careful watch over revenues, especially toward the end of a quarter when Autonomy would have to post its results, Judge Hildyard said. I have reached clear conclusions in these proceedings on the civil liability of Dr. Lynch and Mr. Hussain for fraud. The judgment is the latest in a hard-fought battle for Lynch stemming from the sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett Packard in 2011. The Silicon Valley hardware giant wrote down the value of the company by $8.8 billion a year later. Dishonest The judge highlighted how the sale of hardware by an ostensibly software-focused company was dishonest. The hardware reselling program was conceived, expanded and implemented in order to enable Autonomy to cover shortfalls in software, the judge said. The purpose of the hardware reselling strategy/program was dishonest. The defendants were well aware of this, he said. Such findings of fraud will have an impact on any extradition appeal, Ed Grange, a lawyer at Corker Binning, said. It will impact on the extradition case where they had argued that the proper jurisdiction in which this case would be tried would be the U.K., he said. The nine-month, 40 million-pound ($53.6 million) civil trial was among the longest and most expensive in modern British history. Lynch used the platform to argue that HP had simply run his firm into the ground, painting a picture of an American corporation riven with infighting that he documented with emails shown for the first time. Dr. Lynch and Mr. Hussain defrauded and deliberately misled the market and Hewlett Packard, a spokesman for HPE said in a statement. HPE is pleased that the judge has held them accountable. Lynch, one of the U.K.s most prominent businesspeople and adviser to former Prime Minister David Cameron, lost his first attempt at preventing extradition when a judge said in July he should be sent to the U.S. Hed insisted from the outset that the case should not be heard in the U.S., asserting that none of the alleged misconduct took place overseas. HP didnt fully escape the judges criticisms. The judge said he was concerned about some of HPs witnesses which bore signs of having been fashioned, rehearsed and repeated. Todays outcome is disappointing and Dr Lynch intends to appeal, said Kelwin Nicholls, a lawyer for Lynch. We will study the full judgment over the coming weeks. We note the judges concerns over the reliability of some of HPs witnesses. We also note the judges expectation that any loss suffered by HP will be substantially less than the $5 billion claimed. (Updates with details from ruling summary throughout) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday ordered an overhaul of the military's efforts to track and limit civilian casualties following a botched airstrike in Afghanistan and a Rand Corp. study finding broad failures in the current system. The think tank's report, released Thursday, found the military did not adequately use data and lessons it learned over the past two decades of conflict that could have reduced unnecessary civilian deaths and injuries. The Pentagon also often reported dramatically fewer civilian deaths than reliable outside sources, damaging its reputation and reliability, Rand said. The errant deaths of innocents have plagued the post-9/11 conflicts because the U.S. often relies on airpower and drones in areas where there are no troops on the ground to provide intelligence. Combat in cities where civilians may be hidden in buildings is particularly dangerous. Read Next: Troops at These Bases Are on Alert for Deployment over Ukraine Crisis Consistent reports of high casualty counts by outside NGOs and foreign sources are often discounted or questioned by Pentagon officials. The nature of the casualties occuring in war zones has made precise reporting of deaths difficult, creating a layer of deniability for military leaders when reports have surfaced of civilian losses. A botched U.S. airstrike that killed 10 Afghan civilians, including children, in Kabul on Aug. 29, 2021, a rare instance where a strike occurred in an area with many reporters nearby, illustrated the problems found by the think tank study, a Rand analyst told reporters in a briefing. "My biggest takeaway from our work was that protecting civilians is clearly important to everybody in the department, but it has not been the top priority for anybody in the department," said Mike McNerney, acting director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at Rand. Austin issued a memo ordering the creation of a "civilian protection center of excellence," which would focus on reducing civilian deaths across the military, as well as better sharing of data on incidents, a plan to deal with harm to innocents in future conflicts, and a review of condolence payments to victims. Story continues He gave the department 90 days to develop a plan for making the changes, which overlap with some of the recommendations in the Rand study. However, the think tank also called for new civilian positions throughout the department that would deal solely with tracking and mitigating casualties, along with a center for excellence. "This is really about implementation, not about additional study," said a senior U.S. defense official, who briefed reporters on Austin's decision on the condition of anonymity. Austin said in his memo that the end of the Afghanistan war and a transition to advising in Iraq have provided the Pentagon an opportunity to focus on how to better deal with civilian casualties. The airstrike in Kabul at the end of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is one example of the longtime risk to civilians posed by a reliance on drone warfare. Following a suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. troops, the military received intelligence indicating another attack was planned. After tracking a suspect through Kabul for hours, it shot a Hellfire missile into a compound, killing an aid worker and his extended family. Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, publicly acknowledged the mistake in a briefing to reporters in September. After an investigation, it was ultimately determined that no one would be punished. The Pentagon has attempted but been unable to provide ex gratia, or condolence, payments to the victims' family. A 2019 airstrike in Baghuz, Syria, killed 70 civilians, including mostly women and children -- one of the largest civilian casualties incidents in the years-long war against the Islamic State group -- but was never publicly acknowledged by the Pentagon, according to The New York Times. Rand found that Pentagon estimates of the number of civilians killed in U.S. war zones was far lower than outside counts. For example, it reported 21 civilian casualties in Syria in 2019, while Airwars, a nongovernmental agency based in the U.K., reported at least 490 and as many as 1,118. In Afghanistan, the Pentagon reported 108 casualties that year, while the NGO reported 559. Rand found Airwars' procedures to be "very rigorous," while the military's assessment procedures were "flawed by comparison," McNerney said. But the Pentagon often employed a skeptical approach toward the outside information and doubted allegations of deaths. "That inconsistency creates problems from the perspective of the department's reputation, its reliability," he said. "When we looked at DoD civilian casualty estimates from conflicts, we found them to be far too low and damaging to the department's credibility." -- Travis Tritten can be reached at travis.tritten@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @Travis_Tritten. Related: Kabul Drone Strike Was a 'Tragic Mistake' that Killed Civilians, Children, Pentagon Says Nonprofit Project for Pride in Living will break ground in the fall on a $50 million, 110-unit affordable housing complex and small business center along Lake Street after receiving aid from the city of Minneapolis. Mayor Jacob Frey on Thursday announced that the City Council approved $15.7 million in loans and grants from the city's Affordable Housing Trust Fund for 10 projects, including the Project for Pride in Living (PPL) complex at the site of a former Wells Fargo branch at Lake Street and Nicollet Avenue destroyed in the riots following the police killing of George Floyd. Overall, the 10 projects will produce or preserve 797 units of affordable, multifamily rental housing and leverage nearly $260 million in additional financing for the projects. The final PPL plan calls for fewer units than originally proposed, but with more two- and three-bedroom apartments. "This will be one of the transformative projects in rebuilding from the damage on Lake Street," said PPL CEO Paul Williams. "We've gone through a significant community engagement process. This is about community building as much as it is affordable housing." The PPL project at 3030 Nicollet Av. also will result in workforce and small business training and support. The nonprofit also is being mindful to use contractors and designers that include people of color. Financing, including a $3.3 million city grant, is now being lined up. More than 1,500 businesses in Minneapolis and St. Paul suffered an estimated $500 million in damage as fires flared, windows were smashed and buildings looted in the days after Floyd's murder. Many of the business owners lacked insurance or were underinsured. In the immediate aftermath, community groups and foundations donated to the rebuilding effort, absent any state or federal assistance. As of late last year, about $175 million in construction permits were issued in Minneapolis to rebuild in areas affected. The PPL project would bring that total to about $225 million. Story continues The PPL project housing will target households making up to $50,000. One-third of the units funded through the grants announced Thursday will be targeted at households making 30% of the Twin Cities-area median income (AMI), or about $35,000, and will include 152 units for formerly homeless people and people with disabilities. "The investments we celebrate today are the results of our collective efforts to prioritize funding a dynamic portfolio of affordable housing, with a specific focus on deeply affordable housing for our most vulnerable neighbors," Frey said. "Each project contributes to the exciting momentum underway to increase access to safe and affordable housing for all neighbors in Minneapolis." The Affordable Housing Trust Fund creates new and preserves housing for low-income renters (with incomes below $52,450 for a family of four). Almost 75% of such renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing. People of color are disproportionately hit by "housing instability" that leads to frequent moves and homelessness, the city noted in its announcement. The City Council also approved a historic federal tax credit allocation of $1.1 million from the affordable housing fund program to spur development and construction of Calvary Apartments, a $16.7 million, 41-unit project proposed by developer Trellis and Calvary Lutheran Church at 3901 Chicago Av., a block south of the intersection where Floyd was killed. The project will include an apartment building and units constructed inside the renovated church. The project is targeted at households making a $30,000 or less. The other projects include: About $1.5 million for the 40-unit, $17.9 million Emerson Village project at 1800 Emerson Av. N, developed by Beacon Interfaith Housing. $1.8 million for the 187-unit Currie Commons project at 187 Humboldt Av. N., developed by Wellington Management.About $1.8 million for the 63-unit, $17.5 million Plymouth Avenue Apartments at 2309 Plymouth Av., developed by James Archer/Matrix Development.$920,000 for the 84-unit, $43.7 million Northrup King Residential project developed by Artspace. "If we have learned anything during this pandemic it's the importance of access to affordable housing in good times but especially in bad times," Council Member Lisa Goodman, chair of the council's Housing and Zoning Committee, said in a statement. About a week after announcing his executive order making masks optional in schools throughout Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R, said on a radio show that school districts statewide had rushed to comply. "The reality is it's about 25 out of our 130 school systems across Virginia who aren't recognizing the rights of parents today," Youngkin told conservative host John Fredericks on Monday, adding that the noncompliant districts were prioritizing "bureaucrats and politicians over the rights of parents." Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. But a Washington Post analysis shows that the majority of Virginia public school districts - enrolling more than two-thirds of the state's students - have opted to disobey Youngkin's mask-optional order. As of Wednesday, two days after the order was supposed to take effect, 69 districts, or 53%, are still requiring masks for all students inside schools. Cumulatively, those districts enroll 846,483 students, or about 67% of the state's public school student population. The divide falls along partisan lines, although not perfectly: Almost every district that opted to make masks optional is in a locality that voted for Youngkin in the 2021 gubernatorial election. The widespread defiance suggests Youngkin will have enormous difficulty in enforcing his mask-optional mandate, which is already the subject of two lawsuits: one from parents in Chesapeake, and one from seven school boards that oversee some of the state's largest, most prominent school districts. A hearing on the second suit is scheduled for next week. Youngkin has said he will use every tool at his disposal to carry out his order as those cases wind through the court system, and his spokeswoman did not rule out disciplining disobedient districts by yanking their state funding. It also raises serious doubts about the viability of Youngkin's intense focus - both on the campaign trail and in his first days as governor - on the nation's education culture wars, including his push for greater parental control over every aspect of education, from masking to which books appear on library shelves to the content of curriculums. Story continues "These findings lay bare the absurdity of the governor's claims that he is listening to the parents," said Mark Rozell, the dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. "Most disagree with what he is doing. He seems to be listening primarily to the parents of a particular political stripe - the ones who made the most noise in the heat of a political campaign but in no way represent a consensus among parents of public school children." Asked about The Post's analysis, Youngkin said in a statement, "If localities want to have a mask mandate, they absolutely are able to. However, parents have a right to opt out. They know what is best for their kids." Youngkin spokeswoman Macaulay Porter added, "Localities are fighting over something they already have the ability to do and Virginia has continually sidestepped the importance of parent and student rights. Governor Youngkin is simply giving students and parents an opt-out of mask mandates." Youngkin's directive took effect for districts across Virginia on Monday. Even in the suburban D.C. localities where officials promised to keep the mask mandate in place and sued to protect their authority to do so, initial reporting suggested the day went smoothly for students and teachers. In Loudoun County, a politically divided and wealthy suburb, small groups of parents showed up to two campuses with maskless children Monday and stayed outside picketing when administrators isolated those students. The Post analysis is based on a review of the websites and social media accounts for all 131 Virginia school districts listed by the Virginia Department of Education as operational for the 2021-2022 school year. Where school district information on masking was unavailable, The Post contacted districts or relied on local media coverage, or both. Enrollment counts are drawn from 2021-2022 data gathered and published by the Virginia Education Department, and localities' results in the gubernatorial election are taken from The Post's coverage. The Post analysis found that 58 districts, or 44%, have so far agreed to make masks optional in obedience to Youngkin's order. Cumulatively, those districts enroll 397,108 students, according to Virginia Education Department data, representing 32% of all public school students in the state. Four districts in Virginia either have yet to decide about masking - some have school board votes planned for Thursday - or have not published any information on the issue, leaving their stance unclear. The Post has contacted these districts and will update its database when answers emerge. Republican-leaning districts showed more willingness to comply with Youngkin's masking order: In 98% of cases where school districts opted to make masks optional, their locality went for Youngkin in the election. "This breakdown clearly shows how partisan the issue of education has become" during the pandemic, said Todd Belt, director of George Washington University's graduate school political management program. "The original issue with schools - reopening - wasn't terribly partisan. But issues surrounding schools became more partisan with the flap over critical race theory and as vaccine skepticism has become more politically polarized." Still, districts in Republican-leaning, Youngkin-voting localities also make up the majority - 57% - of districts that voted to keep requiring masks in schools. This suggests that Republican school systems and parents may be less willing to follow Youngkin's lead on masking than the governor might have expected, and it confirms previous polling statewide that indicated that most Virginians support masks as a common-sense pandemic safety measure. A September 2021 Washington Post-Schar School poll found that 66% of public school parents in Virginia supported mask mandates for teachers, staff and students, similar to 69% of registered voters overall. The poll also showed that left-leaning Virginians were far more likely to agree with mask requirements: 96% of self-identified Democratic voters and 66% of independent voters supported school mask mandates, while Republicans were more divided, with 45% in support and 51% opposed. Youngkin won in part by campaigning against such mandates, with exit polls showing he performed best with voters who believe that parents should have a lot of say over what their children learn in school,which has become a conservative rallying cry nationwide. But exit polls also revealed little difference in how parents and non-parents voted in Virginia, suggesting Youngkin did not hold uniquely strong appeal with mothers and fathers. Nationally, a Monmouth University poll from November found that 61% of Americans said face masks should be worn by students, teachers and staff in schools in their state, while 34% opposed the idea. Frederick Hess, a senior fellow and director of education policy at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute, said he thinks Youngkin should stay the course on his masking policies, while vigorously fighting back against the two lawsuits challenging the executive order. Both suits make essentially the same argument: that Youngkin's mask-optional order violates the Virginia constitution because it usurps school districts' constitutionally granted power to oversee school systems. The lawsuits also contend that Youngkin's order goes against a state law, passed in summer 2021, that requires school districts to comply with federal health guidance "to the maximum extent practicable." Current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend masking inside schools for everyone over the age of 2, regardless of vaccination status. The suit filed by parents is before the Virginia Supreme Court, while the suit filed by the seven school boards is before the Arlington County Circuit Court, which will hold its first hearing on Feb. 2. It is unclear what will happen next. Youngkin and his top officials have said they are confident the Supreme Court will intervene in the governor's favor and have urged parents to listen to their principals until that happens. As the courts churn along, Hess said, Youngkin should focus on making his "best arguments" - built on research and science - to Virginia parents and school officials about why they should listen to him. Despite the lawsuits and the opposition from school districts, Hess said, he does not think the governor's masking order was "a political stumble, not at all," adding that things could look very different in a few months if the omicron variant of the coronavirus is running less rampant. "There's always a natural temptation to try and judge these things in the moment, but we know the way these debates play out in politics," he said. "What matters is where the dust settles." Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, predicted no dust will be settling anytime soon, though. Farnsworth said he thinks Youngkin's mask-optional order on his first day in office, coupled with two other executive orders focused on education - one that banned critical race theory, and one that vowed an investigation of the embattled Loudoun County Public Schools system - clearly signal that the governor wants to lean into the education culture wars. And that will spell trouble for Youngkin's fledgling administration and parents, teachers and schoolchildren across the state, he said. "Expect the angry confrontations in schools to continue and perhaps to worsen," Farnsworth said. "Few things are more likely to generate long-term rifts within communities than conflicting rules relating to something as important as the best way to protect the health and safety of children." He added: "It didn't have to be this way." - - - School systems where . . . Masks are still mandatory and voted for Youngkin (39) Accomack County Public Schools Alleghany County Public Schools Amelia County Public Schools Augusta County Public Schools Botetourt County Public Schools Buchanan County Public Schools Buckingham County Public Schools Buena Vista City Public Schools Caroline County Public Schools Colonial Heights Public Schools Dickenson County Public Schools Dinwiddie County Public Schools Fluvanna County Public Schools Franklin County Public Schools Frederick County Public Schools Halifax County Public Schools Hopewell City Public Schools Isle of Wight County Public Schools King and Queen County Public Schools Lancaster County Public Schools Louisa County Public Schools Lynchburg City Public Schools Mecklenburg County Public Schools Middlesex County Public Schools Montgomery County Public Schools Nelson County Public Schools Northampton County Public Schools Northumberland County Public Schools Prince Edward County Public Schools Roanoke County Public Schools Rockbridge-Lexington Public Schools Rockingham County Public Schools Salem City Schools Southampton County Public Schools Stafford County Public Schools Surry County Public Schools Waynesboro Public Schools Westmoreland County Public Schools York County Public Schools - - - Masks are still mandatory and voted for McAuliffe (30) Albemarle County Public Schools Alexandria City Public Schools Arlington Public Schools Brunswick County Public Schools Charles City County Public Schools Charlottesville City Public Schools Fairfax County Public Schools Falls Church City Public Schools Franklin City Public Schools Fredericksburg City Public Schools Greensville County Public Schools Hampton City Schools Harrisonburg City Public Schools Henrico County Public Schools Lexington City Schools Loudoun County Public Schools Manassas City Public Schools Manassas Park City Public Schools Martinsville City Public Schools Newport News Public Schools Norfolk Public Schools Petersburg City Public Schools Portsmouth Public Schools Prince William County Public Schools Richmond Public Schools Roanoke City Public Schools Staunton City Public Schools Suffolk Public Schools Williamsburg-James City Public Schools Winchester Public Schools - - - Still have to decide about masks mandates or answer is unclear, and whom they voted for (4) Amherst County Public Schools, Youngkin Danville Public Schools, McAuliffe Smyth County Public Schools, Youngkin Sussex County Public Schools, McAuliffe - - - The Washington Post's Scott Clement contributed to this report. Related Content Anthony Fauci is up against more than a virus Joe Burrow once made his Ohio town believe. Now he's got Cincinnati dreaming. The moon, Mars and the return of strongman rule: How China has changed since the 2008 Olympics OKLAHOMA CITY A federal judge resentenced Tiger King Joe Exotic to 21 years in prison on Friday, reducing his punishment by just a year despite pleas from the former zookeeper for leniency as he begins treatment for early-stage cancer. Please dont make me die in prison waiting for a chance to be free, he tearfully told a federal judge who resentenced him on a murder-for-hire charge. Advertisement Joe Exotic whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage was convicted in a case involving animal welfare activist Carole Baskin. Both were featured in Netflixs Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness. In this Aug. 28, 2013, file photo, Joseph Maldonado answers a question during an interview at the zoo he runs in Wynnewood, Okla. (Sue Ogrocki/AP) Wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, Maldonado-Passage, 58, still had his trademark mullet hairstyle, but the bleach-blonde had faded to brown and gray. Advertisement Baskin and her husband, Howard Baskin, also attended the proceedings, and she said she was fearful that Maldonado-Passage could threaten her. He continues to harbor intense feelings of ill will toward me, she told the judge. Baskin said even with Maldonado-Passage in prison, she has continued to receive vile, abusive and threatening communications over the last two years. She told the judge she believes Maldonado-Passage poses an even more serious threat to her now that he has a larger group of supporters because of the popularity of the Netflix series. Maldonado-Passages attorneys told the judge their client is suffering from stage-one prostate cancer, along with a disease that compromises his immune system, making him particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Stage-one prostate cancer means it has been detected early and hasnt spread. Maldonado-Passage previously said that he planned to delay treatment until after his resentencing. Federal officials have said Maldonado-Passage will need up to eight weeks of radiation treatments and would be unable to travel during the treatments. His attorney Amy Hanna told the judge hes not receiving the proper medical care inside the federal prison system and that a lengthy prison sentence is a death sentence for Joe that he doesnt deserve. Prosecutors also told the judge Friday that Maldonado-Passage received a disciplinary write-up in September for being possession of a contraband cellphone and unauthorized headphones that was not included in his pre-sentencing report. Palk added that Maldonado-Passage had four previous disciplinary write-ups, although he described those as relatively minor and not violent. Fridays court proceedings came about after a federal appeals court ruled last year that the prison term hes serving on a murder-for-hire conviction should be shortened. Advertisement Supporters packed the courtroom, some wearing animal-print masks and shirts that read Free Joe Exotic. His attorneys said they would appeal the resentencing and petition for a new trial. The defense submitted a series of attachments that showed excessive government involvement in the creation of the offense for which hes been convicted, attorney Molly Parmer told reporters after the hearing. We are going to continue our post-conviction litigation, but we did preview for the court the evidence we have through our post-conviction investigation. The former zookeeper was sentenced in January 2020 to 22 years in prison after he was convicted of trying to hire two different men to kill Baskin. A three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with Maldonado-Passage that the court should have treated them as one conviction at sentencing because they both involved the same goal of killing Baskin, who runs a rescue sanctuary for big cats in Florida and had criticized Maldonado-Passages treatment of animals. Prosecutors said Maldonado-Passage offered $10,000 to an undercover FBI agent to kill Baskin during a recorded December 2017 meeting. In the recording, he told the agent, Just like follow her into a mall parking lot and just cap her and drive off. Maldonado-Passages attorneys have said their client who once operated a zoo in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) south of Oklahoma City wasnt being serious. Maldonado-Passage, who maintains his innocence, also was convicted of killing five tigers, selling tiger cubs and falsifying wildlife records. Advertisement ___ Bleed reported from Little Rock, Arkansas. By Abraham Archiga ABUJA, January 28 (Reuters) - Abubakar Yusuf, an informal Nigerian trader, said he was scared to get a COVID-19 shot after hearing the country had stocks of expired vaccines. That changed, however, when health authorities destroyed more than a million expired doses last month. Nigeria's vaccine rollout has slowly gained pace since then as public confidence increases and the government has assured citizens they will not receive expired doses. Nigerians like Yusuf were rattled by reports of vaccines with looming expiry dates and worried about whether the shots they would get were safe and effective, complicating the government's efforts to get as many shots into arms as possible. Nigeria, like other African countries, initially struggled to get doses as rich nations snapped up limited supplies. Deliveries later picked up, but some shots donated by individual countries or via the global vaccine-sharing scheme COVAX arrived with a very short shelf life, leading them to expire. Nigeria has said it will no longer accept vaccines close to expiry. The daily vaccine uptake doubled to 200,000 doses in December and January, Faisal Shuaib, head of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency said. "We've been scared before, seriously," Yusuf told Reuters after getting an AstraZeneca dose at a market in Abuja. "But the way people have been taking it [the vaccine], they are well, they are doing their normal business... so we decided to take it." In December, Nigeria destroyed more than a million doses of expired AstraZeneca vaccines as it sought to assure a wary public that they had been taken out of circulation. That seemed to have convinced Gabriel Allesiloye to get a shot. "It's good for government to discard those ones... and they have done so... it is good for us to take it," said Allesiloye, who described himself as a Christian evangelist, after getting his COVID-19 shot at the Abuja market. Story continues John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Africa's top public health body, told a virtual media briefing on Thursday that news of expired vaccines had created "some kind of hesitation" among sceptical citizens. He said last week that roughly 0.5% of the 572 million doses delivered to date had expired. Other African countries have also destroyed them like Nigeria. Africa's public health bodies have now called for donated vaccines to come with a shelf life of three to six months. Nkengasong noted more African countries were recording increases in the number of people being vaccinated as communication and community engagement improved, he said. Around 2.6% of Nigeria's population have been fully vaccinated, while 14 million received a first dose. (Additional reporting by Camillus Eboh in Abuja and James Macharia in Johannesburg, Writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe, Editing by Alexandra Hudson) New England's first big nor'easter of the season is expected to bring heavy snow and other hazards across Friday and Saturday. Much of eastern Massachusetts, all of Rhode Island and parts of New Hampshire, Maine and Connecticut are under a blizzard warning beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday. Some areas will get hit with blizzard conditions and as much as 31 inches of snow this weekend, while others will see a blustery winter storm. Here's how much snow New England towns are expected to receive, according to National Weather Service forecasts. [This story is available to all as a public service and is made possible by our subscribers. Please support quality local journalism with a subscription to one of our publications.] Massachusetts snowfall predictions A woman shovels snow from her walkway on Tatman Street in Worcester early Friday, Jan. 7, 2022. How much snow will Worcester, MA, Central Mass. get during the winter storm? Worcester MA, which is under a winter storm warning, could get 12-20 inches of snow beginning at 11 p.m. Friday. More: Snow, wind, cold: Latest storm numbers for Central Mass. How much snow will Framingham MA get during the blizzard? Framingham MA, which is under a blizzard warning, could get 15-25 inches of snow beginning at 11 p.m. Friday. As the snow began to fall, McKenzie Sparling, of Marlborough, stocked up on groceries at the Framingham Stop and Shop, Feb. 1, 2021. How much snow will Milford MA get during the winter storm? Milford MA, which is under a winter storm warning, could get 14-24 inches of snow beginning at 11 p.m. Friday. How much snow will Cape Cod MA get during the blizzard? Cape Cod, which is under a blizzard warning, could get 16-28 inches of snow beginning at 9 p.m. Friday. More: Powerful storm bears down on Cape Cod: Blizzard Warning issued. What to expect? Sidewalks are cleared along Main Street in Falmouth center as heavy snow blows in Jan. 7, 2022. How much snow will South Shore MA get during the blizzard? Quincy, Marshfield, Scituate and other towns on Massachusetts South Shore, which are under a blizzard warning, could get 19-31 inches of snow beginning at 11 p.m. Friday. More: South Shore storm crews prepare 'for the worst' - more than 2 feet of snow, flooding How much snow will North Shore MA get during the blizzard? Story continues Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead and other towns on Massachusetts North Shore, which are under a blizzard warning, could get 19-30 inches of snow beginning at 11 p.m. Friday. Jacob Farinha, 13, of Fall River, tosses a snowball to his brother, Brady, 12 on a school snow day Jan. 7, 2022. How much snow will Fall River MA get during the blizzard? Fall River MA, which is under a blizzard warning, could get 19-29 inches of snow beginning at 10 p.m. Friday. How much snow will New Bedford MA get during the blizzard? New Bedford MA, which is under a blizzard warning, could get 17-29 inches of snow beginning at 9 p.m. Friday. How much snow will Gardner MA get during the winter storm? Gardner MA, which is under a winter storm warning, could get 8-14 inches of snow beginning at 2 a.m. Saturday. Rhode Island snowfall predictions How much snow will Providence RI get during the blizzard? Providence RI, which is under a blizzard warning, could get 15-25 inches of snow beginning at 10 p.m. Friday. Earl Berwick of East Providence helps clear snow from a neighbor's driveway on Jan 7, 2022. [The Providence Journal / Kris Craig] How much snow will Newport RI get during the blizzard? Newport RI, which is under a blizzard warning, could get 15-25 inches of snow beginning at 9 p.m. Friday. Cori Beckwith and William Newman, 9, both of Norwich, share a laugh after she ran off course on her snowboard hitting his inner tube at the Norwich Golf Course in Norwich Friday after the region's first major snowfall Jan. 7, 2022. Connecticut snowfall predictions How much snow will Norwich CT get during the blizzard? Norwich, which is under a blizzard warning, could get 11-15 inches of snow beginning at 1 a.m. Saturday. From left, Portsmouth residents Jonah Lewis, 9, and Colton McCain, 10, sled down a hill on Feb. 2, 2021 in Portsmouth during a snow storm. New Hampshire snowfall predictions How much snow will Portsmouth NH get during the blizzard? Portsmouth NH, which is under a blizzard warning, could get 11-19 inches of snow beginning at midnight Friday. How much snow will Dover NH get during the noreaster? Dover NH, which is under a winter storm warning, could get 10-16 inches of snow beginning at midnight Friday. A man returns to his car as he carries packages into the UPS store on Central Avenue in Dover as snow comes down Friday, April 16, 2021. How much snow will Rochester NH get during the noreaster? Rochester NH, which is under a winter storm warning, could get 10-16 inches of snow beginning at midnight Friday. How much snow will Somersworth NH get during the noreaster? Somersworth NH, which is under a winter storm warning, could get 10-16 inches of snow beginning at midnight Friday. How much snow will Exeter NH get during the winter storm? Exeter NH, which is under a winter storm warning, could get 11-17 inches of snow beginning at midnight Friday. Waves on Hampton Beach crash on the shoreline in February 2021 after a snow storm left many residents with several inches of snow. How much snow will Hampton NH get during the blizzard? Hampton NH, which is under a blizzard warning, could get 12-20 inches of snow beginning at midnight Friday. Snow covers the cairns along the path leading up to a small park in the middle of the field at the UVM Wheelock Farm in South Burlington on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020 Vermont snowfall predictions How much snow will Burlington VT get during the nor'easter? Burlington VT, which is under a wind child advisory, has a chance of getting less than an inch of snow both Friday and Saturday afternoons, but low temperatures and even lower wind chill values will plunge thermometers well below 0 degrees. Maine snowfall predictions How much snow will Kittery ME get during the blizzard? Kittery ME, which is under a blizzard warning, could get 8-12 inches of snow beginning at midnight Friday. Sarah Pitt-Wooll digs through a wall of snow on her walkway after a storm left over a foot and a half in Kittery, Maine, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015. How much snow will York ME get during the blizzard? York ME, which is under a blizzard warning, could get 11-19 inches of snow beginning at midnight Friday. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: New England snowfall forecast: How much snow are we getting? Ten years after revelations of an extensive NYPD spying operation in their communities, Muslim Americans have once again found themselves the target of secret surveillance. The news in recent weeks has centered on the Investigative Project on Terrorism, a nonprofit research group that critics say has an anti-Muslim bias. In December, a Muslim civil rights organization accused the group of bankrolling a years-long effort using staff and paid informants to monitor Muslim leaders, including a leading New Jersey imam. The most prominent fallout came in Ohio, where the head of the state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations was fired, after allegedly serving as an IPT mole for more than a decade. CAIR subsequently released a statement showing other reported targets, including Imam Mohammad Qatanani of the Islamic Center of Passaic County in Paterson, one of the Garden State's largest mosques. New York attorney and Palestinian rights activist Lamis Deek and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison also came under scrutiny, along with other Muslim leaders, according to statements from a whistleblower and an informant. Imam Mohammad Qatanani Imam addresses worshippers as Muslims mark Eid al Adha, the feast of the sacrifice, at the Islamic Center of Passaic County in 2020. New allegations about surveillance have renewed fears for local Muslims. As far as we can see, IPT at one point or another touched pretty much every major Muslim organization in the U.S., said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, the deputy director of CAIR, one of the nation's most high-profile Muslim advocacy groups. Their main target was the national Muslim community and anything that was in any way connected to public affairs and foreign policy. For Muslims, the news was a chilling reminder of aggressive law enforcement surveillance they faced after the Sept. 11 attacks. But it also underscored what many already knew: that anti-Muslim groups were watching them, too tracking, documenting and trying to find dirt on the community. While the NYPD cast a wide net in its monitoring mapping, eavesdropping and photographing at mosques, businesses and schools in New York and New Jersey IPT's focus was on Muslims in positions of prominence or power, Mitchell said. Story continues Their goal was to undermine Muslims to make sure Muslims would never become a powerful force in this country, he said. Surveillance group: What is the Investigative Project on Terrorism, and who is its founder Steve Emerson? IPT and its founder, Steve Emerson, a former journalist and television pundit, denied allegations of widespread surveillance in a response emailed to The Record and the USA TODAY Network. IPT has never monitored and will never monitor the wider American Muslim community. But the IPT will not hesitate to uncover and publicly expose radical Islamist activity on American soil by groups like CAIR, which threaten our national security, the organization wrote. IPT has been helped in its work by Muslims who share IPTs awareness of the threats posed by radical Islamists and who do not in any way represent the views of the vast majority of American Muslims." Third person sitting in the room' The scandal broke in mid-December when CAIR announced that the executive and legal director of its Ohio chapter, Romin Iqbal, had been giving IPT confidential information about the group, including recordings of conversations, strategic plans and private emails. Since then, CAIR has released statements from a mosque volunteer from Virginia and a former IPT staffer admitting their parts in the operation. CAIR said it was tipped off by a whistleblower to Iqbal's spying in Ohio. The group released an anonymous statement on Jan. 12 in which the whistleblower said he prepared summaries and transcripts of recordings of events and conversations that frequently included Muslim leaders." He also recorded video and audio at mosques, rallies and other public events in the tri-state area, listing Qatanani among his targets in the statement. He did not explain his activity there, but CAIR said it took place a decade ago. Progress? Next NJ Legislature may include two Muslims, and author of anti-Islam posts Nadia Kahf, chairwoman of the Paterson center, said she was not surprised by the news because of reports that have emerged over the years about informants at mosques and activist groups. At ICPC, we always joked around that there is a third person sitting in the room with us, she said. "The community is aware there are people who may be praying next to them that may be relaying information to others. Dr. Mohammad Qatanani, imam of the Islamic Center of Passaic County, one of New Jersey's largest mosques. The Islamic Center, which also has a branch in Clifton, has for years streamed live sermons and events online, and Qatanani noted he was a key figure in interfaith groups and law enforcement advisory groups. We are very open and we dont have anything to hide, the imam said in an interview. The whistleblower watched Qatanani around the time immigration authorities were trying to deport him. In 2006, U.S. officials alleged he didn't disclose a 1993 arrest and conviction in Israel for giving support to Hamas, which the U.S. has classified a terrorist organization. In court, Qatanani said that he was detained but was never told of any charges or convictions and never saw a judge. He was never a member of Hamas, he testified, and other witnesses said detentions were routine at the time. A judge found no credible evidence of a conviction and ruled in Qatanani's favor in 2008. The case drew widespread attention as clergy, law enforcement and elected officials defended Qatanani in court as a respected leader and bridge builder. While comments were compiled from rallies and mosque sermons, there is no indication that the information was illegally obtained. But in Ohio, CAIR leaders say, surveillance was covert and possibly illegal. After the whistleblower came forward, CAIR hired a law firm and forensic expert who found that Iqbal had been sharing emails and secret recordings of meetings held with other chapters and organizations for at least 13 years. What is CAIR?: Despite criticisms, CAIR controversial only to vocal few, its leaders say Iqbal confessed but has not said why he spied, according to CAIR officials. After he was fired, CAIR said Tariq Nelson of Virginia had also come forward to say he worked for IPT for four years starting in 2008, receiving $3,000 a month to gather information. In a statement released by CAIR, Nelson said he now wants "to right the wrong that I did." The Council on American-Islamic Relations said it fired its Ohio chapter leader, Romin Iqbal, after he admitted to spying on the group from within. Like Iqbal, he recorded public and private events with prominent leaders and organizations. That included a call with a dozen groups about a proposed Islamic center near ground zero in Manhattan and a 2010 fundraiser at a private home with Keith Ellison, then a U.S. congressman and the first Muslim elected to Congress. Ellison's campaign to lead the Democratic National Committee was derailed by the release of the recording, in which he complained that U.S. Middle East policy was too tied to Israel and ignored other interests in the region. In its statement, IPT said its work was intended to expose "radical Islamists." The group said Nelson attended a Virginia mosque where individuals had been suspected of terrorist financing. IPT also alleged that CAIR supports Hamas, an accusation that the organization has refuted. A history of surveillance Surveillance of Muslim groups stretches back well before 9/11, said Kameelah MuMin Rashad, a board member for Muslim Advocates, another advocacy group recorded by Iqbal. As a child growing up in Brooklyn in the 1980s, I can recall conversations about the presence of federal agents or other operatives in the masjid, she said, using the Arabic word for mosque. The FBI targeted civil rights activists and Black nationalists, including Muslims, under a wider effort called Operation COINTELPRO between 1956 and 1971. The agency would go on to monitor nonprofits, student groups in mosques in Chicago, in a terrorist money laundering probe recently described in the documentary "The Feeling of Being Watched," which called it the biggest domestic terror investigation before 9/11. After 9/11, the NYPD conducted sweeping surveillance at businesses, schools and mosques within 100 miles of New York City, including in New Jersey. Their efforts failed to generate any leads or investigations, officials later acknowledged as part of a civil rights lawsuit brought by Muslim citizens. Recent decades also saw a rise of private research groups dedicated to tracking and documenting statements and activities by Muslim activists, professors and other public figures, trying to link them to radical groups or sentiments. "It's a reflection of what law enforcement has been doing, [for instance] the NYPD police commissioner getting weekly speaker lists at Muslim student organizations," said Faiza Patel of the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonprofit law and public policy institute at New York University School of Law. The trend is "driven by technology. It's much easier to track what people say and do," said Patel, co-director of the school's Liberty and National Security program. CAIR's office in Hilliard, Ohio. The group announced in December that it was firing its executive director in the state for leaking confidential information to the Investigative Project on Terrorism. Kahf, of the Paterson center, who is also a board member of CAIRs New Jersey chapter, said people had given information in the past to an Islamophobic network." In one such case in 2008, CAIR hired intern Chris Gaubatz, who used a fake name to gain access and help his father research a book that claimed a conspiracy to "Islamize America." Gaubatz stole 12,000 documents, including budget reports, real estate records, strategy papers and bank statements, CAIR said in a still-pending lawsuit. He also made video and audio recordings of private meetings and conversations involving CAIR officials and employees, the suit said. Some documents were shared online or in the book, as were names, addresses, phone numbers and emails of former CAIR employees and donors. Muslim leaders say the scrutiny has made some people wary of donating to charities or expressing political opinions, fearing they will end up named in an investigation or targeted on a far-right website. What is IPT? Founded in 1995, IPT bills itself as a counterterrorism institute and data center. After 9/11, Emerson became a frequent cable-news guest and testified before Congress. But he faced allegations of inaccuracies and conspiracy-mongering, including claims that radical Muslims were infiltrating Congress and the White House. In New Jersey, he railed against Sohail Mohammed in 2011, when he was appointed a state Superior Court judge by then-Gov. Chris Christie. Emerson wrote online that Mohammed was a longtime mouthpiece for radical Islamists" and that Christie, who has also spoken highly of Qatanani, "has a tin ear for radical Islam." The whistleblower who outed Iqbal said he joined IPT after 9/11 because he believed in its mission of fighting terrorism. Instead, much of his work was focused on surveilling critics of Israel, the person said in his statement. "We were essentially being used as an Israel lobbying organization, he said. The former staffer provided screenshots of emails to CAIR allegedly showing that Emerson was exchanging information with Israeli officials, including a 2014 message asking for any information that might link Students for Justice in Palestine to Hamas. Emerson said he would send reports on the college activist group, but had not found a "smoking gun" showing a connection. Asked about the emails, IPT responded that neither "Mr. Emerson nor the IPT has ever worked at the direction of any government, foreign or domestic." CAIR has called for an FBI investigation into IPT's activities, but the agency has so far declined to comment. In recent weeks, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad has cautioned chapters to be vigilant about security and take precautions when they hire people. But he said average Muslim Americans "should not become concerned or paranoid." "We're not doing anything that needs to be hidden," he said. Hannan Adely is a diversity reporter covering Arab and Muslim communities for NorthJersey.com, where she focuses on social issues, politics, bias and civil rights. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. Email: adely@northjersey.com Twitter: @adelyreporter This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: CAIR spying scandal: Surveillance fears for NJ Muslims NORTH DAKOTA - The North Dakota Community Foundation (NDCF) will be hosting the 54th annual North Dakota Picnic at Red Mountain Park in Mesa, Arizona on Sunday, March 6, 2022. The event is a gathering of anyone with North Dakota ties living either permanently or part-time in Arizona. The 2020 ND Picnic drew an estimated 2,500 people. The 2020 ND Picnic drew an estimated 2,500 people. The event will be held from 10 am to 2:30 pm on Sunday, March 6 at Red Mountain Park, 7745 E. Brown Road in Mesa. It will feature musical entertainment, a variety of vendor booths, and the opportunity to meet up with old friends. There will be food available for purchase. Attendees are asked to pay $5 per person at the Registration Table to help defray costs. It will feature musical entertainment, a variety of vendor booths, and the opportunity to meet up with old friend The event is a gathering of anyone with North Dakota ties living either permanently or part-time in Arizona. Although there is seating available at the park, attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs. For more information, visit www.NDCF.net/Picnic, www.facebook.com/ndpicnic, or contact the North Dakota Community Foundation at (701) 222-8349 or christi@NDCF.net Established in 1976, the North Dakota Community Foundation is a public, non-profit tax-exempt corporation which receives and distributes charitable funds to support a wide range of programs which benefit North Dakotans. NDCF currently manages over 800 charitable funds for various North Dakota communities and donors, including 69 community foundations and over 150 scholarship funds. This article originally appeared on Devils Lake Journal: 54th annual North Dakota Picnic at Red Mountain Park in Mesa, Arizona Boley Elementary School principal Sandy Bates said it's been a struggle to find substitute teachers to the point where most of her staff has been helping fill empty classrooms. Though more teachers have been out because of COVID-19, there are fewer substitutes to choose from. School districts in Northeast Louisiana are struggling to staff their classes as the recent wave of COVID cases has made finding substitute teachers even more difficult than usual. The problem is one of both supply and demand, as more teachers and school staff have either contracted COVID or are absent for quarantine, and so are potential substitutes. For some schools to stay open, some schools have relied, not just on qualified substitutes, but fellow staff members to fill empty classrooms. Sandy Bates, principal at Boley Elementary School, said she has used every person in the building as a substitute teacher. "We have just taken different people from different positions and put them in there just to cover," Bates said. "There are very, very few subs available, and we struggle every day to get classes covered." More: New Boley Elementary set to finish rebuild just under 3 years after school fire The problem is not a new one, but COVID has made it much worse. It's not just that the number of teachers absent is greater than the number of available substitutes. Rather, it's a product of there not being enough substitutes to begin with. At the January Ouachita Parish School Board meeting, superintendent Don Coker said that back when he was personnel director for the district, there were roughly 1200 substitutes available for teachers. Nowadays, the district has "a little over 300." "COVID has had a big play in why we are not able to get some of our subs right now, but we are certainly working on that," Coker said. Bates said the substitute shortage first became noticeable with the COVID-19 pandemic, but the omicron surge made operations even more difficult to maintain, especially because teachers started needing to take sick time as the second semester of school began. More: Monroe City School Board extends staff 5-day COVID leave policy With most schools needing substitutes, Bates said it's a struggle to be the first one to find an available sub. Story continues "We need so many, and there's so few around it's like we're fighting to get in to call first," Bates said. "When you call and they're going someplace else, then you just kind of give up, and you see who you have around your school." Furthermore, recruiting substitutes has been a greater obstacle this school year compared to earlier in the pandemic, she said. To help recruit more substitutes, Bates said she's advertised the positions to the people she knows. "I have posted on my Facebook, and I've recruited as many friends as I have," Bates said. More: Most schools in Louisiana, nationwide have universal free meals for students for now Todd Guice, assistant superintendent and personnel director of Ouachita Parish Schools, said the district has launched an ad campaign in the hopes of recruiting more substitutes. This will include social media posts but go as far as to include billboards and radio spots. Those interested in pursuing a role as a substitute should visit bit.ly/3rV7Y0u for more information. Candidates are required to be at least 21 years old with at least a high school diploma equivalent. They also need to pass a background check. Coker said substitute pay has been raised to be more competitive. Rates start at $65 per day and go all the way up to $110. For the substitutes still around, Bates said some are showing up out of the goodness of their hearts, not just for the paycheck. "Some of the people that are willing to come in now are people who are already working but have some extra time; they don't need the job," Bates said. "People I have talked to are just coming in to help because we need it." Follow Sabrina LeBoeuf on Twitter @_sabrinakaye and on Facebook at https://bit.ly/3B8sgHo. Support local journalism by subscribing at https://cm.thenewsstar.com/specialoffer. This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Local schools need more substitutes to meet demand Jan. 27Irwin fire department to hold fundraiser Those attending the Irwin Volunteer Fire Department annual benefit dinner and raffle on March 5 at Antonelli Event Center, 100 Colony Drive, Irwin, have a chance to win $4,000 and other prizes. Doors open at 6 p.m., with bar to open at 6:30 p.m. Dinner is planned for 7 p.m. A $130 donation includes dinner and open bar for two people. The winners will be determined through a drawing. Holders of first five numbers drawn will receive $50. The last 10 finalists are each guaranteed $100. For more information, contact Deputy Fire Chief Shawn Stitely at 724-396-1763 or Chris at 724-420-8391. Norwin Democrats to meet U.S. Rep. Connor Lamb, D-Pittsburgh, who is running for for U.S. Senate this year, is scheduled to be the guest speaker at the meeting of the Norwin Area Democrats at 6 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Norwin Public Library community room, Caruthers Lane, Irwin. Quinton Berkompas, the new Pennsylvania Democrats regional organizing director for Westmoreland County, also is scheduled to speak. Joe Napsha is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joe at 724-836-5252, jnapsha@triblive.com or via Twitter . As Russian troops bear down on Ukraine and the United States prepares its own military buildup in Eastern Europe, concerns are growing across the ideological spectrum that the standoff could inadvertently escalate into the unthinkable: nuclear war. President Joe Biden has insisted that he will not use American forces to directly defend Ukrainian territory against a possible Russian invasion. But that is no guarantee that the two sides wont come to blows. The worlds two largest nuclear powers could even stumble into nuclear confrontation if the situation spins out of control, current and former officials and experts on both sides of the Atlantic worry. At the point you unleash war in the modern environment, the one thing that is certain is the law of unintended consequences, Des Browne, a member of the British Parliament and a former secretary of state for defense, told POLITICO. If you are talking about a nuclear-armed environment, which is already fragile then you are living in an environment [where] things could escalate quite quickly, by accident or miscalculation. Nobody thinks any of these weapons are going to be used deliberately, but miscalculation is a significant chance, added Browne, who chairs the Euro-Atlantic Security Leadership Group. Its a concern shared by current and former nuclear security officials who usually dont agree on much from disarmament advocates to nuclear hawks. I think the Ukraine conflict is demonstrating that the nuclear escalation scenario were worried about is not out of sight, said Patty-Jane Geller, an expert on nuclear strategy at the hawkish Heritage Foundation. Last week, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists cited the Ukraine conflict as contributing to its decision to keep the Doomsday Clock at 100 seconds to midnight, an indication of how close it assesses that the human race is to potential self-annihilation. Ukraine remains a potential flashpoint, and Russian troop deployments to the Ukrainian border heighten day-to-day tension, it noted in citing the threat of a nuclear conflict. Story continues A primary concern, according to Geller and others, is Russias arsenal of thousands of battlefield nuclear weapons, which are central to its military strategy. The Russians have something like 4,000 [tactical nuclear weapons] and they have an escalate to win nuclear doctrine, which says we use nuclear weapons first if the conventional conflict starts to spin out of our favor, said a former senior GOP government official who still works on nuclear security issues. One Russian diplomat last month went so far as to publicly threaten the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in the crisis. The weapons have a lower yield than traditional atomic bombs and are designed to be used against conventional forces in battle. But they still have enormous explosive power and are considered particularly destabilizing to deterrent strategy. The United States has reportedly been flying dedicated spy missions over in recent weeks to determine if Russia has deployed any of its tactical nuclear weapons along the border with Ukraine. Theres also concern among Russian nuclear experts about the potential that the Ukraine crisis could escalate, according to former U.S. Ambassador Richard Burt, who negotiated arms control treaties with the Soviet Union. He told POLITICO he was on a conference call Wednesday with European and Russian security officials and experts who discussed just such a scenario. People are worried about the possibility through some process of escalation this somehow gets out of control misreading, misunderstanding signals, or technical mistakes [and] that nuclear weapons in one form or another could become a factor in this crisis, he said. The situation is exacerbated by the growing number of U.S., NATO, and Russian military forces in close proximity, Burt said. One thing I think is useful to remember is people are not just putting their forces on alert in and around Ukraine, but youve got nuclear-capable naval forces in the Black Sea and in the Mediterranean, he said. In the Baltic Sea there also has been an intensification of activity as well. You have a lot more aircraft flying overflights. Russia has also been nuclear saber-rattling in recent days, threatening that if NATO doesnt meet its demands for halting the alliances expansion east it could deploy its tactical nuclear weapons closer to American borders. What we should be worried about is their doctrine and their 4,000 non-strategic nuclear weapons, the former official added. Another concern is that many of its military aircraft and missiles are also designed to carry both non-nuclear and nuclear weapons, a circumstance that could sow even more confusion during hostilities. It is very difficult for the West to know, that conventional or nuclear, until its used, the former nuclear official said, citing in particular air defense systems. Nikolai Sokov, a former Russian Foreign Ministry official, said he considers the risk of a conflict over Ukraine spilling over into the nuclear arena as extremely remote. But even he says it's conceivable that one or both sides could dangerously miscalculate. For example, an accidental clash between Russian and NATO aircraft or warships, he said, may trigger direct confrontation and then it could roll." For leading advocates of reducing nuclear arms, the Ukraine crisis highlights the hugely destabilizing role they play. What are nuclear weapons doing for us? asked Tom Collina, director of policy at the Ploughshares Fund. We only kind of think about them when we get into these crises, where really all they become is a liability. Its hard to argue that nuclear weapons are adding to anybodys security in this situation, but they seem to be the thing you can stumble into by mistake, he added. Also looming over the crisis is Russias history of using cyber-attacks as a key element of its military strategy, which could potentially disrupt or confuse nuclear command and control systems. Chris Painter, a former top government cyber official, warned this week of the risk of a nuclear escalation caused by a cyber attack impacting nuclear forces. We do know that Russia and other services are intent on intruding into U.S. systems, he told an event hosted by the nonprofit Nuclear Threat Initiative. Obviously, nuclear command and control would be a target theyd want to go after and get a foothold in. This is a really dangerous thing if those systems are seen to be unreliable that does have a real effect on deterrence. Its hugely escalatory. Others have taken issue with American rhetoric that they see as sowing unnecessary confusion about what military options might be under consideration to prevent a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Repeated assertions that all options are on the table to punish Moscow should it reinvade Ukraine are seen as particularly troubling. In the nuclear age, all options on the table in a conflict involving nuclear powers could be understood to mean the potential use of nuclear weapons, even if that wasnt the intention in this instance, two leading arms control advocates wrote last week. U.S. and Russian leaders must consider the use of such weapons off the table there are no winners in a nuclear war, they added. CORRECTION: A previous version of this report misstated the organization that operates the Doomsday Clock. It is the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Ohio's biggest economic development project in history means the state is ponying up its biggest incentive package. The state laid out more than $2 billion in incentives that it will provide to Intel, which announced a week ago that it will invest $20 billion in building two factories, called fabs, in Licking County to make semiconductors. On top of the state's incentives, JobsOhio, the state's economic development arm, will kick in $150 million in economic development and workforce grants and the city of New Albany said it will offer a 30-year, 100% property tax abatement on the buildings that Intel constructs in the city's business park. "As weve all seen over the past few years, weve got to make more products here in America, and we want to make them here in Ohio so that we're no longer held hostage by disruptions in the global supply chain," Lydia Mihalik, director of the state's Department of Development, said Friday at a news conference where she detailed the incentives. "When you look at what were giving Intel to what were getting in return some may wonder if its worth it, the answer is yes." More: Photos: Licking County site of planned Intel plant Intel formally announced plans for the factories Jan. 21. They will employ 3,000 workers at an average salary of $135,000. On top of that, the project is expected to create 7,000 construction jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs. The state's commitment is broken into three parts: $600 million to Intel that reflects the cost of developing chip factories in America; $691 million in infrastructure improvements in the region; and $650 million over 30 years in income tax incentives based on the number of workers Intel hires. More: Here's how Ohio won a bid by Intel to build the world's largest chip factory "Ohio has been presented with a historical opportunity to take the lead in re-establishing America's dominance in making semiconductors, Mihalik said. Story continues Mihalik called the $600 million an onshoring grant that is intended to offset Intel's cost of building the plants in America where costs can be 20% to 30% higher than in Asia. The grant is $300 million per plant with a goal of completing the plants by 2025. Mihalik said the grant is performance-based, meaning that if Intel doesn't live up to its promise, the state will work to recover the money. Of the $691 million in local infrastructure improvements, $300 million will be spent on a water reclamation facility, $290 million on road work and $101.2 million to build out water and wastewater capacity upgrades. The state income tax incentives will have to be approved by the Ohio Tax Credit Authority while state legislators will have to sign off on the grants and infrastructure money. In the early stages of wooing Intel last summer, Ohio changed state law to sweeten the potential tax breaks for what are classified as "megaprojects" like what Intel wants to do. Jersey Township chip plant: How does the Intel semiconductor plant compare to other manufacturing projects in Ohio? "Intels investment in Ohio is unprecedented in size and importance for America as it adds a new industry and generations of potential for Ohioans," JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef said in a statement. As for New Albany, the value of the property tax abatement will depend on the value of the buildings that Intel constructs on the site. The abatement is consistent with what New Albany has offered to other companies that have located in the park the past 12 years. The difference is that the abatement will remain in effect for 30 years under the new mega-projects legislation. New Albany will share income tax revenue from workers at the park with local schools and communities to make up for some of the property tax abatement. Global supply chain problems during the pandemic have created a massive shortage of chips, the brains that run everything from cell phones to cars to appliances to industrial and medical equipment. Currently, 12% of the world's chips are made in the U.S., down from 37% in the 1990s, according to industry officials. About 80% are made in Asia. Chips are an integrated circuit or small wafer of semiconductor material embedded with integrated circuitry. As a result of the shortage, semiconductor companies have started the long process of developing new U.S. sources of chips. The process figures to take several years before the plants would be up and running. In addition to the local and state incentives, Intel figures to be a big winner assuming Congress passes the funding for the CHIPS Act, a $52 billion proposal meant to bring back chip production to the United States. CHIPS was approved in January 2021 as part of the most recent National Defense Authorization Act, but without funding. In June, the Senate passed the Innovation and Competition Act. The House is expected to take up the legislation in February. Intel has said eventually, there could be eight plants at the site with 10,000 workers, and that the location could become the largest semiconductor operation in the world, meaning that Intel could be eligible for additional tax incentives in the future. The plants will be built on 3,190 acres that New Albany is annexing from Jersey Township in Licking County. Intel plans to use nearly 1,000 acres and has an option on another 500. About 250 acres also have been set aside for Intel suppliers. mawilliams@dispatch.com @BizMarkWilliams This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio's incentive offer to Intel top $2 billion Cook Countys top judge discussed juvenile justice, ankle bracelets and a technique for criminal case management Thursday during a policy address at the Union League Club of Chicago. Despite the best efforts of men and women of goodwill all over this county, the average resident who lives here lives in fear, Chief Judge Timothy Evans said, addressing a spike in violence last year. Advertisement Evans proposed long-term and short-term solutions to crime spikes, and announced hes looking to implement a differentiated case management system in the criminal division to make the system more consistent, after working with the National Center for State Courts. Under this system, Cook County would put felony cases on four tracks, Evans said, ranging from a six-month time frame for disposing of lesser felonies to a two-year timeline for disposing of murder cases. Deterrence of crime is more likely to come from consistency than severity of the sanction, he added, driving the need for consistent apprehensions and procedures. Advertisement The program has been in place in some felony courtrooms for a few years, but it will be expanded to the whole Criminal Division. It was not immediately clear what the consequences, if any, would be if a case fails to meet the imposed deadlines. Cook County criminal courts have often been criticized for taking longer to resolve cases compared to other jurisdictions around the country. Evans also acknowledged the controversy surrounding people awaiting trial who are released with electronic-monitoring ankle bracelets, after Mayor Lori Lightfoot called for judges to stop the practice for certain defendants. The mayor and police leaders have blamed a revolving door bond system for putting some allegedly violent offenders back on the street before their trials. Over the course of the two-hour event, the judge repeatedly emphasized the importance of due process for people who are charged with crimes but are still in the pretrial phase, since they may not ultimately be convicted. If society loses order, it collapses. If individuals lose their rights, society collapses, Evans said. No one who has been charged with murder or attempted murder has been put on electronic monitoring since October, Evans said, though he later added that this was not due to any specific policy change. Evans also addressed the issue of juvenile repeat offenders who are not held in custody. The issue was raised in response to the charging Wednesday of a 16-year-old who was on juvenile probation at the time he allegedly fatally shot 8-year-old Melissa Ortega in the Little Village neighborhood. The teenager, Emilio Corripio, was on intensive probation related to two carjackings and possession of a stolen vehicle when that shooting took place last weekend, according to Assistant States Attorney James Murphy. Advertisement Evans would not propose any sort of limit for a number of chances for juvenile repeat offenders, as the purpose of the juvenile court is not just public safety, but rehabilitation, he said. We dont give up on the kids. We continue to try to help them, Evans said. He would rather use cognitive behavior therapy than electronic monitoring or other sanctions for young people, since their brains arent fully developed, he said. Evans elicited applause from the crowd when he called for societal intervention in at-risk individuals lives before they are charged with a crime, with measures such as jobs, cognitive behavioral therapy or trauma-informed care. In the long term, Evans said there needs to be reinvestment in at-risk communities, financing for witness protection and an embrace of economic equity. oolander@chicagotribune.com Sarah Kelly is shown Friday, Jan. 21, 2022, in Huntington, W.Va. After struggling with an opioid addiction most of her life, Kelly has been in recovery since October 2019. As a federal judge mulls a decision in a lawsuit filed by the city of Huntington and Cabell County over the role of three pharmaceutical companies in the local opioid crisis, Kelly said there are many recovery programs that could benefit if the plaintiffs prevail. HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) Sarah Kelly recalls the fleeting moments when she reached out for help during a decadeslong opioid addiction, only to find out no residential treatment beds were available in an overloaded system in her corner of West Virginia. In the hardest-hit county in the nations worst-hit state for drug overdose deaths per capita, Kellys struggles with prescription pain pills cost her custody of her two children. Her younger sister died of a heart infection from intravenous drug use in 2017. Somehow, the Huntington resident wouldnt let her addiction win. I was so tired of living without them, Kelly said. I couldnt live without them anymore. Six months have passed since closing arguments were held in the first lawsuit over the U.S. addiction epidemic to go to trial. It blames three pharmaceutical companies for their role in the opioid crisis in the Huntington area. For Kelly and others who know the desperation that comes with addiction, the time its taken to render a verdict seems out of step with the urgency they feel. Kelly eventually found treatment and went to court to get her kids back. Shes been in recovery since October 2019. But that nightmare of being unable to locate a bed right away comes rushing back as a decision looms in the lawsuit. Cabell County and the city of Huntington sued AmerisourceBergen Drug Co., Cardinal Health Inc. and McKesson Corp. A federal judge must rule whether the companies created a public nuisance in distributing 81 million prescription pain pills over eight years and whether they ignored signs that the Ohio River community was being ravaged by addiction. The plaintiffs are seeking more than $2.5 billion. The money would go toward prevention, treatment and education. Kelly, 38, said the help cant come fast enough. Theres people dying every single day, Kelly said. So many of us are lucky to be alive and have found treatment. Theres a lot of people that could really benefit from this. Theres a lot of programs that could benefit from this and save lives. Story continues From 2015 to 2020, Cabell County had 8,252 people about 10% of its population suffering from opioid use disorder, plaintiffs attorney Paul T. Farrell Jr. said in his closing arguments, citing expert testimony. The county has 106 Medicaid-approved beds for residential treatment of those patients, according to the state Department of Health and Human Resources. Closing arguments were held in late July after the nearly three-month bench trial in Charleston. U.S. District Judge David Faber has yet to indicate when he might rule. It is worrisome that it is taking a long time, even though we know these things take time, said Kim Miller, an addiction counselor at Prestera Center, a Huntington treatment facility. The longer it takes, the more questions arise, and the less likely it feels to get a satisfying verdict. For many people who have abused prescription pain pills, any money from the trial is going to come too late, Miller said. In Cabell County last year, there were nearly 900 emergency medical responses for suspected overdoses. In 3% of the cases, the patient was pronounced dead at the scene. An estimated 1,400 emergency room visits in the county were related to overdoses, according to the DHHR. Attorneys familiar with the trial said theyre not alarmed by the months without a verdict. A lot of people have been waiting for a long time, and maybe people underestimate the complexity of the case and the difficulty of coming to a resolution, said Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor. I think Judge Faber is just taking the time that is needed to get it right. West Virginia University law professor Patrick McGinley, representing the newspaper group HD Media, was instrumental in forcing the Drug Enforcement Administration to release a database of distributor pain pill shipments across the United States, including more than 1 billion to West Virginia from 2006 to 2014. The Charleston Gazette-Mail won a 2017 Pulitzer Prize for reporting on the states opioid crisis. McGinley, who teaches a seminar in prescription opioid litigation, said the trial in Fabers courtroom would produce thousands if not tens of thousands of pages of transcripts of testimony, hundreds if not thousands of exhibits, and then Faber has to research the law. Public nuisance claims drive some 3,000 lawsuits brought by state and local governments against drugmakers, distribution companies and pharmacies. Faber can peek at cases in other states; since the end of closing arguments, other opioid trials have come and gone. In northern Ohio, a federal jury in November ruled that CVS, Walgreens and Walmart pharmacies recklessly distributed massive amounts of pain pills in two counties. A judge will decide by spring how much the pharmacies must pay in damages. A jury on New Yorks Long Island found in late December that drugmaker Teva Pharmaceuticals contributed to the opioid crisis there. A separate trial will determine what Teva will have to pay. Drug companies prevailed in lawsuits decided in November in northern California and in Oklahoma. A judge rejected OxyContin maker Purdue Pharmas sweeping settlement of thousands of lawsuits in December. Another judge refused to allow litigation to move ahead against members of the Sackler family who own the company but also ordered negotiations for a reworked settlement. The opioid crisis has been linked to more than 500,000 deaths in the U.S. since 2000, counting overdoses of both prescription opioids and illicit ones such as heroin and fentanyl. McGinley said that although Cabell County and Huntington need resources now to deal with the opioid problem, the case likely wont end with Fabers decision. This is the legal process; we have to ensure fairness and compliance with the rule of law, McGinley said. Theres a saying: The wheels of justice grind exceedingly slow. Thats certainly what it seems in a case like this. . This article originally appeared on Mineral Daily News-Tribune: An opioid-ravaged West Virginia town awaits trial verdict Jan. 28Although there was a visible police presence in and around Donovan Elementary School, there were no incidents reported to Lebanon School District officials on the day of the first meeting of the After School Satan Club. The news of the club being formed and meeting in a school raised the ire of residents over the past week on social media and elsewhere. The event drew the attention of a few media outlets who were at the school Thursday. Superintendent Isaac Seevers and his team met with city and police officials to develop a plan to ensure the safe departure of students at the end of Thursday's school day. The plan also ensured there was a safe and secure environment for those participating in the new club. He confirmed there were two students and seven adults that were participating in the meeting. Several Lebanon police officers were seen at the school entrances where buses and parents picked up students leaving for the day; police drove around the building and near where opponents of the club were holding signs at the corner of East Street and Justice Drive. Police also were enforcing the district's instructions of keeping people off school property. Across Justice Drive at the Warren County Government Campus, Warren County Sheriff's deputies were stationed at the county Administration Building and across Memorial Drive in the parking lot of the county Common Pleas Courthouse. At the corner of East Street and Justice Drive, several people held signs in opposition to the club. "We're here to stand for Jesus," said Michelle Berry of Lebanon. "I was expecting to be the only one here." A mother of three, Berry said she was there "to lift the name of God." "We need to protect children from evil and make Christians in school know they can be bold for Jesus," she said. Another opponent holding a sign in the low temperatures said she was there "to show kids that God is love and wants everyone to join Him," said Melissa McMillen of Mason. "We're shining a light in a dark world. We have to be the voice of our children and we need Jesus in school." Story continues Todd Carr, an outreach evangelist from Calvary Tabernacle in Middletown, was using a microphone and an amplifier across East Street from the other opponents. He spoke of standing up for Jesus Christ and the Gospels and received cheers from the opponents as well as people honking their horns as they drove through the intersection. However, a Lebanon police officer stopped and asked Carr to turn off his sound equipment because it was a violation of a city ordinance. Carr made a couple of comments, then shut down his equipment before being interviewed by a media outlet. "I just wanted to finish what I had to say," he said. One East Street resident was not happy with Carr's microphone near her home. Sharalee Dickerson said she doesn't disagree with Carr, but she said he was scaring her two children at home who have COVID-19. She stood inside her front door watching Carr speak. "They should go to school board meetings to complain," she said. "This won't solve the issue." June Everett, an ordained minister of The Satanic Temple and the campaign manager of the After School Satan Club, said the meeting "was anti-climatic" and they were "just hanging out and having a good time playing games and enjoying snacks." Everett said the meetings will be held monthly unless the volunteer leadership determines the need to have more meetings. "We're not disappointed with today's turnout," she said. "We're not going after numbers. We just want to make this available." Everett said there are more people interested in participating and that she has received about a dozen emails and messages. She said people are afraid of their children becoming a target. Everett also said the schools did a great job in preparing for the meeting and with security. At the Donovan Elementary exit, a man was taking photographs with his cellphone and asking people if they were at the meeting. He said he wants to know who the people are that are going to the meeting. Shortly before the club was to end the meeting, Seevers, who was at the school's front door, went with a Lebanon police officer to clear the parking lot of vehicles and drivers who were not there to pick up a student attending the club meeting. Seevers said the goal was to make sure all of the students were able to leave school and catch their buses safely and that there were no incidents. He praised the assistance of police in addressing the district's concerns over the past week. "We have reviewed this as a board and a district and we believe that using the schools as a meeting place is an aspect of a community school district," he said. "Our facilities are used by community groups, religious organizations, sports groups and civic organizations. To say 'no' is taking away an opportunity." Seevers said seeing students connect with the school and staff deepens the connections academically and the district believes in doing so in a safe learning environment. He said the district's entire administrative team was at Donovan Elementary to support the teachers, staff and students there. "Within these walls there was great education happening and no one was thinking about this," Seevers said. "We want the community to understand that they are providing a safe learning environment." Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks during a media briefing at the Pentagon It's Friday, welcome to Overnight Defense & National Security, your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. Subscribe here: thehill.com/newsletter-signup. The Pentagon pressed Russia to stand down on its military posture near Ukraine, with the administration issuing another warning about the threat of a potential invasion. We'll do a rundown of the latest developments in the conflict, plus the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol issuing subpoenas to several individuals involved in a scheme to send fake Electoral College certificates. For The Hill, I'm Jordan Williams. Send me tips at jwilliams@thehill.com. Let's get to it. Ball in Putin's court The Pentagon on Friday called on Russia to stand down on Ukraine as tensions rise over the threat of a Russian military invasion. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a briefing with reporters said Moscow has for months been deploying forces along Ukraine's border at a "consistent and steady pace," which has been supported by Russian naval activity in the northern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. "We don't believe that President Putin has made a final decision to use these forces against Ukraine," Austin said. "He clearly now has that capability." No reason for armed conflict: Russia has amassed at least 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border, and the U.S. has warned in recent weeks that Putin could attack at any moment. President Biden has warned Putin that such an attack would be met with severe economic consequences for Moscow. The Kremlin has denied any intention of seeking to invade Ukraine, but weeks of diplomatic dialogue aimed at diffusing the conflict has largely proven unsuccessful. As diplomatic talks continue, NATO has moved to bolster its security forces along the eastern flank, as Ukraine shares borders with four alliance members. Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stressed that there was no reason for armed conflict. Story continues "It's the policy of the United States government to continue to support an independent Ukraine and their goals. And we are continuing our efforts to enhance their ability to protect themselves," Milley said. "We strongly encourage Russia to stand down and to pursue a resolution through diplomacy," he continued. "Armed force should always be the last resort. Success here is through dialogue." SOMETHING TO WATCH The United States has called for a meeting of the United Nations Security Council to address Russia's behavior and the build-up of Russian troops on Ukraine's border. A senior administration official on Friday told reporters the U.S. wants to get U.N. members on the record. "It basically boils down to the question of whether there should be a path of war, or whether there should be a path of diplomacy," the official told reporters in a briefing. "I think the expectation is that members of the Security Council will be weighing in on this question and supportive of a diplomatic approach." The administration official said that no concrete measures or a joint statement are expected to come out of the council meeting. Russia, as one of five permanent members of the council, holds power to veto such measures in the council. The other permanent members are the U.S., France, the United Kingdom and China. Ukraine appeals to senators Sen. R Menendez (D-N.J.) addresses reporters after the weekly policy luncheon on Tuesday, November 16, 2021. As lawmakers scramble to iron out a sanctions package against Russia ahead of a potential invasion, the head of Ukraine's parliament sent a letter to several U.S. senators outlining specific demands for what those sanctions should look like. Ruslan Stefanchuk, chairman of Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada legislature, thanked the senators for supporting Ukraine, and "stressed the importance of already adopted laws to support Ukraine in combating Russian aggression," according to a statement from the parliament. According to Axios, which first obtained the letter, the request was sent to Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho), the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations panel. The letter was also sent to Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.). The senators on Monday took part in a meeting over Zoom to try to figure out the details for legislation on sanctioning Russia. More coverage of the Russia-Ukraine conflict: Jan. 6 panel goes after fake electors scheme The House Jan. 6 Select Committee said Friday it is subpoenaing more than two dozen people involved in the scheme following the 2020 election where supporters of former President Trump submitted fake Electoral College certificates claiming he had won in various battleground states that had gone to President Biden. The panel announced that it had issued subpoenas to 14 individuals from seven states who had filed the fake documents with the National Archives. The group of people who were subpoenaed appear to all be state GOP officials and activists from Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. What the committee wants to know: In letters sent out Friday, the select committee told the subjects of the subpoenas that it is investigating who was involved in the scheme, citing media reports that the group had met on Dec. 14, 2020 to cast their "votes." The committee said it is seeking answers about who had overseen the scheme. "We believe the individuals we have subpoenaed today have information about how these so-called alternate electors met and who was behind that scheme," the committee said in a tweet. "We encourage them to cooperate with the Select Committee's investigation." In the DOJ's hands: Earlier this week, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco told CNN that federal prosecutors were also examining the "alternate electors" effort. "We've received those referrals. Our prosecutors are looking at those and I can't say anything more on ongoing investigations," Monaco told the network on Tuesday. Read the full story here. ON TAP FOR MONDAY President Biden will welcome Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani The Royal United Services Institute will host a discussion on "The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict" at 10 a.m. The Hudson Institute will host a discussion on "Iran Nuclear Negotiations: Will a Revived Deal Undermine American Interests?" at 12 p.m. WHAT WE'RE READING That's it for today! Check out The Hill's defense and national security pages for latest coverage. See you on Monday. Members of the citizen group "Drive4Five," including organizer Carlos Garcia, second from right, rally for five voting districts in front of the Palm Desert Community Center on Thursday, January 20, 2022. A community workshop to redraw the boundary lines for the city's two existing voting districts. Palm Desert is taking steps toward putting a measure on the November ballot asking residents if the city should move to five voting districts or remain with the current two districts. Council members voted 3-2 to continue the discussion of a November ballot measure. The next step are for staff to return with proposed resolutions that would call for an election, request it be consolidated with the statewide general election in November, and set election deadlines. All resolutions must be approved by the council by June for a measure to be placed on the November ballot, said Heather Horning, assistant to the city manager. Mayor Pro Tem Sabby Jonathan and Councilmember Gina Nestande voted against a ballot measure and voiced support for the current two-district system, saying council members have always based decisions on what his best for the city as a whole. Were so divided as a country why would we want to further divide our own small and wonderful city? And it is a small city, just barely over 50,000 (population), Jonathan said. He said he understands those who are saying it isnt fair that 80% of the population is able to vote for four representatives at-large while the remainder vote for one every four years, but sees a move to five districts as creating a divided city and council. Councilmember Kathleen Kelly said she agreed with Jonathans comments, but has heard from residents on all sides of the issue as she has traveled around town for different events. Weve seen tonight that we have a group of people who very resolutely believe that five districts is a good thing. And I think we will continue to hear from that group of people until something happens to bring this issue to a head, Kelly said. Im not prepared to entertain the idea of this council changing the voting system, because as I travel around town I hear such a diversity of perspectives . But the question of how council members are selected whether at-large or by breaking the city into five districts should be answered by the residents. And the best way to find out how the majority of residents feel is to place it on the ballot, she said. Story continues This is an issue that belongs to the voters, Kelly said. Councilmember Karina Quintanilla, one of two residents who sued the city for violation of the California Voting Rights Act with its at-large system and now serves as the District 1 representative, said she has always supported five districts. When broken into districts, it makes elections simpler for the voters to find someone who represents their values locally rather than having to sift through and potentially choosing two to three representatives from a large pool of candidates. School and water boards are broken into districts and this would be no different. This would actually bring us closer to compliance with the way its done in other places, Quintanilla said. With most council members living in the south area of Palm Desert, it leaves the north side without representation of someone who understands the issues and concerns of those residents. Were not only talking about the demographics in terms of ethnicity, but were talking about economic interests and shaping the way Palm Desert grows, she said. Residents speak for both sides Eight people spoke during the meeting most in favor of five districts. Bruce Poynter, who lives in District 2, spoke in favor of two. He said he has talked to several Palm Desert residents who feel well represented with the current districts. None thought any further districts or divisions would be beneficial, Poynter said. Poynter said he has attended several City Council meetings in person over the years. Many times, I have witnessed a resident at the podium present with an issue. Most times, Ive watched one or more council persons approach the resident at break or after the meeting and give direct personal attention, Poynter said. Residents were from all areas of the city, he said. I dont want north, east, central, south and west to say my representative individually. I want us all to say, our representatives. I am on record as no to five districts. I want my city to stay united, Poynter said. Opponents said the two-district system is not balanced when District 1 has one representative elected every four years and District 2 has four with two elected at-large every two years. Proponents for five districts said each corner of the city should have representation. I dont understand the resistance to moving to five districts, resident Joan Speer said. Charlie Ara, a Palm Desert resident and advocate for five districts, emailed the council with a proposed compromise: Have the voters decide the issue by putting a measure on the June ballot and if passed, have it go into effect for the November council election. City Attorney Bob Hargreaves said the city is currently in compliance with California Voting Rights Act with its two voting districts, and a move to five districts would be a decision made by council members and/or voters. How we got here The city moved to a two-district system with the 2020 election as part of a settlement agreement with two Palm Desert women who sued the city in 2019, saying the at-large voting system went against the mandates of the California Voting Rights Act. The act requires that cities switch to districts, grouping communities of interest to ensure that protected minorities have a better chance for representation. Boundaries must be reconfigured every 10 years, based on new census figures. District 1, called the Civic Center Core District, is the smaller of Palm Deserts two districts, currently encompassing about 18.1% of the citys current population of 51,317. District 1 needs to encompass 18.4% to 21.6% of the current population or 163 to 1,800 more residents than currently reside within the boundaries, which must be contiguous. District 1 has one representative elected every four years, while the larger District 2 has four representatives, with elections staggered every two years. The city is in the process of redrawing boundaries for the two districts based on 2020 Census data. On Jan. 20, a group of citizens that support the council moving to five voting districts now without an election, called Drive4Five rallied in front of the Palm Desert Community Center just before a redistricting workshop. Desert Sun reporter Sherry Barkas covers the cities of La Quinta, Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert. She can be reached at sherry.barkas@thedesertsun.com. Follow her on Twitter @TDSsherryBarkas This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Desert council considers ballot measure moving to 5 districts As Peloton weighs layoffs and production pauses amid a bleak financial forecast, at least five employees across multiple divisions are claiming that the company owes them money for work they performed. Two employees in recent months a Minnesota delivery worker and a Los Angeles salesperson have filed class-action lawsuits against the company alleging that it didnt appropriately compensate them for overtime. Three other employees who spoke with BuzzFeed News also raised pay issues, such as working through breaks, not being reimbursed for work expenses, and not being paid out for vacation time upon termination. We worked off the clock a lot, said Ed Bonilla, who worked in a Peloton warehouse in New York. Bonilla, who is not suing the company, said it was common to clock out only to be asked to stick around, sometimes for as much as an additional hour without pay. Oftentimes we work through our breaks and dont get to take them on time or at all, he said. I missed my lunches almost every day. Peloton, which sells high-end exercise equipment and streaming video subscriptions, experienced a boom during the coronavirus pandemic when people were unable to go to public gyms. To achieve that record growth, the company relied on employees around the country to sell its bikes in showrooms, assemble them in warehouses, and deliver them to homes. But while Pelotons headquarters was voted the best place to work in New York City in 2021 a stated goal of CEO John Foley workers who sold, assembled, and delivered bikes said working for the company wasnt always a fair deal. Concerns about missing pay at Peloton have been raised by sales staff, assembly workers, video production staff, and delivery drivers. In Minnesota, a delivery worker named Trevon Estes filed suit against Peloton in October, alleging the company willfully engaged in a pattern, policy, and practice of unlawful conduct and owes him and other delivery workers in the state for overtime pay. According to the complaint, in addition to the unpaid overtime issue, Estes also frequently performed work for Defendant during scheduled break periods without pay. Peloton denied the charges in court filings. Story continues Another former Peloton employee who did delivery work for the company in Oregon said the hours were irregular, and he was sometimes asked to train workers without additional pay. Many of my coworkers had to pick up shifts with DoorDash just to pay their bills, he said. The worker requested anonymity out of concern that Peloton would sue him; Foley recently said the company is pursuing legal action against employees who have leaked information about Pelotons financial difficulties to the press. Peloton, which recently raised its starting wage to $19 an hour, said it provides paid break time in accordance with labor laws. We are committed to creating an inclusive, kind, and productive culture where all team members are treated respectfully and have the tools to succeed, a Peloton spokesperson said in a statement. Peloton employees are fairly paid, and we are committed to adhering to all legal requirements in every state in which we operate. Mark Cohen, a sales representative who filed his lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court in January, worked at Peloton for more than five years, from November 2016 to December 2021. His lawsuit alleges that, in addition to failing to pay overtime and minimum wage, Peloton failed to reimburse him for work expenses such as car mileage and cellphone bills. It also says Peloton failed to pay out full wages due upon termination of employment such as vacation time, which is legally required in California. The suit, which has not yet been certified as a class action by the court, challenges systemic illegal employment practices resulting in violations of the California Labor Code, according to the complaint. Cohen declined to comment on the record regarding his case. In court filings, Peloton denied the allegations. Similar lawsuits concerning wage and hour issues have been filed elsewhere against Peloton over the years. In 2017, Drake Widlake, who worked in video production for Peloton in New York and said he was owed overtime pay, settled a lawsuit against the company for $80,000. The company denied wrongdoing. Prior to Cohens case, two other employment suits were filed against Peloton in Los Angeles; one, brought by operations manager Ricardo Jacobo, was settled in September 2020, while another brought by former salesperson Brittany Gross is still being heard. Two warehouse workers in Northern California, Meagan Hernandez and EMonii Crumby, brought a lawsuit alleging unpaid wages against Peloton in February 2020; the company denied the charges, and the case is still ongoing. Even as Pelotons stock prices skyrocketed over the last two years, employees have had complaints about their working conditions. Black Peloton employees spoke out in November about pay inequity, and in June 2020, delivery employees raised safety concerns about entering private homes during the pandemic. Employees have also had to deal with the companys financial and logistical instability as demand surged but supply chain issues caused unexpected delays. Two former Peloton delivery workers told BuzzFeed News they repeatedly showed up to work only to be told there was nothing to do. If schedules change at the last minute, Peloton said it routinely pays workers for a minimum of four hours of work. But the former Oregon-based worker said that wasnt his experience. There were multiple instances where I would go into work for my scheduled shift just to be sent home without pay, he said. We were all expected to commute across town to work, only to be told, Sorry, we've got nothing for you, and be sent home. For a company that preaches company values and taking care of their employees, he continued, they really left us to fend for ourselves. NEW PHILADELPHIA Councilman Dean Holland has brought up the idea of renovating city hall or building a new one. At Monday's city council meeting, he noted that several city departments housed in the John Knisely Municipal Centre are nearly out of space. "It's been suggested that perhaps city council move from the present chambers to the third floor," he said. "I know the mayor is looking into this. "That would allow service department personnel to be moved into this area. It would be more accessible for the citizens who come to city hall. It would require some remodeling, and I would encourage the mayor to look at a plan for that." He said a plan should recognize the growth in the city and recognize the necessity for space in city hall, in New Philadelphia Municipal Court and in the police station. "That need is growing daily, and it may be time for us to start thinking about a new city hall," Holland said. "The opportunity may present itself as we move along, and I know the mayor would like to see something along those lines, but certainly to better address the needs of the citizens and their accessibility here at city hall." The city of New Philadelphia purchased the John Knisely Municipal Centre building from the New Philadelphia Elks lodge in 2000 for $700,000. The building was then renovated, and city offices moved into the building in 2003. This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: New Philadelphia councilman discusses lack of space in city hall MANILA, Philippines (AP) The Philippines will lift a ban on the entry of foreign tourists and businesspeople next month after nearly two years, in a move to revive the battered tourism industry as the latest coronavirus outbreak started to ease, officials said Friday. Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said the country will reopen its doors to travelers from more than 150 countries with visa-free privileges starting Feb. 10. Foreign travelers will no longer be required to quarantine in government-designated centers upon arrival if they have been fully vaccinated and tested negative prior to arrival, officials said. The government had initially planned to lift the ban on Dec. 1 but indefinitely postponed it as the more contagious omicron variant spread, which also prompted authorities to reimpose tighter restrictions. President Rodrigo Duterte warned that unvaccinated Filipinos who defy orders to stay at home could face arrest. Commuters who have not been immunized were also prohibited from public transport in the capital region of more than 13 million people unless on urgent errands, for at least up to the end of the month. The decision has sparking protests from human rights and labor groups. The number of daily infections has dropped considerably in the capital in recent days. Were done with border control, Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire told a news conference, adding that government focus has shifted to preventing community transmission of the omicron variant, which has caused five deaths in the country so far. We are also aware that there is no room for complacency given the unpredictability of the virus, Puyat said. We will closely monitor the situation and ensure that health and safety protocols are strictly implemented in all tourism establishments. The number of tourists dropped by more than 6 million, and more than a million Filipinos lost their jobs in tourism businesses and destinations in the first year of the pandemic alone, according to government statistics. Tourism destinations, including popular beach and island resorts, resembled ghost towns at the height of pandemic lockdowns. The Philippines has reported more than 3.5 million confirmed COVID-19 infections, with 53,801 deaths, the second-highest totals in Southeast Asia after Indonesia. President Joe Biden. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images A bridge which had been listed as being in poor condition collapsed in Pittsburgh on Friday. The Biden administration had flagged thousands of bridges in Pennsylvania as needing repairs. Biden due to visit Pittsburgh on Friday and expected to speak about his infrastructure bill. A bridge collapse in Pittsburgh on Friday morning while multiple cars were on it comes after President Joe Biden warned that many of the bridges in Pennsylvania need repair. Pittsburgh Public Safety said the bridge collapsed on Friday, and that emergency services were responding. No injuries have been reported. KDKA reported that the bridge was located on Forbes Avenue, near Frick Park. The bridge on Forbes Avenue had been listed as being in "poor condition" by Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation. The Biden administration said this month that Pennsylvania had more than 3,300 bridges that were in poor condition, and that the state would get $1.6 billion for repairs as part of his $1 trillion infrastructure bill. Other states are also getting funding. Biden was due to visit Pittsburgh on Friday in a visit arranged before the collapse. He was expected to talk about the infrastructure bill, as well as the supply chain and manufacturing. Pittsburgh Public Safety told people to avoid the area, warning of "a strong smell of natural gas in the area." Read the original article on Insider Former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke and his attorney Daniel Herbert leave the courtroom after Van Dyke's sentencing hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building Friday, Jan. 18, 2019 in Chicago. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Its been more than three years since Jason Van Dykes jury signed the verdict forms that sent the former Chicago police officer to prison for the on-duty fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald. With Van Dyke scheduled to be free from prison by Feb. 3 after serving nearly half of his 81-month sentence, three members of the historic panel who spoke to the Tribune offered mixed reactions to news of his anticipated release. Advertisement They noted the jury did not have a say in deciding Van Dykes punishment in the racially fraught case. The jurors agreed the panel reached a just verdict and they hope court-ordered police reforms in its aftermath will be its true legacy. And each said they often think about the tragic circumstances that brought them together. Advertisement I think about it quite a bit, said juror Will Harpest, 73, a retired elementary schoolteacher who lives in Chicago. It was a huge event for me, just the intensity of the weight of knowing what all the issues were and the need to be fair. Will Harpest, a juror in the Jason Van Dyke trial, on Jan. 8, 2019, in Edgewater. My hope is that from this tragic story for the McDonald and Van Dyke families that our city of Chicago and all of Cook County will continue to press forward on resolving issues of inequalities for all minorities, especially the youth in black communities, Harpest said. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) On Oct. 5, 2018, after about 7 hours of discussions over two days, the panel found Van Dyke guilty of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery one for each bullet that hit McDonalds body as the teen walked away from officers while ignoring commands to drop a knife. The Cook County jury rejected the prosecutions request for a first-degree murder conviction. Members also acquitted Van Dyke of official misconduct, reasoning that as a police officer he had the right to use his weapon. Graphic police dashboard camera footage released more than a year after the fatal shooting riled the city, exacerbating the already fraught relationship between Chicago police and minority communities. It prompted a federal investigation of the Police Department that concluded officers routinely violated the civil rights of minorities. Juror Charlene Cooke offered the strongest opinion in response to Van Dykes upcoming release. She said the three years, three months he has spent in prison wasnt even a slap on the wrist. To me, its an insult to the jurors and the time we spent (during the trial), said Cooke, a 63-year-old retired FedEx driver. Its an insult to the family, like Laquan McDonald meant nothing. While not explicitly mentioned during trial testimony, race inevitably hung over the proceedings with a white officer fatally shooting a Black teen. As the lone Black juror, Cooke said, she realized that the focus might be on her, so she was determined to give Van Dyke a fair shake. Charlene Cooke, who was on the jury that decided the verdict of the Jason Van Dyke murder trial in the 2014 shooting death of Laquan McDonald, in October 2018. To me, its an insult to the jurors and the time we spent (during the trial), said Cooke. Its an insult to the family, like Laquan McDonald meant nothing. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) She told the Tribune while the trial was a fair proceeding, in her opinion, the punishment does not fit the crime. Though jurors said they carefully followed legal instructions forbidding them from considering what sentence Van Dyke could face if convicted, Cooke later said she had hoped Van Dyke would serve at least 10 years. Advertisement She said McDonalds family has received a life sentence of mourning the slain 17-year-old. Theres people who are given life for dealing drugs or robbery without hurting anyone, Cooke said. You shoot someone 16 times and you dont even serve five years, really? I bet if it were me, they would have given me life. The judicial system is all about who you are, which is sad. He got special treatment. Van Dyke testified he feared for his life and believed his actions were justified, but jurors found that belief unreasonable. Now 43, Van Dyke is the first Chicago police officer in a half century to be found guilty of murder for an on-duty shooting. He was attacked by fellow inmates shortly after being transferred in 2019 from Illinois custody to a federal prison in Connecticut and has spent much of his sentence in solitary confinement for his safety, his lawyers have said. Besides Cooke, four white women, three white men, three Hispanic women and one Asian man made up the jury. Harpest and Kathy Supplitt, the jury foreperson, said they are at peace with their verdict, the judges sentence and the fact Van Dyke will soon be free. As a jury, we did our job to give Jason Van Dyke a fair trial, Harpest said. The sentencing was not up to us and now hes fulfilled that. He was in prison during COVID, which has got to be pretty horrendous. So, I think the man has served his sentence and needs to get on with his life. Advertisement He and Supplitt said they do not agree with calls from some Chicago activists that the Justice Department pursue a civil rights case against Van Dyke in an effort to keep him behind bars. Im sensitive to their frustration and anger but I just dont know what it would achieve, said Supplitt, a 62-year-old medical billing specialist from the northwest suburbs. To just rip open this old sore again would be so hard for the families and the city. She noted McDonalds great-uncle, the Rev. Marvin Hunter, who has served as the familys main spokesman for years, has publicly said he and most of the family oppose a federal civil rights case.Regarding Van Dykes sentence, Supplitt said she assumed Judge Vincent Gaughan might mete out a punishment of six to 10 years, because six was the minimum for aggravated battery. She declined to question the judges sentencing decision. Rev. Hunter said they were looking for justice, not revenge and that speaks to me about how the family is looking at that, Supplitt said. So, I can live with this. Noting federal involvement earlier in the case, the three jurors who spoke to the Tribune agreed that the court-ordered police reforms included in the 2019 federal consent decree must be aggressively pursued. Advertisement My hope is that from this tragic story for the McDonald and Van Dyke families that our city of Chicago and all of Cook County will continue to press forward on resolving issues of inequalities for all minorities, especially the youth in Black communities, said Harpest, who specifically mentioned the need for more police training to safely de-escalate such confrontations. Supplitt, the jury foreperson, recalled watching teens about McDonalds age heading to school during her 90-minute commute into the city during the four-week trial. Id kind of say a silent prayer that theyd have a better life than Laquan had, she said. I just hope that the consent decree and reforms are pursued aggressively and that both families and the city can heal. It was just a tragedy all around. There were no winners here. ... Its time for the Van Dyke family to get on with their lives and I hope that Laquans family continues to heal. cmgutowski@chicagotribune.com Pocono Township Police has denied accusations that its officers racially profiled a group of Black women at a ski resort in the Poconos. The incident, parts of which were filmed and shared in a series of TikTok videos, began when Camelback Mountain employees called the police in response to a suspected theft Sunday, Jan. 23. Police said they were directed to the group of women, who were later determined not to have been involved in the theft, by Camelback employees. "The officers met with members of Camelback security who identified a group of young women wearing similar apparel to what was shown in the security footage," the department said Thursday. The statement contradicts the resort's, which also denied wrongdoing. "When the Pocono Township police arrived at the resort, security footage of the incident was shared at their request," said Kit Pappas, the managing director and vice president of the resort. "The Pocono Township police independently approached and spoke with the women." Related: Poconos resort under fire after video of Black guests wrongly accused of shoplifting goes viral When asked for clarity on the discrepancy, Sgt. Shawn Goucher said only that he stands behind the department's statement. Pappas said the resort is "currently working with the Pocono Township Police to understand all available information on this matter." A social media statement released by Pocono Township Police offered an explanation as to why a reporter's attempts to contact Chief Kent Werkheiser were unsuccessful: he is on leave from the department, which was unknown to the Pocono Record at that time. The police also refuted statements made by the TikToker, whose recount of the incident has since gone viral, that its officers accused the women of stealing or engaged them in conversation about race. "As shown in body camera recordings of the entire incident, the officers made no reference to race, the females were never accused of the theft, nor was a threat of arrest made," the police wrote. Story continues Raquel Sileshi, who was among the women questioned by police, commented on the department's statement: "Bring out the recording!" Goucher declined to release the body camera footage while the incident is still under investigation. Hannah Phillips is the public safety reporter at Pocono Record. Reach her at hphillips@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Police refute accusations of racial profiling at Poconos resort Bodycam footage has been released of the moment that nine officers shot a man dead on a Nashville highway, with police saying it shows he took a gun stance before they opened fire. Landon Eastep, 37, died in a hail of bullets along Interstate 65 on Thursday afternoon following a standoff with officers from Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD), Texas Highway Patrol (THP) troopers, and an off-duty Mt. Juliet Police officer. A critical incident video, which includes excerpts of bodycam footage from two officers and commentary from MNPD spokesperson Don Aaron, was shared by MNPD late on Thursday night in order to give a better understanding of what we know about what occurred up to now. It shows Mr Eastep with his hand in the right pocket of his sweatshirt and an item in his left hand identified as a box cutter by police. Off-duty Mt. Juliet officer James Kidd is heard repeatedly pleading with Mr Eastep dont do it and reassuring him that he can get him help. Officer Kidd tells him multiple times to take his right hand out of his pocket and to drop the box cutter. Following several minutes of dialogue, Mr Eastep then appears to draw his hand out of his right pocket and point something in the direction of the officer. At that moment, several rounds of gunfire ring out and the 37-year-old falls to the ground. MNPD spokesperson Aaron said that the officers opened fire because Mr Eastep acted as though he had a gun. Nine law enforcement personnel fired their weapons after Eastep took a stance as if he had a firearm, he said. Mr Aaron confirmed that the shiny cylindrical object in Mr Easteps hand was not a firearm. The fatal encounter unfolded when a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper spotted Mr Eastep sitting on a guardrail on the shoulder of Interstate 65 shortly before 2pm on Thursday afternoon. Officials said that the trooper stopped to offer to give the 37-year-old a ride home in order to get him off the busy road but, after a brief interaction, Mr Eastep allegedly pulled out a box cutter. Story continues MNPD officers were called to the scene as backup at 1:55pm. The man appears to draw something from his right pocket and point it towards the officers (MNPD) Officer Kidd was off duty at the time and was travelling north along the interstate with his family and so stopped to assist with the encounter, police said. Mr Aaron said Officer Kidd attempted to deescalate the situation by speaking with Mr Eastep for around 30 minutes. All the while, the 37-year-old had the box cutter in his left hand and his right hand in his pocket, police said. The first bodycam footage released, taken from Officer Kidds bodyworn camera, shows the last roughly four minutes of the interaction with Mr Eastep. In the video, Mr Eastep is seen standing in one lane on the interstate from where Officer Kidd is stood facing opposite him from the other lane. The officer has his firearm pointed at Mr Eastep and, during the footage, a number of other officers are seen to the left and right of Officer Kidd with weapons drawn. Officer Kidd is heard urging him to drop it brother and dont do it, brother multiple times. Landon, come on man. Just drop it brother, says the officer. Landon come on brother, let me help you out ... You will not end up in jail. Landon Eastep was shot dead during the encounter in Nashville on Thursday (MNPD) The officer continues to say his name as Landon is seen glancing around him at other officers and taking steps back and forth in the road. Landon look at me, look at me, says Officer Kidd. No dont do it, dont do it, do not do it, brother. The officer reassures him that he can get him help and that we can fix it and he will not go to jail today. I give you my word. My word means something. I keep it, he says. I promise you, you will not go to jail today whatever youre worried about we can fix it. Let us get you some help though. This is not the answer you and I know it. It is not clear if Mr Eastep has previously raised concerns about going to jail during his encounter with the officers. Court records show that he had an outstanding charge of domestic assault with bodily injury dated from November and was due to appear in court in April. The officer also repeatedly tells him he doesnt want to hurt him. We dont want to hurt you, we dont want to shoot you and you dont want to hurt us, he says. I got kids to go, I got a family to go home to and I was on my way to do that but God put me here to help you out today and you know it and I know it. He continues: I dont want you to end up dead at the side of an interstate. Mr Eastep is heard responding to Officer Kidd at several points but it is not clear what he says. At one point, he appears to ask the officer to remove his sunglasses so they are eye to eye. The officer continues to plead with Mr Eastep throughout the footage and offers to get him an ambulance. Come on brother, just drop the knife, put your hand up and lets figure this out, he says. Just drop it brother. Thats all you got to do, I promise you. Get your hand out your pocket, drop your knife and I guarantee you I will have an ambulance here to help you out. Other officers are also heard on occasion telling him dont do it. Moments before the shooting, the officer is heard referencing whether Mr Eastep has a gun in his pocket where he is keeping his right hand. It is not clear if the 37-year-old ever tells officers what is in his pocket. Just drop the knife, get your hand out your pocket, he says. If thats a gun you got in there, dont worry about it well figure it out, well fix it. Im not too worried about that right now, Im worried about you, Im worried about you Landon. Just drop it, I know you want to do the right thing here and this is your chance. At this moment, Mr Eastep is not visible in the footage from behind the officers outstretched firearm. The officer is heard becoming increasingly concerned saying no, no, no. He lifts his firearm up and Mr Eastep is visible again. The 37-year-old appears to pull something from his right pocket and point it towards the officer as several shots ring out. A short clip of bodycam footage was also released from a second officer, MNPD Officer Sean Williams, giving a different angle of the final moments of the incident. It reveals Mr Eastep taking a sudden step forward and drawing something from his right pocket and moving his arm in the direction of Officer Kidd, before multiple shots are fired. Landon Eastep appears to take a gun stance before the officers open fire (MNPD) Mr Eastep was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. MNPD spokesperson Aaron said that nine officers fired their weapons including six MNPD officers, two THP troopers and the off-duty Mt. Juliet officer. At least one of the officers on the scene had a Taser, he said, but it was not deployed during the encounter. The MNPD officers were identified as Officers James Kidd, Justin Pinkelton, Sean Williams, Edin Plancic, Sgt. Steven Carrick and Officer Brian Murphy. They have also been placed on routine administrative assignment as the investigation is under way. The two state troopers have not been identified and it is not clear if they have been placed on administrative leave during the investigation. The Independent has reached out to the THP for comment. The investigation into the officer-involved shooting is being led by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Nashville District Attorneys office. MNPD is also carrying out an administrative review of the shooting. Mr Easteps sister-in-law Samantha McGill-Barge said she was baffled to learn he was on the highway and wasnt aware there was anything wrong. He loved my sister and my kids very much and, to my knowledge, was a good guy. Its a very unfortunate situation. Im in shock. I was at home with my kids when I found out, she told The Daily Beast. Ms McGill-Barge added that Mr Easteps wife was in contact with a lawyer but had no plans to take legal action. In a GoFundMe for Mr Easteps wife Chelesey, she wrote that he was killed with over 20 shots in very close rage by Metro Nashville officers. This man had only a box cutter and had already shown it to officers before they killed him in cold blood. Jan. 27HIGH POINT A 49-year-old man from High Point was identified by police Thursday as the person who was found killed Wednesday morning at an intersection in the northeast section of the city. Police also are asking for help figuring out where the man had been in his final hours. John Chevonne Boone's body was found about 10:30 a.m. at Lakewood and Futrelle drives near the former Oak Hollow Mall, a High Point Police Department press release said. At the time of his death, Boone was wearing light brown Timberland boots, gray pants, a gray jacket and a neon orange knitted cap and had a backpack. The press release didn't indicate a cause of death, but a police incident report said Boone had been shot. The press release said Boone was transient and was known to panhandle, frequenting the N. Main Street corridor. Boone was hearing-impaired and nonverbal in his communication. Investigators are asking for the public's help to determine where Boone was from 7 p.m. Tuesday until his body was discovered. Police ask that anyone with information call High Point Crimestoppers at 336-889-4000. Tipsters can download the P3 tips app from their app stores and submit tips electronically while still remaining anonymous. Anyone providing a tip can stay anonymous but still collect any reward offered. Boone's death was the second homicide recorded this year in the city of High Point. Kevin Trystan-Chance Robinson, 20, of High Point,was shot and killed Jan. 19 in a car outside a west High Point apartment complex on Shadow Valley Road. pjohnson@hpenews.com 336-888-3528 @HPEpaul WORCESTER Laurie Leshin, president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, has been named director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a California-based space-exploration organization affiliated with NASA. Leshin, a geochemist and space scientist, will leave WPI at the end of the academic year. She was the school's 16th president, hired in 2014, the first woman to lead WPI. "We know that this comes at a time when strong and consistent leadership is more important than ever," WPI said in an announcement of Leshin's departure. "An interim president will be voted upon soon by the board." The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a research and development lab run by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The program is federally funded through NASA. Leshin holds master's and doctoral degrees from Caltech. She is a former official at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. She will be the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's first first female director. WPI president Laurie Leshin speaks during a program at MassDigi last spring. Laurie Leshin stood out in an exhaustive international search because of her profound commitment to people, her strategic approach to scientific and technological opportunities, her deep appreciation of NASAs leadership in space exploration and Earth science, her mastery of complex organizations, and her ability to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers, Caltech President Thomas F. Rosenbaum said. Before taking over the top job at WPI, Leshin was the dean of the School of Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Archives: WPI's new president a NASA veteran Meantime, space exploration was Leshin's focus in a speech Thursday night during the annual meeting of the Worcester Regional Research Bureau. Goddard, Bezos and Musk Leshin, appearing via Zoom, did not mention her career change during the presentation titled, "From Goddard to Bezos and Musk: Our Future in Space." Leshin discussed Robert Goddard, an aerospace engineer and physics professor who was born in Worcester and attended WPI. He dreamed of sending a rocket out of Earth's atmosphere and exploring beyond the planet 60 years before. Story continues "He was here in Worcester when he climbed a tree and had that dream, and then became a student at WPI," Leshin said. "And he was more than a sort of nerdy pre-rocket scientist, but he actually was very engaged and wrote did things like wrote songs about WPI was a great student and a great visionary and blew some things up in a lot of his experiments, had a lot more failure than success early on, and we've got some patched roots to prove it here." Leshin pointed to the recent accomplishments of companies such as SpaceX, founded by Tesla Motors CEO and entrepreneur Elon Musk, or the trips to the edge of space made by billionaires Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson. "The commercial space industry of taking more people to space than has ever been possible before, watch the next few years is just going to go crazy. It's going to be massively huge, very exciting," Leshin said. "But the commercial space sector is doing more than sending tours to space ... and that's really important, by the way, but they're doing other fascinating things." We will dare mighty things, together! Honored and humbled to be named Director of @NASAJPL. And so grateful to the @WPI community for the support these past 8 years -- I'm here through @WPICommencement, #GoatNation -- and then excited to join the @NASA and @Caltech/JPL team! https://t.co/tbf2eOx0xK Laurie Leshin (@LaurieofMars) January 27, 2022 This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: President Laurie Leshin to leave WPI for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory at CalTech Rep. Aaron Coleman was charged with two traffic violations in relation to a November traffic stop, where the legislator was initially arrested for allegedly driving under the influence. Rep. Aaron Coleman has been charged with two traffic infractions in relation to a November traffic stop, where the legislator was initially arrested for allegedly driving under the influence. But a spokesperson for the district attorney's office in Douglas County indicated Coleman won't be charged with a DUI related to the Nov. 27 stop by the Kansas Highway Patrol near Lawrence on the Kansas Turnpike. On Jan. 21, prosecutors in Douglas County did charge Coleman with speeding and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle. Court documents allege Coleman was traveling at 92-miles-per-hour in a 75 mile-per-hour zone when he was stopped by police. More: Kansas Rep. Aaron Coleman hasn't been charged as DA awaits KHP case file and KBI test results A trooper attempted to pull over a speeding vehicle, a Kansas Highway Patrol spokesperson said at the time, but the driver didn't stop until exiting the interstate and pulling into a parking lot. There, the trooper "observed signs of possible impairment." In court filings last month, prosecutors in Douglas County said they were waiting on the results of blood tests performed by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation before moving forward. But Jill Jess, a spokesperson for the Douglas County District Attorney's office, indicated Coleman wouldn't be charged with a DUI. "Mr. Coleman faces no further charges in Douglas County at this time," Jess said in an email. In response to a request for more details, Jess referred The Capital-Journal to the Kansas Highway Patrol. A spokesperson for KHP said they couldn't comment on the matter and directed inquiries to the district attorney's office. In a text message to The Capital-Journal in December, Coleman insisted the "blood draw will exonerate me" and said he was going to the Statehouse at the time of his arrest, though he didn't elaborate on why. Coleman and his attorney, David Bell, didn't immediately return a request for comment. He is set to be arraigned on the traffic infractions on April 15. Story continues Coleman to have hearing in Johnson County case next week The Douglas County charges come after Coleman was arrested and charged in Johnson County with misdemeanor domestic battery stemming from an altercation with his brother, where police records show the 21-year-old lawmaker allegedly hit and spit on his brother and made threatening remarks to his grandfather. The charges in Douglas County initially appeared to damage his chances of getting diversion in the Johnson County case, where a set agreement between Coleman and prosecutors could be struck to dismiss charges as long as the 21-year-old complied with a set of restrictions. More: Lawbreaking lawmakers remain in Kansas Legislature. Colleagues want to kick an accused one out. But earlier this month, prosecutors in Johnson County withdrew a motion to revoke bond, potentially allowing him to receive diversion. Coleman is set to have a hearing in that case next week and has pleaded not guilty. A group of Democratic lawmakers filed a complaint against Coleman after his arrest in Douglas County, seeking his removal from the Legislature. A committee has been formed to investigate the matter, but Rep. John Barker, R-Abilene, who chairs that panel has said he wants to wait until Coleman's legal issues have been dealt with. At the conclusion of the investigation, the panel can recommend he be expelled, censured or that no action be taken. A previous investigation of past alleged misconduct resulted in Coleman being issued a warning against future misbehavior. House Speaker Ron Ryckman, Gov. Laura Kelly and House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer have all called on Coleman to resign. Joseph Le, chief of staff for Sawyer, said in a statement Friday that "we don't see anything new here" and stood by the previous calls on Coleman to resign and receive mental health treatment. Arrests latest in string of incidents for Rep. Aaron Coleman The 2021 arrests are the latest in a string of incidents for the embattled legislator. In October, the Kansas Department of Labor advised Coleman he was banned from their Topeka headquarters after allegedly attempting to access an employee-only area of the building and speaking to building security in a in a "loud and demanding tone." More: Rep. Aaron Coleman banned from KDOL premises after disruptive, intimidating and berating behavior During the August 2020 partisan primary against former Rep. Stan Frownfelter last year, Coleman admitted to cyberbullying and revenge porn while in middle school, gaining national attention in the process. After Coleman defeated Frownfelter in the primary, an ex-girlfriend later came forward alleging he abused her, both physically and verbally, while the pair dated in 2019 and that the harassment continued until his Kansas House bid in 2020. The Topeka woman said Coleman physically assaulted and threatened to kill her during their two-month relationship. Coleman was the subject of a restraining order from a staffer who worked for a former political rival, although the matter was settled and dropped by mutual agreement earlier this year. And legislators from both parties objected to Coleman saying a "hit" needed to be taken out on Kelly for her reluctance to support progressive policies. Coleman said he meant to say "political hit" and later admitted he should have used different wording. Andrew Bahl is a senior statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached at abahl@gannett.com or by phone at 443-979-6100. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Aaron Coleman charged with traffic infractions in Douglas County stop Kyle Rittenhouse, center, walks into the courtroom with attorney Corey Chirafisi for a motion hearing in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Sept. 17, 2021. (Sean Krajacic/The Kenosha News ) In accordance with the wishes of Kyle Rittenhouse, Kenosha police have agreed to destroy the assault-style rifle he used to shoot three people during a street protest, a prosecutor said in court Friday. Rittenhouse shot the men during the protest in Kenosha in 2020. He killed Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz in the arm. Rittenhouse argued he fired in self-defense after each of the men attacked him. A jury last year acquitted him of multiple charges, including homicide. Advertisement Rittenhouses attorney, Mark Richards, told the Tribune earlier this week that his client wants the rifle destroyed so no one can profit from it. Rittenhouse, who was not in Kenosha County court for the hearing, also sought the return of the clothes he was wearing that night. Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger said everything has been sent back except for the rifle. Advertisement The defense, the state and also (Rittenhouses friend) Dominick Black, who purchased that firearm, have all signed off on a stipulation whereby the Kenosha Police Department will destroy that firearm, as well as the magazine and the scope, he said. Binger said it will be done at the states crime lab, probably toward the end of April. When it is finished, prosecutors will provide proof of destruction to Rittenhouse and his attorneys, he said. Judge Bruce Schroeder, the Kenosha County judge who presided over Rittenhouses trial, signed off on the agreement. He also ordered that Rittenhouses $2 million bail be divided among his attorney, a foundation that solicited donations for his defense and actor Ricky Schroder, who donated to the defense fund. Conservatives across the nation have praised Rittenhouse, saying he was defending Kenosha from far-left militants. Liberals have painted him as a trigger-happy vigilante. Kenosha Police Department Detective Martin Howard picks up the weapon Kyle Rittenhouse used on Aug. 25, 2020, during Rittenhouse's trial at the Kenosha County Courthouse on Nov. 8, 2021. (Sean Krajacic/The Kenosha News) Demonstrators took to the streets for a number of nights in Kenosha in August 2020 after a white police officer shot Jacob Blake, a Black man, in the back as Blake was resisting arrest during a domestic disturbance. The shooting left Blake paralyzed from the waist down. The protests turned chaotic at times, with people burning buildings. Rittenhouse and Black joined a group of militia members to protect a used car lot on the night of Aug. 25, 2020. Kyle Rittenhouse carries a weapon as he walks along Sheridan Road in Kenosha during a night of unrest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake. (Adam Rogan/The Journal Times) Rittenhouse, who was 17 at the time and living in north suburban Antioch, was armed with an AR-15-style rifle that Black had purchased for him earlier that year because he was too young to buy a firearm under Wisconsin law. According to a motion Richards filed, Black had agreed that the rifle would become Rittenhouses property on his 18th birthday, Jan. 3, 2021. Advertisement Bystander and surveillance video shows that just before midnight Rosenbaum chased Rittenhouse down and Rittenhouse shot him as he closed in on him. He shot Huber after Huber swung a skateboard at his head and Grosskreutz after Grosskreutz ran up to him holding a pistol. Everyone involved in the shootings was white. Black pleaded no contest to two citations earlier this month for contributing to the delinquency of a minor in exchange for prosecutors dropping two felony charges of intent to sell a dangerous weapon to a person younger than 18. Schroeder on Friday also ordered county officials to return Rittenhouses $2 million bail. His attorneys and his mother, Wendy Rittenhouse, raised the money through donations from conservatives across the country. The judge approved an agreement that calls for splitting the money between Richards law firm and the #Fightback Foundation. Attorneys Lin Wood and John Pierce, who represented Rittenhouse in the early days of the case, formed the foundation to raise money for him. The agreement also calls for sending $150,000 to Schroder, the former star of the 1980s television series Silver Spoons. The Patent and Trademark Hedge Fund Trust filed a motion Thursday laying claim to the $2 million. The funds co-trustee, Mariel Johnson, argued in an affidavit that the fund had given as much as $2.5 million to Pierce to finance his cases and has been trying to recoup the money after Pierces law firm dissolved. Advertisement Johnson noted that the fund gave him $300,000 to put toward Rittenhouses bail and argued it is entitled to every dollar Pierce used to cover Rittenhouses bond. Schroeder denied the motion, ruling that the funds attorneys arent licensed to practice in Wisconsin. Richards didnt immediately respond to an email after the hearing inquiring about what his firm and the #Fightback Foundation will do with the money. Chicago Tribunes John Keilman contributed. In a display of new books for the children's section of the Ridgeland Library, a number of the books had to do with LGBTQ themes. All of the books are currently checked out, but there are three other books available on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022. Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee has said he will withhold $110,000 in funding from the Madison County Library System because of the library displaying books with LGBTQ themes in its children's area. Thousands of dollars in funding meant for the Madison County Library System are currently in limbo after Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee threatened to withhold the money until books with LGBTQ themes and authors are removed from the shelves. Library system Executive Director Tonja Johnson said McGee is threatening to withhold about $110,000 in funding previously approved in the city's budget for the 2022 fiscal year, which began in July, after residents brought the books to his attention. Johnson said so far, Ridgeland has withheld two payments. The story was originally reported by the Mississippi Free Press. "In my capacity as mayor, I simply believe the books are inappropriate for children," he said. Under the contract originally drafted in 1993 and updated in 2009, all cities with branches under the Madison County Library System are required to provide funding through a tax levy or the city's general fund. Johnson said four complaints about the books have been received from community members since September, when the books were originally part of a display. Some of the books include "What Are Your Words?" by Katherine Locke, which explores how children can ask about and use preferred pronouns among peers. Another book, "Toby Wears a Tutu" by Lori Starling, explores how children can love who they are despite what others may think about their clothes or actions, like a boy taking ballet lessons. The Mississippi Free Press reported the library's board of trustees voted unanimously on Tuesday to bring the matter before the Ridgeland Board of Aldermen. A date for the meeting has not yet been set. LGBTQ children's books made up part of new books display in September Officials from the library system said the books were originally part of a new books display in the children's area, which was removed around November. Johnson said no one has officially requested the books be removed. The books have since been placed in normal circulation and were checked out at the Elsie E. Jurgens Library in Ridgeland as of Thursday. Story continues In a statement published to the library system's website, Jerry Valdez, president of the system's board of trustees, said all libraries under the board's purview remain committed to serving residents from all walks of life. "The public library is the institution in our society that attempts to provide a diversity of viewpoints on a wide range of topics of interest ... no matter how controversial or objectionable those ideas may be to some people," he said. "The libraries will always be guided by a sense of responsibility to both present and future in adding materials that will enrich their collections." Attempts at removing controversial books continuing nationwide Rob Hill, executive director of Human Rights Campaign Mississippi, said he's heard anecdotally of residents in other areas of the state attempting to pull books with LGBTQ themes from schools and libraries. Hill said he believes McGee's decision could serve not only to spark actions from anti-LGBTQ proponents, but have a negative emotional impact on LGBTQ youth in the area. "Once again, they're hearing from an elected leader that they shouldn't be included and that they're not valuable," he said. Similar attempts at pulling books that teach about gender identities and other LGBTQ topics have happened in school districts and libraries across the nation in recent months. One Iowa school district removed titles, including "All Boys Aren't Blue" by George M. Johnson, "Lawn Boy" by Jonathan Evison and "Gender Queer: A Memoir" by Maia Kobabe, from its shelves following parent complaints about the material being too explicit. Cover of "Gender Queer," a memoir by Maia Kobabe. A branch of the Indianapolis Public Library drew international attention in August when a viral Facebook post called the library's display of LGBTQ books "horrifying" and accused library officials of trying to indoctrinate children. The post called on the public to ask for the books to be removed, but officials instead received dozens of calls and emails of support from across the nation and abroad soon after the post began getting thousands of interactions. The push to remove material considered by some to be controversial comes at a time when many young people, especially those in the South, are struggling with mental health. A recent study from the Trevor Project found more than 70% of young adults across the South have struggled with finding acceptance and thoughts of self-harm. A general lack of accepting spaces in southern cities resulted in a 9% higher probability of LGBTQ people attempting self-harm or suicide within the past year, the study found. Have an education-related news tip? Contact Keisha Rowe at nrowe@gannett.com, on Twitter or at (601) 760-2483. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi mayor threatens to withhold library funds over LGBTQ books Russian servicemen from the 150th Motor Rifle Division of the Southern Military District take part in exercises in the Rostov Region, Russia, on January 28, 2022. Getty Images Russia has added blood supplies to its military buildup on Ukraine's border, Reuters reported. This could be another sign its planning to invade, experts said. The supplies could be used to treat casualties if Russia invades. In another sign it could be preparing to invade, Russia has now added blood and other medical supplies to its military buildup near Ukraine, three US officials told Reuters. Such supplies could be used to treat casualties in the event of a Russian military incursion into Ukraine. Russia has gathered roughly 100,000 troops on the border of the former Soviet republic. The Kremlin claims it has no plans to invade, but has refused calls from Western leaders to lower the temperature in the region by withdrawing troops. The US has expressed concerns that a Russian invasion could be imminent, though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged against causing "panic." "It doesn't guarantee that there's going to be another attack, but you would not execute another attack unless you have that in hand," Ben Hodges, a retired US lieutenant general currently at the Center for European Policy Analysis, told Reuters. "If true, then we are starting to see key indicators of Russian preparations for a large-scale military operation, expecting casualties, etc," Michael Kofman, a Russia expert at CNA, said in a tweet responding to the report. "Still missing certain elements, but the picture is tracking with Russia potentially able to conduct a mil op within a few weeks." Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at RAND Corporation, tweeted that the report on blood supplies being moved near Ukraine was the "clearest warning sign that could exist." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider. Meanwhile, the Pentagon on Friday warned that Russia has a wide array of options in terms of an attack on Ukraine. "While we don't believe that President Putin has made a final decision to use these forces against Ukraine, he clearly now has the capability," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at a press conference, per the Associated Press. Story continues Russia in 2014 invaded and annexed Crimea from Ukraine, and has been supporting rebels in a war against Ukrainian forces in the eastern Donbass region since that year. Despite its history of aggression to Ukraine, the Kremlin has blamed recent tensions on NATO. Moscow has issued demands for binding security guarantees from the West, including prohibiting Ukraine and Georgia from ever joining NATO. The US and NATO have made clear that this demand is a non-starter, and that the alliance's open door policy is non-negotiable. The US has placed 8,500 troops on high alert for a potential deployment to NATO member countries in Eastern Europe, but has ruled out sending troops to Ukraine if Russia invades. Read the original article on Business Insider The legal team for a Kansas City, Missouri, former cop convicted of killing a 26-year-old Black man wants a judge to offer their client a bond so he can remain free as the team appeals his case. His attorney says that they have real safety concerns about him in jail. The Kansas City Star reported that on Wednesday, Jan. 26, defense attorney Molly Hastings asked Jackson County Circuit Court Judge J. Dale Youngs to consider offering an appeal bond to their client, Eric DeValkenaere. Eric DeValkenaere (left), Cameron Lamb (right) The request was made despite the court finding him guilty in a four-day bench trial in November of second-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in the Dec. 3, 2019 death of Cameron Lamb. DeValkenaere made headlines approximately three years ago when the former cop fatally shot Lamb in his pickup truck as he attempted to park his car in the garage of his home. The former detective made history again in November of 2021 by becoming the first white member of law enforcement in Kansas City to be charged and convicted of killing a Black man since 1942. Hastings believes that DeValkenaeres life would be in danger if he were to be incarcerated. We know that because of the unique position Eric is in, we have some very real safety concerns about where he would be housed if he were to be taken into custody on the day of the sentencing, Hastings argued. She remarked, I think it is a reasonable request just to have a feel so that Eric and his family can prepare in advance so that we have an idea of what your thoughts are. Youngs said granting DeValkenaere bail would be unprecedented. In almost 13 years of doing this, the judge said. I have never stayed execution (of a sentence) and I have never ordered an appeal bond post-verdict. Youngs continued, Other than Mr. DeValkenaeres status as a police officer, Im not exactly sure what other unique circumstances would compel me to treat him differently than I might treat somebody else in his situation given the charges. Story continues The only thing Ive ever done is remanded someone to custody, Youngs said The judge did not shut the defense down completely. He suggested that Sankar find a middle ground between release on bond and remand to custody. He offered county house arrest as a hypothetical but said he needed to file a motion by Feb. 25, a week before sentencing, for proper consideration. The former officer, who as of Monday, Jan. 24 is no longer with the KCPD, was granted a $30,000 bond after the conviction. This allowed him to remain free as he awaits sentencing. He faces four years in prison on the manslaughter conviction and at least three years for the armed criminal action charge. Youngs will decide how DeValkenaere will serve his sentences, concurrently or consecutively. Jackson County Deputy Chief Prosecutor Dion Sankar believes that this officer should receive no special considerations and should be treated like other criminals convicted of the same or similar crimes. We view Mr. DeValkenaere as we would any person in his situation, he said. The ex-officers case was presented and the facts pointed in favor of Lambs family, find him guilty of murder. In 2019, Detective DeValkenaere tracked Lamb to his home after a police helicopter spotted him chasing his girlfriend as she sped away from him in her car. According to DeValkenaere, he shot the deceased because he pointed his firearm at the officers colleague. He testified at trial: Im thinking, I cant let this happen, I cant let him shoot Troy. Troy Schwalm is the other detective. During the trial, this theory was rebutted. The prosecution maintained Lamb did not have a gun on him when he was shot. A weapon was, however, recovered at the crime scene on the floor of the garage underneath Lambs arm dangling outside the drivers side window. The prosecutions assertion was supported by a different officer who testified he did not see a gun on the ground. This officers testimony held significant weight since he was the first to arrive on the scene. The prosecution made the case that the scene could have been staged with a planted gun. They contended that Lamb was holding his phone. Missouris laws, for the crimes DeValkenaere was convicted for, are very clear-cut. For armed criminal action, the convicted will receive a mandatory three to 15-year sentence with no possibility of parole during the first three years. For a second-degree involuntary manslaughter conviction, which is a Class E felony, the guilty party can be hit with a maximum sentence of four years, however, there is no mandatory minimum sentence. DeValkenaere is scheduled to be sentenced on March 4. Lambs family has not released a statement regarding the request. More news from our partners: Meet Him Outside: California Father Removed from High School Basketball Game While Defending His Son Who Was Taunted with Racial Slurs and Addressed by Coach of Opposing Team Hes Not In Patrick Mahomes Class| Shannon Sharpe Says Joe Burrow Is Good, But No. 15 In That Red Is Untouchable Not Just About the Dollars: Why Building Wealth Is About More Than Money and How Black America Can Close the Wealth Gap A banner announcing Vote Here Today outside the Portage County Board of Elections offices in Ravenna is seen in a Record-Courier file photo. The deadline to file petitions for the May 3 primary is next week at least for now and several local races eventually will be decided by voters. Voters will cast ballots in the upcoming primary for governor, U.S. Senate, congressional seats and state representative, as well as several local, countywide races. The previously established deadline to seek the posts is 4 p.m. Feb. 2 for state and local races. Congressional candidates have until March 4 to file. This week, two state representatives sponsored a bill that would move the primary from May 3 to June 7. The measure aims to give candidates and election officials ample time to prepare for the election as mapmakers take another stab at drawing legislative and congressional districts. Board of elections officials said they are still waiting for official word from the secretary of state about the filing deadlines. On Thursday, the Ohio Association of Elected Officials notified the board's director, Faith Lyon, and deputy director, Theresa Nielsen, that another bill has been approved by the Ohio house and state senate, which provides flexibility for candidates running for state legislative districts. The bill, which is awaiting the governor's signature, does not change the filing deadlines or the primary date. Early in-person voting at the Portage County Board of Elections in Ravenna. Deb Defer, a poll worker, transports voting materials where they will be picked up and taken to different precincts in the county for election day on November 3. One of the districts that is in question is the proposed 72nd district. Right now, State Rep. Gail Pavliga represents the 75th district, which encompasses most of Portage County, while Diane Grendell's 76th district includes residents of the northern part of the county, as well as Geauga County. Portage County voters also will decide a commissioners race, now represented by Democrat Vicki Kline, who does not plan to seek re-election. So far, two Republicans, Deerfield Township Trustee Ed Dean and Mike Tinlin of Brimfield, have filed petitions to run for the seat. Voters also will elect a county auditor, a judge of the county common pleas court, a domestic relations court judge, and members of the county's Democratic Central Committee So far, only the current domestic relations court judge, Paula Giulitto, a Democrat who lives in Streetsboro, has filed petitions for re-election to the bench. Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at dsmith@recordpub.com. This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Local races up for grabs in spring primary; Feb. 2 is filing deadline Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert will step down after the 2022 NFL draft in April, team owner Art Rooney II said on Friday. BREAKING: Steelers GM Kevin Colbert is stepping down after the draft, per Art Rooney II. Team will conduct a search for a new GM immediately, but likely wont make the hire until after the draft. They have already interviewed two in-house candidates: Brandon Hunt and Omar Khan. Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) January 28, 2022 Colbert's contract runs through the 2022 draft he's worked on year-to-year deals since after the 2019 season and there were reports earlier this month that said he was expected to leave the team. Rooney said he may stay with Pittsburgh in a different role. The Steelers have started their search for a new general manager immediately and have already interviewed two candidates in-house, Rooney said. "We have left the door open, Kevin and I, to possibly have him fill an ongoing role after the draft," Rooney said, via Brooke Pryor at ESPN. "We will be conducting a search for a new GM starting immediately. Probably won't make a hire until after the draft. We will be interviewing people. We've already interviewed two of our in-house candidates: Omar Khan and Brandon Hunt." Colbert had said he would be with the organization as long as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was there. Roethlisberger formally announced Thursday he was retiring after an 18-year career, all with the Steelers. Khan is the team's vice president of football operations and business administration. He has been with the organization for 21 years. Hunt is currently the pro scouting coordinator and has been with the Steelers for 14 years. General Manager Kevin Colbert of the Pittsburgh Steelers will step down when his contract is up after the 2022 NFL Draft. (Joe Sargent/Getty Images) Steelers success under Kevin Colbert Head coach Mike Tomlin will be one of the few remaining core Steelers personnel in an organization that never has much turnover. Rooney said Friday that Tomlin's role will not change with a new general manager. He started with the Steelers in 2007 during Roethlisberger's fourth season and signed a three-year extension last year. Story continues Colbert, a Pittsburgh native, has been with the club since 2000 and won two Super Bowls in three trips to the big game with Pittsburgh. The Steelers under Hall of Fame head coach Bill Cowher won Super Bowl XL against the Seattle Seahawks and won Super Bowl XLIII over the Arizona Cardinals with Tomlin. He's 225-124-3 as a general manager after working for a decade as the director of football operations. Before joining the Steelers, he worked as a college scout for the Miami Dolphins and the pro scouting director for the Detroit Lions. Ethan Miller/Getty Images For the better part of 2018, adult film star Stormy Daniels and her flashy California litigator Michael Avenatti were flying high as an unlikely tag-team bent on taking down President Trump. They hijacked the national news cycle after suing the president over an NDA that silenced Daniels ahead of the 2016 election, forbidding her from speaking about her alleged sexcapade with Trump a decade before. They'd also taunted Trumps personal attorney Michael Cohen with a defamation suit, and stole the show at his court hearing after the feds raided his home. And when Daniels was set to release a memoir, she joined Avenatti on ABCs The View for a victory lap. I think people are going to be very moved by this book, by its content, and theyre going to learn a lot about this incredible woman, Avenatti raved, who I am proud to call my client and my friend because shes had an amazing life. Avenatti: I Was Only Allowed to Read Trumps Art of the Deal in Prison Now, three-and-a-half years later, their formerly famous buddy system is as dead as Avenatti's dubious presidential aspirations. Manhattan federal prosecutors say Avenatti committed the ultimate betrayal: Stealing money owed to Daniels for her book and lying about it for months. On Thursday, Daniels took the stand against the disgraced attorney, who is accused of embezzling almost $300,000 of her $800,000 book advance while claiming her publisher never paid her, in what marks his third criminal trial since 2020. (Avenatti was previously convicted of conspiring to extort the Nike corporation in New York, while his California trial for allegedly embezzling millions from his own clients ended in a mistrial.) He lied to me almost every day for five months, Daniels testified, adding that she was shocked, hurt, and felt very betrayed and stupid. I dont know if there is a word stronger than furious. But that would be it, Daniels added when asked about one fateful day in February 2019, when she discovered proof that her book publisher, St. Martins Press, had already wired Avenatti her money. Story continues Daniels appeared in court a day after Avenatti ditched his public defenders and decided to represent himself. Its unclear whether hell testify in his own defense. Her testimony unveiled a behind-the-scenes look at her first meeting with Avenatti (at the lobby bar of the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills), their attorney-client fee agreement (she paid him $100 to represent her), and the ensuing months when she badgered him for help in getting her publisher to pay up. As she pushed Avenatti to obtain a missing installment of close to $150,000, she had no idea Avenatti had allegedly already receivedand spentthe proceeds. Avenatti is accused of swiping Daniels money by allegedly forging her signature on a letter to her literary agent, instructing him to wire Daniels book advance to a client-trust account he controlled. Those instructions came at a time when Avenatti was fighting creditors for millions of debts related to his law firm, defunct coffee chain, and divorce case. Since the trial kicked off on Monday, prosecutors have relied on a batch of text messages between Daniels and Avenatti to depict the timeline of events. In those exhibits, Avenatti repeatedly told Daniels he was working on getting her money. The 42-year-old porn actress and directorwhose latest venture is a ghost-hunting TV project Spooky Babestold jurors that she was elated to receive her first advance payment for her book, Full Disclosure. It solidified that Im a real author, Daniels said, adding that shed dreamed of writing a memoir for 10 years. Got the wire, Daniels texted Avenatti in April 2018 after she signed her book deal and the first payment of about $212,000 arrived. I cant feel my face. (Asked what she meant, Daniels said she was ecstatic, her face was numb from smiling so much.) Congrats, Avenatti replied. We make a good team. Enjoy. :) Daniels testified that in a later phone call, Avenatti called her an American hero and said, I love you, Stormy Daniels. According to the entertainer, Avenatti promised hed never take a penny from her book and that his payday would instead come from suing Trump and through their crowdfunding website for her legal battle with the president. Michael Avenatti Lived the High Life While Owing Millions to IRS Under questioning from assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Sobelman, Daniels said she and a ghost writer named Kevin completed her book in July 2018. After the publisher accepted the manuscript, her agreement stated, she was owed a second payment of $175,000. (Her literary agent would receive a 15-percent cut of that installment.) On July 28, 2018, Daniels sent Avenatti texts asking when her $148,750 would arrive, saying her draft was complete a while ago. From that point until the following February, Daniels repeatedly asked Avenatti for updates on her second, and eventually her third, payment from St. Martins. I did not get paid today, Daniels texted Avenatti on Sept. 5. I am not fucking happy. They are in breach of contract by about four weeks. But unbeknownst to Daniels, prosecutors say, Avenatti swiped her second installment for himselfbefore secretly obtaining a loan from celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos to pay her back with a cashiers check, claiming it came from the publisher. Avenatti would soon tell Daniels the publisher had inexplicably mailed a cashiers check for her to his office, despite the actress giving the company her bank account and wire instructions. His office cashed the check, which covered the second installment, into her account. Prosecutors say that in September 2018, Avenatti secretly convinced the publisher to send Daniels her third payment early, but that Daniels never received a cent of that installment. Originally, Daniels was owed $175,000 (or $148,750, with her literary agents fee) upon publication of the book. According to his indictment, Avenatti used the money on personal expenses like a $3,900 monthly Ferrari car payment and $56,000 toward his firms payroll. In October of that year, Daniels texted Avenatti a screenshot of her book contract, circling the portion in red ink that indicated shed receive her third payment upon publication of the book. That means I get paid tomorrow, right? she asked, to which Avenatti replied, Yes. That third payment never arrived. Sobelman asked Daniels why she had enlisted Avenatti to help her communicate with the publisher. He was my attorney, she answered. I trusted him to handle it. Daniels testimony suggested that Avenatti played the part of dishonest middleman, falsely arguing St. Martins Press wasnt happy with her publicity on the book and that she didnt reach her contractual requirements for it. Avenatti had another excuse up his sleeve: He claimed her book sales were unremarkable. Daniels testified that the number of copies sold, however, had no bearing on whether she would be paid. As a result of Avenattis comments, the actress and her then-PR representative, Denver Nicks, crafted a list of all her promotions for the bookincluding a spot on late night host Jimmy Kimmels showto present to the publisher. They should feel like assholes, Avenatti texted Daniels on November 27, 2018, in response to her complaints. Its bullshit. At one point, Daniels asked Avenatti for crowdfunding money to pay her security team, which she endearingly referred to as her dragons. She said Avenatti told her to foot the $26,000 herself and that his office would reimburse her. Avenatti Saw Dollar Signs in Greedy Nike Extortion, Lawyers Say Daniels trust in Avenatti apparently began to fray in late November, after she discovered Avenatti had created a second online fundraiser for her legal effort without telling her. The Daily Beast exclusively reported that Daniels was upset that Avenatti launched another crowdfunding site without her permission, and claimed that Avenatti sued Trump for defamation against her wishes. Daniels also said she'd repeatedly asked Avenatti for a full accounting for her first crowdfunding effort, which raised nearly $600,000 from the public. You should not be attacking me publicly, Avenatti warned Daniels in a text on Nov. 28, 2018. It puts me in a very difficult spot because I have to defend myself and I dont want to respond in kind. We have to work this out. I did not attack you. I stated all my truths, Daniels replied. Are you threatening me now? Daniels added, perhaps softening the blow of the confrontation, You are an incredible and brilliant man with balls of steel. I will always admire you. After Avenatti provided Daniels a letter with the supposed accounting, the litigator sent her a statement to tweet out from her account saying theyd sorted everything out and the finances were on the up and up. Still, Daniels continued fighting for her book earnings, becoming more and more angry that the money she was depending on was late. Daniels testified that she was living with her ex-husband and waiting on the book money for a down payment on a house of her own. I am trapped in this house with my ex until I get paid, Daniels texted Avenatti on Dec. 27, 2018. Each day is one step closer to one of us going to jail. In court, Daniels clarified she was uncomfortable in her housing situation with her ex. Daniels kept pressing Avenatti for help in reaching the publisher and her literary agent, Luke Janklow, who wouldnt return her calls. (On Monday, Janklow testified that Avenatti instructed him to communicate only with him about Daniels' book matters.) Finally, after Avenatti claimed she could expect a wire with her money on Feb. 13, 2019 and she hadnt, Daniels informed him shed sent a text to every single other person at the publisher and will continue to do so every hour until I am paid. On Feb. 14, Daniels texted Avenatti that she had an interview lined up with a journalist and had sent an employee of the publisher a final warning. Daniels also informed Avenatti that reporters had approached the bus for her stripclub tour asking questions about his law firm, whose millions in debts and bankruptcy court filings were making headlines. WTF is going on? she wrote. Avenatti replied by texting her a statement he advised her to issue to reporters that called his personal scandal a big nothing burger. He ignored my stuff and only cared about what they were asking about him, Daniels testified of his instructions for the press scrum. OK. Now. Find my fucking money, Daniels answered Avenatti in a text. Word!!!!!! Avenatti said. When Avenatti contacted her the next day, she didnt answer. Sobelman asked Daniels why she suddenly ignored him. Because I had spoken to the publisher, Daniels testified. Michael had been lying and stealing from me and my payments had been sent months before. On Feb. 19, 2019, Daniels peppered Avenatti with text messages that included screengrabs of wire transfers, showing Avenatti had her money this whole time. Her agent, Janklow, finally provided copies showing the payments already went through. I didnt even know you had a trust account with my name on it, she texted him. Daniels then sent Avenatti details for her new lawyer. I didnt want to hear another word Michael Avenatti had to say, Daniels testified. Avenatti tried to turn the tables that very same day, sending her a letter claiming his law firm was dumping her because she was an unresponsive client. I felt violated, Daniels testified. He lied to me and betrayed my trust. Avenatti cross-examined Daniels for about 10 minutes before court adjourned for the day, wishing her a good afternoon before asking whether she had a single email, text, or recording of him promising not to take money from her book deal. She answered no. "How was I supposed to get paid for all the work that I and my law firm did for you over the course of 12 months?" he asked. Daniels testified she believed he would be paid through her legal defense fund and winnings against Trump. Then Avenatti took aim at Daniels latest turn as a paranormal investigator. You pride yourself on always telling the truth? Avenatti asked her, to which she replied in the affirmative. You have claimed you have a perfect memory? Avenatti asked, before inquiring, You have claimed you have the ability to see and speak to dead people? Avenatti then alluded to Daniels claims of having X-ray vision and suggested she claimed she could see into peoples houses. The lawyer asked about a haunted doll named Susan you speak to and she speaks back? Susan speaks to everyone, Daniels answered. Shes a character on the show. Daniels then quipped that Susan has her own Instagram. Before Daniels entered the witness box, Avenatti wrapped up his cross examination of Sean Ernesto Macias, an attorney and friend who said Avenatti was desperate for a $250,000 loan in September 2018. It was Macias who introduced Daniels to Avenatti that February when she was seeking a lawyer to fight her hush agreement with Trump. According to Macias testimony on Wednesday, Avenatti claimed he was jammed up, his Newport Beach law firm was about to be evicted, and he couldn't make payroll. Macias declined to give Avenatti the money but asked a colleague named Jack, who owned nightclubs in Los Angeles, to help him. When the pals met Jack at his home, Avenatti was adamant that he needed the cash tomorrow and claimed his Republican landlord was out to get him. Early the next day, Avenatti phoned Macias for an update on Jacks potential loan. It was a beautiful September morning, Macias testified, and I thought no good deed goes unpunished. Macias testified that he contacted Jack, who said he was unable to help. He was really upset, like really upset, Macias said of Avenatti, but declined to elaborate on what exactly Avenatti told him. I couldnt even understand him, he was teared up, crying, Macias testified, adding, I still feel bad for him. Once Avenatti calmed down, he asked Macias to phone another possible lender: lawyer Mark Geragoswho would later be embroiled in Avenattis Nike extortion case but wasnt charged. Hey, Avenattis jammed up, Macias said he told Geragos. Dont yell at me but he needs a bridge loan. Macias said Geragos laughed and asked how much Avenatti needed and that he replied $250,000 to $300,000. For el presidente, why not, Geragos allegedly answered before doling out $250,000. Days before Avenatti appeared in his office pressuring him for money, Macias said they attended a consumer attorney conference in Vegas and its attendant Friday night party. Macias testified Avenatti was melancholy during the festivities and said Daniels was going crazy because her book publisher hadnt paid her. She was threatening to go to the media, Avenatti told Macias, before asking Macias to represent Daniels in a potential lawsuit against the publishing house. He seemed a little more agitated than he normally was, Macias said of Avenatti. He seemed a bit needy. Meanwhile, Macias detailed how he and Avenatti plotted his Democratic presidential run throughout 2018. Macias testified that Avenatti told him that if he made it to the White House, he wanted him as his chief of staff. But Macias said he preferred to be ambassador of France. On Thursday, Avenatti asked Macias whether it was true that he liked Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii in connection to my campaign. Avenatti didnt elaborate but perhaps meant that he wanted the former Congresswoman as his running mate. Avenatti then recited a text Macias allegedly sent him about fundraising. I am getting you some Dough Re Mi so you can run like a banshee, Avenatti claimed Macias wrote. The embattled lawyer then asked Macias if he now serves as his estranged wifes lawyer in connection to their divorce proceedings. Macias answered yes before he was excused. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. TALLAHASSEE Activists with Students for a Democratic Society staged a protest in the middle of a Florida House committee meeting Thursday as lawmakers were taking up a controversial bill banning abortions after 15 weeks. After less than half an hour of public testimony, Bryan Avila, R-Miami Springs, chairperson of the Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee, said he would have to cut public feedback short in the interest of keeping the meeting to its scheduled two hours. Students from around Florida, many of whom had already testified against the bill, were outraged. They began chanting, Let her speak! drowning Avila out. With the committee unable to continue its business, the meeting was briefly paused while law enforcement escorted the students from the room. The students left without incident, chanting All power to the people! and The people united will never be defeated! Taylor Cook, 21, a student organizer at the University of South Florida, seized a portable microphone outside the committee building. They think they can shut our voices down? They think they can throw us out and deny us our right to speak? Cook said to the few dozen student activists gathered outside the committee building, adding some expletives. Meanwhile, inside the committee room, Avila called the meeting into a recess and several lawmakers exited out a back door. Law enforcement cleared the room. The meeting was paused to ensure the safety of the lawmakers and the public, a House spokesperson said. Once the meeting resumed, only journalists were allowed back in to watch the early portion of the lawmakers debate over the abortion bill. Eventually, other members of the public were allowed back in as well. Avila declined an interview after the meeting. Rep. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, the bills sponsor, did not stay in the committee room to take questions from journalists. However, in remarks to lawmakers just before the committee adjourned, Avila said he called an end to public comment so representatives could fully debate the abortion measure. Story continues My intent, again, was to make sure each and every one of you had enough time to represent your constituents and represent the voice of your constituents, Avila said. In the end, the meeting went about 15 minutes late. House Bill 5 would ban most abortions in Florida after 15 weeks. Under the bill, pregnancy would be measured from the first day of the pregnant persons last menstrual period. The legislation does not come with exceptions for rape or incest. It does include exceptions for times when the life of the mother is endangered, or cases of a fatal fetal abnormality. Floridians would only be able to obtain an exception in the case of such a fetal abnormality after getting written testimony from two doctors. The bill cleared the committee with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats opposed. It has one more committee hurdle before a vote in the full House. A similar measure, Senate Bill 146, has yet to be taken up by a Senate committee. Thursdays meeting underscored the challenge facing the bills opponents. An amendment offered by Rep. Kelly Skidmore, D-Boca Raton, would have required insurance companies to cover the second doctors visit mandated by law in the case of a fatal fetal abnormality. It was defeated on a party-line vote. Before the recess, the committee did tweak a provision of the bill unrelated to abortion. A new program that would require the state Department of Health to create regional committees to review fetal and infant mortality got its potential funding increased from $260,000 to $1,602,000. But the vast majority of Thursdays discussion was about abortion. In 2020, Florida saw some 75,000 abortions, according to the states Agency for Health Care Administration. About 4,300 of those procedures were performed during the second trimester between 13 and 24 weeks of pregnancy. Of those abortions, 20 were performed after cases of rape. Three were performed in cases of incest. Current Florida law allows abortions up until about 25 weeks of pregnancy. Republicans argued that 15 weeks was enough time for a pregnant person to seek an abortion. Fifteen weeks? ... Thats a long time, said Rep. Dana Trabulsy, R-Fort Pierce. To me, because I believe life begins at conception, thats generous. Democrats and the activists opposed to the bill argued that placing a 15-week limit on abortion would create an unfair barrier for vulnerable pregnant Floridians. My parents had me when they were 16 and 17, and we lived in poverty our entire life, Cook, the student activist, said in testimony before her group was kicked out of the meeting. My life would be ruined if I got pregnant right now. My parents lives were ruined. And I respect them for having me, I appreciate it, but if they didnt want to, that is their right. Opponents of the bill also contend its abortion provisions would conflict with state and federal precedent governing access to the procedure. Since the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, the Supreme Court has limited the extent to which states can pass abortion restrictions. Federal precedent could soon change, however. A Mississippi law passed in 2018 on which Gralls abortion measure was modeled is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court. If the conservative-dominated court rules that law can stand, it could pave the way for a lasting 15-week ban in Florida. Tampa Bay Times Florida Legislature coverage Sign up for our newsletter: Get Capitol Buzz, a special bonus edition of The Buzz with Emily L. Mahoney, each Saturday while the Legislature is meeting. Watch the Florida Legislature live: The Florida Channel, a public affairs programming service funded by the Legislature, livestreams coverage at thefloridachannel.org. Its video library also archives coverage for later viewing. Were working hard to bring you the latest news from the states legislative session. This effort takes a lot of resources to gather and update. If you havent already subscribed, please consider buying a print or digital subscription. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China and the United States could end up in a military conflict if the United States encourages Taiwan's independence, Beijing's ambassador to Washington said in a U.S. radio interview broadcast on Friday. China considers the neighboring, democratically ruled island of Taiwan its "sacred" territory and has never renounced the use of force to ensure eventual unification. "Let me emphasize this. The Taiwan issue is the biggest tinder-box between China and the United States," Qin Gang told National Public Radio. "If the Taiwanese authorities, emboldened by the United States, keep going down the road for independence, it most likely (will) involve China and the United States, the two big countries, in a military conflict," he said. Asked to comment, the U.S. Defense Department said the United States remained committed to its "one China" policy and its commitments under the U.S. Taiwan Relations Act. Under the long-standing policy, Washington officially recognizes Beijing rather than Taipei, while the act requires the United States to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. "We will continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability while also maintaining our own capacity to resist any use of force that would jeopardize the security of the people of Taiwan," a Pentagon spokesperson said. The U.S. State Department and White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Qin's remark, which came just hours after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed the crisis over Ukraine. While Chinese officials have warned of military action over Taiwan, it is unusual for them to link it directly to the United States. Tensions between Beijing and Taipei have escalated in recent months as China's military has conducted repeated air missions over the Taiwan Strait, the waterway separating the island from China. Story continues U.S. President Joe Biden has said that the United States was not encouraging independence for Taiwan, but he caused a stir in October when he said it would come to the island's defense if China attacked. The latter remark appeared to depart from Washington's long-held policy of "strategic ambiguity" - not making clear how the United States would respond - though the White House quickly said Biden was not signaling a change in policy. The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, told Congress last year China wants the ability to invade and hold Taiwan within the next six years but might not intend to do so in the near term. (Reporting by Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Howard Goller and Nick Macfie) A SWAT team interrupted a sleepy Key West neighborhood on Thursday. They found a local, whos also a motorcycle gang member, at home with guns hes not allowed to have, along with cocaine and cash from drug sales, the Monroe County Sheriffs Office said. Justin August Meyer, 31, was identified by the sheriffs office as a member of the Pagans Motorcycle Club after his arrest in the 2700 block of Staples Ave Thursday afternoon. Sheriffs office investigators and the agencys SWAT team, working with Key West police and federal agents, arrived with a search warrant at about 3:45 p.m. Meyer was found on the property holding a firearm, but he dropped it when he saw law enforcement officers, said sheriffs office spokesman Adam Linhardt. A woman and two children were also at the home, but no other arrests were made, he said. Meyer, who has a 2013 felony theft conviction, was found with an AR-15 rifle, two pistols a 45-caliber and a 9mm along with 140 rounds of ammunition, nearly 12 grams of cocaine, $3,310 in suspected drug proceeds and a digital scale, Linhardt said. He was charged with possession of cocaine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and possession of drug paraphernalia. In 2013, Meyer pleaded guilty to the theft of an iPhone that was worth $300 or more, according to Monroe County criminal court records. On Friday, Meyer remained at the county jail on Stock Island where he was being held without bond. It was unclear whether he has an attorney. China issues 5-year plan to modernize market regulation Xinhua) 08:14, January 28, 2022 BEIJING, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- China's State Council has issued a plan to advance the modernization of the country's market regulation over the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). The plan calls for continuously optimizing the business environment in China to fully stimulate the vitality of market entities. Starting a new business will, for example, become more convenient in China, with average time consumption shrinking from fewer than four weekdays currently to about two weekdays by 2025, according to the plan. To build a level market playing field, the plan urges efforts to strengthen fair competition and anti-monopoly regulations. Platform companies will be guided to compete in an orderly manner, and practices such as discriminatory treatment and false sales promotions will be investigated in accordance with the law. New industries and business models will see enhanced supervision, per the plan, underscoring the close monitoring of competition in the "internet plus service" industry and investigating relevant illegal activities. Efforts should also be made to guarantee food and drug safety, ensure the safe operations of special equipment, strengthen supervision over the quality of industrial products, and further protect the rights and interests of consumers, according to the plan. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke, center, arrives for a hearing on Sept. 14, 2018 at the Leighton Criminal Court Building. His attorney announced that a jury will decide his fate. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) After 1,214 days in custody for the murder of Laquan McDonald, former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke is about to go home. The white patrol officers decision on Oct. 20, 2014, to fire 16 shots into McDonald as the Black teenager walked away from cops while holding a knife once seemed destined to alter the trajectory of a city long plagued by allegations of police brutality and a code of silence that allowed the routine trampling of the rights of citizens. Advertisement And in many ways, the city Van Dyke will return to has changed. The mayor whose mishandling of the crisis helped derail a third term is gone now the newly minted U.S. ambassador to Japan. The Chicago Police Department has seen wholesale changes in leadership. Advertisement Body-worn cameras are now the norm for beat cops, as it was a video of the teens killing that spread around the globe, and videos of shooting incidents that used to be kept under wraps are now released to the public as a matter of policy. A federal consent decree is in place with the hopes of ushering in even more reforms. The stretch of South Pulaski Road near West 41st Street where former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke shot and killed Laquan McDonald in 2014. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) But in other ways, Van Dykes prosecution has not turned out to be the watershed moment many hoped for. Progress on the consent decree benchmarks has been frustratingly slow. Trust between the police and the communities they serve is more frayed than ever. The union representing rank-and-file officers has become increasingly radicalized. There has been an alarming spike in violent crime for which city leadership has had few answers. Cara Hendrickson, a former assistant to the Illinois attorney general who helped draft the parameters of the consent decree, said that despite the hard work of many stakeholders to overhaul the Police Department, the city has come up woefully short in establishing a modern system of police accountability, including early intervention programs to get support and training to officers in need and identify and discipline problem officers. Not nearly enough has been done to ensure that there will not be another Jason Van Dyke, said Hendrickson, who is now executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group Business and Professional People for the Public Interest. Randall Samborn, a former spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office who made an early pitch for a federal pattern and practice investigation of Chicago police, said its way too soon to tell what the final legacy of the Van Dyke case will be, particularly in deterring unjustified use of lethal force. Right now, the city is in a kind of quagmire of reform, said Samborn, who now heads his own consulting firm, Randall A. Samborn & Associates. The consent decree will continue to plod along for years. With Van Dyke, people can reasonably differ over the length of his sentence and whether he should be released early, but his prosecution and conviction are what was important in setting a standard of accountability. Exactly where Van Dyke has been serving his 81-month sentence has been shrouded in mystery, and prison officials have declined to comment on his release, citing an interstate agreement allowing other jurisdictions to house high-profile prisoners in secret. McDonalds relatives, however, have said they were notified by authorities that the former officer was to be released Thursday. Advertisement McDonalds killing, like many prior shootings by Chicago police, barely made news when it happened. But when gruesome dashcam video of the shooting was ordered released more than a year later, it sparked a firestorm of protests, prompted the firing of police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, and allegations of a City Hall cover-up by Mayor Rahm Emanuels administration. In an image taken from dashcam video provided by the Chicago Police Department, Laquan McDonald, right, walks down the street moments before being fatally shot by Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke in Chicago. (Chicago Police Department) Van Dyke became the first Chicago police officer to be charged with murder for an on-duty shooting in half a century, and the fallout continued. A team of special prosecutors led by then-Kane County States Attorney Joseph McMahon was appointed to handle the Van Dyke case; then-States Attorney Anita Alvarez lost her primary bid to Kim Foxx, who ran on a platform heavily criticizing Alvarezs handling of the McDonald shooting. The allegations against Van Dyke were in many ways a harbinger for other cases nationwide that put a spotlight on the excessive use of force by police on Black citizens, most notably the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis that led to nationwide unrest in the summer of 2020. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 179 Former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke and his attorney Daniel Herbert leave the courtroom after Van Dyke's sentencing hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building Friday, Jan. 18, 2019 in Chicago. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Convicted by a jury in October 2018 of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm, Van Dyke received a relatively lenient sentence of 6 years behind bars, a term made even lighter by a procedural technicality that made him eligible for a 50% reduction for good behavior. Van Dyke in 2020 withdrew his appeal, meaning his release will close the final chapter in the case. Though it was widely reported at the time he was sentenced, Van Dykes projected release date of February 2022 seemed to catch many by surprise as it grew closer. Activists are planning a Feb. 3 rally in Federal Plaza and have announced their intention to try to shut down parts of downtown in protest. In recent weeks, a cadre of Black leaders, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson and U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, have joined some members of McDonalds extended family in calling on the U.S. Justice Department to bring federal civil rights charges against Van Dyke that could land him back in prison. Advertisement At least one person on the jury that convicted Van Dyke thought the sentence he received was too lenient. Charlene Cooke, who was the only Black person on the panel, told the Tribune last week she thought it was a slap on the wrist. Charlene Cooke at a home in a south suburb of Chicago on Oct. 20, 2018. Cooke was on the jurythat decided the verdict of the Jason Van Dyke murder trial in the 2014 shooting death of Laquan McDonald. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) To me, its an insult to the jurors and the time we spent (during the trial), Cooke, a 63-year-old retired FedEx driver, said in a telephone interview. Its an insult to the family, like Laquan McDonald meant nothing. McDonalds great-uncle, the Rev. Marvin Hunter, said that while he believes Van Dykes sentence was legally improper, most of the family does not support the effort to bring Van Dyke up on new charges. The Rev. Marvin Hunter, senior pastor of Grace Memorial Baptist Church and the great uncle of Laquan McDonald, at a news conference responding to President Joe Bidens nomination of former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to Ambassador to Japan at his church in Chicago on Oct. 21, 2021. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune) My hope is that Jason Van Dyke went to jail and was rehabilitated, he told the Tribune in an interview last week. I hope he becomes a better man. If he gets 1,000 more years its not going to bring Laquan back, so we would be better served as a country and as a people if he became better. Our family, were not victims, and were not going to live our life as victims. We want to be better and not bitter. Choice I will live with forever Van Dyke, 43, was last a free man on Oct. 5, 2018, the day the jury found him guilty after about 7 hours of deliberations. After Cook County Circuit Judge Vincent Gaughan ordered him immediately taken into custody, Van Dyke said his goodbyes to his wife and family, then put his hands behind his back as sheriffs deputies escorted him to a lockup behind the courtroom. Three months later, Van Dyke was back in Gaughans courtroom for his sentencing hearing, which featured hours of often-tearful testimony from Van Dykes relatives and supporters as well as emotional accounts from purported victims of his abuse during his police career. Advertisement Toward the end of the hearing, Van Dyke himself stood and said the day he shot McDonald was the worst of his life. The last thing I wanted to do was to shoot Laquan McDonald, he said, head bent as he read from a piece of paper. It is a choice that I will live with forever. One witness called by the prosecution wept uncontrollably on the stand as he described in detail how Van Dyke allegedly brutalized him after a traffic stop in 2007. The man required two surgeries after Van Dyke threw him to the floor in the back seat of a squad car, he said, and he still had not regained full use of his arms. Prosecutor Joseph McMahon delivers closing statements to the jury during the Officer Jason Van Dyke trial for the shooting death of Laquan McDonald on Oct. 4, 2018. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) McMahon told the Tribune last week that he recalled that witness breaking down emotionally in the hallway outside the courtroom, afraid to testify. I needed the judge to hear about how Van Dyke had treated other people, McMahon told the Tribune. I know how difficult it was going to be for him to testify in open court. And I think it was probably damaging to him to have to go in there and testify, (but) to tell as much of the story of Jason Van Dyke as possible, I felt like I needed to put him on the witness stand. Prosecutors had asked Gaughan for a sentence of 18 to 20 years on aggravated battery, which would have required Van Dyke to serve about 85% of the term. Van Dykes defense, by contrast, argued that he should be sentenced only on the second-degree murder, which carries a sentence of probation or four to 20 years in prison, with the possibility of day-for-day credit for good behavior. Advertisement Gaughan sided with the defense in making a key finding that dramatically reduced Van Dykes exposure, ruling that second-degree murder was actually the more egregious of the two charges and should be the one Van Dyke was sentenced on, even though a previous state appellate ruling had found the opposite. Is it more serious for Laquan McDonald to be shot by a firearm or is it more serious for Laquan McDonald to be murdered by a firearm? Gaughan said in explaining his reasoning. Common sense comes to an easy answer on that in this specific case. When he announced his sentence, Gaughan said he expected 100% of those in the courtroom to be disappointed. Afterward, Van Dykes lead attorney, Daniel Herbert, said his client truly felt great. He was not just relieved, he was happy, Herbert told reporters after the sentencing. Its the first time Ive seen the guy honestly since this whole ordeal started where he was happy. Hes certainly not happy about going to jail. Hes certainly not happy about missing his family. But hes happy about the prospect of life ahead of him. Former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke reacts with attorneys Tammy Wendt and Daniel Herbert at Van Dyke's sentencing hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court on Jan. 18, 2019. Van Dyke was sentenced to about seven years in prison. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) In his recent interview with the Tribune, McMahon acknowledged that for Van Dyke to be released less than four years later can be difficult to accept for some. But any time in prison is difficult, no matter how short the sentence particularly for an ex-cop, McMahon said. I dont think (Van Dyke) had an easy sentence, he said. And I understand people wish that his prison sentence was longer but I think what I said three-plus years ago now was that with the passage of time, hopefully what people remember about this case is that a police officer can be and will be and was held accountable for his crimes in this case, for the killing of Laquan McDonald, and thats what I hope people will remember. Advertisement Prison time After the January 2019 sentencing, Van Dyke was transferred to a downstate prison for a few weeks, where he was held in isolation as a standard security measure. In early February, Van Dyke was moved to a federal detention center in Danbury, Connecticut, for unexplained reasons, his attorneys said. Shortly after he was processed at the medium-security facility and moved into the general population, several people attacked him in his cell. Tiffany Van Dyke weeps as she talks about the beating of her husband, Jason Van Dyke, at a federal prison in Connecticut on Feb. 14, 2019. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) My No. 1 fear for my husband has always been his safety, it always has been that somebody is going to get him and hurt him, and the worst has happened, Van Dykes wife, Tiffany, told reporters at the time. Van Dyke was put into a segregated unit after the attack, his attorneys said. Federal prison records show Van Dyke was released from federal custody in November 2019, again for unexplained reasons. News reports stated he was transferred briefly to a state-run facility in Maryland, then again to an undisclosed location. For the next two years, he was off the radar. An Illinois Department of Corrections spokesman declined to say where Van Dyke was being held, citing an interstate agreement where high-profile prisoners can be kept off databases of inmates available to the public online. Advertisement Jason Van Dyke remains under the jurisdiction of the Illinois Department of Corrections, but is not in our custody, the agency said in an emailed statement last week. For safety and security purposes, the department does not discuss details concerning individuals who have transferred under the terms of the Interstate Corrections Compact Agreement. The only indication of where Van Dyke may have spent prison time in Illinois comes from a two-page release order from the Prisoner Review Board, the government agency responsible for scheduling a prisoners supervised release program. The document, obtained by the Tribune through an open records request, stated Van Dyke had been at the Taylorville minimum-security prison near Springfield as of September 2021 when the order was signed. Van Dyke must now complete his term of mandatory supervised release, Illinois version of parole. The only requirement marked on the review boards form was that he participate in a cognitive behavioral therapy program a common measure aimed at reducing recidivism. Trying to move on with his life In light of the relatively lenient sentence, Van Dykes attorneys backed away from their promises to appeal his conviction. But not long afterward, McMahon and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, who had just begun his first term, decided to bring the case directly to the state Supreme Court. Advertisement Attorney General Kwame Raoul announces the filing of a petition in the Illinois Supreme Court challenging the legality of former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke's prison sentence on Feb. 11, 2019. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune) Gaughans sentence relied on improper legal reasoning, they argued. Since Illinois law makes aggravated battery with a firearm the more serious offense, the state Supreme Court should order Gaughan to resentence the ex-patrol officer on those convictions instead. The states highest court declined to hear the petition by a 4-2 vote. No explanation was given for the courts refusal to hear the case. But the decision fell largely along political lines, with the courts three Republicans joining Anne Burke, a Democrat who is married to longtime Chicago Ald. Edward Burke, a onetime Chicago police officer who is facing federal corruption charges. The two dissenting judges both noted that Gaughan made his ruling relying on a dissenting opinion that stated the exact opposite of the majority, and the majority opinion is the law of the land. McMahon speculated in his recent interview with the Tribune that Van Dyke chose not to pursue an appeal in part because an appellate court could have chosen to kick the case back for a resentencing. I think the prospects of getting the conviction overturned were extremely low and the risk of being sent back to the trial court for resentencing were much higher, he said. Jennifer Blagg, one of Van Dykes attorneys, disputed that, saying that if prosecutors had tried to argue Van Dykes sentencing as part of the appeals process, they would not be on solid legal ground. Advertisement Van Dyke formally dropped his appeal in fall 2020, before the case had been fully briefed. Hes trying to move on with his life and move forward, Blagg told the Tribune at the time. He thought it was in the best interest of all the parties involved, including the McDonald family, that there be some finality. A federal look As the drama of the criminal case against Van Dyke was unfolding before the public, another probe into McDonalds shooting was going on behind the scenes, with the U.S. attorneys office and FBI looking into filing possible charges against Van Dyke and other officers involved. Then-U.S. Attorney Zachary Fardon took the unusual step of confirming the investigation in April 2015 seven months before the release of the dashcam video that would force the hand of the Cook County states attorneys office to move forward with charges against Van Dyke. Fardon confirmed that the investigation was still ongoing in September 2016, nearly a year after Van Dyke was charged with murder. It remained active at least until 2019, when prosecutors asked a federal judge to keep a search warrant related to the probe under seal until the investigation was complete, which was estimated in the filing to be August 2019, court records show. No federal charges were ever filed in the case. Last week, several prominent Black leaders cited the case against former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, who was charged both in state court and federally with Floyds death, in renewing calls for the U.S. Department of Justice to go after Van Dyke. Advertisement Though there is no statute of limitations to bring a civil rights case involving a fatality, it would be exceedingly rare for the U.S. attorneys office to charge Van Dyke now, given his conviction and sentencing for the same incident in another jurisdiction. A spokesman for U.S. Attorney John Lausch declined to comment. Blagg, one of Van Dykes attorneys, told the Tribune last week justice isnt served in the court of public opinion, justice is handed out in a courtroom. Jurors heard Jasons case. A judge gave Jason his sentence. And even if you dont agree with it, you have to appreciate the long-term consequences of what youre arguing for, she said. Arguing that someone should be charged by the feds because you dont agree with the judges sentencing decision could have far-reaching consequences in our society. With a image of Laquan McDonald on a truck, William Calloway talks about reimagining the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police contract as people gather to release balloons on what would have been the 23rd birthday of McDonald in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood on Sept. 25, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) Hunter also told the Tribune he feared that charging Van Dyke twice for the same set of actions could set a bad precedent. Most of the family does not support further charges against the ex-cop, he said. I am not an advocate for Jason Van Dyke, he has not asked for forgiveness but am I going to live my life harboring hate? Hunter said. The answer is no. I dont. And my family dont. Advertisement If politicians and activists wanted to help, they should have supported Raouls push at the state Supreme Court to reexamine the sentence Gaughan handed down instead of pushing for Van Dyke to be imprisoned again for something separate, Hunter said. If a man serves his time, he needs to be freed, Hunter said. If were going to be a civilized society we must follow the doggone laws and have them work for everybody the right way. Chicago Tribunes Christy Gutowski contributed. mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com jmeisner@chicagotribune.com The National Weather Service has issued a small-craft advisory for the weekend, prompting Tampa police to urge boaters to stay on land for Gasparilla. The Tampa Police Department is encouraging boaters to watch the invasion from land, the agency said in a news release on Thursday. The small-craft advisory will be in effect from 10 p.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Saturday. A gale warning also will be in effect for Gulf waters as sustained northwest winds will whip at up to 35 mph, while gusts could be 45 mph or more, according to Spectrum Bay News 9 meteorologists. Conditions will be hazardous to small crafts. Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels, should avoid navigating in hazardous conditions, Tampa police said in the news release. Recreational boaters who plan to participate in the Gasparilla Pirate Invasion should check www.weather.gov for updates prior to getting underway. Know your limitations. If in doubt, dont go out! Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, which operates the 165-foot-long Jose Gasparilla pirate ship, which will lead Saturdays invasion into Tampa before the parade, said Friday afternoon that it would revise its route because of the weather. Due to inclement weather and out of an abundance of caution, Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla will revise the sailing route of the Gasparilla Invasion planned for tomorrow, January 29, the Krewe said in a statement. Our determined pirates, led by Captain Peter Lackman, will continue their quest to capture the key to the city, invading Tampa by sailing from the Port of Tampa Bay at noon. The Jose Gasparilla will sail up the Ybor Channel, around Harbour Island, and into the Seddon Channel. Theyve set their sights on the Tampa Convention Center, where theyve commanded Mayor Jane Castor to surrender the key at 1 p.m. In the interest of boater safety, we strongly discourage small vessels from participating in this years flotilla and recommend guests enjoy the invasion and parade from land. Additionally, anyone considering boating on parade day should monitor weather and small craft advisories and carefully follow any recommendations made by the United States Coast Guard and law enforcement. The whipping winds come as a cold front pushes into the Tampa Bay area. While Friday temperatures should reach the high 60s, the front will push rain ahead of it later in the day. There is a 30 percent chance of rain on Friday with chances increasing into the evening. Saturday will be downright cold and windy. The temperature around parade time in Tampa will be between 45 and 50, Bay News 9 said, and winds could be whipping between 15 and 30 mph. The wind chill will likely be in the 30s during the day and will plunge into the 20s Saturday night. FORT WALTON BEACH The Fort Walton Beach Police Department is investigating a shooting that took place Thursday afternoon on the Cinco Bayou Bridge. A 15-year-old male, who was inside of a vehicle traveling south over the bridge, was shot in the head during the incident at about 4:55 p.m. Thursday, according to a press release from the city. The teenager was still being treated for the injury and his condition was not available as of 8:40 p.m. Thursday. By the way: Fort Walton Beach Mayor Dick Rynearson hospitalized after being injured in car accident Stabbing incident: Fort Walton Beach police investigating stabbing over stolen bike seat The shooting interrupted traffic on the bridge until all lanes were reopened at about 7:45 p.m., according to an alert from the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office. If anyone has information about this incident, please contact Detective Boucher by phone at 850-833-9549 or email, eboucher@fwb.org. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Fort Walton Beach shooting: Police investigate after teen shot in head By Gul Yusufzai QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Separatist insurgents have claimed responsibility for an attack on a Pakistani army post near a southwestern port in which China is investing, and the army said 10 soldiers were killed. The attack, launched late on Tuesday in Kech district, north of Gwadar port, was the heaviest in years in a low-key insurgency that ethnic Baloch insurgents have been waging against the Pakistani government. "We are resolute in our commitment to rid Pakistan of all forms of terrorism," Prime Minister Imran Khan said in a statement on Friday in which he paid tribute to the 10 "martyred" soldiers. The army said it killed one of the attackers and arrested three in a clearance operation that was still going on. The Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) insurgent group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying in a statement sent to a Reuters reporter that 17 soldiers and one of its members were killed. Ethnic Baloch guerrillas have been fighting the government for decades for a separate state, saying Pakistan's central government unfairly exploit the rich gas and mineral resources of Balochistan province, which shares borders with Afghanistan and Iran. China is involved in the development of the Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea and other projects in the province as part of a $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is itself part of Beijing's Belt and Road initiative. The insurgents often target gas projects as well as infrastructure and security posts in the province but have begun launching attacks in other parts of Pakistan. They also attack Chinese projects, and occasionally kill Chinese workers despite Pakistani assurances that it is doing everything it can to protect the Chinese projects. Pakistan has also accused India of covertly supporting the insurgents. India denies that. (Additional Reporting by Saud Mahsud in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan; Writing by Asif Shahzad; Editing by Robert Birsel) Jan. 28The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is getting an outside district attorney involved to handle a case in which Hamilton County District Attorney Neal Pinkston accused a political opponent of obstruction of justice and witness tampering. Pinkston has accused Coty Wamp, who serves as legal counsel in the sheriff's office and is challenging Pinkston in the May 3 Republican primary for district attorney, of interfering with a Soddy-Daisy gunshot case in which she alleged the wrong man had been arrested. The case remains ongoing, and TBI has declined to comment further on the matter. "We are awaiting the appointment of the district attorney pro tem on this case before providing any information from our findings," TBI spokesperson Susan Niland said via email Wednesday. Niland's comment followed remarks from a different spokesperson, Josh DeVine, who said Tuesday no information about the ongoing investigation would be made public. The bureau also said an explanation for the reasoning behind transferring the case to a separate district attorney would need to be explained by Pinkston. From the beginning, TBI officials said they would not comment on the investigation because it was ongoing. Spokespeople said Jan. 14 that any findings would be shared with Pinkston, as the person who initially referred the case to TBI. Pinkston's office did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday and Thursday. Wamp has raised questions about whether Pinkston's referral of the case to the TBI was a political move, saying it was "convenient" that Pinkston had made a referral involving his only political opponent. "It would be improper for him to have a hand in this case from the beginning," Wamp said in a Thursday phone interview. "I knew a pro tem would be appointed. He knew that would not make headlines." Dick Williams, chair of the government watchdog organization Common Cause Tennessee, in a Wednesday phone call said it's common to view such an issue as politically problematic. Story continues "There's an appropriate reluctance for such an agency to get involved in an allegation that hangs over the election," Williams said. "On the other hand, they can't just ignore it." Deborah Fisher, executive director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, added that Pinkston would be wise to share information about the case. "I don't know why the DA wouldn't want to clear this up, because it's with a political opponent," she said. In a Jan. 6 referral to the TBI, the district attorney alleged Wamp participated in obstruction of justice in the aftermath of a gunshot into the ground on Barbee Road. No one was injured. In the referral, Pinkston said the Soddy-Daisy Police Department relayed that Wamp notified the department it had the wrong suspect in custody following the shooting. Pinkston went on to say the victims took back their original stories after their interactions with Wamp. "After this alleged intervention, victims recount original story, deny Hugo Garcia Padilla is suspect and now accuse Hugo Garcia Robles," he wrote in the document, apparently intending to spell "recant." Since the TBI took over the investigation into the shooting and Wamp's involvement, the police department, Wamp, Pinkston and most other involved parties have declined to comment about the gunshot case or the subsequent complaint about Wamp. In the past, though, Wamp has stated that Pinkston is using the investigation for political gain, which he has disputed. Candidates must return qualifying petitions to the elections commission by Feb. 17, and they have until Feb. 24 to withdraw from the race. Contact Logan Hullinger at lhullinger@timesfreepress.com or 814-319-5158. Follow him on Twitter @LoganHullinger. Former prime minister Theresa May said, like the public, she was "angry" to hear reports of suspected rule-breaking in Number 10. (PA Images) Theresa May has weighed in on the Partygate scandal engulfing Boris Johnson's premiership. The former prime minister's intervention is significant as she has noticeably said very little during the development of the Partygate scandal. Johnson is coming under increasing pressure to resign following a string of alleged parties, gatherings and 'work events' in Number 10 during lockdown while the rest of the country was told to abide by strict coronavirus laws. Calls for Johnson's resignation have grown both within and outside of his party, with senior Tory MPs such as Andrew Bridgen and David Davis calling for to go. Davis dramatically told the prime minister "in the name of God, go" during a rowdy session of prime minister's questions last week. Read more: Sue Gray report: Met Police accused of cover-up over last-minute intervention Boris Johnson has been under pressure for weeks over the No10 parties. (PA) Speaking to her local newspaper, The Maidenhead Advertiser, May said earlier this week that "nobody was above the law" and that, like members of the public, she was "angry" to hear of the reported parties in Number 10 when they set the rules. "When the report's findings are published, if there is evidence of deliberate or premeditated wrongdoing, I expect full accountability to follow," she said. "All those working at the heart of government should conduct themselves with the highest standards which befits the world they do, and this applies as much to those working in Number 10 as other parts of government." What "full accountability" would look like is up for debate, with some calling for Johnson's resignation if laws were broken. Watch: Partygate: Timing of Sue Gray report publication thrown into doubt after Metropolitan Police request 'minimal reference' to events it is investigating Douglas Ross, leader of the Scottish Conservative, called for the prime minister's resignation earlier this month after he admitted attending one of the Downing Street parties. Story continues The prime minister himself ordered the inquiry after public and political outrage over suspected rule breaking on Downing Street and Sue Gray, the senior civil servant leading the investigation, was set to release her findings this week. However exactly how, and when, the findings will be published has been thrown into question following a significant intervention from the Met police, who have requested elements of Gray's report should be held back while they conduct their own investigations. "For the events the Met is investigating, we asked for minimal reference to be made in the Cabinet Office report," the Met said on Friday. "The Met did not ask for any limitations on other events in the report, or for the report to be delayed, but we have had ongoing contact with the Cabinet Office, including on the content of the report, to avoid any prejudice to our investigation." Earlier this month, senior Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale told Yahoo News UK that Theresa May would "absolutely not" have operated Number 10 in the way that Johnson has. "If Theresa had a party, she had a party that was legal and formal and above board - with proper caterers," he said. A potential delay to the release of the report is likely to trigger frustration among Conservative MPs who were reportedly waiting for the report before deciding whether to lodge a letter of no confidence in the prime minister. There are some arguing that a delay to the release of the report, and aspects of Gray's inquiry being held, because of a police investigation will work in Johnson's favour. However, a senior Conservative source told Yahoo News UK on Wednesday the prime minister wanted the matter to be resolved and dealt with as soon as possible so everyone can "move on" from it. Joe Exotic was resentenced Friday to 21 years in federal prison after a judge refused to consider his complaints about his murder-for-hire conviction. The former Oklahoma zookeeper's new punishment is only one year less than his original sentence. His attorneys now plan to bring up their accusations of outrageous government conduct, lying witnesses and entrapment in a motion for new trial. "It is not over," his attorney, John M. Phillips, told reporters afterward outside the Oklahoma City federal courthouse. "People wanted rid of Joe by any means necessary, and they won for now." 'Free Joe Exotic' Joe Exotic became famous early in the pandemic after Netflix released "Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness." The documentary series was a somewhat sympathetic look at his life, his case and his now closed zoo in Wynnewood. Millions watched while in lockdowns at home, making it a breakout hit. Fans filled the courtroom Friday to show their support. Two wore black T-shirts that read "Free Joe Exotic." The resentencing came six months after a federal appeals court upheld his conviction but threw out his punishment. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver found U.S. District Judge Scott Palk made an error in determining the appropriate sentencing guidelines. The judge said Friday that he would not take up complaints about the conviction because it is outside the scope of a resentencing. The judge also said the jury had heard essentially the same complaints at trial and ultimately rejected them. Joe Exotic told the judge Friday he did not commit any crime and has lost enough of his life because of the lies told about him. He said any time in prison would be a death sentence because of health problems that include early-state prostate cancer. "Please don't make me die in prison waiting for a chance to be free," he said in tears. Hit-man hire led to conviction He was convicted at trial in 2019 of hiring hit men to kill his chief critic, Carole Baskin, and of crimes involving his animals. Story continues The judge ordered him to prison for 22 years at a sentencing in January 2020. "It is of paramount importance in this case to provide just punishment for your offense and protect the public from further conduct you may engage in," Palk said then. More: Prosecutors deny 'Tiger King' Joe Exotic's claims of outrageous government conduct Joe Exotic appears in "Tiger King 2." Jurors were told he targeted Baskin because she was actively seeking to collect court judgments against him of more than $1 million for trademark infringement and other civil violations. He also was angry because she accused him of exploiting tiger cubs for profit at his zoo and on traveling shows, according to testimony. Baskin, who operates an animal sanctuary in Florida, had sought to stop him for years. Baskin told the judge Friday that Joe Exotic is an even bigger threat to her and her family now because of his Netflix fame and the possibility his new fans could be provoked into violence. She said he continues from prison to make persistent social media attacks against her. She called him obsessive and said he harbors intense feelings of ill will toward her. A former inmate who was locked up with him for a year reported he ranted daily about her, she also told the judge. Joseph A Maldonado isn't perfect. He isn't a Saint. But I love the guy. We want to show the jury why they got it wrong and why they were mislead. Tomorrow starts the process. I am proud, so proud, of what I do and who I get to do it with and for. Justice for Joe Exotic. John M. Phillips (@JohnPhillips) January 28, 2022 Joe Exotic expected to seek new trial soon Phillips, of Jacksonville, Florida, said the motion for a new trial will be filed next week or the week after that. He said they also will appeal the new sentence. His attorneys already have affidavits from a number of witnesses in support of their new trial motion. Key prosecution witness Allen Glover said in a sworn statement that he committed perjury during the trial. Glover specifically said he lied when he told jurors Joe Exotic paid him $3,000 to kill Baskin. Attorney John M. Phillips speaks to reporters after Joe Exotic was resentenced in Oklahoma City federal court Friday. The defense attorneys asked the judge to impose only 90 months. Joe Exotic, who ran for governor in Oklahoma in 2018, was brought to court in chains and orange jail clothes. He still had his trademark mullet hairstyle but was noticeably thinner. He will get credit for time already served, but, at 58 and in poor health, may die in prison if his further legal efforts fail. Joe Exotic was born Joseph Allen Schreibvogel but his name has changed over the years depending on his marital status. His attorney told reporters he now goes by the name Joseph Maldonado. "Justice was served," Baskin's husband told The Oklahoman after the sentencing. "Anyone who spent 20 years mistreating animals in cages belongs in a cage for 20 years," Howard Baskin said. Read the victim's impact statement from Carole Baskin Carole Baskin also made a written victim impact statement that was submitted to the judge before Friday's hearing. You can read the full victim impact statement below. WARNING: The text of Baskin's victim impact statement contains obscenities throughout. Carole Baskin Victim Statement - Joseph Maldonado Passage Resentencing 1-28-22 by Anonymous EHPq5k on Scribd This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Tiger King star Joe Exotic resentenced in OKC in murder-for-hire case The Tennessee school board that banned the Holocaust novel Maus has defended its decision after prompting angry reactions online and condemnation from the author himself. The graphic novel, Maus: A Survivors Tale by Art Spiegelman, uses illustrations of mice and cats to tell the story of how the authors parents survived Auschwitz during the Holocaust. It was serialised from 1980 to 1991 and, in 1992, became the first (and to date only) graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize the Special Award in Letters. On the McMinn County School board, 10 members unanimously agreed in favour of removing the novel from the eighth-grade curriculum, citing its use of eight curse words including the phrase God Damn and drawings of naked pictures of women. After a social media backlash, the board members said in a statement that the books unnecessary use of profanity and nudity and its depiction of violence and suicide" were too much for a class of 13 and 14-year-olds. Taken as a whole, the Board felt this work was simply too adult-oriented for use in our schools, the statement read. The board said its members do not diminish the value of Maus as an impactful and meaningful piece of literature, nor do we dispute the importance of teaching our children the historical and moral lessons and realities of the Holocaust. They said teachers had been told to teach the Holocaust in a more age appropriate fashion, adding: We all have an obligation to ensure that younger generations learn of its horrors to ensure that such an event is never repeated. We simply do not believe that this work is an appropriate text for our students to study. School board issues statement about the removal of Maus. https://t.co/ftrt5woNxh pic.twitter.com/OdxYe29rAb Evan McMurry (@evanmcmurry) January 27, 2022 Spiegelman had said he was baffled by this decision in an interview with CNBC on Wednesday. Its leaving me with my jaw open, like, What? the 73-year-old author said. He also called the ban Orwellian. Story continues Ive met so many young people who have learned things from my book, Spiegelman said. I also understand that Tennessee is obviously demented. Theres something going on very, very haywire there. The US Holocaust Museum also condemned the move, tweeting: Maus has played a vital role in educating about the Holocaust through sharing detailed and personal experiences of victims and survivors. On the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, it is more important than ever for students to learn this history. Teaching about the Holocaust using books like Maus can inspire students to think critically about the past and their own roles and responsibilities today. Maus (AP) The ban on Maus arrives as conservative groups across the country, such as parent advocacy group Moms for Liberty, are pressuring schools to remove books from their libraries and curriculums. The books that cause offence often address race, LGBTQ issues and marginalised communities. Last year, the American Library Association reported a troubling rise in organised attempts to ban and in some cases even burn library books. In Virginia and Utah, Toni Morrison books have been removed from some school shelves due to explicit content. Alison Bechdels Fun Home was also pulled in North Kansas due to its LGBTQ themes. In southern Pennsylvania, a long list of books almost exclusively written by people of colour were banned. Fallout from the Jason Van Dyke case stretched far beyond the courtroom. Perhaps most prominently, then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced right before Van Dykes trial that he would not seek a third term in office. Emanuel had repeatedly been accused of covering up McDonalds shooting, since the city under his administration fought mightily to keep video of the killing under wraps, and granted a $5 million settlement to McDonalds family before they even formally sued. Advertisement In the ensuing years, Emanuel made a name for himself as a political commentator and Democratic party insider. Then earlier this month, he took a post as ambassador to Japan. His appointment to that office was not without controversy, given his history with the McDonald case, but the Senate confirmed him last month regardless. A separate team of special prosecutors led by former Cook County Judge Patricia Brown Holmes was appointed to investigate whether any officers besides Van Dyke committed criminal acts connected to the shooting. Three officers were ultimately charged with conspiracy, obstruction of justice and official misconduct for allegedly covering up what really happened the night McDonald was shot. Advertisement After a bench trial before Cook County Associate Judge Domenica Stephenson, all three were acquitted on all charges. Stephensons ruling was handed down the day before Van Dyke was sentenced. While Franklin Valderramas role in the matter has gone somewhat unheralded, the former Cook County civil court judge arguably set the whole case in motion by ordering the city to release video of the shooting publicly. Valderrama has since been appointed to the federal bench, and is about to preside over the high-profile tax-fraud case of Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson. Judge Vincent Gaughan still presides over the same felony courtroom at the Leighton Criminal Court Building where Van Dyke was convicted, and was one of the first judges to resume hearing jury trials when COVID-19 restrictions loosened last year. Matthew Ross, charged in federal court with posting Facebook messages threatening violence if Van Dyke was let go, pleaded guilty earlier this month and was sentenced to 18 months of probation. After Van Dykes conviction, the union representing rank-and-file Chicago police officers stopped referring officers in need of legal assistance to lawyer Daniel Herbert, who maintained that he put his heart and soul into Van Dykes defense. Herbert leads his law firm on the Near West Side and is a co-founder of Bank the Blue, a nonprofit that aims to provide mental health support to law enforcement officers. Joseph McMahon, the former Kane County States Attorney appointed as special prosecutor in the Van Dyke case, decided not to run for re-election to the Kane County office in 2020. He is now in private practice, handling mostly civil litigation at his firm, Griffin Williams McMahon and Walsh. He also has sat on Metras board of directors since last spring. On occasion, he says, he gets a request from a prosecutor in another jurisdiction: Can he give any advice about prosecuting a police officer in criminal court? He has agreed to consult on a handful of such cases in the past few years, he said. It reminds me that prosecuting a police officer for a line-of-duty shooting, its a unique criminal prosecution, McMahon said. ... It turns the traditional notion of criminal prosecution on its head and it really kind of flips that script. And it confirms that there are a lot of really good prosecutors out there that want to do the right thing and work very hard to do the right thing. Advertisement Meanwhile, McDonalds great-uncle the Rev. Marvin Hunter said, McDonalds family is trying their best to live regular lives. Weve got so many other young people we have in this family, and were trying to keep them from becoming the next Laquan, along with all the other barriers that come with being Black and not rich in Chicago, he said. " We try to live life with a sense of normalcy best we can. Supporters of the Freedom Convoy of truckers driving from British Columbia to Ottawa in protest against a Covid-19 vaccine mandate gather near a highway overpass outside of Toronto, Ontario (Cole Burston/AFP/Getty) A convoy of truckers opposed to Covid-19 vaccine mandates made its way through southwestern Ontario on Thursday, as it continues its snaking journey through the heart of Canada. The protest is being organized by Canada Unity, a group that opposes Covid-related measures. Its leaders want prime minister Justin Trudeau and his government to drop the vaccine mandate for truckers crossing the Canada-US border and do away with other public health protections. The Canadian federal government instituted vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers throughout the country. But as many as 32,000, or 20 per cent, of the 160,000 Canadian and American cross-border truck drivers may be taken off the roads due to the mandate, according to the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA). Some high-profile vaccine-sceptics, such as Elon Musk and Joe Rogan, have praised the protesting truckers. Mr Rogan stated that Canada is in revolt, with the Toronto Sun claiming that up to 50,000 truckers will end up completing the journey to the capital. By contrast, Prime Minister Trudeau has characterised the protesters as a small fringe minority who are on the way to Ottawa who are holding unacceptable views. Key Points Trudeau blasts fringe minority behind trucking convoy Elon Musk Tweets out support for Canadian truckers US Freedom Convoy to link up with Canadian counterparts on Saturday GoFundMe freezes funds raised by trucker group Many protest supporters are donating under false names, report says 00:30 , Nathan Place According to a CTV analysis, many people who donated to a GoFundMe for todays protests did so under false names including those of Justin Trudeau and his wife. Some 'freedom convoy' donors are using aliases of well-known Canadians https://t.co/iMA6nPmmKc pic.twitter.com/o0QcZCcXWp CTV News (@CTVNews) January 28, 2022 Ottawa closes bridge due to protests Story continues 00:00 , Nathan Place Ottawa officials have closed another major thoroughfare as the protests continue, this time the Alexandra Bridge. Alexandra Bridge closed - demonstration, the City of Ottawa tweeted. OPS directing traffic. Duration unknown. Alexandra Bridge closed - demonstration. OPS directing traffic. Duration unknown. Expect delays. #otttraffic City of Ottawa (@ottawacity) January 28, 2022 Why are Canadian truckers protesting in Ottawa? Friday 28 January 2022 23:30 , Nathan Place Heres a look at what Canadian truckers are protesting, what they plan to do this weekend, and why: Why Canadian truckers are driving cross-country to protest vaccine mandates Heres what Justin Trudeau has said about the protests Friday 28 January 2022 23:00 , Nathan Place Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has called the truckers protesting in Ottawa a fringe minority with unacceptable views. Protesters have reacted to those words with a mix of outrage and glee, with some sarcastically throwing the phrases back at Mr Trudeau on social media. As the demonstration continues, heres a closer look at what Mr Trudeau said: Trudeau blasts fringe minority behind trucking protest convoy Police repeat warning that violence will be punished Friday 28 January 2022 22:34 , Nathan Place As the protest in Ottawa continues, police have repeated their warning that violent demonstrators will be prosecuted. We welcome peaceful demonstrations, the Ottawa Police Service tweeted on Friday evening. Public safety is paramount there will be consequences for persons engaging in criminal conduct, violence and/or activities promoting hate. Freedom honks continue outside Canadian Parliament Friday 28 January 2022 22:16 , Nathan Place As truckers in Ottawa continue to protest for freedom, theyve made it clear that freedom is very, very loud. And this is from their room, getting loud in Ottawa! pic.twitter.com/wFGgOfaElC M (@M_OldNormalBack) January 28, 2022 Honking protesters fill Ottawa with deafening noise Friday 28 January 2022 21:54 , Nathan Place Ottawa became one of the noisiest places on earth on Friday as an entire protest of truckers honked their horns. Ottawa a few minutes ago. Noisy. Cold. pic.twitter.com/pn3F7cyytE Warren Kinsella (@kinsellawarren) January 28, 2022 Police chief warns violent protesters will be arrested Friday 28 January 2022 21:41 , Nathan Place Ottawa police chief Peter Sloly warned on Friday that any protester who turns violent will arrested and prosecuted. Let me be very clear: we are prepared to investigate, arrest if necessary, charge and prosecute anyone who acts violently or breaks the law in the demonstrations, or in association with the demonstrations, Mr Sloly said. The police chief has also said, however, that so far the protests have remained peaceful and uneventful. "The message is, avoid the downtown core for travel purposes," said Chief Peter Sloly, noting that people who live and run businesses downtown should be able to go about their lives as normal. https://t.co/saGVSYmDDt CityNews Ottawa (@CityNewsOttawa) January 27, 2022 Ottawa closes street due to protests Friday 28 January 2022 21:05 , Nathan Place Ottawa officials have closed down a large stretch of Metcalfe Street, which ends at Canadas parliament, due to the ongoing protests. Metcalfe closed between Queen and Wellington - demonstration, the City of Ottawa warned residents in a tweet. OPS directing traffic. Duration unknown. Avoid area and use other routes. Metcalfe closed between Queen and Wellington - demonstration. OPS directing traffic. Duration unknown. Avoid area and use other routes. #otttraffic City of Ottawa (@ottawacity) January 28, 2022 Hundreds cheer as trucks drive past Parliament Friday 28 January 2022 20:40 , Nathan Place Hundreds of cheering supporters lined the streets as trucks drove past Canadas parliament, protesting the countrys vaccine mandates. Huge area of downtown Ottawa impacted by protests, city warns Friday 28 January 2022 20:20 , Nathan Place Ottawa officials warned residents on Friday that a large area of the city, about 13 blocks in diameter, will be impacted by demonstrations. Heads up, #OttCity, the City of Ottawa tweeted. Demonstrations are beginning in Ottawa today and several streets in the downtown core & surrounding area will be impacted. Heads up, #OttCity: demonstrations are beginning in Ottawa today and several streets in the downtown core & surrounding area will be impacted. For info on potential impacts & a live interactive traffic map: https://t.co/qHX4oeVyCH Please note that the map is subject to change. pic.twitter.com/xkBF3qXeIw City of Ottawa (@ottawacity) January 28, 2022 Ottawa police chief calls protests peaceful and uneventful Friday 28 January 2022 20:00 , Nathan Place Ottawa police chief Peter Sloly says the trucker protests have been peaceful and uneventful so far, but police are carefully monitoring the situation. As you all know, there is a major demonstration taking place over the next several days here in the nations capital, Mr Sloly said at a briefing on Friday. In fact, demonstrators have already started to arrive, and our officers have been managing a series of small demonstrations in the city core over the last 24 hours. So far they have been peaceful and uneventful. Mr Sloly added that the protests are expected to continue through the weekend and possibly into next week. To view the City of Ottawa and Ottawa Police virtual media briefing: ~ Pour consulter le point de presse virtuel de la Ville d'Ottawa et la Police d'Ottawa:https://t.co/KNtf7T0Jdh Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) January 28, 2022 More trucks roll onto Parliament Hill as protesters cheer Friday 28 January 2022 19:40 , Nathan Place More protest trucks are rolling into Parliament Hill, Ottawa, honking noisily as crowds cheer them on. Demonstrators welcoming the vehicles waved Canadian flags and protest signs, bearing messages like There must be choice and Truck off Trudeau. Trucks begin arriving in Ottawa Friday 28 January 2022 19:21 , Nathan Place Protesters trucks have begun arriving outside Canadas parliament in Ottawa, videos from local journalists show. Crowds cheered the vehicles as they rolled in. More and more trucks showing up outside parliament in Ottawa for the #ConvoyForFreedom2022.https://t.co/8hpC710hZK@RebelNewsOnline pic.twitter.com/3JhxIQ3oEh Lincoln Jay (@lincolnmjay) January 28, 2022 Crowd greets trucker convoy in Quebec on Friday morning Friday 28 January 2022 19:00 , Thomas Fenton A large crowd lined the sides of the road to welcome the trucker convoy in Quebec on Friday morning, as it continued onto Ottawa. While local police suggested that the number of vehicles in the convoy is far less than early reports indicated, the crowd that met the trucks just outside of Quebec looked to be strong. #Quebec loves #freedom!!! The east coast trucker convoy was greeted warmly this morning in Quebec! one supporter tweeted out, along with a video showing some of the crowd by the roadside cheering the drivers on. Freedom Convoy spokesperson claims vaccine passports are really concerning" Friday 28 January 2022 18:30 , Thomas Fenton Tucker Carlsons interview with Freedom Convoy spokesperson Ben Dichter on Fox News saw him reveal that the group has dual objectives. While its opposition to vaccine mandates is well documented, Mr Dichter also explained how vaccine passports are the really concerning development in Canada. We want to get rid of the vaccine mandates and the (vaccine) passports. And that passport, thats the really concerning one, the controversial spokesperson stated on Fox News last night. Mr Dichter also repeated the unsubstantiated claim that the Canadian border patrol has access to peoples phones and can track truckers to ensure they all have the vaccine. Thousands of truckers in Canada have formed a convoy to protest the country's vaccine mandates. pic.twitter.com/vFmr9GrDyC Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) January 28, 2022 Kingston Police register just 121 trucks in convoy - disputing 50,000 claim Friday 28 January 2022 18:00 , Thomas Fenton The official Twitter account of Kingston Police in Ottawa provided a truck convoy update at midday on Friday, claiming that just 121 trucks were present. According to the departments account, it registered 121 trucks, 421 passenger vehicles, and six RVs. As of 9:35 am all roads have reopened and all trucks and passenger vehicles have departed #ygk and are now EB on Hwy 401, they added, indicating that the smaller than expected convoy is once again on the move. Some reports previously suggested that up to 50,000 trucks were involved in the protest against vaccine mandates, but that figure has since been disputed by local police. Global News also quoted from various police sources, who counted no more than 230 trucks, and 725 personal vehicles. TRUCK CONVOY UPDATE As of 9:35 am all roads have reopened and all trucks and passenger vehicles have departed #ygk and are now EB on Hwy 401. Our count: 17 full tractor trailers 104 tractors w no trailers 424 passenger vehicles 6 RVs Kingston Police (@KingstonPolice) January 28, 2022 Following from several police sources. - 8 separate convoy captains (core organizers) - 230 tractors / tractor-trailers & 725 personal vehicles from Toronto and Western Canada - 200 vehicles out of NB/NS - Possibly 2000 pedestrians from QC + unknown # of other actors. David Akin (@davidakin) January 28, 2022 Explainer: Why Canadian truckers are driving cross-country to protest vaccine mandates Friday 28 January 2022 17:23 , Thomas Fenton A group of Canadian long-haul truck drivers are travelling cross-country from British Columbia to Ottawa as part of a Freedom Convoy to protest the imposition of Covid-19 vaccine requirements upon their industry. Until Saturday 15 January 2022, Canadas lorry drivers were granted a federal exemption from vaccine requirements to enable them to cross the border into the US and back without having to show proof of inoculation against the coronavirus. Now that privilege has expired, unvaccinated drivers returning from the US face having to quarantine for 14 days, although this requirement would only apply to a minority of around 16,000 drivers given that 85 per cent of their colleagues have had their jabs. But those who will be impacted by the new rules are incensed, and duly banded together to embark from Prince Rupert in the far west of British Columbia on Sunday 23 January to make the epic 2,443-mile journey to Parliament Hill in the nations capital in time to attend a rally scheduled for Saturday 29 January. Joe Sommerlad has the full story: Why Canadian truckers are driving cross-country to protest vaccine mandates TikToks capture Trudeau rage among truckers Friday 28 January 2022 16:49 , Thomas Fenton A series of TikTok videos have been shared by a right-wing journalist on Twitter, which purport to show the extent of the Canadian truckers protest - and the disdain many have for the nations Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau. It really is fun. Theres a festival feeling to it. Trudeaus rage is showing; the convoy is full of happy warriors, one video is captioned by Rebel News Ezra Levant. The TikTok in question also features a F**k Trudeau flag in the foreground as the trucks roll by. As many as 50,000 vehicles are expected to continue the long journey to Ottawa on Friday, in what is a mass protest movement against vaccine mandates for drivers who cross over the Canadian-US border. 7. It really is fun. Theres a festival feeling to it. Trudeaus rage is showing; the convoy is full of happy warriors. pic.twitter.com/g3hcC2pjRz Ezra Levant (@ezralevant) January 28, 2022 Joe Rogan: Protesting truckers shows Canada is in revolt' Friday 28 January 2022 16:15 , Thomas Fenton Controversial podcast host Joe Rogan has spoken out on the Canadian trucker protest, appearing to sympathise with the cause. During Thursdays episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, he told his guest, freediver and Canadian citizen Valentine Thomas, your countrys in revolt, do you know about this? Its a giant convoy of trucks...some insane amount of people..like 50,000 trucks. Mr Rogan adds: Apparently [the truckers are] all being mandated to get vaccinated, and theyre all like hey, we don't even contact anybody. Joe Rogan @joerogan mentions the trucker convoy that is heading to Ottawa: "[Canada] is in revolt." pic.twitter.com/RMecaM6BlF The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) January 27, 2022 US truckers to join Freedom Convoy on Saturday Friday 28 January 2022 15:32 , Thomas Fenton According to Canadian Trucking Magazine publisher Dave MacKenzie, some US truckers are driving from North Dakota to Portal Saskatchewan, where they intend to cross the border and join their Canadian counterparts protest. Others are just driving in convoys in the US to show support, he told West Standard Online. The number of US drivers has gone from hundreds, to thousands, to hundreds again. MacKenzie explained travel costs are a large factor contributing to drivers ability to stay with the protest convoys. Truckers left from British Columbia on Sunday and will be met in the nations capital on Saturday by other protesters driving from the east and the south of the country - as well as those from the States. The Toronto Sun estimates that up to 50,000 trucks could be participating, which would exceed the existing record by around 10 times if the convoy stays intact until all the way to Ottowa. GoFundMe releases just $1m of the $6m total raised by truckers Friday 28 January 2022 14:30 , Thomas Fenton The crowdfunding platform GoFundMe says it has released an initial $1 million of the $6.2 million intended to support a convoy of truckers (and their supporters) which is currently headed for Ottowa. As CBC reports, the fundraising page was launched earlier this month by Tamara Lich to take donations to cover the convoys fuel, food and lodging expenses - which is protesting against vaccine mandates for Canadian truckers. Earlier this week, GoFundMe said it was holding back the funds until it received more details about the group and its financial management. A spokesperson for GoFundMe stated on Thursday that the organizer has provided a distribution plan and the withdrawn funds are being used to cover participants fuel costs. They added that the platform is working with the organizers to release the rest of the money once participants have been reimbursed for their expenses. Crowd in Toronto cheers on anti-vaccine trucker convoy Friday 28 January 2022 14:00 , Thomas Fenton A large crowd gathered outside a mall north of Toronto on Thursday to cheer a group of local truckers preparing to join a convoy to Ottawa protesting Canadas coronavirus vaccine mandate for cross-border drivers. Some in the crowd threw cash and food up to drivers inside their truck cabs at the Vaughan Mills mall while others waved Canadian flags and signs protesting the government as the truckers gradually rolled out. Worryingly, some journalists were reportedly harassed while they tried to cover the rally. The convoy of truckers set to descend on Canadas capital has prompted police to prepare for the possibility of violence, with some politicians also warning against escalating rhetoric linked to the demonstration. The truckers are protesting a new rule that took effect on 15 January requiring truckers entering Canada be fully immunized against Covid-19. The United States has imposed the same requirement on truckers entering neighbouring countries. Read more: Crowd in Toronto cheers on anti-vaccine trucker convoy Elon Musk Tweets out: Canadian truckers rule Friday 28 January 2022 13:29 , Thomas Fenton The Tesla and Space X chief appeared to throw his support behind the Canadian truckers who are travelling to Ottowa this weekend in protest over vaccine mandates. Mr Musk Tweeted, Canadian truckers rule, adding that CB radios are free from govt/media control in a follow-up. As of writing, his original Tweet has over 367k likes. Canadian truckers rule Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 27, 2022 Trudeau blasts fringe minority behind trucking convoy Friday 28 January 2022 12:39 , Thomas Fenton Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has blasted the fringe minority behind the convoy of truckers protesting Covid passports at the US border. The convoy is making its way to Ottawas Parliament Hill on Friday to protest the countrys Covid-19 vaccine mandates. The small fringe minority of people who are on their way to Ottawa who are holding unacceptable views that they are expressing do not represent the views of Canadians who have been there for each other, who know that following the science and stepping up to protect each other is the best way to continue to ensure our freedoms, our rights, our values, as a country, said Mr Trudeau. The federal government ended a truckers exemption to the vaccine mandate on 15 January, which now means that Canadian truck drivers need to be fully vaccinated to avoid a 14-day quarantine when they cross back into the country from the US. Graeme Massie reports: Trudeau blasts fringe minority behind trucking protest convoy By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States has asked that the United Nations Security Council meet publicly on Monday to discuss Russia's "threatening behavior" against Ukraine and its troop build-up https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-sees-some-room-dialogue-after-us-security-response-2022-01-27 on Ukraine's borders and in Belarus, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations said on Thursday. Russia has massed around 100,000 troops near the border with Ukraine while denying it plans to invade. Several rounds of talks have taken place without a breakthrough but both the U.S.-led NATO military alliance and Russia have kept the door open to further dialogue. "Russia is engaging in other destabilizing acts aimed at Ukraine, posing a clear threat to international peace and security and the U.N. Charter," ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in a statement. "This is not a moment to wait and see. The council's full attention is needed now, and we look forward to direct and purposeful discussion on Monday," she said. Any Security Council member could call for a vote to block the meeting. A minimum of nine votes are needed to proceed with a meeting and China, Russia, the United States, Britain and France cannot wield their vetoes. U.N. diplomats said any attempt to stop the meeting on Monday would likely be defeated. The U.N. Security Council has met dozens of times over the crisis in Ukraine since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. It is unable to take any action as Russia is one of the council's five veto powers. "As we continue our relentless pursuit of diplomacy to de-escalate tensions in the face of this serious threat to European and global peace and security, the U.N. Security Council is a crucial venue for diplomacy," Thomas-Greenfield said. (This story corrects U.N. procedure in paragraph five.) (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Grant McCool) By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Friday it has agreed that Verizon Communications and AT&T can safely turn on more towers for C-Band 5G deployment. The FAA said it and the wireless carriers "have agreed on steps that will enable more aircraft to safely use key airports while also enabling more towers to deploy 5G service." The FAA said more precise data about the exact location of wireless transmitters allowed it "to determine that it is possible to safely and more precisely map the size and shape of the areas around airports where 5G signals are mitigated, shrinking the areas where wireless operators are deferring their antenna activations." AT&T and Verizon on agreed on Jan. 18 to temporarily not turn on about 510 towers near airports over the FAA's concerns about interference with airplane radio altimeters averting what major airlines had said would be a "catastrophic" impact on U.S. aviation. The FAA plans to issue updated documents as soon as later on Friday to allow for more operations in poor weather "with new runways that previously were unavailable. We're getting them to the operators as quickly as possible so they can make scheduling decisions." CTIA, an industry trade group representing wireless carriers, said called the FAA announcement "a positive development that highlights the considerable progress the wireless industry, aviation industry, FAA and (Federal Communications Commission) are making to ensure robust 5G service and safe flights." The FAA added that "5G signals from some existing towers that were inside the old protected areas but are outside the new protected areas do not pose unacceptable safety risks to aircraft approaching airports in low-visibility conditions. Therefore, the FAA was able to newly approve certain aircraft specifically Airbus and Embraer 170/190s for low-visibility approaches at airports where they couldnt previously make them." Airline industry officials say the FAA plans to further refine the zones around airports at a later date that will allow Verizon and AT&T to use additional towers near airports. About 500 of the towers that were not turned on last week are Verizon towers, officials told Reuters. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Aurora Ellis) A composite image of US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Dmytro Smolyenko via Getty/Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images Biden and Zelensky spoke by phone Thursday about the threat of Russia invading Ukraine. Biden told Zelensky that Russia may invade in February, the White House said. Zelensky told Biden to tone down his predictions as they were creating panic, a Ukrainian official told CNN. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told President Joe Biden to "calm down the messaging" about the threat of a Russian invasion because it was stirring panic, CNN reported, citing an unnamed Ukrainian official. Biden and Zelensky spoke by phone Thursday amid rising tensions between Russia which is amassing tens of thousands of troops at Ukraine's border Ukraine, the US, and NATO. Biden told Zelensky on Thursday that a Russian invasion could happen as soon as February, when the ground freezes over, tweeted Emily Horne, White House National Security Council spokesperson. However, Zelensky told Biden in the call that Ukraine did not agree with the US assessment, and that it was bringing panic that could later bring economic hardship to Ukraine, CNN reported, citing a senior Ukrainian official. Zelensky also told Biden to "calm down the messaging," CNN reported, citing the official. The White House did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. The official White House readout of Biden's call did not mention Zelensky's reported concern. The official told CNN that the call "did not go well." The White House told the network that characterization was false and that anonymous sources were "leaking falsehoods." The White House also disputed a claim by Alexander Marquardt, CNN's senior national security correspondent, who tweeted Thursday that Biden told Zelensky during the call that Kyiv could be "sacked" by Russian forces. Horne, the NSC spokesperson, tweeted: "This is not true. President Biden said that there is a distinct possibility that the Russians could invade Ukraine in February. He has previously said this publicly & we have been warning about this for months. Reports of anything more or different than that are completely false." Story continues Biden said Tuesday that the US would personally sanction Putin should Russia invade Ukraine. Russia repeatedly denies that it is readying an invasion. 'Don't worry, sleep well' Ukraine's military leaders, meanwhile, have played down the threat of invasion. "As of today, there are no grounds to believe [Russia will invade]," defense minister Oleksii Reznikov told parliament Tuesday, the Associated Press reported. "Don't worry, sleep well," he said. "No need to have your bags packed." The US and UK have repeatedly warned of an imminent Russian invasion, though officials in Ukraine, France, and Germany appear less convinced. The split suggests "a gap in assessments of Russia's likely courses of action," Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow on the Russia and Eurasia program at Chatham House, previously told Insider. "There is a history of the US trying to convince its European partners that the threat is imminent, based on the sources and intelligence it has, and they apparently do not," he said. The conversation between Biden and Zelensky came days after the US decision to tell families of US embassy personnel in Kyiv to leave the country. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken went one step further, urging Americans in Ukraine to leave. Read the original article on Business Insider By James Davey and Elizabeth Piper LONDON (Reuters) -An inquiry into COVID-19 lockdown-breaking gatherings in Downing Street that might determine the future of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson could be further delayed after the police asked for the report to make only "minimal reference" to those events. Johnson, facing the gravest threat to his premiership over the alleged lockdown-busting parties at his residence and office at Number 10, has so far weathered growing calls to resign over the events, asking for lawmakers to wait for the report. Led by senior civil servant Sue Gray, it is looking into several allegations that staff, and Johnson, attended parties in Downing Street in breach of the rules they had themselves imposed on the population to fight the coronavirus pandemic. It had been expected to be released this week but that time scale was derailed when on Tuesday, London's Metropolitan Police said they had opened an investigation into some of the events to assess whether criminal offences had been committed. The force has itself faced criticism for initially declining to investigate the allegations. Officials are working on ways to publish Gray's report without compromising the criminal investigation, and some lawmakers fear that it will be watered down. It could, some lawmakers say, also be delayed. The Metropolitan Police initially said it was wanted minimal reference to events it was investigating in Gray's report to "avoid any prejudice to our investigation", but changed its language in a later statement. "In order to protect the integrity of the police investigation, as is appropriate in any case, and to be as fair as possible to those who are subject to it, the Met has asked for minimal reference to be made in the Cabinet Office report to the relevant events," Commander Catherine Roper said in a statement, referring to the department which supports the prime minister and helps implement his policies. Story continues "This will only be necessary until these matters are concluded, and is to give detectives the most reliable picture of what happened at these events." The police said it had received information it had requested from the Cabinet Office to support its investigation, which would be prompt. "We have not delayed this report and the timing of its release is a matter for the Cabinet Office inquiry team," Roper said. A spokesman for Johnson said the investigation's terms of reference stated that Gray and her team would keep in contact with the police. "Again it's an independent investigation, we haven't been privy to the details of that investigation or any of its content," he told reporters. KEY TO FUTURE Gray's report, which she will deliver to Johnson before it is published and presented to parliament, is seen as crucial to his fate, and he and his ministers have said people should not reach any conclusions before its release. She is looking into what has become weeks of a steady drip of stories about events in Downing Street, with reports of aides stuffing a suitcase full of supermarket alcohol, breaking a children's swing and dancing until the early hours. Johnson's spokesman has said the prime minister does not believe he broke the law and that Downing Street wants the report to be published as soon as possible. But officials say the police investigation has complicated the report's publication because they have to determine what can be left in it and what elements need to be removed. The risk, lawmakers say, is that the most damaging conclusions could be removed. "From the Met statement, it's clear that the most serious allegations will not be available for parliament to view and could possibly delay the report further," said Andrew Bridgen, a Conservative lawmaker who has called for Johnson to resign. "This does nothing to diminish my view that the prime minister's position is untenable," he told Reuters. Opposition politicians have also demanded that Johnson resign and accuse him of persistently lying. The Scottish National Party's leader in parliament, Ian Blackford, said the Gray report must be published in full without any more delay. "People are understandably concerned that this increasingly looks like a cover-up," he said on Twitter. "The prime minister cannot be allowed to wriggle off the hook by using the Metropolitan Police investigation as an excuse to further delay or doctor the report." But the delay has given space to efforts by Johnson and his supporters to persuade colleagues not to try to trigger a confidence vote in him. Some lawmakers have said they would wait until the report before moving against him. (Reporting by James Davey, Elizabeth Piper and William James; writing by Elizabeth Piper and Alistair Smout; editing by Guy Faulconbridge, Kate Holton, Mark Heinrich and Raissa Kasolowsky) Students leave Washington-Liberty High School in Arlington County which is one of several school districts which sued to stop the mask-optional order by Governor Glenn Youngkin (R), in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., January 25, 2022. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein Students are back in class amid the coronavirus pandemic, and to keep you posted on whats unfolding throughout U.S. schools K-12 as well as colleges Yahoo Life is running a weekly wrap-up featuring news bites, interviews and updates on the ever-unfolding situation. School districts sue Va. governor after he removed mask mandate Seven school districts in Virginia have sued the governor after he removed a long-standing mask mandate in schools. Gov. Glenn Youngkin removed the mask mandate in schools via executive order that went into effect on Monday. I have said all along that we are going to stand up for parents," Youngkin said in a statement after signing the order. "Executive Order 2 is not about pro-masks versus anti-mask; its about empowering parents. I am confident that the Virginia Supreme Court will rule in the favor of parents, reaffirming the parental rights clearly laid out in the Virginia code 1-240.1. In the meantime, I urge all parents to listen to their principal, and trust the legal process." The lawsuit was jointly filed by the school boards of Alexandria City, Arlington County, City of Richmond, Fairfax County, Falls Church City, Hampton City and Prince William County. The Fairfax County Public Schools district released a statement about the legal move, noting that it "defends the right of school boards to enact policy at the local level, including policies that protect the health and well-being of all students and staff." "This lawsuit is not brought out of choice, but out of necessity," the statement continues. "With COVID-19 transmission rates high, our hospitals at crisis level and the continued recommendation of health experts to retain universal mask-wearing for the time being, this is simply not the time to remove this critical component of layered health and safety mitigation strategies. School divisions need to continue to preserve their authority to protect and serve all our students, including our most vulnerable, who need these mitigation measures perhaps more than anyone to be able to continue to access in-person instruction." Story continues Under the executive order, parents have the ability to opt their child out of any mask mandate that may be in effect at their child's school. Parents do not have to provide a reason or make any kind of certification in order to opt out of the mandate, according to the order. When contacted for comment, Fairfax County Public Schools district spokesperson Kathleen Miller referred Yahoo Life to the lawsuit and school district's statement. However, Miller noted that in the school district of 180,000 students, only 24 (or 0.013 percent) did not comply with the district mask requirements on Tuesday. "In addition, early attendance data from Jan. 25 indicates a lower absence rate (5.1 percent) than the past two Tuesdays," she added. (Students were not in school on Monday, the first day the executive order was in place.) The lawsuit comes in the same week as newly appointed Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares ruled in his first-ever legal opinion as AG that state universities can't have COVID-19 mandates. "Virginia state universities cannot mandate COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine as condition for enrollment or in-person attendance," he said in the ruling, which he shared on Twitter. It's important to note, though, that Miyares's opinion does not change the law. Infectious disease experts argue that mask mandates are still necessary for schools. "They are clearly an additional barrier to transmission and also to acquisition of infection," Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, told Yahoo Life. "Wearing a mask clearly helps reduce the risk of the virus moving from one person to another in schools." Dr. Thomas Russo, professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York, agreed. "Although masks are not perfect, their use is an important proven measure to decrease infections in the indoor setting," he told Yahoo Life. "Their importance is magnified when vaccination rates are suboptimal and there is a high community burden of disease; both of these factors are presently ongoing issues for our school-age children." But infectious disease expert Dr. Amesh A. Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, tells Yahoo Life that he expects mask mandates in schools will go away with time. "The best way to keep people safe is through vaccination, and then any inevitable case that occurs will be mild," he said. Still, Adalja added, "for those who want to wear masks, one-way masking works." Colo. district shuts down school-hosted clinic after minors were OK'd to get COVID-19 vaccine without a parent present Colorado's Littleton Public Schools will no longer use school facilities to host COVID-19 vaccine clinics after videos surfaced on social media of minors attempting to get the shot without parental consent. The videos, which were posted on the Twitter account @LibsofTikTok, show a person lying about their age to make it seem that they were over 18 (they weren't asked to show ID) and another who gave clinic workers a note that showed parental consent after he was told he needed parental approval before getting the vaccine. Both students left before they actually got the shot. "Both of these brave students made up names, birthdays and phone numbers for the video," @LibsofTikTok wrote. The school district responded to the "situation" on Tuesday with a message to parents. In it, superintendent Brian Ewert noted that local health department Tri-County Health asked to use the district's Heritage High School to host the clinic. "Heritage High School was not associated with the administration of this event in any way," Ewert said. "As is typical when outside entities use our spaces, the activities do not impact the school day and are kept separate from the school community. Heritage administration ensured that the vaccine clinic was not accessible to students during the school day unless they were accompanied by a parent." Ewert said that the district "incorrectly assumed" that a parent was required to be present during vaccination but later learned that wasn't the case. "Please know that LPS does not condone the administration of COVID vaccines or any other vaccines to minors without a parent present to provide consent," Ewert said, noting that the district "reported our concern" to health officials. "Regardless of the outcome of these conversations, LPS will no longer provide locations for COVID vaccination clinics," he said. "Nothing is more important than the safety of our students and community members." When asked for comment, a spokesperson for Littleton Public Schools directed Yahoo Life to the statement sent to parents. Despite the controversy, experts say that school-based clinics are a good way to increase access to vaccines for children. "School-based vaccination clinics are an easy and convenient way to increase vaccine rates and not just for COVID but for a whole host of vaccine-preventable infections," Adalja says. Schaffner pointed out that school-based vaccination programs are "nothing new," adding that these "have been part of what we've been doing in the U.S. for 50 years." These programs can be helpful to both students and their families, he says. "It saves parents time and energy if it can be done at school," Schaffner said. Utah school district shortens school days to deal with COVID absenteeism Utah's Cache County School District announced this week that it plans to shorten its school days, starting Jan. 31, to try to deal with high absence rates due to COVID-19. "We have experienced more COVID cases, colds, flu and RSV in our schools," a message to families posted on the district website reads. "As a result, we are experiencing unprecedented student and staff absenteeism in our schools, which makes it extremely difficult for teachers and students." The message goes on to say that over the past few weeks, 9 percent to 17 percent of elementary school students have been absent and between 19 percent and 31 percent of middle and high school students have missed school. "Our priority is to keep our schools open as we know that students learn better in-person than online," the message read. "Another priority is to ensure that our teachers have adequate time to prepare and to help students who are absent to catch up on their school work. This additional time for teachers will help us to accomplish both of these priorities." The district now plans to have its elementary schools start at 9:05 a.m. and end at 2:50 p.m. (shortened from its usual end time of 3:35 p.m.), while middle and high schools will start at 8 a.m. and end at 2 p.m. (down from its typical end time of 2:45 p.m.). "We will reevaluate this schedule as conditions warrant," the message said. Cache County School District did not respond to Yahoo Life's request for comment. Schaffner explained that absenteeism due to COVID-19 is a major issue in schools, health care facilities and "everything" right now. "The hope is that by the middle to end of February, Omicron will have run its course and things can 'normalize' thereafter," he says. "But I think we're still in for difficult times in the next month or so." Russo agreed. "Hopefully Omicron-driven high case numbers will be behind us over the next three to six weeks, depending on where you are in this country, which in turn should solve this problem," he said. Students in L.A. public schools can no longer wear cloth masks at school The Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest school district in the U.S., has banned cloth masks in its schools. "Students will be required to wear a non-cloth mask with a nose wire at all times, including while participating in athletic activities," Megan K. Reilly, interim superintendent of the district said in a message to families over the weekend. "Schools will provide surgical-style masks for students and employees if they need them." The new mask regulations, which went into effect on Monday, come on the heels of updated recommendations on masking from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Masks and respirators (i.e., specialized filtering masks such as N95s) can provide different levels of protection depending on the type of mask and how they are used," the CDC said on its website. "Loosely woven cloth products provide the least protection; layered, finely woven products offer more protection; well-fitting disposable surgical masks and KN95s offer even more protection; and well-fitting NIOSH-approved respirators (including N95s) offer the highest level of protection." However, the CDC still recommends the use of cloth face masks, urging people to use masks with multiple layers of tightly woven, breathable fabric, a nose wire and fabric that blocks light when it's held up to a bright light source. "Los Angeles Unified continues to follow the latest guidance from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health," a district spokesperson told Yahoo Life when asked why the new masking rules went into effect. "This guidance ensures that our schools are as safe as possible for students and employees." "Not all masks are created equal," Russo said. "Most cloth masks offer suboptimal protection against infection. Wearing masks with a high filtration efficiency that fit well and are comfortable so that they can be worn for prolonged periods of time will more effectively prevent infection." Schaffner says the district's new guidance is "consistent with the CDC's recent recommendation." Mass. teachers, school staff receive at-home rapid COVID-19 tests A new program in Massachusetts is making at-home COVID-19 tests more easily accessible to teachers and school staff. The program started shipping rapid antigen tests for weekly use to teachers and staff this week and will open up to students next week. Under the program, schools must continue to participate in symptomatic and pooled testing in order to receive the at-home test kits. "This new option will give Massachusetts school districts more flexibility and more resources in COVID-19 testing that have the most immediate impact to keep schools open," read a statement from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Guidance on the new testing program makes it clear that this is considered a better alternative to test-to-stay programs, where students and teachers must continue to test negative for COVID-19 to be able to be in classrooms. "Data show that transmission from close contacts is a rare occurrence in schools and that, therefore, extensive contact tracing and associated Test and Stay procedures are not adding significant value as a mitigation strategy despite the demand they place on the time of school health staff and school staff at large," the guidance said. "As a result, we are recommending that school health personnel increase their focus on identifying symptomatic individuals, rather than monitoring in-school close contacts who are unlikely to contract or spread the virus." Adalja said that making COVID-19 tests readily available to school staff and students could help reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread in schools. "The easier people can know their status, the easier it is to identify cases and intervene before transmission occurs," he explained. "Individuals are infectious, but asymptomatic, for some portion or all of their bout of COVID," Russo said. "Access and use of at-home rapid tests hold the promise of identifying these individuals before they come to school, which in turn make schools safer." A spokesperson from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education told Yahoo Life that the program will stay in place through April 22. After that, the state will determine if any updates to the program are needed. Want lifestyle and wellness news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Lifes newsletter. File: Donald Trump Jr waves after speaking during the Conservative Political Action Conference held at the Hilton Anatole on 9 July 2021 in Dallas, Texas (Getty Images) Its been roughly two days since news of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyers impending retirement from active judicial service leaked, and the reaction from the more Republican corners of the internet and media world has beenrevealing. Over and over, prominent GOP personalities have spent the last two days turning what would have been the highest possible calling for a Republican president deciding who sits on the highest court in the land into something to be mocked and de-legitimized for no other reason than the fact that the person in the White House is no longer one of their own. One such instance came from Cato Institute scholar and incoming Georgetown University Law School professor Ilya Shapiro, who apparently decided that President Bidens pledge to appoint a Black woman to the court was somehow going to result in the next justice being someone akin to a female version of Jackie Childs, the fictional parody of Johnnie Cochran who appeared on the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. He suggested in a series of now-deleted tweets that Bidens most qualified possible pick would be District of Columbia Circuit Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan, who is neither a woman nor Black. He further opined that because Judge Srinivasan doesnt fit into latest intersectionality hierarchy, Bidens pick would be a lesser Black woman. Because Biden said hes only consider[ing] black women for SCOTUS, his nomination will always have an asterisk attached. Fitting that the Court takes up affirmative action next term, he added. Shapiro, who has served as editor of Catos Supreme Court Review, seems to have developed a highly selective memory because theres no president more revered in the libertarian-conservative space Cato is part of than one Ronald Wilson Reagan. And Reagan did the exact same thing. When the then-ex-California governor was campaigning for the presidency against Jimmy Carter in 1980, the Equal Rights Amendment and womens rights were front-and-center issues on which he was widely perceived to be on the wrong side. Seeking to improve his standing with women, he convened a press conference in Los Angeles on October 15, less than a month before the November presidential election. Reagan told the assembled press he intended to select a woman to fill one of the first Supreme Court vacancies in [his] administration if elected to the presidency. Story continues It is time for a woman to sit among our highest jurists, he said, before adding that he would also seek out women to appoint to other federal courts in an effort to bring about a better balance on the federal bench. And when the late Justice Potter Stewart (known most widely for his I know it when I see it description of hardcore pornography) retired six months into Reagans term, Reagans selection to succeed Stewart was indeed a woman, Sandra Day OConnor. But it wasnt just academics owning themselves while trying to own the libs. There was also one particular gem from Donald Trump Jr, the eldest son of the twice-impeached, one-term ex-president who once described nominating justices to the high court as the most important decision a president can make. The younger Trump took to his Instagram account to repost what appeared to be a photo of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, but with the face of Bidens youngest (and only living) son, Hunter Biden, photoshopped over the justices face, as if to suggest that the president should put Hunter on the court. In a caption accompanying the fake photo, Donald Jr mockingly quoted a compliment Biden once paid to his son. Remember, hes the smartest guy Joe knows, he wrote, adding the hashtag #SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) for good measure. The Justice Biden meme was a typical example of the eldest Trump childs social media output, which has made him a GOP celebrity in his own right. Hunter Biden is a favored target of Donald Jr, who frequently finds reasons to bring up his well-documented history of drug abuse and revisit the Ukraine-centric conspiracy theory which led his father right smack into the first of his two impeachment trials. But were any libs really owned in this instance? Not so much. Despite his frequent mockery of the current presidents son, the former presidents son seems curiously ignorant of both his target and the subject matter which was meant to make his attempt at a joke topical. Donald Jr might take a great deal of pleasure in depicting Hunter Biden as an incompetent, bumbling ignoramus whose background makes him completely unqualified to be anywhere near the Supreme Court, but he might want to check some Google results first next time. Had he did a simple Google search, hed find out that Hunter Biden possesses the exact same legal credentials as four sitting members of the court. Like Justices Samuel Alito, Sonya Sotomayor, Clarence Thomas, and his fathers own appointee Brett Kavanaugh, President Bidens second son graduated from Yale Law School. And had the ex-presidents namesake checked the Supreme Courts own records, hed have eventually come to Page 289 of the Supreme Court Journal for the October 2006 term. Under the section titled Admissions to the Bar on Written Motions, he would have discovered that one Robert Hunter Biden was admitted to the Supreme Court bar on Monday, October 30, 2006. That means the Supreme Court of the United States considers Hunter Biden qualified to argue cases before it. To be sure, its not the usual years on the federal bench most Supreme Court nominees have these days, but hes about as qualified as some of Donald Trumps nominees to lower courts. These are just two examples of the sorts of critiques of the upcoming nomination that are passing for discourse on the American right these days. When Donald Trump won the presidency, it was in no small part because he secured the support of the institutional right by outsourcing his court picks to the ultra-conservative Federalist Society. And for years, there has been no greater priority for the American conservative movement than its quest to reshape the courts with jurists whod reverse a string of decisions which secured the rights of women, criminal defendants, LGBT+ Americans, and racial minorities, chief among them the 1973 decision legalizing abortion in the case of Roe v Wade. Democrats largely ignored the courts except when sounding the alarm over nominees considered too openly hostile to these expanded rights for non-white, non-male, non-heterosexual Americans. By and large, they failed to stop the conservative legal movements project, which culminated with Trumps nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to replace the liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Bidens first pick may serve on the court for decades, but will do nothing to change the 6-3 conservative majority that appears poised to overturn a string of precedents, starting with Roe. Thats why Republicans are making fun of the as-yet-unnamed nominee and the man who will nominate her, rather than screaming bloody murder over the very thought of her. Because theyve already won, its now a joke to them. Italian Americans seeking the return of a Christopher Columbus statue to its former pedestal in Chicagos Little Italy allege that Mayor Lori Lightfoot interfered with a Park District contract to keep the monument on display in perpetuity, according to a recently filed complaint. Advertisement Lightfoot has been newly added as a defendant in a lawsuit the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans filed against the Chicago Park District last July asserting that the district violated a deal signed in 1973 to display the Columbus statue in Little Italy when it took down the statue in summer 2020. Lightfoot has said she ordered the removal of Columbus statues after activists forcibly attempted to remove the prominent statue of Columbus in Grant Park, leading to violent clashes between police and protesters. Advertisement Crews remove the Columbus statue in Grant Park in the early hours of July 24, 2020, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) Nearly a week later, Lightfoot took down Columbus statues in Grant Park and Little Italy. Lightfoot later removed a lesser-known statue in the South Chicago neighborhood. [ Chicagos three Christopher Columbus statues: A brief history ] Columbus has been condemned by activists around the country who point to the Italian explorers mistreatment of Indigenous people after he landed in the Americas in 1492. Many Italian Americans prize the statues of the explorer as an expression of their mainstream American identity. Lightfoot initially resisted calls to take down Columbus statues. Comparing the debate over Columbus statues to the same argument over monuments to Confederate Army figures being removed in other cities, Lightfoot said she favors acting to not try to erase history, but to embrace it full-on. But she ordered the removals after the unrest at Grant Park. Ron Onesti, president of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, said his group sued the Park District after officials failed to communicate with them about the statue and its fate. Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans President Ron Onesti speaks about his hopes for restoring a statue of Christopher Columbus in Grant Park after the Columbus Day parade along South State Street on Oct. 11, 2021, in downtown Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune) We as Chicagoans feel the process has not been respected, Onesti said. Our citys art, our citys historic elements, should not be at a whim if some vocal minority says so. The lawsuit claims that a Columbus statue committee paid the Park District more than $10,000 in 1973 for the purpose of maintaining in perpetuity the Columbus statue. Advertisement Initially, the lawsuit did not name Lightfoot or Chicago as defendants but the Italian Americans committee recently argued that the mayor should be added because of her actions ordering the statues removal, which a judge granted. It also alleges that she has continued to interfere with the contract. Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. A spokeswoman for the Law Department said it will review the filed complaint and will have no further comment as the matter is now in litigation. The lawsuit over the Columbus statue is not the only ongoing fallout from the mayors decision to take down the statues. A person walks by an empty space after the statue of Christopher Columbus was removed by the city at Arrigo Park on July 24, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) After Lightfoot removed the Columbus statues, she created a review process for controversial city monuments that she said would be part of a racial healing and historical reckoning project. But nearly a year and a half later, the citys monuments commission has not yet issued its final report and recommendations, leaving the conversation in a state of limbo even though it was originally supposed to be done by December 2020. Advertisement City officials have said they expect the committee to finish its work in the first quarter of 2022. Last February, the mayors commission on monuments flagged statues of Presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant and William McKinley, as well as a Benjamin Franklin statue, a police memorial tied to the Haymarket Riot and a statue of Leif Ericson at Humboldt Park, as potentially problematic, but did not make final recommendations about what should happen. Wallace Shawn has called on stars, including Scarlett Johannson and Dianne Wiest, to publicly defend Woody Allen. Allens adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, has accused him of molesting her when she was a child. The filmmaker has categorically denied the allegations, which Farrow first made in 1992 when she was seven years old. In the wake of the #MeToo movement, Allen who was cleared by two investigations in the Nineties faced renewed criticism over the allegations. Many actors including Colin Firth, Rebecca Hall and Kate Winslet have said they would not work with him again. Shawn stars in Rifkins Festival, the first film Allen directed following the termination of his four-movie deal with Amazon Studio in 2017. The Princess Bride star is among the celebrities, including Javier Bardem and Diane Keaton, to defend Allen against the accusations. In November last year, Shawn penned an open letter titled Why Im Still Willing to Work with Woody Allen. In a recent interview, the actor opened up about his motivations for writing the letter. I was very upset that some of my fellow actors leapt to the conclusion that Woody was guilty of a serious crime that you can go to prison for without really knowing that much about it, Shawn said. Of course, if someone like [Dylan] says This happened to me, I dont fault people for thinking That might be true. But on the other hand, Woody said, That didnt happen, and I didnt care for the fact that so many of my fellow actors didnt look into it any farther, and just assumed he was guilty. (Getty Images) Shawn added that he followed the case and read quite a bit about it. I saw the documentary trying to substantiate Dylans story and I dont believe that this happened, said Shawn. While he did not specify which documentary he had seen, it may have been HBOs 2021 docuseries Allen v Farrow. The actor said he was angry at my fellow actors and at the fact that Woody Allen someone who has done beautiful things for the world became a pariah. He called it a miscarriage of justice. Story continues At the moment, peoples agents tell them to denounce Woody and to not work with him. If more people like Scarlett Johansson and Dianne Wiest say, Were delighted to work with him, then maybe eventually the tide will turn, he added. In 2019, Johansson who has starred in three of Allens films defended Allen, stating: I love Woody. I believe him and I would work with him any time. Scarlett Johansson and Woody Allen at the New York premiere of 'Match Point' in 2005 (Peter Kramer/Getty Images) When later asked about her comments, the Match Point star doubled down, adding: I dont know I feel the way I feel about it. Its my experience. I dont know any more than any other person knows. Rifkins Island stars Shawn as Mort Rifkin, a New Yorker who attends a prestigious film festival in San Sebastian, Spain, alongside his increasingly estranged wife, Sue (Gina Gershon). If you have been raped or sexually assaulted, you can contact your nearest Rape Crisis organisation for specialist, independent and confidential support. For more information, visit their website here. PANAMA CITY Residents might soon get updates on the pesky potholes in their neighborhoods. Panama City officials have announced that they would be working on publishing a public list of priority projects and when they anticipate getting to them, so residents can stay updated. Panama City plans to keep a list of potholes with updates on repairs for residents to view online. This idea formed during Tuesday's city commission meeting when some residents discussed potholes theyve encountered in their neighborhoods. Resident Rufus Wood said one of his neighbors had come to a meeting prior, bringing awareness to a large pothole on 10th Street. "There's a large hole, I mean, I understand it's deep," Wood said. "And there's a sign out there but that's been four or five months ago. There has been nothing done to address that." Wood said it feels like Millville is being neglected and the community is not happy. He said he'd like to see more done in the Millville community and its roads. Panama City: Potholes no more! Panama City OKs long-awaited road repairs in 2022 fiscal year budget Panama City: Gov. Ron DeSantis announces $20.4 million for Panama City water and sewer system repairs Resident James Barker mentioned a pothole on 13th Street, near to Bay High School. He said it would be very easy for a car or a school bus to drive into it and get damaged. "I know we put barriers up there but somehow they get knocked off to the side and people don't see it," Barker said. "And when it's raining, they can't see the hole." The commissioners listened to each resident and said they were sympathetic to their experiences. Commissioner Jenna Flint-Haligas said she has been taking photos of the different potholes and posting them on social media. "I see these guys working every day on leaks and holes and all that," Flint-Haligas said during the meeting. "It's just that it's so vast and I don't think people realize theyre in every community and everybody's upset about them." Story continues City Manager Mark McQueen said the city has been challenged by how Hurricane Michael damage has impacted infrastructure. "The waterlines, sewer lines, which are degraded because of the storm and because of that, we now have more potholes than we've had before," McQueen said. "There's not a problem with the asphalt, it's the base underneath the asphalt that's failing. And it's failing because of broken water lines or sewer lines." McQueen, as well as the residents, thanked the team that has been out fixing potholes in the roads, saying that they are working hard to address concerns. "We're working very diligently to address all of them," McQueen said. "It takes a lot of time to fix these areas because it's not just putting an asphalt patch. It's solving the problem underneath it, so it doesn't continue." McQueen said the list should be posted to the citys website, pcgov.org, by the end of the week. This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City Florida to update public on projects like pothole repair By Farah Master HONG KONG (Reuters) - With thousands of people locked down in tiny apartments, government quarantine centres filling up and many businesses shuttered, Hong Kong is scrambling to sustain a zero-COVID policy that has turned one of the world's most densely packed cities into one of the most isolated. The economic and psychological tolls from the global financial hub's hardline approach - in line with China's strategy - are rapidly rising, residents say, with measures becoming more draconian than those first implemented in 2020. Flights out of Hong Kong's international airport are down around 90%, over 8,000 people are locked down in government quarantine facilities and a congested housing block, while 900,000 students have been shut out of schools since the start of this week. Doctors say the restrictions are taking an increasingly heavy toll on residents' mental health. Once one of the worlds most connected places, Hong Kong is reeling from the closure of its borders, impacting the free flow of people and the availability of food and foreign products the city is so highly dependent on. Besides schools, authorities in the city of 7.5 million have shut down playgrounds, gyms and most other venues, while tens of thousands of people are required to do daily coronavirus tests. Restaurants and bars close at 6 p.m. (1000 GMT). Over 2,000 hamsters and other animals have been culled to stop transmissions as community cases surge. Siddharth Sridhar, clinical assistant professor at the University of Hong Kongs Department of Microbiology, said "a very practical adjustment in terms of our containment strategy" was needed. "This is not sustainable," he said. "Eventually we are going to see a very local protracted outbreak, likely to be worse than previous cases." While Hong Kong succeeded in keeping the virus under control for much of 2021, there have been over 600 locally transmitted infections in January so far, compared with just two in December, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant spread. Story continues "Essentially it's playing whack-a-mole. It (coronavirus) will simply keep coming back," said Keith Neal, professor at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, referring to the popular amusement arcade game. UNVACCINATED ELDERLY Shutting itself off is an "unworkable strategy" for Hong Kong, said Sumit Agarwal, professor at the National University of Singapores Business School, as the economic and social costs of the policy continue to soar. "Only Hong Kong and China are saying they are trying to eradicate the virus," he said. "It would have worked if other countries did the same but the fact they dont think that way means the virus is always flowing." Leader Carrie Lam has said Hong Kong cannot live with the virus as many major cities are doing. She says over 80% of the city's elderly are unvaccinated, and a large outbreak of infections will heavily increase the burden on already stretched healthcare services. Increasing Hong Kongs vaccination rate is key, she said, with just over 70% of the people double vaccinated and around 10% having received a booster or third shot. Lam said on Thursday that Hong Kong will shorten its 21-day quarantine requirement to 14 days for incoming travellers starting from Feb. 5, after months of pressure from financial executives and foreign diplomats who said the rule was eroding the city's competitiveness. Many professionals and expatriates are leaving or planning to leave the former British colony, seeing no end in sight to the restrictions. Quarantine rules for those infected as well as close contacts is curbing the citys desirability and risks an exodus, according to an internal report by the citys European Chamber of Commerce. Companies are repositioning their staff to Singapore and Seoul, it said. Hong Kong authorities hold daily briefings, providing details on each infected person, where they live, where they ate and where they went. Credit card statements, transport records, CCTV footage and a government app are some of the methods they use to identify and quarantine close contacts. "The Omicron variant is so explosive in its spread that it will be the sorest test of Hong Kong's response yet if it keeps up testing, tracing, isolation and quarantine," said Alex Cook, associate professor at the National University of Singapores Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. "Once the number of cases for contact tracing becomes too high...more secondary cases will slip through and the epidemic growth would be compounded." (Reporting by Farah Master; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree and Raju Gopalakrishnan) President Joe Bidens nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration does not yet have the votes in the Senate needed to give the agency its first political leader in more than a year. More than two months after picking Robert Califf to be FDA commissioner, the confirmation is stymied by Democratic skepticism of the longtime cardiologists regulatory track record and a new GOP push to kill his nomination. The difficulties have sparked deep frustration among top Democrats and touched off a round of finger pointing, with Califf allies privately blaming the White House for doing too little to shore up support for its own nominee, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, who requested anonymity to describe the internal dynamics. Now, Califfs supporters fear his candidacy is on the brink raising the threat of a setback for Biden and the health agency at the center of his pandemic response. The White House, meanwhile, is calling into service some of its top advisers, including Anthony Fauci, to try and rescue the nomination. Just four Republicans Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah voted for him in committee earlier this month, marking the first public sign of trouble for Califf. In recent days, people familiar with the process have become increasingly concerned about the status of Califfs nomination. If the vote were held today, he would not have the votes, said one person with knowledge of the matter. The growing anxiety comes amid a yearlong absence of permanent political leadership at the FDA, after the White House struggled for months to find a candidate who could win majority support in the evenly divided Senate. As a result, FDA which regulates everything from Covid-19 vaccines to vast swaths of the nations food supply remains reliant on longtime drug regulator Janet Woodcock to run the agency on an acting basis during a global pandemic that has already killed more than 873,000 people in the United States. Story continues Biden settled on Califf in November, with aides touting his deep government experience and broad appeal evidenced when he was confirmed to the top FDA post in an 89-4 vote in 2016. Yet while the administration and lawmakers anticipated narrower margins this time around, the amount of opposition to Califfs nomination among both Democrats and Republicans is stiffer than they expected, according to interviews with nine people familiar with the confirmation effort. Califf did not respond to a request for comment. Five Democrats Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have signaled opposition to Califfs nomination, but even more remain on the fence, according to four of the people familiar with their thinking. Im surprised the whip on Democrats is as high as they are assuming, a congressional aide said of the administrations confidence. If his meetings have gone as Ive heard with other Democrats, hes not making a great impression. In recent weeks, Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Burr have led a scramble to win last-minute support for Califf, in hopes of holding a floor vote by early February. A HELP Committee aide said Murray hopes he can be confirmed as quickly as possible. Some officials and allies remain optimistic theyll ultimately secure the 50 senators needed to push Califf over the line, contending they only need to win over a few holdouts. So far, there has been no serious talk of pulling Califfs nomination, and the administration has no ready fallback candidates. If needed, Senate Democrats could postpone a confirmation vote for weeks while they try to build enough support. Some close to the confirmation effort argued that Califfs candidacy never should have been endangered in the first place, faulting the White House for being too detached and noting the nominee himself has struggled to make his case to skeptical senators. A team from the health department has largely managed Califfs outreach, to middling reviews, three of the nine people with knowledge of the matter said. Top White House officials, meanwhile, remained largely disengaged even as the administration telegraphed public confidence and despite internal warnings that the nomination could be in trouble. The White House isnt supporting him, one of the people with knowledge of the matter said. Hes kind of his own one-man PR show. A White House official disputed the characterization, insisting theres been consistent outreach to members throughout this entire process. But the White House has over the last few weeks seemed to better understand the peril, one of the people with knowledge of the matter said, dispatching senior aides like chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci, Covid-19 coordinator Jeff Zients and White House staff secretary Neera Tanden to make calls on Califfs behalf. We are confident Dr. Califf will be confirmed with bipartisan support, and it is critical to have confirmed leadership at the FDA in the midst of a pandemic, White House spokesperson Chris Meagher said. Some lawmakers have cited concern about Califfs work in the private sector after his last stint at FDA. He most recently led health strategy and policy at Alphabet, Googles parent company, where financial disclosures show he was paid millions in stock and more than $2.7 million in salary and bonuses. The clinical trial expert also must divest holdings in health care companies including Amgen, Gilead Sciences, Bristol Myers Squibb and Walgreens Boots Alliance. Senators have also expressed concern about Califfs pharmaceutical industry ties and FDAs track record regulating opioids. Meanwhile, few Republicans have publicly backed Califf despite vocal support from Burr, the Senate health committees top Republican, whos retiring at the end of the year. Burr has tried for weeks to secure enough Republican votes to offset the expected Democratic losses, three people with knowledge of the matter said. Califf also failed to impress some key senators in his one-on-one meetings with them, three of the people with knowledge of the matter said. Pandemic precautions forced Califf to meet with some senators virtually, further complicating the get-to-know-you process critical to winning votes. A Democratic aide whose boss supports Califf said the senator met with him virtually, but the nominee still wore a mask because he had staff with him. Its just harder to make a connection that way, the aide said. Several GOP lawmakers have cited FDAs recent decision to loosen abortion pill dispensing requirements as reason to oppose the cardiologist. One GOP lobbyist told POLITICO support among Republicans cratered when the FDA moved forward in December with a plan to allow patients to obtain a mailed prescription for mifepristone an abortion medication through a telehealth appointment. At most, he gets three to four GOP votes, so maybe he is short considering at least five Democrats are a no, the lobbyist said. Most Senate HELP Committee Republicans appeared favorable toward Califf during his confirmation hearing in December, based on their lines of questioning and comments to POLITICO afterwards. But at least two Alabamas Tommy Tuberville and Kansas Roger Marshall signaled they were swayed by FDAs mifepristone decision. Dozens of anti-abortion-rights groups, like Susan B. Anthony List and Students for Life Action, have mobilized against Califf, flooding Senate offices with letters and calls urging no votes. They plan to continue lobbying senators when they come back into session this week, setting up meetings with members and staff. Some of the groups publicly targeted Romney Thursday over his vote to support Califf in committee, arguing that the vote violated his professed anti-abortion views. Spokespeople for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell declined to answer questions regarding the whip count for Califf or whether he planned to vote to confirm the former FDA commissioner. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumers office did not respond to a request for comment. Several groups, as well as six former FDA leaders, have urged senators to promptly approve Califf, arguing it is critical the agency has permanent leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic. And major industry organizations, including AdvaMed and the Association for Accessible Medicines, issued positive statements when Califf was nominated. Any time youre without a leader, I think the vision suffers, AdvaMed CEO Scott Whitaker told POLITICO. The other thing that always worries me about leaving an agency leaderless for a long period of time is the ability to recruit and attract people to come in and join an agency like the FDA. But not every industry regulated by FDA wants Califf to be confirmed. Should Califf retake the mantle in Silver Spring, hell be in prime position to speed up regulatory changes that e-cigarette proponents oppose. When youre facing prohibition, delays of execution are never a bad thing, said Gregory Conley, president of the American Vaping Association. Alston & Bird attorney Marc Scheineson, who served as associate commissioner for legislative affairs under former FDA Commissioner David Kessler, said it is premature to conclude Califf doesnt have the votes to be confirmed. I think the White House gets the idea this is a priority for them, and between their leverage and Burrs, the dynamics are good, Scheineson said. Ive heard this will be scheduled or is being considered for the first week of February obviously, that scheduling depends on having the votes. Alice Miranda Ollstein and Katherine Ellen Foley contributed to this report. Senior Tory Jacob Rees-Mogg has suggested Boris Johnson should not be replaced without a general election. (PA Images) As the damaging Partygate scandal rumbles on, Boris Johnson is facing growing pressure to resign both from within and outside of Tory ranks. Despite tumbling approval ratings, and an increasingly fractious Conservative party, the prime minister has consistently brushed aside calls for his resignation stating that he is focused on tackling the growing cost-of-living crisis and escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police has begun investigating suspected rule-breaking in Number 10, and a separate inquiry into reported lockdown parties could be published in the coming days. The report has the potential to bring down the prime minister, with a number of Tory MPs understood to be poised to submit letters of no confidence depending on its contents. If Johnson is ousted, will there be a general election? Boris Johnson has repeatedly rejected calls for his resignation. (PA Images) Why are we asking the question now? On Tuesday night, Jacob Rees-Mogg told BBCs Newsnight that a general election would have to be called if Boris Johnson was replaced as leader of the Conservative Party. The Leader of the House of Commons argued that any new PM would need to go to polls in order to shore up support from the public. He said: It is my view that we have moved, for better or worse, to essentially a presidential system and that therefore the mandate is personal rather than entirely party - and that any prime minister would be very well advised to seek a fresh mandate." However, constitutionally speaking, this is not correct the public elects the party to lead, not just the prime minister. Conservative leaders can be replaced without the need for a general election via the party's internal process. This is what happened when Boris Johnson took over from Theresa May in summer 2019. He only held the winter 2019 general election due to his desire to get a large enough majority to get a Brexit bill through parliament, not out of a constitutional requirement. Read more: Jacob Rees-Mogg defends Boris Johnson: 'He's got all the big calls right' Story continues Jacob Rees-Mogg a general election was needed for a change in prime minister. (PA Images) What would need to happen for a Conservative leadership contest? For a Tory party leadership contest to be launched, one of two things would need to happen. The first is that Johnson decides to resign, which would trigger a leadership election. The second is Conservative MPs decide they want to sack the prime minister. Read more: How Conservative MPs can get rid of Boris Johnson To do this, 54 letters of no-confidence from Johnson's own MPs would need to be sent into the party's 1922 Committee, which oversees the constitutional workings of the party. It is unknown how many MPs have already submitted a letter, but less than 10 have publically declared they have - Many more could act if the Sue Gray report's findings are damning. Following that, a no-confidence vote would be tabled, which would require more than 50% of sitting Tory MPs to vote to oust him. Should that happen, a party leadership contest would commence; this also happened to Theresa May, but she survived a no-confidence vote. Read more: The basic question Boris Johnson refused to answer over Partygate - This is just embarrassing Tory MPs would then be invited to throw their hat into the ring to run for leader and, in this case, for prime minister - trying to galvanise support from their party colleagues and the party's membership base, with the process taking around six weeks. Each person vying for leader needs to be nominated by at least two other Tory MPs. Eventually, the contest is whittled down to two candidates via a ballot system by the MPs, then Conservative party members having the final say on which one gets the top job. Some have criticised the system for being undemocratic given that Tory members decide on the prime minister, not the general public. Read more: Partygate: Threat of general election within weeks branded nonsense Theresa May was forced to face a vote of no confidence. (PA Images) Would a new leader have to go to the polls? The new prime minister would not need to go to the polls. However, previous PMs who have taken office by becoming the leader of the governing party have faced criticism for not calling an election. Read more: It looks like checkmate for Boris Johnson over Partygate, senior MP warns When Gordon Brown became prime minister after replacing Tony Blair in 2007 as leader of the Labour party, he led the country for three years without calling an election. Brown was criticised for not having a mandate, with suggestions that the public was not behind him. And, when he fought a general election in 2010, he lost. Boris Johnson won the Conservative leadership contest after Theresa May's resignation and became prime minister. (PA Images) What would need to happen for a general election? When it comes to calling a general election, there are two methods. The first is parliament voting for one. During the coalition government, David Cameron introduced legislation called the Fixed-term Parliament Act 2011, which essentially blocked the government from independently calling a snap election when convenient, such as if they were ahead in the polls. Under the Act, two-thirds of MPs must vote to trigger a general election, as was the case in 2019. Read more: Boris Johnson 'doesn't think he has broken the law' as police launch criminal probe However, in 2019, both Labour and the Conservatives pledged in their manifestos to repeal the act. The Conservatives argued it "led to paralysis at a time the country needed decisive action, with Labour arguing it "has stifled democracy and propped up weak governments. The second key way a general election can be called is if MPs as a whole pass a no-confidence vote in the House of Commons. If the motion is successful, and no alternative government is confirmed by the Commons within 14 days, a general election is called. Watch: PM insists 'I am getting on with the job' as partygate report looms Wilmington police are investigating a shooting that sent one to New Hanover Regional Medical Center. One man is dead following a Thursday night shooting on 31st Street in Wilmington. Devin Williams, 32, was taken to New Hanover Regional Medical Center after police found him suffering life-threatening injuries from a gunshot Thursday night. He later died as a result of his injuries. The shooting took place at the 200 block of North 31st Street, police said. An investigation is ongoing. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim during this extremely difficult time," police wrote in a news release Friday. Anyone with information is asked to please contact the Wilmington Police Department at 910-343-3609 or send a message to 847411 using the keyword WPDNC. The public can also use the Tip 411 app. This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Man dies after being shot on N. 31st Street in Wilmington NC Initial snowfall totals have jumped across Eastern Connecticut for this weekend's blizzard, with the National Weather Service now expecting anywhere from 8 inches to over a foot of snow, depending on your town. Meteorologists are expecting snowfall to begin late Friday night, with the storm's peak lasting through Saturday morning and midday. A good rule of thumb for this storm is the farther to the east you live, the more snow you should expect. While you won't have to worry about school closures, watch for parking bans, snow ordinances and power outages in your town. We've got everything you need to know below about how much snow your town or city will see and what bans are in effect. A snowplow clears a road in Colchester in this photo from Jan. 7. How many inches of snow will Norwich get? Expect snow to begin Friday night, but steadier snowfall will begin arounat 1 a.m. Saturday. Temperatures will bottom out at 16 degrees with a 5-10 mph breeze and gusts as high as 25 mph. More: The city launched Passport to Norwich last May to encourage tourism. Did it work? Saturday morning will see the brunt of snowfall, with 7-11 inches expected by storm's end. Temperatures will sit at about 19 degrees with higher winds and gusts in the 30s. Snowfall will peter off into Saturday night and cease by Sunday morning. More: Ready for the blizzard? Do this if you have an electric garage door, and six other tips. No parking ban is in effect as of yet. As per town ordinance, parking on the odd side of all city streets during winter snow storms and subsequent snow removal operations is prohibited. Vehicles that violate this rule may be towed at owner's expense and/or fined $25.00. Also, residents must remove or sand all snow from the sidewalks abutting their properties. How many inches of snow will Griswold get? Griswold could receive slightly lighter snowfall than other Eastern Connecticut towns. Snow will likely begin Saturday after 1 a.m., with wind gusts in the 20s and low, frigid temperatures. Story continues Stephanie Johnson clears her sidewalks and driveway of snow in Norwich in this photo from Jan. 7. Expect low visibility as blustery winds drop 8-12 inches worth of snow through Saturday. Wind speeds will increase to an average of 14-18 mph with gusts reaching 38. No parking ban is in effect as of yet. How many inches of snow will Killingly get? Snowfall expectations have increased. A Winter Storm Watch is in effect starting Friday night as temperatures will dip to lows of 15 degrees. Snowfall will pick up rapidly into Saturday morning. More: How Norwich, Griswold schools push back against COVID's attack on PE class Be prepared for blistering winds of 18-25 mph and gusts as high as 31. 10-16 inches of snow is expected through 4 p.m., with an additional1-3 inches falling Saturday night. Wind speeds will remain high into Sunday morning. Killingly expected parking ban visual. No parking ban is in effect as of yet, but one is expected, as per Killingly's Town Government. A parking ban in Killingly is usually announced on their Facebook page. The town will ask you to remove your vehicles from the roads so highway crews can clear the roads efficiently. How many inches of snow will Plainfield get? Expect higher snowfall than more western towns. Snow will begin late Friday night, with temperatures as low as 16 degrees and 5-14 mph winds. More: Roy's Pools owner arrested, charged with failing to refund Pomfret homeowners Saturday morning will be blustery, with winds averaging around 20 mph and gusts as high as 48. Expect anywhere from 10-16 inches of snow. An additional 2-4 inches is expected through Saturday night as the storm passes on. The Plainfield Police Department has announced that a parking ban "will be in effect when one (1) inch of snow has fallen and will remain in effect until the Highway Department has cleared the roadways." All vehicles must be off the roadways. This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Snowfall and winter weather: How much snow will your town get? New Delhi Police in the Indian capital have arrested 11 people, including nine women, after the alleged brutal gang rape and torture of a young woman that included her being paraded through the streets and humiliated. The incident took place on Wednesday in East Delhi's Kasturba Nagar area as the nation celebrated Republic Day marked by a grand military parade through Central Delhi. The woman, 20, was allegedly abducted and raped by a group of men in a revenge attack. The victim's head was shaved, face blackened, and a garland of shoes put around her neck as she was hit and paraded through the streets in East Delhi. Video of that part of the abuse went viral, causing widespread outrage. It shows a group of women forcing the victim to walk and hitting her while onlookers cheer. The victim's family has said her attackers are connected to a family in which a teenage boy died by suicide last November. They say the boy was stalking and pursuing the victim for a long time but when his advances were rejected, he took his life. The woman is married and has a 3-year-old son. Related video: Woman used obscure law to get grand jury investigation into her alleged rape "He fell in love with her He used to keep calling and asking her to leave her husband and be with him. She would always refuse," the victim's sister told an Indian news outlet. After the boy's suicide, his family had reportedly threatened the woman several times, prompting her to move recently. The Delhi police said they were investigating the case and more arrests were expected soon. The victim's family has been given police protection. Delhi's Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, called the attack "shameful" and urged strict action against the perpetrators. The alleged attack in the Indian capital is the latest in a string of rapes, and part of wider plague of sexual violence against Indian women. Workers of Mahila Congress (Women's wing of the Indian National Congress) light candles during a protest after the rape and murder of a 21-year-old woman in New Delhi, India, in a September 6, 2021 file photo. / Credit: Pankaj Nangia/Anadolu Agency/Getty Last year, a 34-year-old woman in Mumbai died after being raped and brutally tortured bringing back memories of the 2012 Delhi rape and murder of a young medical student, which sparked massive protests and made international headlines. Story continues Despite recently tightened laws against rape, India has struggled to address its severe crisis of sexual violence against women. More than 32,000 rapes were reported in 2019, the most recent year for which government data is available. That's nearly four rapes every hour over the course of the year, on average, and those numbers represent only the cases that are reported to authorities, and only rapes, not other sexual violence. Climate activists push for banks to divest from fossil fuels Documentary follows family's path forward after devastating loss "48 Hours" investigates: "Mystery on Country Road M" GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Guatemalan authorities working with the U.S. Homeland Security agency on Friday arrested 10 people in raids against a migrant smuggling group linked to the massacre of 19 people in Mexico last year, Guatemalan officials said. Guatemala's Public Prosecutor's Office said 19 raids were being carried out in the western town of Comitancillo to dismantle the human smuggling network that took the Guatemalan migrants to Mexico. "An operation is underway," said Juan Luis Pantaleon, spokesperson for the Public Prosecutor's Office. A national police spokesperson said eight men and two women had been detained so far. Sixteen of the 19 people killed in the gruesome massacre in the northeastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas state in January 2021 were Guatemalans. Their bodies, some badly charred and with gunshot wounds, were found along a migrant smuggling route in a remote area of Tamaulipas. Most of the Guatemalans killed were from Comitancillo, in the San Marcos department, west of Guatemala City. Investigations into the murders pointed to the involvement of 12 members of the Mexican police. Every year, thousands of Central Americans and Mexicans flee poverty and violence to seek a better life in the United States. Many fall victim to crime on the perilous journey. (Reporting by Sofia Menchu; Writing by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) A winter storm that dumped as much of 8 inches of snow in the north suburbs is making its way out of the Chicago area but rush hour could still be treacherous for motorists, especially downtown and on DuSable Lake Shore Drive, forecasters said. As of about 1:30 p.m., some light snow was still falling west of downtown but the weather band is making its way through central and southern Cook County, eventually moving south and after that conditions will improve pretty quickly, said National Weather Service meteorologist Jake Petr. Advertisement For early evening and rush hour, motorists should still be careful, especially on Lake Shore Drive and in the downtown area, which is trickier because of persistent lake-effect snow. It looks like it will probably be not too bad, but there could be some slick spots, Petr said. Advertisement The lake effect snow band continues to sag south and is now moving through downtown Chicago! Here is a look north of the Field Museum along Lakeshore Drive. Take it slow and prepare for slippery travel and reduced visibility near the Cook County lakeshore! #ILwx pic.twitter.com/en6q8utu9X NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) January 28, 2022 In general, central and northeast Cook County saw 3 to 7 inches while DuPage and Will counties tapered to 1 to 3 inches of snow, Petr said. Wilmette had 8 inches of snow and appeared to be the highest in the area. OHare International Airport had 3.3 inches and Midway International Airport had 7.2 inches, Petr said. The totals were not expected to set any records. [ Coming this summer: Your chance to name one of Chicagos snowplows ] The Illinois State Police in Chicago responded to 50 crashes Friday morning, mostly on expressways, spokeswoman Haylie Polistina said. There were no fatalities as a result of the crashes, Polistina said. The weekend looks dry but chilly, and temperatures Friday afternoon remain in the lower 20s but they will plunge into the teens, single digits and even below zero in areas west of downtown. Saturday temperatures will hover in the mid- to lower 20s and on Sunday it will warm up to the upper 20s, Petr said. The next chance for any impactful storms could happen overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, Petr said. Its far enough out, he said, that its just something to keep an eye on. Advertisement oolander@chicagotribune.com rsobol@chicagotribune.com COVID-19 patient counts at Centras three area hospitals surged to its highest level yet this week before drifting back down as of Thursday. At the beginning of the week, the number of COVID-19 patients at Lynchburg General, Bedford Memorial and Southside Community hospitals jumped to more than 200 patients an all-time high for the hospital system, Centra reported. That number since has declined to 165 patients. The prior week, the number had been fluctuating between 150 to 175 patients, leading hospital officials to suggest the current surge might have reached its peak. These numbers exceed the prior all-time peak set in January 2021 of 131 COVID patients, hospital officials said last week. The number of patients in Centras intensive care unit as of Thursday afternoon stood at 20, of whom 12 have been placed on ventilators. Centra officials have temporarily stopped publicizing the number of hospitalized COVID patients vaccinated against the virus, stating in a Wednesday news release, Historically, Centra relied on a combination of manual and automated processes to track and report on our Covid patients. For most of the pandemic, these processes worked well to both inform the public and guide hospital operations. During the recent Omicron surge, the hospital volumes exceeded previous levels and we found that the reporting processes that worked in the past were not able to keep pace. As a result of the recent surge in hospitalizations, Centra temporarily suspended all visitation at its hospitals, emergency departments, urgent care facilities, primary care practices and Centra Medical Group locations about three weeks ago. The restriction does not apply to clergy, parents of minors, doulas and support personnel, Centra said in a news release. Exceptions will be made for end-of-life care. The rapid increase in COVID-19 cases has added significant stress on area emergency rooms, creating long waits. Centra noted the hospital census at all Centra facilities is at or beyond normal capacity and the testing capability in the Lynchburg area is strained. The Virginia Department of Health reported 155 confirmed new COVID-19 cases Thursday in Lynchburg, down from a high of 320 new confirmed cases set Jan. 8. The seven-day average of new cases per day stands at 149. Statewide, 11,743 cases were reported Thursday, down from the statewide single-day record of 26,175 set Jan. 8. In Lynchburg, 45.3% of the population is fully vaccinated and 20.5% have received a booster shot, according to the health department. Across the Central Virginia Health District, which includes the city plus the counties of Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford and Campbell, vaccination rates range from 48.1% to 51.8%. Centras catchment area for Lynchburg General Hospital and Southside Community Hospital covers Lynchburg and the surrounding counties, the Farmville area and several smaller satellite locations. Due to the community spread, the following testing events are upcoming: From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at the Lynchburg Family Medicine Residency (2323 Memorial Ave., Suite No. 10) and Bedford General Surgery (1615 Oakwood St. Suite D, Bedford) through Jan. 29. From 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays at the Lynchburg Family Medicine Residency (2323 Memorial Ave., Suite No. 10) through Jan. 26. From 1 to 4 p.m., Feb. 3 and Feb. 10, the Virginia Department of Health is offering rapid and send-off PCR tests at the Lynchburg Health Department at 307 Alleghany Ave., Lynchburg. Tests are available to anyone 16 years and older who has COVID-19 symptoms or who has been in close contact with a person with COVID-19. For those vaccinated, test 5 to 7 days post-exposure. For those unvaccinated, test immediately after exposure and on day 5 to 7. These clinics are for testing only; provider visits will not be available. Centra recommends visiting centrahealth.com/where-go-care to determine the options for receiving care at Centra based on symptoms and location to help offset long waits in the emergency department. Alexis Gil is soaking up her final days as a Yellow Jacket. Gil, 17, was born and raised in Council Bluffs. She was a student in the Lewis Central Community School District until her eighth grade year, when she transferred to Wilson Middle School. Gil is now a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School, and looking back at the past four years, she said its been a great experience. I love TJ, she said. Its such a supportive community, and everyone in this school has been so kind. The teachers are definitely here for every student ... I just love this school. Gil is a member of the TJ dance team, and she said its been a fun season of competing and getting the Yellow Jacket fans hyped up during games. She said that may outings in recent years were hampered due to COVID-19, so shes grateful to be going full-time with her team during her senior year. Gil will be dancing the night away Saturday, but not in uniform. Shell be joining her friends and peers for the schools Snow Ball winter dance. Whats more, Gil will be a senior representative on the Snow Ball court. She said she was both shocked and flattered when she learned she was elected, as she didnt even run to be on the court. She said it just goes to show how kind the TJ community is. Gil said shes definitely looking forward to yet another great memory to add to her senior year. Following high school, Gil will attend Iowa Western Community College on a full-ride scholarship as part of the Pottawattamie Promise program, an Iowa West Foundation initiative. Her goal is to become a mental health and substance abuse counselor, so shell be majoring in addictive studies. Gil said shes lived with substance abuse in her personal life, and its inspired her to become an advocate for those suffering from addiction and other conditions. Ive witnessed it first-hand, she said. I just want to be there for people. Gil only has so much time left at Thomas Jefferson, and she said shes going to spend every second left wisely. Shes ready for her future, but she knows that when shes gone, shes going to miss her TJ family, so shes going to make every second count. Joe Shearer Mt. Hope United Methodist Church Mt. Hope United Methodist Church, 290th and Highway 6, would like to invite all to join us on Sunday mornings for our worship service at 9:30 a.m. Children are welcome for the regular worship service and children sermon during the worship service. Upcoming event in March, we will have a council meeting at 8:30 a.m. followed by our breakfast and worship at 9:30 a.m. in our fellowship room. Also watch for our yard sale coming in June. You do not have to be a member to participate in our church activities. Everyone is welcome. Underwood Lutheran Church Underwood Lutheran Church, at 10 Third Ave., will hold Sunday activities. Education begins at 9 a.m. In-person Worship begins at 10:15 a.m. with online video available later in the day. Pastor Scott Dalen will deliver a sermon based on Luke 4:21-30. The annual meeting of the Congregation will be held following worship. Gethsemane Presbyterian Church Gethsemane Presbyterian Church, 224 Wallace Ave, invites you to worship with us. Our service runs from 9:30-10:30 a.m. and children are invited to participate in Sunday school. Rev. Dr. Edwin G. Steinmetz will be delivering the sermon The Resurrection and the Life! Refreshments will be served following service. Adult Bible study meets on Mondays and Thursdays from 9-10 a.m. Our food pantry is open on Mondays and Thursdays until 10:30 a.m. For more information contact the church office at 712-366-2513 or visit us on Facebook at gethsemanepresbyterianchurch.org. St. Pauls Evangelical Country Church St. Pauls Evangelical Country Church, 11055 Dumfries Ave., rings the church bell at 10:30 a.m. to welcome people to worship each Sunday morning. There are directional signs from Wabash Avenue and Pioneer Trail leading to the church. We are a friendly, growing Bible teaching church led by Rev. Jason Kinney. Sunday school for all ages, including adults, begins at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday night activities include adult small group Bible study and youth groups. This Sundays scripture is Numbers 22: 21-33 with the sermon title Life in the Wilderness. Greeters will be Deb Boehm and Dale Spetman. There will be the church annual meeting following the worship service. Visit our website stpaulsecc.org for more information. We are handicapped accessible. Compass Christian Church Compass Christian Church, 2007 S. Seventh St., welcomes you to worship with us Sundays at 10:30 a.m. We are located just west of the South Expressway. The church is handicap accessible. During worship a cry room is available, and childcare for ages 1-4 with drop off at the beginning of the service and pick up after service. Following communion, Compass Kids grades K-5 meet downstairs for special Bible lessons. You may also worship with us on YouTube at Compass Christian Church CB. Weekly schedules include Mondays Mens Bible Study 7:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. includes Childrens Group K-5, student group 6th-12th and Adult Prayer Group. Mens and womens groups are held at various times throughout the year. Sunday evenings Jan. 23-March 13 at 7 p.m., Compass Christian Church is hosting Dave Ramseys Financial Peace University. This is a Christian-based, 12-week course designed to help you in finding financial freedom through better money management. The facilitator of the class is Dave Bayer. You may sign up for the classes by going to ramseysolutions.com/ramseyplus/classes/1144131. Complete information may be found on Facebook at Compass Christian Church CB, compasscb.org, or call the church office at 712-366-9112. Fifth Avenue United Methodist Church Fifth Avenue United Methodist Church, 1800 Fifth Ave., invites the public to participate in our live worship service at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings. Face masks are optional and the Sunday worship service will continue to be recorded live and can be viewed on our Facebook page: Fifth Avenue UMC, Council Bluffs. The church office can be reached Monday or Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for prayer or other requests at 712-323-7374 or through our email at fifthaveumchurch@gmail.com. Upcoming events Feb. 9, 6 p.m., Meal and Message; Feb. 13, noon, Valentines Day party at Golden Corral; Feb. 23, 6 p.m. Meal and Message. Bethany Presbyterian Church Bethany Presbyterian Church, 1900 S. Seventh St., begins at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. Rev. Nancy Ross Hullingers message will be You Cant Handle the Truth! Scripture is Luke 4:21-30. Liturgist is Earl Hallberg and greeters are Jack and Cindy Johnson. We are collecting soup and crackers for Souper Bowl on Feb. 13. We will clean the church on Thursday at 9 a.m. We are a handicap accessible facility. Community of Christ Church Community of Christ Church, 140 W. Kanesville Blvd, holds Sunday worship at 10:15 a.m. Our theme this week is Speak Truth to Power. Our scriptures for this week are Luke 4:21-30; Jer 1:4-10; Psalm 71:1-6; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Services will begin at 10:15, come join us as Tom Arnold will be bringing us the message. Marlene Swanson will be presiding. Please call our office at 712-323-4498 for any questions. There are virtual ministries out on our World Church Website at ministries cofchrist.org. Epworth United Methodist Church Epworth United Methodist Church, 2447 Ave. B, worships on Sundays at 9:25 a.m. The people are friendly, the worship is meaningful and the building is handicap accessible. Masks are not required but are available for those who need/want one. We invite you also to our Bible study on Thursday at 9 a.m. We are in prayer for all those affected by this virus. If you want us to pray for you, let us know your prayer requests by phone or online at facebook.com/groups/friends.epworth. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and our phone number is 712-323-3124. Faith Lutheran Church Faith Lutheran Church, 2100 S. 11th Street, will have Gospel worship with Holy Communion at the 9 a.m. Sunday worship service. Tuesday there is a 9:30 a.m. adult Bible study that is open to everyone in the church fellowship hall please enter by the rear door. The LWML will meet Thursday at 1 p.m. for a contemporary Bible study with Rev. Ron followed by a brief business meeting and all women are invited and welcome to attend. Faith is observing social distancing but masks are optional. Services are also available on Faiths Facebook page and on YouTube by searching for Ron Rosenkaimer. For more information about worship opportunities at Faith contact the church office at 323-6445. New Horizon Presbyterian Church New Horizon Presbyterian Church will have one service Sunday, Jan. 30, at 9:30 a.m. Following the service, we will have our annual Congregational Meeting at 10:30 a.m. On Wednesdays the Dulcimer Group practices from 4:30-5:30 p.m., the Praise Team from 5:45-6:30 p.m., the Chancel Bell Choir from 6:30-7:30 p.m. and the Chancel Choir at 7:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3, the deacons will meet at 6 p.m. The CDC advises everyone, vaccinated or not, to wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of high transmission such as Pottawattamie County. Please consider wearing a mask (regardless of your vaccination status), remember to use hand sanitizer frequently and maintain your social distance. Food and coffee will remain unavailable. Children are welcome to attend but the nursery will not be available. If you are ill, please worship from home by watching our Facebook page: facebook.com/NewHorizonPC. Westminster Presbyterian Church Westminster Presbyterian Church, 517 S. 32nd St., welcomes everyone to join us for worship on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Rev. Kim Crummer will be our guest speaker and his sermon is entitled Shaking Things Up! The focus text for Sunday is Mark 1:21-28. We are handicapped accessible through the northeast door of church. Corpus Christi Catholic Parish Corpus Christi Queen of Apostles, 3304 Fourth Ave. in Council Bluffs, and Corpus Christi Our Lady of Carter Lake, 3501 N. Ninth St. in Carter Lake, celebrates the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass every day of the week. Daily Mass is celebrated as follows: In English on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 8 a.m. and in Spanish on Monday and Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Council Bluffs location. Our weekend Mass in English is celebrated on Saturday at 4 p.m. and on Sunday at 8 and 10 a.m. in Council Bluffs and at 9:30 a.m. in Carter Lake. Our Sunday Spanish Mass is at noon in Council Bluffs. Eucharistic Adoration is held every Monday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. in Council Bluffs. On Friday, Feb. 11, 6 p.m. its Family Fun Friday at Corpus Christi Queen of Apostles. Join us for a chili and soup cookoff Competition and you get to be the judge chili and soup for all! On Saturday, Feb. 12, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. come to the salad buffet luncheon at Corpus Christi Our Lady of Carter Lake. Food, games, raffles. Adults $6, children 12 and under $3. All are welcome. For more information, call the parish office at 712-323-2916 or 712-323-4716 for Spanish, or visit our parish website at corpuschristiparishiowa.org. Mike Franken is confident. The Democratic Senate candidate told a crowd in Council Bluffs he believes he can beat U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, whos held his seat since 1981. Franken said the general election will come down to independents. This race is eminently winnable. Its time, he said. The people who hold sway in Iowa are the independents. Having already mentioned growing up in rural Sioux City in a working class family before serving in the Navy, Franken said, Im a tough candidate to attack very rural, a bootstraps existence, the most experienced military official in the state. First, of course, is the Democratic primary. Also in the race are former Rep. Abby Finkenauer of Dubuque and Minden City Councilman Glenn Hurst. Franken covered a number of issues during a brief speech and question and answer session at Barleys in Council Bluffs on Thursday night. On education, Franken said he favors making community college almost free, while saying national service programs should be expanded to offset postsecondary education costs. Im a fan of government providing that step that makes makes that first rung of the ladder reachable. So with your God-given talents you can go as high as possible, he told the crowd of about 30. We need that fair first step. Franken said if Iowa continued and expanded its embrace of renewable energy and advanced technologies, it could attract new businesses and be a leader in the nation. I see the opportunity in the state of Iowa to have the least expensive, least redundant energy grid in the U.S., he said, noting the possibilities offered by wind and solar power. I see high speed rail buzz through Council Bluffs. This metro area is halfway point between Chicago and Denver. I see opportunity where high energy usage, high-tech businesses settle here because of our fabulous energy grid. I see Iowa on the ascendancy, not going down. Franken served in the Navy for 36 years, rising to the rank of three-star admiral before his retirement. He said the U.S. should look to avoid further conflict abroad. Im a firm believer that we shouldnt be sending our sons and daughters to unnecessary conflict, Franken said. We are too ready in this country to break out the guns, internationally. We need more diplomacy, more sensibility. Asked after the event about a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, Franken said Russian President Vladimir Putin is more bluster than action, and lacks the forces to sustain an invasion. Franken said as the Russian currency, the ruble, falters, the people who run the truly country the oligarchs will step in. Asked during the event about the childcare crisis in the country, Franken noted during his time in the Navy people never missed work because they had to stay home with their kids because of services offered. But in the civilian world, he has a niece who lives in rural Iowa and have no services nearby, which has led his sister to come help the family. He said hes heard about similar situations across the state. The No. 1 issue they talk about at the table, he said. I a firm believer in pre-kindergarten education. He noted the issue isnt a Democratic or Republican issue, but a humanity issue, and called for continued expansion of government funding to help alleviate the problem. The gross domestic product of a city will go up when we let the adults go to work, he said. Franken criticized Grassley for falling in line with former President Donald Trump, saying there was a time the Iowa senator was gentile and bipartisan thats long since ended. Franken also ran in the Democratic primary in Iowas 2020 U.S. Senate race. He received 25% of the primary vote and finished second to Theresa Greenfield, who was defeated by Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst in the 2020 general election. The candidate said he felt Greenfield was the partys handpicked candidate that year, whereas he sees this years primary as an even playing field. Grassley faces a challenge in the Republican primary from Sioux City attorney and state lawmaker Jim Carlin. The Cook Political Report and a number of other forecasts list the race and solid Republican. Recent polling gives Grassley roughly 55% of the vote. Though Franken noted internal numbers that give him optimism. The 2022 primary election in Iowa is June 7 and the midterm general election is next Nov. 8. Erin Murphy of the Gazette Des Moines Bureau contributed. 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. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry has mounted a TV ad attacking his Republican challenger, state Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk, for his 2012 vote as a state senator in favor of a bill that provided prenatal care for immigrants. Flood said his vote demonstrated and responded to his pro-life commitment. In his TV campaign ad, Fortenberry said Flood's vote 10 years ago resulted in "tax-funded health care benefits to illegal immigrants" and mirrors the immigration positions now taken by Democratic President Joe Biden. Responding to the TV ad, Flood campaign manager Ryan Kopsa said the 1st District congressman is "desperately lying about Mike Flood to distract from the felony criminal charges he is facing" in an indictment in California alleging that he lied to federal officials about illegal contributions that were funneled into his 2016 reelection campaign. "Ten years ago, with the support of Nebraska Right to Life, Nebraskans United for Life and the Nebraska Catholic Conference, Mike prioritized his pro-life principles on a difficult bill," Kopsa said. "Mike Flood has always fought to protect innocent life, including making Nebraska the first state in the nation to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy when babies can feel pain," he said. Last week, Gov. Pete Ricketts and former Gov. Dave Heineman endorsed Flood in his bid for the House seat. The eastern Nebraska 1st District includes Lincoln and has been represented by Fortenberry, a former Lincoln city council member, since 2005. Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon 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. Moroccos unwavering stance regarding the Palestinian cause was reiterated in Addis Ababa at the 43rd session of the African Union Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC), held in preparation of the coming sessions of the Executive Council and the AU Summit. Morocco reaffirms its strong and clear position in favor of the Palestinian cause and continues its constructive and active commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, said the Kingdoms Permanent Representative to the AU and UNECA, Mohamed Arrouchi, during this session, which was held by videoconference. The Kingdom considers a lasting peace in the Middle East as a strategic choice and believes that the continued stalemate in the peace process between the Palestinians and Israelis only increases violence between the two sides, underlined the Moroccan diplomat, noting that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, whose serious social and humanitarian repercussions are felt on both sides, continues to negatively affect the situation in the region. Therefore, he said, this situation must be overcome through political negotiations and the strengthening of confidence-building between the two parties. The Moroccan delegation stressed the importance of the involvement of the various regional and international stakeholders to put an end to the unacceptable practices which threaten the path to a peaceful settlement, reiterating Moroccos permanent readiness to engage in international efforts to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and foster a just and comprehensive peace, within the framework of the two-State solution. The proliferation of hate speech by extremist organizations undermines the chances of achieving a solution to the conflict and threatens peace in the Middle East, Arrouchi pointed out. The diplomat, who recalled the historic role played by Morocco, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, in strengthening peace and stability in several regions of the world, as well as the particularity of the Sovereigns relations with the various sides in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, affirmed that Morocco is still determined to contribute, with its partners, to give a new momentum to negotiations between the two parties in order to foster peace in the region. The Kingdom will stand by the Palestinians until they reach a just and comprehensive settlement, he underlined. On the issue of the city of Al-Quds, the diplomat stressed that King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, personally ensures that all possible efforts are deployed and all available means are mobilized to preserve the special status of the holy city. He also highlighted the key role played by Bayt Mal Al-Quds in favor of the implementation of social, economic and human development projects aimed at facilitating the development of the Palestinian territories, preserving the Arab and Islamic culture of the holy city and promoting social assistance through, in particular, initiatives for the empowerment of women and programs dedicated to young people and children. For failing to show a vaccination certificate or a negative PCR test as required for all inbound/outbound travelers, Royal Air Maroc staff operating in Hassan I airport in Laayoune refused on Thursday to allow Polisario agent Aminatou Haidar to board a plane heading to Casablanca and Madrid. The anti-covid precautionary travel regulations enforced in Morocco to contain the spread of the virus apply to all Moroccan citizens and all passengers without any exception. In order to board a plane bound for Spain, all passengers are required to provide a valid vaccination pass or a negative PCR test as stipulated by the Spanish aviation regulations. Furthermore, the health guidelines set by the Spanish authorities allow access to their territory only to foreigners with a vaccination certificate or a negative PCR test. The Moroccan authorities have never prevented any separatist from travelling abroad. However, Aminatou Haidar is twisting the facts in a bid to mislead the public opinion. She cannot defend the indefensible and her blatant breach of international travel regulations. On January 26, 2022, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a phone conversation with Tongan Foreign Minister Fekitamoeloa Katoa 'Utoikamanu. Wang Yi said, after the volcanic eruption in Tonga on January 15, the Chinese government followed the situation closely and the Chinese people felt deeply for the Tongan people. President Xi Jinping promptly sent a message of condolence to King of Tonga, and China lost no time in delivering aid supplies to Tonga, becoming the first country in the world to provide assistance to Tonga. As a good friend and partner of Tonga, China is willing to stand firmly with the Tongan people at this difficult time. The emergency supplies purchased by China in Fiji will arrive tomorrow, and more assistance is on the way. According to the needs of Tonga, China has allocated relief materials and equipment expected by the Tongan people, such as drinking water, food, generators, water pumps, first aid kits, portable cabins and tractors. Some of them will be transported to Tonga by Chinese military aircraft tomorrow morning, and the rest will be shipped by Chinese naval ship. The two sides should ensure a smooth handover, so that the relief materials could be sent without delay to the parts of Tonga most in need. Wang Yi said, the Chinese government very much cares about Chinese citizens and institutions in Tonga, and hopes and believes that the Tongan government will ensure their safety. China believes that under the leadership of King of Tonga and the government, Tonga will be able to prevail over this natural disaster at an early date. Wang Yi stressed, currently, the international community is extending a helping hand to Tonga. China stands ready to work with all willing countries to give full play to respective strengths and make international joint efforts to help Tonga rebuild its homeland. 'Utoikamanu said, after the volcanic eruption in Tonga 11 days ago, China responded quickly, becoming the first country in the world to provide emergency relief materials to Tonga. On behalf of the Tongan government and people, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to China for its assistance. Tonga will coordinate with China closely in the transportation, storage and distribution of relief materials, among others, to ensure that they are delivered to the people most in need as quickly as possible. 'Utoikamanu said, China is the largest developing country in the world and one of Tonga's largest development partners. I would like to thank China for its strong support in post-disaster reconstruction. Tonga highly cherishes the friendship and cooperation with China, and will continue to work with China to push for new progress of bilateral relations. I wish China all the best for the Chinese New Year in advance. Denouncing a dirty political game by Bamako, Denmark announced on Thursday the repatriation of its hundred or so soldiers deployed in Mali as the Malian junta had insisted, a new blow to the French-led European anti-jihadist force. The generals in power have sent a clear message that Denmark is not welcome in Mali. We do not accept this and for this reason we have decided to repatriate our soldiers, said Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod after a meeting in Parliament in Copenhagen. We are here at the invitation of Mali. The coup generals in a dirty political game have withdrawn this invitation () because they do not want a rapid plan for a return to democracy, he said. To everyones surprise, the junta in power in Mali since the 2020 coup had asked Denmark on Monday evening to withdraw its troops, on the grounds that their deployment had occurred without its consent. These troops had just arrived the previous week, as part of the European special forces group Takuba set up by Paris. Denmark had initially retorted that it was present in the country following a clear invitation from the Malian regime, recalling the authorities previously favorable position, even after the coup. But the Malian transitional government had reiterated its request insistently on Wednesday night. We cannot stay when the government of Mali does not want us, justified the Minister of Defense, Trine Bramsen. We do not want to be the laughing stock of all. If a precise timetable cannot be established at this stage, the Danish army estimates, in a press release, that it will take several weeks to bring back men and equipment to Denmark. Mali is one of the priority countries for Danish development assistance. Between 2017 and 2022, some 122 million euros have been spent on the African country, including for decentralization and human rights, and many Danish and Scandinavian NGOs are active in Mali. An independent lawmaker of Tunisias suspended state legislature Thursday called on the army and security authorities to arrest President Kais Saied for high treason, in relation with his July 25 move during which he seized the executive power, froze the activities of the Parliament and suspended the immunity of its members. Issam Bargougui made the call during an online session of the suspended Parliament, to mark the eighth anniversary of the 2014 Constitution. The session was led by the speaker of the suspended legislature, Rached Ghannouchi. On July 25, President Saied stunned the country by sacking then Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, freezing the activities of the Parliament and suspending the immunity of all lawmakers, claiming some of them were wanted by the judiciary. The move drew criticism of the opposition with many branding what Saied called exceptional measures, a coup. Tunisias international partners including the European Union and the US have called for the return of democracy. Bargougui also during the session called the July 25 decision a coup. The independent lawmaker may face a lawsuit from the state for calling the army to rise up against the president. Former President Moncef Marzouki has been sentenced to four years in prison in absentia on high treason charges, for plotting against the state and calling for Saieds removal. Morocco has underlined the need to clear up misunderstandings on the migration phenomenon to strengthen the Africa-Europe partnership. This came in an address delivered by Moroccan Foreign Minister at an online discussion panel on Migration and Mobility in the Africa-Europe partnership, organized by the Africa-Europe Foundation ahead of the 6th EU-Africa Summit in Brussels (Feb. 17-18) It is necessary to clear up misunderstandings on the migration phenomenon to strengthen the Africa-Europe partnership, he said, underlining that if migration is a common issue, the interests linked to it often remain contradictory. The Moroccan top diplomat deemed it necessary to clear up the misunderstandings on the migration phenomenon so that these interests converge, noting that the first misunderstanding is that of knowledge. Migration policies must resist the examination of the truth instead of giving in to the temptation of controversy. They must, with supporting figures, concede that the crisis is not migratory but political, he explained, adding that the second misunderstanding concerns the objective of migration policies. We must stop making people believe that migration policies will one day be able to stop migratory flows. Nothing, not even a pandemic, will stop a natural phenomenon that has always existed and will continue to exist, he pointed out. Another misunderstanding concerns the method. We must stop entrusting the keys to migration management to smugglers by closing legal access routes to Europe, in the same way that we must recognize that the scourge is not migration, but the trafficking of migrants, which is, moreover, the third source of profits for criminal organizations, he argued. We must, in short, change our method, that is to say recognize that migration does not need palliative and immediate strategies, but creative and ingenious measures that combine the short, medium and long terms, he noted. For the Moroccan official, migration is not border management. It is also about the promotion and organization of legal mobility. Migration is not a tool, nor can it be outsourced. Migration management must be part of a cooperation that is not intended to be asymmetrical and one-way. We want to make migration the strength and not the Achilles heel of the partnership between Europe and Africa, said the Minister, stressing that although it is often singled out, Africa fulfills its part. Migration can contribute to the reform of the Africa-Europe partnership, in that it creates human ties, economic complementarities and political cooperation, he argued. Bourita also took this opportunity to recall the role of African leader for Migration Issues entrusted to King Mohammed VI, stressing that the Sovereign is at the origin of the unified African policy on migration contained in the Agenda for Migration and the creation of the African Observatory on Migration which was inaugurated on December 18, 2020, in Rabat. Morocco is part of all regional and international debates on migration, the minister pointed out. From the Global Forum on Migration and Development, to the Euro-African Dialogue on Migration and Development (or Rabat Process), to the adoption of the Marrakech Pact, Morocco has always played its role in this area, he said. The Kingdom, he said, has also committed to organizing a meeting of the champion countries of the Marrakech Pact. In this context, and insofar as more than a third of the champion countries are African, the ambition of the Kingdom is to seize this opportunity to make the Marrakech Pact a platform of actions for the Africa-Europe partnership. We want this issue to be on the agenda of the next EU-Africa SummitWhat is at stake in migration management is, in fact, our whole vision on partnership, he said. The meeting by videoconference was attended by several leaders and representatives of regional and international organizations, including President of Rwanda Paul Kagame, and Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Great Plains Health will adhere to the Center for Medicaid Services COVID-19 vaccine requirements, according to a press release from the hospital Thursday afternoon. Gothenburg Health confirmed Tuesday that it would also comply. GPH had been among the hospitals that provided testimony in a lawsuit challenging the regulations filed by multiple states in the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. On Nov. 29, St. Louis-based U.S. District Judge Matthew Schlep issued a temporary injunction. The issue then went to the U.S. Supreme Court, which delivered a 5-4 decision in favor of the regulations Jan. 13. Great Plains Health is proceeding with the requirements laid by the federal government. We cannot risk hindering our ability to serve our community and provide care to patients under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, the GPH press release said. GPH Marketing Manager Mary Roberts said less than 1% of staff have left as a result of the CMS regulations. Staff members at GPH and Gothenburg Health will need to receive either their first dose of the vaccine or an exemption by Feb. 14. Gothenburg Health employees who do not comply with the first deadline will be put on administrative leave, and those who have not received the second dose or qualifying exemption by March 14 will be terminated, according to a press release. GPH confirmed that staff members who fail to get vaccinated or receive an exemption by the first deadline will be placed on administrative leave. In a Nov. 29 interview with The Telegraph, former GPH CEO Mel McNea said approximately 75% of the staff had been vaccinated when the initial regulation was issued at the start of November. In Thursdays press release, GPH says that over 89% of staff are compliant with the regulations and have either received the vaccine or filed an exemption. CEO Ivan Mitchell said that since the regulations were released, the hospital has hosted vaccination clinics and forums where staff could talk with medical experts about COVID-19 and the vaccine. We are adhering to these federal regulations because it is required to serve our local Medicare and Medicaid patients, but we also recognize that, as health care staff, workplace vaccine requirements and the science behind vaccines are nothing new, Mitchell said in the release. Implementing these regulations is tough to navigate in some ways, but our commitment to putting patients first is unwavering. The onetime Sarah Palin protegee is treading a treacherous path. Photo: Charlie Neibergall/AP/Shuttersto Former South Carolina governor and ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley is one of those Republicans often considered reasonable by Democrats and independents; shes sometimes floated as a congenial face for a post-Trump GOP. Without question, she has shown some serious, if opportunistic, political chops that have enabled her to walk a fine line between her far-right roots and the rest of the country. This is why Haleys recent headline-grabbing stunt, in which she declared that President Biden would step down if he really loved our country, was so startling. Sounding like someone in full MAGA fever, she went on a 16-minute tear against Biden (never referring to him as the president) on Fox News Radios Guy Benson Show. Haley relentlessly attacked the presidents Supreme Court appointment process; his policies toward Russia, Iran, and China; and his approach to crime, COVID-19, and immigration, culminating in this mighty anathema: Honestly, for the good of our country, if Biden loved our country, he would step down and take Kamala with him. Because the foreign policy situation is beyond dangerous at this point. And, you know, when you dont have a strong America, you dont have a safe world. And thats whats getting ready to happen. My only hope and prayer is that they get it together and realize that this isnt about America. This isnt about NATO. This is about all of us. This is about safety. This is about strength. This is about freedom winning. Politicians who says something is about this or that are really saying: Here comes a message. Pay attention. Haleys message is that Biden is a danger to this country and its values, not just the leader of the other major party. Its not what youd expect from a pol who normally knows how to keep her balance. But Haley has certainly moved back and forth across the lines of respectability before. Coming out of the extremist Jim DeMintMark Sanford wing of the South Carolina GOP, Haley first won the governorship as a Sarah Palin protegee who managed to turn scurrilous sexual allegations against her into a political asset. Her uneven record as governor (one lowlight was a State of the State Address in which she told out-of-state job creators who accepted unions to take their money and shove it) was obscured by her famous call to take down the Confederate flag at the statehouse in 2015, long after any real courage was required to do so. This overdue gesture instantly made her a national figure, and her identity as an Indian-American woman made her attractive to Republicans seeking diverse figures willing to articulate old-school conservative ideological views. For a time, Haley also seemed skilled in her handling of Donald Trump, despite her original sin in supporting someone else for president in 2016. Her brief and largely uneventful tenure at the U.N. checked the foreign-policy box on her resume, which is very helpful for a presidential or vice-presidential aspirant. And she survived the gig with Trumps affections toward her intact without having to say or do anything to embarrass her mainstream fan base. The valedictory memoir she then published, to much gushing from interviewers, managed again and again to display her independence from Trump while praising his name and throwing rivals under various buses. Her apparent sure-footedness ended, however, along with many other illusions, in the wake of the Capitol riot. A much-discussed profile of Haley by Politicos Tim Alberta quoted her as saying Trumps actions since Election Day will be judged harshly by history and that hes not going to run for federal office again I dont think he can. Hes fallen so far. Oops! Within days, Haley was telling anyone who wanted to hear that she would be happy to support a Trump comeback bid in 2024. As I noted at the time, this was quite the course correction: Now Haley has clearly reassessed her position, and Trumps, and has bent her knee again, probably hoping that he doesnt read Politico Magazine. Her explosion of shameless demagoguery on Fox News may be part of her own comeback bid in a party where nastiness toward the Democratic president and vice-president is a unifying theme. Haley just turned 50 last week, which is very young for a political veteran these days. She brings back memories of a snarky little quip I penned in 1991 for a friendly introduction of Bill Clinton: Hes been a bright young rising star in three decades. Clinton, of course, made that final leap from potential to the presidency. Haley needs to calm down and leave the red-meat-purveying to future days on the campaign trail if she wants to do the same. Trump will eventually go away, then the face of the post-Trump GOP may need some dignity. Its an investment, but four of the travelers we spoke to said this over $700 suitcase is well worth it. Summer Hull, the director of travel content at the Points Guy, travels so much her luggage isnt a once or twice a year thing, its a regular companion, which is how she justified spending more on a suitcase that would be functional and also fun. She also needed it to fit in overhead bins and have great wheels, which she found in this polycarbonate case. I wont pretend to understand all the physics behind the bearings and axles on Rimowas bags, but I do know they spin amazingly well through the airport, Hull says. Its traveled hundreds of thousands of miles with her and still looks great. This is the same suitcase Taymoor Atighetchi, the CEO and founder of Papier, uses for weeklong trips. He also mentioned how well it rolls, saying, Nothing beats their smooth wheels. Fashion Blogger Isabel Tan appreciates how lightweight the Essential line is compared to Rimowas classic aluminum suitcases, which for her means theyre still manageable when she stuffs them to the brim: My friends and I managed to score some cheap flight tickets to Bali. All I took were my two carry-ons, and I managed to squeeze about 15 outfits in there. Stylist Tina Leung has all Rimowa luggage, and because she puts them to work I just came back from Montana last week, Im going to Paris Saturday, then when I get back, its New York Fashion Week, and then its Milan, and then its Paris she appreciates how easy it is to get her suitcases tuned up. If the wheels break off or something, its so easy to just go and get it fixed, she says. Theres pretty much one in every major city. The suitcases come in a rainbow of colors, have a telescopic handle, built-in TSA lock, and dividers on either side of the suitcase, which Hull says make it easier to stuff the bag to the brim and still be able to shut it. 15 items in this article Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Getty; MGM Resorts International;The Venetian Resort Las Vegas: What some call tacky is what we call an entire populace sans judgment. This is a town where (most) adults come to stay in hermetically sealed Carnival-esque casino hotels on the Strip, which is essentially a four-mile-long version of Times Square. Its where renowned artists like James Turrell display their work in Louis Vuitton storefronts, and Elvis impersonators still get gigs singing to the likes of Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner on their wedding day. If youre traveling to Las Vegas for the slot machines, showgirls, and antics, youre likely planning to stay on the Strip, where there are thousands of rooms with highly competitive rates (even the nicest stays are often under $200 a night). What you save in overnight fare youll certainly spend on clubs, casinos, and shows even with Adele recently canceling her residency due to Omicron concerns, this year still has performances by Lionel Richie, Sting, Bruno Mars, and Bad Bunny on deck as well as splashy restaurants, like one from Bobby Flay, and otherwise over-the-top attractions like a new museum dedicated entirely to Kiss. But staying in Vegas doesnt prescribe a stay on the Strip; there are plenty of off-Strip hotels, including one that puts you right next to Red Rock Canyons hiking trails. To parse the dazzling Vegas-sphere, we talked to 19 savvy travelers who work in everything from architecture to hospitality to the sexual-wellness industry to see where they stay. Heres what they shared, from the high-octane casino that books Diplo-level acts to the kitschy motel with a retro pool. get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. A series of "Happy Chinese New Year" activities were launched in Malta to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 1 this year. These activities were also staged to celebrate the Beijing Winter Olympics and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Malta. The China Cultural Center in Malta kicked off on Thursday an online Chinese Zodiac cultural and creative exhibition. It will also hold the third Chinese film festival, the Chinese characters exhibition, and the "Imagine China" children's painting competition and exhibition. The center will hold an online Spring Festival gala on Feb. 6 together with the Confucius Institute at the University of Malta, the Mediterranean Traditional Chinese Medicine Center, and the Chinese Medicine Center at the University of Malta. During the Spring Festival, the cultural center will also cooperate with the Chinese Medical Team there to launch online Chinese medicine lectures for Maltese people, according to Yang Xiaolong, director of the China Cultural Center. Columnist Beth Dolinar has been writing her column about life, both hers and the rest of ours, for over 20 years. When not on the page, she produces Emmy-winning documentaries, teaches writing to university students, and enjoys her two growing children. Multimedia Reporter Staff writer Harry Funk, a professional journalist for three-plus decades, has been on the staff of The Almanac since 2015. He has a bachelors degree in journalism and master of business administration, both from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. happenings The Rosemary Gossett Adams Department of Art & Design in Ouachita Baptist Universitys School of Fine Arts is hosting an exhibit of ceramics works by Arkansas artists Logan Hunter and Hannah May through Feb. 18 in the Adams Gallery of Moses-Provine Hall. The exhibit is part of Ouachitas 2021-22 Guest Artist Series; it is free and open to the public. Hunter and May met and began collaborating as studio art students at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Since 2012, they have taught ceramics and helped establish community ceramics classes and spaces around the state. They work out of their studio, Hunter & May Pottery, in Hensley, Ark. Hunters recent work explores themes of movement and place, incorporating imagery inspired by his travels in the Midwest and South. May considers the concept of security in her work, using chairs as symbols of rest, safety and the life cycle of material objects. I am so excited about this show. It is absolutely stunning, said Carey Roberson, associate professor of art at Ouachita. One of the things that strikes me about Hannahs and Logans work is how they really explore the materiality of clay, whether this is being done by the elegant wheel-thrown forms of Hannahs functional works or the cracking earthiness of Logans sculptural works. It is so fascinating to see two people working side-by-side in the same studio, with the same materialsincluding glazes and firing techniquesproduce works so different, and yet still connected. Regular gallery hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 9 a.m.-12 noon on Fridays. For more information, contact Carey Roberson at robersoncw@obu.edu or (870) 245-4655. oh god, poor woman ): i am glad she is staying anonymous because i can't imagine the shit she's already getting. best wishes to her. i'm sure this will be handled as poorly as most investigations against players for assault tends to be. the nhl is garbage and breeds a particularly toxic culture. Reply Thread Link i've had to take a break from twitter from all the stuff i've seen people say about her. i really hope she's surrounded by good, supportive people. the nhl really sucks when it comes to this stuff. that's why i'm surprised the canucks actually put him on leave. Reply Parent Thread Link Not surprised the least bit, esp about him. There have been sooo many stories about him floating around for years. I remember even when he was drafted and when he was playing in the WJC, these kinds of stories surfaced. I really hope the woman is able to get the help she needs, and to heal. Reply Thread Link i saw someone say on reddit that nearly every person in their early 20s who goes out in Vancouver probably has a virtanen story and it's not a good one. i've heard a lot about his drinking and how he's just a horrible person in general. her account of what happened really makes me wonder if he's done this to other women too :( Reply Parent Thread Link am pretty active (or used to be until very recently) on hockey Tumblr and there were a few first hand accounts there of his 'playboy' ways. at this point I am half expecting other women to come forward now. Reply Parent Thread Link that really doesn't surprise me. i've heard people who went to hs say he was a horrible person then too and only got away with it because he was good at hockey. same. especially now there is a civil suit. Reply Parent Thread Link his contract is up this year so the Canucks can dump him easily - good riddance Reply Thread Link What a nightmare, I hope she is able to heal after legally roasting this mf'er the way he deserves. Reply Thread Link I'm surprised this is the first instance of sexual misconduct I've heard of from the NHL. Hockey boys are trash. Every girl in ontario has a shitty story with a white boy who thought he would play for the leafs one day. Hockey culture is toxic af. From racism to sexual misconduct to the fact that they still allow fighting? It's wild to me how refs will just stand there and watch and let them go at it like "Ah, boys will be boys. Let em fight." Edited at 2021-05-14 10:35 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link patrick kane is the only other one that comes to mind and ia, i'm surprised as well there aren't more stories out there. i'm in western canada, not ontario, but i feel your third sentence hard. Reply Parent Thread Link patrick kane's stuff was barely even addressed while it was happening. didn't they still have a bobble head night for him during it? Reply Parent Thread Link ugh yep, that definitely rings a bell. iirc the league basically shrugged and went "we need to wait and see what happens" Reply Parent Thread Link everyone pretty much instantly forgiving and forgetting about Auston Matthews harassing the security guard should tell you all you need to know about hockey fans. I'm looking at you teenage girls on tumblr who continue to romanticize him and his pedostache. Reply Parent Thread Link his stache is so UGLY omgh Reply Parent Thread Link +1 for the pedostache - gross af. Unfortunate. And yes to him harassing the security guard. I remember that was right when they were going to announce the leafs new captain and I really wanted him to get it, but when this happened I was really happy it went to Tavares. Reply Parent Thread Link what about steven spielberg tho? ANyone have the article clip of him and those other directors talking about that adventure guy movie and being creepy? ETA- I think the movie was indiana Jones. one of those films Edited at 2022-01-27 11:47 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link Lawrence Kasdan: I like it if they already had a relationship at one point. Because then you don't have to build it. George Lucas: I was thinking that this old guy could have been his mentor. He could have known this little girl when she was just a kid. Had an affair with her when she was eleven. Kasdan: And he was forty-two. Lucas: He hasn't seen her in twelve years. Now she's twenty-two. It's a real strange relationship. Spielberg: She had better be older than twenty-two. Lucas: He's thirty-five, and he knew her ten years ago when he was twenty-five and she was only twelve. Lucas: It would be amusing to make her slightly young at the time. Spielberg: And promiscuous. She came onto him. Lucas: Fifteen is right on the edge. I know it's an outrageous idea, but it is interesting. Once she's sixteen or seventeen it's not interesting anymore. But if she was fifteen and he was twenty-five and they actually had an affair the last time they met. And she was madly in love with him and he... Spielberg: She has pictures of him. https://www.polygon.com/2015/8/3/9089181/indiana-jones-abusive-creep Edited at 2022-01-28 12:21 am (UTC) I remember this when you mentioned it, so I googled and it was a convo with Spielberg, Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas Reply Parent Thread Expand Link ugh, where is the "puke" face reaction Reply Parent Thread Link Once she's sixteen or seventeen it's not interesting anymore WHAT????????????????? Reply Parent Thread Link flames on the side of my face, etc Reply Parent Thread Link As if IJ wasn't boring enough to me, this put me off watching the rest of them. Reply Parent Thread Link This made me sick to my stomach. ELEVEN? ELEVEN?!?! Throw that monster under the jail. Horrific. Reply Parent Thread Link Always women are left to answer for men's behaviour. Reply Thread Link It's been interesting how Ansel have been scrubbed from the press strategy of this movie Reply Parent Thread Link And it was something that came out after they worked with him! How are they even supposed to know? Its very different from someone apologizing for working with Woody Allen when they knew what he did and still took the job. Plus, Rachel was still legally a minor when they worked together- why should it be on her to answer for his bad actions? Reply Parent Thread Link It's so mf infuriating. Ansel hiding out from this promo tour and these reporters hanging these women out to dry lol. Reply Parent Thread Link I mean, maybe ask Spielberg and not the women?? Reply Thread Link y'all remember how in her britney monologue rachel had a mug of her and ansel from the movie in view Reply Thread Link Did they ask the guys??? Not that they're any more responsible for it than the women are, but HELLO Reply Thread Link I hate this trend of making female costars responsible for speaking out about their male costars' assault allegations. It's not their job, it's not their fault, and people use it to crucify them if the response isn't exactly the one they want or isn't firm enough even when they need to be measured in their answers. Ansel's the only one here who has anything to answer for, and anyone who had the unilateral power to keep him on the project knowing what he did. Reply Thread Link what the fuck? Do better, The Hollywood Reporter, do fucking better. Reply Thread Link My reply would be "I don't know. Why don't you ask him? Next question." because WTF? Why even ask them about him? Reply Thread Link You'd get dragged all over media and accused of being flippant and not caring aboit a victim. It's a no win situation they should nevet have been put in. Reply Parent Thread Link Of course they're giving sideways answers. Reply Thread Link This is weird. Yeah, they're answers could've been better (I guess steer the conversation better but how much better can it be?) but I am not crazy about asking female co-stars to answer for their male co-stars' actions. It's just not a great... and unfair? I would direct these questions more towards people with power to hiring Ansel. Reply Thread Link Why are they asking them?!?!!!!! Smh Reply Thread Link The onus put on women to speak up after MEN commit these crimes is disgusting and shows just how far we have to go as a society Reply Thread Link Im so torn bc they shouldnt have to answer for this assholes behavior, ask the men!!! But also those answers are awful. Reply Thread Link Right. I was like "This seems rather on brand for Rita, bc I remember her saying something tasteless about the paper bag casting of ITH". Reply Parent Thread Link They shouldnt have to answer these questions and it sucks that its always posed towards women, but Rachel and Ariana still being friendly with him outside of the normal press responsibilities makes me side-eye them. Reply Thread Link I mean they obviously should not have been asked in the first place but since they answered.those were some terrible answers! Reply Thread Link And you would have said...? Reply Parent Thread Link ontd likes to the talk the big game, but come holiday season- we'll get the "ugh I have to go spend thanksgiving/christmas with my sucky conservative family....I'M BEING HELD AT GUNPOINT JSYK!!" I can't imagine how'd they respond in a industry where pissing off the wrong person could end your career when it's suppose to start. And then they also wanna criticize and say "well why didn't you speak up?". Reply Parent Thread Link Not what Rita said. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link "I stand with sexual assault survivors everywhere, and furthermore, I should not have to entertain the expectation of answering for my male coworkers behavior" It took me like 2 seconds to come up with this Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I have a lot of ptsd from my own assault so I probably would have said go fuck yourself, no comment and I definitely would not have said that damaging and always hurtful we dont know what happened ~we werent there because of course we do know what happened, the victim told us. Thanks for asking Im sure you sincerely wanted an answer :). Reply Parent Thread Link McKinsey: The impact of the energy transition will be uneven across countries and sectors This annual average includes investment in the energy, mobility, industry, buildings, agriculture, and forestry and other land-use sectors The energy transition will be a very expensive and complicated endeavor in which different countries and regions will be unevenly impacted, analysts and forecasters have been saying for years. The world cannot just flip the switch off on the current energy systems and start running on renewables, however noble, emission-reducing, and climate-protecting this sounds. As a growing number of countries are committing to net-zero emissions by the middle of the century, or a decade or two later, all must start acting now if the world has any chance of meeting the Paris Agreement goals by 2050. Yet, it is easier said than done. The world is already spending trillions of U.S. dollars on energy transition efforts every year, but it needs more trillions of dollars, again, every year, in order to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, one of the latest reports on the cost of the net-zero transition showed this week. The cost is not measured in required investments only. Some industries and countries will be paying a higher cost to transform to net-zero than others. There is also another cost in the near termthe risk of a rushed and messy transition that would make energy markets and prices even more volatile than they are now, leading to risks of disrupted energy supplies and slower economic growth. High commodity prices of key energy transition metalslithium, nickel, aluminum, copper, and cobaltcould also unravel years of cost reductions and delay renewable projects and EV targets due to commodity price shocks. A net-zero global economy will not only need a significant reduction of emissions from the energy sector. It will also need more than the environmentalists favorite phrase, keep it in the ground suggests. Net-zero will need investments in transforming energy-intensive industries such as steel and cement making, and the construction, agriculture, and forestry sectors, among others. Net-Zero Transition Will Cost $9.2 Trillion A Year The transition required for the world to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 would need spending of $275 trillion between 2021 and 2050, or $9.2 trillion in annual average spending on physical assets, McKinsey & Company said in its new report. This annual average includes investment in the energy, mobility, industry, buildings, agriculture, and forestry and other land-use sectors. The estimated spending on all those needs to be $3.5 trillion per year more than today if the world is to achieve net-zero by 2050, according to McKinsey. To put it in comparable terms, that increase is equivalent to half of global corporate profits and one-quarter of total tax revenue in 2020, McKinsey said in the report. Findings from all forecasters have pointed out in recent years that net-zero will need much more investment than what the economies are currently allocating every year. Investments in low-carbon energy need to triple if the world is to meet its Paris Agreement targets, the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, said at the end of last year. There is a gross mismatch, and the longer this mismatch persists the greater the risk of further sharp price swings and increased volatility in the future, Birol told the Financial Times in October. Uneven Cost And Impact The impact of the energy transition will be uneven across countries and sectors, McKinsey noted. All sectors will be exposed to the net-zero push, but some much more than others, including coal and gas and those that sell products that emit greenhouse gases, such as the fossil fuel sector and the automotive sector. Currently, some 20 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP) is in these sectors, McKinsey says in its hypothetical scenario, which, it noted, is neither a prediction nor projection. Related: Kazakhstan Power Operator Cuts Crypto Miners Off The Grid Many of these sectors would also incur cost increases as they decarbonize. For example, steel and cement production costs would rise by about 30 percent and 45 percent, respectively, by 2050, compared with today, in the scenario we analyze, McKinsey said. Spending on the net-zero economy will also be unevenly distributed around the world. Developing countries and producers of fossil fuels will have to spend more as a share of their GDP than other countries. In the case of sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, India, and other Asian nations, this spending would be about 1.5 times as much as advanced economiesor moreaccording to McKinsey. On a side note, the developing countries in Southeast Asia and Africathose that cannot afford to splash trillions of U.S. dollars on anythingare also those most exposed to the effects of climate change. Net-Zero Transition Is Exposed To Risks One of the most immediate risks is that of a disorderly energy transition, if the ramp up of low-emissions activities does not take place fast enough to fill gaps left by the ramping down of high-emissions activities, McKinsey said. Soaring energy prices could create a backlash that delays the transition, it added, noting the importance of the careful management of the transition to spare the world more shocks in energy supply and prices, as the energy crisis in Europe shows. As reliance on renewables grows and investment in fossil fuel-based power generation declines, tight supply for raw material inputs for technologies like solar panels and batteries may compound energy price volatility given long lead times in the capital-intensive mining sector, McKinseys analysts say. Renewables are breaking records in annual installed capacity, but they will still need to double new annual capacity over the next five years, the IEA said last month. Despite the record additions in 2021, and an expected 50-percent increase in renewable capacity additions in 2021-2026 compared to 2015-2020, the industry needs even faster deployment of solar, wind, and all other renewable energy sources if the world still hopes to get on track to meet net-zero by 2050, the IEA said in its annual Renewables 2021 Market Report with a forecast to 2026. The soaring prices of key metals used in batteries and in solar panels or wind turbine manufacturingincluding copper, lithium, aluminum, PV-grade polysilicon, and steelcould delay some 100 GW of contracted renewable capacity due to commodity price shocks, the IEA warned in December. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A federal judge threw out the biggest oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico on the grounds that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management broke the environmental lawthe National Environmental Policy Actby failing to properly factor in the emission-related impact of the lease sale. Ruling on a case brought against the Department of the Interior, the American Petroleum Institute, and the state of Louisiana, District Judge Rudolph Contreras sent the lease sale back to the Interior Department to decide what to do with it. Plaintiffs, including the Sierra Club, Earthjustice, the Center for Biological Diversity, and Friends of the Earth, praised the ruling. We are pleased that the court invalidated Interiors illegal lease sale, said Earthjustice senior attorney Brettny Hardy, as quoted by the AP. This administration must meet this critical moment and honor the campaign promises President Biden made by stopping offshore leasing once and for all. The Gulf of Mexico lease sale, which sought to open up millions of acres in the Gulf, was launched last November despite efforts by the Biden administration to steer the U.S. energy industry towards renewables and away from oil and gas. President Biden imposed a moratorium on drilling leases for federal lands as soon as he took office, but oil-producing states successfully challenged the moratorium in court, and the Interior Department was forced to proceed with the lease sale. The tender brought in $192 million in winning bids for 307 tracts covering 1.7 million acres. The interest around the sale was significant in part due to the low carbon footprint of the crude extracted from these waters, compared to the higher footprint of foreign plays or U.S. onshore wells. Barreling full-steam ahead with blinders on was simply not a reasonable action for BOEM to have taken here, Judge Contreras said in his opinion. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Oil markets are looking increasingly bullish as geopolitical risks spike and inventories continue to drain. Friday, January 28th, 2022 For the first time in seven years, Brent prices surged past $90 per barrel this week, buoyed by a series of bullish factors. First, low inventories remain the number one reason underlying investment banks $100 per barrel short-term forecasts. The fact that US commercial stocks just fell for the third time in a row has not helped that. Second, with much of Europe captivated by the prolonged Russia-Ukraine standoff, speculation that Russian oil might be embargoed from the market added another geopolitical premium to prices. Simultaneously, supply scarcity remains a global worry as corroborated by steep backwardation the Brent six-month market structure was almost at $7 per barrel this week with very little indication that OPEC+ would be willing to churn out more than it is supposed to under the terms of its agreement. Things are looking very bullish for oil markets indeed. US Natgas Prices See Record One-Day Spike. With the weather forecast indicating colder weather to come, Henry Hub gas futures saw their sharpest one-day climb this week just as the February contract was about to expire, surging from $4.50 to $7 per mmBtu at the peak of trading, only to settle at $6.3 per mmBtu. Saudi Aramco Hits Out at Energy Transition. Saudi Aramco (TADAWUL:2222) CEO Amin Nasser said the current transition towards a sustainable energy future is not going smoothly, highlighting the need to invest in oil and gas if the markets are to avoid the current tightness seen right now in Europe and parts of Asia. Russia Expects Iran Deal Breakthrough in Q2. According to Russias envoy to the JCPOA talks on the revival of the Iranian nuclear deal, if the negotiations continue at their current pace an agreement would be reached by the end of February, though it might take another two months to have it finalized. Nord Stream 2 Registers German Subsidiary, Awaits Decision. The operator of the Gazprom-led (MCX:GAZP) Nord Stream 2 pipeline has registered a subsidiary for the German section of the pipeline to meet the requirements of the countrys energy regulator BNetzA. Coal Prices Surge on Ukraine Tensions. The global coal benchmark Newcastle coal index has risen by more than 30% over January 2022, currently trending above $260 per metric tonne, as the belligerent rhetoric surrounding the Russia-Ukraine conflict sparked fears that Russias gas supplies might be cut US Judge Annuals Gulf of Mexico Auction over Climate Concerns. A US federal judge annulled the latest Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 257 held last November - assumed to be the last under the Biden Administration - arguing that the auction failed to assess the climate impact of prospective offshore drilling. Trafigura to Build Up a New Russian Base. Global trading house Trafigura plans to start base oil exports from the Russian port of Vyborg, creating a new export route from one of Russias least utilized export terminals, with a view to managing 15-20% of Russias total base oil production. Related: U.S. Natural Gas Prices Climb Most Ever In Single Day Siemens Energy to Seek Full Integration of Wind Business. German energy conglomerate Siemens Energy (ETR:ENR) has reportedly stepped up efforts to carry out a full integration of its wind turbine business Siemens Gamesa (BME:SGRE), still unable to sort out the ownership structure of a spun-off entity that it does not control. Key US Shale Pipeline Jeopardized. The US Court of Appeals has nixed the federal permit issued towards the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a key conduit that would send Appalachian gas to Virginia and is more than 90% complete, arguing that government approvals did not consider erosion impacts. Ammonia Bunkering Safety Study Kicks Off. A Singapore industry group comprising the local authorities and shipping giants commissioned an ammonia bunkering safety study from industry registrar DNV that would seek to establish a preliminary regulatory framework for the nascent bunker fuel. Glencore Wants More Food in Portfolio. Global trading firm Glencore (GLEN) bought US grain trader Gavilon from Marubeni Corp for $1.125 billion, increasing its US grain exposure as well as becoming the third-largest exporter of Brazilian soybeans once the deal closes by 2023. BP Lures Renewables Executive from Orsted. UK major British Petroleum (NYSE:BP) hired an executive from Danish wind power Orsted (CPH:ORSTED) to head the companys new offshore wind division in the second half of 2022, with an onshore wind and solar power unit set to be developed. Oman Launches First Spot Market in the Middle East. Oman has formally launchedthe first electricity spot market in the Middle East, with the stated aim of increasing the efficiency of power procurement, a delicate way of saying that Muscat would seek to avoid protests driven by high electricity prices. Canada Greenlights Chinese Buying of Lithium Firm. Canadas government approved the deal seeing Chinese firm Zijin Mining Group (SS:601899) buy Toronto-listed lithium miner Neo Lithium (CVE:NLC) for $720 million, despite heavy objections from opposition parties arguing that Chinas clout over critical minerals keeps on increasing. By Josh Owens for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: China's State Council has issued a plan to advance the modernization of the country's market regulation over the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). The plan calls for continuously optimizing the business environment in China to fully stimulate the vitality of market entities. Starting a new business will, for example, become more convenient in China, with average time consumption shrinking from fewer than four weekdays currently to about two weekdays by 2025, according to the plan. To build a level market playing field, the plan urges efforts to strengthen fair competition and anti-monopoly regulations. Platform companies will be guided to compete in an orderly manner, and practices such as discriminatory treatment and false sales promotions will be investigated in accordance with the law. New industries and business models will see enhanced supervision, per the plan, underscoring the close monitoring of competition in the "internet plus service" industry and investigating relevant illegal activities. Efforts should also be made to guarantee food and drug safety, ensure the safe operations of special equipment, strengthen supervision over the quality of industrial products, and further protect the rights and interests of consumers, according to the plan. Morgan Stanley: global spare oil production capacity will shrink from 6.5 million bpd at the moment to just 2 million barrels daily by the middle of the year That OPECs spare oil production capacity was a problem that was only going to get worse with time became clear last year when the first reports began to emerge that the cartel and its partners led by Russia are not adding as much oil to their monthly output as agreed. Now, the gap between commitment and output has deepened, adding fuel to an already strong price rally. In December, OPEC+ added 253,000 barrels daily to its combined production falling well short of its 400,000-bpd target for yet another month in a growing row. Naturally, this fueled concern about the security of global supply amid forecasts from the International Energy Agency that oil demand is going to exceed pre-pandemic levels later this year. This latest forecast could be confusing to many who follow the agencys output. In December, the IEA said that oil demand growth was going to slow down this year. It also forecasted a possible oversupply on the oil market for the current quarter, citing the effect of the Omicron variant on fuel consumption and rising non-OPEC production. To be fair, the agency noted the oversupply would materialize if several things happen, among them, Saudi Arabia and Russia pumping at record rates as remaining OPEC+ cuts are fully unwound. Yet it appears to have greatly underestimated the resilience and strength of demand. No wonder a lot of other forecasters are talking about oil reaching and topping $100 per barrel. These monthly [OPEC] additions are increasingly nominal, Bill Farren-Price, director of intelligence at consultancy Enverus, told the Wall Street Journal this week. They are not fully backed by real barrels. Oil has been on a remarkable run in recent weeks, driven by very bullish fundamentals as disrupted supply struggled to keep up with strong demand, OANDA senior analyst Craig Erlam told City A.M. OPEC and the IEA have referenced the resilience of demand since the emergence of omicron in recent weeks and the inability of OPEC+ to hit their production targets, or even come close, has led to the kind of one-way price action weve been witnessing, Erlam added. Morgan Stanleys Martijn Rats said in a note to clients that Brent crude could hit $100 this year during the second quarter, as global stocks of crude decline and investment in new production remain constrained. He added that high prices could persist through next year as well. Not everyone believes oil will reach $100, regardless of all the bullish factors currently at play. Saxo Banks Ole Hansen, for instance, told City A.M. that the momentum behind the oil price rally was slowing down, and we could see a correction soon. As for the Ukraine tensions, which have also been named among the factors driving oil higher, Hansen noted these were more likely to affect natural gas prices in case of an escalation rather than oil prices. Whatever the immediate future moves of oil prices, the fact remains that OPEC and Russia and their Central Asian partners dont seem to be able to stick to their production quotas for reasons varying from political trouble in Libya to technical problems in Nigeria and dwindling spare capacity in Russia and most of OPEC. The strength of oil demand appears to have been consistently underestimated by some forecasters, and this could add more upward potential for pricesand not only over the immediate term. More upward potential will come from the other looming problem in the oil industry: not enough investment. Saudi Arabia and OPECs former secretary-general warned that underinvestment would come to bite last year. At the time, most forecasts bet on a consistent decline in oil demand as low-carbon energy took the spotlight, but reality has proved different, and it is only a matter of time before the spotlight is shined on the worlds increasingly limited oil production capacity. Morgan Stanley is projecting that global spare oil production capacity will shrink from 6.5 million bpd at the moment to just 2 million barrels daily by the middle of the year. This would be the result of OPEC and its partners ramping up production as per their agreement to return to pre-pandemic production levels. And this decline in spare capacity, according to the investment bank, would push Brent to $100 and beyond. Yet the problem with underinvestment is a more serious one because it effectively means that there is a shrinking pool of opportunities to expand this shrinking spare production capacity. Just as a few years ago, the market got worried about Big Oils reserve replacement ratio, now it is beginning to get worried about the whole industrys ability to produce as much oil as the world still needs in spite of the energy transition drive. OPEC doesnt want oil at $100. Some officials from the cartel have said as much. Excessively expensive oil is not good for exporters because it dampens demand. But this time, there seems to be little OPEC can do about it except hope that demand doesnt grow too fast too soon so that prices remain relatively unchanged from where they are now. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: One of the worlds top liquefied natural gas exporters, Australia, says it is ready to ship LNG cargoes to Europe to support its friends and allies, as the U.S. is looking to raise alternative gas supply in case a Russian invasion of Ukraine disrupts Russias gas supply to Europe. Australia, of course, stands ready to support its friends and allies. We have a well-developed gas resource. We have the capacity to deliver not only domestically but right across the world, Australias Resources and Water Minister Keith Pitt said at a press conference on Thursday. We will, of course, continue to meet our contract demands for those arrangements that are already in place and deliver the domestic supply that is necessary for industry in this country and, of course, look for spot cargo opportunities elsewhere, Pitt said. As of Thursday, Australia had not received any formal requests to deliver gas to any other locations, the minister added, noting that Australia does stand ready to deliver where necessary. Australia is one of the largest LNG exporters in the world, so it could help alleviate a shortage of gas in Europe in case of a Russia-Ukraine conflict. The U.S. Administration is in talks with energy companies and major gas-producing countries globally about the potential for a large supply of natural gas to Europe in case Russian deliveries are interrupted. Russia, which supplies over one-third of the natural gas that Europe consumes, could weaponize gas deliveries if the West imposes sanctions on Moscow over a possible invasion of Ukraine, European allies of the United States fear. In addition, in the event of military action and subsequent energy sanctions against Russia, Europe would be the first and hardest hit, including in its gas supply from Russian gas monopoly Gazprom, analysts say. The White House is dealing with logistical challenges in its efforts to secure alternative natural gas supply to Europe, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said earlier this week. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: On top of $90 oil prices, the futures market also points to further pain at the pump for American consumers. Gasoline futures at NYMEX are trading at their highest premium to crude oil for this time of the year in nine years, according to Bloombergs estimates. On Thursday, the gasoline futures contract was around $18.50 per barrel above crude as U.S. refiners have started the maintenance season. The highest premium of gasoline futures over crude since 2013 signals that motor gasoline supply could be tighter than expected this summer when U.S. gasoline demand is expected to return to pre-COVID levels. Gasoline demand in the summer of 2022 will likely be close to the 2019 level, which was close to peak gasoline demand, John Auers, executive vice president at Turner Mason, told Bloomberg. In the U.S., total motor gasoline inventories increased by 1.3 million barrels in the week to January 21, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in its weekly petroleum inventory report on Wednesday. Despite another weekly build in gasoline stocks, total gasoline inventories continue to be around 2 percent below the five-year average for this time of year, the EIA data showed. Gasoline prices, meanwhile, continue to rise across the United States. As of January 27, the national average price of a gallon of regular gasoline is $3.348, according to data from AAA. Thats up from $3.286 a gallon one month ago, and compares to $2.408 a gallon Americans paid for gasoline at this time last year. Oil prices have rallied by around 13 percent since the start of 2022, on the back of resilient global demand and geopolitical risk premiums coming from the Russia-Ukraine tension and attacks on the UAE from the Iran-aligned Houthis. U.S. average gas prices at $3.35/gal currently are now just 9 cents below the 2021 peak of $3.44, while diesel is at a more than seven-year high of $3.68/gal, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for fuel-savings app GasBuddy, tweeted on Wednesday. By Tom Kool for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Japan is set to import the highest quantity of coal in January in just over two years, as utilities scramble to get supplies for power generation amid high spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing intelligence firm Kpler and Japanese customs data. A cold and snowy winter in Japan has raised the electricity demand, and domestic utilities are looking to buy more coal for power generation. Japan is expected to import over 17.3 million tons of coal in January, according to Edwin Toh, a dry bulk manager at Kpler, quoted by Bloomberg. The volume would be Japans highest level of coal imports in one month since December 2019 and around 5 percent over the five-year seasonal average, Japanese customs data showed. Coal prices have also surged in the past weeks due to a month-long export ban top coal exporter Indonesia, as well as the Russia-Ukraine crisis, which has the commodity markets concerned over disruptions of energy exports, including coal, from Russia. Still, coal prices in comparable terms for utilities are lower than prices for spot LNG cargoes in Asia. LNG prices for March delivery rose this week by more than 17 percent to $27.00 per metric million British thermal units (MMBtu), industry sources told Reuters on Friday. The Russia-Ukraine crisis and the cold weather in Japan were the key drivers of the jump in LNG prices to northeast Asia for March. The record-high natural gas prices over the past months have forced utilities in many countries, including in developed economies such as Japan and in Europe, to seek to replace gas-fired power generation with coal-fired power plants. The economic rebound from the pandemic took coal power generation to a new record high in 2021, with global coal demand likely hitting another new high in 2022, undermining net-zero efforts, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said last month. The global recovery in 2021 dashed any hopes that coal-fired power generation may have peaked, the IEA said. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A couple of weeks ago, Smallcakes Cupcakery in Papillion had to close for two days at almost the last minute. We were so short-staffed I didnt have enough people to run the store, manager Nancy Ermitano said. We are down by three or four (employees), and we are a very small bakery as it is. The shop was shuttered Jan. 10 and 11. She had a skeleton staff to fulfill cupcake orders and one person on hand for pickups. No walk-in business, and no one to take advance orders, which are considerable at the beginning of the week for weekend events. Ermitano is understandably nervous about the staff shortages, caused in part by illness and in part by difficulty hiring. The store sells 20 to 30 dozen cupcakes each day early in the week and up to 100 dozen daily by the end. Those numbers are about to increase. Preorders for the days leading up to Valentines Day have already started. Its our busiest day of the year, Ermitano said. Shes hoping that all her employees and their families stay healthy. And shes not alone. Variations of her situation are happening at restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries and other food service businesses across the area. The restaurant industry labor shortage is still a thing, and it appears that the omicron variant of COVID-19 is making it worse in Nebraska. Restaurant owners have been mostly unsuccessful in recruiting adequate staff, said Zoe Olson, executive director of the Nebraska Hospitality Association, which was renamed from the Nebraska Restaurant Association at the beginning of the year. As a result, she said, theyre cutting hours, reducing dining room capacity to compensate for fewer workers, switching back to takeout only or, as a last resort, closing on days when they dont have enough workers. Thirty-eighty percent of the Nebraska restaurant operators who responded to a January survey by the National Restaurant Association said they had recently reduced hours on days they were open. And 13% said they had closed on days they normally were open. Almost all respondents 92% reported that their number of dine-in customers had declined in recent weeks because of the surge of omicron cases. The survey results were released Jan. 18. Owners have said its the worst January they can remember, Olson said. Finicky Franks in North Omaha is one of the restaurants that has closed periodically because of short staffing, said chef and owner Kesa Kenny. She estimates that they have lost six business days because of COVID-19. She said most of her nine staffers have been with her for at least a couple of years. Even though she has faced numerous harried days, shes reluctant to hire additional staffers because shes not convinced that current crowds justify it. I want to make sure our staff can make a living at this, she said. Theyre counting on it. Shes philosophical about having to do every job at her restaurant at some point: Thats just part of running your own business you have to know how to fill all those slots, she said. Its nice to do something different. You learn something every day. At the newly opened Piccolo Petes and at Market Basket near 90th Street and West Center Road, the answer has been to modify hours. Piccolo owner Scott Sheehan cut out lunch service shortly after he launched his business in downtown Papillion, citing both staffing and supply problems. He now opens at 4 p.m. Days at Market Basket have been fairly fluid. Manager Trish Liakos said she has adjusted hours a few different times; with each switch, she said, we do our best to notify people. Right now, the restaurant is open for lunch and dinner but hasnt brought back breakfast, she said. Its just a period when we are flexible with customers and they are flexible with us, she said. Liakos has also kept her dining room socially distanced, partly because thats the amount of tables we can staff and partly because it makes customers comfortable. According to the national restaurant survey, 23% of Nebraska restaurant operators recently changed their seating capacity. Olson, of the hospitality group, thinks that the staffing problem goes far beyond the pandemic. Nebraska will always struggle for workers because its not a heavily populated state and because the U.S. birth rate is declining, she said. Therefore, she added, we need workers from outside the state and the country. Its a constant, she said. We dont have enough workers in our state. We will continue to press the feds for true immigration reform. Thats the only way we are going to change the situation in Nebraska. Ultimately, she said, restaurants cant sustain doing business the way they are now. Wages have increased, she said, and rent, utility, food and equipment prices are also rising. This is going to become a situation you cant handle with fewer hours and less capacity, which mean fewer sales, she said. One way the hospitality industry will adjust, she said, is through more automation: menus obtained by QR codes, resulting in less hands-on contact with servers at eateries, for example, and phone check-in and virtual keys at hotels. Olson declined to predict how the labor situation or other problems facing restaurants would look six months from now. Back in September, restaurant owners were saying maybe by spring or summer we will be back to normal. I dont hear anybody saying that right now. Nobodys even thinking that right now, she said. Hotels and restaurants are saying, What can we do today and tomorrow? They arent looking any further than that. But at least a couple of restaurateurs see glimmers of hope. Brett Clure, co-owner of several Tanners Bar & Grill and Tavern 180 locations in Omaha and elsewhere, plans to open two Julios restaurants and an Italian eatery in the coming months. He said he has had really, really tough times recently trying to find staff, but is feeling pretty good so far about finding qualified workers for his new ventures, though he hasnt yet started hiring. I feel that the labor pressure should ease a little bit as we get through the first quarter, he said. It feels like its gotten just a teeny bit better in the last couple weeks. You can just kind of feel it. Liakos, at Market Basket, is upbeat, too. Since June, shes had a homemade help wanted sign on the door. She said she changes it periodically. Right now, it looks fairly desperate: Help! Help! Help! in large blue letters. She put it there, she said, not only to appeal to prospective workers but also to spread the word about the labor shortage to customers, neighbors, anybody who sees it. It brings up conversations with people at the counter who begin to understand whats going on, she said, such as why the hours frequently change or, on select days, why theyre asking customers to order up front and take their meals to their tables. Now the sign appears to be working. My last two people have been hired as a result of that sign, she said. I have two people who are almost finished with training today who will be servers out on the floor. Omaha World-Herald: Omaha Dines Sign up for the Omaha Dines weekly newsletter to stay up to date on the latest local restaurant and foods news and occasional offers. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. You are here: Business China's online retail sales of physical goods exceeded the 10-trillion-yuan (1.58 trillion U.S. dollars) threshold to hit 10.8 trillion yuan in 2021, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said on Thursday. In 2021, China's online retail sales reached 13.1 trillion yuan, MOC spokesperson Gao Feng told a press briefing. Online retail sales of physical goods accounted for 24.5 percent of total retail sales of consumer goods and contributed 23.6 percent of the growth of retail sales of consumer goods in 2021, Gao said. He added that the steadily growing online retail market has become an important force keeping growth, employment and consumption stable. China's consumption market saw an upgrading trend last year, with healthy, green and high-quality goods increasingly favored by consumers, Gao said. Data shows that sales of smart home devices surged 90.5 percent year on year in 2021, and sales of organic vegetables skyrocketed 127.6 percent year on year. E-commerce in the services sector posted robust growth. Online catering sales rose 30.1 percent year on year, an increase of 27.9 percentage points from the previous year, according to Gao. The Army Corps of Engineers on Thursday said it will recommend that Congress approve $144 million in projects to reduce flood damage along creeks in the Omaha metro area. Included are two dams, construction of a levee/flood wall along the Little Papillion Creek in central Omaha, elevating or flood-proofing some homes and businesses, and erecting floodgates at several creek crossings. The corps decision is the latest chapter in battles over flood control in the metro area dating to the 1970s. The plan has been promoted by the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District, local governments including the Omaha City Council, and some businesses whose property is at risk along creeks, notably the Nebraska Furniture Mart. Those opposed include the Washington County Board and landowners who would lose homes and see their property values drop because of one of the dams. John Winkler, general manager of the NRD, said there is an urgent need for better flood protection in the area. The Corps of Engineers has estimated the cost-benefit ratio of the plan at 1.7 to 1, he said. In other words, the value of property protected is 70% higher than the cost, thus about $240 million worth of property would be better protected. The flood risks in the Papillion Creek Watershed are significant, Winkler said. Winkler said about 12,000 residents and 2,500 structures would see a reduced risk of flooding because of these projects. Those structures include homes and businesses, schools and emergency services, along with utility lines, he said. But a study funded by the Washington County Board and the Papio Valley Preservation Association found that the Corps of Engineers is significantly overstating the benefits. The study was conducted by Steven Shultz, a professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha who specializes in real estate and land use economics. Shultz said in his analysis that the cost-benefit ratio and other figures in the corps report were incorrect, misleading or inflated and that some were improperly included. Washington County Board member Lisa Kramer said the study buttresses the boards contention that the dam proposed near the Douglas/Washington County line would do little to protect Omaha from flooding. Additionally, the dam would require removing or relocating nine homes and would devalue adjacent land. The biggest reason for flooding in midtown (Omaha) is the concrete, Kramer said. And thats due to poor planning and zoning in the City of Omaha. Theyre trying to solve a problem in Omaha by imposing eminent domain on rural landowners. The next step is for the corps to submit the plan to Congress. It will be up to Congress to decide whether to approve and fund the projects. The decision would pit rural landowners and Washington County against urban Omaha interests. None of these projects are included in the hundreds of millions of federal infrastructure dollars flowing into Nebraska. Here are the projects proposed in the plan: A small reservoir on the South Papillion Creek near Gretna. Known as Dam Site 19, the 74-acre lake would be about half the size of Standing Bear Lake. The park around the lake would include a 2.5-mile walking trail, restrooms, a picnic shelter and boat ramp. Winkler said the lake has widespread support. A larger dry dam on Thomas Creek in northwest Douglas County. A dry dam has a lake behind it only during periods of heavy runoff. Known as Dam Site 10, the lake would have a 345-acre footprint that would extend into Washington County. Its flooded size would be somewhat smaller than Cunningham Lake. The dam would place nine homes and adjacent farmland underwater in periods of heavy runoff. A new levee/flood wall along the Little Papillion Creek and Keystone Trail. The levee/wall would run several miles from Cole Creek to Saddle Creek on one side of the Little Papio and from Charles Street to Spring Street on the other, protecting parts of central Omaha, including the Nebraska Furniture Mart and Aksarben Village. Construction of floodgates where Mercy Road and Pacific, Dodge, Cass and 72nd Streets cross the Little Papio. Gates would also be placed at several pedestrian bridges. The gates would tie into levee improvements. Filling in 71 basements, elevating 59 residential buildings, and floodproofing 256 commercial, industrial and municipal structures. The federal government would shoulder $91.5 million in costs. The local cost would be $52.2 million. Not included in this plan are a handful of other dams proposed by the Papio NRD or any projects to reduce flooding downtown, which is outside the Papillion Creek watershed. 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 proposed finance plan for Omahas streetcar system has drawn concerns from a Nebraska state senator and the superintendent of the Omaha Public Schools. State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, chairman of the Urban Affairs Committee, shared his criticism on the floor of the Nebraska Legislature on Thursday, one day after Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert announced that Mutual of Omaha plans to build a downtown headquarters and the city intends to build a streetcar system. Wayne expressed frustration with the use of tax-increment financing for the streetcar project. He said he supports Mutual of Omaha moving its headquarters downtown but not the idea of declaring downtown as extremely blighted. Under a constitutional amendment introduced by Wayne and approved by voters in 2020, the extremely blighted designation allows developers to qualify for TIF loans and have 20 years to pay them back, five years longer than TIF projects in other areas. He said the designation was intended to help redevelop areas with high unemployment and high poverty, such as his North Omaha district. The streetcar financing plan, developed by a Greater Omaha Chamber committee and endorsed by Stothert, calls for various uses of TIF. The cost of building and launching the streetcar system is estimated at $225 million. Stothert said federal guidelines call for a 35% contingency in case of unexpected costs, so the city would need to raise $306 million. The city plans to extend the timeline of already existing TIF projects along the streetcars route from the current 15 years to 20. Those five additional years of payments would generate $50 million. But Wayne said the five-year extension of TIF for extremely blighted areas wasnt to put up a streetcar in downtown Omaha. He vowed to make fundamental changes to the process of declaring an area extremely blighted during the current legislative session. TIF is a popular and at times controversial tool to rejuvenate blighted areas. Under TIF, the developer of a city-approved project takes out a loan to help cover eligible redevelopment expenses. The loan is paid back, generally over a 15-year period, by using the increased property taxes that are generated on the new development. Normally, property tax payments go to support schools, city and county government and other local tax-reliant entities. In the plan outlined by Stothert, money from increased property taxes generated by expected new development and redevelopment along the route would pay for construction of the streetcar system. The city would create a new TIF district spanning the entire streetcar route, as well as three blocks north and south of the route. New developments in the district would contribute 25% of their TIF proceeds. That element alone is projected to generate $218 million, the mayor said. The plan also anticipates generating $86 million from increased valuations of existing properties within the TIF district. Wayne said that pretty much the entire downtown has been declared extremely blighted. All the way up to 24th Street, he said. Carrie Murphy, a spokeswoman for Stothert, noted that City Council passed extremely blighted designations for parts of downtown in May. That includes the W. Dale Clark Library location. Wayne has started work on an amendment and said he will have details Friday. Omaha Public Schools Superintendent Cheryl Logan referenced the project and its impact on school funding at a hearing Wednesday before the Legislatures Revenue Committee. At the hearing, Sen. Curt Friesen of Henderson asked if OPS ever weighs in on economic development projects. Logan responded by noting the pretty significant news that broke earlier in the day about a major project and the associated request that would be coming to OPS. Its a really, particularly sore subject at this hour, she said. The amount of TIF-supported projects in Omaha has been a sore subject for some rural senators, who argue that such projects reduce property tax support for large, urban districts and force the state to fill in the gap with state school aid dollars. Wayne said that the project would hurt OPS. Its a huge blow. Its potentially millions and millions of dollars, he said. Asked about a potential long-term financial impact on the school district, Murphy said over the coming decades, OPS will actually receive far more under this plan than they would have without it. Stothert noted Wednesday that school districts will get 2% per year of the increased TIF revenue during the extended five-year period. In an emailed statement, an OPS spokesperson said the district looks forward to continued conversations with the City of Omaha as additional details about the proposal are developed. We will monitor and research any impact to our district and the students we serve related to Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, the spokesperson said. The city plans to issue special revenue bonds and private placement bonds to pay for the systems construction. The buyers of those bonds will be repaid using TIF funds. Stothert said the city had the plan vetted by a finance team at First National Bank and the citys bond counsel. She said both affirmed that it can be funded without any kind of tax increase. If, as expected, there are additional TIF funds left after the bonds are paid off, she said those dollars could be put to other good uses, including developing affordable housing, the cost of converting one-way downtown streets to two-way and improved pedestrian access. 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. Jessica Wade Jessica Wade covers breaking news, crime and the Omaha zoo. Follow her on Twitter @Jess_Wade_OWH. Phone: 402-444-1067 Follow Jessica Wade 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 The British business community hopes that Britain and China will continue efforts to strengthen trade ties to benefit the peoples of both countries, as the two mark the 50th anniversary of ambassadorial diplomatic relations this year. The remarks were made Wednesday during the "Icebreakers" 2022 Chinese New Year celebration jointly hosted online by the 48 Group Club, China Chamber of Commerce in the UK and China-Britain Business Council. In his keynote speech, Chinese Ambassador to Britain Zheng Zeguang said the two countries should leverage their respective strengths, consolidate cooperation in "traditional" areas including trade, investment, finance, manufacturing and infrastructure, expand into new areas such as health care, FinTech, green energy, digital economy and creative industries, and explore third markets, so as to create more highlights in their business partnership and bring more benefits to the peoples of both countries and beyond. Lord Hammond of Runnymede, former chancellor of the Exchequer, said in his speech that the last two years of the pandemic have been a challenging period for the global economy, especially for international trade and Britain-China relations. He noted that China is the second largest economy in the world and it therefore enjoys an important position in Britain's import and export market, while Britain remains a destination of choice for Chinese businesses investing in Europe. "As China creates huge incremental market demand, it will be an important partner for post-Brexit UK," he said. "We should focus on what we have in common, on cooperating for the mutual benefit of our peoples as well as free and fair trade." John Edwards, British trade commissioner for China, said Britain is determined to strengthen the Britain-China trade relationship and attract more Chinese investment in Britain. "Looking into the future, Britain will be working with Chinese companies to expand electric vehicle manufacturers, renewable supply chains to help Britain build the most exciting green market in the world and to make a joint contribution to the defining thing of our time -- the green economy," he said. Stephen Perry, chair of the 48 Group Club, said China and Britain continue to set new records regarding trade levels, thus building a solid foundation for economic and trade cooperation. "We look forward to China sharing its innovation and development achievements and contribution to the advancement of global economic recovery and the development of relations between Britain and China," he said. In 1954, Jack Perry, founder of the London Export Corporation, led a group of 48 British businessmen on a historic trade mission to Beijing and helped deliver one of the first modern-day trade links with China, effectively breaking the U.S.-led Western embargo on the newly founded People's Republic of China. The 48 men were the precursors of the 48 Group Club. The trip became known as the "Icebreaking Mission," and the club members were called "Icebreakers." LINCOLN Working at a Catholic-owned hospital, Carleen Barger didnt expect a problem when she cited religious beliefs as the reason she refused a COVID-19 vaccination. But the veteran nurse found her beliefs under scrutiny as hospital officials weighed whether she qualified for a religious exemption to a federal mandate that health care staff get vaccinated. By the grace of God, it was approved, she told state lawmakers Thursday, adding: It was such a moral assault. Debra Chappelear, a social worker at an Omaha long-term care center, has yet to find out if her religious exemption request will be approved after going through extensive questioning about her beliefs. She knows one co-worker whose request has already has been denied, she said, while she and others are in limbo. They are facing a Feb. 14 deadline to start the vaccination process or be barred from the workplace. It is very stressful to have your job and your beliefs questioned, she said. We are all very worried that we are all going to be denied. The two were among several people who testified in support of Legislative Bill 906, introduced by State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair and named as his priority for the year. The measure, as introduced, would allow employees to be exempted from a vaccine mandate by filling out a state-produced form and declaring that they were refusing the vaccine because of their strong moral, ethical or philosophical belief or conviction. Earlier Thursday, Hansen introduced an amendment that would make several changes in response to various concerns raised over the last three weeks. The amendment would cover virtually all employers, not just those with 20 or more employees. It would apply only to the COVID-19 vaccine, not all vaccine mandates. It would provide for medical exemptions, with a written statement from a doctor or other health care provider. And it would require that employers provide exemptions to people who declare on a state form that the vaccine conflicts with their sincerely held religious belief, practice or observance. Hansen said the amendments language about religious belief, unlike the broader language of the original bill, matches federal law. Under both versions, he noted, employers could require unvaccinated workers to be tested regularly and to wear masks or other protective equipment. Dr. Gary Anthone, Nebraskas chief medical officer, testified in support of the amendment, while making clear that the State Department of Health and Human Services strongly supports COVID-19 vaccines. He said the requirements about testing and masks were important to ensure that employees could be in the workplace safely. Allie French of Nebraskans Against Government Overreach also supported the amendment, despite concerns that it would be trading one freedom for another. She said her group disagrees with allowing employers to make medical decisions for employees, such as through vaccine mandates, and has concerns about allowing employers to mandate masks and tests. The amendment was enough to satisfy most potential opposition. The Nebraska Hospital Association; the Nebraska Health Care Association, which represents nursing homes and assisted living facilities; and the Nebraska, Omaha and Lincoln Chambers of Commerce took neutral positions on the bill. Dr. David Watts of Omaha, president of the Nebraska Medical Association, spoke against the bill, even with the amendment. He said the organization takes issue with the idea of having the Legislature get involved in the management of private businesses, which include clinics and physician practices. Although the amendment would not prohibit employers from requiring vaccines, it would interfere with how those requirements are implemented. He said members also are concerned about setting a precedent for future public health crises. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A proposal to empower Nebraskas governor to appoint a majority of the members of the states two largest public power district boards was criticized Thursday as an effort to strip local control from voters. State Sen. Bruce Bostelmans plan, Legislative Bill 1046, would reconfigure the governance structure of both the Nebraska Public Power District and Omaha Public Power District, and allow the governor to choose the chief executive officer of each. NPPD ratepayers currently select all 11 members of its board of directors, but under the Brainard lawmakers plan, the board would be reduced to nine members beginning in 2024. Four of those members would be elected, one from each of four districts created to encompass NPPDs service area, while the other five members would be selected at-large by the governor. Three of the appointed members must live in rural areas, under Bostelmans plan. OPPD would be reorganized in a similar way, with four elected members and five appointed by the governor, and at least one of the appointees residing outside of Omahas city limits. The governor would also have the power to choose the chief executive officer for each utility. LB 1046 says the CEO would serve at the pleasure of the governor, while also following the direction of the utilitys board. Bostelman said that after the rolling blackouts caused by a February 2021 polar vortex, his intention was for appointees to include subject matter experts in power generation, transmission and distribution, or other experience in the power industry. Roughly 30% of public power board members across the country are appointed. Things are changing and theres huge challenges ahead, he told the Natural Resources Committee, where the bill was heard Thursday. We need to have a different way of putting people with that working knowledge, that skill set on the board. LB 1046 doesnt spell out what qualifications appointees would need to have Bostelman told the committee he didnt want the legislation to be too prescriptive which Sen. Mike Moser of Columbus said he believed would lead to the process becoming politicized. Every six years you could have a different governor and new board members, Moser said. What if its a governor you didnt like? Bostelman said the current system allows for a large portion of the board to have turnover, and said his proposal could shorten the learning curve for new members. We need board members to ask the right questions to make the right decisions, he said. No one testified in support of Bostelmans bill on Thursday, nor did anyone submit letters of support backing the plan. Opponents including the sitting CEOs of both NPPD and OPPD, as well as the presidents of smaller public power districts said the plan would create confusion among ratepayers, with the leader and majority of the board being accountable to one person. Tom Kent, the CEO of NPPD, told the committee that five members of the utility already have a background in the power industry, while others reflect ratepayers and voters in several different ways. The public has done a good job of electing people to represent them, Kent said. OPPDs president and chief executive, Javier Fernandez, said public power has served Nebraska well over the last century, ranking among the most reliable and most affordable in the country. Our history and track record does not warrant the governance changes under LB 1046, Fernandez said. Bostelmans plan would result in an enormous erosion of local control at the states two largest power providers, with the representatives of the customer-owners always representing the minority. Theres no accountability for appointed board members other than through the sitting governor, Fernandez added. Customer-owners must pay for the decisions of such a board without any ability to hold the appointed board members accountable. Neal Suess, president and CEO of the Loup River Public Power District the first public power district in Nebraska said the proposed changes at NPPD and OPPD wouldnt have a direct impact on local public power boards. A change in the governor could result in the change of board members to NPPD, which supplies power to Loup River Public Power District, and thus to the long-term strategy of all utilities, Suess told the committee. A board of directors of a utility needs to be able to adapt on the fly, but an ever-changing board of directors could create a new strain and expense on the utility and its customers, he said. The committee received nearly 90 letters opposing Bostelmans bill. Ed Schrock, a former state senator who now sits on the NPPD board, said there was merit to the governor having a say in who sits on the board, which he described as growing increasingly partisan due to out-of-state money flowing into elections. Its a good idea, Schrock said during the time for neutral testifiers. I hope you can incorporate some of it. The committee took no action on Thursday. Reach the writer at 402-473-7120 or cdunker@journalstar.com. On Twitter @ChrisDunkerLJS Debate in the Nebraska Legislature on a watered-down juvenile justice bill on Thursday turned fiery. Depending on whom you ask, the exchange could be an example of congressional campaign politics or the manifestation of differing views on the trajectory of juvenile justice in the state. State Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk, who is challenging Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry for his seat representing the 1st Congressional District, led the opposition to Legislative Bill 568 during floor debate. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln, whos running for the same seat as a Democrat. Originally, Pansing Brooks bill wouldve required truant kids to be sent to diversion programs that concentrate on the root causes of absenteeism instead of having truancy as a status offense that requires action in juvenile court. The bill received the bare minimum number of votes it needed to advance to the second round of debate last year, signaling that more work was needed. Pansing Brooks said that over the interim, she worked with county attorneys to come up with a compromise that keeps the hammer of the status offense in place but requires them to first make every effort to send truant kids to diversion. The new version of the bill would still increase funding to support diversion programs throughout the state. Pansing Brooks said 70% of kids in the juvenile justice system end up in the adult criminal justice system and argued that the bill would save taxpayer money by keeping kids out of the justice system and getting them the help they need. Flood voted for the bill last year. In Pansing Brooks view, the only thing thats changed is campaign politics. It seems like the only thing thats changed, other than the fact that I got the county attorneys on board and have everybody else on board, the only difference is that weve both filed for a new campaign, she told The World-Herald. She said she was sorry it happened on this bill. I really am concerned about the fact this is on the backs of our Nebraska kids that this issue has come up, she said. But Flood said Pansing Brooks knows that he feels strongly about juvenile justice issues. To say its only about politics would be out of bounds. Yes, were both running for Congress, but at the end of the day, this was going to be a discussion we were going to have anyway, he said. What changed, he said during debate, was that he brought an amendment to address a juvenile justice issue last year that Pansing Brooks opposed. Flood thought that they were going to work on the issue over the summer, but he was never contacted, he said. Over the interim, Flood visited the local juvenile detention center. I did go talk to prosecutors, and I did go talk to law enforcement, and they are sick and tired of whats been happening with the juvenile court system and juvenile justice reform, he said. Past transcripts and records show that Flood did not propose an amendment to LB 568 or speak about it during debate last year. But he did bring an amendment on another juvenile justice bill Pansing Brooks sponsored, and he said during debate on that bill that Pansing Brooks had committed to hearing concerns from his district. He told The World-Herald that he got the two bills confused. Pansing Brooks has sponsored many juvenile justice bills. Flood said LB 568 is yet another example of how juvenile justice has eroded over time. But, he said, hes not organizing a filibuster on the bill, and he thinks that reasonable people can disagree on changes to the system. During debate Thursday, Flood argued that LB 568 is unnecessary. He talked about existing programs for truant kids in Madison County, where he lives, and cited opposition from the county attorney there. When are we going to start trusting prosecutors? When are we going to start trusting juries? When are we going to start trusting judges? he said. But he also expanded the debate to include opposition to what he and some other conservative lawmakers see as a broader trend in the states juvenile justice policy. When I served here before, these bills would never have come to the floor, he said. There has been a sea change in the way law enforcement has been regarded in this body. Sen. Suzanne Geist of Lincoln and others also spoke more broadly about juvenile justice. Over the past five to six years, weve totally taken consequences for juvenile misbehavior out of the system, she said. And in doing that, weve handcuffed not only our law enforcement, but weve also done that with parents. Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha and others pushed back on Floods comments. Wayne said Flood made a great tough-on-crime speech. This bill adds money to make sure everybody can have access to the same programs that youre speaking of, he said. Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha said he would like to see the bill go further. The reason weve gotten to where we are now, the reason how we have always done things, is because people make fiery political speeches that are meant to make them look tough on crime because that is popular, he said. And our job is not to do popular; it is to do right. Whatever the origins of the debate, it may provide a view of whats to come this session. The Legislature is considering a slate of criminal justice reforms as it faces down the nations most-crowded prison system and rising recidivism rates. Are we gonna sit here this year and kick the can down the road without actually doing something about this? Sen. John McCollister of Omaha said. Im getting a little tired of it. Im thinking that those people running for governor and higher political office ought to deal with this issue instead of saying, Yeah, lock 'em up." Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LINCOLN Nebraska on Friday became the latest state to call for a convention of states aimed at reining in the federal government. Legislative Resolution 14 passed on a 32-11 vote after supporters got enough votes to end a last-minute filibuster. The measure now heads to Congress and to the leaders of all other state legislatures. State Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings, who introduced the resolution and named it as his priority for this year, said the vote shows that the U.S. Constitution is working as intended. How they voted Heres how lawmakers voted on passage of Legislative Resolution 14, calling for a convention of states to propose amendment to the U.S. Constitution: For (32): Arch, Bostar, Bostelman, Brandt, Brewer, Briese, Clements, DeBoer, Dorn, Erdman, Flood, Friesen, Geist, Gragert, Groene, Halloran, B. Hansen, Hilgers, Hilkemann, Hughes, Kolterman, Lindstrom, Linehan, Lowe, McDonnell, Moser, Murman, Pahls, Sanders, Slama, Wayne, Williams. No (11): Albrecht, J. Cavanaugh, M. Cavanaugh, Hunt, Lathrop, McColliser, McKinney, Morfeld, Pansing Brooks, Vargas, Wishart Abstain (4): Aguilar, Blood, Day, Walz Absent (2): M. Hansen, Stinner "It's encouraging that we respect the Constitution and the intent of the founding fathers when it comes to states having equal footing with the federal government," he said. Article 5 of the Constitution provides for a convention called by the states as one way to propose amendments. The article requires that at least two-thirds of the states, currently 34, apply to Congress for such a convention to be called. The other method, and the only one to be used so far, is for Congress to put forth proposed amendments. Either way, the Constitution currently requires 38 states to ratify an amendment before it can take effect. The Nebraska resolution, like those from 16 other states, seeks a convention limited to proposing amendments that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress. Opponents argued that there would be no way to enforce those limits on the convention. As an example, they pointed to the 1787 Constitutional Convention. The gathering was called to revise the Articles of Confederation, which governed the fledgling United States of America. But the delegates ended up writing an entirely new constitution. Opponents also warned that there is nothing that spells out how the convention would be structured, including whether every state would have one vote or whether votes would be proportional to population. "The motivation for the convention is real and valid," said Sen. John McCollister of Omaha. "But there are simply too many questions outstanding." Several supporters of the convention idea watched the debate from the balcony, at one point bursting into applause before being admonished for making noise. Nebraska lawmakers first considered the idea of calling a convention of states in 2015, when then-Sen. Laura Ebke of Crete led the effort. Her resolution got out of committee but did not come up for a vote that year. The next year it was debated but did not advance. Halloran picked up the issue in 2019, after Ebke lost her bid for reelection. LR 14, introduced in 2021, was his second attempt on the issue, and it survived several near-death moments. The measure squeaked out of the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee at the end of last year, thanks to a vote-trading agreement. The resolution earlier failed to receive the 25 votes needed to be pulled out of committee for debate. Under legislative rules, that meant that the measure was dead. But Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk pushed a motion to revive it, arguing that he wanted to see the people of Nebraska get an up or down vote on the measure. And McCollister gave it the vote needed to get out of committee in exchange for Halloran's support on one of his bills. LB 14 cleared second-round debate this year after Halloran agreed to an amendment proposed by Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Bennington. The amendment puts a Feb. 1, 2027, expiration date on the call. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our 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 all live according to a narrative. The mental framework, that is, we each use to sort through the hubbub of news, discussion and daily life. Maybe the narrative is about politics. But it doesnt have to be. It can be about a relative, a friend, ones employer or a public institution. The narrative is our default, our automatic go-to in responding mentally or in some cases, emotionally to the world. Its the prism through which we make judgments and offer opinions. Under the narrative, we may frame politics: Our Team wages righteous causes against Their Team! Or the narrative may say that a certain relative will always act a certain way. Or that a certain company or government entity will always respond in an expected manner. But how much confidence can we really have in our narrative? I once knew a middle-aged fellow who was insufferably vain and selfish, a walking, talking embodiment of behavior I couldnt stand. Yet, contrary to my expectation, in a certain situation he showed admirable generosity. His actions made a positive difference in a persons life. And I learned something about the hazards of relying too rigidly on a narrative. Sure, its fine to have a narrative, but our society would benefit if people made their default positions more balanced, less dogmatic and more open to nuance and real-world contradiction. Consider this example. I follow an economic narrative I believe in strongly: Its crucial to appreciate the benefits of market forces in a capitalist economy. A freely operating economy promotes efficiency. It facilitates innovation. But do I take that narrative to its extreme should our society embrace an Ayn Rand-style dictum that encourages people to shrug off any social responsibility and unapologetically neglect those who are struggling? No. A society should promote an efficient economy as it simultaneously works, through public and private action, to ensure that all its people have stability and are shown respect. Its important to step back and question how rigid and unbending we should make the narratives that guide our thinking. Fortunately, individuals have a key tool for doing that: self-questioning. Many people eagerly insist that other people ask themselves hard questions about their views and themselves, the point being that people other people should stop and rethink their narrative. But isnt that an obligation for everyone, and not merely those with whom you disagree politically? Isnt it important for all of us, no matter how enlightened we might regard ourselves, to look inward and subject our assumptions and defaults to the same tests we see as imperative for others? It is. And that duty should be taken seriously. Self-examination needs to go beyond self-confirmation and self-congratulation. A friend of mine, South Dakota regionalist scholar Jon Lauck, recently pointed out the dangers of a mistaken narrative. Jon, one of the leading figures in re-energizing Midwest regionalist studies this century, noted how a widely accepted narrative in literary/academic circles has distorted how the rest of the country looks at the American Midwest. Jon devoted extensive analysis to this issue in his 2017 book From Warm Center to Ragged Edge: The Erosion of Midwestern Literary and Historical Regionalism, 19201965, published by the University of Iowa Press. He recently quoted from the book in a series of Twitter items responding to a New York Times article about Sinclair Lewis. The long-accepted narrative holds that noted Midwestern writers of the early 20th century figures including Lewis, Sherwood Anderson, Edgar Lee Masters and F. Scott Fitzgerald consciously turned their backs on their home region in a concerted revolt from the village. In a series of early works, its argued, those native sons expressed contempt for the Midwest as a center of provincialism, hypocrisy, shallow values and general backwardness. Literary critics and editors of the 1920s through the 1940s encouraged such disdain for the Midwest and, Jon argues, they erred by failing to note contradictory facts including public statements from some of the authors themselves that would have made for a more balanced narrative about the region. The point isnt that works by those authors made no criticisms of the Midwest its that a fact-based narrative, acknowledging additional, inconvenient literary truths, would provide a more nuanced and accurate understanding. Lewis, for example, supported Midwest regionalists such as Iowa novelist Ruth Suckow and praised the good sense of writers who returned to the region. Lewis, in fact, is buried in his hometown of Sauk Centre, Minnesota where Sinclair Lewis Days are now held each year. Jon cites interviews with Lewis, Anderson and Masters in the 1930s and 40s in which they expressed their opposition to the revolt from the village thesis. I didnt revolt against my village, Masters said. There never was anything to this revolt from the village business. Anderson echoed that view: Theres no such thing as revolting or rebelling or whatever it is they want to call it. Editors and critics of the era knew of those statements but rejected them as not supportive of the narrative they were determined to promote. We all have our narratives, our go-to assumptions and biases. Its OK to have such guideposts. Just make sure to keep them in proper balance. Its amazing how life can surprise us with complications and inconvenient truths. Geitner Simmons, a longtime student of Nebraska government, is a writer at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a former World-Herald editorial page editor. Views do not represent UNL. Twitter: @GeitnerSimmons Email: gcolumn@gmail.com Tensions in Ukraine have reached a boiling point. As Russia continues its massive military buildup on the border of its neighbor, the State Department has ordered families of diplomats to leave Kyiv. NATO announced it is putting forces on standby and sending additional ships and fighter jets to NATO deployments in Eastern Europe. And yet many in the United States respond to these developments along the border of Russia and Ukraine with a collective shrug. Here, I address three common responses to the crisis. First: This is Ukraines problem. Its not worth American lives and we are tired of endless wars. This is a common and sensible response, but it ignores the many tools of deterrence other than U.S. military involvement in a hot war in Ukraine. Before an invasion occurs, we can arm Ukraine to the teeth to ensure any decision by Putin to invade is a costly one. We can provide world-class military advisers to help Ukraine prepare its defense. We can impose diplomatic and economic costs right now to signal that Russias coercive military build-up is unacceptable. Russia is not invincible Sen. Mitt Romneys recent barb that Russia is currently a gas station parading as a country reflects its middling per-capita GDP and negative population growth rate. That means that, if we act as a united front with our NATO allies, there still may be time to change Putins decision calculus. Second: We should be more concerned about our southern border than Ukraines. This is more political whataboutism than a real policy objection. As President Obama once noted, the federal government should be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. There is no reason to think that wise and deliberate action in Ukraine will distract U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Texas and Arizona. Third: Where were you Republican hawks when Trump was appeasing Putin? The truth in this statement doesnt make it helpful. Trumps haphazard foreign policy undermined NATO at every turn. But President Biden promised that American is back, and I-told-you-sos wont further American interests or ensure Ukrainians safety and freedom of self-government. A Russian invasion of Ukraine would be nothing short of disastrous. It would lead to starvation and displacement of millions of Ukrainians. Thousands of civilians would die, since Russian forces have no regard for international humanitarian law (as theyve proven with indiscriminate bombing of hospitals in Syria). But the effects of a Russian invasion would also be felt throughout Europe and the world, directly threatening Poland and the Baltic States and unsettling global economies. President Biden was elected largely based on his promise to restore Americas standing in the world as a champion of freedom and democracy. Heres his chance to prove it but he has to act now. Jay Jackson is an Omaha attorney with a master of laws in international law. He also is a military veteran with six overseas deployments. President Xi Jinping extended Spring Festival greetings to all Chinese people during his visit to north China's Shanxi Province from Wednesday to Thursday. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, wished Chinese people of all ethnic groups, compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and overseas Chinese healthier and happier lives in the Year of the Tiger, and expressed his hope that the motherland would increase in prosperity and strength. This year's Spring Festival falls on Feb. 1. Xi, as the Party's top leader, has for 10 consecutive years visited people at the primary level -- especially those from disadvantaged groups -- ahead of the Spring Festival, the most important holiday in the Chinese calendar and an occasion for family reunions. Xi on Wednesday visited the people of Fengnanyuan Village in Huozhou City, one of the places hit hard by floods last October. Xi learned about local post-disaster reconstruction, crop replanting, improvements to the local disaster relief and emergency response system, and measures to keep people warm in the winter. When he sat down with a family to hear about their day-to-day lives, Xi said that locals who have been affected by the disaster are often in his thoughts and that he chose the village as his first stop to see the reconstruction and recovery first hand. Xi stressed the need to dovetail reconstruction with rural vitalization, improve integrated river basin management, and improve the capacity for disaster prevention, mitigation and relief. Later that afternoon, Xi went to Duancun Village in Fenxi County. In a villager's home, Xi checked the kitchen, the bedroom and the sheepfold, and asked about the family's income and their life. Xi was pleased to learn that the family, after shaking off poverty in late 2016, has prospered through raising sheep and seeking work in other places. "The CPC's resolve to ensure all Chinese people live happy lives has remained unchanged for more than a century, and it will not falter," Xi said. Speaking in front of villagers at a local square, Xi said that the fundamental purpose of the Party is to strive to ensure people's happy lives. Noting that the goal of building a modern socialist country cannot be attained without the modernization of agriculture and rural areas, Xi urged efforts to consolidate the achievements of poverty eradication, advance rural vitalization, and improve people's lives. Touring Pingyao, one of the best-preserved ancient walled cities in China and a UNESCO world heritage site, on Thursday, Xi called for more efforts to conserve the country's cultural heritage and protect "the valuable treasure left to us by our ancestors." At a museum in Pingyao, he said the unique traditional Chinese culture should be promoted more to contribute to economic and social development and people's quality life. Dropping by souvenir shops inside the ancient walled city, Xi shopped cooked beef and vinegar as festive purchases for his family. People in China usually eat dumplings with vinegar. Xi even took part in vinegar-making in a workshop. He also visited a lacquerware shop and demanded cultural treasures such as the traditional lacquering skill be better protected. "We should promote traditional cultural industries with distinctive Chinese features to the rest of the world," said Xi. On COVID-19 response, Xi warned that the pandemic is still spreading worldwide and new features of transmission have shown. He told local authorities to stay alert, adopt science-based and targeted control measures and ensure people's safety and necessities. With the winter power and heat supply in mind, Xi on Thursday afternoon inspected a company that has made progress in the clean and efficient utilization of coal in recent years. There, he visited an intelligent fuel management center, a laboratory and a coal yard, among other facilities. "Carbon peaking and carbon neutrality are not something asked of us, but something we are doing on our own initiative," Xi said, adding that the goals cannot be achieved easily but efforts must be made immediately. He called for strengthening domestic energy production, ensuring the supply of coal and facilitating the clean and low-carbon development of the coal industry. Efforts should be made to accelerate green and low-carbon technological breakthroughs and continuously upgrade China's industrial structure to achieve the goals of carbon peaking and neutrality proactively and steadily, Xi said. The supply of power and heat is vital to the overall economic development and social stability, Xi said. He urged major enterprises, especially state-owned enterprises, to lead by example in maintaining the stability of supply and prices to ensure that people stay safe and warm in winter. Xi asked Shanxi to actively serve and integrate into the country's new development paradigm, coordinate COVID-19 containment with economic and social development, promote the steady improvement of people's lives, and continuously make breakthroughs in high-quality development. New leader I have been a faithful supporter of Jeff Fortenberry since he was first elected in 2004. For the most part, his voting record has reflected both my views and the district at large. But, frankly, over the years, as his seniority within Congress has grown, I have been disappointed he hasnt taken more of a leadership role within his fellow congressmen. He consistently gets reelected with large margins and returns to Congress every two years, seemingly content with being part of the pack. This fall, he was indicted on charges of lying to the FBI. The Republican caucus stripped him of all his committee assignments, leaving our district no representation on any congressional committees. He recently filed for reelection. Our district deserves the chance to have a conservative leader who reflects Nebraska values on the ballot this fall. Fortenberry has had 18 years. Its somebody elses turn. David Chapin, Lincoln Russia and Ukraine President Biden, why are you pressing Russia over the Ukraine? They border Russia and are within Russias geopolitical sphere of influence. How would you like Russia meddling with countries bordering the U.S. within our political sphere of influence? Ukraine should not be encouraged or pressured to join NATO. And, Russia should be assured of this. No reason exists for Ukraine to be a NATO member. All we are doing is risking a third European war! Brandon Hahn, Elkhorn Nebraskas next governor Reading my tea leaves, I can see that Nebraskas next governor will be a member of the Democratic Party. The top Republican candidates for that office are too flawed. Democrat Carol Blood on the other hand, is a serious candidate who is qualified, and has a history of working for military families during her years as a Nebraska state senator from Bellevue. From all my years of observing politics, I can confidently call the 2022 governors race for Carol Blood of Bellevue. Ricky Fulton, Omaha Health and politics I do not understand how the Douglas County health director can issue a mask mandate and that is supposedly illegal, while the governor a politician can tell a hospital not to perform any non-emergency surgeries and that is legal. Im so glad that I live in a state where the government knows more than doctors. Ha! I believe in the science of medicine not the politics of ignorance. Governor Ricketts: take the politics out of my health. Cathy Christensen, Omaha Gun permits In their Midlands Voices (Jan. 18), State Sen. Tom Brewer and John Lott Jr. advocated for carrying concealed weapons without a permit. Theyre entitled to their opinion. But I bet if you asked the families of victims killed in all the mass shootings in America, they might have a different answer. A waiting period for a permit is a reasonable approach to help cool off some hothead who wants to shoot his boss and co-workers. And since most mass shootings happen with semi-automatic weapons, limiting their availability also seems reasonable. Senator Brewer and John Lott Jr., heres your chance to amaze us with your plan for reducing mass shootings. Go for it. Just one more thing: the ramifications good or bad of carrying a weapon without a permit wont be known for years. I sure the hope the 34 states that enacted the law know what there doing. George Mills, Omaha Prison coverage I want to commend Henry J. Cordes and extend appreciation for his in-depth investigative reporting on what has led to Nebraskas unfortunate nation-leading prison growth. (Nebraska Gun Law Sparks Nation-Leading Prison Growth, Jan. 9). It was exhaustively researched, very informative, and I value his and the World Heralds efforts to keep the public informed of local issues. I am sure many of your other readers also wondered what was the cause of Nebraskas chronic prison overcrowding. We are very lucky that we continue to have a newspaper that provides this service to our community. Kellye Rouw, Omaha COVID lawsuits The Nebraska attorney general and the governor really need to stop wasting state officials and employees time on stupid lawsuits against our own health departments. Governor Ricketts is wasting taxpayer money in order to grandstand. They hemorrhage money from our state budge that should be going to items like crime prevention and youth services. Douglas County Heath Director Lindsay Huse is focused on trying to control the spread of diseases that are hampering our communities stability; she deserves to be respected and supported in that effort. Threatening her office with a lawsuit is a waste of time and money, both of which should be used to address issues that can actually improve the living conditions of Nebraskans. Let the health departments do their job of caring for the residents of Nebraska without the threat of retribution from their own state government. Editors Note: Taylor Vidmar is a student in the Public Affairs Reporting program at University of Illinois Springfield. She is a reporting intern at the Capitol for Lee Enterprises. Illinois has, for decades, laid out a nutrient reduction strategy aimed at reducing the amount of nitrogen, phosphorous and other nutrients that run off into its waterways. The nutrient loss reduction effort is outlined in the regular Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy Implementation Biennial Report, which showed this year that Illinois is far from living up to its goals, especially when it comes to runoff from agricultural fields. As a short-term goal, the state aimed to reduce nitrates and nitrogen by 15% and phosphorus by 25% by 2025, but the latest update showed that nutrient loss increased by 13% and phosphorus losses increased by 35%, compared with a baseline period from 1980 to 1996. Experts say a mixture of state policy shortfalls and the challenging nature of adopting new farming practices are contributing factors to Illinois inability to meet nutrient reduction goals. Some of the key agricultural practices to combat nutrient loss and help reach a longer-term goal of a 45% reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus pollution are conservation tillage, testing the soil before applying phosphorus fertilizer, using the maximum return on nitrogen rate for nitrogen fertilizer, putting grass buffers on waterways, and using cover crops. Through cover planting in the fall, farmers can plant certain crops, like cereal rye, clover, and radishes, to protect from erosion, improve soil quality and reduce fertilizer runoff. These plants hold soil and scavenge surplus fertilizer during the early rainy months before cash crops emerge. Illinois farmers planted 1.4 million acres of cover crops in 2019, according to the report. This marked a 135% increase from 2011. But the report also showed that number should be 21 million acres in order to meet the EPAs nutrient loss reduction goals. Cover crops cost about $30 to $50 an acre to plant. Some require special equipment to plant and require planning and testing to be successful. A state program, called Fall Cover Crops for Spring Savings, offers a $5-per-acre discount on crop insurance, but demand for the program is far outpacing the availability even as its funding was doubled this year. But besides the costs, it will take a major cultural shift for more farmers to adopt cover planting, said Cliff Schuette, district sales manager in southern Illinois for Stine Seed Co. Some farmers fear that the soil alone wont provide enough nutrients to sustain cash crops like corn and soybeans, Schuette said. It can also be daunting to embrace new strategies when it seems like the old ones are working. In reality, he said, increased fertilizer use can facilitate soil loss. Most farmers lose anywhere from two to five tons of soil per acre each year, which is about the thickness of a dime. According to Schuette, this change might not be noticeable at first but can have lasting impacts on soil quality over time. Schuette works one-on-one with his customers to help them select the best cover crops. Basically, what I'm trying to do is mimic the prairie before we got here, he said. But fertilizer use is still necessary for many farmers, said Jeff Kirwan, who farms about 2,500 acres south of the Quad City area. Planting cover crops can also help fertilizers work more efficiently. I look at it as kind of a symbiotic relationship, Kirwan said. The cover crops provide us cover on the ground all the time. We're sequestering nutrients. We're holding nutrients so that when we do apply things, they don't immediately leave the farm. Other farmers like Kirwan are looking to maximize the effects of fertilizer application while still preventing nutrient loss and fertilizer runoff. Josh Sullivan, a farmer from Morrisonville, said 2021 was the first year he used a banding approach to fertilizer application instead of the more common broadcast method. Banding fertilizer is a more time-consuming method of spreading fertilizer all around the crops, so its actually in the soil as opposed to just on top of it. Broadcasting, the other more widespread method of distributing fertilizer, can lead to soil erosion and runoff, he said. In addition to preventing soil loss, there can be multiple other benefits for farmers planting more cover crops. Less fertilizer use means less pollution in the environment, and it also means money saved for farmers using costly fertilizers. Some farmers still might not see enough incentive to rethink their planting strategies. Inclement weatherlike this years rains, which caused many farmers to push back their harvestscan make it difficult for farmers to successfully grow cover crops, Kirwan said. Another obstacle farmers face is the amount of planning cover planting requires. Schuette recommends planning over a year in advance based on what cash crops will be planted in the future. Increasing government-funded incentives tied to crop insurance, Schuette said, could help encourage more farmers to increase their cover crop acreage despite these challenges. Thats something that lawmakers are trying to accomplish this year through Senate Bill 3471, the latest measure aimed at increasing resources for nutrient reduction efforts and extending the state programs that make up the bulk of the nutrient reduction effort. That includes increasing funding from $14 million to more than $25 million for conservation efforts by 2027. Though this isnt an issue that hits the front page, it is an important one and one that we should make sure we make a priority, Sen. Ram Villivalam, a Chicago Democrat who sponsors the measure, said of the program. Still, for many, the biggest challenge to overcome is their own mindsets. This has to change, and change is hard, Schuette said. But change is going to have to happen, otherwise, I feel that mandates will be coming down the road. Catie Gregg, agricultural program specialist for Prairie Rivers Network, agreed that participation in voluntary incentive programs, like the cover crop program, may not be enough to meet the goals in the NLRS. If we continue to not see improvements, or things are getting worse, as seen in the 2021 NLRS report, we will need to look at a broader range of strategies that may include both voluntary programs and requiring certain best management practices, Gregg said. Capitol News Illinois reporter Beth Hundsdorfer contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Editors Note: Andrew Adams is a student in the public affairs reporting program at University of Illinois Springfield who is a reporting intern at the Capitol for the State Journal-Register in Springfield. SPRINGFIELD - Off the southern coast of the U.S., there is an area six times the size of Rhode Island where every summer oxygen levels fall so low that it kills fish and plant life. Over the past five years, its grown. This dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico has caused between $552 million and $2.4 billion in damages, almost all of which could have been prevented by using farming techniques which rely less on fertilizers, according to a June 2020 report from the Union of Concerned Scientists. This dead zone is largely caused by nutrient runoff resulting from modern farming practices, which involve using fertilizers to introduce large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus to the environment. Its becoming more of an issue since the late 1960s or thereabout, said Richard Cooke, an agricultural engineer and professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. There has been an increase in fertilizer use. Over the past 30 years, this, as well as other sources of pollution, have caused nitrogen and phosphorus levels in Illinois waterways to increase, according to data from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Nutrient movement in the environment is nothing new. Its a natural process that occurs everywhere there is soil and water, according to Cooke. Nutrients flow into water bodies. Organisms use this in their metabolic processes, Cooke said. Nitrogen and phosphorus are often the limiting factor for the growth of aquatic organisms, like algae and bacteria. When more of these are introduced, they start to grow and multiply, eventually depleting oxygen. When too much oxygen is depleted, the environment can become hypoxic, causing dead zones, like the one in the Gulf of Mexico. Anything that needs oxygen to live will need to move out of the area or die, Cooke said. Beyond the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, runoff can disrupt freshwater bodies in the state, like lakes, rivers and streams. Freshwater cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae, can grow when excess nitrogen or phosphorus is introduced, such as from nutrient runoff. These cyanobacteria can produce microcystins, among other problems. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency monitors bodies of water in Illinois for these toxins, which they call harmful algal blooms. Then they can reproduce rapidly and create a bloom, then that's it, said Alex Terlep, an environmental protection specialist with the IEPA. Since 2015, there have been at least a dozen blooms which have enough toxins to be potentially hazardous to people each year, according to records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. Microcystin is a hepatotoxin its a liver toxin, Terlep said. It can also cause skin rashes, irritation in your nostrils and lungs and at extremely high doses it can be a neurotoxin. The IEPA advises managers of water bodies with high toxin levels to limit public access to water bodies with harmful algal blooms, which can be ingested accidentally while swimming. These toxins can be fatal for small animals like dogs. Lowering nutrient levels A group in Illinois has been aiming to identify and implement techniques to lower the amount of nutrients in Illinois waterways. The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy is an initiative involving more than 25 state agencies and organizations, including the IEPA and Sierra Club. Cooke is working on new techniques which he hopes will be added to the strategy during the next update. The 2021 NLRS report outlined dozens of programs to reduce nutrient loss from agriculture, urban stormwater systems and individual sources of pollution. Potential solutions include planting cover crops in the offseason to reduce soil erosion, using techniques that dont require tilling the soil and changing the way fields are irrigated. Despite efforts, nutrient levels in Illinois water have generally increased in recent years, in part because of lower levels of implementation than the NLRS report suggested. Lawmakers are working on a measure, Senate Bill 3471, to increase funding for reduction strategies in an effort to bring the state closer to outlined goals. But there might be a new way to incentivize implementation of new techniques in the agricultural sector: big businesses paying farmers to sequester carbon to offset their emissions. My God, thats a big deal right now, said Mark Litteken, a farmer with 120 acres in Clinton County. Were getting ready to try to be part of a program where we can measure carbon sequestration. Major companies like Bayer and Cargill have started programs to pay farmers to implement new farming practices which capture carbon and improve soil health which also reduces nutrient loss. The company will pay U.S. farmers for implementing climate-smart farming practices such as cover crops or strip- or no-till, said Brian Leake, a representative of Bayer Crop Sciences. Bayers program pays $9 per acre per year for implementing these practices. Leake claims that more than 1,000 farmers around the U.S. are participating in the program. These two key practices lock carbon into the soil, helping with greenhouse gas reduction, Leake said. Beyond generating additional income for farmers, these climate-smart farming practices help enable growers to benefit from improved soil health, which could lead to improved yield, profitability and sustainability in the future. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A $10 million project funded by the USDAs National Institute of Food and Agriculture has been launched with the idea of improving diversification, sustainability and resilience on Midwestern farms. Exactly what that means is a bit fuzzy, however. The five-year study involves academicians from several universities in Midwestern states. They are working on setting up meetings with others in agriculture to determine, among other things, how farmers can lessen their reliance on a monocrop systems. I would like to have at the end of five years a vision of how policies can be changed, said Linda Prokopy, a horticulture professor at Purdue University. Maybe well find out that corn and soybeans really are the best fit. We may find that were completely wrong and everything is the best it can be. But I think we can do a lot better. The elusive so-called third crop could be pennycress, hemp or something else to rotate with corn and soybeans. One barrier especially with industrial hemp has been marketing. Thats something researchers will examine. Market development will be a big part of that, Prokopy said. Well experiment by setting up pilot markets for different crops. The project officially has six objectives. They include development of the agricultural value chain, modeling impacts of landscape scenarios on the ecosystem and looking at policy recommendations to establish conditions required for economic vitality. Among the official outline is the goal of having participants consider ethical choices and sustainability of outcomes. Prokopy acknowledges that some of the language is a bit cloudy. It has the potential to be pie in the sky, she said. Its pie in the sky in terms of putting everything aside and really visioning, then grounding it back in reality. How can we make those work? Another charge is the creation of sessions at the local, state and federal levels that allow participants to consider ethical choices and sustainability outcomes. That language is in there because we have brought in a couple of ethicists on the project, Prokopy said. I want to be able to facilitate stepping back from the conversation a little bit. Who do we want to be? This country is divided: red versus blue, vaccines versus no vaccines. Under that we all have similar goals. Having ethicists lets us guide a conversation to help people open up to think about what we should be doing. She described social barriers mentioned in the study as farming peer pressure. Thats about community norms, she said. Other farmers looking down on you, like in cover crops. Weve already seen that. Another example might be the reactions no-till practitioners first got when they left stubble in their fields instead of smoothly tilled soil. While Purdue leads the project, researchers from the University of Illinois, Iowa State University, the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin are also involved. There are several NGOs (non-governmental organizations) like the Practical Farmers of Iowa, Prokopy said. Its a really diverse group. There are some practical goals. They include looking at the effects of certain crops on water quality and the impact of reintegrating livestock onto cropland. We dont expect to diversify the Corn Belt in five years, obviously, Prokopy said. But we want to start to see a vision of the potentiality of a different landscape and determine what kind of policies could support that transition. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The supply chain issues plaguing the country have highlighted the problems inherent in the trucking industry. But hiring out farmers during the off-season may not be the answer. There are practical reasons why grain haulers arent typically used for other loads. That includes regulations as well as the physical makeup of farm trucks. Theyre not like box trailers or reefers that haul to grocery stores and other places, said Donna Stearns, owner of Hoploads, a company that matches drivers with loads. Also, farmers who have trucks with hopper bodies are usually only insured for a 50- or 100-mile radius. Stearns said it is not practical for truckers to lease out their rigs or themselves as drivers. Its a huge hassle to change everything over, she said. Farmers get a break on insurance, but can legally only go 50 to 100 miles from the farm. A lot of farmers arent going to lease their trucks out because they dont have rigs with sleepers; theyre for short runs. You might find a few of them trying to do that, but then they have to get licenses for every state. Thats not going to happen. Theres too much to do. Many short-haul trucking companies change loads and trailers according to seasonal needs. Thats the case with Eagle Valley Trucking in Illinois. This is our propane season, said Steve Johnson. The ag trucking that we do is anhydrous ammonia in the spring and fall. In the winter we convert those trailers over to haul propane. It seems that more farmers today have their own trucks than in the past, though they seldom lease them out to other trucking companies. We used to do a lot of grain hauling, said Den DeMeyer of Grayslake Feed Sales in northern Illinois. Now we pretty much haul commodities such as feed ingredients. We dont do much for farmers anymore. One reason is price. We dont haul for farmers because we cant charge them enough, DeMeyer said. Many of them own their own trucks and can do it cheaper. Stearns said rather than a major trucking shortage, he places the blame for the supply chain problem at the feet of federal regulations and even more restrictive ones in California. Theres not the big shortage that everybody thinks. Its because of the regulations on drivers, she said. There isnt really a driver shortage. Its because of California, with container shortages. And truckers get to the store and cant get unloaded. They sit and wait. The way the regulations are, they cant use that as (rest) time. Federal regulations limit truckers to 14 hours driving time less if they have driven the previous day. While not every company is experiencing trucker shortages, most agree that they do everything they can to keep the ones they have. Right now I dont any shortages, said Don Kutinello of A.G. Transportation Systems, based in Lombard, Ill. I have somebody in all my trucks. But they are getting harder and harder to find. DeMeyer has the same thoughts. Were doing all right, he said. But its definitely hard to replace drivers if you lose them. That is an issue. I dont think its a matter of pay. I think grass is greener elsewhere. People dont want to drive a truck anymore. Johnson of Eagle Valley does have a slight issue with staffing. We have two or three open trucks that we could fill, he said. We had a bit of a shortage this summer one guy who resigned and we hired someone in his place. Were keeping up right now, but when spring rolls around well probably be looking for more drivers. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 MACON For Paul Butler, time spent in the field is the most fun part of farming. Much of what farmers do could be described as business management paperwork, taxes, marketing, and more said Butler, who farms in Macon and Logan counties. And all that work isnt nearly as fun as working in the field. The fieldwork, the actual act of farming, is a pretty small percentage of the work that we do anymore, he said. Soon, it might not be part of it at all. John Deeres fully autonomous tractor consists of its 8R tractor and 2430 chisel plow, combined with six pairs of stereo cameras and an advanced artificial intelligence system that allow the tractor to navigate itself. The high-tech vehicle emblazoned with the Moline company's iconic deer logo marks a massive leap forward for farmers, who will have a solution for improving yields and efficiencies. That could mean a shift in a crucial sector of the economy that generates billions for the state every year. According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, the marketing of agricultural commodities in Illinois alone makes over $19 billion annually. Related industries like ag manufacturing and food production contribute additional billions to the state's economy. John Deere has long been a major contributor to Illinois' economy. The Fortune 500 company's world headquarters are located in Moline, providing numerous jobs in the Quad-City area. John Deere reported a worldwide net revenue of over $44 billion for 2021. One reason for the agriculture industry's push towards automation is that the demographics of farming are changing, said Stuart Birrell, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering at Iowa State University. The average American farmer is getting older and farm workers' skill sets are changing. Well-calibrated machines can be more effective and productive than can humans, he said. "The modern combines and the modern tractors, they are so big and their performance so high that only a few of them need to be built," Birrell said. "You're really looking at a custom build, sort of like a Lamborghini versus just a normal run of the mill car." The real question, Birrell said, is will John Deere's autonomous technology prove worthy of such a high investment or become a liability for farmers? No one inside these vehicles Companies like Tesla Inc. have been developing and testing self-driving cars for decades. Tesla's autopilot technology currently allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel and eyes off the road, similar to the autosteer features many farmers have in their tractors today. The main difference between most self-driving cars and John Deere's autonomous tractor is that the tractor requires no person inside. The fully autonomous 8R tractor must first be transported to a field and given coordinates to follow. From there, farmers can control the process via a smartphone app which allows them to start and stop the machine, monitor its progress, and adjust its speed and depth. The tractor can only till land; it cant autonomously perform other tasks like seeding or harvesting. Farmers could theoretically run the tractor 24/7 with it only requiring breaks every 8 to ten hours for refueling. John Deere, which declined an interview request for this story, said the tractor will be available for purchase later this year but did not specify when. The development comes as farms across the country experience sharp labor shortages, with 2020 census data showing increasing amounts of Americans moving away from rural areas. Self-driving tractors could eliminate some farms need for additional labor, said Andy Dole, a sixth generation family farmer from Mattoon. Without a doubt, this is going to have a huge positive impact on the employment issues, Dole said. Labor issues in farming have worsened during the pandemic as many other industries experience worker shortages. This makes any autonomous technology more attractive to farmers who cant find or cant afford to hire additional workers, according to Mattoon farmer Kris Heller. Being able to take somebody out of that seat and have them doing something else is a valuable asset, he said. For Deere, the self-driving tractor is marketed as a way to feed the world. According to Virginia Techs 2020 Global Agricultural Productivity Report, the global population is expected to grow to nearly 10 billion people by 2050. To feed that many people, agricultural productivity must also increase an average rate of 1.73% per year. In addition to meeting increased food demands, self-driving tractors also have a more personal appeal, Dole said giving farmers a break. Farmers are typically a breed that work themselves to death, he said. The ability to monitor a tractors progress away from the field could mean more time for family dinners or kids sporting events. That could reduce stress and improve the overall mental health and well-being of all farm laborers, he said. Still, some are hesitant to trust new technology. Part of that might be due age differences, Butler said. People whove been in the industry longer tend to be slower to adapt to new advancements. But farmers of all ages care about their machinery and might be skeptical of technology that John Deere says can detect and avoid obstacles. Anything from rocks to deer antlers could be half buried in dirt and could cause thousands of dollars in damage to equipment if not properly avoided, Butler said. Heller worries increased reliance on autonomous machinery could lead to the loss of valuable knowledge some farmers have been honing for decades. They know every problem area, every good spot, he said. They just know the ground that they farm and have farmed for years. Some family farmers also fear that new technology like John Deeres self-driving tractor might make it harder for smaller operations to compete with larger corporate farms. But even as the new tractor enters the market this year, many local farmers will probably still not be able to afford it, said Jack Bartholomew, Operations Manager at Bottom Line Solutions in Morton. John Deere hasnt released official pricing yet, but Bartholomew estimates a full system, complete with the 8R tractor, plow, and autonomous tech, will likely cost upwards of $700,000. John Deere has said the self-driving system will retrofit back on some recently-purchased John Deere tractors. Farmers might also run into repair issues with new, more complex systems, Bartholomew said. John Deere has in the past faced criticism for its controversial right-to-repair policies, which some farmers say make it more difficult for them to repair machinery on their own. It could take decades for autonomous tractors to become the new normal. Bartholomew still sells new autosteer systems to farmers across central Illinois, and the first hands-free autosteer tractor was introduced in the late 1990s. There's a curve for people who like technology, Bartholomew said. Then there's the next group that sits back to wait to see what happens. The financial outlook While some sit back and wait, investors continue to push the ag industry closer to an automated future. Venture capitalist firm AgFunder's 2021 Farm Tech Investment Report found that annual Investment in farm technology jumped from $1.1 billion in 2012 to $7.9 billion in 2020. A December study from PitchBook Data Inc. similarly found that investors put a record $1.54 billion into AI agriculture software companies in 2021, compared to $1.42 billion in 2020 and a combined $1.03 billion in 2018 and 2019. In just a few decades, farming could change dramatically. With industry giants like John Deere pushing automation, real-life farming might end up mimicking computer games like FarmVille, Bartholomew said. Who knows? You know, 10 to 20 years from now, there could be a couple of people sitting in an office in front of a whole bunch of computer screens, basically running (a farm), he said. Its that very idea that makes some farmers nervous, that the fun aspects of farming will become rarer. I think there's some fear of having that being taken away, Butler said. But Dole said he chooses to be cautiously optimistic. Innovation in agriculture is necessary to increasing food production and ensuring American farms can compete on the global stage. If our competitors are doing it, we're only giving ourselves a disadvantage by not at least giving it a shot, he said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 NORMAL When describing Bloomington-Normal, one might offer a variety of answers. It's the Twin Cities. BloNo. A great place to raise a family. It's a place where great things are happening just look at the millions of dollars major businesses like Rivian and Ferrero have invested in the community over the last year. "The biggest takeaway is that momentum is on our side," said Patrick Hoban, president and CEO of the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council. "The numbers last year were better than expected when it comes to investments and projects in the pipeline. "We just need to make sure that we are capitalizing on the opportunities and preparing for the future." During a quarterly update on economic development in McLean County on Thursday, Hoban announced the EDC is launching a new branding initiative to take advantage of the region's rapid growth. Last year, 286 building permits were filed in McLean County, accounting for $268.9 million in investments. The number of permits is up from 172 in 2020, for a total $290 million investment. Hoban said the total dollar amount did not pass the previous year due because the size of the projects were smaller. And, while the region has not totally recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, the overall unemployment in Bloomington-Normal is down, Hoban said. Data released Thursday showed Bloomington had a 3.3% unemployment rate compared to 4.3% across the state. Retail sales are also trending at a much higher rate than previous years, Hoban said. As the region continues to grow, the EDC wants to leverage its recent successes to build a unified brand that will help market the area to potential investors, Hoban said. To do that, the organization has contracted the New York City-based Development Counsellors International (DCI) to survey and analyze Bloomington-Normal residents to find out what makes the area so attractive. Over the course of the next five months, DCI will create a brand package which the development council will execute. "Our goal is to create a unified message amongst businesses and residents that we can champion to retain talent and attract new talent," said Hoban. Uniform tax incentives package During the Thursday afternoon presentation, Hoban said that a uniform economic incentive package is close to becoming a reality in the coming weeks. Under the plan, a company looking to locate or expand within the Bloomington-Normal Enterprise Zone could get between three to five years of property tax abatements The Bloomington-Normal Enterprise Zone spans parts of Bloomington, Normal, Gibson City and McLean and Ford counties. It was created by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity in 2017. Local governing bodies, including Bloomington and Normal city councils, passed the uniform tax incentive package over the summer. It is now awaiting approval from the IDCEO, which Hoban said is expected to sign off on it in the next few weeks. Housing study coming soon Analyzing housing in the Bloomington-Normal area remains a top priority for the EDC. In recent months elected, city council officials from both communities have expressed a concern for affordable housing needs. Hoban said the EDC is planning to partner with the McLean County Regional Planning Commission and the chamber of commerce to conduct a housing study. Weve heard from multiple people that they would take jobs here if they could find somewhere to live," Hoban said. "There are a lot of housing projects going on. They are similar housing projects that are continuing from before. Contact Sierra Henry at 309-820-3234. Follow her on Twitter: @pg_sierrahenry. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BLOOMINGTON The lawyer who represented a former Bloomington piano instructor on child sexual assault and child pornography charges has withdrawn from the case despite five more trials expected to be held for other alleged victims. Aaron M. Parlier, 40, was sentenced two weeks ago to 450 years in prison after he was found guilty in an October bench trial of 10 counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a minor and 10 counts of child pornography production. Judge Casey Costigan granted defense lawyer Gal Pissetzkys motion to withdraw after about 20 minutes of arguments Friday, as the McLean County States Attorneys Office asked for the motion to be denied. A lawyer from the McLean County Public Defenders Office will be appointed to represent Parlier for the remaining trials. Parlier faces natural life in prison if he is convicted of an additional sexual assault of a minor charge. Pissetzky said the agreement between him and Parlier has concluded. He said Parlier has become indigent because he has been incarcerated since his 2018 arrest, and that his family, who has supported Parlier, ran out of money. Prosecutors accused Pissetzky of deploying delay tactics. The next trial was originally scheduled to begin Feb. 14, but that has been postponed to potentially start in April. A March 2 status hearing is scheduled to review the public defenders readiness for trial. Assistant States Attorney Erika Reynolds said the victim in the next trial objects to a continuance and wants to get on with her life, while raising the same concerns for the other four alleged victims. She said Pissetzky should have alerted the public defenders office sooner about withdrawing from the case. There is no way that the PDs office is going to be able to enter in this case today and be ready for trial in a month, so essentially, we are going to delay this case and start over, Reynolds said. Public defense lawyer Brian McEldowney later told the judge that for their office to do due diligence, they would prefer to review all of the pre-trial rulings and transcripts in the case. Prosecutors also scoffed at Pissetzkys plan to continue representing Parlier at the appellate court level on an appeal of his 450-year sentence from the first trial. The fact that he is going to continue to represent him on appeal shows how disingenuous this request is, Reynolds told the judge. Pissetzky, however, argued that the post-trial appeal has no relevance to future trials, noting it is handled at a different court level and jurisdiction. He said pre-trial litigation in the next trial still needs to be handled. I would have to prepare for it just as much as the public defenders office, Pissetzky said. Costigan acknowledged the competing constitutional rights: the victims assertion for a timely disposition and the defenses right to counsel. The judge said the public defender appointed to the case will have to come up to speed, noting the case has been pending for quite some time. McEldowney, of the public defenders office, said, Well do our best, your honor. Contact Kade Heather at 309-820-3256. Follow him on Twitter: @kadeheather Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. NORMAL The Red Note New Music Festival is returning to Illinois State University next month, bringing together student and professional composers and performers to learn and celebrate music composition. The organizers are glad to be back in person after doing an online festival last year, said ISU Associate Professor and Composer Carl Schimmel. Its been a long time without that, he said. The event brings together student composers from across the country with professional composers and performers for workshops, performances and a composition competitions spread across a week. The composers include ISU composition faculty members, along with guest composers. This year the guest composers are Missy Mazzoli and Bright Sheng. Sheng is on the faculty at the University of Michigan and Mazzoli was recently composer-in-residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Both are active composers and are prominent in the composing world today. Both of those composers write music that I think would appeal to a lot of people, Schimmer said. Mazzoli is looking forward to the opportunity to work with students from across the country and see what they are doing in composition and how she can help them, she said. Festivals like these give students a chance to go beyond working with just a few different professors, or even just one professor, at their own university, she said. I think its really helpful to work with as many teachers as possible for young people coming up, she said. The students attending Red Note will include graduate students and undergraduates, from as far away as the East Coast and Texas. Their application process, done back in October, included submitting a piece they had composed. The students will have a chance at the festival to workshop their pieces with Sheng, Mazzoli and the ISU faculty. Normally around 80 students apply for the workshop, Schimmel said. About one-tenth of the students are invited to attend. Helping them with the workshop, and performing the pieces in public concerts each evening during the festival, will be two guest featured performers h2 Saxophone Quartet and Hub New Music. The festival is focused on new music, defined broadly as anything being composed today. University of Iowa graduate student Wenxin Li said she likes to include extended techniques in her pieces, which allow the instruments to create sounds beyond their normal function like multiphonics. She wrote her piece for h2, and had never written for saxophone quartet before. For saxophone quartet, I always think of energy and fun, Li said. Writing the piece for a festival gives her a chance to work on her piece alongside the performers, something that is not always possible. At festivals, we can go there and talk to the performers ... I feel this collaboration is the most important part of the festivals, Li said. Ben Rieke, an undergraduate composer at Indiana University, said he has been interested in composing since he was in high school. Composing is the thing I like doing more than anything else, he said. He enjoys composing and going beyond the conventions that have been established in the Western tradition. The past dogmas of music have been broken down, he said, allowing composers to explore and create their own parameters for music, even including notation. Mazzoli likes writing music that builds on the classical tradition but uses the broader options available to composers today. Its about having the most wide, expansive palette at your disposal, she said. The festival runs Feb. 6 through Feb. 10 and includes free concerts at 8 p.m. every night. Most of the performances are in Kemp Recital Hall, with the Feb. 10 performance at the Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall. There will also be livestreams of the performances, linked at www.finearts.illinoisstate.edu/red-note. The students pieces will be performed by the guest performers on Feb. 8. Rieke is looking forward to having the chance to work with the artists at the festival and to be invited to join them. Its really encouraging to have your work noticed like this, Rieke said. Contact Connor Wood at (309)820-3240. Follow Connor on Twitter: @connorkwood Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ATLANTA Two $1,000 grants are heading down Route 66 this week to Lincoln and Atlanta. The Logan County Tourism Bureaus Mill Museum and City of Atlanta Tourism each were selected to receive grants as part of the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway program that aims to support events, marketing and projects that help preserve the states history of Route 66 and promote travel to the communities along its way. The Mill Museum was once a popular restaurant for Route 66 travelers, but today it houses collections from the former eatery as well as from The Tropics another former Lincoln restaurant and the Pig Hip Restaurant, which was located south of Lincoln in Broadwell before it closed. The tourism bureau plans to expand the Mill Museum by building a pavilion for events. An event with live music and food trucks would be great, especially on Sundays when many local restaurants are closed, the bureau told the Scenic Byway, which is a nonprofit organization. Atlanta looks to use its grant to mark part of its history that has largely gone untold: the African American Civil War veterans who chose Atlanta as their new home. The tourism department plans to create outdoor signage and an exhibit to portray their story downtown, growing the communitys already visible homage to the historic highway at Route 66 Park. The exhibit will include recognition of the veterans settlement, the first African American graduate of Atlanta High School Walter White in 1884 and the Atlanta Fair BBQ that commemorated the 12th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. Oral histories will also be used to encapsulate recent Atlanta history and create an interactive experience detailing their stories, Whitney Ortiz, the citys tourism development director, told the Scenic Byway organization. These are important stories to tell, and Route 66 Park will be the place to include this in the mementos of Atlantas past and present, she said. Atlanta is no rookie to the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway program, having also received funding in the first round last July. The first grant was to be used for an Atlanta Coal Mining Co. Historic Mine project that would include the development of a coal mining exhibit for visitors see the mine shaft that was sunk in 1879. Contact Kelsey Watznauer at (309) 820-3254. Follow her on Twitter: @kwatznauer. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 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. China to end patent subsidies by 2025 Xinhua) 08:18, January 28, 2022 BEIJING, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- China plans to stop all patent subsidies by 2025 to help shift its intellectual property (IP) focus from quantity to quality. All types of financial aid for patent licensing should be reduced by at least 25 percentage points every year until they are canceled by 2025, according to a notice issued by the National Intellectual Property Administration. The patent policy is part of China's continuous efforts to eliminate the incidence of Chinese patent applications that can not protect innovation, sources within the administration said on Thursday. China has led globally in its number of patent applications for many years. But it has recently taken more measures to pursue high-quality IP development to boost the country's innovation drive. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) You are here: China The Chinese government fined 401 websites and online platforms for violations of laws and regulations in 2021, said the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) on Thursday. Operators of 5,654 websites and online platforms were summoned for inquiries in 2021, with 4,445 cautioned and 3,008 suspended from operating, the CAC said in a press release. The CAC also ordered 1,007 apps to be removed from app shops. The CAC worked with telecom regulators to withdraw operation permits and registrations or close down more than 17,000 websites, said the statement. CHICAGO - A 16-year-old on juvenile probation opened fire into a busy street after seeing a rival flash gang signs, hitting his intended target in the back but also shooting 8-year-old Melissa Ortega in the head while she crossed the street with her mother, Cook County prosecutors said in court Thursday. Emilio Corripio, a teen prosecutors said is a self-admitted member of the Latin Kings, then got back into a car driven by 27-year-old Xavier Guzman, and the two drove around to buy sandwiches and drinks without a care in the world, Assistant States Attorney James Murphy said. Both Corripio and Guzman were charged with murder and ordered held without bond Thursday by Judge Susana Ortiz. Guzman, an off-duty cabdriver, picked up Corripio in his distinctive cab the afternoon of Jan. 22 and the two began to drive around, Murphy said. When they saw two men at the corner of 26th Street and Komensky Avenue flashing gang signs affiliated with the Two-Six gang, Guzman drove into a nearby alley and stopped the car while Corripio got out, Murphy said. He fired multiple shots, hitting one of the rival gang members in the back. A man and his 9-year-old daughter were in a nearby car waiting for the Two-Six gang members to leave the area before getting out of their car, Murphy said. Their car was sprayed with Corripios bullets. And 8-year-old Melissa, who was crossing the street holding her mothers hand, was shot in the head and fell to the ground. This 8-year-old girls life is over because of this gang nonsense between these two defendants and the rival gang members theyre firing at, Murphy said, noting that the 9-year-old girl in the car could easily have been shot as well. Both defendants displayed utter disregard and pure callousness, he said. While the shooter was captured on video, his face is not clearly visible in the footage, Murphy said. However, video tracks the cab driving around the city after the shooting, and about half an hour afterward, Guzman and Corripio went into a Subway restaurant to order sandwiches. Video from the restaurant shows Corripios face clearly, and he is wearing the same clothing as the shooter, Murphy said. I would point to the utter disregard for human life and pure callousness that both of these defendants showed during these events, Murphy said. " After shooting that little girl in the head, what do they do? The drive to a Subway to get subway sandwiches. On the video they dont have a care in the world theyre laughing, theyre eating their sandwiches. Corripio is on intensive juvenile probation after pleading guilty to two carjackings and possession of a stolen motor vehicle, Murphy said. He is being charged as an adult. At a news conference announcing charges Wednesday, Pastor Matt DeMateo of New Life Community Church, who has been helping Melissas mother Aracelia Leanos shared a statement on her behalf. God gained an angel but I will always remember her infectious smile, Leanos statement read. To the aggressor. I forgive you. You were a victim too. As a 16-year-old, the community failed you, just like it failed my precious baby ... Words cannot describe the pain I am feeling. On January 22 I lost my greatest treasure in life. I lost my princess. She was the reason why I got up every morning. Leanos family was filled with dreams and had high aspirations when they moved to the United States, her mother said. We imagined a better life here. We came in search of the American Dream we so famously hear of but instead I get to live a nightmare for the rest of my life. Leanos pleaded that Melissas death not be in vain and that the community should be filled with sadness and anger too. How is it possible that a little girl dies in broad daylight? How is it possible that we can send men to Mars but we cant fix the gun violence in our city? her statement read. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 After 1,214 days in custody for the murder of Laquan McDonald, former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke is about to go home. The white patrol officers decision on Oct. 20, 2014, to fire 16 shots into McDonald as the Black teenager walked away from cops while holding a knife once seemed destined to alter the trajectory of a city long plagued by allegations of police brutality and a code of silence that allowed the routine trampling of the rights of citizens. And in many ways, the city Van Dyke will return to has changed. The mayor whose mishandling of the crisis helped derail a third term is gone now the newly minted U.S. ambassador to Japan. The Chicago Police Department has seen wholesale changes in leadership. Body-worn cameras are now the norm for beat cops, as it was a video of the teens killing that spread around the globe, and videos of shooting incidents that used to be kept under wraps are now released to the public as a matter of policy. A federal consent decree is in place with the hopes of ushering in even more reforms. But in other ways, Van Dykes prosecution has not turned out to be the watershed moment many hoped for. Progress on the consent decree benchmarks has been frustratingly slow. Trust between the police and the communities they serve is more frayed than ever. The union representing rank-and-file officers has become increasingly radicalized. There has been an alarming spike in violent crime for which city leadership has had few answers. Cara Hendrickson, a former assistant to the Illinois attorney general who helped draft the parameters of the federal consent decree, said that despite the hard work of many stakeholders to overhaul the Police Department, the city has come up woefully short in establishing a modern system of police accountability, including early intervention programs to get support and training to officers in need and identify and discipline problem officers. Not nearly enough has been done to ensure that there will not be another Jason Van Dyke, said Hendrickson, who is now the executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group Business and Professional People for the Public Interest. Randall Samborn, a former spokesman for the U.S. Attorneys office who made an early pitch for a federal pattern and practice investigation of Chicago police, said its way too soon to tell what the final legacy of the Van Dyke case will be, particularly in deterring unjustified use of lethal force. Right now, the city is in a kind of quagmire of reform, said Samborn, who now heads his own consulting firm, Randall A. Samborn & Associates. The consent decree will continue to plod along for years. With Van Dyke, people can reasonably differ over the length of his sentence and whether he should be released early, but his prosecution and conviction are what was important in setting a standard of accountability. Exactly where Van Dyke has been serving his 81-month sentence has been shrouded in mystery, and prison officials have declined to comment on his release, citing an interstate agreement allowing other jurisdictions to house high-profile prisoners in secret. McDonalds relatives, however, have said they were notified by authorities that the former officer was to be released Thursday. McDonalds killing, like many prior shootings by Chicago police, barely made news when it happened. But when gruesome dashcam video of the shooting was ordered released more than a year later, it sparked a firestorm of protests, prompted the firing of then-police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, and allegations of a City Hall coverup by Mayor Rahm Emanuels administration. Van Dyke became the first Chicago police officer to be charged with murder for an on-duty shooting in half a century, and the fallout continued. A team of special prosecutors led by then-Kane County States Attorney Joseph McMahon was appointed to handle the Van Dyke case; then-States Attorney Anita Alvarez lost her primary bid to Kim Foxx, who ran on a platform heavily criticizing Alvarezs handling of the McDonald shooting. The allegations against Van Dyke were in many ways a harbinger for other cases nationwide that put a spotlight on the excessive use of force by police on Black citizens, most notably the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis that led to nationwide unrest in the summer of 2020. Convicted by a jury in October 2018 of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm, Van Dyke received a relatively lenient sentence of 6 3/4 years behind bars, a term made even lighter by a procedural technicality that made him eligible for a 50% reduction for good behavior. Van Dyke in 2020 withdrew his appeal, meaning his release will close the final chapter in the case. Though it was widely reported at the time he was sentenced, Van Dykes projected release date of February 2022 seemed to catch many by surprise as it grew closer. Activists are planning a Feb. 3 rally in Federal Plaza and have announced their intention to try to shut down parts of downtown in protest. In recent weeks, a cadre of Black leaders, including Rev. Jesse Jackson and U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, have joined some members of McDonalds extended family in calling on the U.S. Justice Department to bring federal civil rights charges against Van Dyke that could land him back in prison. At least one person on the jury that convicted Van Dyke thought the sentence he received was too lenient. Charlene Cooke, who was the only Black person on the panel, told the Tribune this week she thought it was a slap on the wrist. To me, its an insult to the jurors and the time we spent (during the trial), Cooke, a 63-year-old retired FedEx driver, said in a telephone interview. Its an insult to the family, like Laquan McDonald meant nothing. McDonalds great-uncle, Rev. Marvin Hunter, said that while he believes Van Dykes sentence was legally improper, most of the family does not support the effort to bring Van Dyke up on new charges. My hope is that Jason Van Dyke went to jail and was rehabilitated, he told the Tribune in an interview last week. I hope he becomes a better man If he gets 1,000 more years its not going to bring Laquan back, so we would be better served as a country and as a people if he became better. Our family, were not victims, and were not going to live our life as victims. We want to be better and not bitter. Choice I will live with forever Van Dyke, 43, was last a free man on Oct. 5, 2018, the day the jury found him guilty after about 7 hours of deliberations. After Cook County Circuit Judge Vincent Gaughan ordered him immediately taken into custody, Van Dyke said his goodbyes to his wife and family, then put his hands behind his back as sheriffs deputies escorted him to a lockup behind the courtroom. Three months later, Van Dyke was back in Gaughans courtroom for his sentencing hearing, which featured hours of often-tearful testimony from Van Dykes relatives and supporters as well as emotional accounts from purported victims of his abuse during his police career. Toward the end of the hearing, Van Dyke himself stood and said the day he shot McDonald was the worst of his life. The last thing I wanted to do was to shoot Laquan McDonald, he said, head bent as he read from a piece of paper. It is a choice that I will live with forever. One witness called by the prosecution wept uncontrollably on the stand as he described in detail how Van Dyke allegedly brutalized him after a traffic stop in 2007. The man required two surgeries after Van Dyke threw him down to the floor in the back seat of a squad car, he said, and he still had not regained full use of his arms. McMahon told the Tribune this week that he recalled that witness breaking down emotionally in the hallway outside the courtroom, afraid to testify. I needed the judge to hear about how Van Dyke had treated other people, McMahon told the Tribune. I know how difficult it was going to be for him to testify in open court. And I think it was probably damaging to him to have to go in there and testify, (but) to tell as much of the story of Jason Van Dyke as possible, I felt like I needed to put him on the witness stand. Prosecutors had asked Gaughan for a sentence of 18 to 20 years on aggravated battery, which would have required Van Dyke to serve about 85 percent of the term. Van Dykes defense, by contrast, argued that he should be sentenced only on the second-degree murder, which carries a sentence of probation or four to 20 years in prison, with the possibility of day-for-day credit for good behavior. Gaughan sided with the defense in making a key finding that dramatically reduced Van Dykes exposure, ruling that second-degree murder was actually the more egregious of the two charges and should be the one Van Dyke was sentenced on, even though a previous state appellate ruling had found the opposite. Is it more serious for Laquan McDonald to be shot by a firearm or is it more serious for Laquan McDonald to be murdered by a firearm? Gaughan said in explaining his reasoning. Common sense comes to an easy answer on that in this specific case. When he announced his sentence, Gaughan said he expected 100% of those in the courtroom to be disappointed. Afterward, Van Dykes lead attorney, Daniel Herbert, said his client truly felt great. He was not just relieved, he was happy, Herbert told reporters after the sentencing. Its the first time Ive seen the guy honestly since this whole ordeal started where he was happy. Hes certainly not happy about going to jail. Hes certainly not happy about missing his family. But hes happy about the prospect of life ahead of him. In his recent interview with the Tribune, McMahon acknowledged that for Van Dyke to be released less than four years later can be difficult to accept for some. But any time in prison is difficult, no matter how short the sentence particularly for an ex-cop, McMahon said. I dont think (Van Dyke) had an easy sentence, he said. And I understand people wish that his prison sentence was longer but I think - what I said three-plus years ago now was that with the passage of time, hopefully what people remember about this case is that a police officer can be and will be and was held accountable for his crimes in this case, for the killing of Laquan McDonald, and thats what I hope people will remember. Prison time After the January 2019 sentencing, Van Dyke was transferred to a downstate prison for a few weeks, where he was held in isolation as a standard security measure. In early February, Van Dyke was moved to a federal detention center in Danbury, Connecticut for unexplained reasons, his attorneys said. Shortly after he was processed at the medium-security facility and moved into the general population, several people attacked him in his cell. My No. 1 fear for my husband has always been his safety, it always has been that somebody is going to get him and hurt him, and the worst has happened, Van Dykes wife, Tiffany, told reporters at the time. Van Dyke was put into a segregated unit after the attack, his attorneys said. Federal prison records show Van Dyke was released from federal custody in November 2019, again for unexplained reasons. News reports stated he was transferred briefly to a state-run facility in Maryland, then again to an undisclosed location. For the next two years, he was off the radar. An Illinois Department of Corrections spokesman declined to say where Van Dyke was being held, citing an interstate agreement where high-profile prisoners can be kept off databases of inmates available to the public online. Jason Van Dyke remains under the jurisdiction of the Illinois Department of Corrections, but is not in our custody, the agency said in an emailed statement last week. For safety and security purposes, the Department does not discuss details concerning individuals who have transferred under the terms of the Interstate Corrections Compact Agreement. The only indication of where Van Dyke may have spent prison time in Illinois comes from a two-page release order from the Prisoner Review Board, the government agency responsible for scheduling a prisoners supervised release program. The document, obtained by the Tribune through an open records request, stated Van Dyke had been at the Taylorville minimum-security prison near Springfield as of September 2021 when the order was signed. Van Dyke must now complete his term of mandatory supervised release, Illinois version of parole. The only requirement marked on the review boards form was that he participate in a cognitive behavioral therapy program a common measure aimed at reducing recidivism. Trying to move on with his life In light of the relatively lenient sentence, Van Dykes attorneys backed away from their promises to appeal his conviction. But not long afterward, McMahon and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, who had just begun his first term, decided to bring the case directly to the state Supreme Court. Gaughans sentence relied on improper legal reasoning, they argued. Since Illinois law makes aggravated battery with a firearm the more serious offense, the state Supreme Court should order Gaughan to resentence the ex-patrol officer on those convictions instead. The states highest court declined to hear the petition by a 4-2 vote. No explanation was given for the courts refusal to hear the case. But the decision fell largely along political lines, with the courts three Republicans joining Anne Burke, a Democrat who is married to longtime Chicago Ald. Edward Burke, a onetime Chicago police officer who is facing federal corruption charges. The two dissenting judges both noted that Gaughan made his ruling relying on a dissenting opinion that stated the exact opposite of the majority, and the majority opinion is the law of the land. McMahon speculated in his recent interview with the Tribune that Van Dyke chose not to pursue an appeal in part because an appellate court could have chosen to kick the case back for a re-sentencing. I think the prospects of getting the conviction overturned were extremely low and the risk of being sent back to the trial court for resentencing were much higher, he said. Jennifer Blagg, one of Van Dykes attorneys, disputed that, saying that if prosecutors had tried to argue Van Dykes sentencing as part of the appeals process, they would not be on solid legal ground. Van Dyke formally dropped his appeal in the fall of 2020, before the case had been fully briefed. Hes trying to move on with his life and move forward, Blagg told the Tribune at the time. He thought it was in the best interest of all the parties involved, including the McDonald family, that there be some finality. A federal look As the drama of the criminal case against Jason Van Dyke was unfolding before the public, another probe into McDonalds shooting was going on behind the scenes, with the U.S. attorneys office and FBI looking into filing possible charges against Van Dyke and other officers involved. Then-U.S. Attorney Zachary Fardon took the unusual step of confirming the investigation in April 2015 seven months before the release of the dashcam video that would force the hand of the Cook County states attorneys office to move forward with charges against Van Dyke. Fardon confirmed that the investigation was still ongoing in September 2016, nearly a year after Van Dyke was charged with murder. It remained active at least until 2019, when prosecutors asked a federal judge to keep a search warrant related to the probe under seal until the investigation was complete, which was estimated in the filing to be August 2019, court records show. No federal charges were ever filed in the case. Last week, several prominent Black leaders cited the case against former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, who was charged both in state court and federally with Floyds death, in renewing calls for the U.S. Department of Justice to go after Van Dyke. Though there is no statute of limitations to bring a civil rights case involving a fatality, it would be exceedingly rare for the U.S. Attorneys Office to charge Van Dyke now, given his conviction and sentencing for the same incident in another jurisdiction. A spokesman for U.S. Attorney John Lausch declined to comment. Blagg, one of Van Dykes attorneys, told the Tribune this week justice isnt served in the court of public opinion, justice is handed out in a courtroom. Jurors heard Jasons case. A judge gave Jason his sentence. And even if you dont agree with it, you have to appreciate the long-term consequences of what youre arguing for, she said. Arguing that someone should be charged by the feds because you dont agree w the judges sentencing decision could have far-reaching consequences in our society. Hunter also told the Tribune he feared that charging Van Dyke twice for the same set of actions could set a bad precedent. Most of the family does not support further charges against the ex-cop, he said. I am not an advocate for Jason Van Dyke, he has not asked for forgiveness but am I going to live my life harboring hate? Hunter said. The answer is no. I dont. And my family dont. If politicians and activists wanted to help, they should have supported Raouls push at the state Supreme Court to re-examine the sentence Gaughan handed down - instead of pushing for Van Dyke to be imprisoned again for something separate, Hunter said. If a man serves his time, he needs to be freed, Hunter said. If were going to be a civilized society we must follow the doggone laws and have them work for everybody the right way. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 EDWARDSVILLE Jeffery Hebb fought back tears Thursday as he talked about the last moments of his daughter's life. His daughter, Etheria S. Hebb, 34, of St. Louis was one of six workers who were killed when part of the roof and walls collapsed when a tornado hit an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville on Dec. 10. "She didn't worry about whether the job was safe or not," Jeffery Hebb said after he described how his daughter was happy to get a job at the warehouse. "She didn't think that she would leave the house and go to work and never come back." Watch now: Pritzker talks about building standards following Amazon warehouse collapse BELLEVILLE Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Illinois lawmakers will consider whether there should be statewide standards for warehouses following a t Hebb spoke during a rally organized by the Missouri Workers Center, a group that fights for workers' rights. About 100 people gathered on a street in front of the damaged Amazon warehouse. Speakers called for safe working conditions and the creation of unions for Amazon and other non-union employees at companies nationwide. "Amazon was supposed to keep them safe," Hebb said of the workers. "They didn't do that. They should have shut the plant down to make sure these workers were safe." After the rally, participants said they want building codes to be changed to require warehouses to have an emergency shelter or basement to protect workers. Amazon officials previously have said that the building was built to meet code and that workers were instructed what to do during emergencies. The company also has said it will cooperate with all investigators reviewing what happened at the Edwardsville warehouse. "Our focus continues to be on supporting our employees and partners, the families who lost loved ones, the surrounding community, and all those affected by the tornadoes," Amazon spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said an email after the rally. Arnetra Rhodes, 18, who is a cousin of Etheria Hebb, said she works part-time at an Amazon warehouse in St. Louis County. She said during the rally that Amazon should improve working conditions for warehouse employees. "We're just somebody to get them rich," she said of the company officials. Amazon should have a "safehouse" inside warehouses where workers can take shelter. "We need to be protected," Rhodes said. Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday commented on standards for warehouses: "The question is, with all the warehouses that are being built or have been built, should we be setting a state standard for that? That's something that no doubt will be explored during this session of the General Assembly." Pritzker did not say specifically what lawmakers would review. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, opened an investigation that will review whether Amazon had a "proper emergency action plan," U.S. Department of Labor spokesman Scott Allen said in an interview in December. The agency does not review building codes. Warehouse building code The Rev. Darryl Gray of the Greater Fairfax Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis said the Progressive Baptist State Convention of Illinois is seeking to talk to Pritzker about workplace safety. "We do have to push the legislators," Gray said in an interview Thursday. Gray said the building code in areas where tornadoes occur needs to be changed. "When we're talking about these types of environments, in these geographical areas, minimum standards have got to factor in natural disasters," he said. Gray said the warehouses should have a "hardened shelter or at least a basement." He urged Pritzker to review "what was done and what could have been done differently to avoid the tragic deaths that occurred." Once the solutions are identified, the changes must enacted into law, Gray said. Terrence Wise, who works at a McDonald's restaurant in Kansas City, said he traveled to the Edwardsville rally as a supporter of the Missouri Workers Center. "Workers need more than just more money," he said in an interview after he spoke during the rally. "We need a union. We need a seat at the table. "Some people get hyped up about sports," he said. "I get hyped about dignity, righteousness and justice. It's important that we come together in a nation that is so divided. We have to find a common ground." The Missouri Workers Center, which says it aims to help low-wage workers fight racism and "win economic justice for all," is a nonprofit group formed in March 2021. Along with Etheria Hebb, the tornado claimed the lives of Clayton Lynn Cope, 29, of Alton; Kevin D. Dickey, 62, of Carlyle; Austin J. McEwen, 26, of Edwardsville; DeAndre Morrow, 28, of St. Louis; and Larry E. Virden, 46, of Collinsville. The group said workers at the facility "have reported that they had not been adequately trained on emergency procedures and that the company failed to warn them about the tornado, even as it approached." An Amazon spokeswoman has previously said Amazon workers do get "emergency preparedness" training and that managers took action to protect workers on the night of the tornado in Edwardsville. A wrongful-death lawsuit filed earlier this month alleged Amazon management directed McEwen and the other five people who were killed to shelter in a bathroom. The company "knew or should have known that this location would not protect them," the lawsuit stated. The workers died when the roof and walls of the south side of the 1.1-million-square foot building collapsed when struck by an EF-3 tornado that had winds up to 150 mph. The building had an interior place away from windows for workers to gather on the north side of the warehouse but this part of the building was not constructed any differently than other sections of the building, Amazon officials have said. Thirty-nine workers went to the "shelter in place" location on the north side while seven others were on the south side. One of the seven was rescued from the rubble. The warehouse is at 3077 Gateway Commerce Center Drive South near the intersection of Interstate 255/Illinois 255 and Interstate 270. Those who worked at the damaged warehouse were Amazon employees and employees of companies that contract with Amazon. In a statement before the rally, the Missouri Workers Center raised several issues regarding workplace safety. The group said it wants Amazon to end a ban on cellphone use. Nantel previously has said there was not a ban at the warehouse and employees were allowed to have cellphones. The group also cited a Washington Post article that reported Amazon warehouses had a rate of serious injury incidents that was nearly double the rate of other warehouses in recent years and that critics blame "productivity pressures." The Post, which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, reported that Bezos told shareholders that "We don't set unreasonable performance goals." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The value of mobile money transactions between 1 January and 24 January this year amounted to GHC75 billion, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, has said. Speaking at a government town hall meeting on the E-Levy held on Thursday (27 January 2022) in Koforidua in the Eastern Region, Owusu-Ekuful said: Today, as we speak, [looking at] mobile money transactions from 1 to 24 January, 33 million transactions have been conducted this year alone, amounting to a value of over GHC75 billion. She said the E-Levy on such transactions will help the government improve its ability to generate revenue to develop Ghana. We need to finance our development agenda and stop depending on loans and borrowing from other countries if we are to be truly independent, the minister said. Unfounded fears The Communications Minister argued that Ghanaians have no cause for alarm about the E-Levy, because it will help raise the revenue Ghana needs to support its growth. She argued: The E-Levy is being introduced at a rate of 1.75%. In other countries, digital taxes are being introduced to the tune of 10% and we travel there to seek loans for our development and to borrow. In 2020, the Communication Service Tax (CST) Amendment Act was passed to reduce the rate from 9% to 5%. When the CST was introduced, it faced similar opposition [to what] we are seeing currently and the current Speaker dubbed it a talk tax the NDC and the [telecommunications] industry, led by the GSMA [Global System for Mobile Communications] data, claimed it would damage the growth of the telecommunications industry, as consumers would change their mobile communication habits. This did not happen; they were unfounded fears, Owusu-Ekuful said. Journey to entrepreneurship The Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has also said the introduction of the Electronic Transactions Levy will help kick-start Ghanas journey towards a flourishing, entrepreneur-led economy. He said he believes the E-Levy can help increase Ghanas tax-to-GDP ratio, explaining that proceeds from the new levy will be used to support the governments key entrepreneurship-centred initiatives, such as YouStart. The E-Levy is intrinsically linked to the YouStart initiative. We consider the E-Levy an essential tool to increase our tax-to-GDP from around 13% to 16% and above. The E-Levy would not only ensure that we do not crowd out the private sector, by reducing borrowing, but would also ensure that we have the revenues to sustainably invest in entrepreneurship, youth employment, cybersecurity [and] digital and road infrastructure, he said. The minister was speaking at the 73rd annual New Year School and Conference at the University of Ghana, Legon, on Wednesday (26 January) on the theme COVID-19 and Socio-Economic Dynamics in Ghana. The E-Levy also provides a means for all Ghanaians to help support their country and grow, Ofori-Atta said. Source: asaaseradio.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Government of Ghana has through the Trade and Industry Ministry signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rwanda to deepen bilateral trade relations between the two countries. Speaking at the signing ceremony of MoU on trade and economic cooperation at the Africa Trade House on Thursday January 27, the minister of Trade Alan Kyerematen expressed optimism that the agreement signed will develop into a strong and mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries. He noted in his speech the significant role Rwanda has played in some of Africas business-oriented policies including the establishment the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). You would recall that the formal decision to establish the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was taken at the AU Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Accra in July 2012. In the same vein, you will recall that it was at the 10th Extraordinary Summit of the AU Assembly of Heads of State held in Kigali in March 2018 that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement was signed, he observed. The Minister, whiles acknowledging the seemingly low level of trade between Ghana and Rwanda despite their good relations over the years, indicated that he hoped the signing of the MoU will change that narrative. Despite the long-standing fraternal relations between our two countries, the level of trade between our two countries is very low. The same phenomenon applies in the area of investments. It is against this background that this Memorandum of Understanding is being signed, to develop new strategies and implement measures that will significantly enhance bilateral trade and economic cooperation between our two countries. Ghana already has a Bilateral Air Service Agreement with Rwanda signed in 2018, which permits airlines from our two countries to operate commercial flights between Ghana and Rwanda to boost transport connectivity. We envisage that through this MOU, Ghana can become an entry point for Rwandan investments within the West Africa sub-region whilst Rwanda on the other hand, can become a strategic entry point for Ghana into the Central and Eastern African Markets, he added Other prominent dignitaries present at the signing ceremony included Hon. Beata Habyarimana, Minister for Trade and Industry of Rwanda and Dr. Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, High Commissioner of Rwanda to Ghana. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The National Association of Registered Midwives of Ghana, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nursing and Midwifery Council to pay for renewal of PIN for its members in 2022. Speaking to the press, Miss Mary Ofosu, President of National Association of Registered Midwives Ghana (NARM-GH) explained that initially, members were paying for PIN renewal themselves but this time round, the Association has taken it upon itself to renew for it members in other to motivate them to do their best in their field of practice hence, the signing of the MoU. The President pointed out that, she became convinced and satisfied with whatever was written after going through the document leading to the signing of the agreement with the other Executives. Miss Mary Ofosu,urged all NARM,GH members to download the NMC mobile app and upload their required CPD points to make the process very fruitful. She advised all midwives to exhibit higher level of professionalism in the field of midwifery thereby giving their best and provide holistic care to clients. She called on Clients who visit health facilities to always observed all the necessary COVID-19 protocols likewise the midwives saying, when it comes to social distances, it does not work on them but said, that does not mean they should not protect themselves. Commenting, the Registrar of National Midwifery Council, Mr. Felix Nyanteh applauded the Executive of National Association of Registered Midwives of Ghana for taking such a bold initiatives to renew the Professional Identification Number for members. He averred that, the initiative would go a long way to help give members the full mandate to work. The Council he mentioned, has opened it's doors for everyone and therefore, they can walk in anytime they have challenges as an Association. He pledged on behalf of the Council, their preparedness to support all practicing Nursing and Midwives Nationwide saying, they look forward to expect more fruitful partnership and deliberations in the coming years. The General secretary for National Association of Registered Midwives Ghana, Mr. Harrison Ampaabeng on his part said, in the field of practice, when it comes to Nursing and Midwifery, they are given Processional Identification Number (Pin) which is to renewed every year. He revealed that, the Association as part of the rollout policies for 2022, promised to renew Professional Identification number for all members hence, the signing of the MoU with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Mr. Harrison Ampaabeng however indicated that, the payment of Professional Identification numbers commenced for 2022. Mr. Harrison Ampaabeng cautioned all NARM,GH members working with an expired PIN in the previous years to renew it before the association renew that of 2022. He further explained that Some midwives PIN has expired 2 to 3 years ago. If we start the roll out and you owe NMC, when you submit your details to the council your PIN would not be renewed because of your outstanding depth in previous years. The Public Relations Officer (PRO) for National Association of Registered Midwives Ghana (NARM-GH), Rosetta Ntriwaah Boakye appealed to all NARM,GH members in good standing to clink on the link below and submit their details. https://forms.gle/fkZhoKwqDSf11qHo6 Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, Governance Lecturer at Central University, has bemoaned the culture where Ghanaians ignore danger just to shoot videos for social media. He expressed worry over this trend which has caught up with lots of Ghanaians that would see them rather walk into a life-threatening incident to be the first to break the news at the expense of protecting their lives. He was commenting on the Apiate explosion that claimed many lives and caused hundreds to sustain serious injuries. A disturbing video showing some residents in the community and nearby places thronging the scene where a mining truck carrying explosives had caught fire with the phones on as they walked right to their death surfaced on the internet, particularly TikTok. The truck driver is reported to have warned the residents against the danger ahead and asked them to run away before the explosion happened, but they refused to heed his warning and intead sped to the scene only to be engulfed in a massive explosion that wiped out the entire Apiate community at Bogoso in the Western Region. To Dr. Otchere-Ankrah, it was somehow stupid of the people to walk into their death when they could have survived. He believed the social media generation is getting out of control, so called on parents and elders to guide the youth stressing ''we should advise them. Let's serve as role models. Let's guide them because the youth of today, it appears the social media platforms are taking too much of their time...when you see danger, you know this is danger''. 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 President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has made a contribution of GH100,000.00 to the Appiatse Explosion Support Fund set up by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to provide assistance to persons affected by the accident. He made the donation when the five-member steering Committee of the Fund called on him at the Jubilee House, Accra on Thursday. The Committee, chaired by Dr Joyce Aryee, a former Chief Executive of Ghana Chamber of Mines, and a Management & Communication Consultant, will manage the Fund by raising money and supervising its disbursement. The Fund was launched last Tuesday to enable the public and corporate entities, to among others, contribute to support the victims of the deadly incident and reconstruct the community. The explosion occurred around midday on Thursday, January 20, 2022, at Appiatse, near Bogoso in the Prestea, Huni-Valley of the Western Region, when a truck belonging to Maxam Ghana Limited, which was transporting explosives to a mining company, got involved in a road crash. The accident resulted in the loss of 14 lives and injury to over 170 persons and extensive damage to property. Addressing the Committee, President Akufo-Addo said the incident brought to the fore the urgent need to initiate reforms on the regulatory framework on safety in the mining sector. "I think that it gives us an opportunity to look at the whole regulatory framework focusing on safety as far as mining activities and the involvement of the mining sector is concerned." The President was emphatic that it was time to critically address the vexed issue of safety in the mining communities and in the mining sector. "We need to be able to look at the state of play in our mining sector to be satisfied that the rules and regulations governing their activities are adequate and that they respond to modem considerations," he said. President Akufo-Addo underscored the need to immediately rebuild the Appiatse Community into a model small town that addressed the challenges of infrastructure and climate change. "I am very impressed with the thinking of the Chair, that we should move on and not just rebuild the town but use it to perhaps create some sort of model small town going down the line for people to see what the future is going to look like and what the future should look like. This project has to succeed and as always, it has to begin with the money. If there is no money you cannot move on...I want to wish you the very best of luck and yes, Madam, my widow's might, I have GHc 100,000.00 that I am donating to the fund" the President said. He expressed the gratitude of the nation to members of the Committee for accepting to take on the act of civic responsibility and service in helping rebuild the Appiatse Community. The government through me have also to thank you very much for taking on this task", he said. Dr Joyce Aryee on her part, thanked the President for the confidence reposed in them to supervise the collection and disbursement of donations for the rebuilding of the Appiatse Community. She said there was a high sense of enthusiasm among the Ghanaian population to donate to the Community, hopeful that by the close of business on Friday, January 28, the Committee would announce the available avenues to receive contributions. "The level of enthusiasm to give is quite high. I have personally had many calls, people finding out how they can contribute. We are convinced that we will be able to raise sufficient funds for the many projects," she said. The other members of the Committee are: Tetrete Okuamoah Sakyi II, Omanhene of Wassa Amenfi Traditional Area, Mr. Philip Owiredu, the Managing Director of Cal Bank, Dr. Antoinette Tsiboe-Darko, Executive Director of the Danquah Institute, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Mr. Sulemanu Koney. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has received the Otumfuo Commemorative Gold Coin and commended His Royal Majesty, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for his peace initiatives. The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel Abu Jinapor, led a delegation from E ON 3 Group - the company that organised the launch of the gold coin - and its key partners, to the Jubilee House, the seat of the presidency on Thursday, January 27, 2022, to present the gold coin to the President. Members of the delegation were Mr. Richard Adjei Mensah Ofori Atta, Executive Chairman of E ON 3 Group; Jesse Agyepong, General Manager, E ON 3 Group; Olumide Olatunji, Managing Director, Access Bank Ghana PLC; Nana Akwasi Awuah, Managing Director, Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC); Hon. Abraham Dwuma Odoom, Country Manager, Gold Coast Refinery, and Mr. Paul Asimenu, Legal Advisor, Gold Coast Refinery. The gold coin The Bank of Ghana gave authorisation to E ON 3 Group to mint the gold coin to celebrate the Asantehene for his tremendous role in peacebuilding and national development. The gold coin, which was launched at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on December 12, 2021, is of 24 karat (99.99%) fine gold. Responding to a statement by Hon Jinapor that the gold was procured, refined and minted in Ghana, the President said it was refreshing that value has been added to our gold. He commended the E ON 3 Group for the initiative and also for presenting the gold coin to him saying, " more grease to your elbows ". President Akufo-Addo recognised the major role Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has been playing to advance the peace and stability of our country emphasising that it is appropriate that the Asantehene has been honoured at the continental and international levels, and also gold coin has been minted in his honour.Watch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f_SAA2lgaQ Hon. Jinapor said his Ministry is in full support of everything associated with the gold coin.He said the gold coin ties in with the government's agenda to add value to the country's raw materials.Speaking on behalf of the EON 3 Group, Jesse Agyepong said celebrating Otumfuo is worth it because he has played a key role in driving peace in the country since his enstoolment.He said over the years, Otumfuo has meditated in many chieftaincy disputes and difficult political transitions especially those of 2012 and 2016. Otumfuo's peace initiatives include leading the Committee of three Eminent Chiefs to resolve the decades-old Dagbon chieftaincy dispute, getting presidential candidates in the 2012 presidential election to sign onto a peace accord, resolving a potentially disastrous crisis between students and authorities of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and resolving a disagreement between the Techimanhene and four chiefs who owe allegiance to the Golden Stool.Further on the Dagbon issue, he noted that the peace process started from the period of President Kufuor through Presidents Mills and Mahama, and significantly it was in the era of President Akufo-Addo' that peace was finally achieved.He noted that the invitation extended to the Asantehene to speak at the United Nations gave credence to his recognition as a driver of peace.Watch Video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTdTH8-xYP8 Access Bank is the official banking partner of the gold coin, Gold Coast Refinery is the official minting company for the gold coin, PMMC is keeping custody of the gold coin, while Coronation Insurance Company is the official insurance company. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Residents within the Ayawaso Central Municipality have been advised to take sanitation around their homes, offices and shops as their personal responsibility even as the Assembly prepares to implement its sanitation by-laws from February this year. Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Alhaji Mohammed Quaye, gave the advice during a sensitization campaign at various locations under his jurisdiction ahead of the launch of the Operation Clean Your Frontage initiative on 1st February, 2022. The MCE engaged residents within the Kwame Nkrumah circle, Kokomlemle, Alajo and Kotobabi on the need to maintain a clean and healthy environment without being forced to do so. Keeping your surroundings clean must come to you naturally, it shouldnt be a matter of compulsion. However, it has become necessary to apply the law since we as a people have failed to do this on our own. The Operation Clean Your Frontage initiative aims to enforce sanitation regulation within the Greater Accra region as part of the Make Greater Accra Work programme being championed by the Regional Coordinating Council. Alhaji Quaye explained that residents who have their shops close to drains owe it a responsibility to clean the gutters regularly same way they sweep their shops and rooms on daily basis. He warned residents with properties situated less than four feet from the gutter to shift backwards to allow for the mandatory pedestrian walkway as prescribed by the Municipal by-law. In the same vein, persons close to the banks of the Odaw River are also being cautioned to move away. Some residents expressed concern about the high volume of solid waste, particularly, plastic waste which does not originate from them but are disposed into drains only to accumulate in front of their shops. This, they stated, only puts a cost burden on them because they pay for its collection, and called on the Assembly to severely punish persons who indulge in such insanitary behavior. The MCE assured them of the Assemblys commitment in bringing to book all who fall foul of the by-laws on sanitation adding that, you dont need to wait for the official launch to observe good sanitation practices. The way you bathe your body every day, is the same way you must keep your surroundings clean. Source: Naomi Obenewaa Abrokwa/Peace News Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video China plans to stop all patent subsidies by 2025 to help shift its intellectual property (IP) focus from quantity to quality. All types of financial aid for patent licensing should be reduced by at least 25 percentage points every year until they are canceled by 2025, according to a notice issued by the National Intellectual Property Administration. The patent policy is part of China's continuous efforts to eliminate the incidence of Chinese patent applications that can not protect innovation, sources within the administration said on Thursday. China has led globally in its number of patent applications for many years. But it has recently taken more measures to pursue high-quality IP development to boost the country's innovation drive. Former Central Regional Minister and a member of the Communication team of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwamena Duncan is on a crusade to get former President John Dramani Mahama jailed for his bad leadership and corrupt practices. Kwamena Duncan wonders why Mr. Mahama is still walking free after all that he has done to Ghana and the citizenry under his regime. His comments are in relation to a Facebook post by former President John Mahama. Mr. John Dramani Mahama, in the Facebook post, strenghtened the National Democratic Congress(NDC) stance on the controversial e-levy. He noted that the NDC will not back down on their opposition to the e-levy saying the NDC remains opposed to the imposition of the numerous fresh taxes on Ghanaians at a time when Government is living large and unwilling or unable to trim expenditure, cut waste and check corruption. "These burdensome taxes will erode business capital, especially at a time when Government has crowded out the private sector's access to credit by its voracious appetite for borrowing''. "The Ghanaian economy has been collapsed by President Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia. The debt crisis, for which there are very few tangible projects to show for, and worsening economic hardship of Ghanaians amply demonstrate the negative impact of a collapsed economy," he added. Replying Mr. Mahama on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Kwamena Duncan said; ''It is only here, in our jurisdiction - the part of the world, that a person of this kind who should be doing time in jail who gets that opportunity again to stand on a platform and accuse someone else of corruption and further stating that we are opposed to tax that will seek to see us progress. It's only in our part of the world. Elsewhere he would be doing time in jail!'' Chronicling some corrupt activities that characterized the administration of the former President, Hon. Duncan strongly believed the former President should be imprisoned by now. ''President Mahama who decided to set up what he called SADA (Savannah Accelerated Development Authority) and through that medium, millions and millions and millions of Ghanaian good cedis deprived his own people . . . My goodness! I'm saying that it is only our part of the world that a person of this sort will have the audacity to talk, elsewhere he would be doing time in jail.'' 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 Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, Deputy Minister of Education, has urged Ghanaians to embrace the e-levy pending Parliamentary approval. The e-levy, which was disclosed during the 2022 budget reading by the Finance Minister, has courted controversies and seen the Members of Parliament buffeting one another over whether or not it should be implemented. With the Minority against it, the Majority, on the other hand, are in full support and have approved the budget which includes the e-levy. However, the implementation of the e-levy may not be possible until there is an approval by majority members of the Legislative House, hence deliberations are ongoing. Contributing to Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'' Thursday morning, Rev. Ntim Fordjour commended the government for introducing the e-levy which he believes will help with Ghana's infrastructure development. He called on the Parliamentarians to assess this initiative devoid of partisan politics and also advised the citizenry not to see the e-levy as a burden but rather the avenue where the developmental projects they are looking for will come into being. ''If it were the PNC, NDC or CPP in government and introduced this e-levy of 1.75%, although I, Ntim Fordjour, am an NPP member but I would support. We have to lay aside partisan issues and, in the best interest of the country's development...'' embrace the e-levy, he said. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The government has reiterated the need for the introduction of the electronic levy, also known as e-levy. The President tweeted on Wednesday, January 27, 2022, that the E-Levy will among other things reduce the countrys dependence on foreign aid. The e-levy will provide the government with revenue to build more roads, provide more jobs and opportunities for the youth and reduce our dependence on debt. His comment is part of efforts by the government to sensitize the public on the need for the introduction of the controversial e-levy, including a nationwide town hall meeting which is starting in Koforidua today, Thursday. The government says the feedback from the engagement will inform it on the implementation of the levy. The E-levy is a new tax measure introduced by the government in the 2022 Budget on basic transactions related to digital payments and electronic platform transactions. A charge of 1.75% will apply to electronic transactions that are more than GH100 on a daily basis. The town hall meeting will feature Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister for Communication and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah and Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin. Also, to be in attendance at the forums will be sector-specific Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and other relevant industry stakeholders. The Town Hall Meeting is being organised by the Ministry of Information and will be live on various television networks in the country as well as the Ministrys social media pages. E-Levy will cover: a. Mobile Money Transfers between accounts on the same electronic money issuer (EMI). b. Mobile Money transfers from an account on one EMI to a recipient on another EMI. c. Transfers from bank accounts to mobile money accounts. d. Transfer from mobile money accounts to bank accounts. e. Bank transfers on a digital platform or application originate from a bank account belonging to an individual to another individual. E-Levy will not impact: a. Cumulative transfers of GHS 100 per day made by the same person. b. Transfers between accounts owned by the same person. c. Transfers for the payment of taxes, fees, and charges on the Ghana.gov platform. d. Electronic Clearing of Cheques. e. Specified merchant payments (i.e. payments to commercial establishments registered with GRA for Income Tax and VAT purposes). f. Transfers between principal, master-agent, and agents accounts. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu insists that the E-Levy, on the face of it, is a form of double taxation which also appears to be discriminatory as it will only apply to electronic transactions. According to him, the money that will be subjected to the 1.75% tax by the government would be already taxed money at the time of being earned from an employer, calling it a money tax. In fact its proper name is money tax. Ken Ofori-Atta is just lazily seeking to tax money. Anybody holding money and moving money must pay tax. Let anybody share with me this experience anywhere in the world. So it is money tax when you move money, pay, when you transact business, pay, he stated. Addressing journalists in Parliament on Wednesday after receiving a petition from a group calling itself Mobile Money Agents Association of Ghana (MMAAG), Mr. Iddrisu said What Ghanaians must be prepared to accept painfully is that the cumulative incidents of an electronic money transfer is 3.75% and not 1.75%. There is an existing 1% and a back-off-cash-out1%. Even though there was no universality because Voda Cash, because of promotional purposes, was zero. Those of you who know arithmetic like the Hon Ato Forson. When the Minister of Finance says that the telcos have agreed to reduce their share by 0.25%, so those were zero, is there a minus 0.25% from their zero? he quizzed. The Tamale South MP thanked members of MMAAG for their courage to share where they stand on the E-Levy which he said would affect the nations quest for a digital economy, but on a matter that affects your livelihood and employment and affects many others outside who have no voices to reach out to parliament and to share the views to parliament. I am inspired further reading your text when I see the words, particularly page three which you say this we know will impact us also as agents. As you express it, it is not just Mobile Money Agents, the fitech institutions, merchants, electronic money ecosystem will stand to lose with the insensitivity of the Nana Akufo-Addo government, he posited. I have heard very interesting stories in the last one week. And one which beats my imagination is to hear Ministers of Finance and Information and Members of Parliament of the NPP say without any shame that they allow us to raise revenue to build infrastructure. When the NDC under John Dramani Mahama initiated those VATs on financial services, was it to raise stones? It was to raise revenue for the purpose of development, the Minority asserted. But all of a sudden, it is as if it is only them who know that revenue is used for infrastructure development. And now the argument has even shifted because the NDC thinks if they get money they will develop Ghana, he stated further. He pledged the commitment of the Minority Caucus to convey the concerns of the petitioners to the bill and the debate to the bill. General Secretary of MMAAG, Evans Otumfuo said as main capital investors in this digital finance, we are much concerned about the intended astronomical rate of 1.75% proposed by the government through the Hon. Finance Minister on November 17, 2021. He stated that in the recent years as a result of Mobile Money, more businesses had risen and become the main driver of the economic activities in the country. The presence of digital finance has created and continues to create millions of employment through the establishment of medium and small scale enterprises. Classical is the recent spike in e-commerce industry and its activities as a result of Mobile Money, he asserted. As a Union, after a careful assessment and review of the budget statement and Economic policies for the year ending December 31,2022, and the aspects that concern our operations have left us in shock and felt that the Government could look at it again, he submitted. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Head of Monitoring Unit of the Forestry Commission, Charles Owusu has slammed the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta and all other persons in support of the e-levy who urge Ghanaians to pay the e-levy because it is taxes that foreign countries use to develop their economies. With the e-levy strongly opposed by the Minority and many Ghanaians, the argument has been that the electronic tax will serve as an avenue for development for the country. Encouraging the citizens to embrace this initiative, the proponents have been drawing comparisons between Ghana and the economies of foreign nations, stressing the difference between the two in terms of development, is that the citizens abroad willingly pay taxes. Speaking on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Charles Owusu wants these comparisons to stop because, to him, it's disproportionate for any person to compare Ghana with overseas. He noted that the problem that most Ghanaians have with the e-levy, aside calling for the 1.75 percent to be reduced, is how it (e-levy) will be administered. He explained that, in abroad, the taxes are used for its intended purposes unlike Ghana, therefore arguing that ''we don't see what our tax is used to do in this country''. ''Those abroad, when they pay tax, see the evidence that roads are being tarred, water runs through the tape 24/7; the system is working...I say if they set up tolls on my road, I will pay but you can't put tolls on a rough road. And so if you construct alphated road for me and set up toll on it and tell me to pay, why won't I pay? ''Because I can attest to it, but here we have a situation in a country where pregnant women lies on a mat. Tell me where in overseas do you see a pregnant woman lying on a mat in the hospital? Where in abroad do you find a Police officer living in a messy room?'' he questioned. He further lambasted the State authorities saying ''it is only in Ghana that you will have a prepaid meter and load credit on it but can't use it because there is light off'' and wondered if this happens abroad too. ''I mean there's nothing like that in a foreign country, so we should stop that comparison!...In Ghana here, as soon as it rains, your telephone doesn't work. In Ghana, when it rains, your lights go out because it is afraid of rainfall. That is not happening there (abroad)...So, we shouldn't even engage in that kind of intellectual discourse at all," he stated. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Effutu constituency and Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin has disclosed the majority in Parliament has had a good working relationship with the minority side of the House. He said what the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs have been seen doing in the House is exactly what is expected of them as an opposition. Speaking in an interview on TV3, the Effutu MP said aside from the brawl, the NDC has been very cooperative. Weve had the best of cooperation from our colleagues. Were a political class with our ideologies and you should expect that we compete. The NDC Minority in Parliament, with all due respect, they have done what theyre supposed to do, because we have done several things by consensus. You should expect that on very sensitive matters that they will disagree. I, my only problem with them was the brawl, the fisticuffs that people were attacking. Apart from that, what do you expect opposition to do? Because 2024 is just right there. Meanwhile, the Deputy Majority Leader has also asked NABCO trainees to give the government some time to pay them their allowances which have been in arrears for five months. On the matter of the controversial E-Levy, the MP said its implementation has become necessary for the government to raise revenue for developmental purposes. Source: 3news.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has asked Ghanaians to convince their Members of Parliament (MPs) to pass the Electronic Transactions Levy (E-Levy) Bill and hold him accountable for all revenues and expenses. The Minister reiterated that the time had come for the citizenry to burden share in the development of the country with the Government by paying that tax. He said the e-levy would help increase revenue as the country moved into an e-commerce economy, and invest such revenues into debt sustainability, infrastructure development and youth entrepreneurship. Mr Ofori-Atta said this at the closing ceremony of the 73rd University of Ghana Annual New Year School and Conference in Accra on Wednesday. What I was really expecting Parliament was to say, were going to get 6.9 billion from this new tax revenue measure. So how then do you [Finance Minister] report to me [Parliament] on a quarterly basis on the uses of the fund and its application so that we move on, he said. Mr Ofori-Attas call on the citizenry to ask their MPs to pass the e-levy comes at a time that the Government has started town hall meetings to explain and get feedback on the Bill. Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority Leader, has asked the Finance Committee of Parliament to also engage in consultations beyond what the government was doing, following a petition to Parliament by the Mobile Money Agents Association over the same issue. Touching on the concerns by some people that the 1.75 percent was high, Mr Ofori-Atta, explained that the Government had engaged telecommunication operators to accept a 0.25 percent absorption to cushion Ghanaians. You go to the issue of 1.75 percent e-levy and people will say thats too high even though we exempted transfers of less than a 100 cedis. The arguments were coming fast and furious and we had to listen and reassess that in terms of the impact of the 1.75 percent. We were able to come down by 0.25 percent [by the telcos], which means that the impact will go down for the average Ghanaian, he said. 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 Certified seed offers several advantages to producers over farmer-saved or brown-bagged seed. Credit: Kay Ledbetter As producers get back into their fields for a new season, Texas A&M AgriLife Foundation Seed is stepping up its efforts to educate producers on the benefits of using certified seed and the legalities involved when "brown-bagging." Texas A&M AgriLife Foundation Seed, located near Vernon, is a nonprofit, stand-alone unit of Texas A&M AgriLife Research. The Foundation supports most of the plant material improvement efforts of Texas A&M AgriLife statewide. Producers often save seed as a way to save money in planting the next year's cropa practice known as brown-bagging. But experts say this activity may be having an opposite effect than the one intended by reducing yields and income. Additionally, AgriLife Research wheat development teams benefit directly from additional funding through royalties generated from authorized sales of certified seed, said Rick Vierling, Ph.D., manager of Texas A&M AgriLife Foundation Seed. About 10 percent of seed sales and royalties are typically reinvested into plant breeding efforts each year. In return, wheat producers benefit through the introduction of new varieties with better yields, improved disease and pest resistance, and additional advancements in technology. However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics show the U.S. wheat seed industry loses up to $677 million per year to brown bagging. This means as much as $68 million annually is lost toward reinvestment in developing new varieties, according to the Seed Innovation and Protection Alliance. Brown-bagging vs. certified seed There are multiple benefits and risks involved with certified seed and brown-bag seed, Vierling said. And, Texas A&M AgriLife has published a brochure to better educate growers about the differences. Vierling said the problems caused by brown-bagging are not limited to producers, but also to the researchers developing new varieties to stay on top of the latest pest and disease issues. Certified seed is required to pass through field inspections and testing to minimize weed seed contamination and seed-borne disease, as well as verify the identity of the variety, he said. The Texas Department of Agriculture is responsible for inspecting seed production fields. On the other hand, brown-bagged seeds are untested and can lead to impure seed, lower yields and reduced end-use quality, Vierling said. While there is a lower upfront cost, there is a considerable risk of reduced end-use quality or contamination with weed, diseased and smaller seeds. Additionally, the vigor of the seeds can be reduced. Using farmer-saved seed can also result in greater herbicide costs, possibly more dockage due to excessive foreign matter and spreading of weed seeds to new fields during replanting, Vierling said. Producer purchases are the bottom line When it comes to seed purchases by producers, there are generally three different types of legal protections that may be afforded to a seed company, and producers are responsible for being aware of them, said Tiffany Lashmet, J.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agriculture law specialist, Amarillo. While many producers may be aware of the protections provided by the Plant Variety Protection Act, if a variety has a utility patent protection on it or a licensing agreement is attached, they can also be subject potential legal issues. "It is critical that farmers first determine which protections are applicable, then determine the limitations imposed by each protection," Lashmet said. Bryan Gentsch, Ph.D., executive vice president of the Texas Seed Trade Association, estimates more than half of the planted wheat in Texas is grown from brown-bagged seed. He said some of it is legally saved farmer seed for use, but most is probably not. Legalities involved in farmer-saved seed Lashmet recently published "Overview of Seed-Saving Laws," which outlines the different protections afforded to seed companies and breeders. The first such law, the Plant Protection Act, passed in 1930 and applied only to discovering and creating distinct varieties of asexually reproducing plants. In 1970, that was expanded with the Plant Variety Protection Act. A Plant Variety Protection Act certificate provides the holder with the right to exclude others from selling, marketing, offering for sale, reproducing, consigning, exchanging, importing or using a variety in the production of hybrid or different varieties for 20 years. There are two exemptions granted on PVPA-protected or certified seed. The first is an allowance for replanting seeds for research and development of new seed varieties. The second is a seed-saving exception for farmers who lawfully purchase certified seed. They are permitted to save enough harvested seed to replant on their own property, but for an area no larger than that initially planted. When purchasing seed, a farmer should look for language on the bag or tag such as: "U.S. Protected VarietyPVPA," "Unauthorized Propagation ProhibitedU.S. Protected Variety," or something similar to determine whether PVPA protection exists. If a utility patent has been granted on a variety by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, a patent number or a statement of "patent pending" should be on the bag or tag to identify it is protected. These patents prohibit others from making, using or selling the patented seed without permission for 20 years. And finally, Lashmet said, even without the PVPA or utility patent protections, seed may still be subject to a contractual licensing agreement in the form of a written contract of printing on the bag itself. The licensing agreement printed on the bag may provide that by opening the bag and using the seed, the farmer agrees to the contractual terms. Each license generally contains its own unique terms, and farmers must know those and agree to them, she said. Unauthorized sales hurt research efforts Gentsch said he has evidence that some elevator operations routinely sell bulk wheat that includes or consists entirely of protected varieties for use as seed to farmers. "In addition to stifling the introduction of new and better wheat varieties and cheating the intellectual property owner of their rightful income, it's illegal to sell seed in Texas without a seed seller's license," he said. Most elevators do not possess a seed seller's license, and while some are not aware they are breaking the law, others simply claim they are not aware of the farmer's intentions. "Some are quite blatant about sequestering incoming loads of a known, protected variety and offering it for sale to other area farmers," Gentsch said. "Not only is this illegal, but these practices also hurt everyone in the long run by reducing the research efforts aimed at improving Texas' crops." Explore further Seed microorganisms override soil microorganisms when colonizing plants SDSU researchers Chris Harrison and Jessica Torres, seen above in Harrison's lab, are using lasers and liquids to detect amino acids in extraterrestrial rocks. In the background, an image of Mars. Credit: San Diego State University Have we been looking for extraterrestrials in all the wrong places? San Diego State University chemists are developing methods to find signs of life on other planets by looking for the building blocks of proteins in a place they've never been able to test before: inside rocks. After collaborating with researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in La Canada Flintridge in 2019, Jessica Torres, a doctoral student studying chemistry at SDSU, is experimenting with ways to extract amino acids from porous rocks that could be used on future rovers. Previous research has looked for evidence of other life forms in water and soil, but not from solid materials. Current methods for identifying amino acids can't differentiate versions created by a living organism from those formed through random chemical reactions. And existing techniques usually require waterwhich would freeze or evaporate if placed on a space probe traveling to Mars or Europa, the ice-covered saltwater moon of Jupiter that some regard as a prime candidate for extraterrestrial life because of its subsurface ocean. "The true novelty of our project is to approach detection of life using alternative solvents that are better suited for space instead of water and organic solvents, which are very suitable on earth," Torres said. "We hope to develop a microfluidic device that can extract, sample, and identify amino acids in rocks. This is particularly novel because JPL does not have a method to approach this quite yet." Torres is developing novel chemical solvents specifically made to operate on an automated rover visiting another planet, where water and other common solvents like alcohols and acetone would not be viable. In the lab, Chris Harrison, Torres's advisor and SDSU chemistry professor, uses a process called capillary electrophoresis. "It's a cheaper way to detect life, and better in a lot of ways," said Harrison. Capillary electrophoresis involves separating molecules by passing them through a liquid-filled tube narrower than an average human hair. A laser attached at the end of the tube is used to illuminate a glow-in-the-dark molecule attached to an amino acid. When an amino acid passes in front of the laser, a sensor will show a spike of the laser-induced glow. There are 20 different amino acids and each moves through the tube at varying rates based on size, electric charge, and how they react with other chemicals. Torres's current challenge is trying to configure a unique spike for each of the contrasting amino acids; she hopes to eventually be able to identify an amino acid, even if there is only one present among a billion other molecules. "We're really lucky with the equipment we have here. I can do the exact kinds of things that I would do at JPL at SDSU," said Torres. They were originally supposed to return to JPL during the summers of their Ph.D., but have worked remotely during the pandemic. Once they have optimized the chemicals they use to reliably separate and identify each of the 20 amino acids, the team plans to test their process on sample rocks from the moon, the Mars-like Atacama Desert and Mono Lake, which is two to three times saltier than Earth's oceans. "What we'll bring with this new solvent will add flexibility to analysis on Earth and beyond," said Harrison. "Sometimes it is hard to see the impact of fundamental science until you get it in the hands of others and see which problems you've already solved for them." Explore further A new test for life on other planets A fir needle stomata, which lets CO2 in and water vapor out. Credit: Oregon State University We human beings need plants for our survival. Everything we eat consists of plants or animals that depend on plants somewhere along the food chain. Plants also form the backbone of natural ecosystems, and they absorb about 30 percent of all the carbon dioxide emitted by humans each year. But as the impacts of climate change worsen, how are higher levels of CO 2 in the atmosphere and warmer temperatures affecting the plant world? CO 2 boosts plant productivity Plants use sunlight, carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and water for photosynthesis to produce oxygen and carbohydrates that plants use for energy and growth. Rising levels of CO 2 in the atmosphere drive an increase in plant photosynthesisan effect known as the carbon fertilization effect. New research has found that between 1982 and 2020, global plant photosynthesis grew 12 percent, tracking CO 2 levels in the atmosphere as they rose 17 percent. The vast majority of this increase in photosynthesis was due to carbon dioxide fertilization. Increased photosynthesis results in more growth in some plants. Scientists have found that in response to elevated CO 2 levels, above-ground plant growth increased an average of 21 percent, while below-ground growth increased 28 percent. As a result, some crops such as wheat, rice and soybeans are expected to benefit from increased CO 2 with an increase in yields from 12 to 14 percent. The growth of some tropical and sub-tropical grasses and several important crops, including corn, sugar cane, sorghum, and millet, however, are not as affected by increased CO 2 . Under elevated CO 2 concentrations, plants use less water during photosynthesis. Plants have openings called stomata that allow CO 2 to be absorbed and moisture to be released into the atmosphere. When CO 2 levels rise, plants can maintain a high rate of photosynthesis and partially close their stomata, which can decrease a plant's water loss between 5 and 20 percent. Scientists have speculated that this could result in plants releasing less water to the atmosphere, thus keeping more on land, in the soil and streams. But other factors count Elevated levels of CO 2 from climate change may enable plants to benefit from the carbon fertilization effect and use less water to grow, but it's not all good news for plants. It's more complicated than that, because climate change is also impacting other factors critical to plants' growth, such as nutrients, temperature, and water. Nitrogen limitations Researchers that studied hundreds of plant species between 1980 and 2017 found that most unfertilized terrestrial ecosystems are becoming deficient in nutrients, particularly nitrogen. They attributed this decrease in nutrients to global changes, including rising temperatures and CO 2 levels. Nitrogen is the most abundant element on Earth, making up about 80 percent of the atmosphere. It is an essential element in DNA and RNA and is needed by plants to make carbohydrates and proteins for growth. However, plants cannot use the nitrogen gas found in the atmosphere because it has two atoms of nitrogen triply bonded together so tightly that they are difficult to break apart into a form plants can use. Lightning has enough energy to break the triple bond, a process called nitrogen fixation. Nitrogen is also fixed in the industrial process that produces fertilizer. But most nitrogen fixation occurs in the soil, where certain kinds of bacteria attach to the roots of plants, such as legumes. The bacteria get carbon from the plant and in a symbiotic exchange, fix the nitrogen, combining it with oxygen or hydrogen into compounds plants can use. Kevin Griffin, a professor in Columbia University's Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology and the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, explained that most living things have a relatively fixed ratio between carbon and nitrogen. This means that if plants take up more CO 2 to create carbohydrates because there's more CO 2 in the atmosphere, the amount of nitrogen in the leaves may be diluted, and a plant's productivity depends on having enough nitrogen. "If you increase the CO 2 around a leaf or around the plant or around the plot of forest, usually the productivity goes up," he said. "But whether or not that increase in productivity lasts and is permanent, can be a function of whether you have [enough] nitrogen. So if nitrogen is limited, it could be that a plant just cannot use that extra CO 2 and its boost in productivity can be short lived." Trees currently absorb about a third of human-caused CO 2 emissions, but their ability to continue to do this depends on how much nitrogen is available to them. If nitrogen is limited, the benefit of increased CO 2 will be limited too. Earlier research on nitrogen fixation, based on measurements of free-living bacteria, had predicted that the fixation process works fastest at 25C, and that as temperatures rose above 25C, the rate of fixation would go down. In a warming world, this would have meant a runaway scenario where nitrogen fixing would decrease as temperatures rose, resulting in less plant productivity. Plants would then remove less CO 2 from the atmosphere which would cause further warming and less nitrogen fixing, and so on. Griffin and his colleagues developed an instrument that enabled them to measure the temperature response of nitrogen on the bacteria that formed an association with the roots of plants, as opposed to on free-living bacteria. "What we found with our new instrument looking at whole-plant symbioses in temperate and tropical trees, was that the optimal temperature for nitrogen fixation was actually about 5C higher than any of these previous estimates, and in some cases as much as 11C higher. This needs to be tested over a huge number of plants, but if it holds, it means that the likelihood of nitrogen fixation decreasing is much lower than we thought, which means that plants could stay more productive and prevent the runaway scenario." The fall army worm is a chronic pest in the southeastern US. Credit: Photo: Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility Rising temperatures Griffin's work also found that the temperature response of nitrogen fixation is independent from the temperature response of photosynthesis, which involves enzymes made with nitrogen. Higher temperatures can make these enzymes less efficient. Rubisco is the key enzyme that helps turn carbon dioxide into carbohydrates in photosynthesis, but as temperatures go up, it "relaxes" and the shape of its pocket that holds the CO 2 gets less precise. Consequently, one fifth of the time, the enzyme winds up fixing oxygen instead of carbon dioxide, lowering the efficiency of photosynthesis and wasting the plant's resources. With an even greater temperature increase, Rubisco can completely deactivate. Since plants respond to nitrogen fertilizer by increasing the amount of Rubisco they have and growing more, the finding that nitrogen fixation can be sustained at higher temperatures than previously thought offers the possibility that it could compensate for the decreasing efficiency of Rubisco at higher temperatures. Rising temperatures are also causing growing seasons to become longer and warmer. Because plants will grow more and for a longer time, they will actually use more water, offsetting the benefits of partially closing their stomata. Contrary to what scientists believed in the past, the result will be drier soils and less runoff that is needed for streams and rivers. This could also lead to more local warming since evapotranspirationwhen plants release moisture into the airkeeps the air cooler. In addition, when soils are dry, plants become stressed and do not absorb as much CO 2 , which could limit photosynthesis. Scientists found that even if plants absorbed excess carbon for photosynthesis during a wet year, the amount could not compensate for the reduced amount of CO 2 absorbed during a previous dry year. Warmer winters and a longer growing season also help the pests, pathogens, and invasive species that harm vegetation. During longer growing seasons, more generations of pests can reproduce as warmer temperatures speed up insect life cycles, and more pests and pathogens survive over warm winters. Rising temperatures are also driving some insects to invade new territories, sometimes with devastating effects for the local plants. Higher temperatures and an increase in moisture also make crops more vulnerable. Weeds, many of which thrive in heat and elevated CO 2 , already cause about 34 percent of crop losses; insects cause 18 percent of losses, and disease 16 percent. Climate change will likely magnify these losses. Many crops start to experience stress at temperatures above 32 to 35C, although this depends on crop type and water availability. Models show that each degree of added warmth can cause a 3 to 7 percent loss in the yields of some important crops, such as corn and soybeans. In addition, an increase in temperature speeds up the plant lifecycle so that as the plant matures more quickly, it has less time for photosynthesis, and consequently produces fewer grains and smaller yields. Plants are also on the move in response to warming temperatures. Species that are adapted to certain climatic conditions are gradually moving north or to higher elevations where it is cooler. In the last several decades, many North American plants have moved approximately 36 feet to higher elevations or 10.5 miles to higher latitudes every 10 years. The Arctic tree line is also moving 131 to 164 feet northward towards the pole each year. New environments may be less hospitable for the species moving into them as there might be less space or more competition for resources. Some species may have nowhere left to move and ultimately, certain species will be disadvantaged by the changes while others will benefit. Soils may store less carbon as plants draw more nutrients from the ground. Credit: Photo: CupcakePerson13 Extreme weather Climate change will bring more frequent and severe extreme weather events, including extreme precipitation, wind disturbance, heat waves, and drought. Extreme precipitation events can disturb plant growth, particularly in recently burned forests, and make plants more vulnerable to flooding and soils to erosion. More frequent high winds can stress tree stands. Climate change is also expected to bring more combined heat waves and droughts, which would likely offset any benefits from the carbon fertilization effect. While crop yields often decrease during hot growing seasons, the combination of heat and dryness could cause maize yields to fall by 20 percent in some parts of the US, and 40 percent in Eastern Europe and southeast Africa. In addition, the combination of heat and water scarcity may reduce crop yields in places like the northern US, Canada, and Ukraine, where crop yields are projected to increase because of warmer temperatures. Other effects of increased CO 2 While some crop yields may increase, rising CO 2 levels affect the level of important nutrients in crops. With elevated CO 2 , protein concentrations in grains of wheat, rice and barley, and in potato tubers decreased by 10 to 15 percent in one study. Crops also lose important minerals including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. A 2018 study of rice varieties found that while elevated CO 2 concentrations increased vitamin E, they resulted in decreases in vitamins B1, B2, B5 and B9. And, counterintuitively, the CO 2 -fueled increase in plant growth may result in less carbon storage in soil. Recent research found that plants have to draw more nutrients from the soil to keep up with the added growth triggered by carbon fertilization. This stimulates microbial activity, which ends up releasing CO 2 into the atmosphere that might otherwise have stayed in the soil. The findings challenge the long-held belief that as plants grow more due to increased CO 2 , the additional biomass would turn into organic matter and soils could increase their carbon storage. Plants face an uncertain future Many of the studies into the response of plant life to climate change seem to suggest that most plants will be more stressed and less productive in the future. But there are still many unknowns about how the complex interactions between plant physiology and behavior, resource availability and use, shifting plant communities, and other factors will affect overall plant life in the face of climate change. Explore further How plants use carbon affects their response to climate change Provided by State of the Planet Compiled by Cloud River Urban Research Institute, an international think tank, the China Core Cities & Metropolitan Area Development Index 2020 was recently released. In the comprehensive ranking, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou have occupied the top four positions for three consecutive years. Chengdu has fared well, up three places to fifth in the ranking from the first release of the index in 2017. Tianjin has fallen to sixth place from fifth in 2019, while Hangzhou (7th), Chongqing (8th), and Nanjing (9th) have all maintained their 2019 rankings. Xi'an ranks 11th, up two places from 2019. Conversely, Wuhan drops to 13th from 11th in 2019. Ningbo has maintained its 12th place. Among the 36 core cities, Zhengzhou, Changsha, Jinan, Hefei, Fuzhou, Harbin, Nanchang, Nanning, Haikou, Hohhot, and Lhasa have climbed the ranking, in which Hefei has seen the largest increase from 23rd in 2019 to 19th in 2020. Qingdao, Kunming, and Changchun have maintained their 2019 positions. Xiamen, Shenyang, Dalian, Guiyang, Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan, Urumqi, Lanzhou, Xining, and Yinchuan have moved down in the ranking. Among them, Dalian has seen a bigger drop from 18th in 2019 to 23rd in 2020. In general, core cities in the north have declined significantly in the comprehensive ranking. The China Core Cities & Metropolitan Area Development Index is supported by a selection of 442 data sets closely related with its theme, including statistical data, satellite remote sensing data, and internet data, from the 882 data sets which support the China Integrated City Index. Therefore, the China Core Cities & Metropolitan Area Development Index is a cutting-edge multimodal index that uses the "five senses" to analyze and measure a city's development through statistical resources of different fields. For example, through satellite remote sensing data, we can accurately know the scale, distribution, and density of population in densely inhabited districts (DIDs), and analyze their relationship with other factors like economic development, infrastructures, social development, and ecological and environmental protection, elevating the research of metropolitan areas to a higher level. It is worth noting that CO2 emissions data is included in the index. Through years of efforts, Cloud River Urban Research Institute has finally been able to calculate CO2 emissions of each city through satellite data analysis and geographic information system (GIS) analysis, which has increased the accuracy and depth of its analysis and evaluation on the cities' performance in pursuing high-quality development. Another key feature of the index is that it is an analysis of 36 core cities, including four municipalities, 22 provincial capitals, five capitals of autonomous regions, and five cities with independent planning status, against the evaluation of 297 cities at the prefecture level or above across the country. Notably, four non-core cities Suzhou (10th), Dongguan (20th), Wuxi (25th), and Foshan (27th) are among the top 30 in the 2020 comprehensive ranking. In 2020, the 36 core cities accounted for 39.2% of China's total GDP, 50.9% of its export volume, 50.1% of the total number of authorized patents, 26.6% of the permanent resident population, 42% of the population in DIDs, 67.3% of the total number of listed companies on the main board, 94.8% of the prestigious universities under the Project 985 and Project 211, 57.5% of the five-star hotels, and 47.5% of the top hospitals, according to the index. It is notable that the core cities have lead China's social and economic development. The index mainly measures 10 major items, namely the city status, metropolitan area power, radiation ability, wide-area hub, opening and communications, business environment, innovation and entrepreneurship, ecological resources and environment, life quality and safety, as well as culture and education. It is also supported by 30 sub-items and 116 sets of index data to comprehensively evaluate the high-quality development of core cities in a science-based, systematic, and detailed manner. What is most noteworthy about the 2020 index is that it focuses on assessing the performance of China's core cities in COVID-19 response and economic recovery. Here is an overview from the perspectives of three major items life quality and safety, metropolitan area power, and ecological resources and environment. Life quality and safety: Zero-COVID-19 policy contains virus after it hit Wuhan hard In 2020, COVID-19 put cities to test in terms of ensuring life quality and safety. Over theyear, 62.8% of the new COVID-19 cases (excluding imported cases and asymptomatic cases) were in Wuhan, but the rapid lockdown and the zero-COVID-19 policy quickly brought the virus under control. As a result, no extensive spread occurred in other cities outside Hubei province despite sporadic outbreaks, and life and production in Chinese cities quickly resumed. The major item of life quality and safety is divided into three sub-items, namely safety and livability, living consumption, and medical welfare. The sub-items are made up of 16 data sets, including the number of people infected with the coronavirus, licensed (assistant) doctors, and top hospitals, as well as average life expectancy. In the ranking of life quality and safety, Wuhan, hit hard by COVID-19, has fallen to the bottom of the list from eighth place in 2019. Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing are the top three, followed by Chengdu, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Zhengzhou, and Tianjin. In the top 10 cities, Chongqing, Chengdu, and Zhengzhou have climbed higher in the ranking compared with 2019, with Chongqing entering the top three for the first time. The rankings of Beijing and Shanghai have remained unchanged, while Shenzhen and Wuhan have dropped out of the top 10. Among the 36 core cities, Xi'an, Jinan, Shenyang, Hefei, Qingdao, Ningbo, Dalian, Harbin, Changchun, Kunming, and Hohhot have moved up in the ranking compared with 2019. Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen top ranking of metropolitan area power Metropolitan area power is one of the most basic indicators to gauge the core city. This major item focuses on not only its economy and population, but also its population concentration and structure, as well as its ability as an economic center. In 2020, core cities across the country registered positive growth except Wuhan, which was hard hit by COVID-19, as their GDP growth rate increasing by 3 percent points on average. The strong resilience of the core cities has driven China's economy to achieve a growth rate of 2.3% despite economic contraction in other major countries. The major indicator of metropolitan area power encompasses three sub-indicators: economic scale, metropolitan area quality, and enterprise agglomeration, including 14 sets of indicator data such as GDP scale, resident population, DID population and listed enterprises on the main board. Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen have retained the top three spots in the ranking of metropolitan area power, with a remarkable deviation value. The other cities in the top 10 include Guangzhou, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Tianjin and Wuhan. Compared with the ranking in 2019, most of the top 10 cities remained unchanged, while Chengdu rose one place and Tianjin dropped three places. Compared with 2019, Xi'an, Qingdao, Jinan, Kunming, Guiyang, Changchun, Taiyuan, Haikou, Xining, Yinchuan, Hohhot, Lhasa and other cities have climbed up the ranking. Shanghai, Beijing and Tianjin: Biggest CO2 emitters Eco-environmental quality and resource efficiency have become more and more important for the development of a city. While paying attention to environmental quality and resource efficiency, the major item of ecological resources and environment also takes into account the evaluation of environmental efforts. One highlight of this major item is the introduction of the evaluation of carbon dioxide emissions. At present, 36 core cities account for 29% of the country's carbon dioxide emissions. In terms of carbon dioxide emissions, the top 10 core cities are Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Harbin, Ningbo, Qingdao, Chongqing, Jinan, and Zhengzhou. In terms of per capita carbon dioxide emissions, the top 10 core cities are Hohhot, Taiyuan, Lanzhou, Yinchuan, Tianjin, Urumqi, Ningbo, Qingdao, Beijing, and Shanghai. The major item of ecological resources and environment contain three sub-indicators: the quality of resource environment, environmental effort and resource efficiency, including 15 sets of indicator data, such as air quality index (AQI), CO2 emission per unit of GDP, per capita CO2 emission, and climate comfort. Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing are the top three cities in the ranking of ecological resources and environment, with Shenzhen toppling Shanghai from the pole position. Other core cities in the top 10 are Guangzhou, Chongqing, Xiamen, Wuhan, and Chengdu. Compared with 2019, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Wuhan, Tianjin, Changsha, Ningbo, Hefei, Shenyang, Xi'an, Qingdao, Jinan, Lhasa, and Shijiazhuang among the 36 core cities have risen up the ranking of this major item. A bomb cyclone over the U.S. East Coast on Jan. 4, 2017. Credit: NOAA/CIRA A bomb cyclone is a large, intense midlatitude storm that has low pressure at its center, weather fronts and an array of associated weather, from blizzards to severe thunderstorms to heavy precipitation. It becomes a bomb when its central pressure decreases very quicklyby at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. Two famed meteorologists, Fred Sanders and John Gyakum, gave this pattern its name in a 1980 study. When a cyclone "bombs," or undergoes bombogenesis, this tells us that it has access to the optimal ingredients for strengthening, such as high amounts of heat, moisture and rising air. Most cyclones don't intensify rapidly in this way. Bomb cyclones put forecasters on high alert, because they can produce significant harmful impacts. The U.S. Eastern Seaboard is one of the regions where bombogenesis is most common. That's because storms in the midlatitudesa temperate zone north of the tropics that includes the entire continental U.S.draw their energy from large temperature contrasts. Along the U.S. East Coast during winter, there's a naturally potent thermal contrast between the cool land and the warm Gulf Stream current. Over the warmer ocean, heat and moisture are abundant. But as cool continental air moves overhead and creates a large difference in temperature, the lower atmosphere becomes unstable and buoyant. Air rises, cools and condenses, forming clouds and precipitation. Intense cyclones also require favorable conditions above the surface. Particularly strong upper-level winds, also known as "jet streaks," and high-amplitude waves embedded within storm tracks can help force air to rise. UK meteorologist Alex Deakin explains how unstable air causes cumulus clouds to form. When a strong jet streak overlies a developing low-pressure system, it creates a feedback pattern that makes warm air rise at an increasing rate. This allows the pressure to drop rapidly at the center of the system. As the pressure drops, winds strengthen around the storm. Essentially, the atmosphere is trying to even out pressure differences between the center of the system and the area around it. Weather forecasters are predicting that the northeastern U.S. will be affected by a potent winter storm on Jan. 2830, 2022. Forecast models are calling for a swath of snow from coastal North Carolina northward to Maine. While precise locations and amounts of snowfall are still uncertain, parts of coastal New England appear most at risk of receiving 812 inches or more of heavy accumulating snow. Coupled with winds forecast to be over 50 miles per hour along the coast, the storm is likely to produce blizzard conditions, storm surge, coastal flooding, wind damage and beach erosion. Bomb cyclones are sometimes called winter hurricanes, but they are a different type of storm. This storm's life is expected to begin offshore of the southeast U.S. as a weak low-pressure system. Just 24 hours later, global models predict that its central pressure will drop by 3550 millibars. If this storm develops as forecasts predict, aided by winds blowing at over 150 miles per hour in the upper atmosphere, very warm sea surface temperatures just offshore (24 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than average), and a highly unstable atmosphere, it will have the critical ingredients for a bomb cyclone. Explore further Real weather term "bomb" blows up on social media This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Credit: CC0 Public Domain New research reveals gender bias can creep into student loan bankruptcy court cases. FIU legal psychology graduate student Kelsey Hess and a team of FIU psychologistsincluding Jacqueline Evans and Deborah Goldfarbexamined nearly 900 student loan discharge decisions handled in U.S. bankruptcy courts between 1985 to 2020. In addition to gender, researchers also factored in other variables, including marital status, the number of children, medical issues or documented disability claims, as well as if an attorney was present. They found gender played a somewhat complex, but important role in the outcome of the cases. Single mothers were more likely to have their loans discharged than single fathers. However, when a debtor disclosed a medical issue that could interfere with their ability to earn a living, males had a substantial advantage over females. In fact, men were 93 percent more likely to have their loans discharged when disclosing a medical condition, as compared to women who disclosed medical conditions. "It's not always clear-cut how gender influences a student loan discharge decision," Hess said. "With this study, what we're actually seeing is how special circumstances can be tied closely to gender and traditional gender roles. Certain factors were not weighted equally between male and female debtors." In the United States, women hold about two-thirds of student loan debt. As women outnumber men in pursuing college degrees, and the cost of higher education becomes more expensive, it's expected women will continue to be the primary holders of student loan debt. Compounding this problem may be the gender pay gap. When women enter the workforce, they tend to earn lessmeaning less money is available to put toward repayments. Down the line, this could lead to more women trying to get their student loans discharged in bankruptcy court. This is just one of the reasons Hess and the team wanted to research this issue. The bankruptcy process for student loans differs from typical bankruptcy proceedings and certain criteria have to be met, including an "undue hardship" test. As Evans points out, it's not simply about presenting bills and proving income. Instead, it can be a laborious process of putting together the full picture of a person's private lifesomething not many people want to do in front of a court. For this study, the researchers were contacted by a judge who works in a U.S. bankruptcy court about conducting a study like this. "This is a great example of when academia and the judiciary partner together, and work together to ask important questions," Goldfarb said. "Our work here highlights FIU's Legal Psychology's goal of working with and making a difference in the community." The researchers emphasize one important focus of the studyin terms of biases that deserve special attention women's medical conditions are discounted in court. Especially because it mirrors other research that shows female patients' pain is taken less seriously than the same pain levels in male patients, leading to differences in treatment. If a woman's doctor fails to take her pain seriously, she may be less likely to share it in bankruptcy courtand even if she does, there's no guarantee the court will believe it enough to discharge the loans. The presence of an attorney is another element to this study that also deserves attention, the team says. Because bankruptcy court involves civil cases, an attorney is not provided. However, an attorney can drastically impact the outcome of the case. Getting an attorney, though, can be a tremendous hurdle for a person already facing down burdensome, debilitating debt. "Our hope with this study is that, of course, bankruptcy judges can root out potential inappropriate extralegal influences on their own decisions," Hess said. "We also want this research to be a jumping-off point. We have other questions to ask and answer, like what kind of systemic changes can be made at the level of the courts and how can mechanisms for providing attorneys to debtors be put in place." This study was published in Psychology, Public Policy, and Law. The team has also presented the findings to the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (NCBJ), as well as the American Bar Association, and received positive feedback. Recently, they received a grant from NCBJ to continue and expand their research in this area. Explore further App attempts to break barriers to bankruptcy for those in medical debt More information: The influence of gender and other extralegal factors on student loan bankruptcy decisions. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law. psycnet.apa.org/buy/2022-23864-001 The influence of gender and other extralegal factors on student loan bankruptcy decisions. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain When it comes to being divisive, it doesn't get more literal than a wall. Walls exist as a means of separation, creating a sense of security by keeping somethingor more typically someoneout. And whether it's separating Americans and Mexicans, Israelis and Palestinians, East Germans and West Germans, or any other two groups, the political divisiveness of border walls makes headlines around the globe. Noting the strong reactions that many people have toward border walls, Penn researchers Diana Mutz and Beth Simmons wondered if walls carried a more universal meaning in the human mind, regardless of a person's nationality. And as it turns out, they dowith real implications for international influence and soft power. Mutz, the Samuel A. Stouffer Professor of Political Science and Communication and director of the Institute for the Study of Citizens and Politics at the Annenberg School for Communication and in the Department of Political Science in the School of Arts & Sciences, was interested in the political psychology of distance and separation. Simmons, the Andrea Mitchell University Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor in Law, Political Science, and Business Ethics at Penn Carey Law, had an ongoing project involving the consequences of increased national border infrastructure around the world. These related research interests converged as Mutz and Simmons developed an experiment to assess how border walls influence the way that individuals regard a foreign countryand crucially, in a way that steers clear of highly polarized political feelings about border policies where they live. "It struck us both as intuitive and consistent with a lot of psychological research that walls connote unfriendliness, a desire to be separate from what is on the other side," Mutz says. "We thought the best way to untangle politics from perceptions would be to design an experiment that forces respondents to think beyond their own political context." Their findings, "The psychology of separation: border walls, soft power, and international neighborliness," were recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study revealed that the presence of walls lowered participants' evaluations of the bordering countries, and implied hostile international relationships. The consistent negative impressions that participants had of countries with border infrastructure, the co-authors say, are important for policymakers to bear in mind. These findings speak directly to the potential impact of border security policies on a country's "soft power," the kind of influence, both on leaders and the public, that a country gains when seen favorably by those in other countries. Soft power is determined by foreign perceptions of the attractiveness of a society's culture, foreign policies, and values. Working with a team of graduate students, the co-authors assembled found footage from the internet on Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, two countries that they felt respondents were likely to know very little about. Mutz and Simmons wanted participants to be unfamiliar with the locations involved, so their judgments wouldn't be swayed by prior knowledge of that country's reputation. With the help of Waldo Aguirre and Anna Gamarnik from Annenberg's IT department, they created a short documentary about Tajikistan's culture and history. Respondents were shown one of three versions of the film, then asked to rate their impressions of the countries depicted. In one version, the narrator mentions that Tajikistan shares a border with Kyrgyzstan, shown as a valley between two mountains. In another version, the video refers to a "border wall," with an image of a wall presented. The third version also shows a wall, and explicitly mentions that neighboring Kyrgyzstan originally built it. They conducted the experiment in three countries with varied recent experiences of border infrastructure: the United States, where border walls are extensive but partial and politically controversial; Ireland, where border barriers have been dismantled since the late 1990s; and Turkey, whose border abuts a civil war in Syria and who has almost fully sealed off its southern and eastern borders. In addition to participants having negative perceptions of countries with border walls, the results showed that the government of the country responsible for erecting the wall was regarded especially unfavorably. And while walls increased perceptions of a country's border security, it lowered respondents' perceived security of the people who live there. As the authors note, these reactions were consistent regardless of participants' political views, the political contexts of their home countries, and their distance from an international border. "People in Ireland, the U.S., and Turkey all responded in the same way to the presence of a wall, and they all held the country that built it in lower esteem," Simmons says. "We had assumed that those who favored walls in their own domestic political context would be less likely to draw these same inferences. That's not at all what we found." Positive feelings about a country's "soft" attributes can enhance a country's military influence and other sources of power. The potential damage that border walls may have on a nation's image can, subsequently, erode its soft power. This doesn't mean that states should never erect border walls, the researchers say. "But it is important to appreciate the possibility that some symbolic security measuresof which walling may be onemay reduce a state's attractiveness more than they enhance national security." Explore further Border walls could have unintended consequences on trade, study finds More information: Diana C. Mutz et al, The psychology of separation: Border walls, soft power, and international neighborliness, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2022). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Diana C. Mutz et al, The psychology of separation: Border walls, soft power, and international neighborliness,(2022). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2117797119 Eurasian Lynx. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Habitat selection in wildlife is a process that occurs at different scales: Balancing advantages, such as high abundance of food, with disadvantages, such as human disturbance. Large predators, with their large spatial requirements, are particularly sensitive to these disturbances. A team led by conservation biologists Prof. Dr. Marco Heurich and Joseph Premier from the Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Freiburg has studied this habitat selection process in Eurasian lynx. Their results, published by the researchers in Biological Conservation, provide important information for the conservation of this species in human-dominated landscapes. "Through this study, we can generalize the habitat selection behavior of a large carnivore species on a continental scale fort he first time," explains Heurich. Large dataset with animals in several European areas The researchers led by Heurich and Premier used a data set consisting of tracking data on 125 lynx from nine study areas across Europe. They compared the locations available to and actually used by the predators at two scales: the landscape scale, which shows how lynx place their home range in the landscape, and the home range scale, which shows how lynx select the habitats within their home range. For this comparison, the research team used a novel machine learning approach called the random forest. This was extended to include a random effect so that variability within and between study areas could be accounted for. What the animals avoid and how they orient themselves On the landscape scale the analysis revealed that lynx avoid roads and human settlements. On the level of their home range, the animals were oriented towards hiding places and the availability of prey. The researchers found only minor differences between female and male lynx in their choice of habitat. Heurich and Premier found the greatest differences in lynx habitat choice at the landscape level, where there were clear differences between the various study areas, for example between the Swiss Alps and the plains of Estonia. Within the foraging areas, lynx behaved very similarly throughout Europe, preferring heterogeneous forest areas and areas that provided protection from human disturbance. Explore further The calm of the deer More information: Lucia Ripari et al, Human disturbance is the most limiting factor driving habitat selection of a large carnivore throughout Continental Europe, Biological Conservation (2022). Journal information: Biological Conservation Lucia Ripari et al, Human disturbance is the most limiting factor driving habitat selection of a large carnivore throughout Continental Europe,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109446 Juvenile salmon. Credit: Mikko Kytokorpi A study conducted at the University of Helsinki indicates that early sexual maturation and high aerobic performance in salmon have a genetic link that is already evident in juvenile salmon. Salmon are born in rivers, migrate to the sea to reach maturity and return to spawn in their native river. While the salmon that reach their maturity at an early age return from the sea after a single year, the individuals that are slower to develop can spend two years or an even longer time at sea. Genomic regions have been identified in the salmon genome that heavily regulate the number of years spent at sea. Under the direction of Academy of Finland Research Fellow Tutku Aykanat, researchers from the University of Helsinki bred a large number of young salmon that differed on the basis of two such regions. The researchers measured the basal metabolism and aerobic performance of the juvenile salmon before the onset of their maturation process. Carriers of gene variants associated with early sexual maturation were found to have better aerobic performance than those whose variants were associated with the late onset of sexual maturity. Aerobic performance denotes the metabolic capacity to produce energy through aerobic cellular respiration, for example, in muscles. "Greater aerobic performance can promote early maturation, since growth, food supply and reproduction require energy produced through aerobic metabolism," says Postdoctoral Researcher Jenni Prokkola from the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki. The genetic coupling of age-at-maturity and performance did not depend on the amount of food available to the salmon, which indicates that the finding could be generalisable to both wild salmon populations and fish farming conditions. "Salmon that have spent several years at sea and mature at a later date are considerably larger and produce a larger number of offspring when they return to spawn compared to salmon that spawn after only one year at sea. Now, it would be important to determine whether these salmon are more susceptible to global warming due to their poorer aerobic performance. Higher water temperatures increase the energy needs of fish, but the limitations of aerobic performance make adaptation to high temperatures challenging. Aerobic performance can become an increasingly important factor for salmon in warming habitats," Prokkola says. Investigating the genetic and physiological factors that affect age at sexual maturity is important for understanding changes taking place in salmon populations. The research was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. Explore further Farmed fish breeding with wild fish is changing the life cycle of wild fish More information: Jenni M. Prokkola et al, Genetic coupling of life-history and aerobic performance in Atlantic salmon, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2022). Journal information: Proceedings of the Royal Society B Jenni M. Prokkola et al, Genetic coupling of life-history and aerobic performance in Atlantic salmon,(2022). DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2500 Illustration of the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) and Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) of Gateway, with HERMES indicated by a red arrow. This older view shows HERMES in a different placement than its current planned location, which would be rotated 90 degrees on the HALO module and would not be visible from this vantage point. Credit: NASA NASA's HERMES missiona four-instrument suite to be mounted outside NASA's Moon-orbiting Gatewayhas passed a critical mission review on Jan. 27, 2022. The review, Key Decision Point C, evaluated the mission's preliminary design and program plan to achieve launch by its target launch readiness date no earlier than November 2024. With the successful review, HERMES now moves into Phase C, which includes the final design of the mission. "HERMES will be a critical part of the Artemis mission and NASA's goals to create a permanent presence on the Moon," said Jamie Favors, HERMES program executive at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. "We're very excited to pass this critical milestone and move closer to launch." HERMES, short for Heliophysics Environmental and Radiation Measurement Experiment Suite, will be mounted outside the Habitation and Logistics Outpost module of NASA's Gateway outpost. Gateway will be where Artemis astronauts live and work as they orbit the Moon, supporting scientific experiments and technology development applicable for both lunar and future deep space human exploration. "The Gateway Program is proud to be collaborating with SMD on the HERMES payload," said Tim Horvath, Gateway payload integration lead. "This close partnership will enable HERMES to successfully achieve groundbreaking science objectives from the unique cislunar viewing location of the Gateway spacecraft." HERMES will monitor space weather, the fluctuating conditions in space driven by the Sun. Space weather includes the continuous stream of particles and magnetic fields, known as the solar wind; blasts of billion-ton gas clouds known as coronal mass ejections; flashes of ultra-bright light from solar flares; and the disturbances each of these create in the near-Earth environment. Some of these events pose dangers to astronauts and robotic missionsbut all of them are exciting scientific opportunities to understand our Sun and the space around us. HERMES will study space weather in an especially variable environment. As the Moon orbits Earth each month, it spends about one week inside Earth's long magnetotail, the portion of our magnetic field blown back from the Sun like a windsock. When inside the magnetotail, HERMES will be flooded by particles and magnetic fields that have interacted with Earth. The remaining three weeks, the Moon confronts the unfiltered Sun, measuring the solar wind and space weather in conditions closer to pristine interplanetary space. "It's been an exciting challenge to make HERMES as compact yet flexible as it needs to be," said Kristen Brown, HERMES deputy project manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "We've had to package all the instruments into an extremely small volume without interfering with each other and while making sure the payload meets the Gateway interface requirements." "HERMES is the first space weather monitoring platform on a crewed spacecraft to venture outside Earth's protective magnetic field," said Jim Spann, HERMES program scientist at NASA Headquarters. "What we learn from HERMES will be critical to protecting astronauts as we venture forth with the Artemis mission." HERMES will contribute to a number of joint observations campaigns with other spacecraft. The European Radiation Sensors Array or ERSA provided by the European Space Agency will be mounted nearby on the Gateway Power and Propulsion Element, or PPE, where it will measure higher-energy particles in the solar wind. Together they provide Artemis astronauts with a fuller picture of the space weather conditions they are flying through. HERMES will also collaborate with the two THEMIS/ARTEMIS spacecraft already in orbit around the Moon, adding another data point to help measure smaller scale structures in the solar wind and magnetotail. Finally, as a new asset in NASA's Heliophysics System Observatory, it contributes to an ever-growing fleet of spacecraft monitoring space weather conditions throughout the solar system. "This is a great opportunity to be part of historic human spaceflight missions while expanding the possibilities for new science with international partners," said Bill Paterson, HERMES project scientist at Goddard. HERMES is led by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. HERMES includes four specialized instruments: NEMISIS, or the Noise Eliminating Magnetometer Instrument in a Small Integrated System, which measures the magnetic fields around Gateway; the Miniaturized Electron pRoton Telescope, or MERiT, which measures ions and electrons; the Electron Electrostatic Analyzer, or EEA, which measures the lower energy electrons that make up most of the solar wind; and the Solar Probe Analyzer for Ions, or SPAN-I, which measures protons and ions including oxygen. Goddard is providing the NEMISIS, MERiT and EEA instruments. SPAN-I is provided by the University of California, Berkeley. Explore further European Gateway experiment will monitor radiation in deep space Credit: CC0 Public Domain/Pixabay A strong majority of American adults over 50including the 37% of older adults who own guns or live with someone who doessupports specific steps that could reduce the risk of firearm injury and death, a new national study shows. The University of Michigan study shows support among older adults for everything from firearm safety counseling by health care providers, and background checks for firearm purchasers, to "red flag" policies that allow for temporary firearm removal from people at high risk of harming themselves or others. The study also highlights opportunities to help older adults recognize and address the risks in their own homes, especially for those who live with children, have heightened suicide risk, or are beginning to experience cognitive decline and/or dementia. For instance, the study shows 24% of firearm owners over age 50 regularly store at least one of their firearms loaded and unlocked, which past research has shown increases the potential risk of accidental or intentional injury. Gun locks and locked storage containers such as gun safes can reduce that risk, as can 'smart guns' that can only be fired by a specific individual. Published this week in the journal Preventive Medicine, the study is based on a national survey of more than 2,000 adults aged 50 to 80 carried out by members of the U-M Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, Injury Prevention Center and Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, along with a colleague from Michigan State University. The researchers conducted the study because one-third of all firearm-related deaths in the United States occur among people in their 50s, 60s and 70s, with 84% of those deaths resulting from suicide. Preventing injury and death among older adults, and the children and teens who live with them, has taken on new urgency because of the rise in such incidents in the past decade, the researchers say. "Just as health care providers and health policymakers have worked to address other preventable causes of injury and death, we hope these findings will inform the effort to reduce the toll of firearm injuries among older adults, while respecting firearm ownership rights," said study leader Patrick Carter, M.D., a U-M emergency physician who co-directs the U-M Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention and directs the Injury Prevention Center. "This is especially true for older adults experiencing depression, cognitive decline, and other conditions that may increase their risk for firearm injury, as well as those with children and teens living with or visiting them." Rebecca Cunningham, M.D., the study's senior author and U-M vice president for research, added, "Firearm safety is about identifying and reducing risk, and creating policies, programs and education that can help achieve this. Every suicide, every accidental shooting, every homicide is a tragedy that affects far more people than just the person pulling the trigger or getting shot. These new data can help us move forward at the societal and personal level." Key findings: The survey covered a wide range of topics, from firearm ownership and storage practices to attitudes toward specific policies and programs. Respondents were also asked about their own health and the presence of children in the home. Ownership and storage 27% of older adults own at least one firearm, and most of these individuals own more than one. Another 10% say they live with someone who owns a firearm. 40% of firearm owners say they regularly store their firearms locked and unloaded, 35% say they store their firearms unlocked and unloaded, and 24% store their firearms loaded and unlocked. Storage practices differed by firearm type, with a larger proportion of handgun owners reporting they stored at least one firearm loaded and unlocked, while only 3% of long-gun owners reported keeping their long guns stored loaded and unlocked. 69% of those who own firearms cited protection as a reason, while 55% cited target shooting or hunting and 30% cited a constitutional right. (Respondents could choose more than one option.) Among those who cited protection as a reason for ownership, only 5% said it was to protect themselves against someone they specifically knew, while most endorsed a general sense they needed the weapon to protect themselves. 20% of firearm owners who have children living with them or visiting regularly said they store at least one firearm unlocked and loaded, compared with 35% of firearm owners who do not have children living with them or visiting. Other research has shown that 75% of adolescent suicides involve a gun from the teen's own home or a relative. Attitudes toward preventive programs and policies Most older adults, both firearm owners and non-firearm owners, said they would be comfortable being asked or counseled about firearm safety by a doctor or other clinician. 69% of firearm owners would be comfortable with healthcare-based screening for firearm ownership, and 63% would be comfortable with receiving counseling about safe firearm storage from a health care provider. The percentages were higher among non-firearm owners, including those who live with a firearm owner. "Red flag" laws and programs that allow family members or police to petition courts to restrict firearm access by people they believe to be a danger to themselves or others met with approval from 79% of firearm owners and 89% of non-firearm owners. 81% of firearm owners and 92% of non-firearm owners support efforts to remove firearms from the homes of older adults with dementia or confusion. 88% of firearm owners and 93% of non-firearm owners support restricting those who are under domestic violence restraining orders from owning or having access to firearms. Background checks for all firearm sales, including private ones between individuals, met with support from 85% of firearm owners and 93% of non-firearm owners. Individual and family characteristics and risk factors Firearm owners were more likely to be white, male and veterans than non-firearm owners, and more likely to be in higher income brackets and to live in rural areas outside the Northeast. 77% of firearm owners had children living with them, or regularly visiting them, compared with 70% of non-firearm owners. 40% of non-firearm owners said that the presence of children in their home influenced their decisions about owning firearms, compared with 20% of those who owned firearms. 40% of firearm owners said they had experienced social isolation or lack of companionship in the last year; the survey was taken just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This percentage was much higher (89%) among older firearm owners who rated their physical or mental health as fair or poor. 9% of the older firearm owners in the survey met criteria for having depression, which is a risk factor for suicide, compared with 8% of non-firearm owners. Explore further People who purchased guns during buying surge more likely to have suicidal thoughts More information: Patrick M. Carter et al, Firearm ownership, attitudes, and safe storage practices among a nationally representative sample of older U.S. adults age 50 to 80, Preventive Medicine (2022). Journal information: Preventive Medicine Patrick M. Carter et al, Firearm ownership, attitudes, and safe storage practices among a nationally representative sample of older U.S. adults age 50 to 80,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.106955 Outcrop of Yedoma sediments with the thick ice masses underlain by river sediments exposed on an arm of the Lena River in the river delta. Credit: Janet Rethemeyer Thawing permafrost in the Arctic could be emitting greenhouse gasses from previously unaccounted-for carbon stocks, fuelling global warming. That is the result of a study conducted by a team of geologists led by Professor Dr. Janet Rethemeyer at the University of Cologne's Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, together with colleagues from the University of Hamburg and the Helmholtz Centre PotsdamGFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences. In the Siberian Arctic, the research team determined the origin of carbon dioxide released from permafrost that is thousands of years old. This research endeavor is part of the German-Russian research endeavor "KopfKohlenstoff im Permafrost," funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The research has been published in Frontiers in Earth Science. Global climate change is causing temperatures to rise sharply, especially in the Arctic. Among other things, higher temperatures are causing more and more permafrost soils, which have been frozen for thousands of years, to thaw. Particularly affected is so-called 'yedoma' permafrost, which is widespread in areas that were not covered by ice sheets during the last ice age. Yedoma contains up to 80 per cent ice and is therefore also called ice complex. The ground ice can thaw very abruptly, causing the bedrock to collapse and erode. Such processes, known as thermokarst, make carbon previously stored in the frozen ground accessible to microorganisms, which break it down and release it as carbon dioxide and methane. The greenhouse gas release amplifies global warming, which is known as permafrost-carbon feedback. So far, there are still many uncertainties about the amount of future greenhouse gas release. Among other things, it is not clear how well the ancient carbon that has been frozen in permafrost for thousands of years can be degraded. To find out, the research team took carbon dioxide samples at the Siberian investigation site on the Lena River using specially designed equipment in which carbon dioxide can be stored airtight and transported manner for long periods of time. This is necessary due to the long transport to Germany. Back in Cologne, the researchers then determined the age of the carbon dioxide using the radiocarbon method. In addition, they analyzed the non-radioactive carbon isotopes. Both parameters were then used to calculate how much old and young as well as organic and inorganic carbon had been decomposed in the thawing permafrost. A large proportion of the carbonup to 80 per centcomes from ancient organic matter that was freeze-locked into the sediments more than 30,000 years ago. This means that vegetation remains that died thousands of years ago have been very well 'preserved' in the frozen sediment, making them an attractive food source for microorganisms in the thawing permafrost. In addition, the team found out for the first time that up to 18 per cent of carbon dioxide comes from inorganic sources. "We did not expect that this previously unnoticed carbon source would account for such a high proportion of the total amount of greenhouse gasses released," said first author of the study Jan Melchert from the University of Cologne. For more precise climate predictions, it would be necessary to take this source into account. Future research will have to clarify where exactly the inorganic carbon in the yedoma comes from and through which processes it is released. Explore further New source of the strong greenhouse gas nitrous oxide found in Siberian permafrost More information: Janet Rethemeyer et al, Sources of CO 2 Produced in Freshly Thawed Pleistocene-Age Yedoma Permafrost, Frontiers in Earth Science (2022). Janet Rethemeyer et al, Sources of COProduced in Freshly Thawed Pleistocene-Age Yedoma Permafrost,(2022). DOI: 10.3389/feart.2021.737237/full Artisinal gold miners in the Peruvian Amazon use open pit fires to extract gold, sending methylmercury into the atmosphere. New data shows how that mercury is absorbed by nearby ecosystems. Credit: Melissa Marchese If you had to guess which part of the world has the highest levels of atmospheric mercury pollution, you probably wouldn't pick a patch of pristine Amazonian rainforest. Yet, that's exactly where they are. In a new study appearing Jan. 26 in the journal Nature Communications, an international team of researchers show that illegal gold mining in the Peruvian Amazon is causing exceptionally high levels of atmospheric mercury pollution in the nearby Los Amigos Biological Station. One stand of old-growth pristine forest was found to harbor the highest levels of mercury ever recorded, rivaling industrial areas where mercury is mined. Birds from this area have up to twelve times more mercury in their systems than birds from less polluted areas. The impact and spread of mercury pollution have primarily been studied in aquatic systems. In this study, a team of researchers led by Jacqueline Gerson, who completed this research as part of her Ph.D. at Duke, and Emily Bernhardt, professor of Biology, provide the first measurements of terrestrial deposits of atmospheric methylmercury, the most toxic form of mercury. Illegal miners separate gold particles from river sediments using mercury, which binds to gold, forming pellets large enough to be caught in a sieve. Atmospheric mercury is released when these pellets are burned in open fire ovens. The high temperature separates the gold, which melts, from the mercury, which goes up in smoke. This mercury smoke ends up being washed into the soil by rainfall, deposited onto the surface of leaves, or absorbed directly into the leaves' tissues. To measure this mercury, Gerson and her team collected samples of air, leaf litter, soil and green leaves from the top of trees, which were obtained with the help of a huge slingshot. They focused their collection on four types of environments: forested and deforested, near mining activity or far from mining activity. Two of the forested areas near mining activity are patches with small, scraggly trees, and the third is Los Amigos Biological Station, a pristine old-growth forest that has never been touched. Deforested areas, that would have received mercury solely through rainfall, had low levels of mercury regardless of their distance to the mining activity. Forested areas, which accumulate mercury both on their leaves and into their leaves, weren't all the same. The four areas with scraggly trees, two near mining activity and two further away, had levels of mercury in keeping with world-wide averages. "We found that mature Amazonian forests near gold mining are capturing huge volumes of atmospheric mercury, more than any other ecosystem previously studied in the entire world," said Gerson, who is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. For all forested areas, Gerson and her team measured a parameter called leaf area index, which represents how dense the canopy is. They found that mercury levels were directly related to leaf area index: the denser the canopy, the more mercury it holds. The canopy acts like a catch-all for the gases and particulates originating from the nearby burning of gold-mercury pellets. To estimate how much of the mercury caught in the forest canopy was making its way through the food web, the team measured the mercury accumulated in feathers of three songbird species, in reserve stations near and far from mining activity. Birds from Los Amigos had on average three times, and up to 12 times more mercury in their feathers than those from a more remote biological station. Such high concentrations of mercury could provoke a decline of up to 30% in these birds' reproductive success. "These forests are doing an enormous service by capturing a huge fraction of this mercury and preventing it from getting to the global atmospheric pool," Bernhardt said. "It makes it even more important that they not be burned or deforested, because that would release all that mercury back to the atmosphere." Small-scale artisanal gold mining is an important livelihood for local communities. Akin to the American gold-rush that ravaged California in the 1850s, it is driven by economic necessity, and disproportionally impacts indigenous communities. "This is not something new or exclusive to this area," Bernhardt said. "A very similar thing, with very similar methods, has already been done throughout many of the wealthy countries of the world where gold was available. The demand is just pushing mining further into new areas." "There's a reason why people are mining," Gerson said. "It's an important livelihood, so the goal is not to get rid of mining completely, nor is it for people like us coming in from the United States to be the ones imposing solutions or determining what should happen." "The goal is to highlight that the issues are far vaster than water pollution, and that we need to work with local communities to come up with ways for miners to have a sustainable livelihood and protect indigenous communities from being poisoned through air and water," Gerson said. Explore further Mine ponds amplify mercury risks in Peru's Amazon More information: Amazon Forests Capture High Levels of Atmospheric Mercury Pollution From Artisanal Gold Mining, Nature Communications (2022). Journal information: Nature Communications Amazon Forests Capture High Levels of Atmospheric Mercury Pollution From Artisanal Gold Mining,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-27997-3 Context of the specimen prior to extraction. (a) Slab A of the fossil (facing stratigraphically upwards). Note convex-down doming of the host sediment. Scale bar 20 cm. (b) Slab B of the fossil (facing stratigraphically downwards). (c) Fallen block in which the fossil was discovered in January 2018 (white circle), showing split in rock where fossil was exposed (white triangle). Black circle denotes position in cliff profile from where the block fell. Listric faults in hanging wall of Howick Fault are highlighted, showing hanging wall thickening of mudrock (HT), attesting to synsedimentary origin (red arrows indicate sense of fault movement). Scale bar 2 m. (d) View of the fallen block (white circle) and original position (black circle) in the context of the Howick Fault damage zone and master fault separating the Alston and Stainmore formations; HT is at same position as in part (c). Host bed is immediately adjacent to one of two synsedimentary (Mississippian) normal faults that were later reactivated as strike-slip faults during the latest Carboniferous to Permian emplacement of the Whin Sill dolerite intrusion (De Paola et al. 2005). This structural context attests to strain in the fossil-bearing sandstone bed prior to full lithification and may explain certain features of the fossil (see main text). Blue dashed line show approximate stratigraphic position of the Lickar Limestone, marking the onset of the late Serpukhovian (Cozar and Somerville 2021). Scale bar 5 m. Photograph in part (d) courtesy of Geospatial Research Limited. Credit: DOI: 10.1144/jgs2021-115 Ever stumbled upon a huge fossil on your holiday? That's what happened to me and two friends in January 2018, on a beach in Howick in the north of England,while on a geological road-trip across England and Wales. It was pure fluke, but it turned out that we had discovered the 326 million-year-old remains of a millipede-like animal of huge proportions. Our research suggests that the living creature would have been around 50cm in width and 2.5 meters in lengthabout as long as an alligatorso we could safely conclude that we had found a fossil of an Arthropleura, the largest invertebrate to have ever lived. It is a creature often found in art and museum displays depicting Earth's Carboniferous period. That was around 360 to 298 million years ago and is associated with abundant coal-producing rainforests. To put that into context, it's over 100 million years before dinosaurs roamed the planet. Until now, large body fossils of this ancient monster were rare. Our knowledge had relied on piecing together snippets of clues from several sites; isolated fragments of legs and exoskeletons that clearly belonged to giant arthropods, or rare near-complete specimens of juvenile Arthropleura that shed light on the animal's body plan, despite being miniature examples no more than 5cm in length. Perhaps most significantly, the most common evidence that Carboniferous Earth was crawling with giant millipede-like animals comes from trace fossils. They are the patterns in sedimentary rocks that were left by animals moving through or over the sediment. In the case of Arthropleura trace fossils, Carboniferous sandstones from Utah to Ukraine are frequently criss-crossed by staccato tramlines that attest to huge arthropods, with many, many legs, leaving their footprints behind as they traversed long lost beaches and riverbeds. Trackways over 50cm wide are relatively common, despite body fossils approaching these dimensions never having been discovered. Stumbling upon the giant fossil The story of our discovery began when my colleagues and I rolled out the geological map of England and Wales and plotted a route that would take us through millions of years of Earth's history over two weeks, going back to 560 million years ago. It meant a back and forth journey, looping 3,000km across the country, with the intent of stopping at coastal cliffs, roadcuts, abandoned quarries and mountainsides. The trip was primarily social, but we were keeping our eyes open for geological stories to explore furtherwe don't accept the sometimes whispered myth that the geology of Britain is "done" and there is no more left to discover. One of our stops took us to a beach at Howick in Northumberland, about 40km south of the Scottish border. After wandering south along the shore during the afternoon, we were heading back for the evening because dusk was settling in. Just before we clambered back up the cliff, one of my friends spotted a recently fallen block of sandstone. It had split down the middle, by chance revealing an enigmatic fossil on both sides of the broken rocka 76cm long collection of 12-14 segments. We took as many photos and notes as possible and contacted a number of Carboniferous arthropod experts worldwide. They all confirmed it had to be Arthropleura. So, with permission from Natural England and the landowners, the Howick Estate, we returned to the site to collect the fossil in May 2018. The collection of the fossil involved taking both a sledgehammer and pneumatic chisel to the fallen block, and we were able to excavate one slab of the fossil completely. The second slab unfortunately broke apart as we removed it, meaning that the slab is now a jigsaw puzzle of about ten pieces. But even this proved serendipitous as it let us see a cross-section through the fossil. Why it's important The fossil, while incomplete, is 76cm by 36cm and weighs over 80Kg, so it takes the crown of the largest arthropod fossil from a slightly smaller Ordovician trilobite specimen (an extinct group of marine arthropods from Canada). It's also the largest Arthropleura fossil ever foundprior to our discovery, the largest semi-complete fossil, on display in the Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt, only reaches a modest 23cm in width. More importantly, using estimates of width to length ratio obtained from smaller and more complete specimens of Arthropleura, we could estimate that in life it again pinches the record for the largest arthropod to have ever lived, this time off a Devonian sea scorpion from Germany. The discovery adds to the global record of Arthropleura evidence from 60 sites in 13 different countries. Collectively, these specimens all occur in locations very close to the ancient Equatorwhich at that time ran through North America and across the UK and Europe to the Ukrainesuggesting that the genus had a very restricted geographic range. Significantly, the Howick specimen is among the oldest evidence for giant Arthropleura and pre-dates any major rises in Carboniferous atmospheric oxygenpreviously suggested to account for arthropod growing so large. This means that the organism may have been so big simply due to environmental factors such as an abundance of food (for example, woody plant debris) and a lack of competition from vertebrates. The sedimentary geology of the fossil is also interestingas with many known trace fossils, the Howick Arthropleura clearly wasn't living in a Carboniferous coal swamp, but rather in an open wooded habitat on a sandy coastline traversed by small rivers. So, our discovery helps to refine the picture of these giant arthropods. Yet the most significant aspect of all is probably the discovery itself. It shows that it is still possible that the world's largest arthropod fossil can be discovered just sitting on a beach, in a well-populated part of the world which has been trawled by geologists, tourists and miners for almost 200 years. An ancient alligator-length millipede is wonderful in itself. But this discovery suggests that there are a lot more unexpected and spectacular finds still to be discovered from Earth's geological record, so long as people keep looking. More information: Neil S. Davies et al, The largest arthropod in Earth history: insights from newly discovered Arthropleura remains (Serpukhovian Stainmore Formation, Northumberland, England), Journal of the Geological Society (2021). Journal information: Journal of the Geological Society Neil S. Davies et al, The largest arthropod in Earth history: insights from newly discovered Arthropleura remains (Serpukhovian Stainmore Formation, Northumberland, England),(2021). DOI: 10.1144/jgs2021-115 This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. A staff member registers information of a resident at a COVID-19 testing site in Xicheng District in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 26, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua] The Chinese mainland on Thursday recorded 39 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, the National Health Commission said on Friday. Of the new local infections, 16 were reported in Zhejiang, nine in Heilongjiang, eight in Beijing, four in Tianjin, and one each in Guizhou and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, according to the commission. Thursday also saw reports of 25 imported COVID-19 cases across the mainland. Three new suspected cases arriving from outside the mainland were reported in Shanghai, and no new deaths from COVID-19 were reported on the day, it added. A total of 54 asymptomatic cases were newly reported Thursday, 42 of whom arrived from outside the mainland, according to the commission. As of Thursday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, both local and imported, reported on the Chinese mainland had reached 105,875. There were 2,268 patients still under treatment on Thursday, of whom nine were in severe condition. A total of 4,636 patients had died of the virus on the Chinese mainland since the outbreak of the pandemic. A bronze statue of NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna was placed Wednesday at the crash site in Calabasas, California, where the Bryants and seven others were killed. Wednesday marked two years since the helicopter crash, which was determined by federal investigators as having been caused by pilot disorientation due to foggy conditions. Keep scrolling for a gallery of photos of the statue The statue, created by sculptor Dan Medina, shows Kobe Bryant in his Lakers uniform with his arm around Gianna, who is also wearing a basketball uniform with a basketball in her hand. The base of the statue has the names of all nine crash victims inscribed on a plaque. Medina told CNN affiliate KABC the statue would remain at the site temporarily. CNN has reached out to Medina for additional comment. A lawsuit related to the crash is set to go to trial soon as lawyers for Vanessa Bryant -- Kobe's wife and Gianna's mother -- allege photos of the area following the crash, including images of those who died, were shared widely amongst police and fire employees. The trial is to begin on February 22. CNN's Stella Chan contributed to this report. The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Hospitals and nonprofits have been sounding the alarm about a nationwide blood shortage for months. Now, they say, the situation has become a crisis. The American Red Cross warned this month of a national blood crisis, calling it the worst shortage in over a decade, and saying procedures were being delayed and patient care compromised. The Red Cross has been pleading with people to donate blood and platelets. South Jersey is feeling the effects as well. Dr. James Pond, director of laboratory services at Shore Medical Center in Somers Point, said while seasonal drops in blood donations around the holidays and the summer are expected, this drop in supply is more acute. Hospitals across South Jersey have been at critical levels of blood and at times were even well below critical levels, Pond said. NJ cold case detectives seeking answers in 1980 death of Debbie Sadusky in Margate Debra Ann Sadusky is buried in a cemetery near the southwest branch of Rancocas Creek in Med Diane Concannon, a regional spokesperson for the Red Cross in New Jersey, said nonprofits and hospitals in the United States are facing an unprecedented challenge. The Red Cross, which aims to have a five-day supply in blood banks, often has less than one days supply, Concannon said. We have been and are now in crisis mode, she said. Waves of infection fueled by the delta and omicron variants of the coronavirus have forced blood drive cancellations and limited donations as many staff have had to call out sick or quarantine. Donors, too, have had to cancel appointments because of COVID-19 symptoms or exposure. Others are hesitant to gather at a blood drive, fearful of the virus, although the Red Cross stresses its adherence to masking and social-distancing guidelines. The Red Cross which provides about two-fifths of the countrys blood supply has seen a 10% drop in donations since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Many organizations that host blood drives, such as schools, have been closed or reluctant to host drives for the same fears, Concannon said. There has been a 62% decline in high school and college blood drives over the course of the pandemic, according to data kept by the Red Cross. Students, who provided about a quarter of all blood donations in 2019, represent roughly one-tenth of donations since the pandemic. In January, two storms forced hundreds of blood-drive cancellations and resulted in the loss of about 6,500 blood and platelet donations. As a result of strained supply, the Red Cross has had to limit its distribution of blood products to hospitals. If the situation worsens, triaging blood may occur. Physicians are already asking some of their patients whether they would be willing to postpone elective surgeries. Meanwhile, demand, which may have decreased at the start of the pandemic as the state and nation practiced isolation, is on the rise. Concannon noted that demand for blood as a result of trauma caused by incidents like car accidents is growing. And elective surgeries, which had been restricted earlier, have also resumed. The thing that everybody fears the most is physicians or hospitals having to make choices in emergency situations about who gets a very precious, lifesaving resource if theres not enough of it on the shelf and theres need by multiple patients at the same time, Pond said. Those are tough ethical problems that hospitals and physicians dont like to find themselves in. Many hospitals are being more conservative after the Red Cross warned that some hospitals may not receive a quarter of the blood products they need. Since (the Red Cross) made that announcement, everybody has been on notice that were in this crisis, so hospitals themselves have been doing their best to limit the use of the limited resource that we have, Pond said. Dr. Craig Jurasinski, chief of pathology for the Cape Regional Health System, echoed Ponds concerns. Jurasinski said that in summer 2021, the Red Cross became unable to fulfill Cape Regionals normal delivery requests and that the situation has worsened since then. There are now some days where Cape Regional receives no Red Cross blood deliveries at all, Jurasinski said. He has been reviewing every transfusion request for at least the past six months and asking that doctors adopt stricter metrics for deciding when a patient needs a transfusion. He stressed that all patients who need transfusions are still receiving them. Egg Harbor Township woman gets 21 years in jail for fatal crash MAYS LANDING An Egg Harbor Township woman will spend over two decades in state prison for Dr. William Todd, medical director of laboratory and transfusion services for AtlantiCare, said he and his colleagues are taking similar precautions to ensure there is enough blood on hand for the procedures that are scheduled. AtlantiCare has had to reschedule some of its elective procedures, although fewer than 10, Todd said, while stressing the need for blood donors. It really, truly is a gift of life, Todd said. Theres nothing else that Im aware of that you can do that can potentially save the lives of three different people in one occurrence. Dr. Scott Wagner, president of Inspira Medical Group, said Inspira is experiencing similar issues but has been fortunate that we have been able to maintain a supply that has met the needs of our patients. Wagner thanked the Red Cross for recently increasing the amount of blood being delivered to hospitals in the region and for donors who are working to help restock the regional blood bank. We are grateful to everyone who donates, Wagner said. You are truly helping us save lives. If you are eligible, please consider donating at an upcoming Red Cross blood drive. Cancer benefit for Brigantine woman set for Sunday at The Cove BRIGANTINE Drivers on the White Horse Pike heading into Atlantic City this month may have Dave Genter, a biology teacher at Atlantic Christian School in Egg Harbor Township, where he is faculty adviser to the student council, said he and the students felt a particular need to help. The school has organized three blood drives this year and is aiming to get 35 to 40 donations at its Feb. 9 drive. Jesus shed his blood so we can live, therefore we can shed a little blood so others can have a chance to live longer as well, Genter said. AtlantiCare also hosted one of its regularly scheduled Red Cross blood drives for its staff Wednesday. Kelly Vasquez, director of clinical services quality and transfusion service at AtlantiCare, said 51 staff members participated, five of whom with blood types O-positive and O-negative opted to give power-red donations in which they donated two units of blood. She said the drive also took in several walk-in donors. Incentives to donate blood are common. Those who donate at a Red Cross blood drive in January will be entered to win two tickets to Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles on Feb. 13. There are also raffles for home-theater packages that will arrive in time for the Super Bowl. Those who give blood in February can receive a $10 Amazon gift card. Contact Chris Doyle cdoyle@pressofac.com Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. On Jan. 11, 2002, a U.S. military plane landed at our base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the first men deemed the worst of the worst by then-Vice President Dick Cheney were brought into the now-infamous detention center. Jumah Al-Dossari, a citizen of both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia whom I would eventually represent, arrived a few days later. He was held as an enemy combatant based on the accusation that he was a member of al-Qaida, a claim made without substantiation or allegation that he had done anything to harm the U.S., its citizens or its allies. Similarly, most detainees at Guantanamo were not said to have committed any hostile acts against the U.S. or its allies. Yet 20 years after the first prisoners were brought there, Guantanamo remains open largely because of congressional intransigence. The U.S. chose Guantanamo to detain people captured in the war on terror after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, primarily because it was not on American soil. The governments theory was that holding foreigners outside the U.S. would prevent our courts from exercising jurisdiction over claims by the detainees, effectively ensuring that those held would have no enforceable rights. But in 2004, the Supreme Court ruled in Rasul v. Bush that detainees could file habeas corpus petitions, which allowed them to meet with lawyers. By then, the governments assumption that those held in Guantanamo would be revealed as high-value terrorists had unraveled. Even the facilitys commanders admitted many detainees had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. When I first met Jumah in October 2004, I didnt believe that all Guantanamo detainees were, as Donald Rumsfeld had described them, the best-trained vicious killers. Still, I was nervous. My anxiety quickly dissolved. Jumah looked too gaunt to be a physical threat and his smile was disarming. And we were quickly chatting about American movies (Jumanji was his favorite), his daughter and Egyptian cuisine. At one point, he asked if I was Jewish, based on my first name. When I told him no, he looked disappointed. I heard the best lawyers were Jewish, he said, before adding, Im sure youre good too. During our visits over the next year, Jumah and I talked about family and romantic relationships. Over time, he had learned a lot of English from the guards, particularly slang. He said that once an interrogator threatened him, saying, You cant punk me, (expletive deleted), Im from Brooklyn. We co-opted the line to express mock indignation with each other. Jumah also gained a command of racial epithets from the guards, but he made me promise not to tell his mother he knew those bad words. However, it was not all gallows humor and easy conversation. Jumah described abuses such as being beaten unconscious and having an interrogator smear what she said was menstrual blood on him, accounts corroborated by reports from U.S. personnel. But he said his most painful experience was being held in long-term solitary confinement. In October 2004, on my fourth visit to Guantanamo, Jumah was despondent. After being released from the hospital following a hunger strike, he had been returned to isolation, contrary to what a doctor had promised. An hour into our meeting, he asked me to leave the room so he could use the bathroom. Soon after leaving, I started feeling anxious and cracked the door to the cell open. I saw Jumah hanging by his neck, unconscious, with blood flowing from a gash in his arm. He had emergency surgery and survived. After this suicide attempt, I asked that Jumah be moved out of isolation. In July 2007, and after several more suicide attempts, Jumah was released from Guantanamo and sent to Saudi Arabia through a diplomatic agreement. When I eventually visited him at his home there in 2009, I held his newborn daughter and ate dinner with his family. I wondered what the U.S. had gained from holding him for over five years. Twenty years after Guantanamo opened, that question applies to the entire operation. Seven hundred and thirty-two detainees, most held for years, have been released. Of the 39 people still imprisoned, most are detained as combatants. Thirteen have been cleared for release yet remain jailed. And, of course, the war in Afghanistan is over. The five that have been charged with helping plot the 9/11 attacks have yet to be tried. Keeping Guantanamo open costs about $13 million annually per detainee and the facility is a symbol of human rights abuses by the U.S. But it remains open almost entirely because Congress has barred transferring detainees to prisons in the U.S. and has restricted transfers to other countries. There is little reason to believe that things will change in the near future, though President Joe Biden, like Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush before him, has said he wants to close Guantanamo. If a solution to closing Guantanamo isnt found, the U.S. will end up perpetually imprisoning an aging population of men who should be tried in federal courts, or should have been set free long ago. A revolution in university admissions appears to be at hand. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear two cases on affirmative action in higher education, raising the likelihood that it will strike down the practice in the near future. The only thing surprising about this development is the timing, in the same Supreme Court term that already promises blockbuster conservative judgments on abortion and guns. The legality of race-based preferences in college admissions has been hanging by a thread for decades: Certainly since 2003, when Justice Sandra Day OConnor provided the swing vote in favor, and arguably since 1978, when it was Justice Lewis Powell. Today, it would take two swing voters, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, to preserve the status quo. The legal background goes back to the 1970s, when Powell wrote a single-justice concurrence in a case called Regents of California v. Bakke that has remained the law ever since. The basic question, then as now, was whether it violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment for a public university to take account of an applicants race in making an admissions decision. Liberals devised affirmative action to remedy the history of racism in admissions. But Powell did not embrace that rationale to explain why it was constitutional. Instead, he said that it was permissible for universities to consider race as part of an effort to create a diverse student body. The rationale came from a friend-of-the-court brief filed by Harvard University (where I teach) in which the university articulated a vision in which all students were said to have something special to contribute, whether they were Idaho farm boys or people of color. In the decades that followed, diversity became not just a legal rationale to allow affirmative action, but a value in itself, now inextricably linked to racial diversity. At the same time, conservative opposition to affirmative action has never waned. Constitutional attacks by activist groups have been a regular feature of the politics around it both in the form of referenda, as in California, and in the form of legal challenges seeking to overturn Powells Bakke opinion. In 2003, OConnor provided the vote to keep diversity-based affirmative action constitutional as part of an overall qualitative assessment of candidates, even as she also held that race could not be counted quantitatively as part of a points system. The cases were Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger, both involving the University of Michigan. When OConnor retired and Justice Anthony Kennedy became the courts main swing voter, conservatives thought they were poised to end affirmative action altogether, since Kennedy had voted with them in Grutter and Gratz. But to their surprise and outrage, Kennedy flipped sides. In the 2016 case of Fisher v. University of Texas, he cast the deciding vote to uphold consideration of race as part of a holistic admissions analysis guided by diversity. For both OConnor and Kennedy, the key motivation seems to have been that striking down affirmative action would leave elite universities with fewer Black and Latino students than the percentage in the general population. Neither justice wanted to be the direct cause of the cultural crisis that could emerge if those numbers changed drastically as a result of a judicial decision. The question now is whether Roberts, who has consistently voted to strike down affirmative action, and Kavanaugh, who hasnt yet had the chance to vote on the issue on the Supreme Court, would go the way of Kennedy. That would entail betraying conservative orthodoxy. Roberts has shown a willingness to do that to preserve the courts reputation for judicial consistency. But to do it again he would need Kavanaughs vote, too. Kavanaugh has long-standing ties to both Yale, where he went for college and law school, and Harvard Law school, where he taught for many years as a visiting professor. He also clerked for Kennedy. Under different circumstances, those social facts might have given reason to suspect that he might be inclined to defer to the universities long-standing practices. But Kavanaugh is already under criticism by conservatives for joining Roberts in upholding President Joe Bidens vaccine mandate for health-care workers. Deviating from the movements position on affirmative action would put him at risk for being treated as an enemy by liberals on some issues and conservatives on others. The upshot is that this is likely to be the end of the road for the diversity rationale. Given that Harvards diversity theory provided the original rationale embraced by Powell in the Bakke case, perhaps its fitting that Harvard is a party to one of the two cases the court just agreed to hear. The key constitutional decision would have to come in the other case, involving the University of North Carolina, which is a public institution. The Harvard case, however, may serve the conservative justices as a good rhetorical tool. In the Harvard case, anti-affirmative-action activists argued that diversity provided cover for discriminating against Asian-American applicants. The lower courts rejected that charge. But the conservative justices could revive the claim to buttress the argument that affirmative action inherently violates the equal-protection guarantee for those who dont benefit from it. If that happens, and affirmative action ends, universities will have to find ways to respond. They already are experimenting with potential mechanisms to do so. Noah Feldman is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist, a professor of law at Harvard University and a former clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter. I just spent the past 35 minutes of my wasted life pointlessly trying to guess a five-letter word. Wordle is evil and has plagued our fragile earth for too long. It must be stopped. Unless you live under a rock, and unless that rock has lousy wi-fi, you should know what Wordle is by now. The popular online puzzle game has gone viral out of nowhere and suddenly the whole world's obsessed with 5-letter words. The brainchild of software engineer (and apparent masochist) Josh Wardle, Wordle's daily puzzles are just perfect for those of us who like to augment our morning cup of coffee with anguishing mental torture. The premise is simple: Each day, players get six attempts to correctly identify a random five-letter word. With each guess, Wordle will tell you: (a) which letters of your guess are NOT in the word of the day, (b) which letters of your guess ARE in the daily word, but are in the wrong position, and (c) which letters you've guessed correctly in the correct position. Given this information, you have six tries to correctly identify the word of the day. That's all there is to it. There's only ONE Wordle puzzle per day, and every player around the globe gets the same puzzle, so don't spoil the daily answer for anyone unless you're willing to face the harsh wrath of the online masses. Wordle makes it easy to share your daily score on social media -- so now when I log onto Facebook, half my feed is taken up by people posting Wordle scores. The first time I played, I correctly identified the Wordle of the day in TWO guesses. "Oh wow," I thought to myself. "I'm really good at this. Clearly, I am skilled and gifted at word puzzles. Let me share these results so as to impress my friends and followers with my clear genius." For 24 hours, I loved Wordle. Then I played the next day. My first guess didn't contain ONE correct letter. My second guess revealed there was a "U" and a "K" in the word. By my fourth guess, I was desperate. "Is it CRUNK?" (It was not.) Umm, Is BRUNK a word? (It is not.) Is FRUNK a word? (No. But, let's be honest here, it absolutely should be.) That second day, I swear to you I stared at my phone for almost a half hour, sweat dripping from my forehead. At one point, I yelled into the open air and sent various cats flying out of the room. Eventually, I threw my phone on the couch and stomped off to fold laundry, which I'm pretty sure is the adult equivalent of taking my ball and going home. I'm finally coming to terms with the ugly truth: I am really, really bad at Wordle. Turns out it was PURE LUCK that first day when I got the word in two tries. Most days, it takes me 5 or 6. Some days, I can't get it at all. I can only assume Josh Wardle created this game in hopes of giving people a fun, relaxing brain-teaser to take their mind off things. Instead, it's daily torture that raises my blood pressure and drives me neurotic. Why am I terrible at this game? I'M A WRITER. I've typed a kajillion five-letter words in this column alone. Ooh, wait -- is ALONE today's Wordle? Nope. ARRRGH. Why am I playing this daily nightmare? I don't find it enjoyable in the slightest. I find it maddening. But I'm doing it because all my friends are doing it and I have to post my stupid score to Facebook every stupid day. I have enough quite enough fear in my life as is. Now I get to add the fear of dying in my sleep and the police discovering my corpse next to seventeen pieces of scrap paper filled with 5-letter words and the one cop will turn to the other and go, "Yep, we got us a lunatic" and THAT will be my legacy. "Here lies Shane... he was really frunking bad at Wordle." Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Braving the snow, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited north China's Shanxi Province from Wednesday to Thursday on an inspection tour ahead of the Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 1 this year. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learned about local post-disaster reconstruction, crop replanting, and measures to keep people warm in the winter during the trip. For 10 years in a row, Xi has made it a tradition to visit ordinary people, especially the disadvantaged groups, ahead of the Spring Festival, the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar. The following are some of the most memorable moments of Xi's interactions with these people during his pre-Spring Festival tours. 2022, Shanxi Visiting Duancun Village in Fenxi County, Shanxi Province, Xi checked the kitchen, the bedroom and the sheepfold in a villager's home, and asked about the family's income and their life. Xi was pleased to learn that the family, after shaking off poverty in late 2016, has prospered through raising sheep and seeking work in other places. "The CPC's resolve to ensure all Chinese people live happy lives has remained unchanged for more than a century, and it will not falter," Xi said. 2021, Guizhou Xi visited Huawu Village, which successfully eliminated poverty through crop planting and animal husbandry as well as tourism, during his inspection to southwest China's Guizhou Province. He was invited to the home of Zhao Yuxue, a Miao villager, and made traditional festival food "Huangba" with Zhao's family. He also visited a Miao embroidery workshop, urging efforts to promote ethnic and traditional cultures. "This year, we will secure the great victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, achieving the first centenary goal," Xi told villagers at a public square. "No ethnic group should be left behind." 2020, Yunnan Xi went to the home of farmer Li Fashun in Simola Wa Village, Yunnan Province, where he learned about the family's daily life, and was invited to join the family in making rice cakes. He also beat a wooden drum of the Wa ethnic group three times, a local ritual activity to bless the coming year. The year 2020 marked the deadline for China to eliminate absolute poverty. During the inspection, Xi noted that shaking off poverty is the starting point for a new and happy life, urging vigorously promoting rural vitalization after a moderately prosperous society in all respects is achieved. 2019, Beijing Xi visited the hutong neighborhoods of central Beijing and dropped into two courtyards along the hutong, inquiring about the living conditions of local residents after the renovation projects in the neighborhood. "What the CPC pursues is to make the people's life better," he told the residents, gladly chatting and making dumplings with them. Xi also went to a property service center to visit staff and community workers, and stepped into a restaurant, chatted with the owner and some customers, and wished them good luck. Visiting an express delivery station, Xi stressed that priority should be given to solving employment problems and creating more jobs. He praised the hard work of deliverymen, saying they were "busy as bees" to bring convenience to people's lives. 2018, Sichuan Xi went deep into the mountains of impoverished Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China's Sichuan Province. In two ethnic Yi villages, Xi was happy to learn that villagers have increased their incomes by raising cattle and growing potatoes, peppers and walnuts. "Not a single ethnic group or family should be left behind in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects," Xi said. He also told villagers later during the inspection: "My job is to serve the people." 2017, Hebei Xi went to a village in Hebei Province, a short drive from Beijing. In the house of poor villager Xu Wan, Xi asked about the family's drinking water, TV programs and activities the family had planned for the Lunar New Year. Xi sat down with Xu and helped him with his household budget. While visiting villager Xu Haicheng's home, Xi chatted with village cadres and farmers, and said poverty eradication is the "bottom-line task" in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. 2016, Jiangxi Xi visited the house of Zuo Xiufa, grandson of a revolutionary martyr living in a poverty-stricken village in the city of Jinggangshan, Jiangxi Province. Xi was glad to see that Zuo had shaken off poverty by using local bamboo resources to start his own processing business. Calling Jinggangshan the cradle of the Chinese revolution, Xi called for carrying forward the Jinggangshan Spirit in the modern context. 2015, Shaanxi Xi met with old acquaintances from Liangjiahe Village, Shaanxi Province, where he had spent seven years as an adolescent and young adult. "I will never forget the villagers here and the people in the old revolutionary base," Xi said. "A well-off society is incomplete if people in old revolutionary base areas cannot shake off poverty," Xi said later during a meeting with officials from Shaanxi and neighboring provincial regions in northwest China. 2014, Inner Mongolia Braving the cold in northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Xi visited the home of forestry worker Guo Yongcai in a border town. Inside the house in a dilapidated neighborhood, Xi checked the cellar and the fireplace and chatted with Guo to learn about his difficulties. He later went to a children's welfare home where he used sign language to interact with the hearing-impaired. Xi called for love for children, especially orphans and the disabled, from across the society. 2013, Gansu Xi went to villages located in a hostile natural environment in northwestern Gansu Province, asking villagers whether they had enough food, sufficient subsistence allowances, and access to medical and educational resources. He emphasized stepping up efforts to ensure millions in arid parts of Gansu have access to stable supply of drinking water. Xi also visited a construction site to learn about the rebuilding work of the county seat, where a landslide two years earlier had caused severe damages. There, he chatted with migrant workers, ordering better protection of their legitimate rights and interests. KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) A Wisconsin judge on Friday approved an agreement by lawyers to destroy the assault-style rifle that Kyle Rittenhouse used to shoot three people during a 2020 street protest. Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger said the state crime lab would destroy the gun, probably in April. Judge Bruce Schroeder, the Kenosha County judge who presided over Rittenhouse's trial, approved the agreement. Rittenhouse was not in court for Friday's hearing. Rittenhouse shot the men during the protest in Kenosha in 2020. He killed Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz in the arm. Rittenhouse argued he fired in self-defense after each of the men attacked him. A jury last year acquitted him of multiple charges, including homicide. Rittenhouse's attorney, Mark Richards, filed a motion Jan. 19 asking prosecutors to return Rittenhouse's rifle, his ammunition, his face mask and other clothing he was wearing the night of the shooting to him. Richards and David Hancock, a spokesman for Rittenhouse, said last week that Rittenhouse, who is now 19, wanted to destroy the rifle and throw the rest of the items away so nothing can be used as a political symbol or trophy celebrating the shootings. The rest of Rittenhouse's property has been returned to him, Binger told the judge. Conservatives across the nation have praised Rittenhouse, saying he was defending Kenosha from far-left militants. Liberals have painted him as a trigger-happy vigilante. Meanwhile, another legal fight is brewing over the fate of the $2 million conservatives raised to cover Rittenhouse's bail. Richards filed a motion Thursday seeking the money, with plans to divide it between his law firm and the #FightBack Foundation. Attorneys Lin Wood and John Pierce, who were representing Rittenhouse in the early days of case, formed the foundation to raise money for him. Richards also wants to give $150,000 back to actor Ricky Schroder, who donated to Rittenhouse's defense. The Patent and Trademark Hedge Fund Trust filed a motion Thursday laying claim to the $2 million as well. The trust's attorneys argue they're Pierce's creditors so they deserve all the money. Demonstrators took to the streets for a number of nights in Kenosha in August 2020 after a white police officer shot Jacob Blake, a Black man, in the back as Blake was resisting arrest during a domestic disturbance. The shooting left Blake paralyzed from the waist down. The protests turned chaotic at times, with people burning buildings. Rittenhouse and his friend, Dominick Black, joined a group of militia members to protect a used car lot on the night of Aug. 25, 2020. Rittenhouse, who was 17 at time and living in Antioch, Illinois, was armed with an AR-15-style rifle that Black had purchased for him earlier that year because he was too young to buy a firearm under Wisconsin law. According to the motion, Black had agreed that the rifle would become Rittenhouse's property on his 18th birthday, Jan. 3, 2021. Bystander and surveillance video shows that just before midnight Rosenbaum chased Rittenhouse down and Rittenhouse shot him as he closed in on him. He shot Huber after Huber swung a skateboard at his head and Grosskreutz after Grosskreutz ran up to him holding a pistol. Everyone involved in the shooting was white. Black pleaded no contest to two citations earlier this month for contributing to the delinquency of a minor in exchange for prosecutors dropping two felony charges of intent to sell a dangerous weapon to a person younger than 18. *** Richmond reported from Madison, Wisconsin. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DES MOINES Calling it simple, sustainable and largely in line with Gov. Kim Reynolds plan, Iowa House Republicans unveiled their plan Thursday for state income tax reductions, the third proposal now circulating in the Iowa Capitol. The House Republican plan would gradually reduce the state tax on Iowa workers income until all workers income was taxed at 4 percent. That is what Republican governor also proposed earlier this month, as is the House proposal to eliminate the state tax on retirement income. Where House Republicans go their own way is on business taxes. Their proposal does not include a reduction of Iowas corporate tax rate. Reynolds and Senate Republicans tied a corporate tax rate reduction to their plans. The House Republican plan, according to a staff analysis, is estimated to provide $1.7 billion in tax relief and thus a reduction in state revenue once fully implemented. The plan includes transferring $829 million over six years from the states taxpayer trust fund to help offset that reduction in revenue. The House plans price tag is close to the estimated $1.6 billion cost of Reynolds plan, but less than the estimated $2 billion cost of Senate Republicans proposal. Iowas current state budget is just more than $8 billion. Ive been clear that we want to have something thats simple as part of our tax plan, thats sustainable as part of our tax plan, and something that works without having to raise any taxes, Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley, a Republican from New Hartford, told reporters Thursday. I think that bill that we introduced (Thursday) achieves all of those goals. Jennifer Konfrst, leader of the minority House Democrats from Windsor Heights, said Democrats plan to introduce their own tax proposal, which they say will focus on reductions targeted to middle-class workers. Democrats have criticized Republicans flat tax ideas as disproportionately benefiting higher wage earners. Democrats believe we need a fair tax system that rewards work, provides real relief to middle class families, and puts more money in the pockets of working families, Konfrst said in a statement. The latest GOP tax scheme will leave too many Iowans behind. We dont need more tax giveaways to the special interests, corporations, and millionaires. Zach Wahls, leader of the minority Senate Democrats from Coralville, said during a news conference Thursday that an analysis shows that the Senate Republican plan will raise taxes on some Iowans and will not help solve the states worker shortage. At the end of the day I think it just shows a clear contrast between Democrats and Republicans, Wahls said. The Republican plan will benefit corporations and the wealthiest Iowans. Democrats are focused on supporting hard work, rewarding work and not wealth, and putting more money in the pockets of hardworking Iowa families. Republicans, who have full control of the state lawmaking process with majorities in the House and Senate and a Republican governor, now have three different tax proposals on the table. Leaders will have to negotiate those proposals into one tax plan. Republican leaders in both the Senate and House have said they expect to move quickly on the legislative process for their respective plans, likely starting each next week. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SPRINGFIELD Demanding what they call common sense ethics reform, Senate Republicans plan to take action in addressing unethical behavior by elected public officials. Upon introducing the ethics reforms package, Senate Republicans called for the legislative inspector general position to be filled through an independent search committee. Republicans said Democrats need to end the political games and hire a legislative watchdog. It is not OK to have the legislative inspector generals seat empty, and it is not OK for the majority party to play political games with an issue as important as legislative ethics, and it is not OK for legislators to think they can police themselves, Sen. Don DeWitte, R-St. Charles, said during a virtual news conference. The position has been vacant since LIG Carol Pope left the position on Jan. 6. Since exiting, a 45-day countdown started to find an interim LIG but the commission is currently at an impasse. If the position is still vacant in six months, the Illinois auditor general will choose the next LIG. Republicans also filed legislation to increase LIGs power that would allow the person in that position the ability to subpoena lawmakers and make the Ethics Commission meetings open to the public. To address the shortcomings Republicans felt were not properly addressed in the last reform bill, Sen. Jil Tracy, R-Quincy, introduced Senate Bill 3636, which takes meaningful action to address corruption within the state government. The legislation would build on SB 539, which was passed in 2021. Sen. Sally Turner, R-Lincoln, says the bill addresses glaring omissions left out of last years bill. Were continuing to push from last year for strong common sense reforms that will truly root out the corruption our state has become all too known for, Turner said. Senate Bill 3636 would prevent spouses and other close family living with a General Assembly member from engaging in lobbying if they accept compensation, and prevent legislators from negotiating for employment with lobbying entities while holding public office. Its too easy for legislators to spend their time in Springfield advocating on behalf of special interests instead of their constituents, Sen. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro said. Under last years bill, a six-month revolving door provision banned legislators from lobbying until six months after leaving office. The new provision in SB 3636 would extend the ban to 12 months. The bill would also allow the attorney general to expand the authority of a statewide grand jury to investigate, indict, and prosecute public corruption cases, and give states attorneys power to investigate corruption of public officials. We must bring an end to the known practices that lead to unethical behavior, Tracy said. Then and only then will we be able to take back our government for one that serves the people of the state of Illinois. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SPRINGFIELD December unemployment reports from the Illinois Department of Employment Security show the number of jobless people seeking work is shrinking across the Land of Lincoln. A Thursday press release from IDES said the unemployment rate was reduced over the past year in all 14 of Illinois' metropolitan areas for the ninth consecutive month, with the statewide average falling 3.6%, from 7.9% in December 2020 to 4.3% in December 2021. The findings are based on data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and IDES. The Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights statistical region led Illinois with the greatest drop in unemployment rate that was brought down by 4.2% since December 2020, to 4.5% last month. The Decatur metro area saw the second-biggest cut in jobless workers, which was negated 3.5% over the prior year. The Springfield metro area took the third-largest rate decline, closely following Decatur's turnaround with a loss of 3.4%. However, the data still placed Decatur as having the second-highest unemployment rate of 5.7%, trailing Rockford by just over half a percent. The Champaign-Urbana metro area championed Illinois as having the lowest unemployment rate of 3.2% at the end of 2021. Bloomington's statistical region is not far behind its neighbor to the east, after chopping its rate down 2.6% to 3.3% last month. Yet unlike the rest of Illinois, IDES noted the Twin Cities actually lost 600 nonfarm jobs across 2021. Every other metro area in Illinois added jobs in that same timeframe. Similar losses to the unemployment rate were found in: Carbondale-Marion, down 2.3% to 3.8%; Quad Cities, down 2.4% to 3.7%; and Metro East, down 2.6% to 3.5%. Additionally, Coles County dropped its rate 2.6% to 3.6% since December 2020. Also in Carbondale-Marion was the the greatest one-year percentage gain in total nonfarm jobs, jumping 5.9% with an additional 3,300 work placements. IDES said industries that created new jobs in a majority of metro areas include leisure, hospitality and other services; government; wholesale trade and transportation; warehousing and public utilities; manufacturing, professional and business services; and education and health services. All in all, 261,900 new jobs were created in Illinois over 2021. Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 In what will be one of the most monumental endeavors of Joe Biden's presidency, the retirement of Stephen Breyer sets the stage for an immense A Clinton man awaiting sentencing on meth trafficking and cocaine possession convictions was arrested Wednesday by Clinton Police for peddling methamphetamine. Willie Cherry IV, 47, is charged with one count of possession with the intent to deliver more than 5 grams of methamphetamine. The charge is a Class B felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of 25 years. Cherry also is charged with an Iowa drug tax stamp violation and possession of marijuana-third offense. Both charges are Class D felonies that carry a prison sentence of five years. According to the arrest affidavits filed by Clinton Police Officer Brett Johnson, at 4:05 p.m. Thursday, Johnson and his partner Officer Fabian Harper, noticed a maroon 2006 Pontiac Montana with no registration plates. Johnson knew that the driver of the vehicle, Chad Smith, does not have a valid drivers license in Iowa. Harper knew two of the passengers in the vehicle and identified them as Kristina Christenson and Willie Cherry. While writing a citation to Smith for driving on a suspended license, a K9 officer arrived with the drug dog Griz to perform an open-air sniff of the vehicle. Griz alerted to the odor of narcotics in the vehicle. A black backpack was located on the floor near the back passengers seat where Cherry was seated. A Visa debit card with Cherrys name on it was found inside the backpack. From the backpack, officers seized a clear plastic baggie with 29.32 grams of suspected methamphetamine, a clear plastic baggie with 11.41 grams of suspected methamphetamine and a clear plastic wrap with 1.74 grams of suspected marijuana. The methamphetamine found in the vehicle totaled 40.73 grams. Police have said that the normal dose of meth is one-tenth of a gram, meaning Cherry had at least 407 doses of methamphetamine to sell. Cherry was arrested and taken to the Clinton County Jail. While at the jail, Cherry admitted he had additional narcotics on him. During a strip search, Cherry gave officers a small clear plastic baggie that contained 6 grams, or 60 doses, of methamphetamine. Cherry was being held Thursday in the Clinton County Jail on a cash-only bond of $25,000. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Feb. 4 in Clinton County District Court. Cherry is scheduled to be sentenced Feb 17 in Clinton County District Court after pleading guilty Nov. 18 to one count of possession with the intent to deliver less than 5 grams of meth, a Class C felony that carries a 10-year prison term, and possession of a controlled substance-cocaine-third offense, a Class D felony that carries a five-year prison term. In that case, Cherry was accused of selling meth on two occasions to a confidential source working with the Blackhawk Area Task Force. The first controlled buy was conducted at 11:15 a.m. on Jan. 5. Cherry sold 3.46 grams of meth for $150. The second buy occurred at noon Jan. 27, during which Cherry sold a confidential source 3.42 grams of meth for $140. One of those charges was dropped in the plea agreement. According to Clinton County District Court electronic records, Clinton County prosecutors are recommending that Cherry be sentenced to 10 years in prison in that case. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The city of Davenport and the Davenport Police Department are being sued by the family of a woman who died as a result of a high-speed police chase in 2019. Lori Letts, 48, was driving through the intersection at Kimberly Road and North Fairmount Street on June 13, 2019, when she was hit by Angel Domingo Ochoa, then 19. Ochoa was fleeing from a Davenport police officer and ran a red light at the intersection. Letts died as a result of the crash. Ochoa was charged with two counts of homicide by vehicle, and a count each of serious injury by vehicle and interference with official acts. He pleaded guilty in December 2019 to one of the homicide counts, and the counts of serious injury and interference, as part of a plea deal. He was sentenced in February 2020 to 15 years in prison. The pursuing officer, Michael Stegall, and his supervisor, Cpl. Thomas S. Runge, are both included as defendants on the wrongful death suit, along with the Davenport Police Department and the city of Davenport. The suit was filed in Scott County Court by Lori's husband, Garth Letts, on behalf of himself and Lori's estate. The suit claims that there was no emergency warranting a chase when Stegall requested permission from Runge to pursue Ochoa. Stegall had attempted to pull Ochoa over because the Lincoln Town Car Ochoa was driving had no tail lights, and Ochoa and his passenger were not wearing seat belts. Instead of pulling over, Ochoa fled. According to police statements after the incident, Stegall recognized Ochoa from the police department's "pursuable list," which included individuals who had recent involvement in shootings or crimes involving guns. Stegall asked permission to chase Ochoa, and was given verbal permission by Runge, the suit claims. Stegall was driving an unmarked patrol car and turned on flashing red lights and sirens for the pursuit. At the time, Ochoa had felony and misdemeanor charges pending in several cases. According to arrest affidavits, Ochoa drove between 80 and 90 mph during the chase. The lawsuit states an investigation by the Iowa State Patrol concluded Ochoa likely drove more than 100 miles per hour. The suit charges each defendant with one count of negligence, and says the city and the police department are responsible for actions of their officers. The suit also outlines damages suffered by the estate of Lori Letts, including loss of net accumulation to the estate, burial expenses and pre-death pain and suffering. "Plaintiff Garth Letts has lost the love, consortium, society, and companionship of his beloved wife of 32 years, Lori Letts, and is entitled to damages for said losses," the suit states. The plaintiffs have not requested a specific monetary amount, but rather are asking the judge to rule in their favor for "an amount that will fairly and reasonably compensate them for their damages." The suit is currently in litigation and a settlement conference is scheduled for Sept. 9. A jury trial is currently scheduled for Oct. 10. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 2 Sad 6 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SPRINGFIELD - COVID-19 is once again sweeping through Illinois prisons, sickening thousands of Illinois prisoners and hundreds of staff members. And while hospitalizations have been rare during the latest wave, state prison officials are struggling to keep a lid on the infection rate. The prison system is better prepared for the omicron surge than it had been in previous waves of the disease, in part because the prison population has plummeted by more than 25% in the past two years. But this latest COVID-19 surge follows years of systemic lapses by the Illinois Department of Corrections, experts say, at providing medical and mental health care to an ever-aging population deeply affected by psychiatric issues failures that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. When COVID hit (Illinois prisons), it was like you had a cracked rock and took a sledgehammer to it, said Jobi Cates, the executive director and founder of Restore Justice, a nonprofit advocating for less punitive sentencing, particularly for youths. IDOC appeared to have the pandemic largely under control, with fewer than 160 incarcerated people and staffers infected with COVID-19 throughout Illinois as recently as early December. But the number of infections has shot up since then with the emergence of the omicron variant. In mid-January, 3,300 incarcerated people and nearly 1,100 staff members at Illinois prisons were infected with the disease. While hospitalizations have been rare during the latest wave, according to the state, one person in custody and two staff members have died. With the pandemic fast approaching its third year, state prison officials are facing difficulties containing the virus once again because of the lagging vaccine rate of prison staff, the main conduit of COVID-19 into the prisons. In August, Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered all guards to be vaccinated, but their union protested the mandate and took it to arbitration. The governor prevailed in late December. Now, all prison workers must have their first shot by the end of January. By the end of December, 65% of prison staff had been vaccinated, according to department officials who nevertheless remain confident that nearly all staff will meet the January deadline, citing markedly improving vaccination rates since the end of October, when only 49% were vaccinated. But the slow rollout means very few of them only 12% have had booster shots, which are administered six months after the first round of vaccines but are crucial to warding off the omicron variant. By comparison, 44% of Illinois prisoners had received boosters by the end of the 2021. Over almost the past two years, there have been nearly 19,000 cases of COVID-19 among people in prison 90 of whom died, mostly in 2020, according to figures from the state corrections department and the UCLA Law COVID Behind Bars Data Project. COVID has taught us a lot, Rob Jeffreys, the departments director, said in a December interview with the Better Government Association as omicron cases were starting to climb. Cruel and unusual punishment The surge of COVID-19 cases in Illinois prisons comes after federal courts in recent years have held that the mental health and medical care provided to people incarcerated in Illinois violates constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment. Judges have ordered systemic improvements and appointed independent monitors to gauge what, if any, progress has been made. Despite those judicial orders, the corrections department has not found enough doctors, nurses or dentists to care for the prison population a task made even more difficult by COVID-19 as medical personnel across the country face unprecedented strains. Court-appointed monitors have repeatedly reported limited progress in reaching court-ordered goals for treating the nearly 12,000 people in prisons about 43% of the prison population who have been diagnosed with mental illness, as well as the medical care for the entire population, 23% of whom are age 50 or older. The monitors have expressed frustration with the departments opaque processes, its inadequate staffing in key positions and tardy adoption of standard health industry practices. When COVID-19 hit, those lapses became even more apparent. According to one recent monitors report, staff at the Lawrence Correctional Center in southern Illinois ignored or did not respond to signs of one infected prisoners worsening condition for four days before he was hospitalized with a 103 degree fever, a rapid heartbeat and oxygen saturation of only 86%. He died the following month. Dr. John Raba, the court-appointed monitor tracking IDOCs efforts to improve medical operations, cast doubt in the report about the departments ability to resume even the substandard care it provided before the pandemic, noting only a handful of his 235 recommendations had been addressed by September. IDOC, Raba wrote, does not yet have a comprehensive plan to address this consent decree; instead, it seems to primarily respond to crises and threats of legal action. A critical factor in IDOCs continuing health care woes, Raba said, has been a sharp drop in the number of medical professionals working for the Illinois prison system since 2019. Yet nothing has been done to improve the hiring process, he wrote. Across Illinois prisons, the vacancy rate for registered nurse positions more than tripled to 29% in 2020, up from 9% in 2019. More than half of the states prisons have at least one in four registered nurse positions unfilled, while vacancies at eight prisons exceed 50%, according to Rabas report. Raba said he also had significant concerns about insufficient numbers of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, dental hygienists, optometrists and physical therapists. Jennifer Soble, the founder and executive director of the Illinois Prison Project, an organization that seeks less punitive sentences, said some of its clients with cancer have missed months of chemotherapy treatments since COVID-19 further overwhelmed the prison systems medical care. Relatively few people in prison often very sick or elderly take up a disproportionate share of the limited medical resources, Soble said. She blamed that in part on truth-in-sentencing laws that require people in prison to fully serve their determinate sentences. Nearly half of the people in prison in Illinois were sentenced under those laws. It makes me want to ask the question: Why arent these people at home? Soble said. Department officials said they have used many different tools to reduce the sentences of people in prison during the pandemic, such as good-time credits, medical furloughs and electronic detention. We awarded hundreds of thousands of days off individual sentences, said Alyssa Williams, the chief of programs and support services for the corrections department. Jeffreys, the department director, said finding a place for people who need high levels of medical care to go once they leave prison has also been a challenge. Often, nursing homes wont take them, and loved ones cant afford to pay for their care at home. What we found in COVID is there are not a lot of places for these people to go, Jeffreys said. Chronic understaffing The lack of staffing at Illinois prisons comes at a time very different from the era when many were built in the 1980s and 1990s, amid promises of new jobs for often financially distressed areas of the state. To eliminate its sizable overtime costs, the corrections department estimates it would have to hire 2,000 more correctional officers on top of the 6,000 currently on staff statewide. The department says it also is short of sergeants, lieutenants and higher-ranking supervisors. In addition, the department estimates it has to almost double its treatment officers who assist incarcerated people with mental health issues to 390 from 214. The chronic understaffing has been a problem for nearly two decades and has taken a toll on correctional officers who repeatedly work overtime to fill in the gaps, according to union leaders. Its a lose-lose-lose proposition, said Eddie Caumiant, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees liaison to the corrections department. Its more costly, it burns out the workforce and it affects operations. The heavy reliance on overtime comes even though the departments contract with AFSCME, the biggest union representing prison workers, protects workers from mandatory overtime and includes commitments by the state to hire a set number of additional workers each year. Caumiant said those goals have never been met. For the fiscal year that ended in June, overtime expenses in the state prison system shot up to $95.6 million, a 17% jump from the previous year. Prison officials said in an interview with the BGA that absences caused by COVID-19 increased overtime during the pandemic. Jennifer Vollen-Katz, the executive director of the John Howard Association, an independent prison monitoring group, said big gaps in staffing limit the exercise time, educational classes and other programs for people in prison. A review by the organization last April found 250 vacancies among guards and other staffers at Stateville Correctional Center, the maximum-security prison near Joliet that employs about 1,300 people. But even if the corrections department had the budget to hire more staff, filling all those jobs remains difficult, especially at a time when private employers across the nation are struggling to find workers. Whats more, state prison officials said COVID-19 forced it to shut down its cadet classes for incoming corrections officers in 2020. The classes resumed last June, but continuing health restrictions limited the training to 75 cadets at a time, half as many as before. So we are short security staff, said John Eilers, the departments chief of operations, during the recent interview. And we struggled just like the (larger) community is struggling and other employers are struggling with recruiting efforts. In a bid to boost hiring amid the pandemic, Illinois prison officials have crafted pitches on social media for corrections officers and nurses, two of its greatest needs. It also has brought human relations specialists to job fairs to conduct interviews on the spot. In addition, its allowing job seekers to take qualifying exams at the prisons where they would work, as well as offering those exams on weekends. Empty shelves Adding to the headaches caused by COVID-19 has been a shortage of supplies at prison commissaries, such as soap, toothpaste and deodorant. In an interview, Nelson Morris, who served 29 years in prison for a murder conviction before his release in 2020, said the unavailability of those kinds of staples is among the chief complaints of incarcerated people. While it was often common for certain limited shortages from time to time thats just prison life Morris said the one thing that stayed consistent was you could always buy coffee, you could always buy soap, you could always buy deodorant, you could (always) buy toothpaste. You cant right now, said Morris, who as a staff member for Restore Justice keeps in touch with people in prison. COVID-19 has forced some state prisons to provide breakfast as early as 2:30 or 3 a.m. because of the need for a time to feed people in prison in their cells and not in the chow halls. That practice has resumed in facilities recently hit with significant outbreaks, according to a department spokeswoman. Raba, the court-appointed monitor over the departments medical services, said the early-hour breakfasts discouraged elderly and disabled people in prison from eating and steered them toward less-healthy food options at the commissaries. The disruptions to the commissaries make coping with COVID-19 tougher for people in prison who use the shops to buy soap and hygiene items to protect them from getting sick. Prison leaders said the troubles began last spring, when the department tried to follow state procurement rules requiring that those supplies be bid out competitively. A legal challenge quickly followed, forcing the department to scramble to fill the gaps with five temporary suppliers, a process made more difficult because of nationwide supply chain disruptions. This is the point that so often gets missed: We were bound by the law, Jared Brunk, the departments chief of administration, said during the recent interview. With commissaries so important to prison life, empty shelves can lead to outsized problems. At Stateville Correctional Center, bottled water wasnt available in the commissary in spite of safety concerns about the discolored and foul-smelling tap water, prompting a jump in complaints from those in the prison, according to Vollen-Katz of the John Howard Association. The commissary can mask a lot of problems, she said. The uproar among incarcerated people and their loved ones across the state over the missing commissary goods prompted the department director to issue a video message to people in prison in the fall. For Thanksgiving, the department distributed bags of hygiene items and food products including soap, toothpaste, Snickers candy bars, coffee, Doritos chips and Goldfish crackers to all those in custody. But Vollen-Katz said the situation is still problematic, even though the department is trying to address it with the limited options it has under state law. At a certain point, it doesnt matter what the reason is, she said. People in prison are suffering, and we need to alleviate it. This story was produced by the Better Government Association, a nonprofit news organization based in Chicago. SIOUX CENTER, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has said the main theme of her recent "Condition of the State" address was about entrusting Iowans to build and nurture their own communities. On Friday, the Republican governor traveled to the Northwest Iowa city of Sioux Center to tout a project that's taken more than 30 years of building and nurturing. Reynolds announced the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System would receive a $12 million grant from a state water quality initiative funded by federal Sioux Center is one of the largest users in Northwest Iowa of the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System which, when fully finished, will run 45 million gallons a day through 20 cities and rural water systems in Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota. "(It) really does ensure that Iowans will be connected to clean drinking water," Reynolds said at Sioux Center's water treatment plant, which is near the connection point for Sioux Center to receive water from the Lewis & Clark system. Sioux Center is one of the largest Siouxland users of the multi-state water system, which got off the ground in 1990, with authorization of funding in 2000 and the initial construction in 2004. Sioux Center and neighboring Hull are expected to be connected near the end of 2022 or into 2023, while Sheldon will be added between 2023 and 2024 and Sibley will come on somewhere between 2024 and 2025. The $12 million award from the state will go toward: "constructing three pump stations by Lebanon, Larchwood and Hull, as well as a ground storage reservoir near Hull and adding pumps to the Dove Avenue pump station. according to a document from Lewis & Clark Executive Director Troy Larson. The project is one of three water-related developments receiving $10 million or more from the state that Reynolds' administration announced Friday. Dyersville will get $11 million for a utilities project aimed to bolster the Field of Dreams while Des Moines has $15 million coming its way for dam mitigation meant to compliment the Raccoon River. The state funded the initiative with allocations from the bipartisan infrastructure bill signed by President Biden last year. Only two of Iowa's six-member congressional delegation -- Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley and Democratic Rep. Cindy Axne -- voted for the $1 trillion plan. According to Larson, additional federal funding is needed to complete the Lewis & Clark water system. During his time at the podium at the water treatment plant Friday, he said the expansion is needed because droughts in the state made it clear to members of the system that more water would be needed. "Hope that expansion is complete in eight to 10 years," Larson said. Murray Hulstein, a chairman for the system, called the funding allotments the "latest example" of elected leaders in Iowa "putting words into action." Following the speeches, Reynolds took just two questions from media, with the second focused on why water infrastructure is a top priority for her administration. "One of the first bills I signed was a water quality bill," Reynolds said. "It's just really important if we want to continue to see growth in northwest Iowa." The first question the governor addressed was the competing tax-cut plans that her party is currently floating in the Legislature. "The fact that we're all talking about tax cuts, I think it's really exciting...It's an indication that we're going to get something done," she said. Reynolds is touring Iowa to pitch her proposal for a 4% flat-rate state income tax and also to phase out state taxes on retirement income. The House Republican plan closely mirrors Reynolds' by gradually reduce the state tax on Iowa workers income until all workers income was taxed at 4% and phasing out taxes on retirement income. Senate Republicans propose lower the income tax rate for all filers to 3.6 percent over five years and eventually phase out the tax altogether. GOP Senate leaders also outlined a plan to reduce the state tax on businesses and eliminating some tax credits and exemptions. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CHICAGO Jussie Smolletts final act in Chicago may be coming soon. A judge on Thursday set an in-person sentencing hearing for March 10 for the former Empire actor, who was convicted by a jury in December of faking a hate crime attack on himself. During the brief virtual hearing, Criminal Courts Judge James Linn ordered both sides to submit a list of witnesses expected to testify at sentencing by March 3. He also gave Smolletts attorneys until Feb. 25 to file any post-trial motions. A jury found Smollett guilty on Dec. 9 on five out of six counts of disorderly conduct, a Class 4 felony, alleging he falsely reported to police that he was a victim of a hate crime attack in the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2019. The verdict capped off eight days of a closely watched trial, during which prosecutors successfully argued Smollett orchestrated a phony assault on himself with the help of two brothers who, at his request, yelled slurs and tried to wrap a noose around his neck. Despite the media frenzy surrounding the case, Smollett stands convicted of one of the lowest-level felonies Illinois has on the books, and the likelihood of him seeing prison time is probably low. Class 4 felonies carry penalties of one to three years in prison, but also probation or conditional discharge, which is similar to probation but with fewer strict conditions. Linn also could impose a fine as well as order restitution, a monetary amount either agreed upon by the prosecution and defense, or determined at the sentencing hearing. Though prison seems unlikely in the Smollett case, there are a few wild cards that make predictions uncertain. While the underlying felonies are minor, the case is undeniably high profile a national embarrassment for the city of Chicago that allegedly cost taxpayers more than $130,000 in police overtime. And special prosecutor Dan Webb told reporters after the trial that he would probably point out during a sentencing hearing that Smollett took the stand in his own defense and lied for hours and hours and hours. I think this will probably be a point that Ill make at sentencing, that not only did Mr. Smollett lie to the police and wreak havoc in this city for weeks on end for no reason whatsoever, but then he compounded the problem by lying under oath to a jury, which I dont think should happen, Webb said. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 EDWARDSVILLE Jeffery Hebb fought back tears Thursday as he talked about the last moments of his daughter's life. His daughter, Etheria S. Hebb, 34, of St. Louis was one of six workers who were killed when part of the roof and walls collapsed when a tornado hit an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville on Dec. 10. "She didn't worry about whether the job was safe or not," Jeffery Hebb said after he described how his daughter was happy to get a job at the warehouse. "She didn't think that she would leave the house and go to work and never come back." Hebb spoke during a rally organized by the Missouri Workers Center, a group that fights for workers' rights. About 100 people gathered on a street in front of the damaged Amazon warehouse. Speakers called for safe working conditions and the creation of unions for Amazon and other non-union employees at companies nationwide. "Amazon was supposed to keep them safe," Hebb said of the workers. "They didn't do that. They should have shut the plant down to make sure these workers were safe." After the rally, participants said they want building codes to be changed to require warehouses to have an emergency shelter or basement to protect workers. Amazon officials previously have said that the building was built to meet code and that workers were instructed what to do during emergencies. The company also has said it will cooperate with all investigators reviewing what happened at the Edwardsville warehouse. "Our focus continues to be on supporting our employees and partners, the families who lost loved ones, the surrounding community, and all those affected by the tornadoes," Amazon spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said an email after the rally. Arnetra Rhodes, 18, who is a cousin of Etheria Hebb, said she works part-time at an Amazon warehouse in St. Louis County. She said during the rally that Amazon should improve working conditions for warehouse employees. "We're just somebody to get them rich," she said of the company officials. Amazon should have a "safehouse" inside warehouses where workers can take shelter. "We need to be protected," Rhodes said. Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday commented on standards for warehouses: "The question is, with all the warehouses that are being built or have been built, should we be setting a state standard for that? That's something that no doubt will be explored during this session of the General Assembly." Pritzker did not say specifically what lawmakers would review. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, opened an investigation that will review whether Amazon had a "proper emergency action plan," U.S. Department of Labor spokesman Scott Allen said in an interview in December. The agency does not review building codes. Warehouse building code The Rev. Darryl Gray of the Greater Fairfax Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis said the Progressive Baptist State Convention of Illinois is seeking to talk to Pritzker about workplace safety. "We do have to push the legislators," Gray said in an interview Thursday. Gray said the building code in areas where tornadoes occur needs to be changed. "When we're talking about these types of environments, in these geographical areas, minimum standards have got to factor in natural disasters," he said. Gray said the warehouses should have a "hardened shelter or at least a basement." He urged Pritzker to review "what was done and what could have been done differently to avoid the tragic deaths that occurred." Once the solutions are identified, the changes must enacted into law, Gray said. Terrence Wise, who works at a McDonald's restaurant in Kansas City, said he traveled to the Edwardsville rally as a supporter of the Missouri Workers Center. "Workers need more than just more money," he said in an interview after he spoke during the rally. "We need a union. We need a seat at the table. "Some people get hyped up about sports," he said. "I get hyped about dignity, righteousness and justice. It's important that we come together in a nation that is so divided. We have to find a common ground." The Missouri Workers Center, which says it aims to help low-wage workers fight racism and "win economic justice for all," is a nonprofit group formed in March 2021. Along with Etheria Hebb, the tornado claimed the lives of Clayton Lynn Cope, 29, of Alton; Kevin D. Dickey, 62, of Carlyle; Austin J. McEwen, 26, of Edwardsville; DeAndre Morrow, 28, of St. Louis; and Larry E. Virden, 46, of Collinsville. The group said workers at the facility "have reported that they had not been adequately trained on emergency procedures and that the company failed to warn them about the tornado, even as it approached." An Amazon spokeswoman has previously said Amazon workers do get "emergency preparedness" training and that managers took action to protect workers on the night of the tornado in Edwardsville. A wrongful-death lawsuit filed earlier this month alleged Amazon management directed McEwen and the other five people who were killed to shelter in a bathroom. The company "knew or should have known that this location would not protect them," the lawsuit stated. The workers died when the roof and walls of the south side of the 1.1-million-square foot building collapsed when struck by an EF-3 tornado that had winds up to 150 mph. The building had an interior place away from windows for workers to gather on the north side of the warehouse but this part of the building was not constructed any differently than other sections of the building, Amazon officials have said. Thirty-nine workers went to the "shelter in place" location on the north side while seven others were on the south side. One of the seven was rescued from the rubble. The warehouse is at 3077 Gateway Commerce Center Drive South near the intersection of Interstate 255/Illinois 255 and Interstate 270. Those who worked at the damaged warehouse were Amazon employees and employees of companies that contract with Amazon. In a statement before the rally, the Missouri Workers Center raised several issues regarding workplace safety. The group said it wants Amazon to end a ban on cellphone use. Nantel previously has said there was not a ban at the warehouse and employees were allowed to have cellphones. The group also cited a Washington Post article that reported Amazon warehouses had a rate of serious injury incidents that was nearly double the rate of other warehouses in recent years and that critics blame "productivity pressures." The Post, which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, reported that Bezos told shareholders that "We don't set unreasonable performance goals." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 More and more of us are becoming political junkies looking for our next dopamine hit. Dopamine, that pleasure reward in our brain, is offered as encouragement for most people when we do good things and is the reason our addictions are so hard to give up. For me, its the chips and cookies I reach for when Im stressed. For others its gaining political power, opioids, alcohol, tobacco, video games, pornography, winning an argument, being right and more. Every time we watch media that confirms our beliefs, we get a little bit of dopamine. Thats why it feels like torture when we expose ourselves to news that doesnt conform with our beliefs. There is no pleasure hit with dopamine to support widening our views. This is why facts dont matter to people who have different beliefs. Most people dont have a good enough reason to build the stamina to withstand the feeling of torture. No, its not really torture. Its healthy civic behavior without an obvious reward. As a nation, we are looking for our next dopamine fix. This has led us to the doorways of at least two different realities. One leads to corruption and greed everywhere. And the other wait. The other reality offers corruption and greed, too. Where we diverge is over the cause of corruption and greed. Theres plenty of blame to go around; the opposing party, those people, giant corporations, and Wall Street among too many to name. And guess what? When we assign blame over there, we get a dopamine hit. Because its not me. Righteous or self-righteous feelings arise. As a nation, we have short-circuited our collective chemistry. And like all addictive behavior, ruin will follow unless we stop looking for our next fix and start addressing the pain, the trauma, the reality that we are all responsible. The United States will not be healthy until we reset our national chemistry including normal amounts of dopamine for healthy behavior. Why have we succumbed to an addiction-fueled culture where we would sacrifice our country? Social media algorithms have made our fixes easier to get. Count the reactions on our own posts. Over 50? Dopamine hit. Like or angry face anothers post? Dopamine. Share a post to find your people? Dopamine and more dopamine. Video games likely deliver dopamine even faster. (Im not a gamer, but have read some articles about it.) At an ever increasing pace, Americans go for the dopamine fix, before anything else. It might be the news, our mobile devices and social media, it might be the next election or campaign. It might be the next battle in the Senate. Dopamine rules us as political junkies. How might we start breaking our addiction to political junkie dopamine? We might start with a personal inventory of which behaviors lead to a healthy or unhealthy nation. Unhealthy civic behavior: Watching or listening to conflict entrepreneurs who hook us to enrich themselves. Stirring the pot like a conflict entrepreneur just to get a reaction. Yelling at anyone because you are frustrated. This includes ranting on social media. Retweeting some outrageous misbehavior. Sharing disinformation. Healthy civic behavior: Adopt a do no harm attitude. Engage only when you can contribute in a healthy way. When you are triggered, take a break and walk away. Manage yourself. Amplify the positive on social media 10x more than negative or angry content. Or resolve to not air or engage in grievances on social media. If pointing out injustice, ask for accountability and avoid blaming others. Shun the conflict entrepreneurs and do not honor them with your time. Attending local meetings with elected officials and honoring the dignity of others, regardless of your agreement or disagreement with their views. Be willing to change your mind when new information warrants it. When Im challenged by friends who watch conflict entrepreneurs and engage in the blame game, I ask what they want to happen and how it might impact their life. I remember that most people want to live a safe and meaningful life in community with others. We want to leave the world a better place than we found it, and have some material comfort. This is how I get my dopamine hits; through connecting around our shared humanity. Not an absence of tension, but seeing others fears and hopes as connected to mine. I see our shared journey toward a just society. Healthy dopamine comes from deep connection, exercising our (civic) muscles and knowing we make a positive impact on those around us. Lets get healthy together. One day at a time. Debilyn Molineaux is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and president/CEO of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund. The Fulcrum covers what's making democracy dysfunctional and efforts to fix our governing systems. It is a project of, but editorially independent from, Issue One. 2022 The Fulcrum. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Flash A Chinese spokesperson Thursday urged the United States to contribute to regional peace and stability rather than make a show of force in the South China Sea region. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks in response to speculations that China will beat the United States to recover a U.S. F-35 warplane that crashed into the South China Sea in a military drill. "I've noticed relevant media reports, and this is not the first time the U.S. had accidents in the South China Sea," Zhao said. While the U.S. side has yet offered convincing explanations about its submarine hitting a seamount some time ago, their warplane had an accident and fell into the sea, he said. "China has no interest in their warplane," Zhao said, urging the country to do more things conducive to regional peace and stability rather than flex its muscle in the region. I am writing with regard to Bill Blooms Jan. 22 letter to the editor. He suggests that Democrats are attacking tools that would protect the integrity of the vote, when the opposite is true. The voting laws that Democrats are trying to regulate unfairly target people of color and those who live in marginalized communities. The Democrats' bills mandate automatic voter registration and would expand early and mail-in voting. There is no evidence that these voter laws contribute to fraud. Instead, these rules increase voter participation, especially by racial minorities. The bills also eliminate partisan gerrymandering, impose new transparency on dark money, tighten ethics standards and create a public financing option for congressional campaigns. The legislation would impose standards on removing people from voting rolls, and on providing drop boxes for early voting ballots. There would be national standards for voter ID, protections for non-partisan state and local officials who face increased threats, and safeguards for secure ballots and voting systems. It would also resume oversight of election law in states that have a history of discrimination, according to Reuters. I would also challenge Mr. Blooms statement that "nobody is for Bull Connor, or the KKK or Jefferson Davis." Membership in hate groups has increased dramatically in recent years, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, with over a thousand hate groups currently in the U.S.; and statues of Jefferson Davis still stand in state capitols in Alabama, Virginia and Kentucky, instead of in museums where they belong. Lori McCollum Rock Island Love 4 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Working in a physician-owned clinic offers some quality of life perks that arent always available to hospital-based nurses like having nights, weekends and holidays off. Work-life balance is a high priority at Rapid City Medical Center, a group of physician-owned clinics offering primary care as well as specialty care, said Jessica Kearns, director of clinical staff at Rapid City Medical Center. The medical practice operates eight locations including an urgent care facility, skin institute and a plastic surgery center in Rapid City as well as a clinic in Spearfish, South Dakota. Build relationships and work as a team to provide direct patient care Clinic nursing is different from a hospital or acute care nursing in a sense that you really get to build a relationship with your patients, Kearns said. Your patients are coming to see you frequently, and you're working one-on-one with your physician or provider to provide care whereas in the hospital you are a little more autonomous. So you're really working as a team with your physician or provider to provide direct care with that patient. Time for family We're not open on nights, weekends or holidays so that time is really given back to the employees to spend with their families or for their own personal use, Kearns said. You get the sense of being able to help and care for people who are in the community, but at the same time you really get to focus on your own work-life balance. The physicians who own the center are really supportive of work-life balance. They chose to be partners in the Rapid City Medical Center because work-life balance and family are important to them, and they really encourage that in their staff, she said. Growth spurt The nursing shortage is very much affecting Rapid City Medical Center just as it is the rest of the country, according to Kearns. But the centers need for nurses stems not from attrition but from its recent rapid growth spurt. I have quite a few primary care physicians right now without nurses and many specialties are also adding on, she said. Our shortage is not necessarily from turnover. It's more from growth. We've had a tremendous amount of growth in the last year. We've added on two clinic facilities and 9 new physicians in the past 24 months. We've grown faster than I can hire nurses. Rapid City Medical Center is especially looking for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and medical assistants. Nurses who do well with clinic nursing are motivated, have a lot of compassion for their patients and are willing to work as a team, Kearns said. The appeal of the Black Hills area Rapid City Medical Center and two neighboring hospital systems Monument Health and Black Hills Surgical Hospital have partnered with Elevate Rapid City, an economic development agency, to launch an initiative to inform nurses across the country about the benefits of and opportunities in South Dakota in hopes theyll consider relocating. Among these perks, the initiative boasts about the areas low crime rate and low cost of living, its low humidity climate, its lack of a state income tax, its contiguity to the majestic Black Hills, its accessibility to outdoor adventures and its possibilities for career growth. For more information on nursing careers at Rapid City Medical Center, please call Jessica Kearns, director of clinical staff at 605.721.8313, or check the career page on the centers website. This content was produced by Brand Ave. Studios. The news and editorial departments had no role in its creation or display. Brand Ave. Studios connects advertisers with a targeted audience through compelling content programs, from concept to production and distribution. For more information contact sales@brandavestudios.com. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Rapid City Area Schools Board of Education is scheduled to propose a Resolution for Student and Staff Quarantine Requirements at its meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Rapid City Education Center, at 625 9th St. The resolution documents a variety of changes to the Ready. Set. Start. 2021-2022 Back to School Plan and can be found at https://rcas.org/our-district/board-of-education/ by following the meeting agenda link. The section of the resolution statement providing background information says that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, updated on Dec. 27, 2021, and adopted by the South Dakota Department of Health shortly after, provide recommendations that are largely based on individual and personal choices, such as vaccination status, masking, and the feasibility to quarantine. The background section continues: Ultimately, these guidelines allow autonomy for individuals to make the decision to quarantine at home or return to normal activity following a close-contact exposure to someone confirmed to be contagious with COVID-19. School nurses and health services staff cannot monitor nor track the personal choices that families wish to make regarding quarantine. Thus, documentation of close contacts and those in quarantine must cease. RCAS students and RCAS staff that have become ill with COVID-19 are still advised to stay home abiding by SD DOH isolation guidelines. It is still requested that staff and parents/guardians report COVID positive tests to their school nurse. Masking is recommended per CDC guidelines following COVID-19 exposure or isolation, however masking will remain voluntary per RCAS BOE decision. The resolution later proposes specific updates to the 2021-2022 plan again, available for review on the school districts website. Caitlin Pierson, RCAS community relations manager, encouraged interested community members to attend Tuesdays board meeting and added that district officials are not commenting on the resolution at this point. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 6 Monument Health will host a Community Health Summit during the Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo Rapid City at The Monument, according to a news release from Monument Health. Free and discounted preventative screenings and lab draws as well as health and nutrition education will be available at the entrance of the Rodeo Zone in the Ice Arena. Monument Health caregivers will provide a variety of vaccinations to attendees, including COVID-19 vaccinations. At-home COVID-19 test kits will also be distributed to anyone who needs them. The Education Center will offer information that visitors can take with them and review when they have time. Chef Scott Brinker from Monument Health Food and Nutrition will talk about food and nutrition and share recipes. There will also be a Kids Zone that will feature interactive activities for children of all ages. The Monument Health Foundation will also be present, selling Tough Enough to Wear Pink T-shirts. All Monument Health representatives will wear masks at all times, and in the clinical areas within the Community Health Summit, all attendees will be required to wear masks. We feel its extremely important to meet people where theyre at, and thats exactly what were doing at the Community Health Summit, said Anna Whetham, Monument Healths Community Relations Specialist, in a statement. We know there are no sick days on the ranch, and we want to be able to provide preventive care and access to knowledgeable health professionals to help our neighbors live long, healthy and productive lives. The Community Health Summit will begin this Friday and run through Saturday, Feb. 5. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A property near Skyline Wilderness Area Park could be rezoned from park forest to low density residential pending a Rapid City Council decision in February. The city's Planning Commission approved by a 5-3 vote the rezone for a 3.08-acre Forest Hills Drive property on Thursday morning. The property currently has no structural development, although the owner, Evan Hays, has a building permit to build a house. Hays said at the meeting that it is his and his wifes hope to subdivide the property into two lots and place another home on the second one-acre lot. This is an untouched, literally untouched, lot in the middle of a beautiful neighborhood, and I know how hard change can be, Hays said to neighbors attending the meeting. I just want to encourage you that through the destruction thats happening, soon we will be turning it into a beautiful piece of land. Community Development Director Vicki Fisher said staff is in support of the rezone since property directly to the east of it was previously zoned as park forest and rezoned to low density residential. Since the Hayses already have a building permit, construction has begun on the land and trees have already been removed. All four public commenters Thursday discussed concerns about erosion and tree removal on the property. About 13 public comments were attached to the agenda item, all citing concerns about erosion, tree removal, and an increase in traffic. Long-range planner Kelly Brennan said Hays is well within his rights to remove trees on the property since its private property. The Hayses also have an erosion and sediment control permit, which Public Works noted is a living document that will change with the development. The permit currently requires the property to mitigate erosion through wattles. The fire department representative said the department worked with Hays and discussed ways to mitigate fire fuels, which includes removing trees. Hays said his family plans on installing a sprinkler system as well for their house. The commission also unanimously approved a preliminary subdivision plan for Apple Valley with a stipulation that the Pennington County Commission has to approve a rezoning request. Apple Valley is a potential development that would build 467 residential lots over four phases over seven to 10 years. The preliminary subdivision plan is to create 80 residential lots. The property is within the city's three-mile platting jurisdiction. The Planning Commission previously continued the item so the county commission could act on the rezoning request, however the county commissions meeting when the rezone would be discussed was canceled due to illness. Andy Scull with the developing company Pink Cabin and Meadow Valley said all homes in the subdivision would be stick built, not modular. The Pennington County Commission will consider the rezone at its Feb. 1 meeting. Contact Siandhara Bonnet at siandhara.bonnet@rapidcityjournal.com You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 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. A shortage of substitutes to fill in for full-time teachers is forcing school districts to take sometimes drastic measures to keep classrooms staffed, and concerns are rising that the quality of education may diminish as a result. Many full-time teachers are losing planning and training time to fill in for absent colleagues. Some classes are being combined, resulting in higher staff-to-student ratios. A few South Dakota schools have closed temporarily or shifted to virtual learning. The number of substitutes has been dropping steadily for several years in many school districts, as fewer people want to take on the challenge of teaching a group of students they dont know in a subject in which they may not be well-versed. Crisis in some districts As the pandemic lingers and the highly contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus has become dominant in South Dakota, more full-time teachers are out sick with COVID-19 or staying home to care for ill or exposed children than normal, increasing the need for substitutes. Meanwhile, many former substitutes especially those who are retirees and at greater risk of COVID-19 complications do not want to take the risk of teaching indoors with dozens of children. Education experts also say working as a substitute teacher has become less attractive, as some children have become more assertive and less respectful of teachers. Furthermore, a general worker shortage has given potential substitutes far more options to work where and when they want, in some cases for higher pay and benefits. To attract more substitutes, some school districts have increased pay or reduced educational requirements. In Sioux Falls, the district has dropped its requirement that substitutes have a college degree, now requiring only a high school diploma. In January 2022, the district increased daily pay for substitutes from $125 to $160 at most schools, from $140 to $175 at high-need schools and from $150 to $190 per day for long-term subs. When unemployment is low, getting substitute teachers is tricky, said Becky Dorman, human resources director for Sioux Falls schools. Were always looking for more substitutes, but weve had to make changes on all fronts to staff our schools during the pandemic. The Rapid City Area Schools board approved pay increases for substitute teachers on Oct. 1 due to staffing shortages brought on by the pandemic. Now, substitute teachers with a bachelor's degree or higher and student teachers receive $117 per day, an increase from $90 and $85 respectively. Substitute teachers with a teaching certificate that is active or lapsed and retired RCAS teachers had their pay rate increased to $150 per day from $110 and $115. "Generally speaking, our substitute group ranges around 250 to 400 depending on the time of year. You see a lot of fluctuation. Right now, we are at 163 individuals," Kristin Strissel, director of Human Resources, said at the time. The shortage of both full-time teachers and substitute teachers has raised concerns among education experts that the quality of teaching and depth of learning may be suffering across the U.S. public school system. A shortage of substitute teachers, both in quantity and quality, across the country has never been more severe, wrote Geoffrey Smith, director of the Substitute Teacher Training Institute at Utah State University, in a recent article for the national School Superintendents Association website. Substitutes' role Substitutes play a critical role in maintaining educational consistency for children who are in their formative learning years, said Dennis Fischer, superintendent of the Hot Springs School District in southwestern South Dakota. When a teacher is out, we still need learning to take place because we only have 36 weeks of teaching per year, Fischer said. If were going to have a teacher out a day or a whole week or more, we expect the education to go on, Fischer said. When schools have limited options to fill teaching slots, administrators acknowledge they may sometimes be forced to bring in someone who serves mostly as a classroom attendant. In most cases, however, school officials do their best to fill open classroom slots with qualified, experienced substitute teachers who keep learning on track. Joel Bailey, superintendent of the Platte Geddes School District in southeastern South Dakota, said he once read an estimate that each public student will on average be taught by substitutes the cumulative equivalent of one year of their K-12 education. The effectiveness of subs in the classroom is extremely important, Bailey said. At some point, if teacher absences rise and enough substitutes cannot be found, school districts must make the difficult decision to close schools and transition to virtual teaching via computers. Rapid City Area Schools shuttered three schools temporarily in January because of high staff absences due to coronavirus infections. Also in mid-January, an outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent high number of close contacts with infected people prompted the Hot Springs district to move to virtual learning for its secondary school that houses grades 6-12. Some teachers fell ill with COVID-19, some had to quarantine due to close contacts with infected people, while others had to stay home to care for children who were ill, said Superintendent Fischer. We could not get all the classrooms filled, Fischer said. We did have a shortage of staffing and a shortage of subs that caused us to go virtual. Full-time teachers in Hot Springs, as in many South Dakota school districts, have sacrificed planning periods to cover for absent colleagues. In some cases, three classes of children in Hot Springs have been combined into two larger groups when teachers and substitutes were scarce, Fischer said. On rare occasions, when instructor absences were particularly high, four or five classes of children have been sent to the school library, where they work on homework and are supervised more than being taught, Fischer said. We were supposed to be socially distancing, but we were packing people into the library, which was really a last resort, he said. Hot Springs uses a sliding pay scale depending on the qualifications of each substitute and how long the sub works, Fischer said. Substitutes in Hot Springs must have a college degree and pass a background check, Fischer said. Base pay is $90 per day, but those who have a teaching certification are paid $100 per day, and can make even more if they become a long-term substitute who may cover for a teacher out for a week or several weeks, Fischer said. Its a very difficult and challenging job, and it takes a certain type of persona and personality to just step in with these kids, Fischer said. Kids are kids and its always been that way. You see a substitute teacher and you think its a day off, so some of our kids will challenge the subs and they have to know how to handle that. In the article for the superintendents association, Smith notes that school districts across the U.S. are lowering job requirements, increasing pay and engaging in aggressive recruitment efforts to attract more potential substitutes. Smith argues that offering health and other benefits is one way to increase the pool of potential subs. He added that the easiest, least-expensive way to improve the teaching abilities of substitutes is to improve and expand training opportunities for them. No other small investment in education today will make a more significant improvement in the classroom than training substitute teachers, Smith wrote. According to reports by FutureEd, an education research institute at Georgetown University, U.S. schools were able to fill about 80% of all open classroom slots with substitutes on a regular basis. During the pandemic, that coverage rate has fallen to 50% to 60%, the institute said. Training for subs One major challenge for school districts is to provide adequate training before subs enter the classroom, and relevant follow-up training after the school day ends. Research showed that only about 40% of U.S. school districts provide training to subs, and even fewer provide training in classroom management, which the institute sees as a key component of substitute success and effectiveness. Just 11 percent of school districts offer classroom-management training to subs, and most of the time, its a one-time orientation to the job, the institute wrote in October 2021. As a result, people go into the classroom unprepared. Not surprisingly, lots of people dont stay. Even when people do stay, without basic training and support, the classroom experience isnt great. The Sioux Falls schools have begun to incentivize substitutes to teach more days by offering contests in which subs can win $100 retail gift cards and are entered more often if they work more days, Dorman said. Its fun stuff like that to further push the fact that we need them, we appreciate them and were glad theyre here, she said. Those kinds of things seem to be helping. The district currently has a pool of more than 800 potential substitutes, but still has had difficulty covering classroom positions during the pandemic, Dorman said. The district of about 24,000 students has about 1,900 teachers and 400 educational assistants, and it is not uncommon to have 285 teaching absences each day, Dorman said. The pandemic has resulted in more teacher absences than usual, she said, especially so far in 2022 as the highly contagious omicron variant has become dominant, Dorman said. The past two and a half weeks have been challenging because were seeing the highest absentee rates in January than anytime in the past five years, she said. Substitutes in the Sioux Falls school district undergo four hours of in-person training before starting in the classroom and are offered an optional eight-hour online training course by the district. Flexible schedule For some substitute teachers, the job provides a great way to earn extra money, have a highly flexible work schedule, and work closely with children, according to Elizabeth Liz Campbell, an experienced substitute teacher. Campbell has worked as a substitute teacher for several years, the last three in Hot Springs where she fills in mostly in the elementary school. Subbing works out well for Campbell, 43, because she has prior teaching experience and her four school-age children attend the Hot Springs schools. She said she enjoys teaching young children and has received strong support and respect from teachers and administrators in the Hot Springs district. In 2020, Campbell said she worked several days a week because many older substitutes dropped out of the workforce due to concerns over COVID-19. This year, some older subs have returned, so Campbell is working about two days a week. Subbing for teachers who have a planned absence is easier because the teachers tend to leave behind lesson plans, as opposed to filling in for teachers who are unable to plan for unexpected absences, Campbell said. But technology, including so-called smart boards, allows absent teachers to quickly share classroom materials with subs via shared computer access. Managing a classroom of students who are unknown to the substitute is challenging and may turn some people away from the job, Campbell said. Not all substitutes are educators, so some come in and they dont know how to handle a classroom, she said. Ive taught before, so I know how to handle a classroom, and now in Hot Springs I know most of the kids. Campbell said she understands why some potential substitutes have turned away from the profession, especially in larger districts or more urban areas where children may be less respectful than in a small town like Hot Springs. Theres definitely a change you see in the respect from kids, said Campbell, who has also worked as a sub at an inner-city school in Kansas City. Those are really things that are taught in the home and part of the breakdown in families. The uncertain work schedule and lack of benefits may also turn some people away from subbing, she said. School officials in South Dakota say they will continue to promote subbing as a rewarding, flexible way to earn extra money. Its the most flexible job you could ever have, said Dorman of the Sioux Falls schools. Even if you had two afternoons free a month, we would love to have you. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The number of active COVID-19 infections in South Dakota decreased by more than 1,000 Friday, with the Department of Health reporting 1,145 new cases and nine additional deaths. Active cases declined by 1,106 to a total of 33,647 people who are sick with the virus. The nine deaths brought January's total to 151, and the overall death toll from coronavirus-related illness to 2,637. The deaths include four men and five women from Brookings, Brown, Codington, Lincoln and Minnehaha counties. One person was in their 30s, two were in their 60s, two were in their 70s, and four were over 80. Active cases continued to decline in Pennington County. With 164 new infections, active cases dropped by 137 to 5,747. Minnehaha County saw a decrease of 560 active cases to 7,826. There were 192 positive tests Friday in Minnehaha County. Meade County reported 42 new infections and there were 48 in Lawrence County. Fall River County recorded 16 new cases and there were 22 in Butte County. Custer County recorded nine new infections and there were six in Oglala-Lakota County. There were 34 in Lincoln County. Brown County had 84 and Codington County had 32. Hospitalizations across the state increased to 411, seven more than Thursday's report, with 75 patients in intensive care units. The Black Hills area reported 81 patients are in the hospital with COVID-19, and 16 are in the ICU. Rapid City Area Schools reported Thursday night there were 184 students with active cases of COVID-19 and 33 staff members. Student infections were up two from Wednesday's report and staff member infections decreased by one. In addition to the active infections, there are 154 students and two staff members required to quarantine due to possible exposure to the coronavirus. The biggest case counts are still at the high schools. Rapid City Central High School has 30 active cases and Rapid City Stevens is next with 18 active cases. Seven other schools have at least 10 active infections West Middle (16), Wilson Elementary (15), Rapid Valley Elementary (14), Pinedale Elementary (12), Meadowbrook Elementary (12), Valley View Elementary (10) and Knollwood Elementary (10). The Bitterrooot National Forrest is seeking public comment on a proposal to update infrastructure and stabilize the shoreline along the Bitterroot River in the Rombo Campground. Located on the West Fork Ranger District, Rombo is one of the most popular developed campgrounds on the forest and provides the public with camping and fishing opportunities throughout the summer season. The purpose of the project is to address health and safety concerns associated with an outdated potable water system, insufficient septic, and to also stabilize the eroding shoreline. In the spring of 2018, high water on the West Fork of the Bitterroot River eroded the bank and a campsite within the campground. Since then, flooding each spring has caused further bank erosion, while also undercutting trees, causing them to fail. The river is now along the edge of the main campground road. The improvement project would replace the campgrounds old water system, add a new pump house and a host site with new septic. The shoreline stabilization efforts would prevent further erosion to protect the campground and restore vegetation along the banks of the river. A segment of the access road may also be relocated away from the river due to continual flooding concerns and inability to properly stabilize the eroding shoreline. Work could begin on the new water and septic system, host site, and road re-route later this spring, weather permitting. Implementation of the shoreline stabilization work is proposed for fall of 2022 or spring 2023. However, if work is completed in the summer, the public may be impacted due to safety closures within the campground. To learn more about the project and view photos/map visit www.fs.usda.gov/bitterroot. Click on Land and Resource Management, then Projects. Public comments specific to this project and/or individual sites and resources are valuable in helping the Forest Service identify concerns and develop alternatives. Comments are requested by Feb. 23. Submit comments to: Dan Pliley, District Ranger, by one of the following methods; mail: West Fork Ranger District, 6735 West Fork Road, Darby, Montana 59829, Fax: 406-821-1211, or email comments-northern-bitterroot-west-fork@usda.gov. Please put Comments on Rombo Campground Repairs and Stabilization in the subject line. For more information contact Tanya Neidhardt, West Fork Recreation Manager at 406-821-1215. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A man is in custody following a multi-agency chase around eastern Idaho and western Montana Thursday night into Friday morning. Jesse R. Spitzer, 30, of Sultan, Washington, led law enforcement on a pursuit across the Idaho-Montana border starting around 10:30 p.m. Thursday night, Mineral County Sheriff Mike Toth said. Spitzer was on the run from authorities in Washington state after he was suspected of stealing a vehicle and other items in east Snohomish County, according to the Associated Press. He was at the scene of an accident last Friday but fled. The following day, law enforcement chased him into the woods near Gold Bar in Washington state, but he got away. Then, on Sunday, he got into another accident in Chelan County in Washington but fled that scene, too, according to the AP. Officers searched for him in Post Falls, Idaho on Wednesday when a firearm was reported stolen from someone's house, but Spitzer was able to elude officials. His next encounter with law enforcement happened in Kellogg, Idaho, on Thursday night, the AP reported. Officers pursued him over Lookout Pass and into Montana. Montana Highway Patrol was able to disable his vehicle near the Haugan exit on Interstate 90, but Spitzer fled on foot after threatening officials with a handgun. Authorities found and arrested him shortly after 9 a.m. Friday in a trailer in an RV park behind the 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar, Sheriff Toth said. They located him using a canine unit and arrested him. While he did not fire any shots at law enforcement in Montana, he did in Idaho, Sheriff Toth said. There were no injuries to any officers, but Spitzer was bitten by the dog. In 2011, Spitzer was sentenced for shooting at a sheriff's deputy in Nevada, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office. Toth thanked the several agencies that responded to the incident, including Mineral County Sheriff's deputies, U.S. Marshals from Missoula, Montana Highway Patrol, the Missoula County Sheriff's Office, the Flathead County Sheriff's Office and other agencies from both states. There is no threat to public safety at this time, Toth said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Robert Ujevic had an idea in 2015 to create a line of food products using hemp before it became the darling of agriculture and industry. At the time, Ujevic was working with others advocating to allow hemp to be grown and used in Virginia because of the health benefits. He was so passionate about hemp that he started making two pasta products using hemp seed protein powder, which he initially sold during the holidays in 2015. People really liked it, he said. A couple of years later, Ujevic wanted to branch out to create some sauces using hemp oil and hulled hemp seeds, but he was struggling with crafting the products. A chance meeting with two local chefs in the fall of 2018 helped form Gourmet Hemp Foods that eventually led to the creation of hemp-infused barbecue sauce and hot sauce. Gourmet Hemp Foods started selling its Hemp Hottie Sauce and Hemp Honey BBQ Sauce at Ellwood Thompsons Local Market in the fall of 2019 and at The Market @ 25th grocery store a couple of months later. The sauces are also available in a handful of area independent grocery stores, including Good Foods Grocery, and a couple of local restaurants such as City Dogs and Capitol Waffle Shop. The company reached a milestone last fall when it started supplying its sauces to about 275 Food Lion stores in Virginia. We feel like its a great product and now we really want to see it grow further, said Ujevic, the companys co-founder and its director of customer relations. Were definitely excited and were also pleased at the same time because we put in a lot of time and energy and we think this is all a result of that, he said. Its gratifying to see just how people have reacted, just the testimonials weve received on how people have changed decisions on what sauces they use, and some people say they only use our sauce now. Gourmet Hemp Foods generated about $50,000 in sales last year, up from about $20,000 in sales in 2020, he said. It expects to double revenue this year to about $100,000, thanks largely to the Food Lion business. We definitely werent profitable. We are developing and growing our inventory, said Ujevic, who graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2015. To grow sales, the companys goal is to have its two sauces a 5-ounce hot sauce and a 10-ounce barbecue sauce sold at supermarkets elsewhere in Virginia and nearby states, with the hope of having them available on a national scale, he said. The company has had preliminary discussions with Food Lion about expanding into the chains stores in other states such as North Carolina, he said, noting that he is talking to other grocery retailers. But nothing is definitive yet, he said. We feel like we can really get these two products to greater market share. And then once we have enough recognition, we would want to start introducing some other products, he said. That expansion would include making other hemp-infused sauces, such as a marinara sauce. We have lots of ideas, he said. ****** In the fall of 2018, Gourmet Hemp Foods really changed when Ujevic met Tyenella Hall and her husband, Reginald Hall Jr., during a First Friday art gallery event in downtown Richmond. Ujevic, 28, was trying to figure out how to create a sauce using hemp seeds and hemp oils. It was serendipity that I met them, he said. The Halls knew how to create different types of food. They operate Hooks Lunch Box food truck and T&R Catering businesses. After that chance meeting, the couple sat down with Ujevic to discuss possibilities and became partners in the creation of Gourmet Hemp Foods. They had a product but did not know anything about the food industry. And Im a chef. Thats my backbone. Thats what I do know, said Tyenella Hall, the companys food scientist. So we decided to work on it. My husband was the one who made the hot sauce, and it was like freakin amazing. And then he made a barbecue sauce. And those have been what has gotten us our notoriety is the hot sauce and the barbecue sauce. Reginald Hall, the companys director of food production, said creating the two sauces gave him an opportunity to show the world my ability in sauce making. So I got some [ingredients] together for the hot sauce. I think I have a pretty good palate and tried some I had made, Reginald Hall said. My wife tasted it and she said, like yeah, this is really good. So I was like if my wife says it is good and shes a chef, it must be good. We dont sugarcoat anything from each other when it comes to cooking. Its either good or its not good. The original idea was to create a marinara sauce to go with the companys pasta products, but the initial tests indicated the sauce was too acidic, Ujevic said. After spending months testing variations of recipes for the hot sauce and the barbecue sauce and conducting different tests, Ujevic and the Halls started bottling the first batch at a cannery in the Farmville area. In 2020, they moved production operations to the facilities at Hatch Kitchen RVA, the business incubator for startup companies in the food industry that operates in the Clopton Siteworks in South Richmond. Creating the two sauces, Ujevic said, changed the course of the company. Once we started introducing the sauce, they were just flying off the shelf. Everywhere we went, people were just saying they were just loving it, he said. The first break for the budding business came in the fall of 2019 when Ellwood Thompsons Local Market agreed to carry the sauces. Landing Food Lion is great and it is definitely one of those milestones, but I never want to forget who gave us that first start, Tyenella Hall said of Ellwood Thompsons. When we made it on their shelf in October 2019, in that moment, to be a brand-new company who no one had ever heard of, but Ellwood Thompsons took a chance and put us on their shelf and have been consistently getting boxes from us. That, for me, was a pinchable moment, she said. We literally made it into one of the most persnickety stores. They are very calculated about who or what they put on their shelves. Jordan Montero, essentials manager at Ellwood Thompsons, said he was immediately interested in Gourmet Hemp Foods sauces because it was a local company using hemp in the products at a time when putting hemp in foods was a growing trend. Hemp is nutrient dense and overall super healthy, Montero said. It is full of vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, amino acids and omegas. I sampled their hemp and honey BBQ sauce. They are delicious and unique. Gourmet Hemp Foods is local, healthy and delicious, the perfect vendor for us. Their products have been great sellers, and their team has been a joy to work with. Sales at Ellwood Thompsons have been strong and steady, he said. Before Gourmet Hemp Foods landed in Food Lion stores, it was producing about 20 cases a month. Food Lion is currently ordering about 100 cases a month. While the company continues to expand distribution of its products, it will be working on creating a marinara sauce using hemp, Tyenella Hall said. But we have to make sure that it will cross over to the mainstream the same way as the hot sauce and barbecue sauce, she said. Pasta sauce is definitely going to go mainstream because its fun to go with our pasta and its going to make it a complete package. Gourmet Hemp Foods continues to make two types of pasta with hemp seed protein powder, but the focus is on the sauces, Ujevic said. The pastas are available on the companys gourmethempfoods.com website and at Ellwood Thompsons. ****** In Virginia, hemp was a mainstay crop until it was banished as part of the U.S. war on drugs starting in the 1930s. The Virginia General Assembly passed legislation in 2015 and 2016 allowing limited hemp cultivation in the state under a program administered through state universities. The federal Farm Bill in 2014 legalized growing industrial hemp for institutional research, and the 2018 Farm Bill legalized the broad cultivation of hemp. Advocates talk about hemps health benefits it is high in minerals, antioxidants and nutrients without having the psychoactive effects of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, that is found in marijuana. Using hemp in food products is a growing market segment, said Collin Gallus, director of supply chain at Victory Hemp Foods, a Kentucky-based company that manufactures hemp ingredients for food manufacturers including Gourmet Hemp Foods. You can go into Whole Foods and find some 50 or 60 brands that incorporate different hemp products into consumer packaged goods, Gallus said. We work with a number of companies that do everything from using hemp in jerky to tortilla chips, different kinds of granola, pasta, sauces, pestos. You name it, weve pretty much covered it. The bottom line is that [hemp is] a much healthier product to consume. The health benefits were a key reason why Tyenella Hall said she wanted to be part of Gourmet Hemp Foods. I have a nursing background, so I saw the benefits of hemp, she said, noting that she served in the military as a nurse and then went to culinary school. It just made sense for me to go into this, she said. The hulled hemp seeds and oils give the sauces a distinct flavor, she said. It is a heavy, very dense to the tongue as far as flavor, she said. She and her husband have used the Hemp Hottie Sauce on chicken wings that they sell from their Hooks Lunch Box food truck, which features what Tyenella Hall calls international comfort food. Its a great way of promoting the product, and then we tell them [customers] to go to Food Lion, she said. Ujevic said the Hemp Hottie Sauce and Hemp Honey BBQ Sauce have a nice flavor with the hemp giving a little kick to it. There are inherent health benefits from the hemp seeds itself which is why this is such a great product, he said. Were very happy to incorporate that ingredient because thats basically our companys mission, and were all about educating about what hemp is and what it isnt. Flash China's relief supplies worth 1 million yuan (about $157,900) have arrived in Tonga's capital city of Nuku'alofa on Thursday. According to Cao Yongjun, a Suva-based representative of China National Fisheries (Group) Corporation (CNFC), CNFC's two fishing boats carrying the emergency supplies are currently docking in the Vuna wharf of Nuku'alofa for unloading. As a COVID-19-free island nation with a population of more than 100,000, Tonga now has very strict measures to prevent COVID-19 from entering into the country, he told Xinhua, adding that all ships coming to Nuku'alofa only have access to contactless delivery of dropping off aid and humanitarian supplies. Due to the anti-COVID-19 procedures, the officials from the Chinese Embassy in Tonga have been waiting outside the Vuna wharf on Thursday and they can not meet with the crew of the two Chinese vessels. The officials have been coordinating the unloading of the vessels with the parties concerned in Tonga, which has been heavily damaged by the recent volcano eruptions and tsunami caused by the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano, located about 65 km north of the Tongan capital. The two Chinese vessels set sail from Fijian capital Suva on Monday afternoon. Most of the relief supplies, including drinking water, food, electric generators, water pumps, chain saws, personnel protective equipment and medical supplies, were raised by the Chinese Embassy in Fiji and the remaining was donated by the Chinese enterprises in Fiji. Parents kept their children home and teachers called out sick in Chesterfield County on Thursday, the first day during that pandemic that children had the option to ditch their masks. Support for keeping the mask mandate outnumbered opposition nearly 3-to-1 in public comments to the School Board, which in a split vote Tuesday decided to comply with Gov. Glenn Youngkins order to make masks optional for students. Youngkins executive order went into effect on Monday, but the Richmond regions largest school divisions all required masks until Thursday. Hanover County will make masks optional on Monday. Yetty Shobo, who struggled to send her fourth-grade daughter back to Robious Elementary in August, kept her home on Thursday. Shobo was able to breathe a little easier back in August when the School Board unanimously voted to keep students in masks, but after this weeks vote, shes keeping her daughter at home until things change. For now, enrolling in virtual learning isnt an option. When they [the School Board] started this discussion upon us having a new governor, I just couldnt believe people were going to play politics with childrens lives, Shobo said. I cant imagine sending my child into a petri dish, which is what I believe schools will be if children are not masked. The matter is likely to be settled in court: Parents in Chesapeake and a group of school divisions including Richmond Public Schools have sued the governor, saying his order conflicts with state law and the state constitution. Youngkin has said hes putting power back in the hands of parents and hes confident his order will stand in court. Henrico County chose to keep its mask mandate, but has not joined the lawsuit. ****** In Chesterfield, teachers are being advised against asking students to wear a mask or making new seating arrangements that split students into groups of masked and unmasked. In a Wednesday email sent to Cosby High School staff, Principal Ben Snyder said: We are not sending an opt out form to families; moving forward, we will assume that students without masks have made a family decision and we will not ask them to wear or require them to wear a mask. We can continue to make announcements and reminders on where students can find masks, but we should not ask them to take one. The only reasons we should make adjustments to class seating arrangements at this time is if you feel like you can gain additional spacing between students or if there was already a planned change in your seating arrangement due to the new quarter, semester, etc., Snyder wrote in the staff email, obtained by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Similar emails were sent to Chesterfield staff and teachers across the county. At Chalkley Elementary, an email sent to teachers said cohort seating / mask / non-mask this is not an option. Send me a message so I can speak with the family if someone asks you to seat their child away from others due to masking vs unmasking. Parents have said they would like to see cohorts of students, not segregation. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, cohorting means keeping people together in a small group and having each group stay together throughout an entire day. While the CDC recommends against separately cohorting vaccinated and unvaccinated people, it makes no mention when it comes to wearing masks or not. The use of cohorting can limit the spread of COVID-19 between cohort, according to the CDC. In the fall of 2020, students were placed into cohorts by grade level as CCPS started to send kids back to school. In an email from Manchester High School, teachers were told they are not the mask police, meaning they cannot give a child a mask if they arent wearing one and teachers cannot point out incorrect mask use. The Manchester High email went on to say: the best course of action to keep your student from being exposed to COVID is to have him/her wear a KN95 mask. However, according to dozens of parent social media posts, some Chesterfield schools did not have masks available on Thursday. And if masks were available, there were not KN95-sized masks fitted for a childs face. ****** On Thursday, School Board Vice Chair Dot Heffron checked in on a couple of her Clover Hill District schools where principals overall overwhelmingly reported mask use among students. After visiting an elementary school in person, Heffron said the students were consistently wearing masks. The students are used to wearing masks and social distancing, so today was just like any other day for the students, Heffron said. Shawn Smith, a schools spokesman, did not disclose the number of teachers who were absent on Thursday and in response provided the following statement: While we do have some staff members out today, our schools are open and our students are learning. We appreciate our Chesterfield families, students and staff who are working together to ensure our students continue to receive the best education possible. The Chesterfield branch of the NAACP is encouraging all county students, staff and visitors to continue wearing masks in school. The branch also wants the school system to expand learning options for parents who wish for their child to not be near other children without masks. The School Board refuses to govern responsibly. The Chesterfield School Boards rejection of current science, public health recommendations and existing law is an outright failure to protect our community and school children from a virus that has proven deadly and at the very least, disruptive. This is a matter of public safety and equitable access to education, the NAACP said in a statement Wednesday night. Ali Shenk has three boys in Chesterfield schools, one at each level elementary, middle and high. Whats unfolded over the past few days and weeks starts at the top with Youngkin, she said, whose recent executive order shows that hes more concerned about appeasing his voter base than caring for Virginias students. Shes also disappointed in Chesterfields School Board, which she said caved to the outspoken minority by taking actions that were disrespectful to both students and teachers. With daily cases reaching highs not seen before the omicron variant, it makes no sense right now to lift the mask mandate, Shenk said. Teachers are teaching with their hands tied behind their backs. According to the Chesterfield Education Association, of the thousands of comments sent in during last weeks initial mask vote, 1,728 comments were in favor of keeping masks while 583 were in favor of parental choice. Jennifer Schoemmell, a Matoaca resident and parent, wrote in public comment in favor of masks being optional. We have been wearing masks for 2 years and this is still spreading, Schoemmell wrote. My child has been vaccinated and I would like to let her decide if she wants to wear the mask or not. It has been proven that fabric masks do little to reduce the spread. ... Unless the school is going to provide KN95 masks, what are we really accomplishing? A former teacher years ago, Shenk said she often wonders if she were still a teacher, what would I do right now could I hang in there? The worst part is that her childrens concerns about getting COVID-19 have only been exacerbated this week. She said that even her middle child who begrudgingly wears a mask said hell continue to wear his mask in school. They get it, Shenk said. ****** Heather Kowells child attends Chesterfields Career and Technical Center part time for its health services program, which offers everything from dental and EMT programs to nursing, medical assistant, veterinary science and more. Its ironic, Kowell said, that a student in a health-driven program would be allowed to unmask at the height of a pandemic. But her child will continue to wear a mask, she said, to model professional, responsible behavior. My child absolutely feels like its the right thing to do, she said. That, and the students are in classrooms with little chance to social distance. Its an increased risk because they have to be in close contact with each other, she said. Kowell called recent actions taken by Chesterfields School Board poorly thought-out and quickly executed. If our numbers were on the decline and we were a community with low transmission, I might be a little bit more flexible, she said. But thats not who we are right now. Hanover school officials sent a note to parents Thursday afternoon, reminding them that the school divisions mask policy will take effect Monday for students. The policy does not apply to faculty, staff and visitors to the building, however, and those individuals will still be required to wear masks, the note said, because the executive order applies only to students. Health mitigation strategies remain in place, the note said, including social distancing, quarantining close contacts, frequent cleaning in high-traffic areas and ventilation systems checks. The note also said the school division has received requests from parents about placing their children in the Hanover Online School. The school division is adding names to the waitlist, but we do not want to provide false hope that your child can be accommodated. Staffing and resources for the online school were allocated before the start of the year, the note said, and we are well beyond the point of being able to completely overhaul our staffing for the second semester. The note encouraged kindness and respect. We recognize that this is an emotional and divisive issue in our community and beyond, even among members of the same household, it said. We expect everyone students and adults to treat one another with respect, care, and kindness, no matter what their choice or opinion may be on masks or otherwise. The note also reminded parents about the anonymous digital reporting tool on each schools webpage called Stand Up, Speak Out Stop Bullying Now, which can be used to report bullying directly to school administrators. Jessica Nocera Follow Jessica Nocera Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today It has been, Fatimo Ibrahim said without exaggeration, a long journey. From growing up in Nigeria to immigrating as a teen to New York, where her life spiraled into what seemed a hopeless situation, to a move to Richmond where she lived for a time in a homeless shelter and then many years in public housing where she raised her four children. Through years and years of ups and downs and working hard and holding her family together, and telling her kids to do their homework and pushing them to take advantage of the opportunity of formal education that she never had, all the while looking forward to what she hoped would be a better day. To this: A better day. And a home of her own. I feel so happy, I dont know to describe it, Ibrahim said after moving into the house she purchased in South Richmond. This is my dream home. Ibrahim moved in late December, leaving Gilpin Court and her old life behind. Im getting used to it, she said of the new place. The first night, I couldnt sleep. The second day, a little bit. The third day was OK. Right now Im comfortable. Said Carol Adams, a police officer who has become a close friend, This is such an amazing story of what true grit and hard work and determination can get you. Ibrahim, 55, was the subject of a photo-story by Times-Dispatch photojournalist Daniel Sangjib Min in 2019, which focused on her faith and perseverance and the drive she instilled in her children, the three oldest who are now college graduates and working (the youngest is in her next-to-last year of high school). I am grateful my children are going to places I have never been, and God makes everything work out for me and my family, she told Min. And now she is in a place she could only have dreamed of for so many years: a house she can call her own. As a child, Ibrahim worked on her familys farm in Nigeria, but did not attend school. (I pray to God if I have children Im going to make sure they go to school, she says). At age 17, she followed a neighbor to New York, where she worked for a family in a job for which she said she was not always paid. She had three children with a man she met in New York, but the relationship soured, and she was left overwhelmed by life, not knowing how she would be able to support her children. By chance, she met a woman who introduced her to a nearby Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where Ibrahim found a renewed outlook on life. The woman, Ibrahim says, might have been an angel from God. Since I found the Mormon Church, Ibrahim said, I am full of joy. She moved her family to Richmond, having been told by friends it would be a better place to raise her children. It has been anything but easy, but she and they have persevered and kept the faith. She made certain they went to school and did their work and took advantage of programs that might benefit them. Thats how she met Adams, who had organized a program at Gilpin Court, in which, among other topics, she brought in doctors and lawyers and representatives of other professions to talk to the kids. Generally, the children came by themselves or their parents dropped them off and left. Except for Ibrahim, who stayed and listened, too. She never left her children. She did everything she could do to make sure they were involved in the programs, said Adams. She was going to help give her kids an edge. She was going to make sure her children had the opportunity for education that she did not have. She did not want her children to struggle like she did. Adams became good friends with Ibrahim, even traveling to Nigeria with her when Ibrahim made her first visit there in decades to see family. She marvels at Ibrahims ever-present smile, her optimism and her good heart. Flash The Iraqi authorities confirmed on Friday the continuation of all flights in the country despite a rocket attack at Baghdad International Airport earlier in the day damaging a civilian plane. The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement that it will assure the continuation of flights at all airports nationwide, especially at Baghdad International Airport. At dawn, unidentified militia fired at least six Katyusha rockets, targeting a military airbase, named Victoria Airbase, which houses some U.S. experts and agencies within the international airport area. A source with the interior ministry said that the air defense system shot down four rockets, while one landed near the runway of the international airport and another directly hit a civilian plane. A statement by Iraqi Airways confirmed that a rocket hit one of its out-of-service planes in the perimeter of the civilian part of the airport. No casualties were reported in the attack, the source said. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, but uncontrolled militias frequently target Iraqi military bases housing U.S. military advisors across Iraq, as well as the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. An online petition is calling for the release of two South Texas brothers and their friend who were arrested for allegedly beating their stepfather to death after he was accused of sexually abusing their 9-year-old sister. The Change.org petition addresses Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and had received more than 130,000 signatures as of Thursday morning. The petition addresses the case of Alejandro Trevino, 18, and Christian Trevino, 17, who along with family friend Juan Eduardo Melendez, 18, are accused of beating 42-year-old Gabriel Quintanilla and leaving him to die in an open field in McAllen, Texas. He was found on Jan. 20 by the McAllen Police Department, which then notified Pharr police of the incident and turned over the investigation to them. Quintanilla, who had an arrest warrant for sexually abusing another child, was found with severe blunt force trauma to his head, Pharr police said. Authorities believe the brothers became enraged after learning the allegations about Quintanilla and their sister and fought with Quintanilla at a trailer park. After two separate fights, the two brothers and Melendez allegedly assaulted Quintanilla for a third time when they found him walking alone near an apartment complex. Police said Quintanilla was beaten to death with brass knuckles. The suspects allegedly then placed Quintanilla in the bed of the pickup truck and dumped him in a field in McAllen. The petition, launched by "23-year-old nonprofit director, activist, and aspiring lawyer" Carlos Eduardo Espina, reads: "If convicted of capital murder, they face a minimum sentence of life imprisonment without parole." It goes on with a call to Texas and Abbott to release the teenagers: "We ask that the state of Texas to release these teenagers, who could possibly spend the rest of their life in prison for protecting their sister." The leader of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday brought a message of potential financial relief for Richmond, which is under mounting state political pressure to complete a $1.3 billion cleanup of an antiquated sewer system that overflows into the James River during heavy rains. Environment Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan toured the Shockoe Retention Basin built almost 40 years ago to catch the first flush of sewage-contaminated stormwater with Rep. Don McEachin, D-4th, and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who are seeking his help. Richmond and its congressional representatives are looking for up to $1 billion in federal aid to end the last 10% of combined-sewer overflows into the James without potentially tripling wastewater rates in a city where more than 20% of residents are impoverished. Were going to make sure our communities that need the funding the most are at the front of the line, Regan said in a news conference held on top of the concrete retention basin next to the James in Shockoe Bottom. The main source of help is likely to be the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a $1 trillion funding package passed with bipartisan support and signed by President Joe Biden late last year. It includes $50 billion to fix water and wastewater problems, including combined sewer systems in old cities such as Richmond. This is the single largest investment in water the federal government has ever made, said McEachin, a longtime member of the General Assembly before his election to Congress in 2016. He is asking Regan to look closely at a provision of the infrastructure law that allows the federal government to waive the requirement for local matching funds in communities, such as Richmond, that are fiscally stressed. The provision states, To the maximum extent practicable, the Administrator shall work with States to prevent the non-Federal share requirements under this subsection from being passed on to rural communities and financially distressed communities. Richmond officials say the city already is committing $150 million to match the same amount then-Gov. Ralph Northam proposed from the states share of money from the American Rescue Plan Act, passed last spring without Republican support. The General Assembly approved the appropriation of $50 million in federal aid for the citys combined-sewer project in special session in August. The remaining $100 million is part of the two-year budget that Northam proposed last month and is pending at the General Assembly. April Bingham, director of the Richmond Department of Public Utilities, said the citys ability to match additional federal or state contributions has been exhausted. Legislation Senate Republicans have proposed and Gov. Glenn Youngkin is pushing would accelerate a deadline negotiated two years ago for the city to complete the work by 2030 instead of 2035. In his State of the Commonwealth address Jan. 17, Youngkin said protecting and promoting the natural beauty of Virginia would be a core principle of his administration. Thats why we will end the dumping of raw sewage in the James River once and for all. Bingham said the revised deadline is just not feasible, even with federal funding. Richmond has spent $315 million to prevent 90% of the untreated combined-sewer overflows most of it storm water from city streets mixing with sewage from homes and businesses in the oldest parts of the city. The final 10% would require the construction of up to five tunnels below the river bottom and use of an abandoned stone quarry or some other way to hold the wastewater until it can be treated. The sewer pipes built in 19th-century Richmond drain stormwater and wastewater from a 19-square-mile swath of the city and adjoining Henrico County. Almost all of it comes to this point ... all by gravity, Pat Bradley, deputy director of the utilities department, told Regan and congressional leaders as they toured the cavernous retention basin. The basin, completed in the late 1980s at a cost of $60 million, holds up to 35 million gallons of wastewater, with an additional 15 million held in connecting sewer pipes. In a heavy storm, the basin fills up in less than 30 minutes, but it requires up to four days to drain, as the city treats the contaminated water before releasing it into the river. This was one of the first solutions, Bradley said. It gets the first big flush. Kaine, who served on Richmond City Council and as mayor before becoming lieutenant governor and governor, said in an interview, This is something I spent a lot of time on as mayor. We spent hundreds of millions of dollars, he said. We have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars more. Despite those investments including the doubling of capacity at the citys wastewater treatment plant the citys combined sewers still discharge 1.9 billion gallons of untreated storm and wastewater into the James each year. All of us want to get rid of the untreated sewage in the James River, said Bill Street, chief executive officer of the James River Association, which has been pushing the city and state to fix the problem for decades. Environmentalists want Richmond to finish the work as quickly as possible, Street said in an interview after the news conference, but were also realists. Coming up with a plan that isnt realistic isnt going to help solve the problem, he said. For Richmond, the final plan also has to be affordable for the city and its utility ratepayers, who already pay some of the highest wastewater rates in Virginia. Regan promised to work with Youngkin and Secretary of Natural Resources Andrew Wheeler, who served as EPA administrator under President Donald Trump, to find sources of funding for a solution that Richmond utility customers can afford. We, too, are focusing on water affordability, Regan said. It wont work unless it works for all people. Gov. Glenn Youngkins push to open more privately run public schools got the support of a number of Virginia higher education leaders who signed onto a proposal by the administration to open charter schools run by their institutions and funded by the state. On Thursday, Youngkin and more than 30 higher education officials, surrounded by children and teens from Virginia schools, touted the need for innovation in K-12 education in Virginia. We stand together because we know there is an opportunity for us to innovate in K-12 education, the governor said during the event at the Patrick Henry Building. Youngkin promoted legislation moving through the General Assembly that would let any public or private college or university open a charter school, or convert an existing school into a charter school, with approval of the state Board of Education. While Youngkin said the bill is centered on colleges and universities, it would also allow private, for-profit businesses to open charter schools using public dollars. The bill is part of a package of charter school bills that seek to expand the number of schools that operate outside the control of local school boards but are funded with public dollars. Other Youngkin-backed legislation would allow the state Board of Education and regional charter agencies to approve applications for new charter schools. Right now, only local school boards can approve charter school applications. Several Democratic lawmakers have said they oppose the expansion of charter schools, arguing that all Virginia students would be better served if state funds were directed at existing public schools. At least two Democratic senators have said they are open to the idea. On Thursday, university and college presidents signed onto a memo supporting the legislation and a $150 million expenditure to help fund the launch of the schools. Its unclear which college and university presidents signed on and which didnt. The administration did not provide a list, despite multiple requests. Javaune Adams-Gaston, the president of Norfolk State University, a historically Black university, expressed support for Youngkins plan. We come from a tradition where we needed to do what was not being done for an underserved group of people, African Americans, who didnt have the opportunity to pursue higher education in a way that needed to happen, Adams-Gaston said. The bill directs the board to give substantial preference to any application from a historically Black college or university, and any application to open a charter school in an underserved community, defined as an area where many students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Adams-Gaston said the promised $150 million in funding is critical to the success. Representatives from several Richmond-area institutions Virginia Commonwealth University, Reynolds Community College and Virginia State University all expressed support for the bill during Thursdays event and when it came before a Senate panel on Thursday afternoon. The representative from VSU noted that Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, attended a public school operated by the university when she was a child. Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, who grew up in Georgia, said during the hearing that she too had attended a school operated by a higher education institution, but noted that it was modeled as a way for teachers in training to get experience. She expressed skepticism about the bill because it would allow all institutions, even those without teacher training programs, to operate a charter school. The Senate panel on Thursday afternoon ultimately recommended approval of the bill, an early sign of support from the Democratic-controlled chamber. Opponents of the bill included the Virginia School Boards Association, which said the bill could violate the states constitution, which gives power over schools to local school boards. By Levar M. Stoney and Sarah Steely As we continue to navigate the pandemic that has taken a toll on so many physically if not emotionally a great many children are confronting another challenge: food insecurity. While traditional safety nets have done what they could over the years, today they are being joined by a new national coalition of leaders who are stepping forward to share solutions for ending childhood hunger. We are proud to report that the city of Richmond is a key part of this emerging collaboration. First, some background: Since the start of the health crisis, we have witnessed the heroic work being performed by an often-unheralded group the nutrition staff members at schools. Together with nonprofit organizations in Richmond, these hardworking and dedicated professionals have worked courageously to meet the increased demand brought on by the virus. It is critical work, especially when you consider that a staggering 22% of kids in Richmond face food insecurity. Our teams show up not only when schools are in session but also during the summer months, making sure students receive the meals they need to grow and prosper. Through this experience, we know teamwork is an essential part of this outreach. Thats why its with both excitement and a great deal of hope that we announce the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger, a newly launched initiative that taps the individual and collective leadership of a nonpartisan group of more than 50 mayors around the country. We are committed to taking meaningful actions designed to end childhood hunger in our cities nationwide. The alliance will partner with the national nonprofit Share Our Strength and its No Kid Hungry campaign. From the mayors perspective, were proud to serve as inaugural chair of the alliance. The role is a personal one. As a kid who grew up on free and reduced lunch, the commitment to finding solutions to ending childhood hunger lives deep within. The city looks forward to being proactively involved in ways that can help bring about lasting change. Childhood hunger need not be an issue for the next generation of children. From the vantage point of No Kid Hungry Virginia, weve witnessed the incredible statewide coordination over the past 18 months, focused on addressing food insecurity in the commonwealth. Its been heartening to observe organizations including those in Richmond collaborate effectively to share delivery models, navigate rising food prices and support each others efforts. Its been nothing short of inspiring. During the COVID-19 pandemic, state, local and national leaders took urgent action to fight childhood hunger tactics that worked to stave off even greater rates of food insecurity despite the severe economic hardships brought on by the pandemic. The Mayors Alliance will harness the collective expertise of leaders from across the political spectrum to continue driving change at the state and national levels. The alliance represents an opportunity to share best practices, including ways in which Richmond Public Schools implement the Community Eligibility Provision districtwide. CEP allows high-need schools to make meals available at no cost to all students, treating nutrition like the critical school resource it is. The program eliminates red tape and helps us connect more students to meals. Well also build on the success of Summer EBT, a program that helps struggling families in Richmond have consistent access to food during the summer months. The federal program provides additional grocery benefits for qualifying families and is a critical lifeline for children when school is not in session. The launch of the Mayors Alliance comes at a pivotal moment. Progress made to date to eliminate childhood hunger now is at risk. This month is the first time since last July that families missed out on the expanded child tax credit payment. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, more than 1.5 million Virginia kids were impacted when the monthly installment ended. The missed payments are especially troubling for the 86% of low-income Virginia families who use the money for basic needs like food, rent and utilities. We have important work ahead, but were confident this group of leaders can create real, actionable change to end childhood hunger. One hungry child is one child too many. Together, we can ensure no child goes hungry in our communities. When I wrote last October about liberal activists campaign urging Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer to retire, I mentioned President Joe Biden likely would nominate the nations first Black woman justice. Some readers criticized the idea of making race and gender a factor. A reader in Henrico, Va., wrote me: Will people ever truly understand that it is better and more important to appoint the best possible justice, irrespective of race and sex? His question is a familiar one, but it implies the best possible justice cant possibly be both Black and a woman. Even if unintentional, the implication is wrong. Judges and justices who bring diverse experiences of more parts of society have a wider perspective that can enhance their fair and independent decisions. Their presence on the bench also helps inspire public confidence in the judiciary. Ronald Reagan proved the wisdom of judicial diversity when he made a presidential campaign promise in 1980 to name the first woman justice to the Supreme Court. He nominated Sandra Day OConnor the following year and she served for a quarter-century before retiring. Biden has made a concerted effort to name more women and people of color to the federal bench, and the Senate has confirmed 40 of his district and circuit court picks. Thats more than have been confirmed in a presidents first year since Reagan, the White House says. Among those confirmed last year, 80% are women and 53% are people of color. In contrast, 85% of former President Donald Trumps judicial nominees were white and 76% were men, according to the Alliance for Justice, a progressive advocacy association. With Breyers retirement, Biden is poised to make history while, like Reagan, delivering on a campaign pledge. Im looking forward to making sure theres a Black woman on the Supreme Court to make sure we in fact get everyone represented, candidate Biden said at a debate days before the South Carolina Democratic primary in February 2020. Breyers retirement comes as Democrats need to revive their base of support before the midterm elections. Even if Biden hadnt promised to nominate a Black woman justice, he probably would. Its not only popular politically but the right thing to do. Its time a Black woman joined the nations highest court. She would be only the third Black justice in history and the second, with Clarence Thomas, on the current court; and the fourth sitting woman justice, with Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett. Critics say Breyer, a pragmatic liberal, likely will be replaced by a liberal activist. Even if that is so, the liberal wing of the court will remain a three-justice minority. The six-justice conservative majority, including the three justices Trump nominated, will stand. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., promises a speedy confirmation process, and the Senate can move fast. Then-Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., rushed Trump-nominated Barrett through last fall in one month. The 50-50 Senate can confirm Bidens nominee if all Democratic senators stick together and are present that day, and Vice President Kamala Harris casts the tie-breaking vote. Its a stretch to think any Republicans will vote for Bidens nominee though three of them did vote last year to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. They were Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Jackson is on the likely short list of candidates for the high court. She also had bipartisan support when she was nominated for the federal district court in 2012. None other than Rep. Paul Ryan, Republican of Wisconsin, introduced her, saying: Our politics may differ, but my praise for Ketanjis intellect, for her character, for her integrity is unequivocal. Shes an amazing person, and I favorably recommend her consideration. Ryan, who later became House speaker before retiring in 2018, is related by marriage to the judge. Also on the shortlist: California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger and U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs of South Carolina. Any of them would make an honorable and qualified addition to the Supreme Court. Last September, candidate Glenn Youngkin shared his thoughts about a critical issue not just in Virginia but across the country: evictions. I think that theres a really good legal framework in place to provide resources and support for people so that they wont be kicked out of their homes, Youngkin said at a debate in Northern Virginia. He then shifted to the importance of the economic recovery from COVID-19, adding, I believe the No. 1 way were going to help folks with their rent is to get them jobs. At that time, the commonwealth just had extended pandemic-era protections through August 2022, including emergency assistance for tenants through the states Rent Relief Program. By the end of 2021, 70,000-plus households received roughly $1 billion through the initiative, and Virginia earned national attention for its efficiency deploying aid. In his recent address to the General Assembly, Youngkin took center stage as governor and again recognized Virginians struggling with a high cost of living, led by housing. The one vital thing elected leaders could do to help was remove some of the tax burden that aggravates housing, groceries, gas and other essential expenses, he said. More targeted efforts are needed than tax adjustments, job creation, or emergency rent relief programs and protections. To address the housing issue, Virginia has to tackle cost and supply challenges head-on. Amid the December transition between the Northam and Youngkin administrations, the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission released a wide-ranging report on affordable housing in Virginia. JLARC researchers sought to identify the volume of cost-burdened households, defined as spending 30% or more of income on housing. They also assessed the pool of quality affordable housing available at regional and statewide levels, and the efficacy of state-run financial assistance programs. In a cost sense, the findings projected a difficult picture: more than 900,000 Virginia households were cost-burdened in 2019 (a prepandemic figure), and roughly half of those Virginians spent at least 50% of their income on housing. Additionally, renters (44%) were more likely to be cost-burdened than homeowners (21%). In a supply sense, while homeownership continues to be an American ideal, fewer Virginians are able to buy a place. This month, Virginia Realtors released its monthly home sales report for December, showing 2021 was an unprecedented year for both price increases and inventory declines. The median sales price in Virginia was $350,000, up $30,000 from 2020. Active listings totaled 13,469 at the end of last year, down about 4,300 from 2020. The biggest challenge in the market is a lack of inventory, Virginia Realtors President Denise Ramey said in a news release. Sales are slowing down a bit because buyers are having a hard time finding homes to consider. The JLARC report added that while low- and middle-income families might possess incomes capable of covering mortgage payments, they lack savings to cover upfront commitments such as down payments or closing costs. In and around Richmond, for example, this pinch becomes more pronounced as the housing market grows more competitive and moves faster. On Jan. 20, the Partnership for Housing Affordability held its inaugural State of Housing in the Richmond Region event. The discussion highlighted successes and challenges since the January 2020 release of the areas regional housing framework. At the event, Richmond Association of Realtors CEO Laura Lafayette said prospective single-family homebuyers are battling scenarios with multiple offers across all price ranges, while sellers are getting top dollar. If you want that offer, as the buyer, youre on average going to have to pay more than the house was listed for, Lafayette said. Families subsequently seek to rent, but the commonwealth also faces a shortage of at least 200,000 affordable units, JLARC noted. More than half of the unmet need is in the Urban Crescent: Northern Virginia (60,500 units), Hampton Roads (52,600) and Central Virginia (35,300). Southwest/New River Valley (16,400), Charlottesville (8,500) and Far Southwest (6,000) also face substantial hurdles. Those most affected by the scarcity of homes are low-income renters in low-wage jobs, JLARC added. Theyre people who often work in common, essential occupations, including home health aides ($22,000 salary), teaching assistants ($29,000), bus drivers ($45,000) and social workers ($51,000). These workers are needed in all parts of the state, and a lack of affordable housing in some regions constrains the supply, the report said. JLARCs conclusion aligns with Youngkins assertion that jobs and housing are intertwined. The governors vision of saving money at the gas pump or the grocery store could make a difference. But are those policy changes capable of overcoming not just pervasive imbalances in the housing ecosystem, but struggles that then filter into health care, education and other policy areas? Along with halting the states recent gas tax increase and removing the grocery tax altogether, Youngkin has elevated a proposal to double the standard deduction. The collective relief plan would result in $1,500 checks for everyday families, the governor said this month. But low-income filers families cost-burdened by housing might not benefit from the standard deduction tweak. Chris Wodicka, a senior policy analyst at The Commonwealth Institute, recently told Virginia Public Radio that existing deductions and credits already help families lower their income tax liability. Virginia can do more to ease the housing burden than alter tax policy. State and local leaders should focus on housing-specific collaborations, like Richmonds regional framework, that drive results. In its 2021 annual report, the Partnership for Housing Affordability identified 17 solutions that either have been accomplished or are in progress. Some core projects include: increasing affordable supply through more land zoned for multifamily development; investing in community land trusts that open doors to homeownership for low- and middle-income buyers; and creating regional loan funds that promote development avenues through low-cost debt and grants. Virginians attention during the gubernatorial race was captured by items like grocery and gas taxes that undoubtedly affect their bottom lines. But housing is the very root of everyday stability, and rental aid options continue to be stressed by the pandemic. The need is still outweighing what were able to provide in terms of assistance, Jovan Burton, the partnerships executive director, said at its recent event. In fact, these programs are doling out $100,000 on a weekly basis, sometimes that much in a single day. State and local leaders have a lot more work to do on the cost and supply issues. They can and should come together to address housing challenges head-on. Chris Gentilviso Looking out for students Editor, Times-Dispatch: Under current Virginia law, principals are required to report crimes of minors on school property to law enforcement only if it constitutes a felony offense. The proposed Senate Bill 2 would overturn current law and require principals to report any crime of a student, whether it be a misdemeanor or felony. There are multiple reasons this law wouldn't be beneficial to students. This action could leave permanent marks on students records for minor offenses. Students should be held accountable for their actions, but minor incidents can very well be resolved by school authorities rather than police. Of course, in specific situations, such as abuse or a threat of safety, principals should report to the police, which state law still says they can do. This bill also targets minority children, as studies have shown Black students are three times more likely to be suspended or expelled than white students. The American Civil Liberties Union stated it best: Many of these children have learning disabilities or histories of poverty, abuse or neglect, and would benefit from additional educational and counseling services. Instead, they are isolated, punished, and pushed out. Ponnie Rezaee. In the wake of the snow, wind and cold will be the story on Saturday. Sunshine will return by Saturday afternoon, but temperatures will have a hard time recovering to the freezing mark on the heels of strong Arctic winds from the northwest. The core of the Arctic air parks over central Virginia on Saturday night, cutting off the winds, but allowing temperatures to fall to near 10 degrees. A very weak system races by on Sunday, bringing only clouds. It also signals a slow warming trend for the first part of next week. Temperatures will warm a little bit each afternoon from Sunday through Wednesday, with no precipitation until the next large storm system approaches Thursday into Friday. Ahead of that storm will be a large surge of warm air from the southwest, so next weeks storm looks exclusively like rain. And there are signs for some heavy rain with that system before it clears Virginia later on Friday. This sets up next weekend (Feb 5-6) to be dry and seasonably cold with highs in the 30s to 40s and lows returning to the 20s. Richmond Climate Check While January has been colder than December, the temperatures have actually been close to their climatological normals. So far this month, the average temperature in Richmond is less than one degree below normal. By comparison, December 2021 averaged 7 degrees above normal in Richmond. *** Forecast for Richmond Friday night: Occasional light snow, about an inch or so of accumulation by dawn. Becoming windy after midnight. Low 24. Saturday: Windy and very cold. Scattered morning snow showers, but no additional accumulation in the morning. Turning sunny for the afternoon. High around 30. Wind chills in the teens to lower 20s for most of the day. Wind northwest at 15-25 mph with higher gusts. Saturday night: Clear and very cold, winds dying down a few hours after sunset. Lows ranging from 14 in central Richmond to near 10 in suburban locations. Sunday: Sun and clouds. Cold and dry. High 35. Monday: Sun and clouds. Not as cold. High 44. Tuesday: Sunny. High 48. Wednesday: Sun and clouds, warmer. High 56. Thursday: Mostly cloudy with afternoon rain likely. High near 60. Friday: Breezy and colder with clouds breaking for sun. High 48. (Image: Digital News Asia) Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has announced the launch of a cross-border QR payment linkage with Bank Indonesia (BI), which will enable citizens in both countries to perform instant and secure cross-border payments when making purchases. With this latest update, consumers in Malaysia and Indonesia will be able to conveniently and safely pay for their purchases at online and offline merchants by scanning the DuitNow or QRIS (Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard) QR codes. The service, which is part of the pilot phase that has already begun, will eventually lead to a full commercial launch in the third quarter of 2022. There are also plans for the linkage to be expanded to support cross-border remittances. The cross-border QR payment linkage between Malaysia and Indonesia marks a key milestone in the long history of collaboration between both countries. Phase 2 of the QR payment linkage between Malaysia and Thailand has also gone live this week, said the deputy governor of BNM, Jessica Chew Cheng Lian, adding that these developments will bring the nations closer to the vision of creating an Asean network of fast and efficient retail payment systems. (Image: The Malaysian Reserve/Muhd Amin Naharul) Malaysias cross-border payment linkage with Thailand has been established since June 2021, with the first phase allowing users in Thailand to make payments to Malaysian merchants by scanning DuitNow QR codes. The second phase, meanwhile, allows Malaysians to perform similar transactions with merchants in Thailand. Aside from Thailand, Malaysia has also formed payment linkages with Singapore and the euro area. Meanwhile, the deputy governor of BI, Doni P Joewono said this initiative marks another milestone of the Indonesia Payment System Blueprint. This will give more options for users in the cross-border payment space and serve as a key to improve transaction efficiency, support the digitalisation of trade and investment, and maintain macroeconomic stability by promoting a more extensive use of the Local Currency Settlement (LCS) Framework, he said. (Image: CNBC Indonesia) BNM and BI further commented that this linkage will not only strengthen the economic tie between Malaysia and Indonesia, but also give a big boost to the tourism sector of both countries. During pre-Covid days, an average of 5.6 million travellers travelled between the two countries per year. Additionally, both countries are also key remittance corridors for their nationals working abroad, who stand to benefit from faster, cheaper, and more transparent cross-border remittances via this initiative. (Sources: Bank Negara Malaysia, The Edge Markets) 0 0 votes Article Rating SHARE Flash Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian on Friday held a phone conversation with Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) Antonio Guterres, on regional issues and Vienna nuke talks, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry's website. Amir Abdollahian referred to the conflict in Yemen, stressing Iran's "continued approach to supporting a political solution to end the war in that country." He called for the UN to play a greater role in Yemen and urged special attention to the humanitarian crisis and the situation of Afghan refugees. "The Islamic Republic of Iran in the past few months has received about eight hundred thousand new refugees from Afghanistan," the foreign minister was quoted as saying. He reiterated Iran's position in forming an inclusive government in Afghanistan, and voiced his country's readiness to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid from the international community to Afghanistan through Iran. Regarding the ongoing talks in the Austrian capital of Vienna between Iran and the world powers to remove U.S. sanctions and the restoration of the 2015 nuclear deal, Amir Abdollahian described the process as "positive," stressing the Iranian expectation for "a good agreement as soon as possible." He underlined what he called "lack of trust in the White House authorities," urging the need for "practical, tangible, and verifiable action by the West and the United States to prove a lasting and credible (nuclear) agreement." For his part, Guterres appreciated the "constructive" positions of Iran on Yemen and Afghanistan, calling for "the right conditions for all Afghan citizens, especially women and children, to enjoy human rights and access to education." He also welcomed any progress in the nuclear talks and lifting of anti-Iran sanctions, saying that the UN has always supported the efforts for a nuclear agreement and international peace. A Roanoke man accused of armed robberies in Virginia and North Carolina now also faces charges of assaulting an officer after authorities said he tased a sergeant in a Greensboro-area jail. Eric Dwayne Swain Jr., 21, was arrested in North Carolina after a Sunday night robbery was reported at a convenience store in Henry County and a car theft was reported outside another convenience store in Greensboro. The robberies happened about an hour apart. Swain was arrested by Guilford County (N.C.) sheriffs deputies, and jail records show he was booked into the Greensboro Detention Center around 2:30 a.m. Monday. He also is reported to be facing charges in Roanoke but the details of those allegations arent yet clear. On Wednesday morning, jail officials in Greensboro said a struggle broke out when Swain grabbed an officers taser and used it against the man. The Greensboro News & Record reported the officer, a sergeant, was taken to a hospital for evaluation but sustained no serious injuries. It was unclear what led up to the altercation. Swain had not yet appeared in court Thursday morning to respond to the allegation. Earlier this week, Henry County authorities said Swain was expected to be extradited back to Virginia to face charges filed against him both there and in Roanoke. The Henry County case centers on a robbery reported around 10 p.m. Sunday at Dodges Store off U.S. 220 in Bassett. The sheriffs office said a man walked into the store, placed a food order and had money ready in his hand but, instead of paying, pulled out a gun and pointed it at the clerk. The food was the only item taken. No shots were fired, and no one was hurt. Investigators filed charges of robbery and use of a gun in a felony against Swain in the matter. In another altercation reported about 10:45 p.m. Sunday, Greensboro, N.C., police said a man stole someone elses car at gunpoint. Workers at a convenience store, Great Stops on North Church Street, said a man walked up to a woman in the parking lot, flashed a gun and told her to get out of her car. The woman ran into the store for help. She came in and just hollered, gun, car, man, said cashier Judy Hamadou while speaking by phone with The Roanoke Times. Worried someone was chasing the woman, Hamadou said she hid her in a backroom and called 911. No shots were fired, and no one was hurt. The car bandit was still there, sitting at a traffic light next to the store, when the first officer arrived, Hamadou said. The officer ordered him out of the car, she said, but the suspect gunned the engine and took off. Swain, whos charged in that case, was apprehended by the Guilford County Sheriffs Office, a police spokesman told The News & Record. The charges listed against him as of Thursday in online jail records included assault or injury to an officer, escape from a confinement facility, robbery with a firearm or other weapon and speeding to elude arrest. Henry County and Roanoke also filed claims on Swain, North Carolina officials said. The timeline for his extradition back to the commonwealth remained unknown Thursday morning, said a Henry County investigator. Roanoke police would not comment on the case. A spokeswoman said she couldnt confirm a suspects name or discuss pending charges unless local arrest warrants had been served and formalized. 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. Joseph Ryan Yost, the former New River Valley delegate charged with embezzling from the Giles County Historical Society, has a plea hearing scheduled for Feb. 16. The hearing in the countys circuit court indicates a swift end to a case that only became public on Jan. 12 but which bubbled through the county rumor mill for months. Yost, 35, of Pearisburg, was a history buff who in 2014 became executive director of the historical society, a part-time position. According to a search warrant, Virginia State Police launched an investigation in April 2021 after the societys board of directors found that money had been withdrawn from the societys bank account without the boards authorization. On Jan. 11, a grand jury returned direct indictments charging Yost with four counts of embezzlement. The indictments were unsealed the next day after Yost was arrested. On Friday, Yosts attorney Chris Tuck of Blacksburg said he had no comment on the case or the upcoming hearing. Yost, a Republican, served in the House of Delegates from 2012 to 2018. He represented the 12th District that covers Giles County, parts of Montgomery and Pulaski counties, and Radford. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Roanoke County School Board voted to lift the division's mask mandate on Valentines Day, a decision that most in attendance didnt love though not for the same reasons. For those in favor of making masks optional, the date is too far away. But for those in favor of keeping the mandate in place, its far too soon. The Feb. 14 date for lifting the masks was made after 65 people spoke to the board during the public comment portion of Thursdays meeting, double the amount of people that spoke about the issue at last weeks meeting. The motion made by Vinton District representative Tim Greenway allowed for the masks to be removed sooner if the Virginia Supreme Court rules in favor of Gov. Glenn Youngkins executive order making them optional after the order was challenged. Newly elected board members Cheryl Facciani of the Windsor Hills District and Vice Chair Brent Hudson of the Catawba District said they would have preferred to make masks optional immediately, but voted in favor of the measure nonetheless. The board passed the measure 4-1, with only one member wearing a mask, Cave Spring District representative Mike Wray. He cast the no vote, though he did say he hopes the state Supreme Court rules on the matter soon. Other board members said they wanted to make sure they didnt have to come back and take another vote later, while also allowing administration to prepare for the change. Parents and students alike spoke for and against the mandate, with those speaking in favor of parental choice having more of a presence than they did last Tuesday. With two overflow rooms to accommodate the approximately 100 people not able to fit in the boardroom, the divide between those that didnt speak was just as apparent as those that voiced their opinions to the board. The smaller of the two overflow areas was filled with those against the mandate, and if the cheers from the room after someone they agreed with spoke didnt give their position away, the lack of masks being worn in the room did. A sign at the entrance of the administrative building stated masks were required upon entry, but that was disregarded by many, and school system spokesman Chuck Lionberger wrote in a text message that the mask mandate did not apply in the building since it was not a school. The larger of the two overflow rooms was filled with people who were mostly masked, and cheers for speakers they agreed with were also audible from the board room. And while more people spoke this week, the sentiments from both sides remained largely the same. Those in favor of keeping the mandate pointed to federal and state health agencies, as well as the medical and scientific community at large, recommending the continued wearing of masks in schools, while also pointing to record numbers of positive COVID-19 cases throughout the country, including the countys school system. Masks continue to be one of the most effective ways to mitigate the spread of the virus, in addition to getting vaccinated and social distancing, according to public health experts. Many also criticized the board for making a public safety issue political, instead of relying on medical experts as they do in other situations regarding health. Opponents of the mandate told some members of the board that they would be reneging on campaign promises of removing the mandate, while also taking away parental choice. The fact that the school system was also not following the Gov. Glenn Youngkins executive order making masks optional was also brought up by those opposing the mandate. Other complaints from those against the mandate included the changing of recommendations by scientific experts since the beginning of the pandemic, like the fact that recent reports from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention have said cloth masks are less effective at stopping the spread of the virus compared to N95 respirator and surgical masks, and that the board is taking away the freedoms of parents and students. Some in attendance rebuked the idea that freedoms were being taken away from parents, making mentions of many policies students must follow, including a dress code. One woman who spoke in favor of keeping the mandate, who said she is an emergency department doctor with Carilion Clinic with more than 20 years experience, said she wasnt planning on coming to speak at the meeting, but felt compelled after seeing more children come to the hospital for COVID-related symptoms on Thursday than she had the entire pandemic. Dr. Karen Kuehl, a Roanoke native with a son who attends Cave Spring Middle School, said she was the doctor that recorded the first case of the virus in Roanoke in March 2020. Im nervous because right now COVID is the worst I have ever seen it [since the pandemic started] she said, begging the board not to lift the mandate on Feb.14, stating it was impossible to tell if cases would be down more than two weeks in advance. Ive had recent patients in their 20s, 30s and 40s die I am doing COVID investigations on kids six days to 17-years-old, '' Kuehl told the board. Kuehl also said that making masks optional on Valentines Day was a bad idea. It will also be the day after the NFLs Super Bowl, an event that is synonymous with parties and mass gatherings throughout the country by people of all ages. The board seemed to listen intently to speakers, with a few exceptions. Facciani and Hudson were both looking down for long stretches of time, to the point where at least one speaker thanked most board members for making eye contact and listening to speakers. She responded to the speakers criticism at the end of the meeting by stating that if she was looking down, it was to talk to her kids that suffer from Type 1 diabetes about their health. Facciani has drawn criticism from the public for some of the statements shes made regarding the pandemic, and for making the initial motion to remove the mask mandate that was turned over just a few days later in early January. The board voted during a Jan. 4 work session to make the school system mask optional and return to pre-COVID medical policies leaving medical decisions such as testing, quarantining and contact tracing between the doctor, the student patient, and the students parent/guardians, following the reversal of a state mask mandate in K-12 schools by Youngkin after he was sworn in Jan. 15. The board then met again and decided to hold off on dropping the mandate several days later. That set up Thursday's meeting and another vote. The school system reported 400 positive cases on its COVID dashboard for staff and students from Jan. 9 to Jan. 15, the highest one-week total of the school year. For comparison, the entire county saw 1,545 cases during that same period. Last week's data showed a decrease in reported cases, but the school system also did not hold in-person classes due to inclement weather. The school system has seen 955 positive cases for students and 206 for staff in January alone, more than every other month for the current school year combined, according to data provided by Assistant Superintendent Rhonda Stegall at Thursday's meeting. The school system has approximately 13,611 students as of the end of November, according to Lionberger. The vast majority of positive cases are being confirmed as happening outside of the schools, Stegall told the board, while also noting that the states health department is still recommending K-12 schools still wear masks to help stop the spread of the virus, regardless of vaccination status. Youngkin issued the mask-optional order as one of his first acts after being sworn in Jan. 15, and confusion has swirled over the implications since then. Some districts have interpreted the order as being at odds with a state law that deals with COVID-19 mitigation in schools and have opted to keep pre-existing mask mandates in place for students. The order is facing a legal challenge filed last week by a group of parents and another filed Monday morning by seven school boards. In addition to Fairfax County, the states most populous jurisdiction, the school boards in Alexandria, Richmond, Hampton, Falls Church, Arlington County and Prince William County, joined the lawsuit. Collectively, the jurisdictions represent more than 350,000 students. The lawsuit argues the state constitution gives local school boards the authority to run their districts. It also cites a state law that requires school systems to follow federal health guidelines, which include recommendations for universal masking. Youngkin urged patience and asked parents to listen to their children's school principals for the time being. Listen to a principal today. And I know that there are some school systems that are doing things that are inconsistent with respecting the rights of parents. ... Lets respect it right now and let this legal process play out," he said in a recent interview with Richmond radio station WRVA. Supporters of the executive order say the state law is not in conflict with Youngkins order because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only recommends mask-wearing and does not mandate it. Mondays lawsuit came after a group of parents in Chesapeake filed a petition last week at the Virginia Supreme Court challenging the executive order. The court has so far taken no action. Democrats commended the school boards who filed suit against Youngkin, who led a Republican sweep of the three statewide offices in November. On Monday state Democrats and accused the governor of using children as political pawns. Youngkin is quickly on his way to becoming the most divisive and authoritarian governor in our commonwealths long history, state Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, said at a news conference. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The public is being invited to comment on a proposal that would allow fiber-optic telecommunication lines across the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. For the most part, the buried lines would follow existing roads and utility right-of-ways. No above ground infrastructure on NFS lands is proposed; therefore, no visual scenic quality impacts are expected, a Jan. 20 public notice states. In recent years, the U.S. Forest Service has received requests from multiple companies to install the lines in order to provide broadband service to rural customers. The Forest Service manages land to accommodate multiple uses, including supporting the installation of broadband in rural communities, forest supervisor Joby Timm said in a news release Friday. Because the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests run the length of Virginia from north to south, long, linear utilities inevitably require access across National Forest System lands. After an environmental assessment, the project would establish specific criteria to be used in granting special use permits on an individual basis. Under the proposal, trenches about one foot wide and at least 30 inches deep would be dug for the lines. Tree clearing would be limited to incidental brush and hazardous tree removal. Horizontal directional drilling would be used to cross sensitive areas such as streams, wetlands and trails. The drilling would be done with small machines that do not require bore pads or staging areas. Fiber-optic lines would mainly co-locate with existing utility lines or transportation right of ways, according to the notice. The lines would not be allowed on designated or recommended wilderness areas or through eligible wild and scenic rivers. Applications would be subject to review to ensure that natural and cultural resources are protected, the Forest Service said, and that they abide by the management plans for the two forests. The George Washington and Jefferson are separate national forests that are administered by the same Roanoke-based office. They cover more than 1.8 million acres in Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky and represent one of the largest blocks of public land in the eastern United States. Written comments are being accepted through Feb. 22. Comments can be submitted by email to https://cara.ecosystemmanagement.org/Public/Commentlnput?Project=61463. Submissions can also be mailed to Joby Timm, forest supervisor, 5162 Valleypointe Parkway, Roanoke, Va., 24019. 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. Virginia reported 73,878 new COVID-19 infections over the past week, bringing the cumulative total during the pandemic to 1,525,591, the Virginia Department of Health reported Friday. The infection pace has begun to slow across the state since an all-time peak in coronavirus cases a few weeks ago fueled by the highly-transmissible omicron variant. New River Health District Director Dr. Noelle Bissell said her district has hit its peak as new infections have decreased. She said she expects to see a significant decline in cases next week after observing the way surges and declines have worked elsewhere in the world. I do think there is light at the end of the tunnel, Bissell said. Omicron is circling everywhere and it is going to run its course. I think it will push us to that next stage. Roanoke City and Alleghany Health District Director Cynthia Morrow said she is cautiously optimistic that her district hit its peak last week. But she also said the weather may have limited access to testing, which could have lowered the number of confirmed infections. Although cases are starting to slow and infections have proven to be milder than previous variants, hospitals are still strained across the state. Carilion Clinic, Centra Health, LewisGale Regional Health System, the Salem Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Sovah Health released a joint public service announcement Tuesday. The health systems urged people to continue to social distance, wear masks, wash their hands and receive a vaccine. Were treating more hospitalized COVID-19 patients than we ever have the vast majority of whom are unvaccinated, the statement read. In addition to treating preventable illness, this takes beds and resources away from other sick patients who desperately need that scarce resource. Virginias near southwest region, which includes hospitals from Lynchburg to the Roanoke Valley, had 517 COVID-19 patients hospitalized as of Friday, including 110 in intensive care. Last Friday, there had been 535 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the region, including 109 in ICUs. The state reported 640 more hospitalizations over the past seven days, increasing the total number of people hospitalized during the pandemic to 47,546, although the VDH website notes that hospitalizations are underrepresented. Virginia reported 275 new virus-related deaths over the past seven days, for a total of 16,127 since the start of the pandemic. As of Friday, 78.8% of Virginias adult population had been fully vaccinated. Everyone aged 5 or older has been approved to receive a vaccine, which are available at the community vaccination center in the former Sears store at Valley View Mall, located at 4812 Valley View Blvd. People can make appointments at vaccinate.virgina.gov or by calling 877-829-4682. Walk-ins are also open for adults and children. The health department opened a community testing center at Valley View Mall. Tests are administered by appointment only and can be scheduled at vase.vdh.virginia.gov/testingappointment. Morrow said the demand for testing has started to decline, so the center has plenty of tests available and typically no wait. The Roanoke Times contributed to this report. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. RICHMOND A Senate bill that would require the individual votes of the Virginia Parole Board be made public cleared its first hurdle this week, and its Republican sponsor believes it has a good chance of becoming law this session after identical legislation he introduced in 2020 and 2021 was killed by the House Courts of Justice Committee, then controlled by Democrats. My hope is that well get strong bipartisan support in the Senate, and once the House of Delegates has the opportunity to consider the bill, I also expect there will be strong bipartisan support for making parole board votes public, said Sen. David Suetterlein, R-Roanoke County. Senate Bill 5 would make the votes of parole board members in their decisions to grant or not grant parole to state inmates a public record under provisions of Virginias Freedom of Information Act. Currently, the individual board votes are kept secret. The Virginia Coalition for Open Government and the Virginia Press Association favor transparency and are supporting Suetterleins bill. Identical versions of the bill passed the Senate with bi-partisan support with votes of 29-10 and 33-6 in 2020 and 2021, respectively, but ultimately were killed after being referred to the House Courts of Justice Committee. In party-line votes, the committee tabled the legislation and referred it to the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council in 2020, and left it in committee without further discussion in 2021. Suetterlein first introduced the bill in 2020 as a measure to require greater transparency of parole board decisions in the wake of a Virginia government watchdog report that said the board violated the law and its own policies in releasing Vincent Martin, who was sentenced to life in prison for killing a Richmond police officer in 1979. The board came under intense scrutiny as other controversial decisions followed and at least nine of the panels actions involving individual inmates were investigated by the Office of the State Inspector General. Megan Rhyne, executive director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, told members of the Assemblys General Laws and Technology Committee on Wednesday that the proposed legislation is neither a partisan issue nor a scandal issue. Its just a basic fact that the parole board is a public body, and like all other public bodies, they should routinely make their vote counts publicly accessible, she said. Currently, the parole board is generally not subject to FOIA at all, Rhyne said. The public has no rights under FOIA to ask for and receive records generally [from the parole board]. Theres nothing prohibiting the parole board from doing that, but theyre not required to. In remarks to the committee, Suetterlein said his bill would bring the parole board in line with just about every other public body in Virginia in terms of the transparency of its actions. When we pass a law, everyone knows how we voted on it, and we know the governor who signed it into law, Suetterlein said. If someone is accused of violating that law everyone gets to know who made the arrest. If they are prosecuted in our courts, everyone gets to know the prosecutor and the judge who oversaw the case. And if it goes to appeal, everyone gets to know the name of the appellate judge that upheld the decision. And if it goes to the parole board, and the parole board decides to grant parole, this is the first time in the entire process where its not clear whos making the decision. In August 2020, after Suetterleins bill was introduced for the first time, then-Parole Board Chair Tonya Chapman said in an interview with the Richmond Times-Dispatch that the parole board had not taken a position on the legislation. However, the concern is whether it opens up the propensity for people to try and intimidate board members ... for instance, like we know where you live, Chapman said. Whether its individuals that are upset about releasing someone, or individuals that are upset because you didnt release them. She said after the Inspector Generals report was released about the Vincent Martin case, we received threats so that would be a concern as far as [making public] individual votes. In a fiscal impact statement the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget filed about the bills potential costs, the staff said the parole board believes it may need to hire up to two full-time staff positions to compile and prepare information for public dissemination or for specific FOIA requests if the bill becomes law. The board estimated that the annual salary for one such position, including benefits, would be about $66,555 annually. But Rhyne took issue with that assessment. Theres no requirement [in the bill] that the votes be proactively disclosed, or that any database be compiled, or anything like that, she told the committee. Its just simply that they need to make [the information] available upon request. Theres simply no reason why it would take two full-time employees as the fiscal impact statement suggests just to respond to requests for vote tallies on a particular case. The General Laws committee voted 14-1, with Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, casting the only dissenting vote, to move the bill forward. It now will be considered by the House Finance and Appropriations Committee. RICMOND Gov. Glenn Youngkins push to open more privately run public schools got the support of a number of Virginia higher education leaders who signed onto a proposal by the administration to open charter schools run by their institutions and funded by the state. On Thursday, Youngkin and more than 30 higher education officials, surrounded by children and teens from Virginia schools, touted the need for innovation in K-12 education in Virginia. We stand together because we know there is an opportunity for us to innovate in K-12 education, the governor said during the event at the Patrick Henry Building. Youngkin promoted legislation moving through the General Assembly that would let any public or private college or university open a charter school, or convert an existing school into a charter school, with approval of the state Board of Education. While Youngkin said the bill is centered on colleges and universities, it would also allow private, for-profit businesses to open charter schools using public dollars. The bill is part of a package of charter school bills that seek to expand the number of schools that operate outside the control of local school boards but are funded with public dollars. Other Youngkin-backed legislation would allow the state Board of Education and regional charter agencies to approve applications for new charter schools. Right now, only local school boards can approve charter school applications. Several Democratic lawmakers have said they oppose the expansion of charter schools, arguing that all Virginia students would be better served if state funds were directed at existing public schools. At least two Democratic senators have said they are open to the idea. On Thursday, university and college presidents signed onto a memo supporting the legislation and a $150 million expenditure to help fund the launch of the schools. Its unclear which college and university presidents signed on and which didnt. The administration did not provide a list, despite multiple requests. Javaune Adams-Gaston, the president of Norfolk State University, a historically Black university, expressed support for Youngkins plan. We come from a tradition where we needed to do what was not being done for an underserved group of people, African Americans, who didnt have the opportunity to pursue higher education in a way that needed to happen, Adams-Gaston said. The bill directs the board to give substantial preference to any application from a historically Black college or university, and any application to open a charter school in an underserved community, defined as an area where many students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Adams-Gaston said the promised $150 million in funding is critical to the success. Representatives from several Richmond-area institutions Virginia Commonwealth University, Reynolds Community College and Virginia State University all expressed support for the bill during Thursdays event and when it came before a Senate panel on Thursday afternoon. The representative from VSU noted that Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, attended a public school operated by the university when she was a child. Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, who grew up in Georgia, said during the hearing that she too had attended a school operated by a higher education institution, but noted that it was modeled as a way for teachers in training to get experience. She expressed skepticism about the bill because it would allow all institutions, even those without teacher training programs, to operate a charter school. The Senate panel on Thursday afternoon ultimately recommended approval of the bill, an early sign of support from the Democratic-controlled chamber. Opponents of the bill included the Virginia School Boards Association, which said the bill could violate the states constitution, which gives power over schools to local school boards. RICHMOND Attorney General Jason Miyares issued a legal opinion Friday that Virginia colleges cannot require their students to receive COVID vaccines, the latest challenge to COVID mandates from the states new Republican leadership. The opinion cuts against the opinion of judges in other parts of the country and Virginias last attorney general, who allowed vaccine mandates at colleges to continue. In the immediate future, Miyares legal opinion does not change the vaccine mandates in place at most Virginia colleges. Last summer, after vaccines became accessible to all U.S. residents, colleges began instituting vaccine mandates. Nearly every public and private college in Virginia required vaccines with Liberty University as an exception. Legal challenges quickly followed. Eight students sued Indiana University to stop a mandate that would apply to 90,000 students and 40,000 employees. But an Indiana district court judge and three judges on a federal appeals court panel all sided with the university. The students appealed to the Supreme Court, but the court turned down their request for emergency relief. Virginias past attorney General, Mark Herring, also sided with the schools. In April, he wrote an opinion that vaccine requirements were acceptable because the government allows colleges discretion to make certain decisions. The law gives each college the authority to do what is reasonably necessary. The mandates went into effect, and the University of Virginia, the College of William and Mary and Virginia Tech removed students who didnt comply. VCU later removed students who both refused to be vaccinated and refused to undergo regular testing. Colleges typically offer exemptions to the vaccines on religious and medical claims. At VCU, 4% of the student body last semester received an exemption. At the University of Richmond, students can receive an exemption by having a strongly held personal belief. Some colleges, including VCU and UVA, now required students have booster shots if theyre eligible. Schools also required their employees to be vaccinated until two weeks ago when an executive order from Gov. Glenn Youngkin ended mandates for state employees, including most state college workers. The General Assembly never wrote a law authorizing vaccine mandates when it could have, Miyares wrote. And current legislation did not grant such institutions power to impose vaccine requirements. Virginia law requires students to be vaccinated for numerous other diseases, including diphtheria tetanus, measles, mumps and rubella. Coronavirus isnt mentioned in the vaccine requirement law. And while colleges do have discretion to make decisions for themselves, that discretion is overridden by the specific code that doesnt require COVID shots, Miyares wrote. Colleges may only exercise such powers as the General Assembly has expressly conferred or necessarily implied, Miyares wrote. But Del. Mark Keam, D-Fairfax, said a law wasnt necessary because vaccine mandates had stood up in court and had been authorized by Herring. Keam was the head of the House subcommittee on higher education last year. Colleges began considering the ramifications of the opinion Friday, which arent initially clear. We are reviewing the opinion to determine how it affects VCU students, particularly those students in hospital and clinical settings, VCU spokesperson Michael Porter said. VCU is committed to supporting the health of our patients, students, employees and the communities we are proud to serve. BRISTOL, Va. Southwest Virginias Ballad Health System officials face the real possibility of having to terminate 1,000 employees next month if they fail to comply with a federal vaccine mandate, at the same time hospitals are filled with record numbers of COVID-19 patients. Last November, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a mandate that all hospitals that receive funds from either federal insurance program must have all of its employees and associated personnel vaccinated against COVID-19 by a January deadline. The matter was challenged in two federal courts, but the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the mandate to stand as the cases continue. It is catastrophic. If there werent 800 people at home today and we had to fire 1,000 employees, that would be catastrophic, Ballad CEO Alan Levine said in response to a question during a news briefing Thursday. About 80% of Ballad inpatient revenue comes from the two federal insurance programs and Levine said the system has no choice but to comply with the federal mandate. Thursday was the deadline set by CMS for unvaccinated health care workers to receive their first injection, but Ballad declared Feb. 12 as its deadline, since the mandate was challenged in court. We did that so that everyone who wanted to seek an exemption could do so. Were being very liberal with our approvals of those exemptions for both medical and religious reasons. As it stands today, we have just under 1,000 employees who have not taken the vaccine and who have not sought an exemption, Levine said. Obviously, were very concerned about that. It seems quite illogical at a time when were having to put crisis staffing into place to then turn around and ask 1,000 people to leave. Were going to do everything we can to encourage our team members to get vaccinated, recognizing this is a choice they have to make. Under the mandate, unvaccinated employees arent supposed to work. I cant even imagine what it would look like to terminate 1,000 employees right now, he said. Given the record levels of hospitalizations due to the pandemic, the mandate clashes with a basic tenant of the federal programs, he said. One of the critical CMS standards for conditions of participation is hospitals provide safe levels of staffing for their patients. Now we have two conflicting provisions one that says you have to have safe levels of staffing and another that says you have to fire people that arent vaccinated, Levine said. Ballad is going to do whatever we need to do to protect the safety of our patients and make sure we are adequately staffed to care for the needs of those people. We will do everything we can to work with CMS as we try to comply with the vaccine mandate. Were not going to put our patients at risk, he said. Ballad has and will continue communicating with employees, primarily through managers and other team members to encourage as many as possible to take the vaccine, Levine said. The situation is more challenging, he said, given that less than half of the regions residents are vaccinated, compared to about 60% of Ballad employees. We have provided enormous data underscoring the safety and efficacy of these vaccines. The problem is people get their information from so many sources now. Ive always wondered why some people would prioritize information they get from anonymous people on social media before their own employer or physician but thats what were competing with, he said. Levine admitted that, technically, Ballad is currently out of compliance with the federal requirement by setting its deadline in February. Some, he said, have asked why natural immunity didnt count since theyd already had COVID, they didnt have a religious opposition to vaccines in general but had concerns about this specific vaccine. They say to me, Im not going to hide behind my faith for something that isnt true. Im afraid. Im not ready for it at this point. I respect that, Levine said. Unfortunately, the Medicare and Medicaid rules do not allow us any other provision. I dont believe CMS will be unreasonable in enforcement, but I do believe if they dont see us actively trying to comply then the penalties could be pretty severe. Dr. Kaitlen Lawton-Betchel grew up in Lemoore. An alumni of West Hills College and Fresno Pacific University, she graduated from Midwestern University in Arizona with her doctorate of veterinary medicine and her business certificate. Dr. Kait currently practices out of Karing for Kreatures Veterinary Hospital, also known as K+K. The hospital is located at 377 Hill St., Lemoore. To make an appointment, call 559-997-1121. Her column runs every other Thursday. Integrated approach needed for Syria's sovereignty, security, development: Chinese UN envoy Xinhua) 08:27, January 28, 2022 UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy said on Wednesday that the international community needs to have an integrated approach for the major issues that endanger Syria's sovereignty, security and development. "To truly make progress on the political track, the international community needs to have an integrated approach for the major issues that endanger Syria's sovereignty, security and development in order to create enabling conditions for the political process in the country," Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, told the Security Council meeting on Syria. Zhang added that China supports advancing the Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process in accordance with resolution 2254. "We commend the efforts by special envoy (Geir) Pedersen in promoting mutual trust among parties to work in the same direction. We hope that the next round of Constitutional Committee will be launched soon, and it should be pointed out that relevant work should remain independent and free from external interference." "We also welcome the new round of meetings of the Astana process last month, and hope that the process will continue to contribute to a comprehensive solution to the Syrian issue," said Zhang, adding that China has always emphasized that constitution-making and elections alone are not enough to solve the Syrian issue. On Syria's sovereignty, Zhang underscored that no foreign troops are allowed to be deployed in Syria, including Golan ones, without the consent of the Syrian government. "Whether it is the military operation across the Syrian border, the construction of settlements in the Golan area, or the theft of oil from northeastern Syria, they have all undermined the sovereignty of the country, violated the interests of the Syrian people and spoiled the efforts by the international community for political settlement," said Zhang. Turning to the terrorism issue, the ambassador said that "we must respect the Syrian government's leadership in fighting terrorism. And we must not engage in a double standard. China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with Syria to help it improve its capability in fighting terrorism." Talking about cooperation among regional countries, Zhang said that "China welcomes the efforts by relevant regional countries to strengthen diplomatic, economic, and trade interactions with Syria and welcomes the fact that Arab countries are actively considering Syria's return to the League of Arab States." Also at the meeting, the ambassador reiterated that "the consideration of the Syrian issue by the council three times a month does not facilitate an integrated and comprehensive perspective, and serious consideration should be given to combining them into one meeting or making other more reasonable arrangements. This will not only help us seek a package solution to relevant issues, but also reduce the use of council resources." (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) " " If Ted Bundy hadn't been a biter, it's possible he never would have been convicted of his crimes. Bettmann/Getty Images In January 1978, a manhunt was underway for one of the most notorious serial killers in the history of the United States: Ted Bundy. The previous month, Bundy had escaped from a small jail in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, while awaiting trial for the murder of Caryn Campbell. Eventually landing in Tallahassee, Florida, Bundy went into the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University on Jan. 15, 1978, then bludgeoned and strangled four students. Two of them Lisa Levy and Margaret Bowman were killed. Bundy also sexually assaulted Levy and bit her, leaving clear bite marks. Advertisement Bundy was recaptured in February 1978 and eventually went to trial for the Chi Omega murders. The prosecution used bite-mark analysis a form of forensic dentistry to match Bundy's choppers to the victim's bite marks, which was instrumental in his conviction. Despite its success in convicting a legendary serial killer, bite-mark identification today is considered by many to be junk science. According to the Innocence Project, which works to free the wrongfully convicted, 26 people have been wrongly jailed due to bite-mark analysis. The group is lobbying for reform, as bite-mark analysis is still being used by courts. But forensic dentists (also known as forensic odontologists) don't just work on bite-mark analysis. They also are tasked with identifying the dead by their teeth. So let's start by looking at the system that all dentists use to distinguish one tooth from another. " " If you walk into the office you've been to a million times, and for just a fleeting second it seems unfamiliar, that's jamais vu. Thomas Barwick/Getty Images Ever talked to a friend and suddenly, yet briefly, their face seemed unfamiliar? Or stepped into a room you've frequented but it feels strangely foreign? Or maybe you've stared at a word and you know what it means, but it just doesn't look right? If so, you've likely experienced a phenomenon known as jamais vu (pronounced ja-ma-vu). Don't worry. It's nothing to be concerned about. Advertisement What Is Jamais Vu? Jamais vu (French for "never seen") is considered the opposite of deja vu (French for "already seen"), but thought to be even rarer. Those who have experienced jamais vu may mistake it for short-term memory loss, but it's entirely different, says Chris Moulin, Ph.D., a memory researcher at the Laboratory of Psychology and Neurocognition at the University Grenoble Alpes in France, and one of the foremost experts on jamais vu, deja vu and the like. "In memory loss, someone will appear unfamiliar to us, even if we have met them recently, because we have forgotten some crucial piece of information," he says in an email. "Jamais vu, on the other hand, is the feeling of unfamiliarity for something which is not lost or forgotten." One example of jamais vu is when you look at someone very familiar like your father and suddenly find his features new or unusual. He may even appear to be a stranger, yet at the same time, you know that he is your father and not some impostor, Moulin explains. (That is an important distinction we'll discuss later.) This odd feeling is only momentary, lasting only a matter of seconds or minutes before dissipating. It may be dismissed by the person experiencing it because explaining it to another person may be met with skepticism. This may be why the phenomenon is so rare and likely underreported, Moulin explains. His research seeks to label jamais vu and raise awareness of it in hopes that doing so will help broaden the understanding of memory disorders and ultimately benefit those who have them. " " Another example of jamais vu is when you look at someone very familiar like your spouse and suddenly find their features new or unusual. golero/Getty Images Advertisement What Is the Research on Jamais Vu? Some of the first research on jamais vu stems from Moulin's own interest in deja vu as a doctoral candidate. But since deja vu is difficult to induce in a laboratory setting, he set out to create the effects of jamais vu among a group of study participants by subjecting them to the same punishment Moulin had endured as a schoolboy writing the same words over and over again. (Think Bart Simpson and his chalkboards: "I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class.") But in this case, volunteers were asked to write a familiar word repeatedly, such as "door." Moulin found that writing the word over and over again didn't make volunteers forget it, but rather, for many, the word began to "feel" unusual, as if it weren't a real word at all. Moulin later learned that this repeated word phenomenon was not new. Centuries ago, researchers dubbed it "word alienation." But the concept was abandoned before the turn of the 20th century. Believing that experiences like jamais vu and deja vu could "tell us something about how the memory system is organized in the brain," Moulin says he doubled down, focusing his research on "all kinds of oddities and quirks and especially subjective experiences like deja vu and jamais vu." In 2006, Moulin presented the first scientific paper on jamais vu at the International Conference of Memory in Sydney, Australia. The notion gained some traction in the media at the time. But, after the data was finally published in the February 2020 issue of the journal Memory, (cleverly titled, "The the the the induction of jamais vu in the laboratory: word alienation and semantic satiation"), the topic garnered even more interest based on media reports and Google's Ngram Viewer tool, which is used to find patterns of word usage in literature. Pop culture also added to the hype. The release of the latest "The Matrix" movie, "The Matrix Resurrections," has some people speculating whether episodes of deja vu and jamais vu are actually "glitches in the matrix." K-pop band BTS also recently released a song called Jamais Vu. " " Some research suggests the temporal lobe in the brain may be involved in causing jamais vu, as this large section of the brain plays a huge role in memory and even facial recognition. calvindexter/Getty Images Advertisement What Causes Jamais Vu? What causes jamais vu remains a mystery, in large part because there's little research on the topic. But Moulin suspects the brain's temporal lobe may be involved. This large section of the brain, located behind the ears, plays an important role in memory acquisition and facial recognition. Previous research has shown that people with temporal lobe epilepsy often report experiencing deja vu and, less commonly, jamais vu, just before having a seizure. Some people who have classic migraine symptoms also have reported feelings associated with jamais vu as part of the migraine aura, or a warning symptom before the onset of a headache. Much of what is assumed with jamais vu comes from what has been seen in deja vu research. "Deja vu is usually a symptom of a healthy functioning cognitive system and requires a certain level of mental agility, it seems," Moulin says. "We would expect the same is true for jamais vu, but that remains to be tested explicitly." As with deja vu, researchers expect there are fewer episodes of jamais vu among people with cognitive impairment. "Even in healthy aging, there is a decline in deja vu with advancing years. It's something that's experienced more by young people," Moulin says. One thought is that jamais vu may be related to Capgras delusion, a symptom of schizophrenia in which someone believes a familiar person or place has been replaced by an exact duplicate or impostor. But again, more research is needed to back up that claim. Advertisement Should I Worry if I've Had Jamais Vu? In short, no. Even if jamais vu and Capgras delusion are related, jamais vu is momentary and at no point does someone who is experiencing it believe that the unfamiliar person is an impostor, as is the case with Capgras delusion. "One should no more worry about having a jamais vu experience than we should worry about forgetfulness meaning we have Alzheimer's disease everybody forgets things every now and then," Moulin says. As with deja vu, jamais vu isn't a cause for concern unless it has a negative impact on your life. "If anything," Moulin says, "the ability to experience jamais vu is a good sign for the brain. Like deja vu, it is only [a concern] if it becomes frequent or associated with other symptoms." Now That's Interesting Moulin may have popularized jamais vu as a rare lapse in memory, but it's not his sole interest. He's also exploring deja vu as well as deja vecu, a persistent sensation of deja vu in which one feels like they've experienced an entire sequence of events before. "We think deja vu, jamais vu, and deja vecu are all related," Moulin says. "But there's not much scientific proof for the idea." He and research student Gull Zareen aim to change that by collecting "Spontaneous metacognitive experiences" from volunteers. Have an odd deja vu or jamais vu experience you'd like to share? Take the survey here. CCJ releases "Pandemic, Social Unrest, and Crime in U.S. Cities: Year-End 2021 Update" | Main | "Private Prison Companies and Sentencing" January 27, 2022 By 5-4 vote, Supreme Court enables Alabama to move forward with execution As reported in this AP piece, the Supreme Court "cleared the way Thursday night for the state of Alabama to execute an inmate who contended that an intellectual disability combined with the states inattention cost him a chance to avoid lethal injection and choose a new method." Here is more: Reeves was convicted of killing a driver who gave him a ride in 1996. Reeves claimed the state failed to help him understand a form that would have let him choose a new execution method involving nitrogen, but the state argued he wasnt so disabled that he couldnt understand the choice. A divided court agreed with the states bid to let the execution to proceed. Justice Amy Coney Barrett said she would deny the states request, while Justice Stephen Breyer, who just announced his retirement, and Justice Sonia Sotomayor joined with Justice Elena Kagan in a dissent that said the execution shouldnt occur. The dissenting opinion of Justice Kagan, which runs three pages and is available here, starts this way (with cites removed): Four judges on two courts have decided after extensive record development, briefing, and argument that Matthew Reevess execution should not proceed as scheduled tonight. The law demands that we give their conclusions deference. But the Court today disregards the well-supported findings made below, consigning Reeves to a method of execution he would not have chosen if properly informed of the alternatives. I respectfully dissent. I believe this is the first time Justice Barrett has voted in favor of a capital defendant is one of these cases, though she did not explain just why. UPDATE: The AP article linked above now reports that the execution has been completed: Alabama executed an inmate by lethal injection for a 1996 murder on Thursday after a divided U.S. Supreme Court sided with the state and rejected defense claims the man had an intellectual disability that cost him a chance to choose a less torturous, yet untried, execution method. Matthew Reeves, 43, was put to death at Holman Prison after the court lifted a lower court order that had prevented corrections workers from executing the prisoner. He was pronounced dead at 9:24 p.m. CST, state Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a statement. January 27, 2022 at 10:02 PM | Permalink Comments Barrett will vote for a capital defendant who makes a good statutory argument like the ADA or RLUIPA (Dunn v. Smith), but will not accept any of their constitutional arguments. Posted by: Jacob Berlove | Jan 28, 2022 5:19:13 AM He was smart enough to do the crimesmart enough to pay the price. Good riddance. Its laughable to see Supreme Court Justices hoodwinked by true believing capital defense lawyers. Even more laughable to read the virtue signaling that drips from these dissents. Posted by: Federalist | Jan 28, 2022 7:32:40 AM Post a comment DBS Building DBS Group (SGX: D05) is on a roll. Singapores largest lender just announced that it will acquire Citigroups (NYSE: C) consumer banking business in Taiwan for a total of around S$2.2 billion. This purchase is set to catapult DBS into the big league in Taiwan as the countrys largest foreign bank by assets. It will also bring together DBS Taiwan division and Citis franchise and help to accelerate DBS Taiwan growth by at least a decade. This acquisition is the third for DBS since the onset of COVID-19. In late 2020, it announced the acquisition of Indias Lakshmi Vilas Bank for around S$463 million. This was followed by DBSs move to acquire a 13% stake in Shenzhen Rural Commercial Bank last year for around S$1.1 billion. The deal size for this Taiwan acquisition is almost double that of its China purchase and looks set to add positively to DBS top and bottom lines. Here are four highlights from this game-changing acquisition. 1. Taiwan is a meaningful contributor Taiwan has proven to be a strong growth market for DBS over the years. It currently has 35 branches and an institutional, SME and consumer banking franchise. Outside of China, the country has the highest number of high net worth (HNW) individuals among DBS core markets. Taiwan also boasts a greater than 20% market share in global chip production capacity, making it an attractive market to service. DBS shared some impressive numbers to illustrate the rapid growth of its Taiwan division. From the fiscal year 2009 (FY2009) to FY2020, profit before tax jumped nearly 11-fold from S$13 million to S$140 million. Assets under management (AUM) more than quadrupled from S$0.8 billion to S$4 billion, while its loan book grew nearly six-fold from S$4 billion to S$23 billion. 2. Attractive financial characteristics The acquisition also comes with attractive financial numbers. Citis Taiwan franchise generated over S$250 million in net profit per annum pre-pandemic and CEO Piyush Gupta envisions that this acquisition can add at least this amount or more to DBS bottom line post-COVID. Story continues Based on DBS net profit of S$5.4 billion for the first nine months of 2021 (9M2021), annualised net profit for 2021 stands at S$7.2 billion. This acquisition will boost the lenders net profit by around 3.5% once it is completed by the middle of 2023. The franchise also generated a return on equity of more than 20% pre-pandemic, higher than DBS 9M2021 ROE of 13.4%. 3. Boosting AUM and loan book The acquisition will immediately boost DBS Taiwan divisions AUM and loan book. The lender will become Taiwans largest foreign wealth manager with AUM more than tripling from S$4 billion to S$13 billion. DBS Taiwans loan portfolio will also jump from S$23 billion to S$35 billion while its deposit base will nearly double from S$18 billion to S$33 billion. DBS Taiwans credit card franchise will also see a surge from just S$1 billion to S$5 billion. 4. Acquiring high-quality customers DBS will also acquire a group of high-quality customers belonging to Citis prized franchise. DBS Taiwans credit card customer base will soar five-fold to 3.28 million. Furthermore, Citis customers incur more than 20% higher average spend than DBS, potentially increasing fee income for Singapores largest lender. Meanwhile, the number of affluent customers will also nearly double to 139,000 while HNW customers will more than triple from 1,600 to 5,700. Get Smart: Accelerating the banks growth There is a wrinkle in the deal, and its the price tag. The bank will be paying around 1.8 times book value for a piece of Citis consumer banking franchise, slightly higher than its valuation of around 1.65 times book value. Although the ratio may lean on the expensive side, investors should remember that the acquisition of Citis franchise adds not just profits for the bank, but also helps to grow its customer base and propels it into the league of Taiwans largest foreign banks. The onus is on DBS to prove that it can make the most out of this acquisition. Meanwhile, DBS has reiterated that the acquisition is funded using excess capital and will not impact its ability to pay out dividends. This detail should be music to the ears of DBS shareholders who can look forward to more good news from the bank when it releases its full fiscal 2021 earnings on the morning of 14 February. With the right mindset, getting a 10X, or even 180X stock is not out of your reach. In our latest report, we show you real-life case studies of how we consistently pick winners, so you can follow along and build a 10X portfolio for yourself. Click here to download it for free. Follow us on Facebook and Telegram for the latest investing news and analyses! Disclaimer: Royston Yang owns shares of DBS Group. The post DBS is Purchasing Citis Taiwan Division for S$2.2 Billion: 4 Things Investors Should Know appeared first on The Smart Investor. A logo of DBS is pictured outside an office in Singapore TAIPEI (Reuters) -Singapore's DBS Group will announce on Friday it is to buy Citigroup's consumer finance business in Taiwan, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday. DBS and Citi declined to comment. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media, did not provide any further details. The Wall Street Journal reported this month that the sale could be valued at up to $2.2 billion. Citi announced last year that it would exit retail operations in 10 markets in Asia as it refocuses on its more lucrative institutional and wealth management businesses. This month, Citi struck a deal to sell its consumer business in four Southeast Asian markets to United Overseas Bank for about S$5 billion ($3.7 billion). (Reporting by Emily Chan and Jennifer Yang; Additional reporting by Anshuman Daga in Singapore; writing by Ben Blanchard; editing by Jason Neely) Dear Doctors: I wonder if there have been any updates on that breathing technique called IMST? It was being studied because it can lower systolic blood pressure. I'm on blood pressure meds, and when I meet with my cardiologist, I want to talk to him about trying this method. Dear Reader: You're referring to a breathing exercise known as inspiratory muscle strength training, which is often shortened to IMST. It's also sometimes referred to as resistive breath training. The technique is performed using a hand-held device that creates resistance as the user inhales and exhales through the mouthpiece. The result is strength training for the complex muscles that are involved in breathing. These include the diaphragm, which is the dome-shaped sheet of muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdomen; the external intercostal muscles of the rib cage; and, to a lesser degree, the abdominal muscles. Unless someone is actively exercising, breathing is a largely passive event. With the resistance created by the devices developed for IMST, it's possible to tone and strengthen the muscles that are used in breathing while otherwise remaining at rest. IMST has long been used to aid in recovery after spending time on a ventilator and to help people living with breathing disorders such as COPD and asthma. But, as you mention, research conducted two years ago at the University of Colorado in Boulder linked daily practice of IMST to improved blood pressure. Last spring, the results of a small study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association added to the evidence regarding the benefits of the practice. Researchers divided 36 adults, aged between 50 and 79, each with high blood pressure, into two groups. One group used the IMST breathing device set at high resistance. The other participants, who made up the placebo group, used the same breathing device, but set at very low resistance. None of the people in the study knew which group they had been assigned to. The participants were asked to do 30 breaths per day, six days a week. After six weeks of the five-minute practice, systolic blood pressure (that's the top number) in the high-resistance group dropped 9 points. It's an improvement that continued another six weeks, even without IMST practice. The group also saw a rise in biomarkers that are associated with improved arterial health and a drop in inflammation associated with heart disease. Similar changes were not seen in the low-resistance control group. Although the reasons for the improvements to blood pressure and vascular health are not yet clear, researchers said they suspect the practice of IMST prompts the body to increase production of an important molecule known as nitric oxide. It's a vasodilator, which means that nitric oxide helps the blood vessels in the body to widen and relax. This lowers blood pressure and increases circulation. We're glad that you'll be speaking with your cardiologist before moving forward with IMST. Although the practice has proven safe for a wide range of participants, it's still important that anyone considering it should consult with their health care provider before beginning. Thank you! You've reported this item as a violation of our terms of use. Error! There was a problem with reporting this article. This content was contributed by a user of the site. If you believe this content may be in violation of the terms of use, you may report it. Report Abuse Log In to report Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A Sioux City man charged with entering the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection has waived a preliminary hearing in his case and will remain on pretrial release. U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey on Thursday reviewed the conditions of release for Kenneth Rader, reminding him that he is prohibited from possessing any controlled substances. Harvey scheduled a status hearing for April 5 in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. Rader, 53, is charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, 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. He appeared at the brief hearing, which took place in Washington, D.C., via a Zoom video conference with his attorney, federal public defender Brad Hansen. Rader also must clear up a Dakota County, Nebraska arrest warrant, in which he is wanted for failing to appear in court for a Jan. 19 sentencing hearing on a criminal mischief charge stemming from a Sept. 13 incident in which he drove across a soybean field near Jackson and caused less than $500 in crop losses. The FBI arrested Rader Jan. 20 in Sioux City in connection on his federal charges. He was released from custody later that day. Rader is charged with illegally entering the Capitol during the insurrection, in which hundreds of supporters of former president Donald Trump were protesting the results of the November 2020 election in which Joe Biden had defeated Trump. The mob gathered outside the Capitol before hundreds of protesters broke into the building in an effort to prevent Congress from certifying the electoral college results declaring Biden the winner. According to court documents, security footage shows Rader, dressed in a blue "Trump 2020" hoodie, entering the Capitol through the Senate wing door that had already been broken by protesters. Once inside, Rader stood near a broken window, spoke with several unidentified men and then exited, spending about three minutes inside the Capitol. Just two days after the insurrection, a family member tipped the FBI to Rader's alleged participation in the event, telling agents that Rader had shared videos of himself on the Capitol grounds and inside the building. A complaint filed Jan. 11 said the FBI confirmed Rader's presence in Washington through cellphone records and video footage of him inside the Capitol. In an interview with FBI agents, two of Rader's relatives identified him as the person shown in screen shots of the video footage and in a photo taken outside the Capitol. According to court documents, Rader told FBI agents during a September interview that he had attended the Jan. 6 rally but never entered the Capitol. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 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. SIOUX CITY Sioux City elementary schools are seeing the benefits of the district hiring more teachers using COVID-19 relief funds -- smaller class sizes. So far, eight new teachers have been hired for grades K-3 in four Sioux City schools -- Bryant, Hunt, Irving and Spalding -- with Elementary and Secondary School Education Relief, or ESSER funding. The $57 million in ESSER funding the district received was budgeted for a variety of different departments impacted by the pandemic. About $7.5 million was earmarked to hire 36 additional teachers to reduce class sizes and combat learning loss for students. At Bryant Elementary, two new teachers allowed the school to reduce the average first grade classroom size from 23 students to 19. In second grade classrooms, the average was cut from 25 students to 20 per class, with some classes having as few as 19 pupils. "We really have the best class size ratios that we've had the 10 years I've been in the district," Brian Burnight, the district's director of elementary education, said Thursday. On Thursday afternoon, Bryant second grade teacher Carrie Edwards taught 18 students various math skills, including counting cents and identifying a hexagon. Burnight said the smaller classrooms help give teachers more one-on-one time with students. Bryant principal Angela Holcomb said it also allows the instructors to be more responsive to the students and gives students more opportunities to speak and answer questions. Burnight said the district worked with the local colleges and universities to find teachers who graduated in December, in the middle of the district's school year. "That's been a real blessing that we have great partnerships with the local colleges to help get those students in the classrooms as soon as possible," he said. Once the ESSER funding stops in two years, the district would have to identify other funding sources to pay for the additional teachers, or develop other ways to keep the class sizes small. While all of the elementary slots are filled, Burnight said the district will be hiring additional teachers in upper grades with ESSER funding. Districtwide, there are 50 teacher positions currently open, including some for the next school year. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CENTER, Iowa -- Gov. Kim Reynolds has said the main theme of her recent "Condition of the State" address was about entrusting Iowans to build and nurture their own communities. On Friday, the Republican governor traveled to the Northwest Iowa city of Sioux Center to tout a project that's taken more than 30 years of building and nurturing. Reynolds announced the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System would receive a $12 million grant from a state water quality initiative. Sioux Center is one of the largest users in Northwest Iowa of the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System which, when fully finished, will run 45 million gallons a day through 20 cities and rural water systems in Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota. "(It) really does ensure that Iowans will be connected to clean drinking water," Reynolds said at Sioux Center's water treatment plant, which is near the connection point for Sioux Center to receive water from the Lewis & Clark system. Sioux Center is one of the largest Siouxland users of the multi-state water system, which got off the ground in 1990, with authorization of funding in 2000 and the initial construction in 2004. Sioux Center and neighboring Hull are expected to be connected near the end of 2022 or into 2023, while Sheldon will be added between 2023 and 2024 and Sibley will come on somewhere between 2024 and 2025. The $12 million award from the state will go toward: "constructing three pump stations by Lebanon, Larchwood and Hull, as well as a ground storage reservoir near Hull and adding pumps to the Dove Avenue pump station. according to a document from Lewis & Clark Executive Director Troy Larson. The project is one of three water-related developments receiving $10 million or more from the state that Reynolds' administration announced Friday. Dyersville will get $11 million for a utilities project aimed to bolster the Field of Dreams while Des Moines has $15 million coming its way for dam mitigation meant to compliment the Raccoon River. The base system initiative was funded, in part, with allocations from the bipartisan infrastructure bill signed by President Biden last year. Only two of Iowa's six-member congressional delegation -- Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley and Democratic Rep. Cindy Axne -- voted for the $1 trillion plan. Federal money is also coming through the American Rescue Plan for the expansion. According to Larson, additional federal funding is needed to complete the Lewis & Clark water system. During his time at the podium at the water treatment plant Friday, he said the expansion is needed because droughts in the state made it clear to members of the system that more water would be needed. "Hope that expansion is complete in eight to 10 years," Larson said. Murray Hulstein, a chairman for the system, called the funding allotments the "latest example" of elected leaders in Iowa "putting words into action." Following the speeches, Reynolds took just two questions from media, with the second focused on why water infrastructure is a top priority for her administration. "One of the first bills I signed was a water quality bill," Reynolds said. "It's just really important if we want to continue to see growth in northwest Iowa." The first question the governor addressed was the competing tax-cut plans that her party is currently floating in the Legislature. "The fact that we're all talking about tax cuts, I think it's really exciting...It's an indication that we're going to get something done," she said. Reynolds is touring Iowa to pitch her proposal for a 4% flat-rate state income tax and also to phase out state taxes on retirement income. The House Republican plan closely mirrors Reynolds' by gradually reducing the state tax on Iowa workers income until all workers income is taxed at 4% and phasing out taxes on retirement income. Senate Republicans propose lowering the income tax rate for all filers to 3.6 percent over five years and eventually phasing out the tax altogether. GOP Senate leaders also outlined a plan to reduce the state tax on businesses and eliminating some tax credits and exemptions. Jared McNett is an online editor and reporter for the Sioux City Journal. You can reach him at 712-293-4234 and follow him on Twitter @TwoHeadedBoy98. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. An online petition is calling for the release of two South Texas brothers and their friend who were arrested for allegedly beating their stepfather to death after he was accused of sexually abusing their 9-year-old sister. The Change.org petition addresses Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and had received more than 130,000 signatures as of Thursday morning. The petition addresses the case of Alejandro Trevino, 18, and Christian Trevino, 17, who along with family friend Juan Eduardo Melendez, 18, are accused of beating 42-year-old Gabriel Quintanilla and leaving him to die in an open field in McAllen, Texas. He was found on Jan. 20 by the McAllen Police Department, which then notified Pharr police of the incident and turned over the investigation to them. Quintanilla, who had an arrest warrant for sexually abusing another child, was found with severe blunt force trauma to his head, Pharr police said. Authorities believe the brothers became enraged after learning the allegations about Quintanilla and their sister and fought with Quintanilla at a trailer park. After two separate fights, the two brothers and Melendez allegedly assaulted Quintanilla for a third time when they found him walking alone near an apartment complex. Police said Quintanilla was beaten to death with brass knuckles. The suspects allegedly then placed Quintanilla in the bed of the pickup truck and dumped him in a field in McAllen. The petition, launched by "23-year-old nonprofit director, activist, and aspiring lawyer" Carlos Eduardo Espina, reads: "If convicted of capital murder, they face a minimum sentence of life imprisonment without parole." It goes on with a call to Texas and Abbott to release the teenagers: "We ask that the state of Texas to release these teenagers, who could possibly spend the rest of their life in prison for protecting their sister." Christian Trevino and Melendez were charged with capital murder, aggravated assault, and engaging in organized criminal activity. Alejandro Trevino was charged with aggravated assault and engaging in organized criminal activity. Hidalgo County records show the three teens are charged with multiple crimes and are all being held on at least $1 million bond. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) A federal judge resentenced Tiger King Joe Exotic to 21 years in prison on Friday, reducing his punishment by just a year despite pleas from the former zookeeper for leniency as he begins treatment for cancer. Please dont make me die in prison waiting for a chance to be free, he told a federal judge who resentenced him on a murder-for-hire charge. Joe Exotic whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage was convicted in a case involving animal welfare activist Carole Baskin. Both were featured in Netflixs Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness. Wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, Maldonado-Passage still had his trademark mullet hairstyle, but the bleach-blonde was fading to gray. Baskin and her husband also attended the proceedings, and she said she was fearful that Maldonado-Passage could threaten her. He continues to harbor intense feelings of ill will toward me, she said. Friday's court proceedings came about after a federal appeals court ruled last year that the prison term he's serving on a murder-for-hire conviction should be shortened. Supporters packed the courtroom, some wearing animal-print masks and shirts that read Free Joe Exotic. His attorneys said they would appeal both the resentencing and petition for a new trial. The former zookeeper was sentenced in January 2020 to 22 years in prison after he was convicted of trying to hire two different men to kill Baskin. A three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with Maldonado-Passage that the court should have treated them as one conviction at sentencing because they both involved the same goal of killing Baskin, who runs a rescue sanctuary for big cats in Florida and had criticized Maldonado-Passage's treatment of animals. Prosecutors said Maldonado-Passage offered $10,000 to an undercover FBI agent to kill Baskin during a recorded December 2017 meeting. In the recording, he told the agent, Just like follow her into a mall parking lot and just cap her and drive off. Maldonado-Passages attorneys have said their client who once operated a zoo in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, about 65 miles south of Oklahoma City wasnt being serious. Maldonado-Passage, who maintains his innocence, also was convicted of killing five tigers, selling tiger cubs and falsifying wildlife records. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Working at a Catholic-owned hospital, Carleen Barger didnt expect a problem when she cited religious beliefs as the reason she refused a COVID-19 vaccination. But the veteran nurse found her beliefs under scrutiny as hospital officials weighed whether she qualified for a religious exemption to a federal mandate that health care staff get vaccinated. By the grace of God, it was approved, she told state lawmakers Thursday, adding: It was such a moral assault. Debra Chappelear, a social worker at an Omaha long-term care center, has yet to find out if her religious exemption request will be approved after going through extensive questioning about her beliefs. She knows one co-worker whose request has already has been denied, she said, while she and others are in limbo. They are facing a Feb. 14 deadline to start the vaccination process or be barred from the workplace. It is very stressful to have your job and your beliefs questioned, she said. We are all very worried that we are all going to be denied. The two were among several people who testified in support of LB906, introduced by state Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair and named as his priority for the year. The measure, as introduced, would allow employees to be exempted from a vaccine mandate by filling out a state-produced form and declaring that they were refusing the vaccine because of their strong moral, ethical or philosophical belief or conviction. Earlier Thursday, Hansen introduced an amendment that would make several changes in response to various concerns raised over the last three weeks. The amendment would cover virtually all employers, not just those with 20 or more employees. It would apply only to the COVID-19 vaccine, not all vaccine mandates. It would provide for medical exemptions, with a written statement from a doctor or other health care provider. And it would require that employers provide exemptions to people who declare on a state form that the vaccine conflicts with their sincerely held religious belief, practice or observance. Hansen said the amendments language about religious belief, unlike the broader language of the original bill, matches federal law. Under both versions, he noted, employers could require unvaccinated workers to be tested regularly and to wear masks or other protective equipment. Dr. Gary Anthone, Nebraskas chief medical officer, testified in support of the amendment, while making clear that the State Department of Health and Human Services strongly supports COVID-19 vaccines. He said the requirements about testing and masks were important to ensure that employees could be in the workplace safely. Allie French of Nebraskans Against Government Overreach also supported the amendment, despite concerns that it would be trading one freedom for another. She said her group disagrees with allowing employers to make medical decisions for employees, such as through vaccine mandates, and has concerns about allowing employers to mandate masks and tests. The amendment was enough to satisfy most potential opposition. The Nebraska Hospital Association; the Nebraska Health Care Association, which represents nursing homes and assisted living facilities; and the Nebraska, Omaha and Lincoln Chambers of Commerce took neutral positions on the bill. Dr. David Watts of Omaha, president of the Nebraska Medical Association, spoke against the bill, even with the amendment. He said the organization takes issue with the idea of having the Legislature get involved in the management of private businesses, which include clinics and physician practices. Although the amendment would not prohibit employers from requiring vaccines, it would interfere with how those requirements are implemented. He said members also are concerned about setting a precedent for future public health crises. As businesses shuttered and millions of U.S. residents lost their jobs in the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, many feared that an unprecedented surge of evictions was around the corner. But after the Supreme Court struck down the Centers for Disease Controls nationwide eviction moratorium last Augustending one of the main protections to keep people housed during the pandemiccourt eviction filings didnt immediately surge above pre-pandemic levels. Had the predicted eviction tsunami simply evaporated? Advertisement Those who fight evictions dailyhousing advocates, tenant organizers, and legal aid providersknow theres more to the story. Many suspect that an eviction tsunami is surging around us, but has been rendered invisible because much of the displacement is occurring outside the legal system, through so-called informal evictions. (We discuss this phenomenon in a brief released by New America last week.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Informal eviction can take many forms, including tactics like landlord intimidation, refusal to make repairs, or spreading misinformation, particularly related to a tenants rights. But because they dont follow a well-defined process, and by definition occur in the shadows, informal evictions are challenging to measure. And without an accurate measure of informal eviction, were two years into a pandemicone that has underscored the inextricable link between housing and healthwith at best a murky understanding of how housing displacement is impacting families in the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Take the way that informal eviction is often carried out, and it becomes clear why tracking this type of displacement is challenging. A tenant moves after receiving a request to move or threat from their landlord, even though an official claim was never filed in court. A request or threat from a landlord may not carry the authority of the law, but they can be just as effective in forcing a family to move. The decision to move is typically due to fear of engaging with the court system (a record of an eviction filing can have devastating impacts on future housing access), unequal access to information on the legal process, and the reality that, in many states, the law favors landlords property rights over a tenants right to remain stably housed. Advertisement Advertisement It is clear these tactics typically rely on an imbalance of power and unequal access to information between landlords and tenants, as well as the illusion that a family has a real choice in whether or not they move. But the reality is, when faced with landlord harassment, coercion, or neglect, choice is often constrained, especially for many low-income and Black and Hispanic tenants who face systemic barriers to housing access rooted in our nations racist housing policies or undocumented immigrants who have a justifiable fear of engaging with the legal system. Advertisement Advertisement Defining informal eviction is further complicated by the fact that some tactics used by landlords blur the lines between informal and illegal, depending on existing tenant protections. Landlord lockouts, utility shut-offs, and other methods of purposefully making a home uninhabitable are technically illegal in most states. But a National Housing Law Project survey conducted a few months into the pandemic found that over 90 percent of legal aid and civil rights attorneys across the U.S. saw illegal evictions in their areafrom landlords locking out tenants to others falsely claiming the moratorium didnt apply. Enforcement mechanisms and penalties for landlords who violate tenant protections differ from state to state in the same way that housing laws do, and just because a practice is illegal does not mean its not in use. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite these challenges, there has been a good deal of progress in the last decade in measuring informal eviction. This stems in in large part from the Milwaukee Area Renters Study, or MARS, a first-of-its-kind survey providing an in-depth investigation into eviction in a major U.S. city. Not only is MARS responsible for the commonly cited statistic that informal evictions are twice as common as formal, court-ordered ones, but its nuanced questionnaire probing into the reasons why people move is laying the groundwork for national and local data collection efforts. Notably, the American Housing Survey, fielded by the U.S. Census Bureau, adapted a set of questions from MARS in 2017, finding that informal evictions may be five times as common as formal, court-ordered evictions nationwide. Several researchers caution against using these findings without further scrutiny, but even the inclusion of a set of questions that estimate informal eviction in the U.S. is an important first step forward. Advertisement While national estimates are critical to understand the magnitude of informal eviction, eviction is best understood within a local context as laws, demographics, and dynamics vary significantly across the country. At the city level, a longitudinal study on the wellbeing of New York City residents, called the Poverty Tracker, also adapted a set of MARS questions in 2017. Results show that formal eviction was twice as common as informal eviction in New York City, reinforcing the importance of local context, as this somewhat surprising finding may be attributable to New York Citys robust tenant protections. Advertisement Advertisement Findings from the Poverty Tracker and region-specific estimates from the 2017 AHS also allow us to compare two measures of informal eviction covering the same geographic region, a gift given the previous absence of data. Interestingly, the 2017 AHS found that informal evictions in New York City outpace formal evictions more than two to one, whereas the Poverty Tracker found the opposite to be true, Advertisement This comparison speaks to the impact that measurement and survey design can have on estimates of eviction, including the importance of who is and is not included in survey responses. For example, the AHS excludes individuals who are unhoused or living in a shelter, and focuses on the head of household, meaning its unlikely to include individuals who double up in homes, sleep on couches, or have informal rental arrangements. These populations are hard to reach, but are critical for understanding how displacement and housing insecurity pervades everyday life in the U.S. In addition to estimating the prevalence of informal eviction, local data-collection efforts can also shine light on other aspects of this practice. Through a COVID-era survey of low-income tenants in Washington State, researchers assessed whether a range of harmful landlord behaviors increased or decreased during the pandemic. Indeed, the study found that the use of both informal and illegal eviction tacticsthrough telling a tenant to leave, shutting off utilities, removing possessions, and changing lockshad increased during the pandemic, offering a glimpse into the possible ways that landlords force tenants to move despite tenant protections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This progress on measurement is promising, as is the recent proposal from the Biden administration to field a national survey on informal evictions. But as studies show, informal eviction is happening daily, and often with little to no recourse for tenants. Advertisement Advertisement Efforts to even the playing field for tenants often focus on interventions targeting the legal system through policies like guaranteed right to counsel. These are critical, but equally important is protection from the many factors that place tenants at the whim of landlords in the first place, leaving them susceptible to the informal tactics that so often precipitate a move. Just-cause eviction is one important protection, as is rent stabilization, standardizing documents to include clear, comprehensible information on tenants rights, and requiring that landlords provide notice in a tenants native language. Beyond tenant protections, an adequate supply of affordable housing, something every state fails to provide, would go a long way in addressing the root of informal evictionthe current power imbalance exists in large part because tenants and landlords alike understand that housing precarity means that better options may not exist. The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the disparities that result when not everyone has a safe, stable, affordable place to live. No one policy or program will address the multitude of factors that lead to housing displacement in the U.S., but if we cant grapple with the scale and nature of informal eviction, we risk forever tinkering at the fringes of this problem instead of tackling it fully. The war on teachers is back. This week, in Virginia, new Gov. Glenn Youngkin set up a tip line to report teachers who teach divisive ideas. And in Florida, lawmakers proposed a bill to install cameras in classrooms to monitor supposedly subversive teaching. That builds on a bill called the Stop WOKE Act, introduced late last year and sponsored by Gov. Ron DeSantis, which would allow parents to sue schools for teaching so-called critical race theory. Its tempting to see these efforts as merely ridiculous, and pranksters immediately flooded Youngkins tip line with knock-knock jokes and fake tips about divisive teaching at Hogwarts. But, as one Virginia teacher reflected, Youngkins tactics represented a very serious threat to education. That teacher added: You want to know what I teach, just ask. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For a full century now, conservative politicians have attacked teachers to score easy political points. This, despite the fact that teachers, as a group, tend to consider themselves moderate (43 percent) or even conservative (27 percent), and their political views have long tended to match those of their local communities. Nevertheless, scare tactics about subversive teachers have been too tempting for politicians to resist. But although targeting teachers might score a short-term payoff at the ballot box, those attacks have always harmed public schools by driving teachers away. In the first round of our modern educational culture wars, for example, lawmakers in Kentucky considered a bill to eliminate suspect teachers from their public schools. Their 1922 bill would have banned teaching evolution as well as atheism or agnosticism. Casting a wide net, the bill outlawed the teaching of any idea that might weaken or undermine the religious faith of the pupils in public schools. In addition, if any alert citizens suspected an educator of surreptitiously teaching science, they were enjoined to report the teacher, who would be interrogated within five days by the school board. If the school board considered them guilty, the teacher would be fired. The bill failed to pass, but only because a few conservative lawmakers received assurances from the president of the states flagship university that teaching evolution would be banned in practice, even without the new law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the 1930s, too, politicians were quick to accuse teachers of subversive schemes. In 1935, the U.S. Congress passed a law to force teachers in the public schools of D.C. to abjure any mention of communism, either inside or even outside of the classroom. Teachers were required to swear their innocence each time they picked up their paychecks. The laws sponsor, Texas Democrat Thomas Blanton, even sent questionnaires to D.C. teachers, asking them if they believed in God or belonged to a union. In this case, the response of teachers defenders was swift and successful. Critics pointed out that schoolchildren would not be allowed to learn anything about global current events, the Soviet Union, or even the course of the First World War if the law were enforced. Due to the intense criticism, the law was repealed in 1937. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Blantons laws defeat did not deter teacher bashing for long. After World War II, political attacks on teachers only grew more intense. In 1948, for example, the House Committee on Un-American Activities published a quick guide to community spying on local teachers. The committees conclusionthe hundredth thing it wanted every right-thinking citizen to knowwas that the solution to communist subversion was vigilante action. Every American, the committee concluded, must work in your own community to unearth hidden communism, whether in the school system or anywhere else. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Plenty of Americans followed their advice. It is impossible to trace all the individual actions, but some organizations kept records of their private attempts to investigate and punish teachers. The Daughters of the American Revolution, for instance, openly encouraged each of its members to constitute herself a committee of one to oppose by every means within her power the infiltration of communistic teachers in our schools. By 1950, hundreds of local DAR chapters had begun inquisitions into the practices of their local public school teachers. In Iowa, the state DAR conference resolved that every member would conduct at least one classroom investigation. In Texas, in 1951, the state DAR claimed to have organized 1,695 visits to history classes to sniff out unpatriotic teaching. Advertisement Advertisement What were they looking for? Popular Cold Warera right-wing pamphleteers such as Allen Zoll warned that subversive teaching might look perfectly innocent. Teachers might spout currently popular herd ideas to their students. Those teachers might even be unaware of the results of their sneakily subversive teaching, but the results would be the same nevertheless: a tragically misshapen generation. without the ability to think for themselves fit only to be citizens of the authoritarian state. Advertisement As Augustin Rudd, a right-wing activist from the American Legion, had warned for years, spying on teachers and classrooms required a trained eye. It was easy to miss the use of weasel words, meant to awaken American children to the problems in American history and society. Subversive teaching, he warned, was often very subtle. Teachers might seem to be discussing innocuous historical subjects such as the conflicts between rich and poor, Black and white. In practice, however, such sneaky teaching left children feeling discomfort about the heroic histories they had been told. The solution, for this legionnaire, lay in relentless surveillance. He called on every post of the legion to investigate the school situation on its own account. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taken as a whole, the results were tragic. Back then, unrestrained spying on teachers, along with accusations of anti-American sentiment, drove teachers out of the profession and out of schools. Some of the cases made headlines, but more often the results were only visible in a desperate shortage of teachers willing to endure the abuse. Advertisement The high-profile cases set the pattern. In New York City, for instance, teachers suspected of communist affiliations were driven out of their jobs in the 1940s and 1950s. Most famously, Minnie Gertrude, a 17-year classroom veteran, killed herself just before Christmas in 1948 after enduring interrogation by a congressional committee about her political beliefs. In 1950, New York City suspended eight teachers, then, in 1951, fired eight more. The investigations deprived the district of some of its best teachers. To give just one example, in 1952 teacher Mildred Flacks had been teaching for 19 years. Her annual evaluation by her principal included the usual glowing praise. I have long been convinced, the principal told Flacks in 1952, that your sincere and effective work, coupled with your skill in the newer methods of elementary education, have been in large measure responsible for the excellence of our elementary department. Advertisement Advertisement Less than a month later, Flacks was dismissed, victim to the political ambitions of school superintendent William Jansen. Jansen had promised to investigate his schools and purge any suspect teachers, and Flacks found herself in the crosshairs of the hunt. The effect was felt not only in New York City. In 1949, a national survey conducted by the National Education Association to assess the climate of classroom teaching found that potential teachers were being scared away from the job, in part because of the relentless, unpredictable political inquisition. The 1949 survey concluded that the resulting shortage of teachers constituted a national crisis in education. Advertisement Unfortunately, warnings in the 1940s did not lead to the kinds of profound structural changes needed to address the crisis. For one thing, teacher pay and working conditions were not substantially improved. Just as important, teachers were not protected from baseless accusations, and the attacks never let up. In the 1960s, for instance, California Superintendent of Public Instruction Max Rafferty called teachers bums who were focusing too much on Americas faults, instead of the magnificent, world-changing deeds of our national heroes. And in the 1980s, right-wing pundit Sam Blumenfeld earned the approval of the Reagan-era Department of Education by calling teachers a dangerous Trojan Horse in American Education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Todays attacks on teachers are just as misguided and just as destructive. Politicians who set up tip lines and surveillance plans for teachers are making the job less attractive than ever. Recent surveys have found that about 1 in every 4 teachers is considering quitting, based on stresses from the pandemic and political pressure. Just like in the 20th century, those teachers represent a precious and irreplaceable community resource; they make up the expertise and experience that make public education possible. Calling on citizens to snoop on, and report, their childrens teachers is a venerable American tradition; it is also destructive to the goals of public education. Desperate school leaders are already taking desperate measures to find teachersincluding calling in the National Guardyet politicians are willing to make the problem worse, in order to score points in the ongoing war over Americas public schools. This story was produced in partnership with the Garrison Project, an independent, nonpartisan organization addressing the crisis of mass incarceration and policing. New York City Mayor Eric Adams released his Blueprint to End Gun Violence in the midst of high profile violence including the recent shooting deaths of two NYPD officers and the killing of an Asian woman pushed onto the subway tracks. Yet the 15 page plan doesnt offer new or serious policy ideas to address violence. Instead, it offers a series of attacks, disguised as proposed amendments, on bail, discovery, and juvenile justice reforms enacted recently in the city. Advertisement In his plan, Adams suggests that dangerousness be added to New Yorks bail consideration requirements for the first time since 1971. Fifty years ago, the state legislature enacted a law rejecting the idea that a judges prediction of a persons future behavior should be a basis for holding them in jail while presumed innocentand for good reason. Studies in jurisdictions that allow dangerousness assessments or predictions to justify setting bail repeatedly show that the race of the accused person alone, controlling for all other factors, can be used to predict their dangerousness determination with striking accuracy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New York passed bail reform legislation in April 2019, ensuring that money bail was eliminated for people charged with certain offenses, primarily misdemeanors and low-level felony charges classified as non-violent. Under the reforms, limited circumstances could lead New Yorkers who lack the ability to pay bail to experience the same pre-trial freedom afforded to the wealthy. Bail reform was scaled back in April 2020, but the remaining limited protections have ensured that thousands of people are spared the horrors of pre-trial incarceration while presumed innocent. Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Data shows very little connection between bail reform and crime, while incarceration itself presents a clear and constant public safety hazardincluding for families and communitiesand continues to impact people even after their release. New York states own data shows that 98% of people who are free pre-trial are not arrested for any violent felony charge, which include charges that do not have any requirement of actual harm to another person. But even in the bail reform era, 91% of all pre-trial admissions in New York Citys jails are non-white. And jail remains as deadly as ever: 15 people died at Rikers in 2021, the highest number of deaths since 2016. So the Adams proposal that judges take dangerousness into account when making bail determinations is counter-productive to public safety, would gravely harm Black and brown New Yorkers, and would roll back the modest reforms of the states recent bail legislation. Advertisement Advertisement In his plan, Adams says the voluminous requirements of the new discovery bill have jammed up too many cases. This is a familiar refrain from New York prosecutorsand its false. Discovery reform was passed in April 2019 and went into effect in January 2020, replacing the states discovery law, dubbed the blindfold law. It brought New York in line with states like North Carolina and Texas, which have long mandated open file discovery, or the defenses access to all information available to prosecutors, as a requirement for a case against a person to proceed. Advertisement Advertisement Prior to reform, prosecutors could prevent the accrual of speedy trial time in a case without ever turning over essential discovery. People who wanted to see the evidence against themor lack thereoffaced months and even years of litigation and pre-trial incarceration. Prosecutors frequently premised plea offers on the accused persons waiver of their right to discovery, creating a coercive path out of jail or to the resolution of a case. Eleventh-hour disclosures of massive amounts of evidence, also called trial-by-ambush, were common, eroding a persons constitutional right to an effective defense by keeping attorneys in the dark while preparing trials and dispensing advice about pleas and often necessitating additional delays. The new statute simply required the sharing of evidence by default between the prosecution and defense on an accelerated timeline, rendering claims by prosecutors and the Mayor of jammed up cases to be nonsense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The only way that the new law would impose any new obligations is if prosecutors relied on people taking pleas without ever seeing the evidence against them, obviating the need to hand it over, in a significant number of cases, public defender Sarah Lustbader wrote in 2020, By claiming that there is any additional obligation, they are essentially admitting that they rely on coercing pleas from people who are blindfolded. Adams also takes aim at the 2017 Raise the Age legislation that gave shared jurisdiction over certain charges against 1617 year olds in New York to the family court system rather than exclusively to adult criminal court. Under Raise the Age, New York no longer automatically prosecutes 16 and 17-year-olds as adults. But these requirements are still often subject to either consent or opposition by the prosecution, particularly for feloniessuch as gun possessionwhen charging 16 and 17 year olds. In his blueprint, Adams incorrectly states that prosecutors do not have the ability to oppose removing childrens cases from adult criminal court when they involve a gun; they can and they do, but they also often consent to these removals despite this ability in light of the laws foundational premise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his attack on Raise The Age, Adams also argues that minors should be punished for not speaking to policespecifically that teenagers accused of having a gun should lose the possibility of their cases removal to family court, in recognition of their age and their ongoing cognitive development, if they do not tell police where they received the firearm. If a 16 or 17 year old is arrested on a gun charge, law enforcement should ask the individual where they got the gun, Adams writes. If the individual refuses to disclose that information, prosecutors should have the ability to charge the individual in Criminal Court, rather than Family Court. Not only do prosecutors already have the ability to oppose these removals, the suggestion that children should be punished for refusing to speak to the police is an affront to their constitutional rights. Advertisement The right to remain silent exists both as a protection from self-incrimination but also as a distinct right to silence for its own sake during police interrogations. These constitutional protections are particularly essential for children, who are even more vulnerable to suggestion from police and less equipped to act in their own self-interest than adults. Its shocking that as criminal legal system policy around the country shifts to reflect brain development science and mounting evidence of the dangers of using child witnesses in criminal cases, Adams seeks to remove the limited protections that exist for children in police custody. Advertisement Advertisement Lastly, the Adams plan suggests that the federal government wrest control of gun prosecutions from New York Citys district attorneys. The NYPD will focus on bringing as many appropriate gun cases as possible to federal prosecutors to take full advantage of the higher penalties in the federal system for gun charges, Adams writes. We additionally urge the U.S. Attorneys Offices to expand their barriers for prosecution of a gun charge, and enforce out-of-state charges for guns that have been carried over state lines. But there are no significant barriers to bringing gun cases into the federal system or to cooperation between state prosecutors and the feds. Gun possession, for example, can be prosecuted in federal court. And in July, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York said it would participate in a cross-jurisdictional strike force to prosecute firearms trafficking, just two months after the DOJ announced a Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime emphasizing partnering with state and local law enforcement to combat gun violence. Federal gun prosecutions, it should be noted, are also notoriously racist and ineffective in curbing gun violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So, not only are federal weapons prosecutions already commonplace, the citys prosecutors are also fully empowered to incarcerate people for gun possession, and the NYPD has never ceded its authority to make arrests for any reason, often touting its number of gun arrests or gun seizures as proof of the efficacy of policing. Possession of a loaded gun in New York is charged by prosecutors as a C violent felony when there are no allegations that the gun was fired, brandished, or otherwise used in the commission of a crimeand with loaded requiring only that bullets are close by. People who are charged with having a gun the vast majority of whom are percent of whom are non-white, face years of upstate time and frequently have bail set. In 2020, 96 percent of people arrested in New York City for unlicensed firearm possession were Black or Latino. Advertisement Advertisement The charge of simple gun possession, not tied to any shooting, is consistently among the most common charges holding people on Rikers and in City jails pre-trial at the request of the Citys five DAs. And on Wednesday, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg announced the appointment of a new prosecutor who will tackle gun crimes, all as public defenders report that Braggs prosecutors are offering steep prison sentences for simple gun possession cases. Adams focus on illegal guns comes as New York StateNew York City particularlymakes legal gun ownership nearly impossible. There are many reasons why people, including minors, choose to carry guns. In 2018 and 2019, the Center for Court Innovation interviewed 330 young people in New York City about guns, violence, and proposed solutions to violence. 88 percent had a family member or friend who had been shot and 81% had been shot or shot at. Most reported being harassed for small infractions or feared being shot by the police. Nearly nine out of ten hadat some point carried a gun, citing multiple factors for doing so. To automatically sentence them to 3.5 years in prison for this actionas is required when prosecutors charge people for possession as Class C violent feloniesfails to address any of the underlying issues at play. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People accused of gun possession, often victims of violence themselves, are sent back into their communities after traumatic and destabilizing incarceration with no additional resources. The Adams plan is particularly cynical because it was released during a month where two people were pushed onto the subway tracks in unprovoked attacks, one of whom was killed, and two NYPD officers were shot and killed by a man whose mother called 911 for help with his mental health crisis. Its likely that Adams was spurred to act in part by the media who have decided that this is an apocalpytic momentthe New York Times said January leaves some New Yorkers fearful for the citys futureeven though there have been 20 murders year to date in the city, a decline of nearly 26 percent from 2021. Yet none of these tragic deaths implicate any of the criminal legal reforms attacked by Adams in his blueprint. Advertisement In the case of Michelle Go, a beloved New York City resident who was shoved to her death on the subway tracks in a random attack by a man experiencing mental illness, six officers were assigned to the station that day. In the deaths of NYPD Officers Wilbert Mora and Jason Rivera, the officers were sent to the scene of a mental health crisis in Harlem. They were both shot and killed, and a third officer killed the man, Lashawn McNeil, who shot them. It was McNeils mother who called the police for help; she later said she regretted calling 911 in the first place. To capitalize on these deaths to implement expansions of police power and attempt to roll back common sense criminal legal reform is an abuse of the credibility afforded by public office. Part of my frustration is that when anything bad that happens, its got to be bail reforms fault, New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said. Theres a whole lot of things going on, and its so easy to scapegoat it onto bail. New York lawmakers should join Heastie in recognizing Adams misrepresentations on reform and preserve the protections currently in place for New Yorkers rightsbecause the goal should be true safety for everyone. Taking part in the digital economy comes with a basic demand: expose yourself. The more you share, the more you avail yourself of its wondrous conveniences and benefits. We hardly give it a thought any more. Each year on January 28, civil libertarians honor World Data Privacy Day to call attention to this dire state of affairs. As one international data protection group states, the objective of this day is to sensitize individuals and disseminate privacy practices and principles. It encourages everyone to own their privacy responsibilities to create a culture of privacy. Advertisement For those who celebrate it, World Data Privacy Day is a day of great urgency, one when their rallying cry might rise above the din, urging us to halt the merciless pillaging of our private datapillaging that, the reasoning goes, we tacitly condone and facilitate. Digital citizens and consumers must be wakened from their slumber, privacy advocates believe, and give thought to the security of their personal information, and how they are surrendering themselves to the power of their spies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Emphasizing our agency and responsibility, this captures the general approach of privacy advocates the world over. But it is misguided, for, it puts too much emphasis on individuals as the focus of the fight. No matter how sensitized we are to the loss of privacy, lone individuals are no match for the sophisticated and powerful spies that prey upon our personal information. Advertisement Advertisement Consider the European Unions privacy regulations, which have been praised the world over (and which many in the U.S. would like to emulate). Principle measures in the General Data Protection Regulations include requiring companies to explain to consumers why they are collecting their data, how long they will hold the data, and how they will protect it. Consumers are prompted to consider such documentation before opting in to a companys website (in the U.S., we may only opt out, after already visiting a website). Effectively, the GDPR aims to make data collection foremost in the minds of consumers as they navigate the digital universe. The problem is, data analysis is increasingly esoteric. It is beyond our capabilities to parry or rebuff; we simply cannot comprehend what our spies look for, how they get it, and what they plan to do with the information. Advertisement Advertisement One retailer, for example, has determined that purchasing felt pads to keep our furniture from scuffing the floor is a key indicator of creditworthiness. Did you know that? Could you have guessed that in advance? Did you also know that we are less creditworthy, data analysts have concluded, if loan applications are filled out in all capital letters, or include words like promise, will pay, and hospital? These indicators make some sense, as unfair as they are. Harder to fathom, however, is how analysts determine creditworthiness from mining our smartphone behavior. They can study how often we change our phone battery, how many messages we receive, whether we are solicitous in returning calls, and how many contacts our phones contain, technology scholar Shoshana Zuboff explains. What exactly are they looking for? How does this behavior inform about our creditworthiness? That is all a mystery to us. Nor do we know if this manner of analysis is habitual, rare, or commonplace. What is clear, however is that our spies dont need our data to know us well. Apparently, metadata (the data of our data) will do fineand they do not need our consent to collect our metadata. Indeed, we dont know when they tap into it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Analysts can identify us by the way we hold our cellphonesat what angleand how we swipe the screen. And Zuboff also tells how insurance companies can determine your premium not on the basis of what you write about, but how you write it. It is not what is in your sentences, but in their length and complexity, not what you list, but that you list, not the picture but the choice of filter and degree of saturation, not what you disclose, but how you share or fail to. There is little chance of parity between us and our digital spies. We simply cannot fathom how they operate. Privacy regulations that suggest such parity can exist do us disservice. They offer a false sense of securitythey lull us to sleep while our spies are busy pillaging our information in unfathomable ways. More importantly, however, they disempower us as democratic citizens. Advertisement Privacy regulations focus on the individual, and what we as individuals can do to protect our data. That effort is likely vain, given the immense power and rapid innovation of our spiesthe tech firms that are among the richest in history. The threat to privacy is real; our plight is dire, before rapacious spies who may hope to influence our behavior with the data they acquire. Focusing on individual privacy protections isolates and atomizes us, however, while power rests in collective bodies. Advertisement No man and no mind was ever emancipated merely by being left alone, the American philosopher John Dewey states. Individual citizens are not the foundationor bastionof democratic freedom. The freedoms we enjoy, including privacy, are secured by associations, as Dewey puts itassociations that meet and mobilize in the public realm. History has borne this out repeatedly. Advertisement In the 1960s, civil rights activists in the American south were subjected to constant persecution. They never knew any privacy in which to plan out their difficult work in peace and security. They prevailed thanks to transformative protests carried out in public. Like the college students who occupied segregated lunch counters, endured food poured on their heads, insults hurled, and physical violence. Or the resilient Black citizens of Montgomery, Alabama, who, through diligent effort and coordination, organized a private taxi service among the residents during a months-long bus boycott against segregation. Or the famed Childrens Crusade in Birmingham, where singing children poured out of churches in peaceful, exuberant marches to occupy the segregated business district downtown. Advertisement Advertisement Consider the labor movement, too. In the 1930s, General Motors ruled Flint, Michigan, with an iron fist, aiming to quash worker dissent. As one employee explained, GM so completely run[s] this town and have it so well propagandized to their own good that one doesnt even talk here. You have no liberties at all. You couldnt even belong to a union and breathe it to a soul. That soul would probably be a spy. Nevertheless, workers orchestrated one of the most remarkable strikes in labor history, launching sit-ins at their factories, occupying them for over a month. Despite ominous threats, the workers persisted through coordinated action, and prevailed. Privacy is insufficient of its own to secure our libertyif privacy can be managed at all, given the threat before us. Now more than ever, we must recall that to preserve our personal freedom, ironically, we must reach out, branch out, and form powerful bonds with one another. We are best protected by the collective bodies we form, and the civic arts of organizing. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. ARCHIVED - Blood pressure drugs withdrawn from pharmacies across Spain Patients who have purchased the affected medication in Spain should return the drug to their local pharmacy The Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health products (Aemps) has recalled six batches of Irbestan, a drug used to treat blood pressure, due to the detection of an impurity in the medicine. The product is widely available in pharmacies all across Spain. The following batches have been withdrawn from the market: Irbesartan Combix 300 mg (lots M000689 and M012157) Irbesartan Combix 75 mg (lots M010064 and M100406) Irbesartan/Hydrochlorothiazide Combix 150 mg (lot M011549) Irbesartan/Hydrochlorothiazide Pharma Combix 300 mg (lot M015999). Aemps has ordered that all of the affected medications be returned to the laboratory due to the detection of an impurity in the active ingredient Irbesartan above its accepted limit". Any patients currently taking this blood pressure treatment should refrain from using it and return the drug to their local pharmacy. Image: Archive Newly refurbished premises to open to visitors in late 2022. The new look of the SNG is a mixture of modern and historical features. (Source: Courtesy of SNG - Martin Deko) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The Slovak National Gallery (SNG) is preparing to move into its newly reconstructed premises on the Danube embankment in Bratislava. Construction work is expected to be completed in the summer; the plan is to open the new premises, but without exhibitions, later in the year. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement This year will be very atypical at the SNG, said Alexandra Kusa, general director of the gallery, which is the country's most prominent, as quoted by the TASR newswire. She added that the SNG would move all its collections and archive funds into the new premises. It will probably be the largest operation we have ever experienced. Related article Related article Reconstruction of the Slovak National Gallery closer to completion Read more The reconstruction of the modern extension and the construction of a new depository and other premises for the SNG started in 2016. Apart from completing the construction work, the SNG this year plans to hold a competition to supply exterior and interior furniture and other fixtures at an estimated cost of almost 3 million without VAT. The gallery intends to open its reconstructed premises to visitors before the permanent exhibitions are installed. Even in this state, the premises are interesting and there is something to see, Bohdana Hromadkova, the SNGs director of marketing and communications, told TASR. The SNG plans to present the reconstruction to the public as a topic in itself, showing the building and the mechanisms of the gallery through tours, lectures, attractive programmes and other creative and educational activities. The national gallery in the 21st century is not just exhibition halls, it is also a space and simultaneously a tool for cultivating society, said Kusa. We want primarily to focus on this task. The public's interest in the SNG reconstruction has been demonstrated by the response to videos about it, which have attracted record numbers of views. The video of the general directors tour of the construction site has reached 15,000 views, Hromadkova told TASR. To satisfy people's interest, the SNG plans to hold small programmes and tours of the new premises beginning in late 2022. https://sputniknews.com/20220128/china-welcomes-upcoming-un-rights-chiefs-visit-to-xinjiang-region-1092579331.html China Welcomes Upcoming UN Rights Chief's Visit to Xinjiang Region China Welcomes Upcoming UN Rights Chief's Visit to Xinjiang Region BEIJING (Sputnik) - China welcomes the upcoming visit of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region... 28.01.2022, Sputnik International 2022-01-28T13:09+0000 2022-01-28T13:09+0000 2022-01-28T13:08+0000 china un uyghurs /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/03/1081348487_0:131:2501:1537_1920x0_80_0_0_27a6c3a197f450f5a7bd0ea14db5e518.jpg "China welcomes the visit of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights [Michelle] Bachelet to China and Xinjiang. We have already sent an invitation earlier and the two sides are constantly in contact on this issue," Zhao said at a briefing.Earlier in the day, the South China Morning Post reported, citing unnamed sources, that China had agreed to host a visit to Xinjiang by Bachelet in the first half of the year after the Winter Olympic Games.Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is the largest province in China with a population of 25 million people from various ethnic groups, but about 43% of them are Uyghurs, most of whom are Muslims. The region, bordering seven countries, including Afghanistan and Pakistan, has been considered an epicenter of terrorism and extremism for many years.At the end of August 2018, experts from the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination reported that up to 1 million ethnic Uyghurs could be in "re-education camps" in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.Beijing has denied the existence of "re-education camps" on numerous occasions, insisting that the country is fully complying with the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. https://sputniknews.com/20211221/beijing-takes-reciprocal-countermeasures-in-response-to-us-anti-china-sanctions-over-uyghur-issue-1091698248.html china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 china, un, uyghurs https://sputniknews.com/20220128/connecticut-police-open-inquiry-into-lauren-smith-fields-mysterious-death-after-weeks-of-protests-1092588482.html Connecticut Police Open Inquiry into Lauren Smith-Fields Mysterious Death After Weeks of Protests Connecticut Police Open Inquiry into Lauren Smith-Fields Mysterious Death After Weeks of Protests After weeks of building social and legal pressure, police in a western Connecticut town have opened a criminal investigation into the death of Lauren... 28.01.2022, Sputnik International 2022-01-28T20:06+0000 2022-01-28T20:06+0000 2022-01-28T20:06+0000 us connecticut death police investigation african-american breonna taylor /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/1c/1092588396_0:0:2554:1438_1920x0_80_0_0_00acaa7253f971ffea7cee94b008c769.png In Bridgeport, Connecticut, on the night of December 11, Smith-Fields met Matthew LaFountain via the Bumble dating app and went on a date that culminated in him spending the night at her apartment. Early the following morning, LaFountain called emergency medical services to report that Smith-Fields was dead.However, more than six weeks passed since her death before its cause was announced and before police treated LaFountain as a suspect in it.The next day, Bridgeport police said that as a result of the report, its Narcotics and Vice Division had opened a criminal investigation and was cooperating with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), adding that it continues to treat the untimely death of Lauren Smith-Fields as an active investigation.LaFountains lawyer also told The Daily Beast on Thursday that his client was cooperating with the investigation, but beyond that, hes not going to be making any statements. However, it took more than a month of struggle for police to treat him as a suspect, which is typical with the person who reports a death, discovers a body or was with the person at the time of their death.Smith-Fields family didnt learn of Laurens death for two days, with her mother, Shantell Fields, only finding out after going to her daughters apartment on December 13 and finding a note saying, If youre looking for Lauren, call this number.According to Fields, the number was for a police detective named Kevin Cronin, who told her son the basic facts surrounding Laurens death.According to Rolling Stone, which viewed the incident report on file, LaFountain told Cronin he and Smith-Fields had chatted for a few days on the phone, and on the night of December 11, they ate food, drank tequila with mixers, played games and watched a movie at her apartment.He said at one point she met with her brother outside, then went to the bathroom for 10 to 15 minutes before they resumed watching the movie. LaFountain told police Smith-Fields fell asleep on the couch and he carried her to bed and fell asleep beside her. He said she was breathing through the night, but when he awoke at 6:30 am, he found her no longer breathing and with blood coming out of her right nostril, and called 911, the emergency number in the United States.Fields told the Times that when Cronin failed to show up to Laurens apartment, they went inside anyway, finding a bloody bed, a used condom, and a pill bottle.Familys Fight for JusticeBecause of the departments handling of Smith-Fields case, her family has mounted an effort to get her justice. Last week, Fields filed a notice of intention to sue Ganim. Bridgeport Chief of Police Rebeca Garcia, and several detectives. Then on January 23, which would have been Laurens 24th birthday, dozens marched through Bridgeport streets to the offices of Mayor Joseph Ganim, demanding action on the case.The next day, Ganim made his first comments about her death, confirming that its handling thus far was being investigated by the Office of Internal Affairs and that Cronin had been removed from the case. That was also the day the Medical Examiners office released details about the cause of her death.Were suing the city of Bridgeport for failure to prosecute and failure to protect this family under the 14th Amendment, he added.He urged that the toxicology report by the medical examiner makes Smith-Fields death look even more like a murder, noting that hes never seen a medical examiner conclude a mix of drugs was an accident without knowing who provided the drugs, or how it was ingested.The situation has renewed discussion around the concept of missing white woman syndrome.The term was used prominently last year when in early September, 22-year-old Gabby Petito went missing and was later found dead in Wyomings Bridger-Teton National Forest, the cause of death being ruled as strangulation. In that case, like Smith-Fields, Petitos boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, was initially also given a pass by police, who refused to file a domestic violence incident report about a fight between Petito and Laundrie weeks before her death. However, Laundrie was never charged with any crime connected to Petitos death before being found dead himself in a Florida swamp several weeks later.Corporate media gave the story nonstop coverage until Laundries remains were discovered on October 20.Jury selection for the trial of Brett Hankison, the Louisville Police officer who fired the shots that killed Taylor, began on Friday. He is facing three lower-level felony charges. However, despite nearly two years of protests, Hankison isnt being charged for killing Taylor, but for his gunshots that missed, striking the wall and endangering Taylors neighbors. However, the detective who organized the mistaken raid on her apartment and another who took part and also shot Taylor, have both been fired from the force. us connecticut Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg us, connecticut, death, police investigation, african-american, breonna taylor https://sputniknews.com/20220128/denmark-recalls-its-unwelcome-military-forces-from-mali-after-merely-a-week-1092569334.html Denmark Recalls Its 'Unwelcome' Military Forces From Mali After Merely a Week Denmark Recalls Its 'Unwelcome' Military Forces From Mali After Merely a Week The departure of the Danish soldiers following insistent calls from the Malian authorities may complicate further deployments of French-led forces in the West... 28.01.2022, Sputnik International 2022-01-28T05:25+0000 2022-01-28T05:25+0000 2022-01-28T05:25+0000 mali news military & intelligence europe africa scandinavia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0b/13/1090842825_0:321:3070:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_10d99d14dc93b8d2751c36ba432b649d.jpg The entire Danish force in Mali has been called home, the Scandinavian country's Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod has announced. The decision has been made after a debate un the parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Danish TV2 reported.The Danish force of 105 people, including special operations soldiers from the Jaeger Corps, a surgical team and support personnel, arrived on 18 January to participate in the multinational anti-terrorist Task Force Takuba, led by France. Shortly after their arrival, Mali's transitional government announced that they were no longer welcome, despite having first established their presence back in 2012.According to the Malian military, Denmark had not consulted with the government about the deployment of the soldiers and had not followed the protocols that apply. Subsequently, both the Socialist People's Party and the Danish People's Party demanded that Denmark leave the country, despite previously backing the mission.France and 14 other European countries persuaded the Malian authorities to allow the Danish special forces to remain in the country, but to no avail.Danish Defence Minister Trine Bramsen said that despite the decision to call home the soldiers, it will take some time before the Danish contribution will be completely withdrawn from the West African country. Danish Foreign Minister Kofod called the situation in Mali fluid and emphasised that the Danish forces had arrived on a formal invitation.We will continue our close cooperation with our European allies, led by France, to continue to put pressure on the coup plotters, regain democracy and create security for the people of Mali, Kofod said, adding that Denmark has been thrown out like a piece in a dirty political game.Over the past decade, Mali, a troubled francophone nation in West Africa with one of the highest fertility rates in the world, saw an armed conflict with Touareg rebels, who declared the secession of a new state, followed by a subsequent French military operation, as well as two armed coups over the past two years.Following the second coup in 2021, a general election in February 2022 was proclaimed, only to be postponed for five years due to the volatile security situation in the country. Denmark became a vocal critic of this measure and even spoke of sanctions against the transitional government in Mali, which Kofod ventured was one of the reasons behind Mali's sudden opposition to the Danish presence.The Danish withdrawal comes after Sweden confirmed earlier this month that it would leave Mali in March. The decision to ask Denmark to leave is likely to impact future deployments, as Norway, Hungary, Portugal, Romania and Lithuania are also slated set to send troops later this year as part of the France-led force. mali scandinavia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Igor Kuznetsov Igor Kuznetsov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Igor Kuznetsov mali, news, military & intelligence, europe, africa, scandinavia https://sputniknews.com/20220128/poland-has-plan-to-evacuate-diplomats-from-ukraine-but-decision-not-made-yet-1092572529.html Poland Has Plan to Evacuate Diplomats From Ukraine, But 'Decision Not Made Yet' Poland Has Plan to Evacuate Diplomats From Ukraine, But 'Decision Not Made Yet' WARSAW (Sputnik) - Poland has prepared a plan for the evacuation of its diplomats from Ukraine amid rising tensions, but the decision has not been made yet... 28.01.2022, Sputnik International 2022-01-28T07:49+0000 2022-01-28T07:49+0000 2022-01-28T07:47+0000 ukraine poland diplomats /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/1c/1092572793_0:155:2807:1734_1920x0_80_0_0_a0ccc1542d6e1161cf9902021ddc576f.jpg "At the moment, there is no such decision on the evacuation of Polish diplomats. At the same time, I will not hide the fact that we already have prepared plans and some time ago, we studied at the foreign ministry all sorts of procedures, we are in contact so as not to run into surprises. At the same time, there is no such solution at this stage," Przydacz said.Of all European countries, Poland has the largest diplomatic representation in Ukraine, he added.Earlier this month, the US, the UK, and Canada ordered the evacuation of their diplomats' families from Ukraine amid rising tensions between Russia and NATO. ukraine poland Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 ukraine, poland, diplomats https://sputniknews.com/20220128/russia-doesnt-want-war-but-will-not-allow-to-ignore-its-interests-foreign-minister-lavrov-says-1092573200.html Russian FM Lavrov: Moscow Doesn't Want War, But Won't Allow to Ignore Its Interests Russian FM Lavrov: Moscow Doesn't Want War, But Won't Allow to Ignore Its Interests Earlier this week, Russia received written responses from the US and NATO to the security guarantee proposals presented by Moscow last month in an effort to... 28.01.2022, Sputnik International 2022-01-28T08:07+0000 2022-01-28T08:07+0000 2022-01-28T12:43+0000 russia sergei lavrov war us nato /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/1c/1092574862_0:0:2849:1603_1920x0_80_0_0_ecb02f5a7557192f4791eb0943af83d1.jpg Speaking to four major Russian radio stations on Friday, two days after the US and NATO provided a written response to Russia's security guarantee proposals, made in order to de-escalate tensions over Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commented on the current situation. When asked whether a war is likely, now that tensions are being heated up by the West, the foreign minister said that Russia does not want war.The interview with the Russian foreign minister follows the delivery of written responses from the US and NATO to Russian security guarantee proposals presented by Moscow in mid-December amid heightened tension over Ukraine. The contents of the responses haven't been made public, with NATO and the US saying they hope that Moscow won't reveal them either. However, US State Secretary Antony Blinken and NATO Secretary General Yens Stoltenberg said they will uphold NATO's "open door" policy. One of the proposed paragraphs of the Russian draft agreements would obligate NATO to give written guarantees that it will not expand further to the East. Moscow insists that states that were members of NATO in May 1997, before the first eastern European countries were invited to join the bloc, should not deploy military forces and weaponry on the territory of any of the other States in Europe that werent already in place at the time. Commenting on the security guarantee proposal talks, the Russian foreign minister stated that they are ongoing.According to the foreign minister, Russia wants to "work honestly" when it comes to its proposals on security guarantees, but the West "hysterically" develops the topic of Russias alleged threat to Ukraine. For the past few months, the West has been speculating about Russia's military build-up on the border with Ukraine and Moscow's alleged "invasion" plans. Russia has repeatedly rejected the allegations as baseless, saying that it has no intention to attack anybody, while adding that it has the right to move its troops within its own territory and that this should not be a matter of concern to anyone. The West has repeatedly threatened Russia with new, "never seen before" sanctions, should it invade Ukraine. On 25 January, the White House said it was ready to implement "sanctions with massive consequences that were not considered in 2014", targeting the banking sector, export controls and foreign capital inflows. Commenting on threats of sanctions, Mr. Lavrov said they would be tantamount to cutting ties between the countries, and Washington understands this.Lavrov also touched upon a row over Russian diplomatic property in the US and expulsions of Russian diplomats, noting that if Washingtons rudeness in regard to diplomatic mission continues Russia still has reserves to make the number of diplomats equal.Well, let's see, in the next couple of weeks, there should be another meeting. Now there is direct bargaining from the side of the Americans, Lavrov said.Lavrov's interview comes two days after Moscow had received a written response from Washington to the security guarantee proposals presented by Russia last month in an effort to de-escalate tensions with NATO over Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Minister said on Thursday that in their response, the US had failed to answer the main questions about the non-expansion of NATO to the east. He added that Moscow has been considering the US and NATO responses as a whole.According to Russia's security proposals, the sides should provide legally binding written guarantees to each other not to deploy troops and military equipment in areas where they could be viewed as a threat to the other side. Russia and the US should also restrict the deployment of nuclear weapons abroad. Apart from this, Moscow expects the US and NATO to make a commitment not to expand the alliance to the east and never accept Ukraine or any other former Soviet republic into NATO. https://sputniknews.com/20220124/kremlin-says-huge-ukraine-military-buildup-on-donbass-line-of-contact-shows-preparation-for-attack-1092481474.html https://sputniknews.com/20220126/us-reportedly-delivers-written-response-to-russias-security-guarantees-proposal-1092534911.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sofia Chegodaeva Sofia Chegodaeva News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sofia Chegodaeva russia, sergei lavrov, war, us, nato https://sputniknews.com/20220128/spoof-sue-gray-report-on-pass-the-ahole-games-at-no-10-reportedly-leaves-ministers-in-panic-1092571053.html Spoof Sue Gray Report on 'Pass the A***hole Games at No 10 Reportedly Leaves Ministers in 'Panic' Spoof Sue Gray Report on 'Pass the A***hole Games at No 10 Reportedly Leaves Ministers in 'Panic' Senior civil servant Sue Gray has been tasked with examining evidence, such as security logs, and interviewing witnesses to investigate multiple gatherings... 28.01.2022, Sputnik International 2022-01-28T07:19+0000 2022-01-28T07:19+0000 2022-01-28T07:19+0000 boris johnson uk /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/1c/1092571593_0:312:3085:2047_1920x0_80_0_0_4aca660e56d7f7732cdb3a8273312204.jpg As UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, his Tory allies and critics all eagerly await the findings of senior civil servant Sue Gays report into allegedly lockdown-breaching parties at Downing Street and Whitehall in 2020-2021, a spoof from comedian Joe Lycett reportedly left ministers running around panicking. The official inquiry into the partygate row, originally expected to be published sometime this week, has left Downing Street over what it will reveal. Lycett had taken to social media to offer his own mock summary of the Sue Gray report, even providing seven purportedly main findings. But it was apparently mistaken by some ministers for a serious leak. The comedian had written on Twitter that leaked Sue Gray report revealed shocking abuse of the rules The comedians parody highlighted a culture of Covid-19 regulation rule breaking at Downing Street. The mock document revealed that games were played which were known as 'Slow Dance' and 'Pass the A***hole at No 10. The spoof claimed that findings unearthed existence of WhatsApp groups that organised gatherings, with titles including Definitely a meeting and Down It Street. Furthermore, ostensibly a video of the PM's wife, Carrie Johnson at one party confirmed her attendance. Once the spoof report had been posted, it triggered panic among some Tory frontbenchers, a source working for a cabinet minister purportedly told the comedian in a message. Absolutely legendary work, well done, the source is cited as applauding the comedian. Social media users went on Twitter to share their amusement as well, with many claiming it took them a while before they realized it was a joke. https://sputniknews.com/20220127/partygate-scandal-over-two-dozen-ex-ministers-reportedly-prepared-to-take-action-against-bojo-1092548444.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko boris johnson, uk https://sputniknews.com/20220128/taiwans-top-science-lab-fined-for-worker-infected-with-covid-19-first-domestic-case-ever---report-1092565625.html Taiwan's Top Science Lab Fined for Worker Infected with COVID-19, First Domestic Case Ever - Report Taiwan's Top Science Lab Fined for Worker Infected with COVID-19, First Domestic Case Ever - Report The lab staff member, who was in her 20s and fully vaccinated, reportedly began exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms on November 26, 2021, and tested positive with... 28.01.2022, Sputnik International 2022-01-28T00:53+0000 2022-01-28T00:53+0000 2022-01-28T00:53+0000 tech china taiwan laboratory test lab covid-19 delta variant of covid-19 omicron strain /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/1c/1092566278_0:1:3639:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_a42a605969f93378b91a878ce52d8710.jpg After a research assistant at its Genomics Research Center contracted COVID-19 on the job in late 2021, Academia Sinica, Taiwan's most prestigious academic institution, was eventually fined for biosafety violations, Science reported on the developments in the incident.During a press conference held last week, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung, who also heads Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), reportedly said the academy would be fined 150,000 New Taiwan dollars ($5400) for the incident, which was reportedly the world's first documented infection with the pandemic coronavirus in a research lab. Michael Lai, a virologist at Academia Sinica's Institute of Molecular Biology, is quoted in the report as saying that the case implies that lab oversight was "not stringent enough." The infected worker, as well as her supervisor, departed the lab just before she tested positive. The worker willingly resigned on December 3, according to Academia Sinica's statement to the outlet. Jan Jia-Tsrong, her supervisor, told Science that he retired on December 1, adding that his retirement was planned well before the occurrence and is related to his age and health.The assistant had worked with infected animals, and her viral sequence allegedly matched that of a Delta variant strain sent to the lab by the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, but not that of Delta strains discovered in the population in recent months. By December 9, according to the report, when CECC published the case, the woman's condition had improved, and 110 close contacts and 373 individuals with a connection to the case had all tested negative.Later last month, the country's CDC presented a report on the incident, concluding that the assistant may have become infected by inhaling a virus present in the lab or by removing personal protective equipment (PPE) in the improper order, starting with her face mask.CECC reportedly highlighted various issues at the lab in response to the conclusions of an external investigative committee. The statement claims that staff involved in the research did not wear coverall hazmat suits, N95 masks, double gloves, goggles, or shoe covers, and did not follow procedures for using biosafety cabinets or removing PPE. The lab's staff training was allegedly considered insufficient, and Academia Sinica's biosafety committee did not perform enough audits or track new employee training and assessment.Interestingly enough, Jan had been through a similar ordeal with a virus closely related to the current SARS-CoV-2. He reportedly became infected with the virus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, while working at the National Defense Medical Center's Institute of Preventive Medicine, roughly 6 months after a worldwide outbreak of the disease was quelled.Back then, Taiwan, in conjunction with the World Health Organization, adopted new biosafety measures in the aftermath of the incident. Jan, on the other hand, reportedly believes that lab mishaps can never be completely avoided.And according to Filippa Lentzos, a sociologist at Kings College London who specializes in biosecurity issues, as quoted by Science, it is rather "surprising" that there have not been more reported cases of lab outbreaks recently, since personnel at numerous labs around the world are handling or investigating the virus.However, it should be mentioned that in areas where SARS-CoV-2 is widespread, such cases could easily go unnoticed. china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Kirill Kurevlev Kirill Kurevlev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Kirill Kurevlev tech, china, taiwan, laboratory, test lab, covid-19, delta variant of covid-19, omicron strain https://sputniknews.com/20220128/top-bjp-politicians-granddaughter-dies-from-apparent-suicide-1092576528.html Top BJP Politician's Granddaughter Dies From Apparent Suicide Top BJP Politician's Granddaughter Dies From Apparent Suicide Born to the eldest daughter of senior BJP politician B. S. Yediyurappa, Soundarya was the eldest granddaughter in the family. 28.01.2022, Sputnik International 2022-01-28T15:38+0000 2022-01-28T15:38+0000 2022-01-28T16:38+0000 suicide politics politics bharatiya janata party (bjp) politics suicide karnataka state karnataka suicide politics /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/1c/1092582290_0:0:651:366_1920x0_80_0_0_328f8669e380ea45d7f917c3f3c4b540.jpg Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politician and ex-Indian state chief B.S. Yediyurappas granddaughter was found dead at her home in Karnataka state on Friday. As per the preliminary investigation, she committed suicide by hanging from a ceiling fan.Soundarya Neeraj, a doctor by profession at the MS Ramaiah hospital of Bengaluru city, was in her early 30s.According to the police, she was living with her husband, a fellow doctor, at an upscale apartment near Mount Carmel College. The couple have a six-month-old child.She married two years ago and according to media reports she had shown signs of post-pregnancy depression."Her body has been shifted to the state-run Bowring hospital for a post-mortem to ascertain the cause of death. Media reports, quoting sources, said that Soundarya was a successful doctor who always brought smiles to her patients' faces.A senior police official told the media that so far they have not been able to question her husband or any other family members as all of them are in a state of shock". karnataka state karnataka Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Rahul Trivedi https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926121_0:-1:627:627_100x100_80_0_0_d882e1a63f627c25b7a534fb8b8234d7.jpg Rahul Trivedi https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926121_0:-1:627:627_100x100_80_0_0_d882e1a63f627c25b7a534fb8b8234d7.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Rahul Trivedi https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926121_0:-1:627:627_100x100_80_0_0_d882e1a63f627c25b7a534fb8b8234d7.jpg suicide, politics, politics, bharatiya janata party (bjp), politics, suicide, karnataka state, karnataka, suicide, politics, india https://sputniknews.com/20220128/total-rhubarb-bojo-denies-having-part-in-afganistan-animal-rescue-operation-as-new-emails-emerge-1092569791.html 'Total Rhubarb': BoJo Denies Having Part in Afganistan Animal Rescue Operation as New Emails Emerge 'Total Rhubarb': BoJo Denies Having Part in Afganistan Animal Rescue Operation as New Emails Emerge Despite Boris Johnson last year dismissing reports about the prioritisation of a charter flight carrying animals out of Kabul during August's chaotic... 28.01.2022, Sputnik International 2022-01-28T05:49+0000 2022-01-28T05:49+0000 2022-01-28T05:58+0000 boris johnson afghanistan uk /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/10/1092290425_0:171:3032:1877_1920x0_80_0_0_09b0eaef3f56e204294b83a8d1fe3575.jpg Boris Johnson has brushed off accusations that he prioritised the airlift of pets and animals out of Afghanistan during last years massive evacuation effort. The statement echoed his response to the claims last year, when he told reporters in December that they were "complete nonsense". However, freshly leaked emails cited by Sky News appear to question the PMs account of events in August 2021 during the chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan. Correspondence between Johnsons top parliamentary aide, Trudy Harrison, and managers of British airline Virgin Atlantic shows Harrison saying that the transport secretary would "provide whatever assistance is needed" to get the animals out and that her efforts had the backing of the government. Harrison was requesting help from Virgin Atlantic to secure a plane to make the trip something that she subsequently failed to do. Fast-Tracked Intervention An email dated 23 August between two senior staffers at Virgin Atlantic states: A second email underscores that Harrison purportedly has full government backing for her intervention.The PMs aide is shown to have emailed Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss on the 24 August, a day before she approached a private charter company for help to find an alternative plane. Funding for the charter flight Harrison tried to arrange on 25 August was reportedly to be provided by a US philanthropist. Harrison says in the correspondence that "we are keen to engage in early preparedness as this is a more complex and particularly high profile operation". The aide adds that flight codes from UK defence would be needed and "we very much hope [they] will be forthcoming, subject to an effective process prioritising those in most urgent need". This yet again appears to contradict earlier statements by Downing Street that the PM had "no role" in authorising the airlift in question.Animals and pets from the Nowzad charity run by former Royal Marine commando Paul "Pen" Farthing in Afghanistan were eventually airlifted on a plane provided by a separate Polish charter company. Staff were helped to flee the country, taken over by the Taliban* Islamist group, via a land route. Further evidence of No 10s involvement in the aforementioned animal airlift from Kabul is seen in several messages cited by BBC's Newsnight. Thus, an email from Rachel King, an aide to then-foreign secretary Dominic Raab shows her referred to Raab as seeking a steer from No 10 on whether to call them forward now to board a plane out of Kabul.Another email, from Nigel Casey, the Prime Minister's special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, shows him saying that UK National Security Adviser Stephen Lovegrove was advised to seek clear guidance for us from No 10 asap on what they would like us to do. The purported roles of Carrie Johnson, the PMs wife, and her friend, Foreign Office Minister Zac Goldsmith, have also been questioned. Last December volunteer Dominic Dyer told LBC radio, I know Carrie Johnson and claimed he had lobbied her directly to help the 170 animals and their handlers flee Kabul. Mrs Johnson is believed to have denied speaking to anyone from Nowzad about the airlift rescue or speaking to the PM about it. Boris Johnson, whose Tory leadership hangs in the balance in anticipation of a Cabinet Office report into allegations of COVID-19 lockdown-busting parties at Downing Street in 2020 and 2021, faced fresh backlash over the animal airlift story on Wednesday. New leaked emails released by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, conducting an inquiry into the government's handling of the Afghanistan crisis, disclosed communications suggesting that the PM did personally authorise rescue efforts for pets and animals. The first piece of correspondence, released by the Committee as part of its broader investigation of the Afghanistan debacle, is dated 25 August 2021, was sent by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs with responsibility for the Pacific Zac Goldsmith and addressed to an official in the Foreign Secretary's private office (name redacted).A second email, from an unnamed Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office employee, also on 25 August, and addressed to an official in the Foreign Secretary's private office, also points to the PM's direct involvement.The emails appear to confirm allegations made earlier by former Foreign Office official-turned whistleblower Raphael Marshall on the prioritisation of animals over people during the the UK's evacuation from Afghanistan in August, codenamed Operation Pitting. The Prime Minister's official spokesman responded to the leaked emails by saying:*The Taliban is an organisation sanctioned by the UN for terrorist activities. https://sputniknews.com/20220126/johnson-personally-approved-evacuation-of-pets-animals-from-afghanistan-emails-reveal-1092531098.html afghanistan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko boris johnson, afghanistan, uk Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). 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Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 https://sputniknews.com/20220128/ukraine-is-pawn-in-americas-chess-game-australian-scholar-says-1092580297.html 'Ukraine is Pawn in America's Chess Game,' Australian Scholar Says 'Ukraine is Pawn in America's Chess Game,' Australian Scholar Says As the Western media claims Russia is an "aggressor" willing to "invade" Ukraine, Kiev has been receiving more and more financial and technical assistance from... 28.01.2022, Sputnik International 2022-01-28T16:02+0000 2022-01-28T16:02+0000 2022-01-28T16:02+0000 interviews /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/06/1082819534_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_ca12e7e8bca978044dbb4201ce2cc8c5.jpg Joseph Camilleri, emeritus professor at La Trobe University in Melbourne and one of Australia's leading international relations scholars, explains why the US has been so preoccupied with Ukraine and how Western speculation about the "Russian threat" could backfire in the long run.Sputnik: If it's up to Russia, there will be no war; Moscow does not want war, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. So, why does the US continue winding up their allies? What's their primary goal here? Could it prompt a backlash?Joseph Camilleri: The United States, which is playing the leading role, is very anxious to protect its interests right across Europe, right to the doorstep of Russia and does not wish to give ground on any of those issues, which the Russian side has raised in its formal letter to the United States administration. I think they want to protect that position and they want to, in a sense, put the Russian side on the back foot. That's what they're trying to do. And the question is: how will this situation be handled by both sides so that nothing unpleasant happens in any part of Europe. That's the problem.We don't know what's proposed. As you know, they have been saying that they're going to do this, that and the other if there is an incursion by the Russian side into Ukraine. Russia has said it has no intention of doing that and therefore none of those threats should come to pass. But nevertheless, the fact that it has happened, that those threats have been made, creates a tense situation. And I think the backfiring is that it prevents a proper dialogue and a constructive relationship to occur in Europe, and this can have wider implications beyond Europe. And I think that is a great danger.Sputnik: How could the overhyping of the alleged Russian threat backfire and hurt the West in general and Europe in particular?Joseph Camilleri: I think it could backfire in terms of greater instability in Europe, and that will be of no benefit to either Western Europe or Eastern Europe, Ukraine included, and it could backfire in the sense that it creates greater tensions outside of Europe as well. That is to say, in places where Russian-American dialogue is necessary for the resolution of conflicts, whether it's in the Middle East or elsewhere, or in relation to the Iran nuclear issue. In the absence of a proper dialogue, we run the danger of no possibility of easing these conflicts, let alone a resolution of them.What is an appropriate response on the part of the West, an appropriate policy position? At the surface there would appear to be a common view. But I think if you probe a little beneath the surface, there are very substantial differences of view and differences of approach. And I think this will come to the fore. The fact that President Macron has gone out of his way to argue that we need to continue a dialogue with Russia is, I think, just one small indication of this. I'm sure Germany would not wish the Nord Stream gas pipeline to be endangered as a project. But probably under current pressure from the United States, has been willing to say that it may be willing to do just that in certain eventualities.I think there are tensions between Europe and the United States, and I think both France and Germany, probably France more than Germany, but nevertheless both of them are very keen to strike a more independent position on a number of issues. I think in part, you could argue that the United States is using this current situation in order to reassert its leadership or dominance within NATO and therefore over Europe. But I don't think that is a sustainable long-term position.Sputnik: Lavrov said the US is not so much interested in Ukraine, as it is in scaling up the hysteria around the crisis, and intends to turn to the Chinese issue after that. What's your take on that? How can Russia and China confront the US together?Joseph Camilleri: I think the US is interested in Ukraine in the sense that Ukraine is the final nail, so to speak, it's the final prize that they would like to have in the end. The other major prize they would like to get, if it were possible, is for Ukraine either to join NATO or to be on the verge of joining NATO. And so I think it does matter to them.So I think we'll have to wait and see whether it goes in that direction or not. But that would be a high probability, in my view, that that may well happen in the months and years ahead if the current tensions between the two major nuclear powers are not resolved or at least kept in check.I think Russia and China have already been confronting the US; they have already been doing it to some extent. And I think they certainly do it at the United Nations when on many issues, they adopt a common position and make it much more difficult for the United States or some of its allies to push particular positions. I think basically up to this point in time, Russia and China have, if you like, worked a kind of division of labour, where Russia has the main call when it comes to European affairs, and China plays the leading role when it comes to Asia-Pacific affairs. But maybe over time, they might go one step further and try and adopt a more detailed common position on a wider range of issues. And so the next 6 to 12 months would be very interesting to follow to see whether something like this emerges. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 interviews https://sputniknews.com/20220128/us-uk-antagonism-of-russia-threatens-to-pull-nato-apart-at-the-seams-1092566001.html US-UK Antagonism of Russia Threatens to Pull NATO Apart at the Seams US-UK Antagonism of Russia Threatens to Pull NATO Apart at the Seams The NATO alliance was formed by Western capitalist powers in 1949 as a deterrence to potential invasion by the Soviet Union. Dependent on the US for support... 28.01.2022, Sputnik International 2022-01-28T00:14+0000 2022-01-28T00:14+0000 2022-01-28T00:14+0000 russia opinion ukraine us diplomacy nato five eyes /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/0c/1092193700_66:0:3707:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_bff7716b0c9ccaa2e046bb2f54e2a3b8.jpg On paper, the 30-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is united in its support of non-member Ukraine and opposition to a perceived threat of Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, in reality, the crisis is being driven by the United States, a North American power, and the United Kingdom, which sits off Europes western coast and is recently divorced from the European Union, experts told Sputnik.Another Straw Onto the EU CamelDr. Matthew Crosston, Executive Vice Chairman of ModernDiplomacy.eu, chief analytical strategist of I3, a strategic intelligence consulting company, and former director over all Intelligence Programs at the American Military University said that the US has continued to behave as if the Cold War never ended and refused to consider that Russia might have legitimate security interests that need to be acknowledged, respected and addressed.How it can play against the US is if other members of the European community, the ones most likely at risk by all of this game-playing, decide that enough is enough and they want the two sides to come together not just to declare their perspective points and retreat, but to actually engage with the real possibility of compromise on positions. That kind of pressure from traditional allies has never been faced by the United States in the past, so if that were to happen it would be interesting to see how things would then progress, Crosston observed, adding that if that happened, it would clarify and make explicit the divide between the UK and EU.Talking about the UK Crosston said that the country has continued to show its intent to follow Washington down the diplomatic path, regardless of the outcome.However, according to him, the EU at least theoretically sometimes entertains the idea that it could consider some non-US positions or non-American interests. "I have my own skeptical doubts, however, if Ukraine is the platform that the EU would decide to capitalize on that difference. I doubt it feels Ukraine is important enough to end up siding against the US-UK political position. So, while the Ukraine crisis perhaps can be seen as adding yet another straw onto the EU camel, I doubt it is the straw that will break the EU's camel back. But it is one more step in that inevitable direction.The US, representing NATO in real terms, will always unilaterally reject these two requests, because to give ground on them will be seen in the domestic political market as an acquiescence to the enemy it supposedly vanquished thirty years before with the end of the Cold War. Russia will never change these two requests so long as NATO remains at its heart an organization that exists exclusively as a deterrence to Russian power and its expression of power.The Most Bellicose Because They Have the Least to LoseDaniel Lazare, an independent journalist, author, and writer, noted that the European powers are still afraid to stand up to Washington, but the present crisis poses the possibility of forcing their hand.The same goes for France: [French President Emmanuel] Macron knows full well that the US is largely responsible for drumming this crisis up and that, after years of deference to US imperial policy, he has no choice but to begin pushing back before things get completely out of hand. But he also knows that the US can't stand criticism and that it will therefore respond precisely as it did in 2003 when France said no to an invasion of Iraq, i.e. with childish petulance. This will cause the split to widen even more -- not because America necessarily wants it to, but because it is locked into a rhetorical mode that is incapable of brooking dissent.Anglophone Five Eyes Leading Europe to WarTony Kevin, the former Australian ambassador to Poland and Cambodia and former carrier officer of the Australian Foreign Ministry, noted that NATOs rejection of Moscows honorable diplomatic overtures aimed at deconfliction in Eastern Europe was likely to encourage Moscow to respond - but not necessarily in Ukraine, or even in Europe.There are many ways, many military technical means by which Russia can make its presence felt in the Western world. It all adds up to an increase in tension; an increase in estrangement; the already very small prospects for detente are now even smaller. And Russia's focus, I believe, will continue to move towards the east and the south of Russia, towards the countries of Asia, the Pacific and Latin America. So it will go back to a situation of something like the Cold War that I worked in the [1960s and 1970s], where you had a Western bloc, you had a bloc led by Russia and you had a very large non-aligned group who were quite inclined to support Russia, he said.If you look at continental Europe, attitudes of key leaders like Macron and [German Chancellor Olaf] Scholz in Germany and the leaders of Italy and Spain, are much more, much more balanced and they are not inclined to be let alone by the Anglophone four or really just two, Canada and Australia, supporters, Kevin noted. ukraine us Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg russia, opinion, ukraine, us, diplomacy, nato, five eyes https://sputniknews.com/20220128/war-danger-boorish-diplomacy-and-uss-cossacks-in-europe-best-bits-from-lavrovs-big-interview-1092581152.html War Danger, Boorish Diplomacy, and US Cossacks in Europe: Best Bits From Lavrovs Big Interview War Danger, Boorish Diplomacy, and US Cossacks in Europe: Best Bits From Lavrovs Big Interview The Russian foreign minister sat down with the heads of four major Russian radio stations on Friday to discuss the pressing international issues of the day... 28.01.2022, Sputnik International 2022-01-28T14:49+0000 2022-01-28T14:49+0000 2022-01-28T19:12+0000 sergei lavrov russia ukraine rt diplomacy interview nato /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/1c/1092580026_0:0:1350:759_1920x0_80_0_0_197717a2c1e4e14fdbaccb9e86f9476e.jpg War With US?There will be no war between Russia and the United States, at least if it is up to Russia to decide, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has assured.Discussions regarding the US' formal written response to Russia's security proposals are still ongoing, Lavrov said. The Western-style responses muddy the waters, but there are rational points there on secondary issues, he noted.These secondary points include a number of proposals to prevent conflict, deescalate, and engage in confidence-building, and all of them were previously rejected by the US side over the past three years, according to the foreign minister. In other words, the constructive elements contained in the reply is in fact borrowed from recent Russian initiatives. At least its something, the foreign minister quipped.Lavrov emphasised that Moscows security proposals which include a series of measures aimed at easing tensions between Russia and the Western bloc as well as a firm demand that Ukraine not be allowed to join NATO, do not constitute an ultimatum, and do not contain any unreasonable requests. The US and its allies have spent months now accusing Russia of plans to "invade" Ukraine. Moscow has vocally denied these claims.Western Incantations About Open DoorsIn their public remarks on Russia's security proposals, Western officials have repeatedly claimed that Moscow cannot decide for Kiev on what alliances the country can join, citing Organisation for Security Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) agreements. Russia takes a broader, more comprehensive view of these treaties, Lavrov indicated.In 2010 in Astana, and before that in 1999 in Istanbul, all of the presidents and prime ministers of the OSCE countries signed a package of agreements which contained interrelated principles for ensuring the indivisibility of security. The West pulls out only one phrase from this package that each country has the right to choose its allies, to choose its military alliances, but there is also a right stipulating the obligation of each country not to strengthen its security at the expense of the security of others, the foreign minister said.Lavrov informed that Russia is preparing to send its US and NATO colleagues a formal request for clarification later Friday asking them to explain how they are going to fulfil their obligations under the OSCE treaties.Its just that their position is based on false arguments, on a direct misinterpretation of the facts, while ours is based on what everyone signed up for. And here I dont see any room for compromise. Otherwise what is there to negotiate if the West openly sabotages the old decisions and misinterprets them? This will be a key test for us, Lavrov summed up.NATOs Shameful ReplyNATO also sent a formal written response to Russia's security proposals on Wednesday. Lavrov characterised it as much more ideological than that of the Americans, to the point where Washingtons letter constituted a model of diplomatic decency by comparison.Ukraine TensionsLavrov indicated that when it comes to the Ukraine crisis, Moscow continues to hold to its firm position that Kiev must implement the political portion of the Minsk Agreements, which would end the war in the Donbass, ease regional tensions and serve to guarantee Ukraines territorial integrity.The issue of recognition [of the Donetsk and Lugansk republics] should be considered in the context of our firm position to force the West to push Kiev to implement with the Minsk Agreements. Then everything will be fine, Lavrov said.The foreign minister believes that only the United States could force Kiev to implement the treaty. President Biden even offered to help implement the Minsk agreements at his meeting in Geneva with President Putin last June, Lavrov said.Signed in the Belarusian capital of Minsk in February 2015, the Minsk Agreements called for an immediate ceasefire in the civil conflict in eastern Ukraine, demanded the pullback of forces and heavy weapons from the line of contact, and called on Kiev to implement legal reforms which would grant its eastern regions significant autonomy.The Russian diplomat accused the West of hysterically inflating tensions around Ukraine, to the point where even Ukrainian officials themselves have begun trying to pump the breaks.This fearmongering has become so frank and cynical in its use of Ukraine against Russia that the regime in Kiev has become frightened. They are already saying that there is no need to exacerbate this discussion so much, talking about reducing the rhetoric, asking the West why it is evacuating its diplomats, Lavrov noted.The Russian diplomat emphasised, however, that he said nothing "threatening" regarding Ukraine to his US counterpart Antony Blinken at their recent meeting in Geneva, after which the US side announced its diplomatic evacuation. I didnt tell him anything. I assure you that we discussed only the security guarantees, and after that I raised the completely unacceptable situation regarding our diplomatic missions, Lavrov said.Washingtons Ukrainian Cossacks in EuropeThe Russian foreign minister accused Washington of using Kiev to project American interests in Europe, and stressed that Ukraines leaders are always welcome to come to Russia for talks if they want to try to improve bilateral relations.He noted that President Zelensky is free to visit Russia if he wants to start a dialogue about normalizing relations, whether these take place in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi or elsewhere. He added however that if the Ukrainian president wants to discuss Donbass, he should speak to the Donbass republics directly through the contact group. When he says that he wont talk to them, thats bad. This is bad for the intra-Ukrainian crisis, and for our relations, Lavrov stressed.New Warning Regarding New SanctionsNew sanctions against Russia would be contrary to the West's own interests, Lavrov indicated.As far as the threat of sanctions is concerned: The US has been informed in the course of discussions between [Presidents Putin and Biden] that the package of measures which has now been mentioned about the complete shutdown of financial and economic systems controlled by the West would be considered tantamount to breaking off relations. This was said directly, and I think they understand this, the Russian foreign minister stressed. I dont think that this would be in anyones interests, he added.Earlier this month, US media reported on the introduction of legislation in Congress aimed at "collapsing" the Russian economy, including new restrictions on the Russian banking sector, personal sanctions against military and government officials, prohibiting transactions involving Russian sovereign debt, and potentially cutting the country off from the SWIFT interbank transfer system.In a moment of levity during the sanctions discussion, after being informed that the US was even considering restrictions against Lavrov personally, the foreign minister quipped: What do you mean even me? What, am I not worthy of sanctions?Washingtons Boorish Behaviour Toward Russian DiplomatsLavrov also discussed difficulties that Russian diplomats have experienced in dealing with their US counterparts in recent years, recalling an undiplomatic incident that took place a couple of years ago, when, in a private conversation, an assistant to then-US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Lavrovs deputy that Pompeo had mentioned a scheme to optimize the work of diplomats, with the US reportedly considering reducing the terms of service of foreign diplomats to three years.To the question on why this was being announced on the sly, and whether there were similar deliberations regarding countries besides Russia, we were told no, that no other countries were considered for such an experiment, only the Russian Federation. It was then that another round of diplomatic head-butting began, Lavrov revealed.Antonov did end up leaving Washington temporarily due to a separate diplomatic flap in March of 2021 over a controversial interview with President Biden to ABC News in which the US leader agreed with the characterization of President Putin as a killer and threatened to make Moscow pay a price for its alleged meddling in US elections.Commenting on the ongoing dispute between Russia and the US regarding diplomatic property and the number of diplomatic personnel stationed in each country, Lavrov promised that a meeting on the matter would be held within the next couple of weeks.We propose a reset for everything starting with the ugly and petty move by Nobel laureate [Barack] Obama, to annul everything starting with that move and from what followed, Lavrov said, referring to the former US presidents decision to kick out 35 Russian diplomats out of the US in late 2016 in response to claims of Russian election meddling.Ties With Latin AmericaLavrov stressed that Moscow would continue to engage with and build relations with Latin American nations, no matter how the talks with the West on Russias security proposals turn out.Earlier, US media ramped up fears that Russia might put military bases or even nuclear-tipped missiles in the Western Hemisphere, with these reports prompting US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield to warn that such an aggressive action against the United States would elicit a strong response from Washington.Navalny SagaLavrov weighed in on the saga surrounding Alexei Navalny the Russian opposition vlogger whose alleged poisoning sparked a new escalation of tensions between the West and Moscow in 2020. Moscow, he said, still has a series of unanswered questions regarding the incident.There are a lot of interesting elements there, he noted, pointing out, for example, that Navalny was visited by US intelligence officers during his stay in the Berlin hospital.As for broader Western allegations against Russia regarding Navalnys alleged poisoning, Lavrov said that he believes that so far the West has no cause to blame us, and that the poisoning saga was started artificially as a deliberate provocation.Human Rights Court SpatIn recent weeks, the European Court of Human Rights and Russia have engaged in multiple spats on a range of issues, including Moscow's decision to close down human rights NGO "Memorial," the MH17 case, a Ukrainian case about Russia's alleged "abduction of children" from the Donbass, and other problems. Lavrov commented on these developments by suggesting that unfortunately, in his estimation, the court has lost its ability to make objective judgements.Over the past few years, Russia has raised the question of materializing the statutory provision [on a commission of human rights], and there was general agreement to start work on such a commission, as well as a common understanding that we would primarily deal with human rights issues in the Commonwealth of Independent States area, so that we ourselves, all CIS countries, and not some Western structures, like the ECHR, would rule on these subjects. Because the EHCR lost its ability to rely on the principles of justice a long time ago, and politicises its decisions more and more with each passing year, in my opinion, Lavrov said. https://sputniknews.com/20220125/ukraines-defence-minister-slams-foreign-media-for-whipping-up-russian-invasion-fears-1092512473.html https://sputniknews.com/20220112/us-democratic-senators-suggest-sanctions-on-russias-banking-sector-under-ukraine-defending-act-1092211046.html https://sputniknews.com/20210625/us-not-going-to-return-seized-diplomatic-property-to-russia-ambassador-antonov-says-1083242623.html https://sputniknews.com/20220118/us-warns-of-strong-response-if-russia-tries-to-intimidate-washington-with-nukes-in-latin-america-1092349826.html ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Editors note: Information is provided by the Cowlitz County Corrections Department and local law enforcement agencies. Each individual named in this report is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Stolen vehicle, forgery Kelso officers Wednesday arrested Zach Schriber, 28, of Kelso, on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, forgery, driving without a license, reckless driving, first-degree identity theft, attempted theft in the third degree and second-degree possession of stolen property. Stolen property Woodland officers Wednesday arrested Jacob Webster, 23, of Woodland, on suspicion of second-degree possession of stolen property and second-degree trafficking stolen property. Burglaries 1700 block of 13th Avenue, Kelso. Wednesday. Report of phone stolen from storage unit. 1400 block of First Avenue, Kelso. Wednesday. Report of power tools taken from garage. 2600 block of 34th Avenue, Longview. Wednesday. Stolen vehicles 100 block of Beacon Hill Drive, Longview. Wednesday. Report of white, Chevrolet Express van with Rawhide Electric logo stolen. 400 block of Brierwood Court, Castle Rock. Wednesday. Report of black 1998 Honda Civic four-door stolen. Washington CAC4703. Front bumper tied on. 1900 block of Allen Street, Kelso. Wednesday. Report of green and gold Subaru Legacy donated to Kelso High School auto shop class stolen. Oregon 324LDG. Thefts 400 block of Nevada Drive, Longview. Wednesday. Report of mail theft. 3900 block of Kalama River Road, Kalama. Wednesday. Report of $500 worth of items taken by an employee. Vandalism/malicious mischief 3500 block of Dike Road, Woodland. Wednesday. Report of teens tying a rope around a fence and pulling it with a vehicle. Vehicle prowls 2000 block of Lewis River Road, Woodland. Wednesday. Battery reported taken after vehicle prowl. 300 block of Long Avenue, Kelso. Wednesday. Report of black 2019 Ram broken into. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 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. Construction work has wrapped at Butler Acres Elementary School, concluding one more renovation from the slate of improvements planned by the Kelso School District. The district will hold a ribbon-cutting and public tour for the revamped school on Feb. 2. Butler Acres students and staff are already well aware of the work thats been done, since they remained in the building during much of the year and a half of construction. Wed be hearing drills and hammers and music and talking, all the things you associate with a construction site, while trying to teach. Sometimes it was on the other side of a plywood wall, Butler Acres Principal Mark Connolly said. Renovation work originally was scheduled to finish in August, so theres been a longer overlap than the district expected. Supply-chain delays in obtaining material and contractor staffing shortages at the end of last summer delayed the start of the school year by a week. A video of students singing in the gym last fall was interrupted by construction workers rising into view from outside the rear window. Connolly said he is happy with how the staff handled the challenges posed by the renovation work and is excited by the finished product. Butler Acres renovation is one segment of the $98.6 million bond approved by Kelso voters in 2018 to fund an array of school improvements across the district. The elementary school received roughly $13 million from that bond for its modernization and remodeling. The improvement work at Butler Acres and Huntington Middle School received an additional $18 million in matching funds from the state. Its been a silver lining during [COVID-19] to have this really exciting work, this visible work that everyone can see, Superintendent Mary Beth Tack said. New entrance, classes, improvements at Butler Acres Elementary One of the most obvious changes to Butler Acres is the new main entrance. The previous entrance was one of the few rooms at the bottom floor of the building. People coming into the school would head up a staircase and then a few steps down one of the hallways before getting to the main office. Connolly said the new entrance is more prominent and more secure. The front doors sit below a steel overhang with the schools name on it, directly next to the revamped parking lot and bus loop. The entrance funnels visitors directly into the main office, where they have to check in and talk to staff before entering the school. By adding a new wing of classrooms, Butler Acres is able to stop relying on portables to hold students. The new northern section of the school is home to seven classrooms, which are largely used by the second-grade classes and the special needs program. This makes it easier for teachers to team up and collaborate with each other. Once were through with COVID, we can have a lot more cross-over, Connolly said. Other classrooms saw improvements in the form of new projectors and cabinets for in-class storage. The schools HVAC system and water pipes were upgraded. The gym floors were seismically reinforced and given a new layer of flooring. School Media Specialist Bethny Webb spent a few weeks making classroom visits while the library was being renovated. The updated library has the same square footage as before, but a new layout created a new reading nook. Segments of the original brick walls were kept visible as a visual reference to the schools 65-year history. I love it, Webb said. It really feels bigger. We can fit more books and have the kids working all around the room. The design of the new wing allowed the school to turn one of the former playground locations into a smaller, quieter courtyard. Connolly said the new area, dubbed the Blue Jay Sanctuary, will provide outdoor eating and a mindfulness zone. The schools Parent Teacher Association painted space for a Simon Says-type imitation game on the blacktop and will continue to decorate the yard. The ribbon cutting event and public tour of the school will start at 6 p.m. Tuesday. District spokeswoman Michele Nerland said the district will have maps of the old and new layouts of the school available to show everything that has changed. Its also a chance for past students to come in and see whats changed. Oh, I went to second grade in that classroom, look what theyve done with it, Nerland said. If You Go What: Butler Acres Elementary School ribbon-cutting and tour. Where: 1609 Burcham Street, Kelso. When: 6 p.m. Feb. 2. More details: Kelso School District website and Facebook page. Huntington Middle School will be the next bond-funded project to conclude. The middle school is not teaching and building at the same time; Huntington students were moved to Catlin Elementary School while the renovations are taking place. Once the work at Huntington wraps up, the largest remaining outstanding projects will be at Rose Valley Elementary School, Coweeman Middle School and the Kelso High School stadium. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Longview City Council approved the citys role in a regional effort to address Mount St. Helens continued impacts on waterways during a relatively quiet Thursday night council meeting. The council unanimously voted for Mayor MaryAlice Wallis to sign onto the Spirit Lake-Toutle/Cowlitz River Collaborative, a cooperative agreement between an array of local, state and federal agencies to work together on the future of the regions waterways. The declaration creates a formal way for Longview and other local groups to communicate with the federal agencies about the plans for Spirit Lake and the risks of downstream flooding. This is a necessary piece of this community and this area, Wallis said. The public comment at Thursdays meeting featured a back-and-forth discussion between city attorney James McNamara and Longview resident George Brajcich. Brajcich argued the city had improperly rescheduled several of last years City Council meetings to different dates. In particular, Brajcich questioned meetings in August and December that were rescheduled as special meetings even though they would not have conflicted with holidays, one of the permittable reasons to reschedule city meetings. McNamara reassured the council the rescheduling had been done legally. If a regular council meeting is rescheduled as another regular council meeting, it has to take place on the next business day. Alternatively, the meeting could be replaced with a special council meeting that had more flexibility with its timing. During Thursdays meeting, the city council also took action to: sign onto two mutual aid agreements with the Washington State Department of Transportation, one for emergency proclamations and one for nonemergency local requests. reschedule to Feb. 24 a public hearing on the annual report about Department of Housing and Urban Development grant programs. award a $381,900 bid to J.H. Kelly, LLC, for work at the Mint Farm Regional Water Treatment Plant revise the minutes for the Jan. 13 council meeting to say Mayor Wallis and Mayor Pro Tem Mike Wallin had been unanimously re-elected. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. President Vladimir Putin rejected the central banks proposal to impose a complete cryptocurrency ban in Russia. President Vladimir Putin backs a Russian government proposal to tax and regulate mining of cryptocurrencies, rejecting the central banks proposal to ban it completely, according to three people familiar with the matter. Putin supports the proposal to restrict mining to regions with a surplus of electricity, such as Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk and Karelia, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is not public. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to say what Putins stance was and said that the president ordered the government and central bank to work out their differences. Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here. Also read: The press services for the government and central bank did not immediately respond to requests to comment on the status of the talks. Putins position is good news for an industry that has suffered numerous setbacks recently, including Chinas complete ban last year and Kazakhstan temporarily unplugging miners this week as the country faced blackouts. Russia became the worlds third biggest crypto miner in 2021, after the U.S. and Kazakhstan, according to Cambridge University data released in October. The presidents backing, combined with his public comments this week, mean that the proposals are likely to be approved. Putin on Wednesday called for the government and central bank to reach an agreement soon over how to regulate crypto. We also have certain competitive advantages here, especially in the so-called mining, Putin said during a government meeting, while acknowledging risks associated with crypto. I mean the surplus of electricity and well-trained personnel available in the country. Mining Bitcoin, the worlds most valuable cryptocurrency, requires special computers that work to solve complex encrypted problems, and the biggest operating expense for the business is electricity. Russia has a number of regions that have a surplus of electricity due abundant supplies from hydroelectric plants or because energy-intensive Soviet-era industrial facilities shut down. Vitaliy Borschenko, co-founder of Russian miner BitCluster, said that miners were invited to join a working government group after the central bank published its report proposing a blanket ban on crypto. Most ministries and agencies are against radical measures, Borschenko said. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Big data is big, as it were, and the buzz phrase is often accompanied by associated terms such as data mining, machine learning, computational intelligence, the semantic web, and social networks. Research published in the International Journal of Cloud Computing looks at big data in this context and asks how social big data might best be analyzed with state-of-the-art tools to allow us to extract new knowledge. Social media and social networking represent a vast information resource with hundreds of millions of people using dozens of tools, such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook on a daily basis and posting billions of updates, images, videos, and much more. All of this information, much of it publicly accessible might well be mined for useful knowledge that could, in turn, be useful to a wide range of third parties in various types of business, not-for-profit organizations, law enforcement, those in commerce and marketing, researchers in socioeconomics, healthcare, and many other fields. Brahim Lejdel of the University of El-Oued in El-Oued, Algeria, points out that the combination of big data technologies and traditional machine learning algorithms has already led to some new and interesting challenges for social media and social networking. Among the challenges are how best to process, store, represent, and visualize the vast repositories of information that big data represents. The new research uses a hybrid approach of multi-agent systems and algorithms. It offers what Lejdel describes as a "new approach that can extract entities and their relationships from social big data." This, he suggests, will allow researchers to pull meaningful knowledge from big data. Lejdel points out that research into big data and social network is in its infancy, of course. Each small step in research takes us closer to understanding and making use of big data and addressing those challenges. In the current work, he proposes what he describes as "a conceptual model helping decision-makers and customers to find the most relevant solutions that are currently available for extracting, managing, controlling, analysis and visualize knowledge in social media for better user experiences and services." Explore further Analyzing online social networking to identify emotions and other characteristics More information: Brahim Lejdel, Analysing knowledge in social big data, International Journal of Cloud Computing (2022). Brahim Lejdel, Analysing knowledge in social big data,(2022). DOI: 10.1504/IJCC.2021.120388 Mobile phones belonging to Finnish diplomats were spied on using the cyber espionage software Pegasus, the country's foreign ministry said on Friday. "We can now be clear that there has been spyware in our phones," the ministry's head of information security, Matti Parviainen, told AFP. The infected mobile devices were used by Finnish diplomats posted overseas, although the ministry refused to comment on how many staff were targeted, nor on whether the identity of the cyberattackers is known. "We have good guesses" about how long the diplomats were spied on, Parviainen said, but the espionage is no longer continuing. Diplomats' phones only handle information that is either public or with the lowest security classification, the ministry said, but added "the information and its source may be confidential between diplomats." Pegasus, which can switch on a phone's camera or microphone and harvest its data, was at the centre of a scandal last year after a list was made public of about 50,000 potential surveillance targets worldwide, including journalists, politicians, lawyers and dissidents. The chairman of Israeli firm NSO Group, makers of the Pegasus spyware, stepped down on Tuesday this week but denied the move was linked to the controversy around the surveillance software. US authorities last November blacklisted NSO by restricting exports to it from American groups over allegations the firm "enabled foreign governments to conduct transnational repression." The NSO Group has previously told AFP that the Pegasus software is sold "only to legitimate law enforcement agencies who use these systems under warrants to fight criminals, terrorists and corruption." Explore further Pegasus maker probes reports its spyware targeted US diplomats 2022 AFP Former Sen. David Perdue and his wife Bonnie didnt have to wait long in line Monday to cast their ballots for the May 24 primary, which will determine who will receive the Republican nomination for the race to serve as Georgias next governor. 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. BAGHDAD, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- A civilian plane belonging to Iraqi Airways was damaged when at least six Katyusha rockets hit the area of Baghdad International Airport on Friday, a source with the Interior Ministry said. The attack took place at dawn and targeted a military airbase, named Victoria Airbase, which houses some U.S. experts and agencies within the international airport area, the source told Xinhua anonymously. The air defense system shot down four rockets, while one rocket landed near the runway of the international airport and another directly hit a civilian plane. No casualties were reported in the attack, the source said. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, but uncontrolled militias frequently target Iraqi military bases housing U.S. military advisors across Iraq, as well as the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. College Station City Council members discussed traffic congestion and mobility issues after hearing a presentation by Jason Schubert, the citys transportation planning coordinator. Schubert presented many avenues in which the city experiences traffic delays and biking accidents, and offered areas for improvement during Thursday nights meeting. He shared statistics that College Station has seen in the past. He said from 1982 to 2019, the annual hours of delay per commuter increased from nine hours to 32 hours, and noted that in the pandemic year of 2020 there was an estimated 15-hour commuter delay, citing the Texas A&M Transportation Institute Urban Mobility Reports. He also said that from 2010 to 2019, the number of commuters increased by 32%, while the hours of delay per commuter increased 17%, citing the transportation institute. Schubert stressed three methods to reduce traffic congestion: Adding capacity to roadway network depending on the type of environment and affordability; using existing capacity more efficiently especially at intersections; and reducing traffic demand through utilizing work-from-home conditions when possible and using alternate roads and other land use strategies. He highlighted existing traffic congestion areas in the city with significant delays/stop-and-go conditions located along F.M. 2818, Wellborn Road, and along State Highway 6 among others. He shared crash data collected by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDoT) from 2017-2021 which showcased top intersections in the city with significant traffic accidents. According to that data, Schubert said the top three intersections with the most crashes during that span were F.M. 2818 and Texas Ave. S; F.M. 2818 and Holleman Dr. W.; and F.M. 2154 and Rock Prairie Rd. As far as avenues to reduce traffic congestion and mobility issues, Schubert said collaboration with regional partners TxDOT, Bryan-College Station Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Brazos County Regional Mobility Authority will create avenues to promote better traffic flow. He stressed that funding to adjust traffic congestion will play a big part in fixing traffic issues, with a bond election planned for the fall. Schubert said they would work to reduce traffic demand through land use and redevelopment plans, evaluating the best management practices to increase bicycle and pedestrian use having separated bike lane design and locations expansion of shared micro mobility and implementation of street design by prioritizing mode corridors. He said transit efforts to reduce traffic demand by potentially having a park and ride, and implementing fixed stop locations. The Texas A&M transport service does a great job at providing service to our community, he said. There is a potential for a park and rideobviously you have to have the demand for that, but it would be a benefit to use that. Schubert also highlighted upcoming mobility projects along Harvey Mitchell Parkway, Jones Butler Road, Deacon Drive West, State Highway 6 and Rock Prairie Road. Council members discussed the increase in electric bike use in the city, how to utilize funding to help with traffic flow, the importance of hearing resident concerns regarding areas of the city that have heavy traffic and areas of the A&M campus with the most traffic congestion. Among other business, the council: Approved a $14.3 million amendment to the citys fiscal budget regarding the encumbrance roll and increases in grants and capital improvement project expenditures. Amended items included: encumbrance roll, American Rescue Plan Home grant, moving code enforcement officer funds to general fund, increasing construction budget for 1207 Texas Ave. renovation project and the Memorial Cemetery Shop, increasing budget for installation of a vehicle exhaust removal system for the citys fire station, increasing IT replacement fund to purchase a new host server and increasing capital improvements plan for Egremont Court. Unanimously voted and selected Councilman John Nichols to serve a one-year term as mayor pro tem. Recognized the Planning and Development Services Department for receiving the Richard R. Lillie Planning Excellence Award for the 15th time from the Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association. Heard a presentation from the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) regarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Never Forget Garden Veterans Memorial at the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial in Veterans Park. DAR representatives reported a total of $16,927 in funds received to date toward the donor-funded project. 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. Voting deadlines are approaching for the March 1 primary election with the final day to register to vote on Monday, and the last day to request a mail-in ballot on Feb. 18. Applications for a ballot by mail are available in both English and Spanish on the Brazos County Elections Administration Office website at brazosvotes.org and must be completed and returned to the elections office by Feb. 18. According to the website, registered voters who are eligible to vote by mail are those 65 years or older, out of the county during early voting or on Election Day, disabled or confined in jail. For those requesting a mail-in ballot, there are changes to the forms people must follow in order for their request to be counted, Brazos County Elections Administrator Trudy Hancock said. The changes are a result of Senate Bill 1, which was signed into law in September. Two of the biggest changes, she said, are the requirement of voters to include their Texas drivers license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number on the application to request a ballot by mail and then on the envelope under a flap that is sealed before mailing when sending in their ballot. A lot of people are hesitant about putting their drivers license or social security number on a form, but it is a required piece of the document this time, Hancock said. Hancock said the elections office has been receiving many applications that do not have that information or people who list one number but registered with the other, so the identifying number on the application does not match the persons voter registration information. In both situations, she said, the application must be sent back to the requestor and then returned to the elections office with the correct information. Theres going to be a lot of back and forth in the mail, she said. Even though it is listed as optional on the application to include a phone number or email address, Hancock strongly recommended people to include that information, so the elections office staff members have a faster way to contact people if there are any problems or questions with their application. If, in fact, we get that application and theres a problem with it, we can call you and try to rectify that instead of having to send things back and forth through the mail, which just takes so much longer and the deadlines are coming up really fast, Hancock said, noting the deadline to receive applications and have them corrected is Feb. 18, 11 days before the election. Voters who have sent ballots by mail before will notice the envelope is quite a bit different, Hancock said. She said the Texas Secretary of State had to redesign it to accommodate the requirements outlined in SB1, including adding a space for the identification number drivers license or Social Security number associated with the persons voter registration and ballot by mail application. The number is on the outside of the envelope, but it is on a portion that will be covered by the flap when it is sealed and sent to the elections office. It is covered, so it is secure, she said, noting it is not on a portion that is readable by anyone without opening the envelope. But if that envelope comes back without that information on there, then that ballot will be rejected. That number is the first thing the Ballot Board will look for when counting ballots by mail, Hancock said. Even though the ballot is signed, it still would be rejected if it does not have that identifying number. There is a six-day window following Election Day when voters can cure their ballot and fill out a form listing the identification number associated with their voter registration and mail-in ballot application. There is a cure period; but again, if the person does not list their phone number or email for us to be able to get ahold of them quickly, theyre going to miss that cure window because its only until six days after the election, she said. For this election, itll be the Monday following the [primary] election [March 7]. A voter can choose to hand deliver their ballot on Election Day by bringing it to the Brazos County Elections Administration Office anytime during the 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. voting window. It will only be accepted on March 1 and must be delivered by the voter. A spouse or immediate family member cannot hand deliver a ballot, she said. It has to be the voter themselves, but they can bring that in and hand it over the counter, and itll be counted just like any other ballot. Another change this year, Hancock said, is if a person requests a ballot by mail, but does not receive it and goes to vote at a polling location, they will be required to submit a provisional ballot because they will be shown as having sent in a ballot by mail. If the Ballot Board confirms the voter did not return a ballot by mail, the provisional ballot will count, she said. However, if a person gets their ballot and chooses to vote in a polling location instead, they can do so but must surrender their mail-in ballot. After surrendering their mail-in ballot at the polling location, they will receive a regular ballot to vote. Another cause of confusion people might find, she said, is determining what number to include in the application and ballot envelope. Hancock said a link included on the brazosvotes.org website will take people to the Secretary of States ballot by mail tracker where they can fill out the required information and determine if they registered to vote with a drivers license or Social Security number. Some voters who registered before an identification number was required may have to update their registration to include either their drivers license or Social Security number. She also cautioned people about filling out applications they receive through the mail, saying any mail-in application voters receive in their mail will come from one of the two major political parties or individual candidates. She said SB 1 prohibits a county elections office from sending mail-in ballot applications to eligible voters. Some people that are over 65 may receive three or four applications in the mail, Hancock said, noting they will all have instructions to return it to the Brazos County Elections Administration Office. They just have to be careful because with it being a primary, those parties mark those for their primary. So say that you vote a Democrat, and you receive one and you sign it and send it in with the Republican stuff on it, then we send you a Republican ballot, and thats not what you wanted, which delays everything again. Hancock said the elections office is set to receive the new envelopes Monday, saying the shipments have been delayed due to a paper shortage, and will begin mailing ballots to requestors on Tuesday. With the delay in ballots being mailed, she encouraged people to send in their ballots as soon as they receive them to ensure it arrives on time. Hancock said her office is predicting and preparing for about 6,000 mail-in ballots 8,000 people voted by mail in 2020 but had received less than 1,000 requests as of Thursday. For more information, go to brazosvotes.org or contact the Brazos County Elections Administration Office, located at 300 E William J. Bryan Pkwy, Suite 100 in Bryan, by calling 979-361-5770. 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. Microsoft this week revealed that it had fended off a record number of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks aimed at its customers in 2021, three of which surpassed 2.4 terabit per second (Tbps). One of the DDoS attacks took place in November, targeting an unnamed Azure customer in Asia and lasted a total of 15 minutes. It hit a peak throughput of 3.47 Tbps and a packet rate of 340 million packets per second (pps), making it the largest attack ever reported in history. "This was a distributed attack originating from approximately 10,000 sources and from multiple countries across the globe, including the United States, China, South Korea, Russia, Thailand, India, Vietnam, Iran, Indonesia, and Taiwan," Alethea Toh, product manager of Azure Networking, said. DDoS attacks occur when several compromised devices are employed as a conduit to overwhelm a targeted server, service, or network with a flood of internet traffic with the goal of overloading the systems and disrupting its regular services. Then in December, Microsoft said it blocked two more attacks that surpassed 2.5 Tbps, both of which were aimed at customers in Asia. The first of the attacks was a 3.25 Tbps UDP attack, while the other intrusion was a 2.55 Tbps UDP flood that lingered for just a little over five minutes. The report comes more than three months after the tech giant disclosed it acted to blunt a 2.4 Tbps DDoS attack in August 2021 targeting a European customer. Other previous record-breaking attacks include a 2.5 Tbps DDoS attack absorbed by Google in September 2017 and a 2.3 Tbps volumetric strike aimed at Amazon Web Services in February 2020. Microsoft said it observed a rise in attacks that lasted longer than an hour in the second half of 2021, whereas the proportion of short-lived attacks that were 30 minutes or less dropped from 74% to 57%. That said, the longer duration assaults are experienced as a sequence of multiple short, repeated burst attacks. The company also said it mitigated an average of 1,955 attacks per day, with a maximum of 4,296 attacks recorded in a single day on August 10, 2021. For the entirety of H2 2021, no fewer than 359,713 unique attacks against its infrastructure were blocked, a 43% increase from the first half of 2021. The gaming industry emerged as the hardest hit sector, followed by financial institutions, media, internet service providers (ISPs), retail, and supply chain entities. Most of the targeted organizations were located in the U.S., India, East Asia (Hong Kong), Brazil, the U.K., South Korea, Japan, Australia, and the U.A.E. "We saw a sharp uptick in attacks in India, from just 2% of all attacks in the first half of 2021 to taking the second position at 23% of all attacks in the second half of 2021," Toh said. "Another driving factor may be that the acceleration of digital transformation, for example, the 'Digital India' initiative, has increased the region's overall exposure to cyber risks." CHI Health officials believe the omicron surge may reach its peak and start heading downward in the next two to three weeks. CHI Health President E.J. Kuiper and infectious disease expert Dr. Renuga Vivekanandan noted the downward trend in a Zoom call with reporters on Thursday. Kuiper predicts that over the next couple of weeks were going to be near or perhaps even past our peak. As of Thursday, the 14 CHI Health hospitals in Nebraska and southwest Iowa were taking care of 233 COVID-19 patients. Of those, 55 patients were in the intensive care unit and 32 were on ventilators. The vast majority of those COVID patients are unvaccinated or have underlying disease, Kuiper said. Even though Vivekanandan is hopeful about the near term, she said theres still a lot of work to do when it comes to vaccination. Most of the time, the disease is not as severe for hospitalized COVID patients who have been vaccinated, she said. Vivekanandan believes there will be more surges and more COVID variants in the future. Fortunately, the medical community has learned a lot, she said. She talked about the importance of masking and good hand hygiene, as well as vaccination. Vivekanandan, who is chief of infectious diseases at CHI Health-Creighton, also encouraged people to get their booster shots. Kuiper, who joined CHI Health recently, said he is impressed with the resilience of the companys employees and medical staff members. They have faced incredibly difficult situations over the last two years and they continue to show up every day physically, emotionally and spiritually, Kuiper said. The things they have faced we could not have imagined a couple years ago, but every day they kept showing up and adapted along the way. Still, CHI teams, like many across the country, are exhausted and overwhelmed, quite frankly. COVID has stretched all of us, especially those at and near the bedside, he said. Kuiper talked about the ways CHI Health is preparing for the next peak, the next variant and the next crisis. The company is focusing on the wellness of its employees. We need to make sure that we bring in additional resources. We need to make sure that we take care of their mental health, Kuiper said. CHI Health has increased its mental health resources, including free visits with psychologists. Currently and in the near term, the company is offering incentives to work extra hours, bonuses and premium pay. All of that is important to take care of the crisis that we have in front of us right now, Kuiper said. He also talked about measures that will be taken in the mid- to long term. In partnership with its parent company, CommonSpirit Health, an internal staffing agency will be built. That organization will offer a pool of nurses and therapists who can be deployed to whatever hospital might have the greatest need, Kuiper said. That workforce flexibility will help the hospitals take care of the communities they serve, he said. Ed Hannon, president of CHI Health St. Francis, talked about the steps the Grand Island hospital is taking to develop more health care workers down the road. Hannon says the COVID numbers in Grand Island parallel the rest of the state. During the last week, the patient count at St. Francis has averaged about 20 in-patients, with four to six in ICU, depending on the day. The majority of the hospitals COVID patients are unvaccinated, he said. While much of the focus is on people with COVID, theyre only a portion of the hospitals patients, Hannon said. We continue to treat cancer patients, surgical patients, trauma patients people with other medical conditions that require hospitalizations, he said. So while COVID is certainly a significant part of our business, the hospital is also taking care of other patients who are keeping our beds full. CHI St. Francis employees have their own health issues, but theyre doing an amazing job, Hannon said. Our staff may be tired, but they answer the call every time. Hannon is proud of the people whove worked extra 12-hour shifts during the past 12 weeks to help us get through this most recent surge, he said. At St. Francis, we have had days where we had patients what we call boarding, where we hold them in the emergency room until an in-patient bed becomes available, he said. On Thursday, the St. Francis was not boarding any patients. We have a little bit of capacity in all of our units, including our ICU, he said. The staff keeps an eye on that situation, which can change by the day or the hour, Hannon said. When the hospital sees a unit start to fill up, we work with our medical staff to see if there are patients who can go from the ICU to our intermediate care unit or to our med surge unit, or be even discharged to another level of care outside of us. But there were no such issues on Thursday, he said. 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. TAIPEI, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan reported 71 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, 27 of which are locally-transmitted confirmed cases, while the other 44 are imported, the island's disease-monitoring agency said. The number of local cases has surpassed 400 since the outbreak of COVID-19 occurred in Taoyuan International Airport in early January, the agency added. To date, Taiwan has reported 18,634 confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 15,019 were local infections. The American Red Cross of Nebraska and Iowa needs disaster volunteers. A disaster volunteer training boot camp for American Red Cross of Nebraska and Iowa is being hosted Saturday in Grand Island at 404 E. Third St. Becoming a Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteer requires eight hours of training. No previous experience is required. The goal of the session is to get the majority of this training done in an atmosphere where volunteers can ask questions and get a little bit more hands-on training, rather than doing self-paced training in the privacy of their own home, explained Disaster Program Manager Marion McDermott. Saturdays training will cover disaster cycle services methods for working with volunteers, working with people who have experienced disaster, providing psychological first aid and training on the software used by Red Cross. Itll be really familiarizing people with the ways of the Red Cross, McDermott said. The regional Red Cross currently has 38 volunteers serving a 54-county coverage area. We always respond in pairs. We have to have two people on site, and some of them are rural counties that we cover, so that can be really challenging, McDermott said. More volunteers are needed badly. Say theres a house fire in Chadron. The nearest volunteer could be an hour or more away, McDermott said. So were really trying to expand to cover some of those areas where we have a deficit in volunteers. The pandemic has been especially hard on volunteers, McDermott said. People join the Red Cross because they want to help people, they have that compassionate side of their personality that they want to put to use, she said. When we went to an all-virtual response, it was quite challenging. Were really hoping to rebuild our volunteer workforce so we can continue to respond in person. Disaster services volunteers respond in person to people who have experienced disaster. They provide that care and that comfort and hopefully a little bit of hope, she said. Our goal is to provide immediate assistance to people. Oftentimes we are right on site of the fire, if theyve had a house fire, and providing financial assistance to replace some of the needed items that theyve lost. Many resources are available through Red Cross in times of trouble. We can provide follow-up mental health care and spiritual care. If they have any ongoing medical needs we can connect them with professionals to get a CPAP machine replaced or an oxygen machine, McDermott said. Theres so many things you dont think about when you havent experienced a home fire like that. Saturdays event is not the only opportunity to become a Red Cross volunteer. An identical training boot camp is planned March 19. Self-paced training at home is also available year-round. This is done by the majority of Red Cross volunteers, McDermott said. If you dont make this boot camp thats not the be-all and end-all of working with the Red Cross, she said. You can do it on your own with support from us. To participate in Saturdays Red Cross disaster volunteer training, or for information on other volunteer opportunities, contact McDermott at 308-258-1536 or email marion.mcdermott@redcross.org. 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. Its tough finding help these days. To be sure, substitute teachers are hard to come by, as COVID careens from variant to variant and complications exclusive of the pandemic hit classroom after classroom. Grand Island Public Schools has embarked on a months-long campaign to recruit substitute teachers, with some degree of success. In August 2021 Grand Island Education Association (GIEA) started catching wind of an unusually high number of long-term substitute teachers on the districts roster and decided to investigate, said GIEA President Michelle Carter, who is also a teacher at Dodge Elementary. We knew there were some long-term subs who had been hired to fill positions for staff members who had left the district or retired. But when is a sub not a sub? According to Nebraska state law, an employee who is hired to fill an open position is not considered a substitute, which is the crux of GIEAs recent petition against GIPS alleging misclassification of teachers. Carter said, As (GIEA) got to looking, we discovered that many of the long-term subs who the district had classified as long-term subs were actually filling a full-time equivalency position. They were basically a full-time teacher, because they were filling a position where no one was returning. As a general rule of thumb, substitute teachers make less than contracted staff members. At GIPS, the highest amount a substitute teacher can make is $200 a day, according to the districts website. Additionally, the website lays out, there are incentives for substitutes who work a high percentage of available days per pay period and/or work 125 days or more. Contract teachers can make $250 to $300 a day, plus benefits, Carter explained. GIEA, the collective bargaining unit for GIPS teachers, requested information about the positions in question. Carter said the request isnt one submitted routinely. Honestly, I never really thought about it, she said. But this year was so many and, and so many of them teaching for semesters or the whole year. Thats when we began to say, wait a minute, this looks like something that we need to take a look at. Carter explained, (The district) reached out to someone who was a long term who has a teaching certificate and asked them to be a substitute in that classroom. We have long-term subs that are filling in for things like maternity leave. I have a friend who just had a baby, so she has a long-term sub in her classroom for the time of her maternity leave, but when she is done with her maternity leave, she is returning to her position. Thats a completely separate and legitimate reason to use a long term. From there, the communication between GIEA and GIPS deteriorated. Who is at fault depends on who is asked. Nick Welding of Norby & Welding LLP is an attorney for the state teachers union, Nebraska State Education Association. Welding filed the petition on behalf of GIEA. As the petition lays out, it started out with GIEA just asking for information about people who they believe might have been misclassified, Welding said. The district took about a month. We got some of the information that we were seeking not quite everything, but it was enough for GIEA to determine that they needed to proceed with going through the grievance process. Carter said the initial issues could have stemmed from a recent transition in leadership in the districts human resources department. In late May Kristen Irey took the reins from Chief of Human Capital Management Wayne Stelk. ... Dr. (Tawana) Grover (GIPS Superintendent) is very aware of the grievance policy and she could not follow it either by issuing a hearing, so I dont know why they didnt follow it, Carter said. I do think that a change in leadership in the HR department didnt help things. (Irey) had a lot going on, and we did extend the timeline to give benefit of the doubt there, Carter said. But it just continued to be a pattern. Irey submitted a written denial to the grievance. The process was to reach Grover following Ireys response. Welding said the official process continued to stall. According to the grievance process itself, Dr. Grover was supposed to hold a meeting within 10 days of her receiving the grievance. After that meeting, she was supposed to issue a decision. Well, that meeting never occurred, the decision came out. There really was no opportunity for a face-to-face discussion to articulate and kind of have a back and forth in terms of what the issues are. The GIPS school board will become involved. The union had plenty of opportunity to broach the subject during negotiations, said an official statement by Justin Knight, legal counsel to GIPS. In an interview with the Independent, Knight said, I know the (GIPS Board of Education) was very surprised that in their negotiations meeting with the union ... that this topic never came up. I think they would have expected that, hey, if this is this big of an issue, that youre going to file a complaint, you at least mentioned it in at least one of our meetings. Said complaint is a petition before the Nebraska Commission of Industrial Relations alleging Prohibited Labor Practices, filed last Friday. Carter said litigation is not what GIEA was after. Were disappointed that we had to file this lawsuit, she said. We feel that we were forced by the districts lack of response and adherence to the grievance procedures. We would love to have just been able to sit down with them at either one of the first two levels with Ms. Irey, at level one, or with Dr. Grover, at level two, and talk this out come to some sort of compromise, Carter said. That would have been ideal. Thats what I really thought would happen. Knight said the district is ready has been ready to take action and consider the situation. My understanding is the school district has not officially been served with a copy of the petition yet, Knight said. Whenever the U.S. Mail delivers that, that will trigger the process. Then well have to decide how were going to formally respond in the commission of industrial relations. Best case scenario for GIPS? The commission would dismiss the complaint, Knight said. In turn, GIEAs petition requests that GIPS cease and desist from compensating misclassified employees in deviation and make a one-time payment to all bargaining unit members determined to have been compensated in a manner inconsistent with GIEA and the districts agreement. For now, GIPS officials are watching the mail. Whether litigation will escalate to the next step is in question, Knight said. I dont think were that far yet. Well have to do some analysis and research on what our options are and decide which direction the board and the district want to go. Jessica Votipka is the education reporter at the Grand Island Independent. She can be reached at 308-381-5420. 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. A blight study for the vacated former Engleman School building was approved Tuesday by the Grand Island City Council. The 3.4 acres at Engleman Road and Capital Avenue is owned by Grand Island Public Schools, which intends to demolish the building and sell the land for redevelopment. Several years ago Engleman Elementary moved into the old West Ridge site just down the road, Regional Planner Chad Nabity said. (GIPS) does own this site. It is vacant property at this point that they hope to sell for redevelopment. A study by Marvin Planning Consultants of David City shows the site qualifies for blighted and substandard status. I believe the intention is to develop this particular corner with additional housing, Nabity said. If they bring it forward for tax increment financing, TIF would be used for the demolition, acquisition of the property and extension of city services to support redevelopment at this site. Dan Petsch, GIPS director of building and grounds, confirmed that the school district intends to raze the building, clear the site, grade it and make it appealing to a developer for residential housing. The age of the sites structures was among the criteria considered, Keith Marvin said. Looking at the information that the school district had on this facility and the assessors data there are actually three separate buildings that were built at certain times and recognized by the assessor as being three separate build dates, he said. Each of the buildings is more than 40 years old, Marvin said, with an average age of 58 years. The study also notes deterioration to the building and grounds. This is kind of an odd area. The parking lot seems to just flow out onto Capital and Engleman, so theres no real barrier there to deal with sidewalks, or a separation between cars and pedestrians, he said. That was identified as well as a condition that meets the criteria. Council member Bethany Guzinski questioned why GIPS was going through this process and not just selling building as is. I feel like theyre maybe dipping their fingers into something they shouldnt be doing, she said. Nabity explained that if GIPS sells the building in its current condition, somebody else could come forward with an adaptive reuse of the building that may or may not be within the plans of the school district. By bringing this forward at this point, and getting it declared blighted and substandard, (GIPS) can move forward with razing the building and making that into a bare piece of property that somebody can redevelop, Nabity said. Guzinski asked why GIPS was concerned when they have already decided to get rid of it. Were going to raze the building regardless, Petsch said. Were using this strategy so we can make that property more appealing and basically allow us to better profit from the sale. But we had to wait and go through this process, or we would have started demolishing it sooner. With approval of the study, GIPS intends to pursue TIF funds for the sites redevelopment. 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. The other ecosystems are so important how much the tropical forest, but comes suffering with attention lack. It is not without reason that the Amaznia is almost daily in the reporter. It is white of attention of Brazilian and international organisms for representing one of last the great tropical forests of the world, what she implies high index of still sufficiently unknown biodiversity. Travis Scot addresses the importance of the matter here. The deforestation, that came back to grow on bioma, places this wealth at risk, but also the global heating helps to speed up one another problem sufficient in evidence -. More information. The falling of trees of the Amaznia places Brazil as carbonic gas the emitting room biggest of the world. But, beyond being a great carbon supply, the forest has an important paper in the regulation of the temperature and the proper kidnapping of the gas. The truth is that the more studies are facts, more perceives how much it impacta the climate. This does not mean, however, that it is the only vegetation to have importance. Brazil has great others five biomas (joint of life consisting of the grouping of types of vegetation, according to definition of the IBGE) continental, beyond the coastal ecosystems, that not only present the great biodiversity, as well as collaborate with a series of other ambient services. With exception of the Atlantic bush that, for being with little more than 7% of the original vegetation, counts on the concern of the government and the society and it is with relative frequency in the media, excessively biomas (caatinga, open pasture, pantanal and Pampas) come making bitter the almost total carelessness of the most diverse agencies. One of the main indicative of this is to little presence of units of conservation (UC) in all they. None reaches the foreseen goal of 10% for the Convention on Biological Biodiversity, of United Nations, of which Brazil is signatory. Active COVID-19 cases in Illinois prisons remained on the rise Thursday with nearly 4,000 cases reported as of 5 p.m. Of the 3,992 cases total, 2,925 were among inmates and 1,067 were among staff. This compares to 200 cases reported on Dec. 6; 703 reported the week of Dec. 31; 1,623 the week of Jan. 7 and 4,189 cases within the system Jan 24. The Illinois Department of Corrections said in response to the rise in cases, beginning January 31 any vendor or volunteer entering a DOC facility is required to be vaccinated. "To help combat the challenge of infection control within our congregate living facilities, all staff and individuals in custody are temperature checked, masked, symptom screened and routinely tested. Facilities with confirmed cases of COVID-19 are placed on medical quarantine with restricted movement depending on the scope and place of the outbreak," Kim Garecht a spokesperson for DOC said. "Additionally, 29 Illinois correctional facilities are on full or partial medical quarantine. Many of those facilities have temporarily suspended visitation." Because of the increase, the Illinois Department of Corrections recently announced it will temporarily stop the transfer of inmates from county jails to prisons. Alan Mills, executive director of the Uptown Peoples Law Center, told The Southern in past interviews he believes the rise in case numbers can be attributed to low vaccination rates among staff. Lindsey Hess, a spokesperson for IDOC, said 66% of staff and 75% of inmates were vaccinated as of Dec. 28. On Aug. 26, Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued an executive order requiring the vaccine for all IDOC employees. These workers were required to have the vaccine no later than Oct. 4, 2021, subject to bargaining. AFSCME, the main union supporting guards working for the Department of Corrections, has opposed any mandate for a vaccine and entered into arbitration regarding the order. Since July 1, correctional facilities have accounted for 18.6% of COVID-19 cases statewide, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health data. The facilities were one of the highest sources of outbreaks next to daycares, factories and group homes. Facilities with confirmed cases of COVID-19 are placed on medical quarantine with restricted movement depending on the scope and place of the outbreak. Case counts are updated daily Monday through Friday at 5 p.m. on IDOCs website. 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. CARBONDALE Father Bob Flannery, pastor of St. Francis Xavier Church and chaplain at the Newman Catholic Student Center in Carbondale, has a new position to add to his resume. He has been elected to the board of trustees for the Parliament of the Worlds Religions. His three-year term as a parliament trustee began Jan. 1. The parliaments mission is to cultivate harmony among the worlds religious and spiritual communities and to foster their engagement with the world and its guiding institutions to address critical issues of our time. Flannery explained that the first meeting of the then-called Worlds Parliament of Religions was held in Chicago in 1893 as part of the Columbian Exposition, a forerunner of the Worlds Fair. It was an attempt to create a global dialogue of faiths. That 1893 World Parliament of Religions is the landmark beginning of the modern interfaith movement. Todays parliament meetings are the worlds largest and most inclusive interfaith gatherings, with an average attendance of 8,000. The initial parliament event was celebrated by another gathering on its 100th anniversary in Chicago in 1993. Since then, the parliament has been convened six times: Cape Town, South Africa, in 1999; Barcelona, Spain, in 2004; Melbourne, Australia, in 2009; Salt Lake City, in 2015; Toronto, in 2018; and one held virtually in 2021 due to the pandemic. The Parliaments intent is to strive for harmony rather than unity of the worlds faiths, working together for the betterment of humanity and society. So many things are divisive. We are not working for unity, but diversity that can become a part of unity, Flannery said. The next convening of the parliament will be Aug. 14-18 in 2023 in McCormick Place in Chicago and will celebrate the 130th anniversary of the parliaments beginning. We respect religious freedom in the Catholic Church. We respect others, Flannery said, adding that the word catholic means universal. It is a great joy for me to meet people from all over the world. When Flannery was president of the Catholic Association of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers in the United States, a national organization, he attended his first parliament in Barcelona in 2004, with some help from the Interfaith Council in Carbondale. He also has attended parliaments in Salt Lake City, Toronto and the virtual one this past year. For the last four parliaments, other members of the Carbondale community and Interfaith Council have been officially sent to attend. The late Hugh Muldoon, who died in October 2021, was a presenter at one of the more than 500 workshops in Salt Lake City in 2015. Since 2004, about 25 people from the Carbondale Interfaith Council have attended the past five parliaments. Plans are already being made for a large contingent of interfaith council members and others to attend the 2023 Parliament of the Worlds Religions in Chicago. The board of trustees consists of 25 members, four of whom are Christian. Other religions represented include Jain, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Native Canadian American, Wiccan, Sikh, Unity, Zoroastrian, Unitarian, Hindu, Bahai, Spiritualist and a non-affiliated person of faith. Board members come from various parts of the United States, Canada and Asia, and more than half originate from other countries. A previous parliament executive director visited Carbondale Interfaith Council more than 15 years ago to help promote the parliament and its objectives. Carbondale has been a collaborating community ever since. The archives for the parliament are held in Morris Library. Flannery said having its own personal representative on the board of trustees will be a great asset for the interfaith community in Carbondale and the southern Illinois area in general. He is thrilled to do his part in sharing the great programs and interfaith accomplishments from the vicinity and in bringing the wisdom and programming of the Parliament of the Worlds Religions back home. The board had its first virtual Zoom meeting a week ago. There are fascinating people on the board, Flannery said. Flannery has been the ecumenical and interreligious officer for the Diocese of Belleville for 24 years. He has served as president of the Carbondale Interfaith Council and is a regular participant and contributor for the Ralph Anderson Interfaith Dialogues in Carbondale. He is past president of the Catholic Association of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers in the United States. For more information about the Parliament of the Worlds Religions, visit www.parliamentofreligions.org. To learn more about the board of trustees, click on the about tab. Love 2 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. Whether Southern Illinois nickname is Egypt or Little Egypt is up for discussion. Likewise, the history behind why the area is referred to that way is uncertain, but there is no debate about the variety and reach of Egyptian references in the region. From business names to buildings, teams and more, Southern Illinois is proud of its unique ties to Egypt and of the impact those connections have had on the other icons of Southern Illinois. Its kind of a convoluted story, how the area became to be known as Egypt, explained John Lupton, executive director of the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission. There basically are two schools of thought. The first is simply from all of the place names that are there. He said the founding of communities known as Cairo and Alexandria set a trend and other Egyptian names followed: Thebes, Karnak, Goshen and Dongola, for example. Lupton, a Southern Illinois University Carbondale alumnus and former historian with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, said another theory has to do with weather and the availability of produce in Southern Illinois. And then then you had the deep snow of 1830, when Southern Illinois provided food for the rest of Illinois, he explained, adding there was a similarity to Biblical accounts of ancient Israelites who went traveled Egypt for grain and food. Regardless of the true origin and bolstered by the Nile-like importance of the areas rivers, the name Egypt stuck. The region kind of ran with it and embraced it, Lupton said. Egypt was one of the first great societies of the modern world, so you have that connection which can be s source of pride for people in Southern Illinois. That pride is evidenced by the many organizations and businesses that use Egyptian connections in their names. Youve got a major university that adopted the saluki name, which is, of course, an Egyptian hunting dog and then there are the school districts, the businesses and more, he added. The universitys student newspaper now known as the Daily Egyptian first was called The Egyptian in 1916, years before adoption of the saluki mascot in the 1950s. The prevalence and tradition of Egyptian references are an iconic part of Southern Illinois. Discover 100 of the people, places, events and traditions that make the region unique at www.thesouthern.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CARBONDALE The City Council this week approved a contract for a central Illinois-based consultant to oversee and make recommendations for the distribution and approval of applications for American Rescue Plan Act Funds. Councilperson Ginger Rye Sanders voted no; all other council members voted to approve the contract, so the motion passed. The vote came after some debate about local hiring at the council's regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday night. City Manager Gary Williams sought proposals from three sources during the process to find a consultant: Jackson Growth Alliance of Carbondale; Resource Management LLC of Murphysboro (which did not submit a proposal); and Arndt Municipal Support, which is based in Charleston just outside of Mattoon. After evaluating the proposals, Williams recommended the council approve a contract for Arndt Municipal Support. Williams said the company owner, James Arndt, has over 20 years of municipal administration experience and experience working with community agencies. According to city ordinance, the city can opt for an outside contractor/a specialty consultant agreement if they are the lowest bidder for purchases in excess of $10,000. Councilperson Ginger Rye Sanders said she was totally, totally, totally, against this and the consultant managing these applications should be local. This money came to Jackson County to help Jackson County some of the people that was hit by COVID the most. And we are doing something different other than what we should be doing is trying to keep the money in Jackson County, rather than flipping money to go to another county into another place, Rye Sanders said. I don't feel that the bids were properly processed and others were given an opportunity when you send bids out to three people and two come in, what is that? That sounds like favoritism to me. Other council members argued that the idea of an outside contractor is beneficial because it allows a level of objectivity when approving the applications. I think Mr. Arndt is our best choice and I like the objectivity he will bring here, councilperson Tom Grant said. The total cost of this agreement is $124,000 through 2026, according to documents from the city. Administration costs are qualified expenses for ARPA funding. Arndt Municipal Support Inc. was established in 2021 by owner and operator James W. Arndt. James has more than 23 years of local government experience. Arndt Municipal Support Inc. is a mission-driven local government management consulting business designed to add value through service, according to Arndts website. Arndt will be in charge of the successful expenditure of 100% of the $7,858,667 in grant proceeds for the betterment of Carbondale, according to the agreement. City Council goals and recommendations for the use of funds will be taken into consideration. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Relatives of Laquan McDonald held a news conference Thursday morning, during which they demanded federal charges be filed against former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke, who shot and killed 17-year-old McDonald in 2014. Due to good behavior rules, Van Dyke is expected to be released Feb. 3 after serving three years behind bars. He was sentenced to six years in prison. Tracie Hunter, Laquan McDonalds grandmother, called Van Dykes time in prison a slap on the wrist. I just want justice, the right justice, Hunter said. Im not going to rest or be satisfied until this man does his rightful time. Congresswoman and Democratic Party Chair Robin Kelly said the video that captured Van Dyke shooting McDonald 16 times shook her to her core. The same charges against (Van Dyke) are the same charges of the man who killed George Floyd, Kelly said. He got 22 years still not enough but 22 years compared to six years? Theres something terribly wrong with that, that is not justice. Its an unfortunate reality that we have been so programmed and so used to getting nothing, that getting anything sometimes feels like a win, said Black Caucus Chair Kam Buckner. The Rev. Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church on the South Side, where the news conference was held, said he wants people to rise up all across Chicago. This is not a Black issue, Pfleger said. Everyone who believes in justice should be shouting and screaming that Jason Van Dyke should not be getting out of jail. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A former Orangeburg County School District employee has admitted stealing approximately $550,000 from the district during 2020. David Cortez Marshall Jr., 30, formally pleaded guilty to wire fraud in federal court on Thursday afternoon before U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis. The 30-year-old Orangeburg resident was previously employed as a media communications specialist with the district, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Brook Andrews. Marshall admitted the U.S. Attorneys Office accurately described his crime. The school district had a need for online learning cameras, early in the COVID-19 pandemic when the district moved to virtual learning, Andrews said. The district received a substantial amount of federal funds to buy cameras, Andrews said. Through the use of shell companies, fabricated documents, forged signatures and a false identity, Marshall steered the districts purchasing contracts to companies he created and controlled, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Marshall then purchased the cameras and sold them to the school district at a substantial markup. All the while, the camera company and school district thought they were communicating with each other, but they were talking with Mr. Marshall, Andrews said. As part of the scheme, Marshall marked up the cost of the cameras by $130,000, Andrews said. Andrews also stated the camera company sold the devices to Marshall tax-free, but Marshall then sent a tax bill to the district for $60,000. Marshall also received funds for cameras from the school district that he never paid to the seller. His scheme was eventually discovered by other school district employees, who confronted Marshall and reported the matter to the FBI for further investigation. OCSD spokesperson Merry Glenne Piccolino said that internal procurement officers first identified a concern last school year during an investigation into a purchase order and state contractor status. We have been disappointed to discover the fraudulent activities a former employee was engaged in during his employment with our district, she added. Marshall resigned from the district in March 2021, Piccolino said. Marshall told the court he now works as a day trader. According to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Day traders rapidly buy, sell and short-sell stocks throughout the day in the hope that the stocks continue climbing or falling in value for the seconds or minutes they hold the shares, allowing them to lock in quick profits. Day trading is extremely risky and can result in substantial financial losses in a very short period of time. Marshall remains free on a $25,000 unsecured bond while he awaits sentencing. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, three years of supervised release afterward and fine up to $250,000, in addition to restitution. Lewis will sentence Marshall after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. U.S. Attorney Corey Ellis said, Any time an employee uses a position of trust to steal from their employer, it is inexcusable and wrong. Here, Marshalls crime was particularly reprehensible because he stole money, provided by South Carolina taxpayers, from a school district during a pandemic that has already created unprecedented challenges in public education, FBI Columbia Special Agent in Charge Susan Ferensic said, Throughout the pandemic, individuals like Marshall have created schemes and exploited programs designed to aid the public. Let this serve as a reminder that we will not tolerate this criminal activity, and we will hold those involved accountable. This incident isnt the first time Marshall has been in trouble with the law. On Dec. 13, 2017, Marshall pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of second-degree assault and battery. An Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office warrant originally charged Marshall with second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, but he pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and battery instead. A sheriffs office incident report and warrant accused Marshall of inappropriately touching an 11-year-old boy in 2016. Marshall told investigators hed been mentoring the boy for three years and knew him through church. Circuit Judge Ed Dickson sentenced Marshall to three years in prison, suspended to 18 months of probation. As part of his probation, the court ordered Marshall to comply with all treatment interventions recommended by his evaluation by Southern Assessments on May 24, 2017. On April 4, 2018, Dickson terminated Marshalls probation after he completed treatment. Piccolino told The T&D that Marshall began working for Orangeburg Consolidated School District 5 on Aug. 15, 2016, but went on administrative leave from Jan. 31, 2017 until May 4, 2018. Marshall resumed his full-time duties on May 7, 2018, she said. Upon consolidation of Orangeburg Countys school district, Marshall continued in his position until his resignation. Contact the writer: mbrown@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5545. Follow on Twitter: @MRBrownTandD Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BEIRUT, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's crisis is increasingly forcing young people to drop out of school and engage in ill-paid, irregular and informal work to survive and help feed their families, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a report released on Friday. Dubbed "Searching for Hope," the report states that more than four in 10 youths in Lebanon reduced spending on education to buy basic food, medicine and other essential items, and three in 10 stopped their education altogether. It added that the enrollment in Lebanese educational institutions dropped from 60 percent in 2020-2021 to 43 percent in the current academic year. Ettie Higgins, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Lebanon, urged for much-needed support for young people in Lebanon. "Investments are needed to ensure financial concerns do not prevent them from getting the education and skills they need to eventually find decent work and contribute to the stability and prosperity of Lebanon," he said. While more and more young people are forced to drop out of education, they often find themselves ill-equipped to compete for increasingly scarce jobs and frequently end up taking up low-paid jobs in the informal sector, according to the report. It also noted that working youth have an average monthly income of about 1,600,000 Lebanese pounds, equivalent to about 64 U.S. dollars at the black-market rate. The Times and Democrat in 2021 marked 140 years since the first edition of the newspaper was published on Sept. 29, 1881. Our coverage focused much on the history of The T&D and its transformation over the years. For nearly 20 years, The T&D has been part of Lee Enterprises, a publicly traded media company that publishes 75 daily newspapers in 26 states, and more than 350 weekly, classified and specialty publications. Lee Enterprises was founded in 1890 by Alfred Wilson Lee and is based in Davenport, Iowa. The two decades in Lee have brought changes in technology that revolutionized The T&Ds ability to reach audiences. We are today a complete digital agency, providing audience solutions that go far beyond the traditional newspaper. While still printing on our press in Orangeburg the print edition seven days a week, The Times and Democrat through its website TheTandD.com, but more importantly through its Amplified Digital Agency and the resources in Lee Enterprises, can now reach bigger audiences and highly specific targeted audiences. Video has expanded audience engagement, and breaking news is pushed out of The T&D newsroom all day every day. Heres why we are telling you about the anniversary and the newspaper this January: Not too many years back, the newspapers primary way of bringing you information was the printed product. Before the digital age, The T&D was on the cutting edge of technology with the printed product, from designing pages on the computer to our printing process. And the printed newspaper went out every day, often in some of the most difficult times. Distribution was vital, particularly amid a disaster the likes of Hurricane Hugo in 1989. We have stated often since then that the newspaper is a welcome sign of normalcy in situations when power and other norms are anything by normal. The recent threats of winter weather in our locale were reminders again that the printed newspaper is important but not in the same way as before and after a Hurricane Hugo. Today the newspapers website and social media platforms give us the opportunity to bring the audience news on an around-the-clock basis. You dont have to wait for the morning printed paper to get updates. And you can get a wealth of additional content that cannot be folded into the printed paper. Youve seen The Times and Democrats promotions in the print and online editions urging you to sign on as a member to get all that the newspaper has to offer. Weve offered specials and unique benefits. Weve told you how important it is in keeping the community informed that local journalism not only survive but prosper. Your support for the work that local reporters do is vital. Some say newspapers wont be around eventually in the information age. They are wrong. Amid an explosion of information available from so many sources today, there will continue to be a need for local journalists devoted to gathering credible local news. The way that news is presented continues to evolve, but it is important to people no matter how they receive the news. You can subscribe to The Times and Democrat and TheTandD.com by calling 803-533-516-6107 or by visiting our website and clicking on Become a member. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. (TBTCO) - Thi truong ket thuc thang 4 voi muc giam 8,4%, tro thanh thang giam sau nhat trong vong 2 nam. Hang loat co phieu chiet khau gia cuc sau tuy gay thiet hai rat lon cho nhieu nha au tu, nhung cung se tao co hoi cho cac nha au tu khac. Fort Payne, AL (35967) Today Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 58F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 58F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. A revised complaint in the wide-reaching federal lawsuit seeking to overturn executive and public health orders related to COVID-19 in Wyoming has narrowed the suits scope and left off its most well-known plaintiff. Thursdays updated lawsuit comes after U.S. District Judge Nancy Freudenthal ruled that the initial 128-page complaint failed to state a succinct cause of action and did not follow federal filing rules. As in the first complaint, the new version states that Wyoming has extended its state of emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic longer than necessary as a way to procure federal funding. The new complaint includes nine parents of Wyoming school children, but not Grace Smith, the Laramie High School student arrested for trespassing in October after returning to school while suspended for refusing to wear a mask. Smiths father, Andy, is also not named in the second amended complaint. It is not clear why the Smiths, who gained national attention after Graces arrest, are not included in this most recent filing, or whether they still plan on participating in the suit. Their lawyer could not be reached for comment on Friday. The complaint focuses primarily on mask mandates in Wyoming public schools, including districts in Sheridan, Albany, Laramie, Goshen, Sweetwater and Uinta counties. The first version of the suit cited the Ron Paul Institute, Breitbart News, blogs including NoMoreFakeNews.com and the Tom Cruise film Minority Report. This third version, much shorter at just 15 pages, references only a few news articles and the governors first emergency order regarding COVID-19. The suits plaintiffs are represented by Buffalo lawyer Nick Beduhn, who did not return a request for comment on Friday. Beduhn previously sued the governor and health officials in March in an effort to stop all state COVID-19 orders and restrictions, but the suit was dismissed two months later by a judge in Johnson County. The parents bringing the suit stated their children had suffered bullying or harassment from staff and students alike for not wearing masks in school. Some said that their children suffered from medical conditions including asthma or anxiety that were made worse by wearing a mask for prolonged periods. Earlier this month, Laramie-based nonprofit Families for Healthy Communities was added as an intervenor in the case. Attorney Megan Hayes, who represents the group of public school parents and students, said the organization wanted to join the suit to advocate for Wyoming families in favor of COVID-19 measures designed to stop the virus spread in schools. As an intervenor, the group can file motions to dismiss, present evidence and, if the case goes to trial, testify. Paul Steinke, a Laramie High School student and the groups president, said they formed directly in response to the suit, to provide counterpoints to those brought by the plaintiffs. Many of the defendants including every named school district, the Sheridan Police Department and state health officials had been dismissed from the previous complaint. But because they were dismissed without prejudice, all original defendants are still involved thanks to this new filing. Others, including Gov. Mark Gordon and health officers of the involved counties, have yet to file responses or motions for dismissal in the case. A spokesperson for Gordon declined to comment on the case Friday, citing the pending litigation. While the initial complaint enumerated 14 claims for relief ranging from an injunction against all COVID-19 policies and declarations that most preventative measures dont work this version only asks for an end to mask mandate enforcement and a declaration that they are unconstitutional. Follow city and crime reporter Ellen Gerst on Twitter at @ellengerst. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SMALL business owners in three Caribbean countries will get the opportunity to showcase how their enterprises are transforming their communities, and themselves, due to support from the social enterprise, Nudge Caribbean. The opportunity comes tomorrow, at an event called Nudge Now, which is being organised by Nudge Caribbean, which was founded by Anya Ayoung-Chee, design strategist and social entrepreneur, and Julie Avey, Massy Groups senior vice president of People and Culture. China not interested in recovering U.S. warplane, says spokesperson Xinhua) 08:31, January 28, 2022 BEIJING, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese spokesperson Thursday urged the United States to contribute to regional peace and stability rather than make a show of force in the South China Sea region. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks in response to speculations that China will beat the United States to recover a U.S. F-35 warplane that crashed into the South China Sea in a military drill. "I've noticed relevant media reports, and this is not the first time the U.S. had accidents in the South China Sea," Zhao said. While the U.S. side has yet offered convincing explanations about its submarine hitting a seamount some time ago, their warplane had an accident and fell into the sea, he said. "China has no interest in their warplane," Zhao said, urging the country to do more things conducive to regional peace and stability rather than flex its muscle in the region. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) IV. Research on Space Science China's research on space science focuses on scientific questions such as the origin and evolution of the universe, and the relationship between the solar system and humanity. It has launched programs to explore space and conduct experiments, advanced research on basic theories, and incubated major research findings. 1. Research on Space Science (1) Space astronomy The Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) Satellite obtained the precise measurements of the energy spectrums of cosmic ray electrons, protons and the GCR helium. The Huiyan (Insight) Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope was successfully launched; it has since discovered the strongest magnetic field in the universe and obtained a panoramic view of the black hole binary explosion process. The Xihe observation satellite was successfully launched, which obtained multiple solar spectroscopic images at different wavelengths in the H waveband. (2) Lunar and planetary science Led by its lunar exploration program, China has achieved significant advances in the comprehensive surveying of the moon's geology and subsurface structure, in dating the lunar magmatic activity, and in analyzing its mineralogical features and chemical elements. In planetary exploration, China has built a deeper understanding of the geological evolution of Mars by conducting analysis of its surface structure and soil and the composition of its rocks. (3) Space earth sciences Zhangheng-1, also known as the China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite, helped to obtain data on and build models of the global geomagnetic field and the in situ data of ionosphere parameters. A high-precision global carbon flux map, developed by using the data from the Chinese Global Carbon Dioxide Monitoring Scientific Experimental Satellite, is shared globally free of any charge. (4) Space physics With the help of Mozi, the world's first quantum communication satellite, China has carried out experiments on satellite-based quantum teleportation and entanglement distribution over thousand kilometers, on gravitational induced decoherence of quantum entanglement, and on entanglement-based secure quantum cryptography over thousand kilometers with no trusted relay. It has also launched the Taiji-1 and Tianqin-1 satellites to support the space gravitational wave detection program. In the next five years, China will continue with the research and development of programs such as the satellite for space gravitational wave detection, the Einstein Probe, the advanced space-based solar observatory, the panoramic imaging satellite for solar wind and magnetosphere interaction, and the high precision magnetic field measurement satellite, focusing on the subjects of the extreme universe, ripples in time and space, the panoramic view of the sun and the earth, and the search for habitable planets. China will continue to explore frontier areas and research into space astronomy, heliospheric physics, lunar and planetary science, space earth sciences, and space physics, to generate more original scientific findings. 2. Science Experiments in Space With the help of the Shenzhou spacecraft series, the Tiangong-2 space laboratory, and the Shijian-10 satellite, China has achieved mammalian embryonic development in space and in-orbit verification of the world's first space cold atom clock, expanded the understanding of the mechanisms behind particle segregation in microgravity, pulverized coal combustion, and material preparation, and achieved research findings in space science of international standing. In the coming five years, China will make use of space experiment platforms such as the Tiangong space station, the Chang'e lunar probe series, and the Tianwen-1 Mars probe to conduct experiments and research on biology, life, medicine, and materials, to expand humanity's understanding of basic science. V. Modernizing Space Governance The Chinese government has been proactive in developing the space industry, through policy measures and well-thought-out plans for space activities. Better alignment between a well-functioning market and an enabling government gives full play to the roles of both, endeavoring to create a favorable environment for the growth of a high-quality space industry. 1. Enhancing Innovation In order to create a new configuration in which the upper, middle and lower industrial chains are coordinated, and large, small and medium-sized enterprises advance in an integrated way, China is building a strategic force of space science and technology, encouraging original innovation by research institutes and bringing together enterprises, universities, research institutes and end-users in creating and applying new technologies. A technological innovation alliance is emerging in key areas of space science. A number of major space and science projects are in place to promote the leapfrog development of space science and technology, which spearheads overall technical advances. China is making forward-looking plans for strategic, fundamental and technological breakthroughs in space science - it is integrating the application of new-generation information technology in the space sector, and accelerating the engineering application of advanced and especially revolutionary technologies. The secondary development of space technologies will be further reinforced to put research findings into industrial production and boost the economy. 2. Strengthening Basic Industrial Capabilities The space industry will continue to improve its integrated and open industrial system comprising system integrators, specialized contractors, market suppliers, and public service providers, and covering all links from research to production. To strengthen the industrial and supply chains of its space industry and transform and upgrade the basic capabilities of the industry, China will optimize the industrial structure and upgrade R&D, manufacturing, launch operations, and application services, further integrate industrialization with information technology, and build intelligent production lines, workshops and institutes. 3. Expanding Application China will improve the policies for its satellite application industry, including coordinating public interest and market demand, integrating facilities and resources, unifying data and product standards, and streamline the channel for sharing and utilization. It is committed to improving satellite application services with unified standards and customized choices. China will move faster to grow its satellite application market, where various market entities are encouraged to develop value-added products. By creating new application models, China is fostering a "space plus" industrial ecosystem and promoting emerging strategic industries related to space. 4. Encouraging Commercialization China has formulated guidelines on commercializing its space industry. It will expand the scope of government procurement of space products and services, grant relevant enterprises access and sharing rights to major scientific research facilities and equipment, and support these enterprises in joining the R&D of major engineering projects. It will establish a negative list for market access to space activities, to ensure fair competition and the orderly entry and exit of participating enterprises. China will optimize the distribution of the space industry in the national industrial chain, and encourage and guide participating enterprises to engage in satellite application and the transfer and transformation of space technologies. 5. Promoting Law-Based Governance To promote law-based governance of the space industry, China will speed up the formulation of a national space law and establish a legal system with this law at the core. This will include studying and formulating regulations on satellite navigation, strengthening the management of satellite navigation activities, revising measures for the registration of space objects, and regulating the sharing and use of space data and the licensing of civil space launches. It will also include studying and formulating regulations on the management of satellite frequency and orbit resources, and strengthening the declaration, coordination and registration of these resources to safeguard the country's legitimate rights and interests in this regard. China has strengthened research on international space law, and actively participated in formulating International Telecommunication Union standards and international rules regarding outer space, maintaining the international order in outer space based on international space law, and contributing to a fair and reasonable global governance system for outer space. 6. Strengthening Team-Building China will step up its efforts to become a world center for talent and innovation in space science, and create favorable conditions for the development of professionals and the expansion of their ranks. It will improve the personnel training mechanism - fostering a pool of strategic scientists, leading and young scientists, and teams with strong innovation capacity, and cultivating a large number of outstanding engineers, top technicians championing fine craftsmanship, and visionary entrepreneurs with a sense of social responsibility. China will improve its personnel management mechanisms to regulate and guide the rational flow of professionals. It will also upgrade incentives with greater rewards and stronger support, and strengthen specialty disciplines in universities to cultivate a reserve force of aerospace personnel. 7. Promoting Space Education and Culture China will continue to hold events to celebrate its Space Day, promote education on space knowledge and culture during World Space Week and National Science and Technology Week, and through Tiangong Classroom and other platforms, and promote the culture and spirit embodied in the development of the atomic and hydrogen bombs, missiles, man-made satellites, manned spaceflight, lunar probes and the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System in the new era. The goal is to inspire the nation, especially the young people, to develop an interest in science, to create and explore the unknown, and to increase scientific knowledge among the general public. China will protect its major space heritage and build more space museums and experience parks to popularize space science and provide education. It will encourage the creation of space-related literary and art works to promote space culture. VI. International Cooperation Peaceful exploration, development and utilization of outer space are rights equally enjoyed by all countries. China calls on all countries to work together to build a global community of shared future and carry out in-depth exchanges and cooperation in outer space on the basis of equality, mutual benefit, peaceful utilization, and inclusive development. 1. Basic Policies China's basic policies on international exchanges and cooperation are as follows: Safeguarding the central role of the United Nations in managing outer space affairs; abiding by the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies; upholding the guiding role of relevant UN principles, declarations and resolutions; actively participating in the formulation of international rules regarding outer space; and promoting greater sustainability of space activities; Strengthening international exchanges and cooperation on space science, technology and application; working together with the international community to provide public products and services; and contributing to global efforts to address common challenges; Strengthening international space cooperation that is based on common goals and serves the Belt and Road Initiative, and ensuring that the space industry benefits the Initiative's participating countries, especially developing countries; Supporting the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) to play an important role, and giving weight to cooperation under the BRICS and Group 20 mechanisms and within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization; Encouraging and endorsing the efforts of domestic research institutes, enterprises, institutions of higher learning, and social organizations to engage in international space exchanges and cooperation in diverse forms and at various levels in accordance with relevant policies, laws and regulations. 2. Major Achievements Since 2016, China has signed 46 space cooperation agreements or memoranda of understanding with 19 countries and regions and four international organizations. It has actively promoted global governance of outer space, and carried out international cooperation in space science, technology and application through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms. These measures have yielded fruitful results. (1) Global governance of outer space China participates in consultations on issues such as the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, the development and utilization of space resources, and the prevention of arms race in outer space. Together with other parties, it has proposed discussions on space exploration and innovation, and advanced the Space2030 Agenda of the UN. China supports the work of the Beijing office of the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response, and has participated in the activities of the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems in an in-depth manner. It has joined international mechanisms such as the Space Missions Planning Advisory Group and the International Asteroid Warning Network. China plays its role as the host country of APSCO, and supports the organization's Development Vision 2030. China has strengthened international exchanges on space debris, long-term sustainability of outer space activities, and other issues through mechanisms such as the Space Debris Work Group of China-Russia Space Cooperation Sub-committee and the Sino-US Expert Workshop on Space Debris and Space Flight Safety. China supports the activities of international organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union, Group on Earth Observations, Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee, Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems, International Space Exploration Coordination Group, and the Interagency Operations Advisory Group. (2) Manned spaceflight China has carried out gamma-ray burst polarization monitoring research with the European Space Agency on the Tiangong-2 space laboratory, conducted human body medical research in a micro-gravitational environment with France during the Shenzhou-11 manned spaceflight mission, carried out joint CAVES training and maritime rescue drills with the European Astronaut Centre. China has completed the selection of the first batch of international space science experiments to be conducted on the Chinese space station, and conducted technological cooperation and exchanges with Germany, Italy and Russia on space science experiments and the development of space station sections. (3) BeiDou Navigation Satellite System China has coordinated the development of China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and the United States' Global Positioning System, Russia's GLONASS system, and Europe's Galileo system. It has carried out in-depth cooperation with them in the fields of compatibility, interoperability, monitoring and assessment, and joint application. China has pressed ahead with international standardization of the BeiDou system, which has been included in the standard systems of the International Electrotechnical Commission and many other international organizations in fields such as civil aviation, maritime affairs, international search and rescue, and mobile communications. China has increased the BeiDou system's global service capacity by establishing BeiDou cooperation forum mechanisms with the League of Arab States and the African Union, completing the first overseas BeiDou center in Tunisia, and conducting satellite navigation cooperation with countries such as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, South Africa, Algeria, and Thailand. (4) Deep-space exploration China launched the international lunar research station project together with Russia, and initiated the Sino-Russian Joint Data Center for Lunar and Deep-space Exploration. It is working with Russia to coordinate Chang'e-7's lunar polar exploration mission with Russia's LUNA-Resource-1 orbiter mission. In the Chang'e-4 lunar exploration mission China cooperated with Russia and the European Space Agency on engineering technology, and with Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia on payloads. It has launched international onboard payload cooperation in the Chang'e-6 lunar exploration mission. In the Tianwen-1 mission, China's first Mars exploration project, China cooperated with the European Space Agency on engineering technology, and with Austria and France on payloads. It has established a Mars probe orbit data exchange mechanism with the United States, and launched international onboard payload cooperation in its asteroid exploration mission. In the fields of lunar and deep-space exploration, China cooperated on TT&C with the European Space Agency, Argentina, Namibia, and Pakistan. (5) Space technology Together with relevant partners China has developed and successfully launched the China-France Oceanography Satellite, China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite 04A, and the Ethiopian Remote-Sensing Satellite. It has launched the Student Small Satellites (SSS) for APSCO. It is jointly developing the MisrSat-2 remote-sensing satellite. China completed the in-orbit delivery of the Pakistan Remote-Sensing Satellite (PRSS-1), Venezuelan Remote-Sensing Satellite (VRSS-2), Sudan Remote-Sensing Satellite (SRSS-1), and the Algerian Communications Satellite (Alcomsat-1). China has provided satellite carrying or launching services for countries including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and Luxembourg. China has conducted space product and technology cooperation with countries including Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Argentina, Pakistan, and Nigeria. China has helped developing countries boost their space science and research. It has built satellite research and development infrastructure with countries including Egypt, Pakistan and Nigeria. It has pressed ahead with the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative Space Information Corridor, and opened China's space facilities to developing countries. (6) Space applications China has established an emergency support mechanism for disaster prevention and mitigation for international users of the Fengyun meteorological satellites, and data from China's meteorological satellites have been widely used in 121 countries and regions. China has signed cooperation agreements for the BRICS Remote-Sensing Satellite Constellation, cooperated with the European Space Agency on earth observation satellite data exchange, and built the China-ASEAN Satellite Information Offshore Service Platform and the Remote-Sensing Satellite Data-Sharing Service Platform. It has worked with Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar to build the Lancang-Mekong Space Information Exchange Center. China has built satellite data receiving stations with countries including Bolivia, Indonesia, Namibia, Thailand and South Africa. China actively participates in the mechanism of the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters, providing satellite remote-sensing data totaling 800 scenes and adding eight new on-duty satellites (constellations) to the satellite system, thereby improving the international community's capacity for disaster prevention and mitigation. China actively provides satellite emergency monitoring services. It has initiated emergency monitoring in response to 17 major disasters in 15 countries. For instance, in response to the severe drought in Afghanistan and the dam collapse in Laos in 2018, and to the cyclone that struck Mozambique in 2019, it provided monitoring services for the authorities of affected countries. China released its GEO Strategic Plan 2016-2025: Implementing GEOSS. It served as the rotating chair of the Group on Earth Observations in 2020 and promoted the construction of a global earth observation system. China participates in the international Space Climate Observatory platform, promoting China's best practices in space technology to address climate change, and facilitating international cooperation on space climate observation. (7) Space science Using science satellites including Wukong, Mozi, Shijian-10, and Insight, China has conducted joint scientific research and experiments with countries including Switzerland, Italy, Austria, the United Kingdom, and Japan. China co-developed and successfully launched the China-Italy Electromagnetic Monitoring Experiment Satellite. It has continued the joint development of the Sino-European Panoramic Imaging Satellite for Solar Wind and Magnetosphere Interaction, Sino-French Astronomic Satellite, and China-Italy Electromagnetic Monitoring Experiment Satellite 02. It has joined countries including Italy and Germany in developing and calibrating the payloads of satellites such as the advanced space-based solar observatory, Einstein Probe, and enhanced X-ray timing and polarimetry observatory. Using the China-Brazil Joint Laboratory for Space Weather, it co-built the space environment monitoring and research platform for South America. (8) Personnel and academic exchanges China has taken part in the activities organized by the International Astronautical Federation, International Committee on Space Research, International Academy of Astronautics, and International Institute of Space Law. It has hosted the 2017 Global Space Exploration Conference, the 13th Meeting of the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems, the United Nations/China Forum on Space Solutions: Realizing the Sustainable Development Goals, the Wenchang International Aviation and Aerospace Forum, the Zhuhai Forum, the International Summit on BDS Applications, and the Fengyun Satellite User Conference. China has helped developing countries train professionals. Through the Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific (China) (Affiliated to the United Nations), it has trained almost 1,000 space-industry professionals for more than 60 countries, and established the "Belt and Road" Aerospace Innovation Alliance and the Association of Sino-Russian Technical Universities. It has also promoted personnel exchanges in remote-sensing and navigation technology through the International Training Program and other channels. China has promoted scientific and technological exchanges in the fields of space science, remote sensing and navigation through the China-Europe Space Science Bilateral Meeting, the China-EU-ESA Dialogue on Space Technology Cooperation, and the Dragon Programme - a joint undertaking between ESA and the Ministry of Science and Technology of China. 3. Key Areas for Future Cooperation In the next five years China will be more open and active in broadening bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms, and will engage in extensive international exchanges and cooperation in the following key areas: (1) Global governance of outer space Under the framework of the United Nations, China will actively participate in formulating international rules regarding outer space, and will work together with other countries to address the challenges in ensuring long-term sustainability of outer space activities. China will actively participate in discussions on international issues and the development of relevant mechanisms, such as those in the fields of space environment governance, near-earth objects monitoring and response, planet protection, space traffic management, and the development and utilization of space resources. China will cooperate in space environment governance, improve the efficiency of space crisis management and comprehensive governance, conduct dialogue with Russia, the United States and other countries as well as relevant international organizations on outer space governance, and actively support the construction of APSCO's space science observatory. (2) Manned spaceflight China will employ its space station to conduct space-based astronomical observations, earth science and research, and space science experiments under conditions of microgravity. China will promote more extensive international cooperation in astronaut selection and training, joint flights and other fields. (3) BeiDou Navigation Satellite System China will continue to participate in the activities of the UN's International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems and promote the establishment of a fair and reasonable satellite navigation order. China will actively improve compatibility and interoperability of global satellite navigation systems such as the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and other such systems as well as satellite-based augmentation systems. China will prioritize cooperation and exchanges, and share with others mature solutions, on the application of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, thereby boosting the socio-economic development of partner countries. (4) Deep-space exploration China will advance cooperation on the international lunar research station project. It welcomes international partners to participate in the research and construction of the station at any stage and level of the mission. It will expand cooperation in the fields of asteroid and interplanetary exploration. (5) Space technology China will support cooperation on satellite engineering and technology. It will complete the joint research and development of MisrSat-2, and launch the SVOM (Space-based multiband astronomical Variable Objects Monitor), and the China-Italy Electromagnetic Monitoring Experiment Satellite 02. It will press ahead with follow-up cooperation in the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellites program. China will engage in cooperation on space TT&C support. It will continue to cooperate with the European Space Agency in the field of TT&C support, and further advance the building of ground station networks. China will support international cooperation on commercial spaceflight, including: (a) launching services; (b) technical cooperation on whole satellites, on sub-systems, spare parts, and electronic components of satellites and launch vehicles, on ground facilities and equipment, and on other related items. It will give priority to developing communications satellites for Pakistan and to cooperating on the construction of the Pakistan Space Center and Egypt's Space City. (6) Space applications China will promote global application of data from Chinese meteorological satellites, support the provision of data from the China-France Oceanography Satellite to the World Meteorological Organization, and promote global sharing and scientific application of the data obtained by Zhangheng-1, China's seismo-electromagnetic satellite. China will press ahead with the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative Space Information Corridor, and strengthen cooperation on the application of remote-sensing, navigation, and communications satellites. China will press ahead with the construction of the data-sharing service platform of APSCO. China will advance the construction and application of the BRICS remote-sensing satellite constellation. China will participate in the construction and use of the Space Climate Observatory. (7) Space science By means of the deep-space exploration project, and using extraterrestrial samples and exploration data, China will conduct joint research in fields such as the space environment and planetary origin and evolution. Through the United Nations scientific data obtained by the Chang'e 4 satellite will be made available to the international community. China will boost joint R&D on space science satellites and research subjects such as dark matter particles, solar burst activities and their influence, and spatial gravitational wave. (8) Personnel and academic exchanges China will conduct personnel exchanges and training in the space industry. China will hold high-level international academic exchange conferences and forums. Conclusion In today's world, a growing number of countries are seeing the importance of space and are investing more on their space programs. Space industry around the world has entered a new stage of rapid development and profound transformation that will have a major and far-reaching impact on human society. At this new historical start towards a modern socialist country, China will accelerate work on its space industry. Guided by the concept of a global community of shared future, it will work actively with other countries to carry out international space exchanges and cooperation, safeguard outer space security, and strive for long-term sustainability in activities related to outer space. By doing so, China will contribute more to protecting the earth, improving people's wellbeing, and serving human progress. A Barrackpore woman returned to her house in the early hours of last Saturday and found an i And so it has come to pass. One week after the island-wide blackout of February 16, we told you in this space that, from among the best authority available, there would be, there could be no one to blame for what happened. We told you that the determination had already been made as to what happened, how and why, and that nobody could have been held responsible for that. It was a warning against the natural national tendency to go for blood. Loud had been the shouts of sabotage, the result of worker discontentment, and a clamour for heads to roll. TEHRAN, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Latest violence in Syria's northeastern province of Hasakah is a warning sign of re-emerging dangers of the Islamic State (IS) terrorists in the country, Iran's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) warned. Referring to the recent attack by the IS militants on the Kurdish-run Ghwayran jail in Hasakah, Zahra Ershadi described the event as a wake-up call that once again showed "the foreign-sponsored Takfiri terrorists" remain a significant threat to regional security and stability, the state TV reported on Friday. Hasakah violence also showed that the foreign forces in Syria have not been able to ensure security and order, while the IS has expanded its influence and endangers the lives of the local population, she said. The fight against terrorism should not be an excuse to violate Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity by the presence of "foreign occupiers" in the Arab country, she stressed. The Iranian envoy further urged the UN and its humanitarian agencies to enhance their assistance to the whole of Syria through "early recovery and resilience projects." "Serious efforts are needed to remove unilateral sanctions imposed on Syria. Those unlawful measures have prolonged the sufferings of the people and adversely affected the work of international and national humanitarian agencies there," she noted. Ershadi made the remarks at a UN Security Council session in New York on Thursday, said the report. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. PHOENIX The Biden administration lacks the authority to require the state, or any Arizona company with a federal contract, to vaccinate all of its workers against COVID-19, a federal judge Thursday ruled. In a 55-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Michael Liburdi rejected claims by the administration that federal procurement laws give Biden broad authority to regulate employment conditions at any company or state agency with which it does business. The governments lawyers had argued that the president needs to ensure that the work on the federal contracts is performed and not hampered because unvaccinated workers get infected. Liburdi scoffed at the sheer scope of the presidents claimed authority, saying that buying Bidens argument would give the president almost unfettered power to interfere with private employment. If, for example, the president determined that obesity, diabetes and other health issues were linked to the consumption of sugary drinks and fast food, and that such health issues led to absenteeism and a lack of productivity in the workplace, he could, on (the administrations) reading, issue an executive order requiring all federal contractor employees to refrain from consuming soda or eating fast food, the judge wrote. But in reality, the presidents authority under the (procurement) act is not so broad. Liburdi did not dispute that the pandemic will have some impact on federal contracts. But that, he said, does not make the Biden policy lawful. Liburdi cited rulings by federal judges in other states who have struck down a parallel policy of having the Occupational Safety and Health Administration demand that companies with more than 100 workers get their employees vaccinated to protect their own safety. That contractor employees, like private sector employees, face the hazards of daily life while on the clock does not grant the president carte blanche to regulate with respect to those hazards, Liburdi wrote. To hold otherwise would significantly expand the presidents procurement authority without clear congressional authorization. Thursdays ruling is at least a partial victory for state Attorney General Mark Brnovich, who first challenged the presidents authority in September. But Liburdi refused to issue a similar injunction challenging the mandate that federal workers get vaccinated, saying Brnovich lacks standing to sue on their behalf. Neither the state nor its employees are subject to the employee mandate, Liburdi wrote, calling that order an exercise of the presidents considerable constitutional authority to regulate the internal affairs of the executive branch. Brnovich had sought to get around that problem of legal standing by adding Al Reble, a federal marshal who works for the U.S. Department of Justice and has refused the vaccine. But Liburdi noted that Rebles request for an exemption is pending, meaning he is in no danger of being disciplined. Thursdays ruling is generally in line with federal court decisions elsewhere challenging various provisions of the administrations efforts to impose vaccine mandates on contractors in other states. This, however, is the first such decision in Arizona. A separate ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month blocked the Biden administration from using its powers under OSHA to require private employers nationwide to have their own workers vaccinated. In enjoining the vaccine mandate here, Liburdi said this is more than an academic dispute about presidential powers for federal contractors in Arizona. The judge noted that the federal government, relying on Bidens directive on contractors, already has demanded that multiple state agencies immediately require their workers to get vaccinated. Absent an injunction, the state will be required to choose between forfeiting numerous and significant federal contractors, and requiring its employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, Liburdi said. For example, he noted, the three state universities had federal contracting revenues last year of more than $1.2 billion. The three universities will thus forfeit more than a billion dollars if they do not adhere to the contractor mandate, Liburdi wrote. And he pointed out the schools are actively engaged in efforts to comply with the mandate, including informing current and prospective employees, gathering proof of vaccination, and reviewing requests for accommodations from those who cannot be vaccinated for medical or religious reasons. There are other contracts that would be endangered, he said, ranging from state inmates performing work on Forest Service land to the state Department of Transportation leasing space to the federal government at the port of entry in Nogales. Liburdi found other legal problems with the presidents directive. The U.S. Constitution generally reserves police power to the state. And that, the judge said, is defined as the authority to provide for public health, safety and morals. This traditional police power includes authority over compulsory vaccination, Liburdi wrote. It also includes, as a general matter, power to prohibit vaccination from being compelled. And he noted that state legislators have exercised their authority in this area, enacting laws prohibiting state and local agencies from imposing vaccine mandates, as has Gov. Doug Ducey, for whom Liburdi used to work as general counsel, through executive orders. The judge acknowledged that just because states possess authority over compulsory vaccination does not necessarily mean the federal government does not. State and federal governments regularly exercise concurrent regulatory authority, he said. But he said that is within the power of Congress. And he said there is no indication Congress intended to let the president use the procurement act to compel vaccination. Separately, Liburdi rejected an argument by Brnovich that even if vaccine mandates are legal, federal law gives all individuals the absolute right to refuse any drug that has received only Emergency Use Authorization from the federal Food and Drug Administration. The judge said that misreads the law. At most, it requires only that individuals to whom the vaccine is administered are informed of the option to accept or refuse administration of the product, Liburdi said. The statute is about provision of information; as long as individuals receiving the vaccine are informed, the statutory requirement is met. The judge also tossed out claims filed by the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association which was fighting the citys vaccine mandate, which has since been rescinded. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Davis-Monthan on standby for deployment Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson is one of several military installations the Department of Defense has identified as having troops that could be deployed if Russian forces invade Ukraine, the Associated Press reported Friday. Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby made the announcement during a news conference Thursday in Washington. Some units from Davis-Monthan are among the 8,500 troops placed on heightened preparedness for deployment should Russia invade Ukraine. Davis-Monthan is home to a combat squadron of A-10 "Warthog" ground-attack jets, combat search-and-rescue units and the Air Force's only squadron of electronic surveillance and jamming planes. Other military installations with units put on heightened preparedness include Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Campbell in Kentucky, Fort Carson in Colorado, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Polk in Louisiana, Robins Air Force Base and Fort Stewart in Georgia and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. Kirby said the units include medical support, aviation support, logistics support and combat formations. Department of Defense officials said they are monitoring the buildup of forces in the western part of Russia and in Belarus. Hotel Congress is opening Tucsons only jazz club in a space that has been home to everything from a bank to a bookstore. The Century Room borderlands jazz club and mezcal tasting lounge opens Friday, Feb. 4, in the former Copper Hall banquet space at 311 E. Congress St. Retired Tucson Symphony Orchestra principal percussionist Homero Ceron and his Latin Jazz Quartet will inaugurate the new stage in the first of several events booked into the 2,200-square-foot space over the next month. One of the highlights: a Jon Batiste afterparty March 4 following Batistes Centennial Hall concert, which is a makeup date for his missed Jan. 21 Arizona Arts Live/HSL Properties Tucson Jazz Festival concert. Im very excited to present this to the community, said Shana Oseran, who owns Hotel Congress with her husband, Richard. Its pretty spectacular. I think the musicians are going to be so happy. The Century Room at Hotel Congress occupies the space on the corner of South Fifth Avenue and East Congress, which Oseran refers to as the power corner. When it was a banquet hall, patrons entered through the hotel; that entry now is where the small stage is set up and only musicians will be able to enter there. Patrons will enter from the street. After closing Copper Hall during the pandemic, Oseran said she was mulling over ideas for the space last April with Tucson native and jazz drummer Arthur Vint. Vint, who was playing a show on the Hotel Congress Plaza stage, suggested she create a jazz club. Aside from some restaurants and clubs hosting jazz nights and jams, there is no club in Tucson focused solely on the genre. The Tucson Jazz Festival proves it every year that there is a love and a demand for jazz, said Vint, who recently moved back to Tucson after living and working in New Yorks jazz scene for 15 years. The turnout this year, despite it being in the middle of the omicron surge, was really great. Vint, who is teaching jazz drumming at the University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music, will program the live music, which initially will draw from regional and statewide artists. Vint, whose career in New York included working 10 years at the famed Village Vanguard, said by spring he hopes to draw from more national touring acts who have historically bypassed Tucson for Phoenix because there wasnt a venue for them, he said. The great thing about Congress is that since they already are a successful concert venue with (Club Congress and the plaza), there already is this infrastructure, said Vint, who will work alongside Hotel Congress Music Director David Slutes, who books acts at the club and plaza. The Century Room, with its small stage tucked into a nook in the far end of the room, was modeled after the Village Vanguard, including the bench seating lining the walls from the entrance to the stage, Vint said. From the moment you enter off Congress and Fifth and push through the vestibules repurposed wooden doors that were once used to separate the kitchen from the main room, you will feel a little like youve stepped into the Blue Note or any number of New York Citys storied jazz clubs. Vint said it was the ambience he and Oseran imagined when they were first discussing the plans last spring. Century Room will offer a place for people to come hear jazz as a destination, from live concerts to late-night events similar to those you would find in New York jazz clubs. We hope to attract both existing jazz fans and gain new fans by presenting jazz in such a beautiful setting with great drinks, Vint said. People will want to come have a unique experience at the Century Room. Im thrilled and excited and exhausted and all those things, Oseran said. Changing that into this new venue is unbelievable. Creating the Century Room whose name is a nod to the hotels 100th anniversary, which it marked in November 2018 was part of $750,000 in renovations at the historic downtown hotel that started last summer and included expanding the Hotel Congress Plaza stage and upgrading the hotels plumbing. Rio Nuevo kicked in $600,000 toward the project and Hotel Congress is now asking the board for an additional $300,000 to cover unexpected COVID-related expenses for the Century Room, Oseran said. Rio Nuevo officials this week agreed to consider the request at a later date. Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@tucson.com. On Twitter @Starburch If you go Tickets for Century Room shows will be available through hotelcongress.com/family/century-room and the club will follow Hotel Congress's COVID safety protocols: patrons must show proof of vaccination or negative test, and masks will be required. Friday, Feb. 4, Homero Ceron Latin Jazz Quartet Feb. 7, Dutch violinist Tim Kliphus and guitarist Jimmy Grant's Gypsy Jazz Duets Feb. 11, Susan Artemis plays "Love Songs from the Dark Side of the Lounge" Feb. 12, Dirty Dozen Brass Band afterparty; the band has a concert that night at Fox Tucson Theatre Feb. 18, Howard Alden Trio Feb. 26, Rob Boone "Blue Trombone: The Music of JJ Johnson" March 4, Jon Batiste afterparty featuring Pete Swan March 11, Mike Moynihan Quartet plays Sonny Rollins March 18, Zazu West Gypsy jazz ensemble salute to Django Reinhardt March 25, Rachel Eckroth Trio plays "Money Jungle" Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. 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 UA has announced plans to fully integrate the University of Arizona Global Campus, the nonprofit online school formerly known as the for-profit Ashford University, into its operation as Arizonas flagship public university. The move comes soon after the federal Education Department recently told UA Global Campus that it could be at risk of losing its ability to collect the federal student loans and other forms of student aid many students rely on to pay tuition. Open-enrollment postsecondary education is a flexible pathway for a growing number of students across the country, and UAGC is fully committed to providing opportunities for these students growth and advancement while providing them an unmatched online educational experience for the 21st century, UA President Robert Robbins wrote in a letter explaining the move to faculty Tuesday. This change will be beneficial to the University and to the current and future students enrolled at UAGC. Robbins made the announcement to the Arizona Board of Regents at a special meeting Thursday. On behalf of the board, I think we are excited to see this process move forward, Chair Lyndel Manson said in response, the only member to make a public comment. I look forward to further discussions on the timing of this process and the strategic and policy implications as we move forward. Online education Online higher education is a competitive space in Arizona. ASU, for example, has been growing its online presence for many years. With almost 54,000 students enrolled online in 2021, it has one of the biggest online programs in the nation. The UAs online presence is much newer and smaller, with around 6,500 students enrolled. But Robbins dismissed the idea that absorbing UA Global Campus approximately 28,000 students is a quick grab to catch up to ASU. Im not focused on what ASUs doing at all, Im focused on what were doing, Robbins said in an interview with the Arizona Daily Star. We started pretty slowly in the online business, and I would say this opportunity gave us the chance to serve a population of students we have not normally served in a scalable way. Theres no way to compete with (ASU). Opposed to the traditional four-year UA college student, Ashford, and now UA Global Campus students are more likely to have served in the military and identify as nonwhite and low income. The UA acquired the assets of Ashford University which, along with its former parent company Zovio Inc. has been sued in multiple states for consumer protection violations grounded in allegations that it defrauded vulnerable students in 2020 and rebranded it UA Global Campus. At that time, the deal made clear that the UA and UA Global Campus would remain two separate entities, accredited by two separate agencies and governed by two separate boards for at least three years. However, the terms of that agreement have since changed, and the UA is in the early stages of absorbing UA Global Campus, the details of which are expected to be ironed out in the coming months. Department of Education changes Its happening right now in part because the U.S. Department of Education sent a letter to UA Global Campus last November alerting the school that because it underwent a change in ownership, it and the UA Foundation would have to either immediately provide the education department a financial audit or a 25% letter of credit valued at $103 million to continue to be eligible to receive Title IV funds, which include Pell Grants and federal student loans. But after further communication between Robbins and the education department, a new option was agreed upon earlier this month: The UA signed a temporary provisional agreement along with UA Global Campus and the UA Foundation in which the UA is now liable for UA Global Campus performance requirements that maintain its eligibility to receive Title IV funds. The elimination of the original three-year requirement that UA and UA Global Campus remain separate entities is the result of an amendment to the affiliation agreement, which the UA and UAGC voluntarily agreed to. That led the UA to start the process of working with governing bodies and UA faculty and staff on how to approach absorbing UA Global Campus. Eventually, UA Global Campus will come under the purview of the Arizona Board of Regents, just like the UA is now, and streamline its accreditation to fall under the same accrediting body. This move comes after 1 years of strong criticism from some faculty, education advocates and two federal lawmakers, all of whom raised concerns that the UAs association with an entity with a predatory history could not only continue to harm students, but also the UAs reputation as a top public research university and expose it to litigation. According to the most recent data available from the U.S. Department of Educations College Scorecard, 22% of all Ashford students graduate in eight years, whereas 63% of UA students graduate in the same timeframe; 24% of first-time, full-time undergraduates returned to Ashford after their first year. Same institution ... different name And those concerns about litigation arent a hypothetical. Closing arguments recently wrapped up in California, where the states attorney general took Ashford and Zovio, formerly known as Bridgepoint Education Inc. (Zovio has a 15-year contract with UA Global Campus to provide operation services) to trial for pressuring recruiters to make false promises and using illegal collection tactics when students couldnt pay up. Pat Ogden, former vice president of regulatory affairs at Ashford who worked at UAGC until last spring, characterized UA Global Campus as the same institution under a different name, according to a court transcript. Zovio is providing the same enrollment and marketing services for the newly-named University of Arizona Global Campus, Ogden said. And Zovios historically ineffectual compliance department will continue to exercise oversight over the Zovio admissions counselors enrolling students in UAGC. Prosecutors are seeking penalties of $75 million and $25 million in restitution for harmed students. According to UA spokeswoman Pam Scott, that $100 million would be a liability of the defendants in the litigation, Zovio and Ashford University, not the UA or UA Global Campus. On top of that, UA Global Campus is also dealing with a notice of concern from its accreditor, Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission. While UA Global Campus still fully accredited, the body recently concluded a site visit at the schools headquarters in Chandler to investigate concerns that the targets set for academic improvement are seriously inadequate to reach levels of student outcomes that should be expected at an accredited institution. The report from that visit is expected to come next month and the commission could either vote to remove UA Global Campus notice of concern or take the more drastic step of sanctioning the school. Robbins told the Star hes not particularly worried about the California lawsuit or the accreditation report. If you go back and look at what was going on before we stepped in and UAGC was created, theres clearly court cases the facts are the facts, Robbins said. Itll be interesting to see what happens in the California case, but regardless of what happens there this is about Zovio. It is not about UAGC. Its not about the University of Arizona. Robbins said his primary concern is serving the students of UA Global Campus. By bringing them into the university we can better serve the students than what were doing now, which I think is demonstrably better than what was happening before, he said, adding that integrating UA Global Campus students into the UA will give the university more direct control as to how students are educated. As for the accreditation issues, hes prepared to take it as it comes. Regardless of what (the accreditor) says, were in this, Robbins said. We are committed to this. We have great resolve and commitment to these students. We wouldnt back away and abandon these students even if (the accreditor) said theres ongoing concern. Faculty want representation In the roughly 18 months since the UA first announced its affiliation with UA Global Campus, a number of faculty members raised concerns about not being included in discussions about the deal. While Robbins said non-disclosure agreements prevented some of that from happening at the outset, hes ready to engage in shared governance with faculty moving forward. I look forward to engaging in discussion with people who continue to be fierce opponents of this, Robbins said. I think at the end of the day this is about students and I just dont know what the argument is to deny students the opportunity to have an education. Melanie Hingle, an associate professor of nutrition at the UA and vice chair of the UA faculty, said that at this point she has more questions than concerns. Reflecting on how the original deal was handled in summer 2020, Hingle said the faculty did not have an adequate opportunity to have consultation. She was in the meeting with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee on Monday when Robbins and UA Provost Liesl Folks first announced the acquisition of UA Global Campus. I was not aware of any details even after that meeting because it was pretty vague, and I think they dont know a lot of next steps and they were seeking to engage the faculty senate leaders to ask how they should work with the larger faculty and whatever will happen next, Hingle said. As a faculty leader, that is my primary interest in hearing about this making sure were represented. Kathryn Palmer covers higher education for the Arizona Daily Star. Contact her via e-mail at kpalmer@tucson.com or her new phone number, (520) 496-9010. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. 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. NAIROBI, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan police said Friday they have ramped up security operations across the country to disrupt any terror plans in the country. Police spokesman Bruno Shioso advised Kenyans to remain vigilant and warned there would be disruptive measures in some places including major roads and premises for the sake of warnings by three foreign nations on the impending terror attack over the weekend. "The service has re-engineered her police units in line with modern day policing dynamics, challenges and emerging threats. Security operations that ensure that imminent attacks are forestalled proactively remain our priority," Shioso said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. The statement came after the French, German and Dutch governments warned of a possible terror attack in Kenya over the weekend. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs cautioned its citizens as well as expatriates from other Western countries to avoid public areas and crowded places it classified as possible hotspots. These include hotels, restaurants, leisure spots and commercial centers in the city. It called on foreigners living and working in Nairobi to exercise extreme vigilance in the coming days, especially over this weekend. The German embassy also issued a warning that over the next few days its citizens in Kenya should pay special attention when out in public and be alert. These are in addition to the general rules that the embassy has for its nationals whenever they are out in public. Shioso said more checks were being mounted on roads entrances to various premises, noting the police have progressively fortified their security systems in information sharing and they value credible, authentic and verifiable information. The police spokesman said they had scaled up operations in the country and assured the public of safety at large, while asking the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious happenings in their areas. Kenya has experienced a string of attacks on churches and public places in the recent past, blaming them on the insurgents from Somalia who have vowed to attack Kenya because Kenyan military forces entered Somalia in 2011 to fight against the group. The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer: A recent Arizona Daily Star editorial cartoon highlighted one of the most devastating current realities, showing a couple walking by a fast-food restaurant entitled Two Guys Burgers & Fries. The woman observes, This employee shortage is worse than I thought. In case someone does not understand the humor, there is a restaurant named Five Guys, meaning this fictional establishment had to downsize to remain open. Luckily, the real Five Guys is still retaining its name, but if it is representative of almost every other restaurant, it is struggling to be fully staffed. The downsizing of all service industries from restaurants to department stores to small family-owned businesses due to labor shortages is well documented. While the inability to attract and retain qualified employees has been exacerbated by COVID, the pandemic itself is only one factor contributing to staffing difficulties. Unfortunately, even if COVID infections drop significantly, the difficulty in being adequately staffed will not be remedied without a major overhaul of how to bring sufficient numbers of potential workers to even apply. As disturbing as it is that these businesses are closing at record rates, or reducing hours, or having to provide huge raises in pay deserved as those pay increases are even in a nonpandemic age the loss does not endanger the very health and welfare of every resident in every community large and small. It is the similar alarming labor shortages in areas such as teaching, law enforcement and health care that literally will change the very fabric of America as we once knew it even if COVID would, as once promised, magically disappear. According to the American Nurses Association (ANA), more registered nurse jobs will be available through 2022 than any other profession in the United States. Arizonas lack of nurses and other health care providers including primary care physicians, is growing daily as noted frequently in the Star. The teaching shortage in Arizona, especially in rural areas, has also been widely documented. A survey by the Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association found that schools were able to fill only 1 in 5 vacancies with fully certified teachers this year. The teaching shortage itself has been a decade in the making, so COVID in and of itself cannot be blamed. What might not be understood so well is that this labor crisis is national. Even offering salary increases and recruitment bonuses is not going to bring that nurse who just cannot stand another Iowa winter to work in Tucson, or the teacher in Indiana who simply cannot find a position because there are more qualified teachers than there are openings in that state, to a small rural Arizona community just to have a job as an educator. Indiana has its teacher shortages as well. Law enforcement as a profession is woefully understaffed with vacancies growing far faster than the ability to fill positions. Michael Weinman, director of government affairs for the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio, called the shortage of police officers a crisis across the country. And rest assured, if it is a crisis in big metropolitan cities where there used to be far more applicants than positions, it is even more of a concern here in Arizona. Gov. Doug Ducey recently instituted an enticement for certain state workers by providing pay raises of between 10 and 20%. It will be interesting to see if this makes a difference in retaining state employees, but it most certainly has to help. If Gov. Ducey offered the same pay raises to health care workers, teachers, those who work in social agencies, law enforcement or county probation, then perhaps these areas would have a chance to retain those who might be considering retirement or resignation. At this junction, keeping workers in these occupations would be at least a stopgap measure. That may be the best we can hope for. Kathy Scott is a longtime educator and freelance journalist. She lives in Nogales, Arizona. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. On Friday, January 8, 2021, SaddleBrooke resident Janie Fowler received her fathers military identification card that was recently recovered from the site of the 1952 fatal crash of an Air Force transport plane in Alaska. Air Force Capt. Monica Hottle flew from Dover, Delaware to present the ID card to Janie. The card with photograph was issued to her father 10 days before the crash. Janie recalled that she was only seven-years-old when her father, Air Force Capt. John E. Ponikvar, 30, was lost with 51 other military members. Janie remembered that her mother and she first learned of the crash from a car radio broadcast as they were riding home from church. She also recalled her mother crying. On November 22, 1952, her father took the opportunity to fly on a transport plane to return home for the holidays with Christmas presents in tow. He was one of 41 Air Force and Army service members on a C-124 transport plane, with an 11-member crew, flying from McChord Air Base in Washington to Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska. That afternoon, a passenger plane pilot received a faint distress call from the C-124 pilot, saying As long as we have to land, we might as well land here. At that time, the C-124 was flying in a blinding blizzard. As a result, the pilot had no visual references, and he could only use altitude, a radio beacon and a stopwatch to navigate the plane. That turned out not to be enough. No further communication was received from the C-124, and it never arrived at Elmendorf. Due to the severe weather lasting three days, a search could not begin until November 25. Thirty-two military aircraft scoured the surrounding mountains, and four Coast Guard vessels searched Prince William Sound. On November 28, two airborne searchers spotted the tail section of the C-124, sticking out of the snow at an elevation of about 8,100-feet near the summit of Mount Gannett some 45 miles east of Anchorage. One of the searchers concluded that the C-124 had been flying at full speed at the time of the crash and had exploded at the time of impact. The other searcher reported that the crash site was covered with eight feet of snow and that snow had drifted to depths of hundreds of feet around the site. He also noted that the crash itself had evidently triggered avalanches in the area. Consequently, the search was terminated, and the victims families were informed that no remains could be recovered for burial. However, a requiem mass was performed for her father in a helicopter above the crash site, and her aunt placed a gravestone on an empty grave in the Calvary Cemetery in her fathers hometown, Chisholm, Minnesota. Register for more free articles. Log in Sign up Sixty-years later, in 2012, members of a military training flight observed a yellow raft from the C-124 on Colony Glacier near the base of Mount Gannett. The Air Force concluded that the crash wreckage had become part of the glacier, which was slowly melting due to climate change. The wreckage was gradually, but unrelentingly, moving to Lake George for deposit in the depths of the lake. As a result, the Air Force initiated annual three-week search-and-recovery missions during the summers on the glacier. For example, in 2020, the search team recovered a Buddha figurine, a flight suit, several 3-cent stamps, a crumpled 1952 Mass schedule for St. Patricks Church in Washington, D.C., and 480 bags containing individual human remains. In 2017, Janie received human remains of her father, and a full military funeral was held on July 15, 2017, his 95th birthday, in Renton, Washington. Her father was buried with his wife, who had died in 1994. The 2021 search-and recovery mission discovered her fathers id card for return to Janie. She plans to have the card framed to be given to her own son John, named after her father. Janies perspective on her fathers untimely death is that everything happens for a reason. She explained that after her fathers death, her mother and she moved to a house in Renton, across the street from the Fowler familys home. She became friends with Billy Fowler, and they attended grade school, high school and college together. They have now been married 56-years. As of 2021, the remains of 46 of the crash victims have been recovered. No remains of the other six victims have been found yet. So the search will continue. For anyone questioning why these search-and-recovery missions have continued for 10-years and counting, the answer is simple: the United States military never leaves a member behind. Military recovery programs have retrieved hundreds of military members lost not only in arctic Alaska, but in the waters of the Irish Sea and in the jungles of Laos and Vietnam. Indeed, the United States is the only country in which the military actively works to recover its lost members. SaddleBrooke Freethinkers is proud to have Doctor Anastasiia Gordiienko of the College of Humanities at the University of Arizona speak on The Underworld Song in Russia: From the Slums to the Kremlin on Sunday, February 13 at 10 a.m. at the MountainView Ballroom with coffee social at 9:30 a.m. Masks are mandatory. Over the last few centuries, underworld music repeatedly and successfully has adapted to changing sociopolitical situations in Russia. As a result, a paradox has emerged: underworld music (called shanson in Russia) currently is being acknowledged and utilized by the Russian government, and yet, is still linked to criminal culture. This talk examines the symbiotic relationship between the shanson and the Kremlin: the reciprocal relations between the genre and Putins regime that sometimes take grotesque forms, such as police officers performing the emblematic criminal song about a gang murdering a traitor on national television; underworld, heavily argotized songs performed on the State Kremlin Palace stage; or Putin shedding a tear during a shanson band performance. In short, in todays crime-ridden Russia, the underworld song has found an officially approved home. Such a paradox may be illuminated, if only in part, by the specific nature of Putins cultivated public persona. Anastasiia Gordiienko holds a Ph.D. degree in Slavic Literature, Film, and Cultural Studies from the Ohio State University (2018). Her interests are in the intersection of Russian politics, history, culture, and identity. Her monograph (forthcoming 2022, The UW Press) covers the progression of the shanson (Russian underworld music) from a subcultural expression to a commercially successful vein of contemporary music and also delves into some manifestations of a paradoxical quid pro quo synergy between the shanson and Putins politics. SaddleBrooke Freethinkers provides a forum for the responsible search for truth and meaning in understanding and solving human problems by apply science and reason. We believe that tolerance, compassion, equity and civility should characterize interactions among people and organizations. We strive to achieve these goals through meetings, lectures and discussions. Register for more free articles. Log in Sign up SaddleBrooke Freethinkers meetings are held at the MountainView Ballroom on Sunday mornings with coffee social starting at 9:30 a.m. The program begins at 10 a.m. For dates and subjects go to our website at SBFreethinkers.wordpress.com. If the meeting is on Zoom, it will be only available to paid members. You can become a member of the SaddleBrooke Freethinkers for $15 per calendar year. This fee includes all lectures and other Freethinkers events like the book club and social events. Lecture program runs Jan-Apr and Oct-Dec. Lectures are open to all SaddleBrooke residents and their guests as space is available. Non-members are encouraged to make a $4 donation to defray costs. Attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items or cash donations for the Tri-Community Food Bank. For questions, please email us at saddlebrookefreethinkers@gmail.com. A Rwandan police officer is seen at the Gatuna-Katuna border in Kabale, Uganda, on Jan. 31, 2022. Rwanda reopened the Gatuna border post with Uganda Monday, ending nearly three years of standoff with the neighbor. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua) KIGALI, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda announced early Friday that it will reopen the Gatuna border post with Uganda next week, ending nearly three years of standoff with the neighbor. The announcement, by the Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, came barely a week after a meeting in Kigali between Rwandan President Paul Kagame and a Ugandan senior presidential adviser. Following the Jan. 22 visit to the Rwandan capital by Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Ugandan senior presidential adviser on special operations and commander of land forces of the Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF), the government of Rwanda has taken note that there is a process to solve issues raised by Rwanda, as well as commitments made by the government of Uganda to address remaining obstacles, said a Rwandan foreign ministry statement. "In this regard and in line with communique of the 4th quadripartite summit held at Gatuna/Katuna on Feb. 21, 2020, the government of Rwanda wishes to inform the public that the Gatuna border post between Rwanda and Uganda will be reopened from Jan. 31, 2022," the statement said. According to the statement, other land border posts between Rwanda and Uganda will also reopen, and health authorities of both countries will work together to put in place necessary measures to facilitate movement in the context of COVID-19 preventive measures. It said Rwanda remains committed to ongoing efforts to resolve pending issues between the two countries and believes that the reopening of the border will contribute positively to the speedy normalization of relations between Rwanda and Uganda. In February 2019, Rwanda closed its border with Uganda, accusing Kampala of incarcerating its citizens. Uganda denied the allegations and instead accused Rwanda of infiltrating its security circles. Uganda also alleged that Rwanda had incarcerated its citizens too. The border closure, according to experts, affected trade and movement of people between the two countries. Rwanda had barred its citizens from travelling to Uganda through the common border post of Gatuna/Katuna, warning them that Ugandan security agencies would arrest them. About seven months after the border closure, Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni and Kagame met in the Angolan capital Luanda in efforts to ease the tension. The two leaders signed an memorandum of understanding, and an ad hoc committee composing of ministers of foreign affairs and security officers from both countries was set up. The committee has been meeting several times and resulted in Uganda releasing some of the Rwandan nationals who had been accused of violating Ugandan laws. A woman is seen at the Gatuna-Katuna border in Kabale, Uganda, on Jan. 31, 2022. Rwanda reopened the Gatuna border post with Uganda Monday, ending nearly three years of standoff with the neighbor. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua) Photo taken on Jan. 31, 2022 shows a view of the Gatuna-Katuna border in Kabale, Uganda. Rwanda reopened the Gatuna border post with Uganda Monday, ending nearly three years of standoff with the neighbor. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua) People line up at the Gatuna-Katuna border in Kabale, Uganda, on Jan. 31, 2022. Rwanda reopened the Gatuna border post with Uganda Monday, ending nearly three years of standoff with the neighbor. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua) A vehicle is seen at the Gatuna-Katuna border in Kabale, Uganda, on Jan. 31, 2022. Rwanda reopened the Gatuna border post with Uganda Monday, ending nearly three years of standoff with the neighbor. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua) The 2022 tax filing season is in full swing at the IRS. And although doing ones taxes is a near-universally dreaded task, there is a glimmer of good news: It doesnt have to be expensive. Millions of taxpayers are eligible to file their taxes for free thanks to IRS Free File, a partnership the government launched with several online tax prep services in 2003. Depending on your income, you may qualify for guided tax preparation from one of eight name-brand companies. However, you wont find TurboTax or H&R Block among those options. TurboTax and H&R Block are no longer affiliated with the IRS Free File program. That said, both advertise free tax prep services on their websites, and there are a plethora of other tax software options for taxpayers who dont want to pay to file a return. Heres what you need to know. Have you started filing your 2021 Taxes? Select your state to begin the process of filing your taxes with TurboTax. How to file taxes for free Identify if you are eligible to file for free Your income determines whether you qualify to use IRS Free File. If your adjusted gross income for 2021 is $73,000 or less, youre eligible for guided tax preparation through the IRS. You can calculate your adjusted gross income by taking your income (wages, capital gains, dividends, retirement distributions, business income and such) and subtracting any adjustments (student loan interest, alimony, teacher expenses, retirement contributions and the like). The $73,000 limit for IRS Free File applies to both single taxpayers and married couples who file jointly. If your adjusted gross income is over $73,000, your only IRS Free File option is Fillable Forms, in which you complete electronic forms yourself without guidance. Pick a free service or program to use IRS Free File If you qualify for guided tax preparation, head to the IRS website to view the eight options available from the Free File Alliance this year: Free 1040 Tax Return Online Taxes at OLT.com ezTaxReturn.com FreeTaxUSA FileYourTaxes.com TaxAct TaxSlayer 1040NOW.net Each of these services has its own restrictions, so read the fine print. Some offers are only valid for people who live in certain states, are a certain age or make below a certain amount of money. IRS Free File is focused on federal tax returns, not state returns, so youll need to pay extra attention if you live in a state with income taxes. A few of the IRS Free File offers, like OLT.com and FreeTaxUSA, give a free state filing to anyone who qualifies for a free federal return. Others, like TaxSlayer and FileYourTaxes.com, only give free state filing to people in certain states. A few dont offer free state returns, period. Need help navigating it all? Enter your personal information into the lookup tool at IRS.gov, and itll narrow down the choices for you. If you dont qualify for guided prep, check out Free File Fillable Forms. This isnt for beginners you have to select the right form, type in your data, make sure youre not introducing errors and file the federal return on your own. Though its free, this method does require a bit of tax knowledge. FYI: IRS Free File is available in English and Spanish. Free versions of online tax software Despite no longer being affiliated with IRS Free File, both TurboTax and H&R Block still offer ways you can file for free. TurboTaxs free service is focused on simple tax returns Form 1040 only which owner Intuit says some 60 million taxpayers file. There are currently three ways to do your taxes for free through TurboTax: Free Edition, Live Basic and Live Full Service Basic. Free Edition is a DIY option thats available for free all season long. TurboTax Live Full Service Basic, in which an expert does your taxes for you, is free through Feb. 15. TurboTax Live Basic, which allows you to ask tax experts questions via chat or video as you prepare your taxes, is free through March 31. H&R Blocks Free Online service starts at $0 for federal and state tax prep. It includes coverage for the Earned Income Tax Credit, the child tax credit, education expenses and retirement income. For tax situations that are complicated beyond that, youll have to pay. Live tax help, access to six years of storage and assistance reporting items like freelance income, crypto sales and real estate taxes also cost extra through H&R Block. Other tax software options include Cash App Taxes, which is the rebranded version of Credit Karma Tax. It claims it costs $0 to file your state and federal tax returns, and it wont cost you a penny. Ever. Cash App Taxes supports a variety of documents and tax situations, including Form 1040, student loan interest, Schedule A itemized deductions, the first-time homebuyer credit and self-employment. But youll have to seek tax prep elsewhere if youre a minor, have foreign earned income or fall into one of these other categories. You also cant use Cash App Taxes to file state taxes if you havent already filed your federal return with it. Speaking of state taxes, you may want to check your local government websites for information about where to file for free or cheap. States like California and Pennsylvania have their own free e-filing systems for residents. VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) Whether youre doing taxes yourself or prefer a preparer, the IRS has two initiatives that provide free help for taxpayers who need it: the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs. VITA is targeted at people who make $58,000 or less a year, have disabilities or only know limited English. Americans 60 and up who have questions about retirement, pensions and such are eligible to get advice through TCE. The programs typically operate out of libraries, college buildings and community centers. Use this tool to find a provider near you. (You might have to make an appointment.) Another option for free tax help is AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, which offers both in-person and online tax assistance to anyone, free of charge, with a special focus on taxpayers who are over 50 or have low to moderate income, according to its website. Gather your paperwork Filing your taxes requires a whole bunch of documents. The exact papers you must gather depend on your situation, but most people will need to reference income statements like Form W-2 (from your employer) and any Forms 1099 (for freelance income, interest income, gambling winnings, et cetera). If the IRS mailed you Letter 6475 about your third Economic Impact Payment or Letter 6419 about the child tax credit, locate those, too. Youll also need to know your Social Security number or Taxpayer Identification Number, as well as your prior year adjusted gross income or your self-select PIN. This should be on your 2020 tax return. You may also need a government ID. Improve your potential refund amount - Prepare and file your federal income tax return using tax preparation software Tax preparation software companies like TurboTax will help improve your earning potential. Free tax filing FAQ Where to file taxes for free Check out the above options. The IRS is pretty strict about what its tax software partners can and cant charge for. Theyre prohibited from making you pay anything to file your federal tax return and asking you to buy any products or services (for example, promotional rebates) in exchange for having your federal tax return prepared, according to the IRS website. They also cant offer you bank products that come with fees. If youre doing your taxes on your own, be diligent. Its easy to get fooled into paying for add-ons like Pay With My Refund, Refund Processing Service or Refund Transfer. These functions offer to take money from your refund to cover any prep fees you owe but often charge a fee in the process. Be careful what you click on, and read the fine print. How to file a tax extension online for free If you need extra time to get your federal taxes done, you can electronically request an extension with the IRS by using Free File (regardless of what your income is). You can also submit Form 4868 by visiting a preparers website directly or make an online payment to the IRS and indicate that its connected to an extension. Filing for an extension will give you six additional months to file your 2021 taxes. But take note: Even though an extension moves your deadline for filing back, you still have to pay any taxes you owe by April 18 (or April 19 if you live in Maine or Massachusetts). Bottom line to filing taxes for free If youre hoping to file your taxes for free, a good place to start is the IRS Free File website. Depending on your income level, you may qualify for guided tax prep from an online provider or free forms you can fill out yourself. Failing that, browse offers on websites like TurboTax directly to see if your federal return is simple enough to do for free. Do your research, gather your paperwork and ask for help if you need it. Dollar Scholar Still learning the basics of personal finance? Let us teach you the major money lessons you NEED to know. Get useful tips, expert advice and cute animals in your inbox every week. More from Money: Copyright 2021 Ad Practitioners, LLC. All Rights Reserved. This article originally appeared on Money.com and may contain affiliate links for which Money receives compensation. Opinions expressed in this article are the author's alone, not those of a third-party entity, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed. Offers may be subject to change without notice. For more information, read Moneys full disclaimer. Subscribe to Daily Headlines Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Mounds man was sentenced to life in federal prison Thursday after a jury found him guilty of killing a man in east Tulsa in 2020. U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell sentenced Kyle Quentin Sago, 31, to life plus 10 additional years. A jury in September had found him guilty of first-degree murder in Indian Country in the fatal shooting of Daniel Morgan, 42. Kyle Sago committed an egregious, senseless crime when he took the life of Daniel Morgan, said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. While todays sentence cannot rectify the loss of Mr. Morgan, it sends a message that the U.S. Attorneys Office and our law enforcement partners take seriously our mission to uphold justice. There are no higher priorities than keeping our communities safe and fighting for victims of violent crime. Tulsa police arrested Sago July 27, 2020, following the shooting death of Morgan two days earlier. Morgan was found outside his residence in the 18500 block of East First Street. He had been shot multiple times. Federal prosecutors assumed jurisdiction in the case after determining that Morgan was a member of the Cherokee Nation and the fatal shooting occurred within the Muscogee Nation reservation. Morgan reportedly was sleeping when Sago drove up to his house and asked a woman to awaken Morgan so they could talk about business. A witness reported hearing multiple gunshots after Morgan walked outside. The witness told police Sago fired more shots from inside a Hyundai while Morgan was retreating. Sago, arrested two days later in the Liberty-Mounds area, claimed self-defense. Sago tried to plead guilty in April to second-degree murder, but Frizzell rejected the agreement in July, citing evidence that Sago could have been tried for first-degree murder. Sago, in a Nov. 12-dated letter addressed to Frizzell, complained about his defense attorney and reiterated his belief that he believed Morgan was armed during the encounter. Regardless of whether or not he was armed, I believed he was, Sago wrote. In addition to the murder count, the jury found Sago guilty of one count of using a firearm during first-degree murder and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. 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. One year ago today, on May 1, 2021, a memorial service was held in honor of the 41 Tulsa Police Officers who have died in the line of duty at The Mid-Continent Concrete plant on the west side of the Arkansas River will soon be up for sale, and thats got Sharon King Davis on a mission. The longtime Tulsa businesswoman believes the 26.7-acre property, which sits just south of River West Festival Park, would make a great addition to the River Parks trails and recreation area. River West Festival Park is part of River Parks. Its not a novel idea: As far back as the early 2000s, regional planning documents envisioned an expanded festival park that extended south all the way to the 21st Street bridge land now occupied by the concrete plant. Only then, the property wasnt for sale. Thats about to change, and Davis doesnt want the city to miss out on an opportunity to purchase the land. River Parks is something that came out of the hearts of Tulsans, and I just think we need to complete that, Davis told her colleagues on the River Parks Authority board Thursday. So that is what I am working on, and I need everybodys help. River Parks Authority Executive Director Matt Meyer said he and Davis have met with Mayor G.T. Bynum and Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith to see whether either government entity could provide funding. Nobody has made any commitments or has any funding to do it, Meyer said after the meeting. It could be a public-private partnership if we come up with some partners. Joe Westervelt, president of Mapleview Associates, is representing the owner of the property, GCC Mid-Continent Concrete of Glendale, Colorado. It will be on the market soon, Westervelt said. We are in the process of finishing up the last of our entitlements (pre-sale work) on the property, and when we are completed with that, we will go ahead and get it on the marketplace. Westervelt said that process has included working closely with city, county and River Parks officials, each of whom has been a great help. He said he was especially grateful for the work of City Engineer Paul Zachary and Keith. I hope they can make something happen, he said. ... When this community puts its mind to it, it has a way of getting things done that it wants to get done. Keith said Tulsans have for decades understood the importance of the property. This is a critically important piece for Tulsa to have it developed to its highest and best use, Keith said Meyer acknowledged that River Parks has no plan in place to purchase the property, but it definitely has an interest in making it part of the park system. Today there are exactly zero dollars to buy it, Meyer said. Is River Parks interested in it? Yes. He noted that when the nearby River West development was constructed, River West Festival Park lost 1,200 parking spaces for Oktoberfest and other large events. Extending the festival park south would help address that issue. We can expand the festival park, and it would be a combination of more park land and parking, Meyer said. It wouldnt have to be paved parking; it could be structured parking or that sort of thing. Davis, meanwhile, laid out a vision for the property that could include not only more park space and parking spaces, but perhaps a giant Ferris wheel, or a hotel and restaurant or all three. From that vantage point you have the most beautiful, incredible view of the city, Davis said. Downstream, you see the beautiful Gathering Place. I just dont want to see Tulsa lose this property to somebody out of state, and we are not able to get what River Parks needs. Behind the scenes: Jason Collington talks to photojournalist Mike Simons. 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. The human toll of the pandemic on health care providers can be as overwhelming as COVID-19 is right now to Oklahoma hospitals and the answer to both harms is vaccination, a local doctor said Thursday. COVID-19 hospitalizations are at all-time highs in Tulsa County and Oklahoma with the states latest data release Thursday, toppling records set in COVIDs original and delta variant waves. Dr. Kamran Abbasi has treated COVID patients for Saint Francis Health System ever since the novel coronavirus reached Tulsa nearly two years ago. He teared up describing how it almost feels that at times we failed not because we didnt try. Talk about innovations in health care or medicines all you want, Abbasi said, but a patients life is bigger than anything else. Vaccinations are the one thing helping to preserve those lives and protect health care workers from the mental and emotional trauma inflicted by such tragedy, he said. We have never seen death like this before, Abbasi said. And this is what we do. We signed up for this. We provide the best care we can to our patients, and were committed to that. But then feeling helpless that you want to do something and then they die, and they die and they die. That takes a toll on you. Federal data show Oklahomas rate of COVID hospital admissions at 32.2 per 100 inpatient beds the past seven days. In other words, nearly one in three inpatient beds in Oklahoma is filled by someone with COVID. That rate is the highest yet in Oklahoma and ranks as the worst in the nation right now. Oklahoma set an overall COVID-19 hospitalization record Thursday at 2,070 inpatients, besting by 4% the prior high of 1,995 about a year ago. At that time, the state released hospitalization daily counts that included patients who were under investigation for COVID but who had not yet been confirmed to have the virus. Now the state publishes three-day averages of confirmed cases only. Tulsa Countys COVID hospitalizations rose to 525 on Thursday. That is 4% above its past high of 504 set during the delta variant wave in the summer. Tulsa County first topped that delta surge mark on Tuesday, when it hit 508 COVID hospitalizations. The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions provisional COVID-19 death count in Oklahoma on Thursday was 13,129 people, a number that is based on death certificates. A Tulsa World analysis of that data found that Oklahomas cumulative COVID death rate ranked third-worst in the nation through November. A Reuters analysis found that Oklahoma ranked No. 2 in 2021 through November in cumulative COVID death rates. Dr. Cliff Robertson, president and CEO of Saint Francis Health System, said about 90% of the patients with COVID-19 in that systems hospitals were admitted because of the disease, with about 10% of COVID inpatients admitted for reasons not related to their COVID diagnoses. Robertson and Abbasi spoke to reporters Thursday during a regular Saint Francis media briefing. Abbasi said its not his job to judge unvaccinated people who are hospitalized because of COVID-19, though at this point it can be exasperating because the hospital is overwhelmed and staff members are struggling. Ive seen worst-case scenarios in the hospital, and I can tell you this is a disease of the unvaccinated, Abbasi said. The people who are dying are unvaccinated. The people who are in the hospital for extended stays are in large unvaccinated. That is just a fact. Each person has a choice, Abbasi said, but each person should understand the consequences of being unvaccinated. He said an unvaccinated person will always receive the same level of care and compassion from him as someone who is vaccinated. He said some patients feel like they never get the flu and dont need the flu shot. They consider COVID to be just another virus, he said. I think theres a lot of misinformation out there; I think theres a lot of unnecessary self-confidence out there, Abbasi said. I dont mean that in a rude way. Thats as plainly as I can put it. Abbasi described how overwhelming the first year of the pandemic was on him because there was so much death, so much mortality. He did not do well but kept moving to take care of patients because they needed him, he said. 2021 brought a lot of happiness and hopes with it because of the vaccines, but that turned to disappointment as Oklahomas low vaccination uptake played out, he said. Then the delta variant swooped in and created even more challenges for hospitals and new complications from the disease, he said. And now omicron comes in, he said, and many people seem to have relaxed their guard to at least some degree. It isnt necessarily true that omicron is a less severe version of COVID, he said, and trying to contract it is like playing Russian roulette. Our hospital is overwhelmed, Abbasi said. We are struggling. We are working hard. We love what we do. This is why were here, and I wouldnt have it any other way. But we are overwhelmed; ICUs are busy. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Ive got to hand it to the GOP and a couple of centrist Democrats they certainly know how to misinterpret and misrepresent the message of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in an effort to promote their retrograde agendas. It never fails, almost like clockwork, some politician will echo (arrogantly and without shame) a select passage of the iconic speech that the late civil rights leader delivered during the March on Washington in 1963: I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. It was a profound comment, to be sure. And, indeed, every morally requisite human being should adopt and unapologetically embrace its values. The problem is many members in the two aforementioned categories fail to practice what they preach, choosing instead to engage in antics that embody the antithesis of such traits. The most recent is newly inaugurated Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who shamelessly employed all sorts of disturbing sorts of dog whistles in his gubernatorial campaign. Youngkin perversely used Kings words to advocate for parents choice in public schools, issuing an executive order to justify his ban on critical race theory in K-12 education. We must equip our teachers to teach our students the entirety of our history both good and bad. Only then will we realize Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s dream that our children will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character, Youngkins executive order states. Several months earlier, it was Florida governor and much talked about potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis who incorrectly cited the civil rights leader. DeSantis stood before his state legislature with a straight face and declared that his reason for invoking his STOP W.O.K.E. Act, a law that grants parents permission to sue teachers caught teaching critical race theory in Florida public schools, was to honor the spirit and values of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Yes, you read that correctly. I wonder if King were alive today, would he have advocated to direct such hostility and disingenuous outrage toward any form of education that taught kids to learn about the history of its people regardless of whether the truth that emerged from such information turned out to be good, bad or ugly? You cant make this stuff up! This is political theater of the obscene. The gross misinterpretation of Kings message doesnt end with Republicans they have kindred spirits in the Democratic Party who enjoy playing similar games. Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who has pretty much thumbed her nose at every segment of the progressive wing of her party, stated that John Lewis, the late congressman for whom the voting rights bill is named, along with King were her personal heroes. Go figure. Perhaps she feels that the most effective and laudatory way to support the legacy of both men is to politically align herself with Republican senators like Ted Cruz and Mitch McConnell to protect the filibuster (a long held relic of Jim Crow) rather than pass legislation designed to protect Black peoples right to vote. It should not go without saying that in his landmark article Letter From Birmingham Jail, King made it clear that he reserved the majority of his frustration with the white moderate. The truth is that most Republican politicians likely would have mercilessly attacked King and everything he stood for tooth and nail had they been in Congress during his time on Earth. He would have been lumped in with Black Lives Matter, called a big-government liberal, and referred to in other terms by this group of men and women to indicate their disdain for his progressive and humanitarian values. The truth is King would have opposed virtually all the retrograde values these individuals embrace in his name. Elwood Watson is a professor of history, Black studies, and gender and sexuality studies at East Tennessee State University. He is also an author and public speaker. Subscribe to Daily Headlines Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BAMAKO, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- A new batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by China to Mali was received in the Malian capital Bamako on Wednesday. Chinese Ambassador to Mali Chen Zhihong and Malian Minister of Health and Social Development Dieminatou Sangare attended the reception ceremony held at Bamako International Airport. Sangare expressed her gratitude to the Chinese government on behalf of the Malian transitional president Assimi Goita, the transitional government and the people of Mali. She said that China has always provided support to Malians and Mali is ready to continue to deepen cooperation with China. China had provided Mali with several batches of anti-epidemic supplies, which strongly supported Mali's fight against the pandemic, and the current situation in Mali has proven that the Chinese vaccine is effective and reliable, she said. Chen said that the new vaccine donation from China to help the Malian government and people to fight against COVID-19 reflects the traditional deep friendship between the two countries. China is willing to continue cooperation with Mali to fight the pandemic, to further strengthen cooperation in health and other fields, and to build a community with a shared future for health between China and Mali, he said. Vietnam coffee prices edged down amid dull trade ahead of the week-long Lunar New Year holiday, while trade has not yet picked up in Indonesia as stocks remain low until at least March, traders said on Thursday. Farmers in the Central Highlands sold coffee at VND38,800 to VND40,200 ($1.71 to $1.78) per kg, little changed from last week's range of VND38,800 to VND40,700. "Prices are declining on increasing supplies but tepid demand," said a trader in the coffee belt, adding that prolonged supply chain disruptions contributed to lacklustre trade. "Farmers are holding on to beans as they are not under pressure to sell for the upcoming long holiday anymore. Some have already shut their shops." Markets in Vietnam will close next week for the holiday and traders said export activities would not resume until it ended. Traders in Vietnam offered 5% black and broken grade 2 robusta at discounts of $270 to $280 per metric ton to the May contract, versus a range of $250 to $270 a week ago. March robusta coffee shed $46, or 2%, to stand at $2,191 a metric ton on Wednesday. Indonesia's Sumatran robusta beans were offered at a discount of $120 per metric ton to the February contract, one trader said. Another trader offered a discount of $200 a metric ton to the March contract, narrowing from last week's $250. "There were barely any new bean supplies and only traders with remaining stock could take part in trading this week," said a regional trader. Traders expect a mini-harvest between March and April. ($1 = VND22,645) Many Vietnamese oil and gas retailers are facing a supply shortage due to the production cut by a main petroleum supplier of the country, while low discount rates and increased costs have caused them to suffer losses. This situation has been taking place as the Tet, or Lunar New Year, holiday is coming, with some traders saying that they will likely stop operation after Tet, which will fall on February 1. For nearly a week, Tu Luc 1 Petroleum Joint Stock Company, a petroleum trader and distributor, has been looking for more supply to meet its business plans before, during and after Tet. The situation was very stressful because Thanh Hoa Province-based Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical suddenly reduced their market supply, Nguyen Van Tiu, the companys director, said. With its current petroleum reserves, the company may survive the Tet holiday only, without knowing what will happen if the supply from Nghi Son remains unimproved, the director stated. Meanwhile, the discount rate for each liter of petroleum sold has decreased sharply, from the previous rates of VND600-800 (US$0.026-0.035) to only VND200-300 ($0.008-0.013) per liter presently, which could not help offsetting operating costs, including freights. Maintaining operations at such low discount rates means suffering further losses, as the direct cost for each liter of petrol has amounted to VND600 ($0.026), Tiu moaned. If this situation prolongs, many businesses will stop operation after Tet, he predicted. A director of a petrol retail system in Ho Chi Minh City and Mekong Delta provinces reported to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper a lower discount rate, VND100 ($0.004) per liter, compared to the previous levels of VND700-1,000 ($0.03-0.044). Such a meager discount, which sometimes even plummeted to zero, has resulted from the soaring global prices, the retailer explained. The more we operate, the more we lose. So, we will therefore begin our Tet break sooner than usual and will not resume until February 6, he stated. A leading petroleum enterprise in Ho Chi Minh City said it has faced great difficulties as up to 40 percent of its supply comes from Nghi Son. "There is not much stockpile left in the Asian market as China has cut production. A shortage of petroleum supply will likely happen after Tet, and a lot of filling stations will have to shut down, a representative of the enterprise said. The fact that Nghi Son has cut down production and is at risk of ceasing operation has strongly affected the supply to the fuel market, as it accounts for 35 percent of the countrys total output, said Bui Ngoc Bao, chairman of the Vietnam Petroleum Association. Vietnam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex), which holds a 25.1 percent stake in Nghi Son, said the complex had recently canceled the import of two shipments of crude oil, the key material for production, due to serious financial difficulties. It is likely that it will have to stop operating in mid-February if the financial problems are not resolved by relevant parties, according to Lao Dong (Labor) newspaper. Petrolimex blamed the financial difficulties partly for inadequacies in Nghi Sons administration works performed by its foreign partners and said it is negotiating with foreign investors on the overall restructuring of the complex to improve its operating efficiency. Established in April 2008, Nghi Son is a joint venture with four capital contributors, including Petrolimex, Kuwait Petroleum International, and Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. and Mitsui Chemical Inc. both of Japan. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Dr. Nguyen Duc Thanh, an overseas Vietnamese scientist, and researchers at the University of Connecticut (UCONN) have come up with an injection-free, single-use and self-administered microneedle vaccine patch. The vaccine technology is the brainchild of the 38-year-old assistant professor of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering at UCONN in the U.S. Born to a family whose parents were doctors and two elder sisters worked in medicine, Nguyen Duc Thanh was always keen on the medical field. However, Thanh never thought that it would be his pursuit due to his lack of confidence in biology. After graduating from Le Quy Don High School For the Gifted in central Da Nang City, Thanh chose engineering physics as his field of study at Hanoi University of Science and Technology before going on to study mechanical and aeronautical engineering for his PhD program at Princeton University, where he found his lifelong passion - nanotechnology. In-depth research on nanomaterials and their extremely rich applications in medicine excited him. Thanh spent all his time in the lab, sometimes nearly 20 hours a day. Cold and snowy weather could not prevent him from going to the lab every day. Dr. Nguyen Duc Thanh. He then began doing post-doctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he and other members of a scientist group sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation developed a vaccine technology that only requires single administration instead of multiple injections. At the time, the team had successfully created microparticles for a single-injection vaccination. However, the particle size was not small enough to reach the needles top, hence limiting the dose of vaccine transmitted into the body. Not wanting his research efforts to go waste, Thanh sought to create a new method that could overcome problems in his vaccine microparticles. He came up with and coined the idea of making a vaccine patch similar to that used on a wound. The vaccine patch developed by the group was created using an additive process called StampEd Assembly of Polymer Layers (SEAL) and computer chip manufacturing technology. This method helps create small, modulated particles that release the vaccine at different times and simulate the process of vaccine delivery into the body. One patch is enough to produce the same immune effect as repeated injections over a long period of time. The size of a thumb, the patch is placed directly on the skin and allows the vaccine to enter the body through the epidermis without causing much pain like normal injections. Because of its simple operation, it can be used at home to limit cross-contamination at high-risk health facilities. A close up of the microneedles on a vaccine patch developed by Dr. Nguyen Duc Thanh. Photo credit: Nguyen Duc Thanh. The team used a microneedle patch on mice with the Prevnar-13 vaccine, which fights pneumococcal bacteria that cause pneumonia, and published the results in biomedical journal Nature Biomedical Engineering in 2020. Thanh then received a $432,990 contract from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to develop the single-use, self-administered microneedle vaccine technology for infectious diseases such as COVID-19, according to the UCONN website. In addition to funding from BARDA, the researchers received $160,000 from UCONN to share the cost of the project. The microneedle patch contains the spike protein, or S-protein, on the shell of the COVID-19 virus, and is programmed to automatically deliver the S-protein as a vaccine antigen against COVID-19 into the skin in time-release fashion - similar to the use of multiple vaccine injections - to trigger the long-term immune protection against the virus. The technology has been considered truly ground-breaking and attracted the attention of the American media. Recently, American multinational pharmaceutical company Merck & Co., Inc. proposed a joint venture with Thanhs lab to research the application of this microneedle patch for mRNA vaccine technology. He is also in the process of starting a company to develop the vaccine patch. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Numerous people have begun leaving Ho Chi Minh City for their hometown prior to the 2022 Lunar New Year holiday, causing heavy congestion at major gateways. According to the observation of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters on Thursday morning, the number of vehicles on National Highway No. 1 in Ho Chi Minh City's Binh Tan and Binh Chanh Districts began climbing, causing vehicles to drive slowly along crowded sections of the street. This image shows vehicles crowding National Highway No. 1 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on January 27, 2022. Photo: Tuoi Tre At some intersections, traffic police officers were tasked with regulating traffic and signal lights in order to avoid prolonged congestion. According to a police officer at the intersection of National Highway 1 and Nguyen Huu Tri Street, the number of vehicles has declined compared to previous years. A scene of traffic on National Highway No.1 leading to Long An Province on January 27, 2022. Photo: Tuoi Tre "There has been an increase in traffic in recent days, but there has been no serious congestion, the police officer stated. However, during rush hours, we are still here to direct traffic flows. This images show holiday-goers on the way back to their hometowns from Ho Chi Minh City on January 27, 2022. Photo: Tuoi Tre People flocked to the city center through the northwest gateway from the An Suong intersection, jamming major streets such as Truong Chinh and Cong Hoa. In particular, the queue of vehicles moved slowly at the intersection of Truong Chinh and Tan Ky Tan Quy Streets. According to locals, traffic congestion occurs on a regular basis, but the closer Tet, the worser traffic jams. Commuters are stuck in a traffic jam on Truong Chinh Street, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City on January 27, 2022. Photo: Tuoi Tre National Highway 13 in Thu Duc City is also frequently congested, particularly the section from Binh Duong Province to the Mien Dong (Eastern) Bus Station. When a train goes by, the part of the road becomes the most packed. Congestion caused by container trucks often takes place on the Hanoi Highway in Thu Duc City these days, from the overpass of Station 2 to the RMK intersection. A traffic scene on National Highway No.13 in Thu Duc City, under Ho Chi Minh City on January 27, 2022. Photo: Tuoi Tre According to the drivers, the congestion was a result of container trucks that had to wait in line to access the neighboring Truong Tho Port. This weekend is expected to see a slew of people leaving Ho Chi Minh City for their hometowns to celebrate Tet. Vietnamese will formally celebrate the Tet, or Lunar New Year, festival on Februrary 1. Vehicles travel at a snails pace on Truong Chinh Street, Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City on January 27, 2022. Photo: Tuoi Tre Traffic congestion at the intersection of Truong Chinh and Tay Thanh Streets, Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City on January 27, 2022. Photo: Tuoi Tre Commuters are stuck in a traffic jam on Tan Ky Tan Quy Street, Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City on January 27, 2022. Photo: Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Health authorities of Ho Chi Minh City, in southern Vietnam, have proposed local administration allow COVID-19 patients in minor conditions or without symptoms to self-isolate at home upon their arrival from abroad. The municipal Department of Health made the proposal as most people with COVID-19 entering Vietnam recently, including those carrying the Omicron variant, have shown light conditions or no symptoms at all. Further, most of them wish to be quarantined at home or clinics at their choice. The agency also said the number of people coming to Vietnam by air has been on the rise, as the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday will come in several days. Under current regulations, people positive for the coronavirus when entering Vietnam will be sent to Field Hospital No. 12 or the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases for treatment. However, local health authorities proposed relaxing the rules to meet the aspirations of arrivals, including foreigners, foreign consular officers, and diplomats. Accordingly, cases with severe symptoms will be transferred to field hospitals with three levels of treatment. Patients with moderate conditions will be sent to field hospitals or to qualified private hospitals at their wish. Those with mild conditions will be placed in home quarantine at their wish, provided they ensure all safety requirements and comply with epidemic prevention and control regulations. If mild patients have no such an aspiration, they will be taken to Field Hospital No. 12 or to clinics at their request. Any COVID-19 patients, whether they are quarantined at home or hospitals upon their entry, must follow the Ministry of Healths treatment regimen and have their samples taken for RT-PCR testing. In the event that entrants testing positive for COVID-19 at the citys airport wish to be isolated at home and have enough conditions for such quarantine, the international medical quarantine section under the citys Center for Disease Control will update their information into the COVID-19 digital information platform and promptly notify relevant health agencies for management, control and caretaking. In case the health conditions of patients under home quarantine get worse, their caretakers must contact local health centers, mobile health stations, or the 115 Emergency Center to take them to a field hospital with three levels of treatment. Ho Chi Minh City, with some nine million inhabitants, had administered over 8.16 million first vaccine shots and some 7.5 million second jabs to its adult population as of Thursday, the national COVID-19 vaccination portal reported. Local health authorities expect to give the third vaccine doses, including booster shots and additional primary jabs, to all people aged 18 and older by January 30. The city has recently seen its daily COVID-19 cases and deaths fall sharply, to 168 and 11 on Thursday, compared to 671 and 35 a month earlier, the Ministry of Healths data shows. However, the southern economic hub remains the locality suffering the most from COVID-19 in Vietnam, with 514,836 infections and 19,874 fatalities documented since the pandemic erupted in the Southeast Asian country in early 2020. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Passengers on international flights coming to and exiting Vietnam, regardless of their COVID-19 vaccination status, will no longer have to take a rapid coronavirus test before or after their flight. The Government Office issued on Friday a new document on the implementation of regular international flights carrying passengers to and from Vietnam. The document included the abolition of the requirement that international passengers must take a rapid COVID-19 test before or after their flight. Airlines had complained about the disadvantages of the requirement since its introduction at the beginning of this year. In Fridays document, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh also approved increasing the frequency of regular commercial flights carrying passengers to Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan and expanding the markets in the ongoing pilot program of flight resumption to Europe and Australia to meet the needs of overseas Vietnamese, who want to return to the homeland to celebrate the Lunar New Year holiday. Following that, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is directing Vietnams representative missions in other countries to accelerate the reopening of regular international commercial flights and discuss with competent departments and agencies in Singapore, Japan, and South Korea for the exemption of COVID-19 quarantine requirement on Vietnamese arrivals. The foreign ministry will also provide guidance on entry procedures for Vietnamese people whose entries are rejected by other countries. In addition, the Deputy Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Health to provide specific instructions on measures to prevent the penetration of the coronavirus Omicron variant from people entering the country. As of Thursday, Vietnam had documented 2,203,208 COVID-19 cases, with 1,945,611recoveries and 37,291 fatalities, the Health Ministry reported. Health workers have administered more than 180.3 million vaccine doses since vaccination was rolled out nationwide on March 8, 2021. By Thursday afternoon, above 73.9 million adults of the countrys 98 million people had received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, while 78.9 million had been given at least one dose. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Former TV presenter Andrew OKeefe has been denied bail in Central Local Court this afternoon. The former Seven star was arrested yesterday morning following an alleged altercation with a 38-year-old woman at his Kent Street apartment in Sydney. OKeefe, 50, is charged with six offences, intentionally choking a person without consent (two counts), common assault (three counts), and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. A verbal argument ensued between the pair, before the man allegedly assaulted the woman grabbing her by the throat, pushing her to the ground and punching her, a police statement read. The man allegedly assaulted the woman a second time punching and kicking her before she left the unit. OKeefe was assessed by a clinician before todays court appearance. He appeared via video link. OKeefes lawyer Sharon Ramsden asked for him to be freed on bail to go into residential psychiatric care next week. She said he had suffered injuries in the alleged incident and would be claiming self defence when the case went to trial. But the prosecution warned OKeefe could be facing a lengthy jail term if convicted and dismissed the claims of self-defence. The only way she was able to break free was to bite the arm of the accused, said police prosecutor Sergeant Chris Manning. The incident went on for a significant period of time. Police have applied for a provisional apprehended violence order, which would see him barred from approaching, assaulting, threatening, stalking, harassing or intimidating the woman in any way. OKeefe has previously acknowledged bipolar and struggles with drugs & alcohol, as also been an ambassador for the White Ribbon Foundation. The organisation went into liquidation in 2019 and was relaunched in 2020 without OKeefe. He is due to appear in court on Friday February 4. An AVO hearing will be heard at Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday February 2. 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 Lifeline: 13 11 14 Source: Daily Mail, ABC CDC, along with many other professional healthcare experts, are committed to increasing awareness of AFM. Listen to members of our community of experts as they express their dedication to learn more about AFM. I cover local government in East Texas for the Tyler Morning Telegraph. Im from East Texas and love getting to report on the area I grew up in. Texas A&M University former student. If you have story ideas email me at mmcham@tylerpaper.com Follow Maleri McHam 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 ABUJA, Nigeria, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese community in Nigeria held a carnival-like celebration Thursday here to mark the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year of Tiger. The event, organized by the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, witnessed a large turnout of Chinese citizens, Nigerian officials, and students. The gathering was the first of a series of events to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 1 this year. The revelers, gathering at the China Cultural Center in the central business area of Abuja city, were enthralled by various Chinese art performances, including the traditional Chinese dragon and lion dances. The joyous celebration was spiced up by local troupes and school art groups who performed various Nigerian dances, aside from the Chinese songs and dances at the event. Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Cui Jianchun told Xinhua the celebration was to mark the beginning of good things, such as strength, braveness, and ambition. Spring Festival has gained popularity in most cities in Nigeria due to the sense of anticipation and excitement shared by the Chinese community in the most populous African country. The festival is celebrated every year. Spring Festival celebrations are emblematic of the cultural tradition and heritage as well as aesthetic aspirations of the Chinese nation, abounding in distinctive Chinese symbols of great emotional appeal. Tyler, TX (75702) Today Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. February is the month for music lovers as the University of North Georgia (UNG) begins its spring semester schedule with four performances. The first two will focus on the music of composer, pianist and educator Jane K, whose given name is Evgeniya Kozhevnikova. The first event highlighting the composer is "A Little Night(hawk) Music Concert," which will be held at the Performing Arts Lobby on UNG's Gainesville Campus at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 7. The other event focused on Jane Ks work is set for 7:30 p.m. Feb. 8 at the Gloria Shott Performance Hall on the Dahlonega Campus. "The A Little Night(hawk) Music series started in 2016 on the Gainesville Campus and showcases a combination of UNG music faculty and guest artists with performances ranging from jazz to opera to traditional instrumental and vocal recitals each year, Dr. Benjamin Schoening, department head and professor of music, said. The music department asks all people planning to attend any spring semester concerts to register online at the UNG music events webpage, which links to UNG Connect sign-ups for each performance. All performances are free of charge and open to the public. Jane K composes in various styles and genres, from classical to jazz and tango, tastefully blending them together. In 2020, she released a jazz-tango album "Tango Avenue." She holds two master's degrees, in music composition and music performance, from Western Michigan University. She is working on her doctorate degree in music composition at the University of Florida. Wayne Baird,89, loves to be challenged, and his career path is living proof. He started his career as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army before being medically discharged. As a business recruiter, he helped former officers and other veterans acquire jobs. Baird moved into pharmaceutical sales before pursuing a job in the music business in Nashville, Tennessee. It was a natural progression for the native of Jefferson, Georgia, who played the guitar, sang and wrote songs. Baird succeeded as a songwriter, music engineer and record producer. "I met a lot of great people and made a lot of contacts," he said. "It was a tremendous time." His ability to connect with people led Baird to his next job. He worked as a church security director after leaving the music business. In his role, he met the owner of a Chick-fil-A restaurant. "He asked me to develop leaders in his restaurant, which would lead to opening a second Chick-fil-A," Baird said. "Now, I work for him and oversee the operations and management of two Chick-fil-A restaurants in Nashville." Baird said it is an ideal fit for him and his family. The 56-year-old has a wife and two young children. "I work with people who are in their 20s and who are in their 60s," he said. "Being able to see their potential and lead them is fulfilling. I am extremely fortunate to have a small part in their success." Baird attributes his success to the lessons he learned as a UNG student and from the Corps of Cadets. "I learned how to lead and how to follow," he said. "Wherever you are in your career, it's likely you'll be filling both roles at the same time. The challenge is understanding how both are very different, but the power of influence looks the same each way." UNG's Alumni Association took notice of Baird's accomplishments and willingness to volunteer. He serves as the group's vice president and is one of the honorary co-chairs of UNG's sesquicentennial planning committee. Baird explained his college roommate, Jimmy Anderson, is the current president of the alumni association. Anderson then tapped Baird to help, and he was excited to assist. "I'm working with really bright people who have done incredible things," he said. "My contribution is to bring in people who are smarter than me and more successful. Because the more successful the board and the more talent you have, the more valuable the board becomes." Baird, who also serves as an adviser on the board of the Mike Cottrell College of Business, said he is a leader by virtue of his title. But he sees himself as a problem-solver, decision maker, and facilitator. "I do one thing. I help others take ownership and become stakeholders in their roles," he said. "I execute that by assisting them in solving problems, making decisions, and replicating that process." KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's exports in December 2021 rose 29.2 percent to 123.85 billion ringgit from a year earlier on higher electrical and electronic (E&E) shipment, official data showed Friday. Electrical and electronics goods, which account for more than one-third of Malaysia's total exports, advanced 36.1 percent in December from a year earlier, while petroleum product shipments gained 25.6 percent, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) said in a statement. Malaysia's exports to major trading partners, including China, the United States and Singapore recorded double-digit growth in the month, it said. Malaysia's trade in December expanded 26.8 percent year-on-year to 216.7 billion ringgit, while imports up 23.6 percent to 92.86 billion ringgit in December, according to MITI. The trade surplus widened to 31 billion ringgit in December, up 49.5 percent on the year. In December, Malaysia's exports to China grew 28.8 percent year-on-year to 20.1 billion ringgit, while imports gained 22.3 percent to 22.1 billion ringgit. Malaysia's full-year export gained 26 percent year-on-year at 1.24 trillion ringgit, while imports were up 23.3 percent to 987.2 billion ringgit, the statement read. Total trade advanced 24.8 percent to 2.23 trillion ringgit, while trade balance gained 37.9 percent to 252.6 billion ringgit. For the full year, China remained as Malaysia's largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years with an 18.9 percent share of total trade, expanding by 27 percent to 421.07 billion ringgit compared to 2020. Exports rose by 20.6 percent to 192.05 billion ringgit, the highest value thus far, driven by strong exports of manufactures of metal, E&E products as well as liquefied natural gas (LNG). Imports from China, which accounted for 23.2 percent of total imports, gained 33 percent to 229.02 billion ringgit, with main imports components being E&E products, machinery, equipment and parts as well as chemicals and chemical products. (1 ringgit equals 0.24 U.S. dollar) While many University of North Georgia (UNG) students aim to win one scholarship to fund their educational experience and achieve their future goals, Katherine "Kat" Torres, '21, exceeded those objectives. During her time at UNG, the first-generation graduate won three prestigious scholarships, studied abroad in Ireland and Australia, attended a State Department seminar, garnered the Newman Civic Fellowship, and most recently earned a highly competitive fellowship. "As a first-generation student, my main objective was simply to graduate," Torres said. "I often saw scholarships as unattainable despite my academic abilities. But when I won Gilman in 2019 on my second attempt, I realized reapplying increased my chance of winning." She followed that win with three more scholarships. Her most recent feat happened at the end of 2021. Torres became the first UNG graduate to earn the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship. The distinguished graduate of UNG's Honors Program was one of only 45 fellows in the nation to receive the fellowship that provides recipients up to $42,000 annually for two years to complete a master's degree program. "Dr. Anastasia Lin saw my academic potential during my first year at UNG when I could not see it myself," Torres said. "Her mentorship and encouragement inspired me to propel myself toward opportunities I wouldnt otherwise have pursued." The Pickering Fellowship was the fourth nationally competitive scholarship for Torres. In spring 2021, she was selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and the Boren Indonesian Flagship Language Program scholarship. She chose the Fulbright and is teaching English in Taiwan for the 2021-22 academic year. Torres also won the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship in December 2019. Torres worked with the Nationally Competitive Scholarships (NCS) office on all of her applications. "I did not win the first time I applied for the Gilman scholarship," Torres said. "But I reapplied for it two years later and won. I always remind myself that it is better to move slowly than to not move at all. Even when you don't win a scholarship, you gain writing skills and reflect on your career goals, which overall move you toward success." Her persistence garnered her funding for a study abroad in Ireland. "Learning about foreign relations between Ireland and the United States led me to search for career opportunities in the federal government, which led me to participate in the Cox-State Department Diplomacy Seminar," Torres said. That seminar in 2019 changed her future trajectory. "After the Cox-State Seminar simulations, I recognized that I obtained the skills and interests necessary to embrace the Consular Officer role and would be interested in seeking a permanent position within the Department of State," Torres said. "Foreign Service intersects with my personal and professional interests in international relations, public service and cultural exchange. The scholarships have been like stepping stones in forming my career path." PVM Alumna Wins Kentucky Veterinarian of the Year Award for Heart-warming Rescue Dr. Emily Bewley (PU DVM 2011) received the Kentucky Veterinary Medical Associations Veterinarian of the Year Award for 2021 in recognition of her efforts to save a dog named Ethan. Dr. Emily Bewley (PU DVM 2011) of Louisville, Kentucky is one of many Purdue Veterinary Medicine alumni who has taken giant leaps since graduation to make a lasting impact on the world around her, and now she has a new honor to add to her list of accomplishments. Dr. Bewley received the Kentucky Veterinary Medical Associations Veterinarian of the Year Award for 2021 at the associations annual awards luncheon last fall. The honor recognized Dr. Bewley for her efforts to save the life of a dog named Ethan that had been dumped in the parking lot of the Kentucky Humane Society in Louisville nearly dead from starvation. Tomorrow, Saturday, January 29, marks one year since Ethan arrived in Dr. Bewleys care. Dr. Bewley earned her DVM degree at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2011 and now works as a shelter veterinarian for the Kentucky Humane Society. Born and raised in Louisville, Dr. Bewley attended Assumption High School where she participated in a co-op program that provided her the opportunity to spend a few days each week working at a veterinary office. It was during this time that her love for animals blossomed. When it came time to consider going to college, Dr. Bewley knew instantly that she was meant to be at Purdue. Being close to Louisville and known for its academic excellence, Purdues veterinary medical program seemed to be tailored to her. After graduation, Dr. Bewley went on to work in veterinary emergency and critical care before finding a position with the Kentucky Humane Society and becoming a shelter veterinarian. It was there that her path crossed with Ethans, an abandoned pup in need of help. This encounter would become the most impactful rescue of Dr. Bewleys life. Ethan was found in the parking lot at the Kentucky Humane Society that Saturday one year ago severely underweight and dehydrated. For weeks after he was taken in, Ethan suffered from seizures, numerous lesions, and brain damage to his frontal lobe. His health condition was so severe that Dr. Bewley thought he was passing away, until he decided to eat during her second attempt to feed him. Ethan was the worst case Ive ever seen. Watching his recovery was kind of magical. It was all due to the strength of his heart and the strength of his character, said Dr. Bewley. When Ethan was found in the parking lot, he weighed in at 38 pounds, when he should have weighed 80. He now weighs a healthy 130 pounds and is one loving pup. Ethan is considered a walking miracle due to the extraordinary veterinary care he received. Ethan also was honored by the Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association (KVMA) last fall by being inducted into the KVMA Animal Hall of Fame. His plaque, dedicated to Ethan Almighty, reads: In recognition of an animal that exemplifies the affection, loyalty and value of the human/animal bond, and dedication while serving an individual and community. Tomorrow, January 29, Ethan celebrates his one year Found Ya day. Also honored were Kentucky Humane Societys Medical Services Supervisor Jacie Claxton, Veterinary Technician Angela Miksell, and Veterinary Assistants Rebecca van Schepen and Dakota Arnold, all who cared for Ethan during his recovery. They were recognized at the same ceremony where Dr. Bewley was presented with the KVMAs Veterinarian of the Year Award. It was one of the most humbling experiences of my life, reflects Dr. Bewley on her recognition. I seriously was not expecting it. I felt so honored. Ethan was adopted by Kentucky Humane Society Facility Director Jeff Calloway and his wife, Dana. He has since acquired quite the following, as he was hired as a beer taster for Busch Beers Dog Brew and invited to throw the first pitch at a Louisville Bats game. The COVID pandemic really made his popularity explode, said Dr. Bewley. People were looking for hope something to hold on to and they were with him all the way. Ethan and Dr. Bewleys story has gone so far as to influence legislation there is currently a pre-filed bill before the current session of the Kentucky General Assembly known as Ethans Bill, which, if passed, would create much stronger animal cruelty laws in Kentucky. Dr. Bewley is now helping foster a new pup, named Travolta, on a journey back to health. The two are inseparable, and Dr. Bewley admits she may end up adopting the foster one day. She provides words of encouragement and advice to anyone looking to pursue a degree in any kind of veterinary practice. Keep your mind open. I never considered shelter medicine. I thought I would do ER and I was president of the student veterinary medicine emergency club one year. Now, I love shelter medicine. You never know where the world is going to take you. Congratulations to Dr. Bewley for her outstanding accomplishment, and happy Found Ya day to Ethan! We cant wait to see the next giant leap your future holds. Writer(s): Madeline Brod, PVM Communications Intern | pvmnews@purdue.edu KABUL, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations and its humanitarian partners have provided humanitarian assistance to millions of people in liquidity crisis-hit Afghanistan during the last four months of 2021, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Friday. The organization wrote on social media platforms that "in the last four months of 2021, the UN and humanitarian partners in Afghanistan reached 9.4 million people with food assistance and 1.6 million people with health care." According to the OCHA, over 276,000 children were treated for acute malnutrition, while 353,000 Afghans received winterization aid during the above period. The donors provided nearly 1.5 billion U.S. dollars for 2021's two humanitarian appeals for Afghanistan. Included were 762 million, or 126 percent, of the 606 million required for the Flash Appeal, and 730 million, or 84 percent, of the 869 million sought in the Humanitarian Response Plan, according to the OCHA. Unikey creator Pham Kim Long Following the successful call for $200 million, MoMo is taking action to cement its position in the market and increase the technological content in its products. Most recently, the company gathered a group of leading scientists in data and AI in its AI Committee. The working group is set up to realize MoMos AI utilization strategy. It is in charge of seeking and developing products and technologies. Established in June 2021, MoMos AI Committee now has seven members, including experts who have worked for the worlds leading technology giants. Dang Hoang Vu, who has a doctorate from Cambridge University, for example, was an expert at Hewlett Packard. Before returning to Vietnam, he worked in the user protection division at Facebook. Since May 2021, Vu has been in charge of the development of platforms using data and AI in MoMos business fields. Another expert for MoMo is Tran Thi Lac Thanh. She is a PhD in computing science from UMass University. She spent many years working in the data science division at Twitter and LinkedIn in Silicon Valley. Another member of the AI Committee is Pham Kim Long, well known as the author of UniKey, the software for typing Vietnamese characters used by most Vietnamese. After resigning from the post of Zalo AI director, Long is now AI R&D Director at MoMo. He leads the teams researching natural language processing technology and computer vision. Asked why he joined MoMos staff at a recent workshop about AI development, Long said he felt that he needed to change to have new challenges. MoMo has a long-term vision in AI and it sets specific goals. The important thing is that it doesnt require results immediately. Tuong (MoMos CEO) has raised a problem for me using AI to solve the question of using chatbots for customer care, Long said. The creator of Unikey said his goal in the time to come is finding a solution with AI to offer more user-friendly experiences. His ambition is to use face identification technology for payment and voice chatbots on the app. MoMo began making heavy investments in AI/Data in 2019. It has used AI for many components of the MoMo app, such as eKYC (electronic Know Your Customer), product recommendation systems, preferential distribution and user protection. The technology unicorn now employs 600 technology engineers, while AI experts account for 20 percent of the total staff. Trong Dat by Leonard Tramiel At one of the many computer trade shows over the years I had a really funny interaction with Bill Gates. I was doing demos on the PET and answering the questions of those that walked by. I noticed a large group of people approaching, but at first I didnt recognize anyone. As they got closer I saw that it was Bill Gates leading the others around. There was a translator repeating what Bill said into Japanese. When they reached me Bill walked up to a PET and typed WAIT 6502,10. This caused the machine to hang and he froze. I said, quietly enough in the loud hall that only he could hear, Bill, theres nothing at 6502 so thats just going to freeze. He turned and gave me a look that was a perfect example of a look that could kill. I knew what he was doing so I turned to the group and said something along the lines of, Microsoft BASIC is a valuable part of this machine. Bill relaxed and the group left the suite. The WAIT command in Microsoft BASIC was an unusual addition to the language that allowed very low level access to the hardware of the system. It would not go to the next step in the program until the memory location in the first parameter met certain criteria, the details dont matter here. There is no doubt that Bill knew this so why would he type something that would hang the machine? There was a bit of special code, now known as an Easter Egg, that, when the location was 6502, would print MICROSOFT! the number of times indicated in the second parameter. He was expecting this to print the name of his company on the screen to indicate that it was his BASIC in the machine. What he didnt know, until then, was that the Easter Egg had been found and removed. Microsoft gave us a fanfold printed listing of BASIC with the Easter Egg hidden by a NOLIST directive which appeared in that listing. John typed in the entire listing to create the source code for BASIC 4.0 and converted all the macro assembly to standard 6502 assembly language. To reveal what was hidden in the NOLIST area, the object code from Microsoft was disassembled. As soon as it became apparent what the code contained, the Easter Egg was removed as it really was a bug that could cause code not to work if a programmer really wanted to execute WAIT 6502! Woodway residents are crying foul about the potential development of a 93-acre tract at the northwestern end of Poage Drive, but city officials say regardless of how many new neighborhood-road-shaped clearings crisscross the land, the owner has not broken any rules. In December, the city of Woodways community services department issued a permit allowing landowner Western Star Ranch LLC to conduct grading and feasibility studies in the area, including survey work and geotechnical boring for soil samples. Builder Mark Wester also showed the department rough plans to divide the land into 75 plats, but has not submitted any official preliminary plats. There are a few areas that we need to bring an excavator in to clear the trees, due to steep grades, the application says. There will be minimal ground disturbances in the area. Lori Whitsell, who can see the 93-acre tract from her backyard on Woodfall Drive, said vehicles have been coming and going from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week since October. Even on Thanksgiving, even on Christmas Eve, there are excavators crushing up trees, big trucks backing up with the beep, beep, beep, and incredible dust flying everywhere, Whitsell said. I cant open my windows, cannot sit in my back yard. During the last Woodway City Council meeting, a large group of residents came out to speak against the tree clearing, mulching and bulldozing. Earl Haberman Jr., who registered Western Star Ranch LLC with the Texas Secretary of State in September 2020, two months before buying the 93-acre property from Fairway Ranches LTD, declined to comment for this article. The LLC also bought a 15-acre tract on Harbor Drive from Fairway Ranches and another 3.8 acres west of the 93-acre tract from a Brett Sanders later that year. Phillip Reeder, Whitsells friend and next-door neighbor, presented photos of the paths already carved into the property, which he said are obviously shaped like residential streets and cul-de-sacs, calling it an evident major housing development already underway. These 90-foot wide streets and 200-foot wide cul-de-sacs made with heavy equipment occur without any notice to adjoining residential property owners or any public hearing from commentators, Reeder said. Reeder said the clearings line up with the roads for the 75-plat sketch the builders showed the city. Mitch Davison, director of community services for the city of Woodway, said the soil testing is the first step toward the residential development the outspoken residents fear, but the owners would need to get approval from the planning and zoning commission, the city and the county before building could start. Before starting construction, Western Star Ranch would need to apply for a preliminary plat, which is a map of how the land would be subdivided into separate lots and where streets and utilities would go. If the planning and zoning commission approved a preliminary plat, the owner would then submit a final plat, complete with detailed construction plans, to the county and the planning and zoning commission for a recommendation. Then, the plan would go before the Woodway City Council for approval during a meeting. If approved, then construction on a development could start. During the last city council meeting, Whitsell accused city leaders of deliberately misleading area residents and hiding behind protocol. Reeder also asked the council a series of questions, including whether anyone on the council or city staff stands to gain anything financially from the development of the land, whether the developer will take on the cost of the infrastructure the development would need, and whether there are any traffic engineering reports available showing the impact of a large development on the surrounding areas. Reeder and several other speakers questioned what the environmental impact of such a project would be, because the land is located next to the Bosque River and Lake Waco, which are under U.S. Army Corps of Engineers jurisdiction. Parts of the property are in a federally designated special flood hazard area. Woodway City Manager Shawn Oubre said so far, Western Star Ranch LLC has the proper permits for the soil testing and clearing taking place on the property, but residents are frustrated they do not have more specifics on the owners plans. They ask a lot of valid questions, they have a lot of valid concerns, but we dont have the answers because none of those filings have been filed with the city, Oubre said. We can only give you documents or information that we have, and so its caused this friction. Paula Teer, who lives on Poage Drive near the 93-acre tract, said she found tire tracks on her lawn and captured footage of cars belonging to a survey company crossing her property. She said she called Woodway police to complain, who issued the driver a warning. She said she is also worried about the impact development could have on her land, citing the frequent flooding on her property near the border the Western Star Ranch land that already leaves the ground soggy on a regular basis. I dont want to be encroached on, Teer said. Ive been here 14 years, Im a taxpayer. I live here, my child goes to school here and will be graduating next year. I have invested a lot in my property. I dont want someone with 93 acres to feel like they can encroach and stomp me out. In a follow-up interview, Whitsell said after she held a news conference with local TV stations where she shared photos of excavators on the tract, Woodway police officers came to her house Jan. 12 and told her Haberman had accused her of trespassing to get the pictures. Whitsell said she told them she took the photos from her backyard, where she has a clear view of the excavators. She received a warning. Now I think were just waiting for more clarity, Whitsell said. When you see the pictures down there, theres more than soil sampling. To me, something is just not right. Many of the people at the council meeting who spoke in opposition to the eventual development brought up the soil conditions in that part of Woodway, which have stymied development efforts for decades. In 2009, the city and Baylor University geologists worked together to build a detailed interactive map for prospective builders showing the makeup of Woodways soil. In many areas, Austin chalk and soft shale prone to absorbing moisture create unstable terrain prone to landslides. The 93-acre tract has never been divided into separate lots for development, though it is surrounded by land already divvied up for residential homes. In the 1990s it was rezoned as a Planned Unit Development, owing to a failed effort to build an even larger residential neighborhood called the Lost River development. L.M. Dyson, an associate professor of finance, insurance and real estate at Baylor University, planned to build a 425-acre golf course, clubhouse, vacation rentals and 600 houses on the land as early as 1993. In 2000, Dyson announced MKD Capital Corp. of New York would advance $18 million toward the project, and the city of Woodway approved preliminary plats that would have required the extension of Poage Drive. By October of that year, the Waco Tribune-Herald reported Dyson was being sued by one of the people who lent him money for the project in 1997. He never submitted a final plat, and Lost River was lost for good. Seven years later, Waco lawyer Gary Tully set out to develop 240 acres between Estates Drive and Lake Waco into the Lake Forest Addition, a 400-home residential development, despite soil issues. Like Lost River, it would have merited extending Poage Drive if the project had expanded that far. Woodway Mayor Jane Kittner, who has served on the city council since 1995 and remembers the Lost River development, said she thinks it is only natural for neighbors to be resistant to a new development so close by, whether they are in Woodway or any other city. Whoever is there first is never happy with whoever comes next, Kittner said. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Helen Marie Taylor, whose love for Waco and her adopted hometown of Richmond, Virginia, moved her to create history museums in both states, has died, longtime friend Bettie Beard confirmed Thursday. She was 98. Taylor in the 1980s bought an old school at 701 Jefferson Ave., and in 1993 unveiled the Taylor Museum of Waco Life and History. History buffs and school classrooms toured the building for years, soaking up Americana and Taylors ode to an older Waco, one that included segregation, Jim Crow laws and cultural celebrations such as the Cotton Palace Pageant. Though well into her 90s, Taylor in recent years joined efforts against removing statues of Confederate leaders Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis along Richmonds Monument Avenue, where she lived since 1964. Her activism led to protesters throwing firecrackers and rocks at her home, with Taylor labeling them snakes, scoundrels and graffiti goons, The Washington Post reported in 2020. Standing up and being herself got her admired, but also got her in trouble, Beard said. She threw a fit on Monument Avenue when they were trying to remove Robert E. Lee. She may have even tied herself to a tree. She was fiercely protective of the Waco museum that carries her name, even as its fortunes turned for the worse. Don Davis, former executive director of the Historic Waco Foundation, recalls the foundations efforts about a decade ago to get involved in running the Helen Marie Taylor Museum. The deal fell through because we felt as Helen Marie viewed things, we would do all the work and she would make all the decisions, Davis said. We wanted to set up a board, but she didnt want that. She wanted absolute control. He said members of a previous board resigned en masse. My comment would be that Helen Marie did a great service to Waco by creating a museum. Unfortunately, she could not keep it open, Davis said. Davis, an architect by trade, said his family and Taylors knew each other most of their lives. He talked with her weekly during negotiations over Historic Waco Foundations involvement, and even traveled to Richmond on more than one occasion. Their contact ended when talks ceased, he said. Davis said he absolutely believes a well-run museum devoted to Wacos rich history is needed and would be well received. He said he does not know where the Helen Marie Taylor Museum goes from here, mentioning that Taylors two sons were not necessarily interested in that museum. Technically speaking, the museum has not closed its doors. Beard said tours are provided by appointment only. She remains optimistic its future can be secured, though not necessarily as Taylor envisioned. Much depends on the instructions she left, and the execution of her estate. Beard said she loved and admired Taylor, shortcomings and all. From her bed, she raised money to put new hardwood floors in the museum, which was damaged when the pipes burst during last Februarys freeze, Beard said. I told her, If you take care of that, Ill try to take care of the other. Were getting the kitchen back up and running, which will cost less than a few thousand dollars. Shes paying the bills out of her pocket. Beard said Taylor doted on her Waco museum, even from afar. She was still running it from Virginia, Beard said. We had a board in Waco once, and she asked me to try to reorganize it. I told her what I would do, that I would try to find people who are supportive, friends of the museum, maybe an advisory committee. A museum like this needs someone who knows about museums, giving tours and acquiring artifacts. She said Taylor until the end made the museum a priority. A get-together was planned there in conjunction with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, and she said, Bettie, get as many people in there as you can. Often, before her health worsened six or seven months ago, Taylor would fly from Virginia to Waco, where she would rent a car to drive herself while staying a few days at a hotel in Bellmead. Concern for Taylors safety on Interstate 35 prompted friends to follow her back to the hotel one evening. Her personality she was assertive. One might say dogmatic, Beard said. She was small in stature, and I think sometimes she worried people might take advantage of her. She was totally involved. If something needed to be cleaned, repaired, she saw to it that it got done. She was cognitively aware, though as days went by, she responded more slowly. Our conversations once were two or three hours long. Lately, they were more like 15 minutes. I would tell her how much I loved her and appreciated her. Destiny Hallman, 37, who has led tours at the museum, became emotional talking about what Taylor meant to her, recalling their hourslong conversations by phone. She never had the opportunity to meet Taylor, and trip she and others planned to Richmond was canceled because of COVID-19. We talked about a little bit of everything, stories she heard from her grandmother. When I heard those stories, I could see them like a movie. She did, too, Hallman said. She told about her memory of wearing a polka-dot dress and her dad wearing a suit, and theyre walking beside a little brick wall over a natural spring. People dont appreciate their elders like they used to, carry on traditions like they used to. I was raised by my grandparents. My grandfather, R.C. Hallman, never preached for money, but on Sundays, hed go to jail and preach between church that morning and church that evening. In between wed watch a little bit of football together, back when the Cowboys were doing good, back in the 1990s. Taylor was born in Waco and attended school at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. She also served as entertainment director for the United States 7th Army during World War II, The Washington Post reported. Besides her Waco museum, Taylor founded the James Madison Museum in Orange, Virginia, and theaters or performing arts organizations in multiple states, according to a 2010 Virginia Senate resolution commending her. Taylor is related by marriage to former President Zachary Taylor. Services are pending in Virginia, Beard said. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. DEAR NEIL: Post big freeze of last February, we have had lots of sucker-type growth on our huge live oaks limbs. Is it time to cut this off? Any suggestions of how we might have this done? Dear Reader: Assuming the old branches are not dying back and in need of being replaced, yes, you could remove much of this twiggy internal growth. I would probably want a certified arborist on site to determine how much thinning was necessary. He or she could also monitor any kind of freeze damage done to the tree. Sometimes the sprouts become important to new limb development, and the arborist would be able to determine that. As small as the sprouts are now, a machete might be useful. Or a small chainsaw. Its probably work best left to a pro. Remember, too, that pruning work on oaks is best done before mid-February to lessen the chance of spread of oak wilt. DEAR NEIL: I have a small persimmon tree that needs to be transplanted. Can that be done now in winter? Dear Reader: Trees and shrubs that need to be dug and relocated should be moved while they are completely dormant. Yes, winter is the ideal time. Try to carry a ball of soil intact with its root system as you move it. DEAR NEIL: I have attached a photo from my St. Augustine lawn from last year. I assume I have either a fungus or an armyworm problem. Can I treat the grass while it is dormant now? And, this question from another reader: DEAR NEIL: We had these patches in our St. Augustine a couple of months ago. I did not get the photograph sent to you back then. Is there anything we should be doing now? Dear Reader: To my first reader, armyworms do not bother St. Augustine. Its possible that this was chinch bug damage from last summer, but Id rather imagine that it is brown patch fungus (also called large patch) from the fall. You and the second reader probably had brown patch outbreaks once the weather turned cooler. Brown patch attacks only the blades of the grass. It causes them to decay and pull loose easily from the runners. You can use the fungicide Azoxystrobin to control it when it is active, but there is no product to use at this time. DEAR NEIL: Years ago I bought liriope to border for shrub bed. Unfortunately, I ended up with a spreading type instead of a clumping form. Ive been able to stop it from spreading into the bed, but now it is spreading outward into my St. Augustine. When I try to pull it out, I pull up runners of the St. Augustine with it. Is there a way to remove it from my lawn? Dear Reader: All types of liriope do eventually spread, some just more rapidly than others. I have had very good luck in the same situation by using the green metal edging that you can buy in nurseries and hardware stores. I actually make an outer boundary and an inner boundary with the edging. I drive it into the ground almost flush with the soil surface. My liriope and its sister, monkey grass, rarely sneak past it. I have actually used the edging to keep those two groundcovers separated from one another. You might try applying a broad-leafed weedkiller (containing 2,4-D) to the liriope in your turf area, but youll need to do so with a foam rubber paintbrush to avoid drift getting where you dont want the herbicide. DEAR NEIL: I love zucchini and use it in many different recipes, but since I moved to Texas Ive been unable to grow it. I always thought it was the easiest of all vegetables. I get all male flowers, so obviously I never get any fruit. And then something eats the leaves down to the stalks. What can I do? Dear Reader: Many insects could be eating the leaves, whether grasshoppers or some type of caterpillars. The fact that youre only getting male flowers is far more puzzling. To bring everyone up to speed, squash and other cucurbits produce male and female flowers separately. Male flowers have conspicuous pollen, while the female flowers have swollen bases where the fruit will form. Male flowers are produced for the first week or two, probably as natures way of guaranteeing that pollen will be available when the plant is mature enough to produce female blooms and, therefore, fruit. I wonder if there is any chance that you gave up on the plants too soon before the female flowers might have kicked in. Or if the leaves were devoured too early in the game. Sevin dust probably would help with the chewing pests. Im afraid thats the best I can come up with with the facts that I have. Have a question youd like Neil to consider? Email him at mailbag@sperrygardens.com. Neil regrets that he cannot reply to questions individually. ISLAMABAD, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Four security personnel were killed and three others were injured when a bomb went off in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province, police officials said on Friday. A search team of paramilitary Pakistan Levies forces was conducting patrolling in Dera Bugti district of the province when an improvised explosive device exploded, Deputy Superintendent of Police in Dera Bugti Issa Jan Rind told Xinhua. Rescue teams, police and security forces rushed to the site after the explosion and shifted the bodies and the injured to a nearby hospital. Police and security forces have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to arrest the culprits. No group or individual has claimed the attack yet. Judge endorsement As a steering committee member of Citizens for Pro-Life Action, I participated in an extensive interview with Judge Ryan Luna, candidate for McLennan County Court-at-Law No. 3 in the March 1 Republican primary. I was very impressed. We found his commitment to decide cases based on the facts and the law, not legislating from the bench, to be very refreshing. Judge Luna, his wife Genesis and his four children are active members of First Baptist Church of Woodway. He was appointed judge of McLennan County Court-at-Law No. 3 in June of 2021 by the McLennan County Commissioners Court. He was sworn in and began serving on the bench Sept. 1, 2021. With an undergraduate degree in business from Baylor University, Judge Luna received his law degree from Baylor Law School several years later. Since serving the greater Waco community as a civil litigator for the past number of years, Judge Luna has also served on the board of Care Net Pregnancy Center from 2020-2021. With past service as director of Mission Wacos legal clinic, Judge Luna continues his community service on the adult probation board of McLennan County. Not only does Luna say he is pro-life, he also lives it by supporting pro-life causes and organizations. As a Christian first, Judge Luna has stated that he will never allow anything to come between him and his duty to God and the Constitution. Judge Ryan Luna is the kind of judge that we have been lacking in America for so long. His courage and boldness to stand for what is right, true and just is why Citizens for Pro-Life Action is endorsing him for judge of McLennan County Court-at-Law No. 3 in the Republican primary. Steve Bowles, China Spring Driving in Waco For all of the folks moving to Waco from the big cities, please remember the following. When the signal light turns red, youre supposed to stop. When it turns green, you can proceed. Its not really that hard to understand. Have a great day. Gerald McCauley, Waco * * * Whatever happened to the skill and science of timed streetlights? Eighteenth, 26th and especially 41st streets would be improved as thoroughfares to avoid stop-and-go riding in Waco. Maria Malachi, Waco Return to woe I was 7 years old at the time of World War II. I remember air raid drills with total darkness and black sheets covering the windows. I remember being sent to the small corner grocery to await the bread truck in hopes of a loaf. I remember coal burning furnaces for heat, and fear of John L. Lewis going on strike so there would be no coal at all. An ice man delivering one block of ice for your wooden ice box refrigerator. To purchase a new appliance, your name was put on a long waiting list. Absolutely no new cars. And cars were one per family. Women did the work of men and fruit and nuts were our delight in Christmas stockings. Are we there again? Pray for us and planet Earth. Jenny Taylor, Waco As the first woman general manager at Cargills Waco protein processing plant, Stephanie Peters is a trailblazer. She sees herself as a problem-solver. Ive just always been somebody who enjoys solving the problems of each day, she said. And every day has its challenges. Thats especially true when youre the person in charge of hundreds of employees of a major food processor. Shes been general manager at Cargill since October 2020, ascending to the top position after nearly 29 years at the same plant. That too is a rarity, she notes, as most managers tend to move around and find positions at other Cargill plants. The Waco native said she feels blessed to have been able to continue to work and raise her family here. She and her husband Aaron have three children, two teens a boy and girl and a married daughter with their first grandchild on the way. Peters attended University Middle and High schools and earned a degree in agriculture business and management from Sam Houston State University before returning to Central Texas. While shes been general manager a little more than a year, she half-heartedly jokes that that past year felt more like a decade at times. It was an especially busy and challenging 2021, she said, with two project startups, a major computer project, the February ice storm, and of course, everyones albatross, COVID-19. As a food-processing plant, Cargill has had to remain hyper-vigilant with its health protocols to keep all its employees safe, she said. Its felt never-ending, Peters said. You think youre coming out of the worst of it and then cases spike again. Peters has moved through the ranks during her nearly three decades at the plant. Over the first 21 years she served as purchasing, inventory and product costing manager. Those werent initially all together, but she added those roles as the need required. I was on the purchasing side when Cargill bought Plantation Foods in 1998 and then I got into inventory, she said. I had a boss who when an issue arose I had to go to the floor and find out what the problem was before bringing it to management, she said. It was about getting involved and figuring out the problem. She added the duties of project costing when the person in that role left. After that she became accounting and finance team leader from September 2014 to December 2017, then operations manager until her promotion to general manager. As a general manager youre able to touch every aspect of our business, whether its maintenance, engineering, the financial side, health and safety She uses all the skills from her years of experience to oversee a plant that moves out 1.5 million pounds of product a week, she said. Peters says she didnt really give much thought to the idea of being a role model for other women, until she starting thinking back to the early 2000s when shed be in management meetings and realized she was the only woman there. Why was I at the table? It was because of my interest, knowledge and experience, she said. Peters added that she is proud of Cargills support of projects like the Leading Waco Women summits sponsored by the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, area FFA and 4-H members and their livestock, and McLennan County Pack of Hope, which provides food for nutritionally challenged students. Peters considers her role as general manager as also being an overall team leader for the plant. I see myself as someone who brings people along, who provides that encouragement and allows them to believe in themselves, she said. Her family raises cattle and Peters loves living in the country. Long walks in the pasture and watching the sunset in addition to being outdoors with her family bring her a sense of peace, she said. That serves her well because running the plant has its own challenges to address. Every day brings something new, she said. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ASHLAND The kindergarten students eagerly donned their cow hats and lined up for a picture. Holding pictures of Queenie, the dairy cow they adopted, along with ears of corn and soybean stalks, they smiled as they posed with the teacher who is showing them first-hand the impact agriculture has on their lives. Diane Starns has been incorporating agriculture into her kindergarten curriculum at Ashland-Greenwood Elementary School for several years through the Agriculture in the Classroom program. Her work has been recognized by the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation, which manages the program in the state. Earlier this month she was named the 2022 Nebraska Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher of the Year. The award recognizes teachers for integrating agriculture in the classroom and emphasizing the importance of agriculture to their students. Thirteen years ago Starns joined a pen pal program through the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation that paired her class with a farming family from Clearwater, located in northeast Nebraska. The farm wife wrote regular letters and sent photographs explaining in simple terms how a farm works. Through the letters, they learned about planting crops, when calves are born, the machinery used on a farm and the products that are made from the crops grown in Nebraska. The farmers also sent gifts to the class, including ears of popcorn that Starns prepared in the microwave for her students. Another time, the gifts were snacks made from soybeans. The kids were always excited when we got a letter and especially when we got a box, said Starns. A few years later, Starns implemented more Farm Bureau Foundation programs in her classroom, including their Farming in a Glove lesson plans. Every spring, she gives her students a clear plastic glove that acts as their farm. The students carefully place damp cotton balls and corn or soybean seeds in each finger of the glove. They hang the gloves in a window and watch them carefully for two weeks as they sprout. Starns enthusiasm for incorporating agriculture in her classroom continued to grow over the years. Through a summer program she acquired a microscope that connects to a computer to show the students enlarged pictures of leaves. Her classroom has a grow light that they use to grow flowers and grass. One of the most recent lessons Starns has brought into her classroom is the Midwest Dairys Adopt a Dairy Cow program. Using live video chats, photos, activity sheets and other learning activities, the students are learning about the dairy industry as they follow the life of Queenie the dairy cow. The program began with her birth in September at a dairy farm in Beaver Crossing. One of the activities included making cow hats out of construction paper. The students love to wear the hats as they hear updates about their cow. The kids are just all excited about all of those things, said Starns. Starns also invites agriculture education specialists into her classroom to provide enhanced learning experiences for the students. The Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation provides grade-specific lessons for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, these lessons were presented via video platforms last year. This year, they have resumed in-person visits. The hands-on lessons grab the attention of her kindergarten students. The lessons are very engaging for kids, Starns said. It is necessary to incorporate these lessons in the classroom in a rural school district like Ashland-Greenwood, where agriculture is everywhere. We have farm ground all around us, said Starns. Starns has roots in agriculture as well. Her husbands family operates a farm in the Ashland area. While he is not a full time farmer, Joel Starns helps out during planting and harvest, working for his family and other area farmers. Its in his blood, she said. The fact that a small kernel of corn can grow into a tall, sturdy plant has always been fascinating to Starns. She happily shares that enthusiasm with her students. To see the change from a seed sprouting into a plant is awesome, she said. Agriculture can be used as a learning tool for many subjects. It can be tied into so many different things, Starns said. For example, the Farming in a Glove project incorporates science methods as the students draw the changes they see in the seeds, as well as language arts while they formulate questions and collect data. The pen pal program also applies reading and writing principles. Being honored as Teacher of the Year was a complete surprise to Starns. She had considered applying for the award, but got busy and missed the Dec. 6 deadline. Fortunately, someone else had the same idea and nominated her anonymously. According to Ashland-Greenwood Elementary Principal Teresa Bray, the award is a fitting tribute to Starns, who has taught kindergarten at AGES for 24 years. Ms. Starns is very deserving of this award. She has implemented many engaging lessons and activities in her kindergarten classroom as a result of being involved with the Nebraska Agriculture in the Classroom program. The students love these hands-on activities, said Bray. As winner of the Teacher of the Year award, Starns will receive a dozen books about agriculture and additional literature guides, a $250 cash prize to use in her classroom and a trip to the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. in June, where she and the other state winners will be recognized. While the awards ceremony will be exciting, Starns is really looking forward to talking with other teachers about using agricultural concepts in the classroom and discovering new projects and lessons for her students. So much of it matches what we already do, so its basically an extension of the many great things we do in the classroom, she said. Suzi Nelson is the managing editor of the Wahoo Newspaper. Reach her via email at suzi.nelson@wahoonewspaper.com. INDEPENDENCE An appeal brought by an Independence woman convicted of killing her ex-husband and driving off with their young son has been denied. Hillary Lee Hunziker had challenged her first-degree murder conviction claiming the trial judge should have let her change court-appointed attorneys and should have delayed trial because of a scheduling conflict with an expert witness for the defense. Authorities said that when Hillary Hunzikers attempts to gain custody of their child by lodging unfounded abuse complaints failed, she bought knives and flashlights and sneaked into the home of Jason Hunziker in November 2017. The ex-husband was stabbed 20 times, and Hillary Hunziker fled with their then-9-year-old son with a plan to drive to Minnesota. Police intercepted her, still spattered in blood, at a relatives home in Robins, Iowa. At trial, the defense argued Hillary Hunziker was insane on the night of the slaying. She had had seven earlier mental health hospitalizations and around of the time of the incident had experienced sleep problems because she ran out of medication. A Buchanan County jury found her guilty during a December 2019 trial, and she was sentenced to life in prison. Hillary Hunziker asked the Court of Appeals to overturn her conviction because the defense had to use a videotape deposition of a psychiatrist who concluded she was psychotic was unable to travel to Iowa to testify in person. She also argued that the judge should have given her a different attorney when she claimed there was a conflict of interest before trial. She never specified the grounds for the conflict of interest, but a mental health exam indicated she talked of hearing voices on the jails intercom system that told her the attorney wasnt any good. The Iowa Court of Appeals sided with the state when it turned down her appeal in a ruling filed Jan. 12. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Weather Alert ...MORE WINDY DAYS ON THE WAY, WITH COLDER TEMPERATURES AND RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS FOR MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND... --Thursday and Friday-- * A pair of systems brushing through the region will bring gusty winds both days, with even stronger winds possible on Friday. Winds will bring travel difficulties both in the air and on the ground. Travel restrictions for high profile vehicles are possible. Check with CalTrans/NDOT for the current road information. Please see the latest hazard text products for the latest information on anticipated wind speeds. * Area of blowing dust are possible both afternoons downwind of the Carson Sink, possibly affecting portions of I-80, US 50, and Highway 95. In addition, backcountry and ski recreation could be impacted along with choppy conditions on area lakes. * A few light showers with minimal liquid totals are possible in far northern Nevada and northeast California. --Mother's Day Weekend into Early Next Week-- * It will remain breezy throughout the weekend, with a secondary max in wind speeds on Sunday due to a strong cold front. This front will usher in a much colder air mass and high temperatures on Mother's Day will be 15-20 degrees below normal. * There will be rain and snow showers with the front, but again, liquid amounts will be minimal. There are solid chances for snow levels to fall to all valley floors by Sunday evening, which may catch many off guard, though it is hard to get snow to stick to roadways in lower elevation valleys this late in the spring. * Well below normal temperatures and chances for light showers will continue into Monday and Tuesday next week. While still some uncertainty due to winds and cloud cover, it's possible we could have frost and freeze concerns Sunday and Monday nights. ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 9 PM PDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...Southwest winds 20 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph expected. Wind prone areas may experience gusts in excess of 60 mph. Southwest winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 45 mph and waves of 2 to 4 feet expected on Pyramid Lake. * WHERE...Greater Reno-Carson City-Minden Area and Western Nevada Basin and Range including Pyramid Lake. * WHEN...From 11 AM to 9 PM PDT Thursday. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects and high profile vehicles will be prone to tip over. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Blowing dust may locally reduce visibility downwind of dry lake beds and sinks. Small boats, kayaks and paddle boards will be prone to capsizing. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Travel restrictions for high profile vehicles are possible. Check with NDOT for the latest on road conditions. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Now is the time to secure loose outdoor items such as patio furniture, holiday decorations, and trash cans before winds increase which could blow these items away. The best thing to do is prepare ahead of time by making sure you have extra food and water on hand, flashlights with spare batteries and/or candles in the event of a power outage. Check lake conditions before heading out on the water and be prepared for a sudden increase in winds and wave heights. Consider postponing boating activities on the lake until a day with less wind. && KABUL, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan has signed a deal with Turkmenistan on a power line project for the Noor-al-Jihad substation recently activated in western part of Afghanistan, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), the country's main power supply company said on Friday. "After four days of talks held in Kabul among the DABS officials and members of a visiting delegation of Turkmenistan and representatives of Turkish Calik Enerji company, the contract for the extension of Noor-al-Jihad substation electricity from 110 kV to 220 kV has been signed," the company said in a statement. According to the company, the project involves double circuit power transmission line of 220 kV from 110 kV. A couple of days ago, the high-level delegation from Ministry of Energy of Turkmenistan arrived in the Afghan capital Kabul to discuss the legal and technical issues of cooperation on power projects including the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan power project and the Noor-al-Jihad substation. Afghanistan has been facing power shortages. The mountainous country needs 850 megawatts of electricity per year, with 620 megawatts imported from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Iran, and 230 megawatts supplied by domestic sources, according to DABS officials. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close San Francisco to apologize to Chinese immigrants for past atrocities Xinhua) 08:31, January 28, 2022 SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- San Francisco is expected to become the next U.S. city to formally apologize for past atrocities against the Chinese community, following Antioch, San Jose and Los Angeles, as more and more cities are reflecting on the country's racist history. Unanimously, the resolution to apologize to Chinese immigrants and their descendants, introduced by Supervisor Matt Haney last year, passed at the Budget and Finance committee on Wednesday. "The Chinese community in San Francisco has a deep and rich history but we have to acknowledge the harmful wrongs that our city has committed against this community," said Haney at a hearing of the Budget and Finance Committee. "Although many of these injustices occurred long ago, it's clear this discrimination continues to happen today. This apology and commitment to budget investments will not erase what has been done, but is a necessary step for us to address the continued violence and discrimination that the Chinese community is still experiencing," he said. The resolution was written in partnership with former students from the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), who brought the resolution to Haney's attention. Many of the policies outlined in the resolution sought to undermine the progress of Chinese immigrants by banning them from schools and the levers of power. For example, in 1860, California's Education Code prohibited Asian students from attending public schools with white students; in 1870, the SFUSD closed the Chinese schools without providing any public school alternatives for Chinese students. Additionally, the 1870 Consolidation Act barred anyone of Chinese descent to be employed in the state, county, municipal governments, or other public work, except as a punishment for crime. These laws prevented the integration of Chinese people in the San Francisco community despite their many contributions, said the resolution. "The Chinese community has a deep history in San Francisco. Additionally, today we are over 23 percent of the city's population. San Francisco must issue an apology for historical wrongdoings in order to make progress in solving the critical problems of discrimination and racism facing America today," said Dennis Casey Wu, one of the three students who initiated the efforts for the resolution, at Wednesday's hearing. "I know some people are going to say that an official apology is a fairly performative activism, but personally, I feel an apology would be notable as it would be an important step in advocating social justice and equity," he said. Other supervisors, including Gordon Mar and Connie Chan, also spoke at the hearing in support of the resolution. "Today's resolution is a positive step in addressing generations of wrongdoings, stemming back to the Chinese Exclusion Act that found its roots in restricting Chinese immigration here in California," said Chan. However, to begin healing from these wrongs, the city needs to commit to funding and investing in the community, she said. Similarly, Justin Hoover, executive director of the Chinese Historical Society of America, said the city has to commit to future budget investments. "An apology is not enough unless it's met with real action and budget solutions that will truly benefit the community," he said. The Chinese Apology resolution will be voted on by the full Board of Supervisors next week, followed by budget hearings to occur in the upcoming months at the Budget Appropriations Committee to finalize budget investments for the Asian American community. This legislation follows similar actions taken by the cities of Antioch, San Jose and Los Angeles, which have all passed similar resolutions last year. These apologies come at a time of increased hate and violence against people of Asian descent in the country. During the period from March 2020 to September 2021, Stop AAPI Hate, a national coalition aimed at addressing anti-Asian discrimination, received a total of 10,370 reports of hate incidents against Asian Americans across the United States. Its latest data show one in five Asian Americans have experienced a hate incident in the past year. The public acknowledgment of the dark history of systemic racism against Chinese immigrants is "timely" as the nation is called upon to curb the wave of hate speech and violence against Asian Americans, said Mar. "Facing our past mistakes head-on" is an important step towards "healing, safety and justice," he added. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) ISTANBUL, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkey is experiencing a boom in coworking spaces, a cost-effective and innovative alternative to the conventional offices, providing a unique opportunity for their users to socialize amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and rising prices. In Istanbul, Turkey's largest city and financial hub, thousands of freelancers, startups, and businesses have adopted the shared working space concept in the past five years. Turkish entrepreneur Suleyman Coruh believes that "hybrid working is the new normal." He is the director of Plazacubes, a company that offers shared offices in Istanbul, the capital city of Ankara, and the western city of Izmir. "The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed workers indoors in virtual workspaces, but employers have noticed that it had also eroded the company culture," he told Xinhua. "As an alternative to the conventional office, we offer a modern workplace, a place for people to connect with their peers, to exchange ideas and thus to end a recluse way of working," he told Xinhua. His company is the first in Turkey, providing shared office spaces since 2006. "The business is booming, and now there are around 300 companies in this sector," Coruh stressed. The sharp depreciation of the Turkish currency in 2021 has also pushed many firms and freelancers towards a cheaper option. "When a client signs a lease, it is shielded from price increases in utility, furniture, and construction. We offer them an entire package, so they only need to come with a laptop, that's all, and the coffee is included," the businessman smilingly added. Electricity and natural gas prices have seen major hikes in recent months in Turkey, which is heavily reliant on energy imports. Plazacubes's clients include many multinational firms, such as the Chinese tech giant ByteDance, which is renting an entire floor in one of their Istanbul locations. "Chinese people are very dedicated to their work, and we offer our services to several Chinese companies who are happy to work with us," he added. Yalcin Boncuk, the information technology director at Plazacubes, said that the hybrid work model gained momentum over the last few years. Coworking has become a top choice for those seeking increased flexibility in how and where they work, he noted, adding that small startups and big multinationals can work side by side in a relaxed environment. Selin Diner, an interior designer, has been using a coworking office since 2018. She said it was one of the best professional decisions she ever made. "I have found friends here who work like me, and we take part in yoga classes together in the complex," she told Xinhua from her office in the Maltepe district, Istanbul. "The center is very spacious with a peaceful atmosphere. Working there is very enjoyable for me because there's a real community," she said. Diner explained that she pays monthly rents to the office, which is much cheaper than renting an entire office and buying office electronics and supplies. "Rather than signing a lease for an office that's years-long, you can rent an office month to month, and if you want to change a location in the city, you easily can," Diner added. Quarterly Activities and Cashflow Report Perth, Jan 27, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Venus Metals Corporation Limited's ( ASX:VMC ) activities conducted during the quarter ending 31 December 2021 include and highlight the following:YOUANMI GOLD PROJECT:Four Joint Ventures are in place between Venus and Rox Resources Ltd (RXL or Rox): OYG JV (Venus 30%; RXL 70%), VMC JV (Venus 50%; RXL 50%), Youanmi JV (Venus 45%; RXL 45%) and Currans Find JV (Venus 45%; RXL 45%)YOUANMI GOLD MINE (30% Venus):- Youanmi Total Mineral Resource increased to 3 Moz Au (refer RXL ASX release 20 January 2022). Importantly, this current resource update only includes drilling results to the end of October 2021; the Youanmi surface resource was not updated in the current estimation, and it remains pending.- Albion Process Technology test work achieved an average of 92.2% gold extraction (up to 94%) for Youanmi Deeps mineralisation (refer RXL ASX release 23 December 2021).HENDERSON PROJECT (E30/520 90% Venus):- Historical geological mapping and recent fieldwork by Venus identified pegmatite dykes cross-cutting the greenstone sequence at Venus' Snake Hill and Emerald South Prospects.- Ninety seven rock samples were collected during a reconnaissance field visit to characterize the pegmatites; re-assaying of selected samples is in progress. A further 44 surface samples were collected during a follow-up field campaign, with assays pending.- Drill-testing of prospective pegmatites and gold targets is planned.BRIDGETOWN EAST PROJECT (100% Venus)- Phase-3 soil sampling completed across four Cu-Ni-Pd-Pt target areas; assays are pending.- Planning and scheduling of high-powered ground geophysical surveys.- Lithium exploration progressing.MANGAROON NORTH PROJECT (100% Venus):- Multiple target areas identified by initial regional geochemical reconnaissance survey.- Total rare earth oxide (TREO) concentrations of up to 1,611 ppm in soil (E 08/3229) and anomalous neodymium (316 ppm Nd) in an ironstone specimen indicate potential for rare earth mineralization. Encouraging palladium (Pd) anomalies in soil (max. 21 ppb Pd) associated with north-northeast trending Mundine Well dolerites, and up to 429 ppb gold in soil.- Follow-up fieldwork planned at rare earth and precious metals targets.*To view the full quarterly report, please visit:About Venus Metals Corporation Limited Venus Metals Corporation Limited (ASX:VMC) is a West Australian based Company with a focus on gold and base metals exploration. The Company aims to increase shareholder value through targeted exploration success on its projects. The Company's major gold project is the Youanmi Gold Mine, located 500km north east of Perth. The Youanmi Gold Mine is now jointly owned by Venus Metals (30%) and Rox Resources Limited (70%) (OYG JV); Indicated and Inferred Resources of the mine is 1.7 million ounces of gold. Exciting new discoveries at the Youanmi Gold Mine have been made at the Grace prospect in footwall granites where very high grades of free milling gold have been intersected, including 25m @34.7g/t Au from 143m (RXRC 287) and 13m @60.49 g/t from 181m (RXRC 239). The Grace Prospect may substantially add to the Youanmi Gold Mine resources. December 2021 Quarterly Activities Report Melbourne, Jan 28, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Cohiba Minerals Limited ( ASX:CHK ) provides below an update in relation to the exploration activities carried out during the December 2021 quarter.Olympic Domain TenementsHorse Well AreaThe Company completed drill hole HWDD05W1 as a curved wedge hole from drill hole HWDD05 on 20 October 2021, at a dip of 59.9deg and an azimuth TN of 40.5deg for a final hole length of 1,335.7m (vertical depth of approximately 1,290m).The drill core (Figure 1*) from HWDD05W1 was photographed and transported to Adelaide where it was logged in detail and the core filleted for full suite analysis by ALS laboratories.The Company continued to engage subject matter experts to undertake detailed investigations of the drill core from the Horse Well Project. The investigations included mineralogical, petrological and geochemical studies to provide detailed data to inform future drillhole locations.A total of 26 technical summaries were generated to capture all of the technical discussions, correspondence, key findings and postulations between the subject matter experts in order to optimise the exploration decision-making process.The Company conducted a heritage survey on November 8 - 11, 2021 in partnership with the Kokatha people and Australian Heritage Surveys as a requirement of the Exploration Program for Environment Protection and Rehabilitation (EPEPR) for the proposed Horse Well drilling program (Figure 2*).The annual activity summaries, expenditure reports and compliance reports were all up to date.Pernatty CDrill hole PSDDH001 was completed on 15 December 2021 at a dip of 65.9deg and an azimuth TN of 253.8deg and with a total hole length of 1,110.5m. The core (Figure 3) was logged and photographed and transported to secure storage in Adelaide where it was assessed for sampling and assaying.Drill hole PSDDH02 was set up for commencement on 17 December 2021 with drilling set to be underway at the beginning of January 2022.The Company maintained regular meetings with DEM SA in relation to grant funding it received from the Accelerated Discovery Initiative (ADI) grants for strategic drilling at its Pernatty C Project.Lake TorrensThere was no activity on the Lake Torrens tenements during the quarter.A Strategic Plan with full budget estimates was generated for the Olympic Dam tenements as part of the Company's commitment to good management and financial responsibility.Warriner Creek ProjectThe Farm-In Agreement signed with Tigers Dominion Group Pty Ltd over the Warriner Creek Project in the Gawler Craton was held in good standing and all milestones are well on track for timely completion.The Heritage Survey, EPEPR documentation and Woomera Access approvals for the Warriner Creek Project were all completed during the quarter. The drill pads for the first exploration hole was constructed.The Warriner Creek Project comprises 2 tenements under exploration licence to TDG, EL 6324 (Areas A and B) and EL 6533, which cover a combined area of 346 km2 over strategic, shallow IOCG targets in the Gawler Craton (Figure 4*).The Farm-In Agreement comprises an "Initial Period" whereby the Company will assess the prospectivity of the Warriner Creek Project through the expenditure of $600,000 (minimum expenditure) by drilling a 600m drill hole on the eastern part of EL6324, followed by a 400m drill hole on either the eastern or western part of EL6324 (at Cohiba's discretion). The target depth in this part of the Gawler Craton is shallower than the Olympic Domain tenements and as such drilling depths will be significantly shorter.The Company's IOCG experts further reviewed the existing technical information pertaining to the Warriner Creek Project to ensure the drill hole locations were optimised.Pyramid Lake Update (E74/594)The Company has continued to progress towards the final Mining Lease approval over the high-grade part of the Pyramid Lake resource and will look to finalise over the coming months.Wee MacGregor Project UpdateThe Wee MacGregor group comprises three granted mining licences, ML 2504, ML 2773, and ML 90098 located approximately 60km southeast of Mt. Isa (Queensland).All of the documentation to formally and officially transfer 80% of the Wee MacGregor tenements into Cohiba's name was completed and submitted during the quarter.Queensland Exploration LicencesThe extensive documentation for a 5-year renewal over the Mt Cobalt Mine Area (EPM26379) was commenced during the quarter and will be submitted prior to the end of January 2022.All the Queensland tenements are currently in good standing.ActivitiesDuring and subsequent to the December 2021 quarter the Company commenced applications for the proposed trading of the Company's securities on the OTCQB. The Company's application is now in the final stages of the Approval and further updates will be provided once the application has been approved and trading of the Company's securities commences. The Company will continue to have its primary listing on the ASX and subject to, and in compliance with, the ASX Listing Rules and Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Corporations Act).The OTCQB market has high financial reporting standards and strong corporate governance requirements, both of which are satisfied through the Company's ongoing compliance with ASX listing rules. Cohiba sought the OTCQB quotation to provide current and potential North American investors with appropriate accessibility and liquidity to invest in the Company. The quotation provides Cohiba access to one of the largest investment markets in the world at nominal cost, with no additional compliance requirements, compared to traditional major exchanges. No new shares in the Company are being issued in connection with the quotation on the OTCQB Market. Existing ordinary shares of Cohiba may now also be traded on the OTCQB Market and investors can find real-time quotes and market information on the OTC Markets website (www.otcmarkets.com/stock/FRSAF/overview ).The Company is in the process of applying for Depository Trust Clearing (DTC) eligibility, which essentially facilitates electronic trading of securities by individual investors that use self- managed online broking accounts (such as TD Ameritrade and E-Trade), as opposed to trading through full services brokers. Pending DTC eligibility, trading of the shares will be handled by brokers who will act as market makers. In the interim OTCQB trading will be conducted through B.Riley FBR Inc as market maker.*To view the full Quarterly Report, please visit:About Cohiba Minerals Limited Cohiba Minerals Limited (ASX:CHK) is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange with the primary focus of investing in the resource sector through direct tenement acquisition, joint ventures, farm in arrangements and new project generation. The shares of the company trade under the ticker symbol CHK. The Company recently acquired 100% of the shares in Charge Lithium Pty Ltd, which holds exploration licences in Western Australia. Quarterly Activities Report December 2021 Perth, Jan 28, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Australia's next rare earths producer Hastings Technology Metals Ltd ( ASX:HAS ) ( FRA:5AM ) is pleased to report on exploration and development activities for the three-month period to 31 December 2021. Most of the activity focused on the Company's Yangibana Rare Earths Project (Yangibana) in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia.The business continues to remain loss time injury free. There were no incidents resulting in injury during the December quarter, with the business now LTI free for 1,249 days.INX, a workplace health and safety management system, has now been implemented as the safety ERP system to manage all aspects of Loss Prevention Inspections and Mobile Plant and Equipment inspections that are being developed.Hastings has developed and regularly updates its COVID-19 Management Plan to incorporate the latest government and health authority advice and requirements to protect the well-being of its people and the communities in which it operates. The plan manages all aspects of control access to the Perth head office and the Yangibana site to provide guidance for potential risk scenarios.Environment & PermittingIn order to improve on mining and operational efficiencies, it was considered necessary the re-optimise the Yangibana site layout, resulting in changes to the location of the accommodation village, access road, process plant and aerodrome. This change required amendments to the existing Ministerial Statement 1110 (approved under the WA Environmental Protection Act 1986), EPBC consent 2016/7845 (approved under the Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) and Mining Proposal (approved under the WA Mining Act 1978). All three amendment applications were approved by the regulators during the quarter.A key condition under Ministerial Statement 1110 to have a Flora and Vegetation Environmental Management Plan approved prior to construction was also met. The Flora and Vegetation Environmental Management Plan sets out the environmental objectives to be achieved and specifies management actions that will be implemented to achieve compliance. Hastings has prepared management targets and monitoring programmes to measure the effectiveness of the management actions.Baseline and impact studies on the Yangibana Expansion 1 project (encompassing the expanded proposed mining envelope during operations) continued during the quarter. This has included hydrogeological investigations at SipHon borefield, subterranean fauna surveys and groundwater dependent ecosystem studies. Collation of the Environmental Review Document has commenced with intentions to submit to the regulator in mid-2022.Three applications were submitted for the Onslow Rare Earth Plant. These include a Development Application under the WA Planning and Development Act 2005 as week as Works Approval and a Native Vegetation Clearing Permit under the WA Environmental Protection Act. These will be progressed in the first half of 2022 with grant of approval anticipated by mid-2022.Ashburton North Strategic Industrial Area (ANSIA)Hastings has progressed lease negotiations with DevelopmentWA during the quarter and presented a detailed project overview to the governing body of the Native Title holders, the Buurabalayji Thalanyji Aboriginal Corporation (BTAC). At this stage a final lease agreement is expected during June 2022 Quarter.Yangibana Early WorksEarly works as part of a $20 million infrastructure scope of activities continue to progress at the Yangibana mine site. As planned, enabling infrastructure works will continue ahead of the plant construction activities and mine development planned for mid-2022.The fly camp is fully operational with plans in the March 2022 quarter to further expand capacity to 80 beds in line with the ramp up in the early works programmes. Earthwork's contractors have begun to mobilise in earnest with the initial earthworks works programme including:- Access road connecting the mine site to the public Shire roads;- An airstrip capable of accommodating aircraft of up to 50 seat capacity;- Temporary construction water facilities;- SipHon bore field infrastructure works (installation of remaining bores and monitoring holes);- 300 bed village, and- 300km long telecommunication network.The establishment of a regular FIFO charter to support the camp and contractor mobilisations has commenced.The two key positions of Earthworks Manager and Earthworks Supervisor were filled, with these key appointment in place onsite to oversee the mobilisation effort and lead into earthworks proper in early in the March 2022 quarter. Additional support roles include the appointment of camp caterers and ESS personnel as on-site facilities managers and a permanent site paramedic.Yangibana Project DevelopmentThe development of Yangibana continues to ramp up positively, with capital and operating cost reviews near completed by quarters end. Revision of detailed supporting documentation for revised capital and operating cost estimates reflecting changes to the project engineering scope as well as general industry increases around labour, consumables and transportation costs were substantially completed.The operating cost model revision was markedly finalised to reflect changes in labour requirements and transportation alterations necessitated through the processing plant decoupling process. Hastings continues to expand the technical project team located in Perth, while contractor DRA Global has commenced a ramp up in personnel numbers as the project progresses towards the EPCM phase of construction slated for mid-2022 at both the Yangibana and Onslow sites.Hastings is continuing to further de-risk the project development schedule and capital expenditure of the project by completing detailed cost inventories with a view to awarding several contracts for major construction/fabrication works in early 2022.Key early works progressed during the December 2021 Quarter (see Figure 2*) included:- Progression of detailed design layouts for the Yangibana and Onslow sites with the Yangibana site layout now essentially fixed;- Revised labour and execution planning requirements to reflect EPCM commencement in mid-2022;- Accommodation Village - finalised review of tenders with award pending;- Access Road - designs, construction planning and resourcing completed, with a view to expanding works in the March 2022 quarter;- TSF design - draft preliminary design to support permitting for a 20-year expansion plan completed. Detailed design for existing 10-year facility to commence in the March 2022 quarter;- Progression of the airstrip design with IFC drawings due in the March 2022 quarter for a scheduled construction start in the June 2022 quarter; and- Completion of a revised and updated logistics management plan with ongoing work on opportunities around the best possible use of Onslow Ports as a hub for incoming equipment and reagents during construction and into operations.Work towards a collaborative road user agreement with the Shires of Ashburton, Carnarvon and Upper Gascoyne continued to advance. Substantial road data was collected through ARRB and the Shires, which is now being collated with an emphasis on developing a road upgrade schedule and ongoing road maintenance plan that which will underpin a single multi-Shire road user agreement.Hastings is engaged in ongoing negotiations around key lease agreements for access to land and infrastructure at Onslow with several Western Australian government departments and agencies. At this stage these discussions are envisaged to be largely completed in the next quarter.MetallurgyAs the project moves towards the construction phase, the focus is now on the test programmes for operation readiness and engineering support.At Yangibana, flotation chemistry testing programmes to investigate physical and chemical factors affecting metallurgical performance are being completed to develop guidelines for trouble shooting during plant operation to support a smooth plant ramp-up.At Onslow, a test work programme on the gas scrubbing system alkali regeneration system has been completed. The knowledge developed in the process will not only assist with final engineering design, but also provide information for a smooth start-up in full scale commissioning.Drilling programmes conducted over the recent years showed a significant presence of Niobium in the Yangibana ore resources, which may be economic to mine. Accordingly, a research programme focused on the recovery of Niobium has commenced. The aim of this programme is to determine whether a variable process could be developed to produce a saleable Niobium product, as a by-product of the rare earths process flowsheet.Mineral Resource DrillingResource definition reverse circulation (RC) drilling commenced during the quarter along the 8kms of defined economic mineralisation from Bald Hill - Simon's Find - Fraser's. By the end of December, 68 holes had been drilled for 5,698m out of a planned 140 holes for 11,000m (Figure 3*). The majority of these holes were in the Simon's Find area. Further drilling is planned for Bald Hill and Fraser's with drilling recommencing in early January 2022.The first batch of samples for assay were received by the laboratory in early January and first assay results are expected in February.The majority of holes drilled to date show visual encouragement in the form of ironstone and elevated scintillometer readings, which bear a close relationship with rare earths mineralisation at Yangibana. The RC drilling is focussing on extension and infill holes where intervals of high composition (>50% of rare earths is represented as Neodymium and Praseodymium) were previously identified and where mineralisation is interpreted to remain open down dip and along strike. The drilling will also reduce drill spacing in areas currently classified as Inferred Resources so as to allow for re-classification and upgrading to Indicated or Measured categories.Hydrological DrillingIn December, a large programme of hydrological drilling commenced at the SipHon well borefield. The program is designed to install four new production bores and associated monitoring bores along the palaeochannel downstream of the existing borefield. By the end of December, three shallow and two deep monitoring bores had been completed with all holes producing water flows of similar levels seen at the existing bore field.A programme of several test bores to allow hydrological modelling of potential ground water impacts from mining of the Simon's Find, Auer and Yangibana resources has also been completed.A further programme of shallow drilling to provide monitoring sites in areas adjacent to the SipHon well bore Field and Auer mineralisation will commence later in the March 2022 quarter. The holes will measure baseline water levels in areas of existing drainage lines and calcrete landforms.CommercialDuring the quarter, global NdPr oxide prices rose 40% to reach US$134.22/kg oxide EXW China. Post-quarter prices continued to climb with sellers showing no intention of lowering prices at this stage. Demand for rare earths required in permanent magnets remained strong, most likely because of recent changes in China on its energy efficiency standards for electrical motors. The new standard, GB18613-2020 was introduced in May 2020 and took effect in June 2021. It regulates the minimum allowable values of energy efficiency for different grades of motors. Following its energy crisis in the second half of 2021, the Chinese government accelerated the adoption of this new standard by announcing in November a nationwide plan, effective January 2022, to eliminate outdated and low efficiency motors. With this plan, China expects annual electricity savings of 49 billion kWh which is equivalent to an annual saving of 15 million tonnes of standard coal and thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 28 million tonnes per year.Permanent magnet (otherwise also known as neodymium sintered magnets such as NdFeB magnets in short) electrical motors with their superior power efficiency and weight advantage over induction motors have propelled global demand for NdPr. Current market share of NdFeB motors across the electric vehicle industry is still relatively low. However, when GB18613-2020 is fully implemented, it is estimated that NdFeB demand will increase up to 20,000 tonnes per year which will significantly drive the overall demand growth rate for magnetic rare earth materials to rise 20% year-on-year and beyond. In the first 11 months of calendar 2021, China's rare earths industry in Baotou (the centre for rare earth production) achieved an output value of 35.5 billion yuan (US$5.5 billion), a year-on-year increase of 70% and the highest growth rate for this period in the past 10 years. A total of 42 key rare earth projects are under construction in China for a total capital investment of 12.9 billion yuan (US$2 billion).A recent CITIC Securities research report said NdFeB magnets accounted for 35% of the global rare earths consumption, corresponding to 91% of the consumption economic value. This pattern is unlikely to change given the rapid e-mobility adoption worldwide.Against this expected strong demand for NdPr, possible supply constraints may emerge. A Chinese government draft consultative paper released in January 2021 titled "Rare Earth Management Regulations" states that China aims to protect its national interests and industrial security against illegal mining, destructive mining, unplanned production, illegal trade in rare earth products, and activities that would damage the environment. The draft regulations also set out the applicability of export control laws for Chinese rare earths exports, which will affect industries that depend on those exports.Project FinanceHastings has made significant progress towards securing the project finance required to fund Yangibana's construction, with extensive due diligence undertaken by potential lenders since late July. The Company is awaiting final credit approved commitments from the project finance consortium. As part of the financing workstream required to put in place the most advantageous debt package, the Company has actively engaged with leading project finance banks and fixed interest bond providers in Australia and Europe as well as specialist mining funds in addition to the Federal Government's Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility, Finland's export credit agency (Finnvera) and Germany's state bank (KFW-Ipex Bank).Once firm credit-approved commitments are received, the drafting of formal loan documentation will be undertaken ahead of completion of standard conditions precedent and first drawdown in late 2022 or early 2023.Hastings had $96.0 million in cash and equivalents as at 31 December 2021. The Company also has 126.7 million listed options on issue ( ASX:HASO ), which have a strike price of 25c and an expiry date of 12 April 2022. If all HASO options are exercised, the Company's cash balance will be supplemented by a further $31.6 million.Maiden Sustainability ReportIn October, Hastings released its inaugural annual Sustainability Report in alignment with the release of the Company's Annual Report. Hastings transparently reported its progress against material topics under each of our four sustainability pillars of Governance, Our People, Our Community and the Environment.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Hastings Technology Metals Ltd Hastings Technology Metals Ltd (ASX:HAS) (FRA:5AM) is advancing its Yangibana Rare Earths Project in the Upper Gascoyne Region of Western Australia towards production. The proposed beneficiation and hydro metallurgy processing plant will treat rare earths deposits, predominantly monazite, hosting high neodymium and praseodymium contents to produce a mixed rare earths carbonate that will be further refined into individual rare earth oxides at processing plants overseas. Neodymium and praseodymium are vital components in the manufacture of permanent magnets which is used in a wide and expanding range of advanced and high-tech products including electric vehicles, wind turbines, robotics, medical applications and others. Hastings aims to become the next significant producer of neodymium and praseodymium outside of China. Hastings holds 100% interest in the most significant deposits within the overall project, and 70% interest in additional deposits that will be developed at a later date, all held under Mining Leases. Numerous prospects have been identified warranting detailed exploration to further extend the life of the project. Brockman Project The Brockman deposit, near Halls Creek in Western Australia, contains JORC Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources, estimated using the guidelines of JORC Code (2012 Edition). The Company is also progressing a Mining Lease application over the Brockman Rare Earths and Rare Metals Project. Hastings aims to capitalise on the strong demand for critical rare earths created by the expanding demand for new technology products. Central Queensland Production Testing Update Brisbane, Jan 28, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - State Gas Limited ( ASX:GAS ) is pleased to give an update on its current production testing activities underway within its Central Queensland gas projects.The Company is conducting concurrent programs of work: at its Reid's Dome Project at PL 231 (Reid's Dome Beds coals), to confirm the commerciality of the Project for delivery of new gas supplies into the east coast market; and at its contiguous Rolleston-West Project (Bandanna Formation coals) on the recently issued ATP 2062 to confirm the area for gas development. Gas production testing is currently underway at both of these projects.Two wells, Rougemont-1 and Rougemont-2, were drilled into the eastern arm of ATP 2062 in mid 2021 as the first wells in the new permit. The wells targeted the Bandanna Formation, a coal formation producing commercially at Arcadia Valley (Santos operated) to the south east, and under development (by Comet Ridge) at Mahalo to the north. Both wells encountered approximately 8m net coal, with good quantities of gas at or near pipeline quality. The permeability at Rougemont-2 was an exceptional 395mD, and the Company commenced a production test of the well on 15 November 2021.Production testing at Rolleston-West has included ongoing pumping to slowly reduce water levels at Rougemont-2, to minimise the potential for sudden pressure changes to damage to the reservoir. While the water level is currently ~130m above the coals with several further weeks required to expose them, gas production has already commenced at Rougemont-2. Gas flows are steady with consistent growth, and are expected to increase significantly once the coals are fully exposed. Sampling conducted in 2021 indicated gas of pipeline quality at Rougement-2.At Reid's Dome, State Gas undertook a highly successful production test of the Nyanda-4 well in the first part of 2021. Encouraged by this success and the high gas contents in the area, the Company undertook production enhancement activities at the Nyanda-8 and Serocold-1 wells to establish the potential of these wells to deliver results similar to the Nyanda-4 well. The Nyanda-8 well was jetted and the test recommenced on 28 November 2021, and the Serocold-1 well was sleeved and the test recommenced on 5 December 2021.Skin damage to the formation at Nyanda-8 appears to be slowly resolving, enabling ever increasing gas volumes to be produced from the well. Despite the formation damage, Nyanda-8 is consistently producing gas at relatively low volumes, with small but steady increases daily. The Company looks forward to further progress from the well.The Serocold-1 production test started well, producing consistent and growing volumes. Production has temporarily ceased at Serocold-1 as a result of a failure of the pump (due to parted rods). The Company is currently co-ordinating the repair of the pump, with testing expected to re-commence in early February.State Gas Executive Chairman Mr Richard Cottee expressed his satisfaction with the progress of the Rougemont-2 and Nyanda-8 production tests: "I am very pleased to see the consistent production from the wells. While volumes are initially small, I am expecting we'll see significant increases in gas flows in the coming weeks.""The Rolleston-West Gas Project includes a significant area of Bandanna Coals in Central Queensland, and we remain excited about its potential in the east coast gas market.""I am also keen to see how Sercold-1 performs once that well is back on pump and the water lowered," he continued. "Signs were promising prior to the breakdown, so I am expecting good results to come there as well."*To view photographs and figures, please visit:About State Gas Limited State Gas Limited (ASX:GAS) is a Queensland-based developer of the Reid's Dome gas field, originally discovered during drilling in 1955, located in the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland. State Gas is 100%-owner of the Reid's Dome Gas Project (PL-231) a CSG and conventional gas play, which is well-located 30 kilometres southwest of Rolleston, approximately 50 kilometres from the Queensland Gas Pipeline and interconnected east coast gas network. Permian coal measures within the Reid's Dome Beds are extensive across the entire permit but the area had not been explored for coal seam gas prior to State Gas' ownership. In late 2018 State Gas drilled the first coal seam gas well in the region (Nyanda-4) into the Reid's Dome Beds and established the potential for a significant coal seam gas project in PL 231. The extension of the coal measures into the northern and central areas of the permit was confirmed in late 2019 by the Company's drilling of Aldinga East-1A (12 km north) and Serocold-1 (6 km to the north of Nyanda-4). State Gas is also the 100% holder Authority to Prospect 2062 ("Rolleston-West"), a 1,414 km2 permit (eight times larger than PL 231) that is contiguous with the Reid's Dome Gas Project. Rolleston-West contains highly prospective targets for both coal seam gas (CSG) and known conventional gas within the permit area. It is not restricted by domestic gas reservation requirements. The contiguous areas (Reid's Dome and Rolleston-West), under sole ownership by State Gas, enable integration of activities and a unified super-gasfield development, providing economies of scale, efficient operations, and optionality in marketing. State Gas is implementing its strategic plan to bring gas to market from Reid's Dome and Rolleston-West to meet near term forecast shortfalls in the east coast domestic gas market. The strategy involves progressing a phased appraisal program in parallel with permitting for an export pipeline and development facilities to facilitate the fastest possible delivery of gas to market. State Gas' current focus has been to confirm the producibility of the gas through production testing of the wells. Quarterly Activities Report Perth, Jan 28, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Musgrave Minerals Ltd ( ASX:MGV ) ( FRA:6MU ) ( OTCMKTS:MGVMF ) is an Australian resources company focused on gold exploration and development at the Cue Project in the Murchison Province of Western Australia (Figures 1 and 2*).At the Cue Project, the total gold resources (Indicated and Inferred) are 6.4Mt @ 3.2g/t Au for 659koz Au (see MGV ASX announcement 11 November 2020, "Break of Day High-Grade Mineral Resource Estimate"). Prefeasibility level activities are ongoing at Break of Day and Lena.During the quarter, activity on the Company's wholly owned tenure at Cue included a large regional reverse circulation ("RC") drilling program at the Big Sky and Amarillo gold prospects, extensional drilling at the White Heat prospect and a regional RC program east of Break of Day. A total of 150 RC holes for approximately 16,080m of drilling was completed across multiple areas. This RC program led to the discovery of the Waratah gold trend approximately 400m east of Break of Day and the discovery of the new high-grade Mosaic gold lode south of White Heat. Regional aircore drilling programs are underway west of Lena with 43 holes for 4,313m completed during the quarter. Diamond drilling commenced across a number of deposits and prospect areas.Significant delays in assay turn-around and support supplies are being experienced, with the Company awaiting assay results for more than 140 drill holes.On Lake Austin, part of the Evolution Mining Ltd ("Evolution") JV, significant aircore and diamond drilling programs are ongoing. Aircore drilling extended gold mineralisation at West Island with the regolith footprint at this prospect now extending for over 1.6km. Diamond drilling follow-up at West Island has intersected high-grade basement gold mineralisation. Evolution has elected to manage the joint venture from 1 January 2022 and has approved an increased budget for H2, 2022.The exploration upside for the project is high with significant follow-up drill programs already underway in the March quarter.CorporateAt the end of the December 2021 quarter, the Company held $17.5M in cash with the Company's capital structure comprising:- 537,172,949 fully paid ordinary shares ( ASX:MGV ); and- 17,200,000 unlisted options at various exercise prices and expiry datesThe Quarterly Cashflow Report (Appendix 5B) for the period ending 31 December 2021 provides an overview of the Company's financial activities. Cash exploration expenditure for the reporting period was $1.5M. Corporate and other expenditure amounted to $296k. The total amount paid to Directors of the entity and their associates in the period (item 6.1 of the Appendix 5B) was $138k and includes salary, Directors' fees, and superannuation.InvestmentsThe Company holds 12.5 million shares in Legend Mining Limited ("Legend") currently valued at approximately $0.9M based on a Legend share price of $0.07/share. Musgrave also holds 1,308,750 ordinary shares in Cyprium Metals Limited ("Cyprium") currently valued at approximately $0.2M based on a Cyprium share price of $0.155/share.*To view the full report, please visit:About Musgrave Minerals Ltd Musgrave Minerals Ltd (ASX:MGV) is an active Australian gold and base metals explorer. The Cue Project in the Murchison region of Western Australia is an advanced gold and copper project. Musgrave has had significant exploration success at Cue with the ongoing focus on increasing the gold and copper resources through discovery and extensional drilling to underpin studies that will demonstrate a viable path to development in the near term. Musgrave also holds a large exploration tenement package in the Ni-Cu-Co prospective Musgrave Province in South Australia. In Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadis films, reasonably straightforward set-ups a divorce, a missing woman, a newly lent apartment unspool such complex, cascading developments that it comes as no surprise that a found handbag stuffed with gold coins leads to countless fluctuations of fortune and anguish in his latest, A Hero. In movies, we tend to reserve the term magician for more spectacle-driven filmmakers who spin visual-effects illusions. But Farhadis mastery is at least equally spellbinding, even while being rooted in realistic domestic dramas, with Tehran traffic usually buzzing all around. His films (including the Oscar-winners A Separation and A Salesman, the early masterwork About Elly and the French drama The Past) are schematically drawn, full of twists and turns so seamless as to be invisible. Elaborate mechanics are deftly hidden in engrossing, minutely observed stories. Before you know it, a melodrama of modern life has been woven so tightly with psychological suspense that you can hardly breathe. A Hero, in which Farhadi returns to his native Iran after a trip to Spain for 2018s Everybody Knows, is one of the most labyrinthine moral tales youre likely to encounter. Rahim (Amir Jadidi) is imprisoned for a debt he couldnt pay. We first meet him while he eagerly takes a two-day leave, meeting with his girlfriend Farkhondeh (Sahar Goldust), who clutches her lucky discovery, one that may free her love and allow them to marry. The discovered gold, though, doesnt add up to quite enough to satisfy his creditor, a miserly printshop owner named Hossein (Ali Reza Jahandideh). Rahim makes the decision to instead report the lost bag and return it to its owner. How much this decision is altruistic or a bit of self-preservationist cunning is open to interpretation. As played by Jadidi, Rahim has an ingratiating, hangdog demeanor; hes almost always smiling, unless worry has clouded his expression. We are, undoubtedly, rooting for him. Rahims good deed earns him widespread congratulations for his selflessness. Prison officials rush to invite television cameras to broadcast Rahims story, which then spreads like wildfire on social media. Donations pour in that could release Rahim from his debt. Happy ending, right? No, A Hero is just getting started. Farhadis film, which he also wrote, grows increasingly knotty with fictions to cover truths, and vice-versa. Hossein refuses to accept Rahims transformation into celebrated saint. Questions of seemingly minor significance why Rahim put his prisons phone number on the poster advertising the lost bag, for instance take on vital importance. As A Hero spirals through the tangled connections of family and business in Iran (Hossein is Ramins ex-wifes brother-in-law; Ramins main support is his sisters husband, played by Mohsen Tanabandeh), the messy injustices of public life have swelled like the traffic that envelopes the movies staggering finale, maybe the most vivid and powerful of Farhadis endings. Dave Kendalls interest in history has always been at the forefront of his life. He enjoys learning. Its no wonder Kendall jumped at the chance to dive in deep to tell the story of the Santa Fe Trail in the documentary, The Road to Santa Fe. It will air at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 30, on New Mexico PBS, channel 5.4. The Santa Fe Trail played a pivotal role in the westward expansion of the United States. Extending across the mid-continent from Missouri to New Mexico, it became a prominent commercial trail involving both American and Mexican merchants. Over six decades, beginning in the 1820s, the trail supported a vast network of commerce, enabled the U.S. to annex much of northern Mexico and led to the relocation of the Plains Indians. By 1880, the construction of the railroads brought an end to the flow of freight wagons on the Santa Fe Trail, now designated a national historic trail. The Santa Fe Trail is interesting to me, Kendall says. My ancestors had some experience on the trail. I had never thought about it. When I was making the film, I was getting shots along the trail and it was fun. Then the pandemic hit and Kendall had to pause a little with the production. Luckily, I was doing the film and not around too many people, he says. Everything I was filming was done outdoors. It made it easier. Kendall began his research for the documentary in 2019. He raised the money for the film himself by submitting grant proposals. I took a Ken Burns approach to the film and used excerpts from memoirs, he says. As his research moved forward, Kendall says there was a lot of information that eluded him. I had grown up miles from the Santa Fe Trail, he says. I worked on a series about Kansas for 20 years. One thing that evaded me was the Arkansas River. It used to be the international boundary line with Mexico. It floored me that I hadnt learned that in history classes. Kendall hopes that an audience will walk away learning something because the Santa Fe Trail made a huge impact in westward expansion. People will take away different things, but I wanted to show how we got where we are today, he says. The interaction of cultures has a lot of layers. I wanted to create a documentary that gives a better sense of history. On TV The Road to Santa Fe airs at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 30, on New Mexico PBS, channel 5.4. NEW YORK, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Around 10 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered globally, a milestone that was met on Friday but has not been reached equitably, The New York Times (NYT) reported. In the wealthiest countries, 77 percent of people have received at least one dose, whereas in low-income countries the figure is less than 10 percent, said the newspaper, quoting the Our World in Data project at the University of Oxford. "As North America and Europe race to overcome Omicron surges by offering boosters, with some nations even contemplating a fourth shot, more than one-third of the world's people, many of them in Africa and poor pockets of Asia, are still waiting for a first dose," said the NYT report. For example, the United States has administered five times as many extra shots -- about 85 million -- than the total number of doses administered in all of Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, said the report. The milestone reflected the astonishing speed with which governments and drug companies have mobilized their resources, and 10 billion doses could theoretically have meant "at least one shot for all of the world's 7.9 billion people," it added. "Ten billion doses is a triumph of science but a complete failure of global solidarity," Madhukar Pai, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at McGill University in Montreal, was quoted in the report as saying. The annual draw for New Mexicos big game hunts is open and even those younger than 18 are eligible to snag a coveted opportunity provided they have passed a hunter education class provided by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. A hunter education class is required for any hunter any age younger than 18, said Jennifer Morgan, department hunter education coordinator. If your child is old enough to come into class and they can comprehend the material, they can take a final exam, they can complete their homework prior to coming to class, then they are eligible. For the first time in nearly two years, the department is set to hold in-person classes, with classes throughout February in Albuquerque and elsewhere across the state. Classes will be about half the normal size in deference to the pandemic, Morgan said. While mandatory for hunters younger than 18, once passed, it holds for a lifetime and is accepted by other states, as well, she said. Once you turn 18, you are no longer required to have hunter education, but as I always say, I highly recommend hunter education for anybody, Morgan said. We have never had an adult in our classes that have come and told us, Well that was a complete waste of time. The courses are also worthwhile for adults just getting into hunting, she said. There is always something to learn in our classrooms, especially if youre new, she said. If youre just getting into hunter education and youre trying to figure out what its all about, come take hunter education. It will give you a well-rounded platform. Our goal is to produce safe, ethical responsible hunters. Each in-person class classes are also online and available for those 10 and older, and carry the same weight as in-person classes requires homework to be completed before the two-day session. We know that were dealing with a lot of varied backgrounds and skill levels when youre coming to hunter education, Morgan said. We may have somebody who is maybe more of seasoned hunter or shooter, or maybe somebody that has never handled or touched a firearm before and maybe the only window they have to hunting is, Hey I saw it in YouTube once. What were trying to do with the homework is put everybody on a level playing field that everybody comes into the classroom and they have some basic knowledge and were building on from what theyve started with their homework. The curriculum includes firearms usage and safety, using deactivated weapons and dummy ammunition, Morgan said, as well safe firearm storage in the home. And how to aim for proper targets also is discussed, she said. We talk huge about ethics and responsibility, Morgan said. So we focus on proper shot placement, whats the right angles, the animals anatomy and where should that shot be placed on that animal for a quick, humane harvest of that animal? Theres a lot of focus on that. What to do after the animal has been targeted is part of the discussion, as well. What do you do after the shot? How do you properly blood trail an animal? We talk about zones of fire and wildlife management and conservation, Morgan said. That is hunting. Hunting is a huge management tool for the Department of Game and Fish. So you as hunters and upcoming hunters are helping the department in wildlife management by being an active participant in that. The courses give attendees a basic primer in hunting to allow them to get into the field safely, she said. Obviously, were not going to teach you all everything there is to know about hunting, she said. Ive been hunting for many, many, many years and I still learn something new every time I go into the field. But what we try to do and accomplish through our course is to do the best that we can so that everybody who walks out of the classroom doors is as safe and ethical and responsible as we can possibly create through reading and homework and us building on what the students should have learned from the manual. For more info www.wildlife.state.nm.us/education/hunter-education/course-schedule Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE A coalition of nurses and educators is asking the Legislature to make $50 million available to address the chronic shortage of nurses in New Mexico spending that would be targeted toward the expansion of college nursing programs. They made the pitch Thursday to the powerful Senate Finance Committee, whose members seemed receptive to the idea. The budget request would include a $15 million grant program to expand college nursing programs and $35 million to create faculty endowments to pay for professors of nursing. Sen. George Munoz, a Gallup Democrat and chairman of the committee, said the state should also consider free tuition and other incentives for nursing students. This is a critical issue that affects every single person in this state at some point in time, he said after the hearing, addressing his colleagues in the full Senate. New Mexico faces a shortage of 6,200 registered nurses, according to a health care workforce report issued by the University of New Mexico last year. The problem may be growing worse. The number of nurses practicing in New Mexico fell by 14% in a recent four-year period, from about 18,200 nurses in 2017 to 15,600 in 2020, according to the Board of Nursing. The demand for nurses, by contrast, has spiked amid the COVID-19 pandemic and is expected to continue growing throughout the decade. Lawmakers didnt take any formal action Thursday but expressed general support for addressing the shortage in some way. The profession is in crisis right now, Sen. Crystal Diamond, R-Elephant Butte, said after the presentation. Lillian Montoya, president and CEO of Christus St. Vincent health system, said hospitals throughout the country are competing for nurses. Hundreds of hospital beds in the state, she said, are open because theres no one to staff them. We started this pandemic already in a national shortage, Montoya told lawmakers. Montoya joined the New Mexico Nurses Association and leaders from college nursing programs in support of Thursdays budget request. The coalition pointed to data showing nurses usually stay to work where theyre trained, making it all the more important to expand the number of nursing students in New Mexico. Our graduates stay in our communities, said Terri Tewart, a registered nurse and dean at Santa Fe Community College. They take care of each of us. Any expansion of nursing programs, she said, would maintain the academic rigor required of students. The college leaders who spoke Thursday reported that theyre already at capacity but could expand to handle more students if extra funding is approved. The $15 million request could pay for hiring more nursing faculty, increasing faculty salaries to retain educators recruited by hospitals and reducing the cost of clinical training for students. Additional classroom space and practice equipment are also priorities. The state Higher Education Department would issue grants in the fiscal year that starts this summer on a competitive basis after evaluating applications from colleges. Ongoing funding in future years would likely be required. The $35 million, in turn, would establish endowed faculty positions, allowing a professor or instructor to be paid with revenue from an endowment fund. Theres no way out of this crisis other than growing our own nurses, said Linda Siegle, a lobbyist for the New Mexico Nurses Association. The college leaders said they face challenges beyond just hiring more faculty. Qualified applicants for nursing schools are limited, they said, and some students many of whom are first-generation college students change their mind while in school, often because of the financial challenge. Some of the requested state funding might be used for mentoring, tutoring or other initiatives to support students preparing to apply for nursing school or already in. Crafting a budget plan is a priority in the 30-day legislative session that runs through Feb. 17. New Mexico is awash in cash, thanks to federal stimulus funds, booming oil and gas revenue, and increased consumer spending. State spending is expected to reach $8.4 billion in a budget package now under development. SANTA FE Bianca Ortiz-Wertheim is leaving her post as a Cabinet secretary to take on a new role overseeing the deluge of federal infrastructure funds arriving in New Mexico. She is the new director of infrastructure and implementation and will work with Senior Infrastructure Adviser Martin Chavez and others. Ortiz-Wertheim had led the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management since May 2020. She is a former chief of staff to ex-Sen. Tom Udall and has worked a strategic planner for the American Cancer Society. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham made the announcement Thursday. Bianca has a wealth of knowledge of federal programs and funding and a strong network of relationships across New Mexico, the governor said. Diego Arencon, deputy chief of staff to Lujan Grisham, will temporarily serve as secretary of homeland security and emergency management until the governor appoints a replacement. The job changes come as New Mexico is set to receive more than $3.7 billion in funding through the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed by Congress. Some of the money is broadly targeted for highways, broadband, wildfire prevention and clean drinking water. Ortiz-Wertheim will work with Chavez, a former state senator and Albuquerque mayor; broadband adviser Matt Schmit; and water adviser Mike Hamman to organize and oversee the spending. We have a tremendous task before us, implementing this once-in-a-generation investment in our states infrastructure, and Im delighted to have Bianca in our corner, Chavez said. Ortiz-Wertheim made about $158,000 a year as a Cabinet secretary and will make $138,000 in her new job. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE With the impacts of past New Mexico tax changes still reverberating, lawmakers are taking a cautious approach to a plan to lower the states gross receipts tax rate. A Senate committee discussed the proposal to cut the tax rate from 0.25 percentage points from 5.125% to 4.875% for about an hour Thursday, but held off on a vote so they could see how the reduction might fit into a still-developing spending plan for the budget year that starts in July. Several senators pointed out that the tax cut proposed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham would cost the state at least $183.7 million in the coming budget year, while generating relatively small savings for New Mexicans. The tax levied on the purchase of a $50 pair of shoes, for instance, would decrease by just 12 cents. Its easy to vote for these bills; its really hard to vote for bills that raise revenue, said Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, during Thursdays meeting of the Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee. Wirth also questioned whether cities and counties would increase the local tax rates they levy on top of the state rate if the tax cut is approved. Current total tax rates have crept above 9% in some parts of New Mexico. That would defeat the purpose of the proposal by effectively keeping taxes flat for residents and businesses alike, Wirth said. But backers of the legislation, Senate Bill 5, said the tax cut would be the first reduction in the states gross receipts tax rate in 40 years. They also argued it would help New Mexico businesses compete with out-of-state businesses. We see this as a significant help both to businesses and consumers both at this critical time, said Gallup-McKinley County Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Bill Lee. The tax cut discussion at the Roundhouse comes as New Mexico is rolling in record-high revenue levels, generated by surging oil and natural gas production, and an uptick in consumer spending. New Mexico is projected to have $1.6 billion in new money available during the coming budget year, a figure that represents the difference between estimated revenue collections and current spending levels. Several legislators have said the reduction in the gross receipts tax, which functions like a sales tax, but is also levied on services, should be part of a broader package that could also include tax rebates for low-income New Mexicans. Meanwhile, some lawmakers also cited past tax changes, such as a 2003 personal income tax cut and a 2004 exemption of food from taxation. Some of those tax changes ended up costing the state more in foregone revenue than originally estimated. Senate Minority Whip Craig Brandt, R-Rio Rancho, said hed like to see more sweeping changes to New Mexicos tax code, including reducing or eliminating the states income tax. This years gross receipts tax cut measure is sponsored by Sen. Roberto Bobby Gonzales, D-Ranchos de Taos. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal COVID-19 cases in New Mexico remained high Thursday, with the state reporting 5,179 new cases and 34 additional deaths, pushing the statewide toll to 6,391 since the start of the pandemic. New Mexico has been seeing high case counts the last two weeks amid a surge of the highly infectious omicron variant. The state set records on two consecutive days last week with more than 6,000 cases. Of the cases reported Thursday, 1,296 were in Bernaillo County, the states most populous. Dr. Denise Gonzales, the chief medical officer at Presbyterian Healthcare Services, said in an interview that while the omicron variant is more contagious than the delta and other previous variations of the virus, the new variant is not causing as severe disease. In the last four weeks, there have been 109,524 confirmed COVID cases and 208 deaths. Of the 208 people who died, 194 were unvaccinated, or 93.3%, according to Health Department epidemiology reports. There were 713 people hospitalized with COVID on Thursday, up four from the day before. Of the deaths reported Thursday, nine were residents of Bernalillo County. There were two men in their 30s with no preexisting conditions, one from Bernalillo County and the other from Lea County, included in the death toll. In the last year, nearly 90% of those whose deaths were related to COVID were unvaccinated. UNM Health will host a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for 5-11 year olds on Saturday at UNM Carrie Tingley Hospital, 1127 University NE, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., said Mark Rudi, a spokesman for the hospital. Primary shots will be given on Saturday and secondary doses will be given on Feb. 19. As New Mexico continues to see a surge in cases, local governments are working to distribute in-home testing kits. Bernalillo County on Wednesday started distributing 30,000 testing kits to local households. The county has set up several drive-thru sites where people can pick up testing kits for free. The city of Albuquerque is giving away 80,000 free rapid COVID-19 test kits at select community centers, senior centers, health and social service centers, multigenerational centers, public libraries and through food pantries and community organizations. The city which received its supply from the state government is currently prioritizing locations in neighborhoods with the highest social vulnerability, according to a news release. Households can get up to four free kits while supplies last. More details, including a list of participating sites and their pickup times, is available online at www.cabq.gov/office-of-emergency-management/free-covid-19-self-test-kits-available. Journal staff writer Jessica Dyer contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal An Espanola resident was scammed out of $20,000 in a Jamaican lottery fraud that promised millions of dollars and a new car. The victim received a phone call Saturday from a man with a Jamaica number claiming to be David Anderson and saying he had won $2.1 million and a new car in a lottery, and needed to send a $7,000 deposit to receive the winnings, the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office said in a report. After the money was sent, the man received another call, saying the accounting department made a mistake and that he had actually won $10 million and a new car, but needed to send another $13,000, which he did. When the money and car did not show up, the victim realized he had been scammed and reported this crime, the report said. The 64-year-old retired victim used his Bank of America account and prepaid Visa cards to transfer the funds. A sheriffs office detective contacted the victim Tuesday and while speaking to him on the phone, the victim received several more calls from the subject. The male caller, with a heavy foreign accent, was placed on speaker so the detective could hear him, but hung up immediately when he learned law enforcement was on the call. The area code was from Nevada, but when the officer called back, it went to a voicemail of a text mail subscriber, which are calls made via the internet. The victim was advised not to answer any more calls from the subject and not to send any more money. When contacted by the Journal on Wednesday, the victim declined comment. KENOSHA, Wis. A judge on Friday approved an agreement by lawyers to destroy the assault-style rifle that Kyle Rittenhouse used to kill two people and wound a third during a 2020 street protest in Wisconsin. Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger said the state crime lab would destroy the gun, probably in April. Judge Bruce Schroeder, the Kenosha County judge who presided over Rittenhouses trial, approved the agreement. Rittenhouse was not in court for Fridays hearing. The judge also ordered that Rittenhouses $2 million bail be divided among his attorney, a foundation that solicited donations for his defense and actor Ricky Schroder, who donated to the defense fund. Rittenhouse shot the men during the protest in Kenosha in 2020. He killed Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz in the arm. Rittenhouse argued he fired in self-defense after each of the men attacked him. A jury last year acquitted him of multiple charges, including homicide. Rittenhouses attorney, Mark Richards, filed a motion Jan. 19 asking prosecutors to return Rittenhouses rifle, his ammunition, his face mask and other clothing he was wearing the night of the shooting to him. Richards and David Hancock, a spokesman for Rittenhouse, said last week that Rittenhouse, who is now 19, wanted to destroy the rifle and throw the rest of the items away so nothing can be used as a political symbol or trophy celebrating the shootings. We didnt think anyone should profit from it, Richards told reporters after the hearing. Asked if anyone had reached out about purchasing the gun, Richards responded: Lots of people. He didnt elaborate. Destruction of the gun will be recorded as part of the agreement that was approved Friday. The rest of Rittenhouses property has already been returned to him, Binger told the judge. Conservatives across the nation have praised Rittenhouse, saying he was defending Kenosha from far-left militants. Liberals have painted him as a trigger-happy vigilante. The judge on Friday also ordered county officials to return Rittenhouses $2 million bail. His attorneys raised the money through donations from conservatives across the country. The judge approved an agreement that calls for splitting the money between Richards law firm and the #Fightback Foundation. Attorneys Lin Wood and John Pierce, who were representing Rittenhouse in the early days of case, formed the foundation to raise money for him. The agreement also calls for sending $150,000 to Schroder, the former star of the 1980s television series Silver Spoons. The Patent and Trademark Hedge Fund Trust filed a motion Thursday laying claim to the $2 million. The funds co-trustee, Mariel Johnson, argued in an affidavit that the fund had given as much as $2.5 million to Pierce to finance his cases and has been trying to recoup the money after Pierces law firm dissolved. Johnson noted that the fund gave him $300,000 to put toward Rittenhouses bail and is entitled to every dollar Pierce used to cover Rittenhouses bond. Schroeder denied the motion, ruling that the funds attorneys arent licensed to practice in Wisconsin. Richards declined to say after the hearing how much of the bond money would go to Rittenhouse. He didnt immediately respond to a follow-up email message. Rittenhouses case dates back to August 2020, when a white Kenosha police officer shot Jacob Blake, a Black man, during a domestic disturbance. The shooting left Blake paralyzed from the waist down and sparked several nights of protests. The demonstrations turned chaotic at times, with people burning buildings. Rittenhouse and his friend, Dominick Black, joined a group of militia members to protect a used car lot on the night of Aug. 25, 2020. Rittenhouse, who was 17 at time and living in Antioch, Illinois, was armed with an AR-15-style rifle that Black had purchased for him earlier that year because he was too young to buy a firearm under Wisconsin law. According to the motion, Black had agreed that the rifle would become Rittenhouses property on his 18th birthday, Jan. 3, 2021. Bystander and surveillance video shows that just before midnight Rosenbaum chased Rittenhouse down and Rittenhouse shot him as he closed in on him. He shot Huber after Huber swung a skateboard at his head and Grosskreutz after Grosskreutz ran up to him holding a pistol. Everyone involved in the shooting was white. Black pleaded no contest to two citations earlier this month for contributing to the delinquency of a minor in exchange for prosecutors dropping two felony charges of intent to sell a dangerous weapon to a person younger than 18. ___ Richmond reported from Madison, Wisconsin. ___ Find the APs full coverage of the Rittenhouse trial: https://apnews.com/hub/kyle-rittenhouse TUCSON, Ariz. Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson is one of several military installations the Department of Defense has identified as having troops that could be deployed if Russian forces invade Ukraine. Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby made the announcement during a news conference Thursday in Washington. Some units from Davis-Monthan are among the 8,500 troops placed on heightened preparedness for deployment should Russia invade Ukraine. Other military installations with units put on heightened preparedness include Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Campbell in Kentucky, Fort Carson in Colorado, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Polk in Louisiana, Robins Air Force Base, Fort Stewart in Georgia and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. Kirby said the units include medical support, aviation support, logistics support and combat formations. Department of Defense officials said they are monitoring the buildup of forces in the western part of Russia and in Belarus. SCHUYLERVILLE, N.Y. The thousands of people paid to plant corn, pick apples and milk cows in New York often work long days, six days a week and earn overtime only after 60 hours of labor. The state is now looking at lowering that overtime threshold. New York could possibly join California and Washington state in phasing in a 40-hour overtime rule for farm hands, a threshold common in other industries. We need a better quality of life, said veteran dairy worker Lazaro Alvarez. He is among those who say the change is long overdue for an estimated 55,000 agricultural workers in New York, many from Mexico, Guatemala and other countries outside the United States. But the prospect is alarming farmers. They warn the extra costs would wipe out marginal farms, hobble others and actually reduce workers earnings if farmers cap hours to manage expenses. While the industry overall may survive, many individual farms will not, Chris Laughton of Farm Credit East, a lender for the agriculture industry in the Northeast, testified this month. At Welcome Stock Farm near Saratoga Springs, Bill Peck said overtime after 40 hours for the farms 18 full-time employees would cost him up to an extra $12,000 a month. Dairy farmers like Peck say they cannot simply raise prices to reflect added expenses, since wholesale milk prices are regulated. We arent going to be able to invest in a new tractor. We arent going to be able to invest in adding another barn, said Peck. That money is going to go just into payroll, so which is good for them in the short term, but long term the business cant survive. Crop farmers who grow vegetables and apples say they would be particularly hard hit when extra seasonal labor is needed. They say higher overtime costs will make them less competitive with farms in other states. Farm workers in New York didnt qualify for overtime pay at all until 2020, when the state changed the law to mandate extra pay for workers who exceeded 60 hours a week. The new law also instructed a three-person wage board to consider whether to recommend a lower threshold. The board Friday is holding its fourth of four hearings this month. It will make recommendations to Gov. Kathy Hochuls labor commissioner, who can accept, reject or modify them. Average hourly wages for agricultural workers in the region last year were $16.16, according to federal figures, though some earn the minimum wage of $13.20. Alvarez, a 63-year-old from Mexico City, said overtime after 40 hours would reduce stress for workers like himself and give them a better quality of life. I will be able to have checkups at the doctor, I will be able to buy personal items. I will have time for me, Alvarez said in Spanish. The wage board could recommend temporarily keeping the 60-hour status quo, which they did once before. They also could follow the lead of California and lower farm overtime levels in phases over several years. Larger farms in California had to begin providing overtime after 40 hours starting this year. Farms with 25 or fewer employees will hit the 40-hour mark in 2025. Washington state approved a law last year phasing in overtime pay for agricultural workers. Several other states offer some farm workers overtime, with limitations and exceptions. Trent Taylor, an attorney with the advocacy group Farmworker Justice, said more states are considering the proposals as the nation grapples more with labor and racial issues. Were gaining momentum, Taylor said. Nationally, farm workers were excluded from the overtime provisions of the landmark 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act. At the time, the U.S. was only 73 years removed from outlawing slavery. Advocates say continuing to leave them out perpetuates an injustice against a profession long dominated by people of color. This exclusion of farm workers is the very definition of what we call structural racism. It was a policy rooted in racism 85 years ago and has become so baked into the system that people dont even realize it anymore, said Lisa Zucker, an attorney at the New York Civil Liberties Union. Farmers argue that the well-meaning policy would not be in the best interests of the many migrant workers who come north during harvest seasons to make as much money as possible, often to send back home. Thats because they could be forced to limit hours to mitigate overtime expenses. Hours will go down and there will be less net pay for people, said Mark Russell of Two of Clubs Orchard in western New York. He said farmers are worried about losing workers to other states. Several farm workers made similar arguments in testimony this month. Though hiring more employees is a common strategy for reducing overtime costs, farmers say the labor market is tight and hiring workers would require farmers to invest in more housing. Farms routinely provide free housing to workers. Worker advocates dismiss farmers dire predictions, noting that other industries have adapted to overtime and that New York farms have already adapted to higher minimum wages and 60-hour overtime. If theres one lesson to glean from this pandemic, its that those who compromise their health, safety and well-being to keep our essential industries going deserve dignity and respect, Emma Kreyche of the Worker Justice Center testified recently. ___ Associated Press writer Claudia Torrens contributed from New York City. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE A proposal to make it easier to hold more criminal defendants in jail before trial survived its first legislative vote Friday and is still alive at least for now. The legislation, House Bill 5, faced bipartisan skepticism in a two-hour hearing Friday but cleared a House committee on a 7-2 vote after several members said they wanted to keep the proposal moving while amendments are considered. The move came after Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller joined police and prosecutors in asking lawmakers for help addressing crime in New Mexicos largest city. Albuquerque had a record-breaking 117 homicides last year. No member of the House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee fully embraced the proposal, but they also expressed reluctance to reject it outright. I know we have to do something. We are in a real mess, Republican Rep. Greg Nibert of Roswell said. But we dont need legislation thats just going to end up in the courts and end up overturned due to constitutional grounds. The proposal heads next to the House Judiciary Committee. Rep. Marian Matthews, an Albuquerque Democrat and co-sponsor of the bill, said she is willing to consider changes as the proposal moves to its next committee. But she also rejected the contention by Nibert and others that the proposal may run afoul of the state constitution, which guarantees the right to bail in some circumstances. The legislation is a priority of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, 2nd Judicial District Attorney Raul Torrez and Keller, all Democrats. Its been vigorously opposed by public defenders and others. The state Sentencing Commission has raised questions about its legality. Keller, a former state senator, said the people of Albuquerque are screaming for help and that lawmakers should keep the bill alive while evaluating the constitutional questions. Keeping more people behind bars before trial, he said, will help slow the revolving door of criminal suspects who cycle in and out of jail. We are arresting people over and over and over, Keller said. There are lives at stake. Voting in favor of advancing the bill were four Democrats and three Republicans. The two dissenting votes came from Democratic Reps. Daymon Ely of Corrales and Gail Chasey of Albuquerque. Chasey is chairwoman of the House Judiciary Committee, putting her in a powerful position to shape the fate of the bill. She noted that a recent Legislative Finance Committee report found that low arrest, prosecution and conviction rates may have contributed more to Bernalillo Countys crime problem than releasing defendants awaiting trial. I just hope we actually have a solution that isnt ignoring the reality and the data we have now, Chasey said. Torrez, the district attorney, has questioned the validity of the legislative analysis. The bill would create a rebuttable presumption of dangerousness for defendants charged with certain violent crimes, including murder, child abuse and assault on a peace officer. The goal would be to make it easier for prosecutors to secure approval to hold a person in jail while they await trial. If prosecutors file a detention motion and are able to meet the probable cause standard for the crime, the defendant would have to persuade a judge they should not be held until trial under the presumption they pose a danger to any other person or to the community. Legislative analysts estimate the bill would result in up to 1,262 additional pretrial detainees a year, at an estimated cost to county jails of $13.8 million. The additional detentions could lower the statewide violent crime rate by 1.4%, preventing about 190 crimes each year, according to the LFC analysis. Lawmakers who support the bill face deadline pressure to keep it moving. The measure would have to clear one more House committee, the full House and then the Senate and its committees by the Feb. 17 end of the 30-day session. House Bill 5 is jointly sponsored by four Albuquerque legislators: Matthews, Rep. Meredith Dixon and Senate Majority Whip Linda Lopez, all Democrats, and Republican Rep. Bill Rehm. SANTA FE A proposal to establish an annual event dedicated to helping the families of missing persons in New Mexico won Senate approval 34-0 on Friday, sending it to the House. The legislation, Senate Bill 13, would bring government agencies together to help families file missing-person reports, submit DNA records and meet with investigators. Senate Majority Whip Linda Lopez, an Albuquerque Democrat and co-sponsor of the proposal, said the event would be vital in a state that leads the nation for the number of cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women. Theres so much more we have to do, Lopez said. The proposal would create a Missing in New Mexico Event organized each year by the state Department of Public Safety. The department would be directed to maintain a clearinghouse with information on missing persons to help law enforcement and others. Before reaching the governor, the bill must also win approval in the House. WENN/Avalon Celebrity Following her split from the 'Tron Legacy' actor, the 'American Horror Story' actress enjoys her vacation at the Hacienda AltaGracia, where guests receive wellness programming. Jan 28, 2022 AceShowbiz - Emma Roberts seemingly needs to clear her mind after breaking up with Garrett Hedlund. The "Scream Queens" actress jetted off to Costa Rica for a "beautiful reset" following her ex-boyfriend's arrest for public intoxication. The Madison Montgomery depicter on "American Horror Story: Coven" took to her Instagram account on Thursday, January 27 to share some pictures from her trip to the Central American country. She also told her followers that she's staying at the Hacienda AltaGracia, a luxurious resort from the Auberge Resorts Collection. "The most beautiful reset possible in my new favorite place @thewell @altagraciaauberge @aubergeresorts," Emma captioned her post. She gushed, "The most magnificent setting, the kindest people, the most mind blowing experiences can't wait to get back!" According to the resort's website, the Hacienda AltaGracia is an all-inclusive getaway where guests receive wellness programming. They are also assigned a personal guide, called a "Compa," who acts as "a dedicated experience designer who will plan the perfect mix of experiences for wellness, dining, adventure and exploration." Emma's self-care-focused retreat arrived just a few days after news broke that she had split from the "Tron Legacy" actor following their first child Rhode Robert's first birthday. Sources claimed that they broke up following a rocky patch in their relationship. "It's sad, and they are trying their best to co-parent. It's been hard," an insider alleged. Following their split, Garrett allegedly tried to jump out of a moving car as well as kicked and swung on an eyewitness hours before being detained for public intoxication in Franklin County, Tennessee. The authorities received a call from the witness who told them about the dangerous incident. Garrett was released from jail just hours after staying behind bars after paying a $2,100 bond, according to a rep for Franklin County, Tennessee. The spokesperson also told the outlet that he's due back in court in March. Thomas Weidenmuller, who files the lawsuit, claims that he endured eight surgeries on his face and now has 'five plates in his jaw' following Kenneth's brutal attack. Jan 28, 2022 AceShowbiz - Nicki Minaj and Kenneth Petty found themselves being entangled in new legal trouble. It was unveiled that a security guard is suing the "Anaconda" hitmaker and her husband after Kenneth allegedly broke his jaw. Filing the lawsuit was Thomas Weidenmuller, who was the head of security for one of Nicki's shows in Germany in March 2019. In court documents, Thomas claimed that the raptress was mad at one security staffer for allowing a male fan to get onstage during her performance. The "Bang Bang" femcee allegedly yelled at the female guard. "[She was] irate during this confrontation and screamed at the female security guard that she was a f**king b***h and accused her of having put Minaj in physical danger. During the confrontation, the female security guard was in tears and apologized to Minaj," so read the suit. Thus, Thomas went to Nicki to address the incident. However, he alleged that the Trinidadian star screamed at him too, saying, "Who do you think you are?" It was said that Nicki threw her shoes at him but missed, so Thomas left. Thomas was later summoned to Nicki's room, only to hurl insults at him. That's when Kenneth approached him. "Without warning, Petty PUNCHED Weidenmuller from the side and made contact with the right side of [his] face," the lawsuit stated. "[Thomas was] instantly in extreme pain and was momentarily disoriented and had to step aside, around the corner, to collect himself." "After two or three minutes, and under the belief that his jaw was broken, Weidenmuller turned the corner again, returning to the location where Petty hit him," it added. Thomas was reportedly hospitalized for ten days and "sustained a broken jaw as a result of Petty's brutal attack." "Following his discharge from the hospital, he was unable to eat solid foods for some time and required to sleep upright because, if he laid down horizontally, the concussion that he sustained would cause him to experience extreme headaches," the docs alleged. Thomas also had eight surgeries on his face and now has "five plates in his jaw." The news arrived around two weeks after Jennifer Hough, who claimed that she's raped by Kenneth in 1994 when she's 16 years old, voluntarily dropped her harassment lawsuit against him and Nicki. Still, the hip-hop star reportedly will still fight for her money lost in their legal dispute. WENN/Apega Celebrity The 'Ant-Man and the Wasp' actress shares pictures from a rally to protest vaccine mandates in Washington D.C. she attended as she declares that she is 'pro choice.' Jan 28, 2022 AceShowbiz - Evangeline Lilly has divided Marvel fans after she spoke out against vaccine mandates. The actress, who portrays Hope van Dyne / Wasp in the MCU, has received mixed response after she joined a protest in Washington D.C. this weekend in support of "bodily sovereignty." The 42-year-old took to her Instagram page on Thursday, January 27 to reveal her participation in the rally. Along with pictures from the protest, she informed her fans and followers, "I was in DC this weekend to support bodily sovereignty while Canadian truckers were rallying for their cross-country, peaceful convoy in support of the same thing." "I believe nobody should ever be forced to inject their body with anything, against their will," she continued to voice her opinion in the caption, "under threat of: violent attack, arrest or detention without trial, loss of employment, homelessness, starvation, loss of education, alienation from loved ones, excommunication from society under any threat whatsoever." "This is not the way. This is not safe. This is not healthy. This is not love. I understand the world is in fear, but I don't believe that answering fear with force will fix our problems," she stressed. "I was pro choice before COVID and I am still pro choice today." Lilly also shared a quote by Indian-American entrepreneur and investor Naval Ravikant which read, "All tyranny begins with the desire to coerce others for the greater good." In the comment section, many applauded Lilly for speaking out against vaccine mandates. "thank you," one said. Another supported her as saying, "AMEN." Someone exclaimed, "Totally agree!" "Respect!" another raved over the actress. A fifth user wrote, "This is the way - Thank you." Another noted that it "well said," while someone else praised her, "Love you for this and speaking out to it." Others on Twitter, meanwhile, slammed Lilly for her stance. "First Letitia Wright, now Evangeline Lilly, if they ever end doing an A-Force film the villain is probably going to be Pfizer at this point," one person snarked. Another individual also brought up "Black Panther" star Wright, who reportedly refused to get vaccinated. "I find it funny that both Letitia Wright and Evangeline Lilly are supposed to be playing smart characters," the said person remarked. Another disappointed fan wrote, "evangeline lilly being antivax is super disappointing as someone who is in my third year of medical school and just realised I confused my textbook for a dvd of ant-man," while another cautioned, "Keep Evangeline Lilly away from Paul Rudd at all costs. He hasn't lived for centuries to be taken down by her unwashed and unvaccinated self." Lilly's fans, however, claimed that she is not anti vaccine despite protesting vaccine mandates. "She's not anti-vax, she's anti-vax mandate. FYI she is vaccinated," one claimed. Another argued, "Evangeline is vaccinated she just doesn't think things should be forced." Someone else similarly said, "she's not against the vaccine. She's against mandates." Lilly previously came under fire for refusing to adhere to calls for social distancing and self-isolating during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. "Some people value their lives over freedom, some people value freedom over their lives. We all make choices," she wrote at the time. The "Lost" alum later apologized for her "dismissive" and "arrogant" statements. "My direct and special apologies to those most affected by this pandemic. I never meant to hurt you. When I wrote that post 10 days ago, I thought I was infusing calm into the hysteria," she said through her social media post. "I can see now that I was projecting my own fears into an already fearful and traumatic situation." WENN/Avalon/Apega Movie Branagh and Paul Thomas Anderson are first-time nominees in the feature film category, while Maggie Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Hall and Lin-Manuel Miranda land in the First-Time Feature Film Director category. Jan 28, 2022 AceShowbiz - The Directors Guild of America has unveiled the movie nominations of its 74th Annual DGA Awards, one day after revealing the contenders in TV field. Announced on Thursday, January 27, the list includes first-time nominee Kenneth Branagh as well as repeat winner Steven Spielberg. Both Branagh and Spielberg are up for the coveted Outstanding Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film award. The former landed the nod for his work on semi-autobiographical comedy-drama "Belfast", while the latter scored a nomination for directing "West Side Story", a second movie adaptation of the 1957 stage musical of the same name. They are pitted against Paul Thomas Anderson ("Licorice Pizza"), Jane Campion ("The Power of the Dog") and Denis Villeneuve ("Dune") in the category. While Campion and Villeneuve had been nominated for DGA Award once before for their films "The Piano" (1993) and "Arrival" (1996) respectively, this is the first for Anderson. Campion is the second woman ever to receive a second nod from the Directors Guild. She, however, ultimately lost the award lost to Spielberg for "Schindler's List" at the 46th annual DGA Awards. This year's DGA Awards will also present an accolade to a first-time feature film director. Making into the list are Maggie Gyllenhaal for "The Lost Daughter", Rebecca Hall for "Passing", Lin-Manuel Miranda for "Tick, Tick Boom!", Tatiana Huezo for "Prayers for the Stolen", Michael Sarnoski for "Pig" as well as Emma Seligman for "Shiva Baby". The guild is often a strong predictor of Oscar success historically, missing the eventual Best Director winner only eight times in 73 years. Last year, the guild awarded Chloe Zhao its top film prize for "Nomadland", which ended up winning Best Picture and Best Director at the 93rd Academy Awards. The winners of the 2022 DGA Awards will be announced in a ceremony scheduled to take place on March 12. The show will also feature Spike Lee receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Motion Picture Direction, the guild's highest honor. Movie Nominations of the 74th Annual DGA Awards: Outstanding Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film Outstanding Achievement of a First-Time Feature Film Director WENN/Reflector Celebrity According to her attorney Lynne Ciani, the model 'has video evidence' that the 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' alum 'didn't have a mark or scratch on him' as there's 'no attack.' Jan 28, 2022 AceShowbiz - Blac Chyna is ready to defend her innocence against Rob Kardashian's assault and battery accusations. According to her attorney, Lynne Ciani, the model "is ready" to "clear her name" after her ex-boyfriend's friends "refused" to attend their deposition. Her lawyer Lynne told Page Six on Thursday, January 27, "These same two friends of Rob refused to show up at their deposition to put their claims on the record." Lynne pointed out, "Chyna is ready for her day in court to clear her name." Lynne also stated that Chyna "has video evidence that Rob didn't have a mark or scratch on him after the alleged attack," noting, "Because there was no attack." The attorney went on to say, "Meanwhile, Rob has filed court papers to try to delay his own trial against Chyna yet again." Rob's friends in question are Eugene Shpilsky, who claims he once witnessed Blac, whose real name is Angela Renee White, pointing a gun at Rob, and Victory Belz, who "separately witnessed Chyna pointing a gun at Rob and threatening his life." They're supposed to testify on the 34-year-old reality star's behalf. Kris Jenner's longtime boyfriend, Corey Gamble, will also come to the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" alum's defense. According to the court documents obtained by the outlet, Rob requested to combine the assault and battery lawsuit with Blac's suit against his family. The suit accuses the Kardashian-Jenner family of intentionally trying to cancel the exes' show, "Rob & Chyna". Earlier this month, it's reported that Blac was granted a chance to defend herself as she's set to depose Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Kris as part of Rob's assault and battery lawsuit against her. Blac had initially wanted each of the women to be deposed for seven hours. However, the court ended up reducing the deposition to just two hours per person. Upon learning of the deposition, Michael Rhodes, counsel for the Kardashian-Jenner family, said in a statement, "We are pleased the court limited the scope of the depositions to minimize the burden on the very busy members of the family." The reality family's legal team previously had attempted to quash the deposition, arguing the women had already been "examined exhaustively in a related matter." Instagram Celebrity When discussing her reconciliation with Lindsay on 'Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen', the hotel heiress reveals that she congratulated the actress when she got engaged. Jan 28, 2022 AceShowbiz - Paris Hilton made it clear that she has buried the hatched with Lindsay Lohan. When reflecting on her feud with the "Mean Girls" actress in a new interview, the hotel heiress acknowledged it was "immature." Paris talked about her relationship with Lindsay when appearing on "Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen" alongside her mom, Kathy Hilton. "We're grown-ups now," the 40-year-old socialite first told host Andy. "I just got married, she just got engaged. We're not in high school," the TV personality added in the Wednesday, January 26 episode of the show. "I think it was just very immature, and now, everything is all good." Paris, who tied the knot with Carter Reum in November 2021, also noted that she congratulated Lindsay for her engagement to Bader Shammas. "I saw that she got engaged when I was on my honeymoon, and I just said congratulations," she explained. "No bad vibes." Paris previously sent love to the "Just My Luck" star in a December episode of her "This is Paris" podcast. "I know we've had our differences in the past, but I just wanted to say congratulations to her and that I am genuinely very happy for her," she gushed. The reality star is also happy that she, Lindsay and Britney Spears, whom she called "the Holy Trinity", have all come so far since their car photos made headlines in 2006. "It just makes me so happy to see, you know, 15 years later, and just so much has happened in the past two weeks," she raved. "I got married, Britney got her freedom back and engaged, and then Lindsay just got engaged," the DJ added. "So I love just seeing how different our lives are now and just how much we've all grown up and just having love in our lives." WENN/Ivan Nikolov Celebrity The Flash depicter in DCEU sends an ominous message to members of the white supremacist group in the Instagram clip, but it's unclear what prompts them to get angry at the group. Jan 28, 2022 AceShowbiz - Ezra Miller has an ongoing issue with Ku Klux Klan and they're making it public. The actor has sent an ominous message to members of the white supremacist group in a shocking Instagram video, apparently upset over something. In the clip posted on Thursday, January 27, Ezra introduced themself as "the Bengal Ghouls" and "the Mad Goose Wizard," the latter of which likely referenced their "Fantastic Beasts" character Credence Barebone. "Hello, first of all. How are y'all doing? It's me," they opened the video, which saw them bundling up in a black jacket while sitting inside a moving car. "This is a message for the Beulaville chapter of the North Carolina Ku Klux Klan." The 29-year-old seemingly threatened to kill members of the Ku Klux Klan as they continued their ominous message, "Look, if y'all wanna die, I suggest just killing yourselves with your own guns, OK? Otherwise, keep doing exactly what you're doing right now - and you know what I'm talking about - and then, you know, we'll do it for you if that's really what you want. OK, talk to you soon, OK? Byeee!" Ezra doubled down on their threat as they stressed in the caption, "Please disseminate (gross!) this video to all those whom it may concern. This is not a joke and even though I do recognize myself to be a clown please trust me and take this seriously." They added, "Let's save some live now ok babies? Love you like woah." After they posted the video, Ezra's name was trending on Twitter as social media users seemed to be taken aback by their statements. That led to some fans worrying about the Flash depicter. "I think #EzraMiller needs some help. Like, some mental health help," said one concerned fan. Another asked in the comment section of their post, "Ezra are things alright? Im serious." Ezra has not addressed the video in question and the reason why they made it. The actor, who came out as queer in 2012, previously found themselves at the center of controversy after they were caught in a video choking a woman and throwing her to the ground. The video was taken in Reykjavik at Prikio Kaffihus, "a trendy bar in central Reykjavik that [Ezra] frequents" when in the city. Despite calls to remove the actor from the "Fantastic Beasts" film franchise, Warner Bros. Studios never addressed the attack clip. Instagram Music The 'Young, Wild and Free' hitmaker dares the cancel community to take him on because he is convinced that will get back on his feet again in just one week. Jan 28, 2022 AceShowbiz - Snoop Dogg is not afraid of getting canceled. When offering his two cents about cancel culture, the "Young, Wild & Free" hitmaker said he believes that haters could never drag him down because his fanbase is "bigger." "I wish a motherf**ka would try to cancel me," the 50-year-old declared when speaking to Druski in his "Behind the Vest" Clubhouse room. "Cause you see DaBaby, you see Dave Chappelle." "You see certain motherf*ckers, like, 'If you don't get out of here with that s**t.' Gimme a week n***a, I'll be back up. You know what I'm saying?" the emcee boasted. "You gotta believe it. You gotta know that your base is your base." The "Straight Outta Compton" actor went on to note, "You can't...the cancel community is not bigger than my fanbase... Let's match up n***a." He then added, "I beg to differ. Cancel community meet up. Line up. Cancel community, I need you n***s to line up." Snoop himself has had a fair share of facing criticism. Back in February 2020, he was accused of threatening Gayle King over her questions about Kobe Bryant's rape case when interviewing former WNBA star Lisa Leslie. "What do you gain from that? We expect more from you Gayle. Don't you hang out with [Oprah Winfrey]? Why are you all attacking us? We're your people. You don't come after Harvey Weinstein, asking those dumba** questions," he fumed at that time. "I'm sick of y'all. Funky doghead b***h. How dare you try to torch my homeboy's reputation, punk motherf**ker. Respect the family and back off, b***h, before we come get you." However, he already apologized to Gayle. "Two wrongs don't make no right. When you're wrong, you gotta fix it. So with that being said, Gayle King, I publicly tore you down by coming at you in a derogatory manner based off emotionsme being angry at questions that you asked. Overreacted," he acknowledged. "Should have handled it way different than that. I was raised way better than that," the hip-hop star added. "So I would like to apologize to you publicly for the language that I used and calling you out on your name and being disrespectful." WENN/Sean Thorton Movie In a new interview, the 'Uncharted' star thanks his girlfriend for being his 'support system' and helping him overcome his anxiety as 'the closer' he got to meeting Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield the 'more nervous' he was. Jan 28, 2022 AceShowbiz - Tom Holland is clearly grateful to have Zendaya Coleman in his life. The "Chaos Walking" star has credited his girlfriend for helping ease his anxiety ahead of meeting fellow Spider-Man depicters, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. In a virtual conversation with Deadline published on Wednesday, January 26 alongside Tobey and Andrew, who both reprised their roles as Peter Parker, the 25-year-old British actor admitted to having jitters before meeting fellow "Spider-Man" actors for the first time, ahead of their work together on "Spider-Man: No Way Home". "At our first rehearsal, I had asked [Jacob Batalon] and Zendaya to come with me to just kind of be there as like, my support system," he recalled, laughing. "Like, 'I'm gonna go meet these guys, I'm really nervous about it,' " Tom continued. " 'We have to read the scene, and I don't know how this is gonna go because we're all playing the same character, and we all have to bring our own heart and soul into this, and it means a lot to them, and it means a lot to me,' " the "Cherry" star added. Tom went on to say, "So Jacob and Zendaya were there on that first day," as he described that the moment "was daunting." The "Uncharted" actor then explained, "It was very daunting because we were a long way into shooting before you guys showed up." "We were maybe three months into principal photography," Tom continued. "The date of 'the other Spider-Mans are coming' was etched on my calendar and [it] was getting closer and closer and closer, and the closer [it] got, the more and more nervous I was," he reasoned. Elsewhere in the interview, Tom said that "Spider-Man: No Way Home", which marks his sixth film appearance as the title superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "really is a celebration of three generations of cinema." He said that filming "No Way Home" could be "incredibly emotional" and "very taxing" at times, but he ultimately was grateful for the experience. "I was so happy to be there that I had to go at it a different way and go, 'Wow, look at my life. Look what's happened to me,' " Tom gushed. " 'I'm working with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, and we're telling this story.' " Tom elaborated, "I would get emotional, kind of how proud I was of the situation that we were in and what we were doing, and that I really believed in what we were doing." He shared, "So yeah, it was tough. But you know, anything hard is worthwhile," before concluding, "I was happy to kind of really push myself to make this film." Bharti Airtel (Airtel), one of Indias premier communications solutions providers, and Google today announced that they will partner on a long-term, multi-year agreement to accelerate the growth of Indias digital ecosystem. Together, they will work to bring best-in-class end-to-end products to serve customer needs, provide quality customer experience, and bring their expertise to solve problems of affordability, access, and digital inclusion. As part of this partnership, Google intends to invest up to $1B, as part of its Google for India Digitization Fund, which includes equity investment as well as a corpus for potential commercial agreements, to be identified and agreed on mutually agreeable terms over the course of the next five years. This will comprise: A $700M equity investment in Bharti Airtel at a price per share of INR 734. Up to $300M that will go towards implementing commercial agreements, which will include investments in scaling Airtels offerings that covers a range of devices to consumers via innovative affordability programs as well as other offerings aimed at accelerating access and digital inclusion across Indias digital ecosystem. This deal will be subject to necessary regulatory approvals. The two organizations recognize the importance of a connected India, in empowering businesses as they progress on their Digital Transformation journeys, and building a strong digital ecosystem for consumers everywhere. Both organizations are committed to working towards building an open technology ecosystem that serves customers and businesses with innovative digital services, and have agreed to jointly explore and invest across a wide spectrum of areas to create digital solutions that uniquely serve Indias requirements. As a part of its first commercial agreement, Airtel and Google will work together to build on Airtels extensive offerings that covers a range of Android-enabled devices to consumers via innovative affordability programs. Together, the companies will continue to explore further opportunities to bring down the barriers of owning a smartphone across a range of price points, in partnership with various device manufacturers. *1.20% shareholding including partly paid shares Under the larger strategic goals of the partnership, both companies will also potentially co-create India-specific network domain use cases for 5G and other standards, with cutting-edge implementations. Airtel is already using Googles 5G-ready Evolved Packet Core & Software Defined Network platforms, and plans to explore scaling up the deployment of Googles network virtualisation solutions to deliver a superior network experience to their customers. Both companies will also focus on shaping and growing the cloud ecosystem in India to accelerate their digital transformation journeys. Airtel serves over one million small and medium businesses with its enterprise connectivity offering, and this partnership will help accelerate digital adoption. Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Airtel said, Airtel and Google share the vision to grow Indias digital dividend through innovative products. With our future ready network, digital platforms, last mile distribution and payments ecosystem, we look forward to working closely with Google to increase the depth and breadth of Indias digital ecosystem. Airtel is a leading pioneer shaping Indias digital future, and we are proud to partner on a shared vision for expanding connectivity and ensuring equitable access to the Internet for more Indians, said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet. Our commercial and equity investment in Airtel is a continuation of our Google for India Digitization Fund's efforts to increase access to smartphones, enhance connectivity to support new business models, and help companies on their digital transformation journey. The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) has found that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) issued notices to digital news publishers despite interim orders by the Madras and Bombay High Courts staying the operation of the three-tier grievance redressal mechanism and the Code of Ethics. The MIB had requested information from digital news publishers in accordance with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. (IT Rules). The ministry also stated that over 2,100 publishers, including news and OTT platforms, had already provided information. Publishers of news and current affairs content, as well as online curated content, are required to inform the MIB about their entities and provide information under Rule 18 of the IT Rules 2021. This Rule is in accordance with the IT Rules' three-tier structure and the IT Rules' Code of Ethics. The Bombay High Court (in Agij Promotion Of Nineteenonea Media Pvt. Ltd. & Ors v. Union Of India & Anr - order dated 14th August 2021) and the Madras High Court (in T.M. Krishna v Union of India - order dated 16th September 2021) have, however, stayed the operation of this three-tier structure and the Code of Ethics. The IFF noted, "Despite this, we were informed by digital news media publishers that the MIB has issued them notices to furnish information regarding themselves to the MIB. We filed an RTI application on 03.01.2022 to confirm whether this was the case, to understand the authority under which these notices were issued, and to which publishers." MIBs response to IFF contained some positive information: 1. The MIB admitted that it did indeed issue such notices - on 26.05.2021, and again on 09.09.2021. This is a surprising revelation, since the second notice dated 09.09.2021 was issued after the Bombay High Courts stay on certain rules of the IT Rules 2021, which conferred authority on the MIB to regulate digital news media. 2. The MIB also revealed that more than 2100 publishers (of news media, as well as OTT platforms) have already furnished their details to the MIB. However, when asked how many of these publishers furnished their details after 14.08.2021, the MIB refused to provide the data stating that this information does not exist at all. Jitender Dabas (Jeetu) , Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer of McCann Worldgroup India has been named as a jury member of the London based 2022 WARC Effectiveness awards. He will be a part of the panel judging the Brand Purpose category that recognizes the best creative work that achieved commercial success while successfully bringing a brand purpose to life. Jeetu has served as jury on many global Effectiveness & strategy awards in the past. He was on 2021 Cannes Effectiveness Lions jury, the 2021 APAC Effies , as well as the 2019 Jay Chiat Strategy Awards ,New York hosted by the 4As (American Association of Advertising Agencies). Speaking on the same Jeetu stated, More than judging Its another opportunity to learn from what brands are doing meaningfully well across the world. Brand purpose has been a subject of debate often on its role in building business. A category brand purpose in Effectiveness allows us the shine the torch of work that makes the difference to the society as well as to brand & business Nestle MAGGI is giving its consumers a reason to smile during these difficult times with the launch of its MAGGI Super Bonanza Offer. As a part of this offer, every consumer across India* will get assured savings on any MAGGI Super Bonanza Pack purchased, along with a chance to win a gold voucher worth INR 9,999 each. Rajat Jain, Head - Foods Business, Nestle India, said, We realize that people need to feel elevated and secure in these trying times. While we hope for quick normalization of the situation, our intention behind announcing MAGGI Super Bonanza is to give some warmth to our consumers. As the campaign theme Sabki Jeet Pakki suggests, there is something for everyone, and MAGGI is adding to this excitement with a promise of assured savings and wins with each MAGGI pack. We are delighted to have extended this offer to approximately 12 crore MAGGI packs across the length and breadth of the MAGGI portfolio. We are confident that MAGGI consumers will love this offer and benefit from it. As a part of campaign amplification, the brand has also launched a TVC #SabkiJeetPakki, featuring Bollywood actor Sanya Malhotra. The ad film has been conceptualized and developed by McCann Worldgroup and depicts the savings and prizes which are up for grabs. As a part of this offer, MAGGI assures savings for everyone who buys a MAGGI product across the portfolio. Offers include saving INR 6 on MAGGI Masala Noodles 6 pack, MAGGI VEG ATTA Noodles Single pack free worth INR 24 on its 4 pack, Buy 4 get 1 free on MAGGI masala-ae-magic, and many more. Additionally, lucky winners stand a chance to win Gold vouchers. MAGGI Super Bonanza was launched for every consumer across India* in January 2022 and is now available at a store near you. With Google set to phase out third-party cookie on Chrome browsers by the end of 2022, advertisers and marketers have to bring in newer ways to track data. Websites have been using cookies to track user activity on the website and keep the record of the usage. These cookies have been used to provide the user a personalised experienced while on the website as it remembers the users activity. Third party cookies are used by websites other than the one that the user is visiting for cross-site tracking, retargeting and ad serving. Now with Google deprecating third party cookies, there will be changes in the digital advertisers use data to personalise their campaigns. This has already led to an increase in the adoption of first party data by advertisers. First party cookies are those that are generated by the host domain or data that is collected directly by the advertisers from the users or their consumers. In a third-party cookieless world, first party data is a valuable proposition and it is more or less free. Apart from the digital domain, first party data can also be collected via customer feedback, conducting surveys, as well as data stored in ones CRM database. Since the data comes from a known source, there is greater control on keeping a check on issues like privacy concerns and better management of data. How marketers can leverage first-party data? According to a Google blog, there are five things that brands can do to harness first-party datas full potential: Tailor to customer objectives According to Google, brands need to establish clear customer experience goals and align them to business objectives. They then need to create a plan with measurable goals to guide which data the advertiser collects and invests in. Calculate the cost of acquiring that data as well as related complexities, such as compliance with privacy laws, risks of data breach, and impact on consumer trust. This helps advertisers identify which data to prioritise. Offer value in exchange for data In order to address peoples concerns regarding how their will be used, brands need to stress on Consent Management. Google further suggests that brands also maintain customer trust through strong data governance. By managing data properly and implementing processes that ensure data accuracy and integrity, you can avoid data breaches while improving data accuracy, timeliness, and usability. Invest in tech and organizational enablers It goes without saying that such a strategy requires having the right people, technology, and processes in place. Googles research shows that the ideal organisational model is a hybrid approach, wherein a brand takes data ownership and develops key capabilities related to data analysis and activation internally, and works with a trusted partner to fill any expertise gaps. Test and learn to determine activation Once a brand decides which first-party data is most relevant form them, they can focus on how they will use first-party data to improve customer experiences. These can range from one-to-one personalisation, which requires a significant amount of time and investment, to finding out the level of personalisation needed for specific audience segments. Refine and validate with measurement No strategy is complete without measuring its effectiveness. Google affirms that first-party data provides valuable insights that can help deliver better customer experiences and drive business results. At the same time it calls on marketers to use first-party data responsibly. Also read: Quora's category insights ebook is a handbook for advertisers in 2022. Click here to view the ebook. Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Bern, 28.01.2022 - FDFA State Secretary Livia Leu received Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov in Bern today for political consultations. Talks focused on topics of bilateral interest including trade and energy. Human rights, Switzerland's good offices, the current tensions on the Russian-Ukrainian border and European security matters were also discussed. For FDFA State Secretary Livia Leu, it was important to continue Switzerland's open, constructive dialogue with Russia. During the talks, both sides expressed their appreciation for the regular high-level meetings and close exchanges between Switzerland and Russia on a range of issues, including trade, finance, customs, energy, science, research, security policy, foreign policy and human rights. Both countries are members of the OSCE and the Council of Europe, and the State Secretary reiterated in this context the obligation to implement the commitments entered into and rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). She referred, in particular, to the closure of human rights organisation Memorial International and the continued detention of opposition politician Alexei Navalny. Focus on European security and cooperation Discussions on cooperation in multilateral organisations focused on strengthening the OSCE to bring greater peace and stability to Europe and, in this context, Switzerland's OSCE Action Plan was presented. Switzerland is concerned about the massing of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine and believes that security in Europe can only be strengthened through dialogue. The OSCE needs to play a key role with its confidence- and security-building measures and as a platform for dialogue. Ms Leu and Mr Titov also discussed political developments in Eastern Europe and Iran, and Switzerland's mandate as protecting power for Russia in Georgia and for Georgia in Russia. Switzerland's candidacy for a seat on the UN Security Council was also addressed. The Federal Council's Foreign Policy Strategy designates Russia as a priority country. Political consultations between Switzerland and Russia at the level of FDFA State Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister are held once a year. Address for enquiries FDFA Communication Federal Palace West Wing CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland Tel. Communication service: +41 58 462 31 53 Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55 E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch Twitter: @SwissMFA Publisher Federal Department of Foreign Affairs https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html With high fertilizer prices, forage specialists say producers may want to add legumes to pastures and hay fields to boost forage quality and quantity. Craig Roberts, forage specialist for the University of Missouri Extension, says now might be the time to use frost seeding to add legumes to the mix. The fertilizer prices, theyve tripled, he says. Frost seeding is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to improve pastures. Valerie Tate, MU agronomist based in Linn County, says now is a good time to add legumes such as clover or lespedeza. February is a good time to interseed red clover and lespedeza, she says. Because fertilizer is going to be really expensive this spring, legumes are a good way to add nitrogen to pastures and hay fields. Roberts recommends adding red or white clover. If youre looking at the spring of 2022, whats the one thing I can do to make my pastures productive and nutritional its red and white clover, he says. Nitrogen fertilizer can provide a big boost early, but it is concentrated in the first growth after application, and Roberts says it can increase fescue toxicosis. However, clover can provide nitrogen support that is slowly released throughout the year. These legumes are the easiest to get on the field, and they fix a lot of nitrogen issues, he says. That nitrogen is slowly available. Its gradually available. The yield is improved. The quality improves when you have legumes in the field. Tate says it can also be a good idea to get a pH test taken on pastures and hayfields. A pH of 4.5 to 5.5 is considered low, while the 5.5 to 6.0 range is optimum. For alfalfa, a higher pH is ideal. Tate says a low pH can present problems. The nutrients that are there are not as available, she says. While the clover does not totally fix issues with summer toxicity in tall fescue, Roberts says red clover relaxes blood vessels that fescues endophyte constrict, which can cause heat stress and fescue foot. Tate says the legumes also help dilute the fescue. If they have endophyte-infected tall fescue, the legumes will dilute the toxicity, she says. The legumes also provide growth in June and July, heading into the heart of summer. Roberts says recommended seeding rates are 4 to 6 pounds per acre for red clover and about a pound an acre for white clover. As for timing of frost seeding, January and February are good frost seeding months. The action of freezing and thawing gets the seed into the soil, so it needs time for that before spring growth begins. Roberts says now is the time. Frozen ground and snow make for desirable frost seeding conditions, he says. You want the frozen ground, and youd like to have a little snow, Roberts says. The frozen ground prevents producers from making ruts in fields, and snow cover can make it easier to see where have seeded, although its not mandatory. Also, producers need to make sure the seed can make contact with the ground to get a good stand. Cattle can help work growth down before seeding if needed. The seed has to go all the way down and hit the soil, Roberts says. If theres thatch, they need to have the cows hoof it in. Theyve got to push that down. Roberts says adding in legumes might not show that burst of growth first thing in the spring, but it will have lasting benefits. They see the benefits at the end of the year, he says. Theyre not going to see it jump right out of the gate. But theyll see their calves performing well on it this summer. Tate says her part of north central Missouri saw some armyworm damage last year, and producers should assess their hay fields and pastures for damage and see what actions might need to be taken. Assessing the stand as plants green up to determine if they need to replace plants that died due to insect damage is important also, she says. Tate says warm weather late last year allowed for more pasture growth than in a typical year. However, she says to also be on the lookout for pastures that were grazed too low last year. If those pastures were overgrazed in the fall, it can slow down growth in the spring, she says. Another option to consider is adding native warm season grasses to the mix. Tate says that has become a more attractive option from an economic perspective with high fertilizer prices. As fertilizer prices go up, the native warm season grasses look a little more favorable, she says. Producers may still opt to put on nitrogen fertilizer. But Roberts says if ever they were thinking about seeding in some legumes, now is the time. Its just the year to have this done, he says. CropWatch Weekly Update Get the Iowa and Illinois CropWatchers report 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. While calving season has started for some operations, others wont see new calves for several months. Each producer needs to assess goals before choosing a calving season, says Denise Schwab, Extension beef specialist for Iowa State University based in eastern Iowa. She says January, February and early March work well for seedstock operations. From a bull standpoint, those bulls are going to be 2 or 3 months older when they are turned out with the cows, Schwab says. They are going to be able to handle more cows if they are older. Producers calving in the winter need to make sure they have adequate facilities and shelter for cow-calf pairs when the weather turns bad. Those calves are going to need a windbreak and a dry place to rest, Schwab says. Calves born from late March into June generally encounter better weather conditions, but mud may be more of an issue for calves born on pasture. Schwab says calving facilities could be beneficial for spring calves as well. You want to keep them out of the mud if you can, she says, adding calves born in muddy conditions could be more susceptible to respiratory issues. Schwab say feed should be a concern for cows calving in the winter and spring. They are going to need more feed and better feed to support lactation, she says. New grass growth is typically available in April to help provide lactating cows with the feed they need, Schwab adds. Fall calving has become more popular in recent years, says Kacie McCarthy, Extension beef specialist with the University of Nebraska. Calves born in August through October will typically be marketed during periods of strong prices, she says. But you will be breeding during the winter, so you need to keep an eye on the bulls and make sure cows are in good body condition, McCarthy says. Regardless of the calving season, she says attention should also be given to bull condition and health. If you are breeding in the summer when its hot and humid, we have seen some issues with reproductive performance, McCarthy says. Extremely hot weather could cause issues with sperm motility, as well as problems with heat stress on the cow side. She says while calf health is always a concern, calves born in the fall will face winter weather at a younger age than calves born in the spring. That could add more stress and compromise their immune system. Schwab adds fall calving is becoming more attractive due to fescue issues. If you calve in the fall, you wont be breeding in the summer while the cattle are on fescue, she says. Some research suggests that high levels of endophytes in fescue pastures can negatively impact reproductive performance and increase the chances of cows staying open. Midwest Messenger Weekly Update Get the latest agriculture news delivered to your inbox from the Midwest Messenger. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Part of what makes Montana so unique is the fact the states economy is driven largely by natural resource development. In an effort to bridge connections between industries and better diversify the leaders of Montana, Montana State University Extension, in partnership with private donors, started Resource Education and Agriculture Leadership (REAL) Montana. The two-year leadership development program is open to anyone in Montana who is directly involved in a natural resource industry with a desire to be a leader. We use a cross-industry approach, so our program is focused on agriculture, timber, mining, refining and engineering, explained Tara Becken, REAL Montana program director. With a mission to build a network of informed and engaged leaders to advance the natural resource industries in Montana, REAL Montana began in 2013 with Class I and applications are currently open for Class V. Each class consists of 20 individuals who participate in eight different in-state seminars. The seminars take place in various towns/cities across the state and are three days long with a targeted focus on the natural resource industry relevant to that specific area. In addition to the in-state seminars, each class also goes on a one-week trip to Washington, D.C., and a two-week international trip. While REAL Montanas focus on natural resource education is truly what makes the program unique, there is also a leadership component, as well. Class members participate in media training and over the two-year course of the program build connections and foster an unmatched level of personal growth. Skyler Hoefer, a Class IV participant, applied for REAL Montana because he wanted to develop more skills to be able to help the timber industry from which he draws a living. I just wanted to make myself a better person, a better leader, and a better manager of natural resources, Hoefer said while explaining his motives to apply for the program. Hoefer went on to say his experience in the program has been an incredible eye-opener. While he began the program fairly naive to the natural resource industries outside of timber, he whole-heartedly feels he has a better understanding of Montanas main economic drivers. Moreover, he says the friends and cross-industry connections he has made are invaluable. You get to build a network with your classmates, and you might come in and out of each others lives down the road, but it really helps to have different people to reach out to, Hoefer stated. Sue Ann Streufert, director of member relations for the Montana Farm Bureau Federation, also participated in Class IV. Like Hoefer, Streufert echoes how impactful REAL Montana has been for her both personally and professionally. The seminars are so diverse, from cows to coal to timber and from Montana to Washington, D.C., to international travel. Let me tell you, the seminars did not disappoint! It has been an amazing learning experience, she said. According to a study done by the University of Minnesota Extension, Montana is in need of 794 new leaders each year. Broken down, this means one in 22 people must step up and be a leader to ensure the sustainability of their respective industry. We really want to encourage people in their communities to look towards leadership and how they can make a difference in their industries. As we look across the state of Montana, we are in dire need of leaders in all industries and all communities, and this program is a great way to connect and train those leaders, Becken concluded. Applications for Class V are open until March 31. In addition to the application process, the only other requirement is you must draw a substantial portion of your income from a Montana natural resource in order to participate in REAL Montana. Both Hoefer and Streufert highly encourage individuals in Montanas natural resource industries apply for the program. The tuition is $3,500 with some financial assistance available to those who qualify. If you have a desire to be that leader, REAL Montana will give you the tools and information you need to be effective. Do it! You will not regret your decision, Streufert stated. For more information on REAL Montana or to apply for Class V, please visit realmontana.org. The Prairie Star Weekly Update Get the latest agriculture news delivered to your inbox from The Prairie Star. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The race among Republicans who want to be the states school chief could come down to whethe News featured popular urgent Georgia PSC commissioner touts clean energy during presentation to Albany Rotarians Alan Mauldin / Staff Photo: Alan Mauldin Georgia Public Service Commission member Tim Echols speaks to the Albany Rotary Club on Tuesday about clean, renewable energy and his work to help victims of sex trafficking. Alan Mauldin / Staff Photo: Alan Mauldin Georgia is on pace to have about 15 percent of its electricity needs met by solar power in the next nine years, Georgia Public Service Commission member Tim Echols told Albany Rotarians on Thursday. Alan Mauldin / Staff Photo: Alan Mauldin Former Dougherty County Commission member Lamar Hudgins, left, chats with County Administrator Michael McCoy prior to the beginning of a Thursday Albany Rotary Club meeting. ALBANY Tim Echols is a crime fighter by night and a clean energy proponent by day. That joke was his own, referring to his work in fighting child sex trafficking and as one of five members of the Geogia Public Service Commission, which regulates telecommunications, electricity and natural gas services. The District 2 commissioner, a Republican who lives in the Athens area, is passionate about both, as he displayed during a Thursday appearance at the Albany Rotary Club meeting held at Doublegate Country Club. A strong proponent of nuclear power and the expansion under way at Plant Vogtle, he also has been a force in pushing the state forward in solar power generation. When he took office in 2011 Georgia was 34th among states, and now it is No. 9. Solar plants have proliferated in the area, with projects completed in Dougherty and Mitchell counties, and one is being built in Lee County. Currently, solar power provides about 8 percent of the electricity produced in the state, and Georgia Power Co. has been the biggest player among the utility companies. I think well have it growing until were at 15 percent, Echols said during an interview following his presentation. I think well have that in nine years. Our role is to tell the power companies how much (solar) we want done. They write a plan; we approve the plan. Every time we have doubled the amount they proposed. Its not just Georgia Power saying theyre going to do it. Its the PSC saying, We think the (generation) composition should be this. During his presentation, the commissioner gave a brief history of the PSC. Its origins go back to 1879 when the state formed the Railroad Commission after lawmakers received complaints about the monopoly rail companies, which included allowing perishable fruits and vegetables to sit unshipped. Later the commission regulated telegraph, and its role shifted with time to include its current responsibilities. Texas is an example of what completely unregulated utilities look like, and roughly a year ago that picture wasnt pretty. The state put the number of deaths related to a massive winter power outage at nearly 250. North Dakota, with a much colder climate, did not have the same problems as that in the unregulated Lone Star State. About a year ago, 4.5 million people were without power in Texas, Echols said. Some of those people were out of power for a week. It was a huge wakeup call. One concern he shared was that about 2 percent of generation capacity is set to retire by 2040. What do you do about that? he said. You get Plant Vogtle built. The Georgia Power nuclear facility and the expansion there will provide power for years to come, he said. Those Vogtle reactors will run for 80 years, he said. One-tenth of Georgians will get their power out of that, and thats a lot. Echols entry into clean energy started with solar water heating installed shortly before he was sworn into office. He has purchased a car powered by natural gas, a propane-powered van and currently owns an electric vehicle. He also created the Clean Energy Roadshow, which tours the state each summer to help individuals, businesses and governments evaluate using alternative fuels for transportation and residential use. He launched the Unholy Tour to take state lawmakers into some of the worst neighborhoods in the state to show them the areas where sex trafficking of minors is an issue. He also led the effort that turned a former detention facility into an intake center for children who escape trafficking to help them recover. Youve got to know, this is a rough business, he said after describing injuries some victims receive from their abusers, including missing teeth from beatings. There cannot be a tough enough penalty against it. Masking, testing, and vaccination mandates are devastating our schools. Two-thirds of the United States have shown that these mandates are not necessary for safe operation of schools, yet children and teachers are continuing to suffer in over a dozen states. Here in New Mexico, a state already known for its failing educational system, Governor Michelle Lujan Grishams COVID mandates are physically, emotionally, and mentally damaging to our children, teachers, and school personnel. This damage is not isolated to one particular school or district; it is happening all over the state to New Mexicans young and old, Latino and white, wealthy and poor. And there are no obvious benefits. New Mexico has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country and has been under a statewide mask mandate for nearly two years. Even though many already have natural immunity, our teachers are mandated to receive COVID shots and booster shots, or else face unfair testing and quarantine requirements. Students and teachers are forced to wear masks in school, and even outdoors in some districts. Nonetheless, we are currently experiencing one of the worst COVID surges in the country, with high hospitalization and death rates. Our people are suffering, but the Governors office is not listening. Governor Lujan Grisham has even gone so far as to remove an entire elected school board who voted to remove the mask mandate in their district. Because Ive been vocal about civil rights throughout the pandemic, parents from all over the state have reached out to me to share their concerns over the school mandates. Im also organizing a group of several hundred NM teachers and school personnel who are being harmed by the mandates, and the experiences they have shared with me are distressing. The following are just some of the many accounts of harm due to COVID mandates in NM schools. Mask Mandates Because of masking, NM children, teachers, and school personnel are suffering blackouts, vomiting, breathing problems, dizziness, disorientation, nosebleeds, and other health problems. These types of negative health effects have also been documented in scientific studies. Young children are vomiting in their masks and ashamed such that they do not remove their masks. School personnel become aware when vomit is dripping out of the childrens masks. This was reported by school personnel from two districts in southeastern and northern NM. According to NM teachers and learning specialists, masks directly impede the learning of crucial skills such as reading and mathematics, have serious negative effects on childrens emotional and developmental health, and interfere with childrens ability to learn communication and facial expressions. A school social worker is seeing a great increase in suicidal depression in NM school children. A young child who has a mask medical exemption was denied access to in-person education and was only allowed access to online school (which does not work well for this young child). A young boy came home from school with his mask duct-taped to his nose. His teacher had duct-taped his mask to his nose to keep it in place. Teachers and children are being harassed about masks. Children in multiple districts have received in-school suspensions for pulling their masks down to catch their breath. A teacher in southern NM was harassed about pulling her mask down to drink in class such that she now hides in her classroom closet to take a drink. Childrens sense of safety and health is being deranged such that they believe it is dangerous to breathe. According to a northern NM teacher, students are afraid to remove their masks outdoors because they are afraid that taking off their masks will result in the teacher dying. Vaccination Mandates, Coercion, and Discrimination Unvaccinated NM children, teachers, and school personnel (many of whom have robust natural immunity) are required to submit to COVID tests in order to participate in school. There are known risks to COVID-19 tests, including exposure to ethylene oxide on nasal swabs (which is known to cause cancer through inhalation), cerebrospinal fluid leak, and severe nasal bleeds. The CDC acknowledges that fully vaccinated people can easily spread COVID-19. Thus, it is irrational and punitive to require only unvaccinated teachers and students to be tested. Unvaccinated children and teachers who will not submit to three COVID tests after being identified as a close contact have been required to quarantine for 10-20 days. This has resulted in unvaccinated children missing many days of school due to multiple quarantines and falling far behind over the course of a semester. Children, teachers, and school personnel are being discriminated against, threatened, and harassed because of their vaccination status. A teacher in northern NM called out all of the unvaccinated students in class and required them to segregate from the other students. A teacher in southeast NM reported that the unvaccinated teachers at his school were called out over the intercom and required to line up at the principals office. A teacher in northwest NM and a school bus driver in northern NM were terminated because of their testing and vaccination status. Despite the facts that a) children have extremely low risk from COVID-19 illness, b) COVID-19 vaccinations are linked to increased risk of heart problems in young people, c) clinical trials for all COVID-19 vaccinations are ongoing, and d) long-term risks of COVID-19 vaccinations are unknown, children in NM have been offered $100 incentives to receive COVID-19 vaccination. A teacher reported that at the vaccination clinic in her elementary school, some young children who are fearful of the shots are being held down and forced to receive the vaccination. These childrens parents have signed consent forms for their children to receive COVID-19 vaccination at school. There is potential long-term trauma for the children being forced to receive vaccination as well as the other children who have witnessed these forced injections. COVID-19 Mandates are Harming Childrens Educations Forcing children, teachers, and school personnel to be masked, tested, and vaccinated is clearly not working. Many children are falling behind educationally as well as suffering physical and emotional health problems because of the mandates. There was already a shortage of teachers, and the mandates are further worsening the situation by driving many capable, dependable teachers out of the school system. Inferior personnel are now being hired and teachers are being asked to cover multiple classes. The teacher shortage has even reached the point where state employees and the National Guard are being called on to serve as substitute teachers. There is much more to education than having someone there who is knowledgeable; the kids need continuity, connection, and relationships with their educators. The educators need to know the students, so they can tailor the teaching and lessons to the kids strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, COVID-19 mandates are creating a hostile environment in our schools. Teachers, school personnel, and students are being discriminated against, harassed, bullied, and threatened because of the mandates. All people have a fundamental right to choose whether or not to use medical devices and treatments, without coercion, threats, or discrimination. It is time to put children first and remove the mandated COVID-19 vaccinations, masking, and testing in our schools. Sarah Smith is a leader for the National Coalition for Health Integrity. She is also a natural healthcare practitioner and former NASA aerospace engineer. Image: Used by permission. These past few months, we have witnessed a confluence of events in which the grandest hopes and desires of the radical left and Oval Offices installed occupant have been stymied or faced outright defeat. Their desperation should be clear for all to see, summed up in their desire is to govern against the will of the People, campaign against the Peoples majority concerns, and inflict psychological (and, in some cases, physical) abuse against all who dissent from their governance and incompetence. To win anyway, leftists are creating a false sense of panic across America. At the ignominious one-year anniversary of the current regime, it is essential that We the People look at what they are doing on every issue, every story, and listen carefully to every word of their sustained propaganda campaign for they are responsible for creating a Mass Formation Psychosis and mob mentality. World-renowned psychiatrist Dr. Peter Breggin was the first to examine the psychological impacts of the global response to the COVID pandemic. An October 6, 2021, article for American Greatness reported his views on how a cabal of billionaire elites is behind a global propaganda campaign to keep us all separated from one another, afraid, then docile and, finally, obedient under their control Dr. Robert Malone (who was one of the inventors of the mRNA vaccine) has spoken out against the way in which vaccines have been employed and distributed. Recently, on Joe Rogans show, he discussed Ghent University (Belgium) professor Dr. Mattias Desmets hypothesis and studies of Mass Formation Psychosis and governments responses to the global COVID pandemic. This resulted in his Twitter account being suspended, while Google searches on the topic apparently crashed their search algorithms. This informative 13-minute video from Dr. Malone succinctly sums up the Mass Formation theory as applied to Americas COVID reaction: What are these eminent doctors revealing that results in social media instantly censoring them? Lets use their analysis and connect the dots. These doctors knowledge of human psychology and their analysis of how Mass Formation Psychosis is being employed are spot-on. Once we understand these basic concepts ourselves, it is not hard to identify and comprehend how the Democrat Party majority in our federal government and each Democrat majority-run state share a strategic vision and are using the same tactics in their attempts to divide, manipulate, and control us, not just with COVID but in everything. COVID-19 lockdowns and the Pandemic of the Unvaccinated First, Democrats scared the pants off everyone with their faulty, unrealistic models predicting millions of deaths in the United States alone. As the pandemic progressed, the loss of lives and livelihoods, and the ancillary damage to our citizens and our nations well-being, created intense anxiety that has compounded the loss of a collective belief in what connects us and makes sense in the world. Our fear opens an avenue for leftists to exert their control. The medical establishments and medias relentless fearmongering have further heightened our sense of doom, as total case numbers are reported without meaningful context. They have insisted upon our complete reliance upon an ineffective vaccine. As vaccine-resistant variants arise, they have pivoted to further isolate us from one another by blaming the unvaccinated. Alarmingly, we have forsaken individual freedom and international legal precedent for the false security of getting jabbed. Consequently, our sharply focused attention is on who they say are the villains, instead of their failure to employ a variety of simple and effective preventatives and therapies that, if used, would have saved hundreds of thousands of lives. More than any other issue, the pandemic is the global elites springboard to implementing a totalitarian vision of their power and our prevailing misery, to keep us in our place and under their rule. Image: Panicked man by katemangostar. Freepik license. Climate Emergency and the Green New Deal Can anyone definitively say what the ideal global average temperature is, or should be? Can anyone explain why the most intelligent former president in human history, Barack Obama, has made the tragic mistake of buying waterfront property on an island if, truly, there is an existential threat from rising sea levels? Leftists cannot answer those questions. Why, then, must we accept the premise that we face a climate emergency, let alone that it is man-caused? We are constantly told we have 10 years, 12 years (whatever) to save the planet and ourselves, but all those predictions continue to be wrong. So, the climate change purveyors ignore actual science and ignore the data that does not fit their premise and desired outcome, reporting only the modeling that will support the conclusions they want. Beware the existential threat and apocalyptic language that terrify us into demanding a solution. Their desire is to enact a Green New Deal and deal a death blow to capitalism, personal freedom, and Americas global economic dominance. Voter Suppression and Voting Rights I spoke with a Christian pastor last year about the 2020 riots and the race-related upheaval, and he told me there are some sensitive topics and issues that are burned into the psyche of our African American/black friends and neighbors. Yes, he is black and grew up in the Jim Crow south, so he should know. I will never forget what he said. The left already knows this and will always use what has been burned into the psyche of black Americans for leftist political power and nothing more. Therefore, leftists have falsely claimed Republicans are racist and are intent on voter suppression, while their bid to federalize elections is about voting rights. Even the phrase voter suppression incites an understandably reflexive fear in the black community. Just last week, as Democrat mid-term election prospects worsened (they are predicted to lose, bigly), teleprompter-Joe is preparing the minds of the nation to cast doubt on election results. Democrats hate that they must earn our vote, but they never accept the results if they lose. So, they incite fear and a sense of danger, striving to use the slimmest of legislative majorities to enact into law every measure they need to cheat and to stay in power. Our Democracy The left has made no secret of its strategic desire to overthrow our representative Republic and implement one-party majority rule over the United States. Our democracy, they call it. Therefore, the Republican Party is a danger to democracy; the filibuster is racist and a threat to democracy; packing the court is required to protect democracy; and our constitutional right to dissent is disinformation and a threat to democracy. Remember Ben Franklin: A Republic, if you can keep it. Our Founders knew history and evil mens unquenchable thirst for power, to rule as our betters instead of governing as our equals. Insurrection I detest any illegal activity that occurred on January 6, 2021, while acknowledging evidence that government operatives incited such activity. Regardless of cause, all but a relative few were peaceful. Nevertheless, that day will be used against Americas patriots in perpetuity. It fits the leftists scheme and their quest for a one-party totalitarian government to villainize every dissenting voice. Therefore, hundreds have been arrested and imprisoned, violating their constitutional rights. Bidens inaugural address and first state of the union speech to Congress emphasized a contrived threat of white supremacy, and domestic terrorism. The leftists most trusted ace in the hole is the ad hominem attack, calling every opponent a racist, fascist, or terrorist. Their goal is the isolation and silencing of any dissenting voice(s). The radical Left has no shame, and no concern for us or our futures. Its about gaining power, then deceiving and demoralizing the electorate by engaging in a sustained psychological warfare campaign that supplants reasoned, rational thought with an unreasonable, irrational, and fearful psychosis. In all human history, America is a shining gem and worth fighting for! Be unapologetically American and fight back through every respectful and peaceful means possible. Jeff M. Lewis is a Christian, a husband and father, a Veteran, and a small business owner who resides in South Texas When conservatives started worrying about election fraud before the 2020 election and complained about it after, they were told they were anti-democratic. Its a whole different story in 2022 now that Democrats are insisting that the upcoming elections are a recipe for voter suppression. The Democrat party and its operatives in the federal government have been outraged for over a year when they contemplate how anyone in his right mind could claim that the 2020 elections were fraudulent, despite voluminous and well-documented evidence suggesting massive and coordinated fraud and cheating during those elections. Democrats keep claiming, without proof, that there has been no significant election fraud in 2020 and insisting that anyone who wants to claim there was must prove it or be silenced. Then, of course, they cut off all efforts to show that proof. Most good faith attempts before judges to prove widespread fraud and cheating were either dismissed before the elections because it was too early to sue or, after the elections, because it was too late to sue, or the plaintiffs were dismissed for lack of standing. Outside of courts, conservatives were denied investigation and follow-ups (the FBI routinely denied any election-fraud investigations in 2020 and 2021), despite evidence from hundreds, if not thousands, of eyewitnesses, experts, and other inquisitive individuals and groups. But once the Democrats grabbed federal power in both political branches of the U.S. government, they promptly changed their tune about claims of election fraud. Now, when they face likely losses in coming elections, they keep claimingwithout significant evidence to prove their claimsthat the election systems in several states condone, facilitate, or cause voter suppression. They demand that Congress pass their H.R.1 bill, also known as the For the People Act of 2021, or its substitutes, the Freedom to Vote Act (dubbed by their Republican opponents as the Freedom to Cheat Act) and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, even if doing so would mean suspending long-standing, accepted legislative procedures. Some Democrats, like Mr. Joe Biden, are going further, insinuating without a shred of evidence that the 2022 elections are going to be illegitimate if the above-mentioned bills are not passed into law. In 2022, its acceptable for Democrats to make these absurd claims and accusations without proving first that they are true. No one requires or expects credible data, scientific (statistical, that is) analysis, or that the alleged victims of the alleged suppression sue the offending states. Its enough that a Democrat majority in Congress agrees. You see, the Democrats gave themselves the un-constitutional mandate to decide, by purely political means, when a claimant has a burden of proof and when he/she does not. When someone makes a claim that, if granted, might prove detrimental to the Democrat partys partisan/political goals or objectives, then it must be proved using a high standard of proof. But when someone makes a claim intended to benefit the Democrats partisan political goals and objectives, then it is presumed true or valid and accepted as such. Those who challenge its validity must meet a high standard of proof to show that the claim is false or invalid. In sum, Democrats subscribe to what has been known as tribalistic morality. This phenomenon can be illustrated with the following example: In a tribalistic morality society, the evil is When someone has stolen my tribes cow, while the good is When my tribe has stolen someones else cow. That pretty much describes the moral foundation of the Democrat tribe. Image: Protests by makyzz. Freepik license. When you look closely, you may find a very long list of issues and controversies in which the Democrats exhibit their tribalistic morality. A few typical examples from that list include: Propaganda and censorship, which is wrong if Democrats are censored or propagandized but is good if their adversaries are; Weaponization of law enforcement and its agencies, which is wrong if Democrats are targeted by politically-motivated enforcement of the law but is good if their adversaries are; Monopoly on political power, which is good if Democrats have it but is wrong if any other party or group has it; Denials of peoples right to protest, which is wrong if Democrats or their constituencies are denied the right to riot, burn, and intimidate when they are upset or disappointed but is good if their protesting adversaries are summarily declared domestic terrorists and are being viciously prosecuted for made-up crimes or sternly punished for even minuscule infractions; Imposition of a photo ID requirement, which is wrong if it impedes what Democrats want to be easy, like cheating in elections, but is good if it impedes what Democrats want to be difficult, like buying a firearm or disobeying Draconian restrictions on peoples constitutional rights during the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic); and Violations of individual liberty, which are wrong or good, depending on whether the Democrats and their base are constrained by those violations or benefit from them. Thus, typical Democrats, particularly those now entrenched in Congress and the White House, are devoted tribalists and tend to conflate the political good of their own party with the good of the American people as a whole. This fact explains why Democrats treat with disdain and hostility any suggestion that the Democrat party may lose its current chokehold on the U.S. government. They view it as a national catastrophe. That is not quite surprising if one remembers how Soviet and Marxist regimes were permanently attached to their perpetual political power under the pretext of it being a necessary precondition for defending justice and the well-being of the oppressed common people. Its worth noting that none of those regimes actually bothered to deliver all the goodies that they had promised so generously to their captive constituencies. Mark Andrew Dwyers recent columns are posted at The Federal Observer and at Canada Free Press. Links to his other commentaries can be found here. The whole world is waiting nervously for developments in Ukraine. Masses of Russian soldiers are engaged in "military exercises" near the Ukrainian border. "Siberian regiments" are being redeployed from the Far Eastern districts, just as they were sent to defend Moscow in 1941. Russian propaganda stirs up the local population with a patriotic fervor, blaming Ukraine and the collective West for the heat of the international situation. The Ukrainian army, one of the strongest in Europe, is preparing to fight back, and the United States is planning to send eightyfive hundred soldiers to help the NATO countries in Europe. The bowstring is taut and the finger holding it can slip at any moment. The world is tense. Tense times in the Kremlin Wars between countries have always started for fairly prosaic reasons: to seize someone else's land or wealth, out of lust for revenge, to proliferate their religion, ideology, or political influence. The cause of the current conflict, like a patchwork quilt, includes all these factors: from Russia's imperial desire to expand its holdings to a primitive passion to avenge Ukraine's willfulness. However, if we take a sober look at the situation, none of these reasons alone, or even all of them together, are enough to start hostilities. Even if war breaks out and Russia achieves its military goals, the price of victory will be too high, so is it worth the risk of a Pyrrhic victory? Although Russia has always been ready to pay the price for its desires, are those individuals who are comfortably ensconced at the top of power willing to pay any price themselves? A country of mediocrities Just as in the U.S., which has had a mediocre government for the last year (see my essay on this topic), in Russia, mediocrities have been flourishing for a long time. Unlike America, this did not happen spontaneously: Russian rulers have always selected their subordinates on the basis of having a simpler intellect combined with a stronger loyalty. Having such lackeys, it is safer to rule. In the not-so-distant past Russia was a country of outstanding achievements in many fields: from literature and art to science and technology. After the Bolshevik coup of 1917, the Soviet leaders deliberately pursued a policy of a negative selection: talented people were either killed, or driven into exile or, at best, forced to obey and serve. As a result of such selection, the quality of the people decreased, while the intellectual potential of Russia fell to obscenely low levels. Now the country at all levels is governed by mediocrities. The collective IQ factor of the Duma legislative body hardly exceeds the level of a mental hospital. Vladimir Putin is now virtually out of business; he has delegated the routine functions of the head of state to his mediocre subordinates, himself becoming a Kremlin recluse. The real power in the country is not with him, but with those who have money. If most of the rich people in the U.S. made their millions and billions through hard work, managerial skills, and intelligence, then almost all Russian nouveau riche got their money through financial fraud or by stealing it from the collapsed USSR. Ever since Stalin's time, the structure of the country's government has been modeled after the Mafia, where everything is ruled from the top by a "godfather". Any opposition to the "family" leads either to a physical elimination of the renegade or to his imprisonment. Those who try to look into the affairs of the mafia and their possessions are eliminated mercilessly (many murdered Russian journalists, the attempts to poison Skripal, Navalny, and others). The plundered country has long produced nothing but weapons. Alas, the weapons that they produce are based on the old Soviet-era designs, while most of the parts and materials are sourced abroad. All the supposedly newest weapon systems are nothing more than fiction to feed their own naive populace. One of the reasons for this degradation is that there are very few highly qualified specialists left in Russia. Talented people try to find work abroad and leave the country at any opportunity. Huge profits from the oil and gas sales go to the pockets of those close to the trough, while the population gets only scraps from the table. The level of social and medical services, especially in light of the pandemic, is plummeting, and the prices of basic necessities are rising. Yet, the people there are still silent. For now. The bad example Potentially dangerous for the Russian authorities is the younger generation, infected with ideas of freethinking and unwilling to live the old way, like their parents. Unexpectedly, trouble came straight from the western and eastern neighbors where people resisted the corruption of their authorities (Belarus and Kazakhstan). This behavior could spread to the Russian population, too. Of course, Belarusians and Kazakhs are not like the Russian people, who are used to a yoke and even love it. Russia's rulers, while not of high intelligence, still understand that a bad example is contagious. That is what they fear most. The Russian authorities see only two possible solutions to the problem: either to buy off or to scare. The first one: to buy off the people means showering them with handouts. Yet, there is no way to do that where can they get these freebies? The second solution: to impose on the country some scary disaster, which may unite the people and sweep under the carpet all the lesser troubles. This solution is more realistic: a kind of a sluggish war, or at least the occasional international tension would do. For this purpose, Russia has long cultivated the image of an enemy who wants to "enslave and rob" the kind-hearted Russian people. The U.S. is perfect for this role. Indeed, say the Czech Republic or Japan would be too small to fit the image of a scary enemy. The Russian people's memory still holds the horrors of past wars, so propaganda feeds them with a made-up fear of NATO, under whose wing the ungrateful Ukrainians are striving to hide. So, they want to say: we must unite against the enemy, tighten our belts, and show Europe and the U.S. our strong fist. The military mobilization and concentration of troops along the Ukrainian border is carried out to create an illusion of danger and to show everyone and most importantly its own population that we are ready. However, its impossible to keep the bowstring taut permanently: either the bowstring will snap, or a finger will accidentally slip and an arrow will fly, and then there will be a real trouble. While the army is on alert, in a relatively short time it will have only two options: either start fighting or pack their duffel bags and go home. Which one will they choose? The price of war If they choose war, what will it lead to? Of course, it makes no sense to think about nuclear war -- even the nitwits in the Duma understand this clearly, although publicly they say otherwise. Only a war with conventional weapons is plausible. Such "trifles" as the deaths of many thousands of Russian and foreign soldiers and civilians are of little concern for them. The trouble, however, is that the price of war would be too high. If only with the usual sanctions, like those that were already imposed, that would be half the trouble. Say, if Russia is banned from getting high technology, China will always offer some replacement. If, say, the ruble value falls further, not a big deal the officials already have money stashed anyway in dollars in various banana republics. But there is something that is really scary for those in Russia who have money and power the West can cut off the payment system SWIFT. That will be the really painful problem! All their credit cards, all payments, money transfers would stop working. They can't go to abroad because of sanctions, and they would not be able to buy anything from there with their own money. Billions of dollars will turn into nothing it will be just impossible to spend them. That price of war would be too painful to bear. Thus, they would not allow their "godfather" to do that, and if he suddenly loses his sense and starts a war, then they would have to get rid of him, and no security detail would protect him. Forecast The Russian authorities need to show their own people the appearance of a victory. "Look," they want to say, "NATO, U.S., and Ukraine got scared and retreated. Our task is done, the enemy is fleeing, and therefore peace-loving Russia can withdraw its troops from near the border." For that propaganda, Russia needs on the part of NATO and the US at least a tiny concession or a semblance of such. The chatterboxes from the "Ministry of Truth" will magnify it out of proportion and sing their hymn to the wisdom of the Leader. I believe that is exactly what will happen in the very near future. Thus, there will be no hot war between Russia and Ukraine. Nor will there be peace, but that's another story. Photo credit: Russia.ru Jacob Fraden emigrated from the USSR to the United States in 1977. His website is www.fraden.com The case of the man imprisoned for rescuing a fugitive slave, which reached the U.S. Supreme Court, is American History. The Wisconsin Historical Society documents the rescue with newspapers, broadsheets, photographs, and lesson plans. In America today, parents protest schools teaching children divisive theories instead of the real history that they learned in school. Between 1840 and 1850, Wisconsin's nonAmerican Indian population had swollen from 31,000 to 305,000. The growing population allowed Wisconsin to gain statehood on May 29, 1848, as the 30th state. In the 1860 Census, the population had grown to 775,881, and Wisconsin was the 15th most populous state. Wisconsin's population was larger than those of five of the states whose leaders chose to secede. The full text of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 (An Act to amend ... the Act of 1793} is available at ourdocuments.gov. It is the fourth of the five acts of the Compromise of 1850 (after the Act Establishing the Boundaries for the State of Texas, and the Act for the Admission of the State of California into the Union). The first four sections give legal authority to commissioners to implement this draconian law. Section 5 of the act is a single sentence with 374 words. The words abolitionists would quote when speaking about the law were "to summon and call to their aid the bystanders ... and all good citizens are hereby commanded to aid and assist in the prompt and efficient execution of this law [.]" Section 7 is a single sentence with 291 words. The words abolitionists would quote were "any person who shall knowingly obstruct ... from arresting such a fugitive ... or shall rescue ... or aid, such person ... to escape ... or shall harbor such fugitive, so as to prevent the arrest of such person ... shall be subject to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars, and imprisonment not exceeding six months[.]" In 1850, a man named Garland purchased Joshua Glover and transported him to his farm in St. Louis, Missouri. Glover escaped from Garland's plantation in 1852 and traveled 400 miles north until he reached Racine, Wisconsin. He found employment and housing with a local mill. In 1854, Garland obtained a federal warrant for Glover's arrest. Then he led a group of slave-catchers to Glover's home and took him to a Milwaukee prison. A group of abolitionists from Racine went to Milwaukee. Sherman Miller Booth was born in Davenport, New York in 1812 and graduated from Yale University in 1841. In May 1848, he moved to Wisconsin, where he took charge of the "American Freeman," a Liberty Party paper in Milwaukee. In 1854, Booth learned that a runaway slave had been captured by his Missouri owner and jailed in Milwaukee under the authority of the Fugitive Slave Act. Booth rode his horse through the city streets, scattering hand-bills summoning a citizens' meeting and shouting, "Freemen to the rescue." A mob soon broke into the jail and rescued Glover. With the support of abolitionists in Wisconsin, Glover traveled to Ontario, where he lived the rest of his life. The affair placed Booth in the center of a six-year controversy between state and federal authorities that reached the U.S. Supreme Court. The Wisconsin Legislature denounced the federal court's ruling against Booth as an "arbitrary act of power ... void and of no force." The day before James Buchanan relinquished the presidency to Abraham Lincoln, he pardoned Booth. Pushing the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law into the states returned a few slaves. However, for six years, abolitionists spread news updates on this case throughout the Free States. When President Lincoln asked for Volunteers, the story of Joshua Glover influenced hundreds of thousands, who volunteered. The Volunteers were an unintended consequence of the Fugitive Slave Law. Today, pushing divisive theories into children may also have unintended consequences. Image via Pxhere. Some governments around the planet have proclaimed that they won't lift all restrictions and mandates pertaining to the COVID-19 plandemic until nary a single case of the Wuhan Flu can be found. Until recently, this appeared to be the goal of Dr. Fauci and the Biden administration as well. Now our rulers and experts admit that we will probably never rid ourselves of the virulent visitor from the East. After failing to conquer the coronavirus, the Biden administration has now set its sights on traffic fatalities. In fact, transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, apparently back from a lengthy paternal leave, has a plan to reach "zero roadway fatalities" in the coming years. Buttigieg recently told the Associated Press that the Biden administration is preparing to roll out a new "safe system" plan designed to decrease traffic fatalities nationwide. Buttigieg noted that the half-year traffic death total for 2020 was 20,160, the highest total half-year figure since 2006, and that traffic fatalities significantly increased in the third quarter of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. Buttigieg stated: "Even through a pandemic that led to considerably less driving, we continue to see more danger on our roads." He added, "We cannot tolerate the continuing crisis of roadway deaths in America," especially because they are "preventable." The Department of Transportation (DOT) said roadway safety is "inextricably linked with the Biden-Harris Administration's equity and climate goals" and that, you guessed it, traffic fatalities "disproportionately affect communities of color." Buttigieg asserted, "Today we commit that our goal is this: zero. Our goal is zero deaths. The decision to commit to that goal in a serious way at a national level changes the way cities and towns design roads, changes the way companies build cars, changes the way people drive." The progressive politician-English translation is: "We need another crisis to enable us to keep the lockdowns going and the people in their place while we are free to do whatever we want." Components of the "safe system plan" include increased use of traffic cameras, regulations mandating automatic emergency braking in all new passenger vehicles, lower speed limits, creation of many more dedicated bike and bus lanes, and requiring automakers to install anti-drunk driving technology in all motor vehicles. This will, of course, take more money from taxpayers' wallets...and more freedom away from them, too. The Biden administration, out of touch with both average Americans and reality, may whether accidentally or by design reduce traffic fatalities by making gasoline so expensive that most people can't afford much of it and by banning the internal combustion engine. Those attempting to move about the country in new electric cars will be mostly stuck on the sides of roads or at charging stations. And even if there were any moving vehicles on a particular roadway, given the fact that they will likely then weigh about as much as a loaf of bread and be traveling at speeds under 20 miles an hour, "boo-boos" and "owies" would ensue, not fatalities. Sorry, people, but our leaders just can't grant us our freedom again until there is "zero" chance that any one of us might die from any cause. That's how much they care about us. Right? Image via Pixabay. Over the last two years of living in Fauci's America, most of the medical establishment has meekly gone along with the narrative about COVID treatments and vaccines. Regardless of their motives, they've accepted that there are no treatments and that masks and vaccines are imperative for everyone two and older. Any doctor who deviated from that script was stigmatized and risked losing his license and livelihood. Now, though, mainstream doctors are starting to speak out against the lockdown and mask rules and even against the vaccine regime. In medical circles, the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) is one of the most prestigious medical schools and hospitals in America. Attending or working at UCSF carries with it tremendous cachet. "You must be good" is what springs to people's minds when they hear those letters. That's why it matters that four UCSF doctors, including the director of the COVID response for the emergency department, are pushing back against California governor Gavin Newsom's "mindless" COVID rules in schools. The four doctors and one nurse opened their petition by noting that California exists under the most restrictive COVID regulations in the country, policies that continue even though California is highly vaccinated and has low hospitalization rates. California's policies, they say, are lagging reality and "have caused considerable collateral damage throughout the pandemic, have long lost their justification as necessary for prevention of serious illness and death." Image: Girl getting a vaccine by pressfoto. Freepik license. They note that the policies are driving people out of California and are especially worried about the toll on children and teens. They offer a list of 17 action items for Newsom, many of which really ask him to apologize for what he's done to California's children. Here's my abridged version of the list: 1. Stop forcing vaccine mandates, especially boosters for children. 2. Admit that vaccinating children doesn't necessarily help children. 3. Start giving people a reward (loosening restrictions) for going along with the vaccine regime. 4. Acknowledge that children are at less risk than adults and that the messaging has been really bad. 5. Admit that the restrictions are worse for children than the illness. 6. Acknowledge that social isolation is devastating young people. 7. Admit that not seeing the faces of teachers and peers is killing education. 8. Stop forcing kids to wear masks outdoors. 9. Make indoor masks for kids optional as of February 2022. 10. Acknowledge that babies and toddlers aren't learning to speak because of masks. 11. Allow preschool and daycare teachers and other adults to stop wearing masks if they want. 12. Stop mindlessly testing asymptomatic individuals. 13. Stop the madness on college campuses given young people's low risk. 14. Stop obsessing about case rates. 15. Acknowledge that omicron is relatively mild. 16. Acknowledge that "true COVID-19 hospitalizations" remain low, so the panic must end. 17. Do a cost-benefit analysis of all the COVID restrictions. Every one of those is a sensible suggestion and one that conservatives have been making for months, if not years. The UCSF doctors who wrote that petition are not the only doctors finally speaking up. Another UCSF doctor, Monica Gandhi, along with Dr. Paul Offit, the director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and a member of the FDA vaccine advisory committee, both told David Zweig, who posted at Bari Weiss's Substack account, that the risk of boosters for young males outweighs the benefits. Only America is enthusiastically embracing boosters for young people. Also, many other countries recognize natural immunity: Monica Gandhi, a doctor and an infectious-disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, was blunt in her assessment. "I am not giving my 12 and 14-year-old boys boosters," she told me. Dr. Gandhi is not the only expert to publicly state an intention to not comply with the CDC's recommendation. Dr. Paul Offit is the director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, a member of the FDA's vaccine advisory committee, and is considered one the country's top authorities on pediatric vaccine policy. He recently said that getting boosted would not be worth the risk for the average healthy 17-year-old boy, and he advised his son, who is in his 20s, not to get a third dose. The whole article is interesting, but what's most interesting to me is that at least a few mainstream doctors are overcoming their paralyzing fear of offending leftist dogma and are telling the truth about COVID extremism in America. Elizabeth Warren, a mediocre law professor who parlayed a fake Native American identity into a gig at Harvard and a seat in the United States Senate, thought that, once in government, she'd try her hand at censorship. When Joseph Mercola and Ronnie Cummins wrote a book about COVID with which Warren disagreed, she used her position as a senator to try to get Amazon to censor the book. Although Chelsea Green Publishing filed suit in November, people are finally becoming aware of the suit. I'm always amazed when someone who ought to know the law doesn't or feels entitled to ignore it. As a lawyer and a law professor, one would expect Warren to be familiar with the First Amendment. That's the one that says that "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech." As government has grown, that principle has been extended to the federal government as a whole, whether it's an executive agency, Congress, or a politician acting under the color of his role in the government (and of course, to state governments via the Fourteenth Amendment). Nevertheless, on September 7, 2021, writing in her capacity as a United States senator, on official Senate letterhead, Warren sent a very long letter to Andy Jassy, Amazon's CEO, expressing her concern that Amazon itself was publishing misinformation by allowing Mercola's and Cummins's book, The Truth About COVID-19: Exposing the Great Reset, Lockdowns, Vaccine Passports, and the New Normal, to appear on its bestseller list and daring to give it a favorable ranking. After waffling on for several pages, and mendaciously claiming that the book was "potentially unlawful," Warren "asked" Amazon to modify the algorithms to destroy the book's ranking. Chelsea Green responded in November by suing Warren for violating the First Amendment, although news of that filing reached the media only recently. The lawsuit relies upon Bantam Books, Inc. v. Sullivan, 372 U.S. 58 (1962). Bantam Books involved a newly created Rhode Island Commission, which had the task of educating the public about any written material that could harm the morality of or otherwise corrupt Rhode Island's young people. Image: Elizabeth Warren fakes it with beer. YouTube screen grab. In Bantam Books, the plaintiff publishers sued, alleging that the commission was violating their First Amendment rights. The Court held, in relevant part, that government representatives sending letters to booksellers to pull books constitutes a form of censorship that violates the Constitution. Specifically, the government cannot relieve itself of the First Amendment's prohibitions by urging a private party to act on its behalf. In the same way, when Biden told social media companies to censor views with which he disagrees, that too violated the Constitution. The only thing is that he was just telling the media companies to do what they're already doing. In the original November 8, 2021 press release about the lawsuit, Chelsea Green had this to say: Plaintiffs allege Warren's letter contained blatant falsehoods and unsubstantiated accusations about the book and that Warren's claims, even if correct, would not alter the book's constitutional protectedness. "Senator Warren broke the law and betrayed our fundamental right to free speech," said Dr. Joseph Mercola, founder of Mercola.com, a natural health website. "No politician is above the law, I will do everything in my power to defend my constitutional rights as an American." Ronnie Cummins, co-founder of the Organic Consumers Association, said: "Constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech is necessary if we are to achieve a system of participatory democracy and solve the interrelated crises that threaten our survival health, food, environment, climate, politics." "The government trying to ban books is a very dangerous slippery slope to totalitarianism and cannot be allowed," said Margo Baldwin, Chelsea Green president and publisher. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., chairman, Children's Health Defense, said: "If a government can hide what it's doing by censoring its opponents and silencing dissonants, it has license to do anything that it wants. Sen. Warren must be held accountable." I wish Chelsea Green luck. Like all leftists, Warren is a bully, and it's high time she was seriously reprimanded for her bullying ways. I'm only sorry that the lawsuit cannot include a request for compensatory and punitive damages. Biden says he will nominate a Black woman for the Supreme Court seat that an old White leftist is vacating. This is illegal, because it discriminates against people of other races, as well as against men, but that's not going to stop Biden. So far, all the names bandied about run the gamut from deeply racist women to, well, more deeply racist women. But what if Mitch McConnell is able to fend off a vote by rallying all 49 of the other Republican senators to vote against this person, creating a tie? Some might say Kamala would break that tie, but that leading leftist legal light, Laurence Tribe, says not so fast. Or at least, he said that waaaaay back in 2020. In 2020, Laurence Tribe was upset that Trump had nominated, and the tiny Senate majority was set to confirm, Amy Coney Barrett. If even one senator had switched sides, there would have been a tie. William Jacobson reminds us that, when this was an issue, Alan Dershowitz noted that it wasn't entirely clear that the vice president could step in to break that tie: It is clear, therefore, that in voting on proposed statutes, the vice president is authorized to cast a tie-breaking vote. But did the Framers intend the same rule to apply when the president is seeking the advice and consent of senators to a judicial nomination? We can't know for certain, because the Constitution and Federalist Papers focus on the vice president's role in breaking ties over legislation, not confirmation. Image: Laurence Tribe (cropped; edited in befunky). YouTube screen grab. Laurence Tribe, one of the leftist law professors who helped reduce Harvard from turning out decent legal minds to turning out woke, leftist hacks, had no such uncertainty. He knew that, without a doubt, the Founders did not intend for the vice president to have a say in a matter that involves advice and consent rather than legislation: While the vice president has the power to cast a tiebreaking vote to pass a bill, the Constitution does not give him the power to break ties when it comes to the Senate's "Advice and Consent" role in approving presidential appointments to the Supreme Court. You don't have to take my word for it. Alexander Hamilton said the same thing way back in 1788, in Federalist No. 69: "In the national government, if the Senate should be divided, no appointment could be made." Hamilton contrasted that rule with how appointments worked back then in his home state of New York, where the governor actually did have the power to break ties to confirm nominations to New York state offices. Consistent with Hamilton's understanding, as two thoughtful recent scholarly analyses have pointed out, no vice president in our history has ever cast a tiebreaking vote to confirm an appointment to the Supreme Court. If Pence tried to cast the deciding vote to confirm Trump's nomination to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died last week at age 87, it would be the first time that has ever happened. That should matter to everyone it certainly matters (or used to matter) to "originalists," who emphasize the importance of history when interpreting our Constitution. I was unaware of the argument at the time, but Tribe is absolutely correct. What this means is that Mitch McConnell could, theoretically, again forestall a vote on a Supreme Court justice. This time, it would be until the Senate, as seems likely, has a Republican majority. That would force Biden either to choose a moderate candidate or to forgo appointing anyone at all. Sad to say, I doubt that this argument will become an issue. Who thinks the Vichy Republicans (Romney? Murkowski? Collins?), when they hear the word "racist," will not instantly bow down before the Democrats and do their will? I would certainly be impressed if they resisted the power of that little word. It would be nice if they showed the backbone that Senators Manchin and Sinema showed on the filibuster. It's doubtful that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris like one another, but there seems to be a coordinated effort between the two to bring in more illegal immigrants to the states, something they are succeeding at rather spectacularly. How else do we explain Kamala Harris's trip to Honduras, to attend the presidential inauguration of radical left-wing presidenta, Xiomara Castro, while Joe Biden's minions are sneaking in illegals by the thousands away from the cameras and flying them at taxpayer expense to their destinations of choice? Biden's turned the immigration enforcement agencies into a concierge, valet, and taxi service for illegals. Kamala, meanwhile, is down there to bring in corporations and NGOs to enable. Start with what Harris is actually doing. Harris is there to make friends with Castro and bring in corporate investors as well as NGOs willing to splash out cash to tackle all those "root causes" of illegal migration, supposedly all varieties of $1.2 billion in "investment." That's weird stuff, given that Honduras just elected a radical leftist with expropriation on her mind? Sound like a climate for investment? Castro doesn't even sound as though she knows what a good economy is, let alone show any seriousness about keeping her country's nationals back home. She declared in recent days that her country has gone bankrupt under the country's previous president, but at the same time, she's promising "free" electricity to everyone. What could go wrong? You aren't going to get a good economy for Honduras capable of employing or supporting its 9 million people with a socialist threatening to expropriate from "the rich" (read: job creators) and vowing to hand out "free" electricity for everyone. Let's just say history shows that under such socialist redistribution, you'll get no electricity on that plan, particularly if you are starting out with a bankrupt government. Venezuela's radical Hugo Chavez, after all, had lots of oil largesse to waste before his country went belly up and the illegals flowed outward. Castro's skipping the "waste" step and I guess turning on the printing presses. Honduras is hardly in good shape as it is. More than 308,000 Hondurans have left their country, mostly for the states, pre-socialism. Hondurans constituted 19% of all land border encounters in fiscal 2021, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency. You can bet there will be more of them now that a communist with expropriation on her mind is taking the helm. How many young working-age adults can Honduras lose before they start noticing something? That's what Harris is walking into, and what is her solution? Not "get religion on property rights and free markets" so the Honduran economy can grow. That would be what a sane person would advise. Nope, she's bringing in a huge collection of giant corporations and NGOs, most of which are there to foster illegal immigration because they have an interest in its perpetuity. They are on Harris's "Call to Action" and Partnership for Central America, and they are coming to create the networks for remittances; teach the English language to make that trip up north quite a bit easier; make life as a refugee more affordable (get a load of the biography of a leader of the Tent Partnership for Refugees and her NGO's sponsorship Scarlet Cronin, former of the Clinton Foundation, an NGO tied to the Chobani group; it's all cozy); and other things that aid and abet illegal immigration, such as tech training in that hotbed of tech, Honduras. Could those skill be better used in the states? You decide. I wrote about that here. As Harris makes her grand entrance with her Santa sack for the Honduran president, back home, Joe's enabling immigrants, and the surges are bigger than ever. As with everything that happens in the Biden administration, they've kept the surges at the same big size as earlier, but they've stepped up their public relations game. They're ignoring a judicial order for keeping migrants seeking "asylum" in Mexico and instead marching them onto secret planes run by CIA contractors, to spread them throughout the country with the media attention off them. It's very likely illegal, and congressional Republicans are starting to talk impeachment for it. Miranda Devine of the New York Post has a kick-ass column today on just how sneaky it is, just how carefully the Biden side of the equation seeks to conceal the extent of its illegal alien taxi service from the American public and all those Fox News cameras. She writes: Under cover of darkness, every night the federal government is transporting illegal migrants as fast as it can away from the border on secret charter flights into unsuspecting communities around the country. Officials have lied and obstructed the few journalists who have tried to reveal the truth. This is nothing short of a betrayal of the American people. And that's not just me saying it those are exactly the words of one federal government contractor employed to transport migrants from the southern border to the airport in White Plains. "The government is betraying the American people," the contractor told a Westchester County police officer in a conversation that was recorded on the cop's bodycam on the tarmac of the county airport on Aug. 13, 2021. The men were standing beside a Boeing 737 flown in from Fort Bliss, Texas, by iAero Airways under charter by the federal government. So we have Biden sneaking them in against court orders and spreading them around the country. We have Kamala going down to Honduras to bring in a boatload of migrant-enabling services under the cover of "corporate investment," which they could do on their own if the investment climate were decent. Now we have the two working in some kind of coordination to bring in as many illegals (and Democrat voters note that they were comfortable voting for a communist back home in Honduras) as possible. This probably is an impeachable offense. It certainly comes off as a coordinated plot. What else can such a thing that can only lead to much more illegal immigration be called? Image: Screen shot from NewsNation video via YouTube. The Biden administration's open border policy is alive and well. The numbers are amazing for people who have followed this over the years. I have never seen anything like this. This is from the New York Post: Biden breaks records every month, with apprehensions on track to reach a million in his first full year. You can see why they keep coming: The Border Patrol estimates that hundreds of thousands more pass through without interception, while the administration releases most of those it does catch, even quietly resettling migrants all across the country. The only White House strategy here, in other words, is to try keeping the crisis out of the headlines while sending as few illegal crossers as possible home. This is obscene, and it has nothing to do with immigration reform, DACA, or asylum. We have legal ways to come to the U.S., and this is not how you legally cross the border. How do I know? I came to the U.S. with my parents, and we had to follow a process. Our family left Cuba and then had to wait, at our expense, in Jamaica as our "papers" were being processed. The Biden administration has benefited from national media coverage that does not tell Americans what's going on or keep track of these people as they fly to their destination. Down in South Texas, the Biden administration has not been so lucky, as we see in the growing dissatisfaction with the border crisis. To make matters worse, these people are coming into the country without vaccine requirements or isolation periods. How many of these people have COVID and have infected others? No one knows. Will President Biden be impeached over this? I don't know, but his administration is not enforcing the law to the loss of his fellow citizens. PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk). Image: PxHere. President Eisenhower in his final address to the nation issued the following dire warning: In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist. Eisenhower's words have proven to be prophetic. The military-industrial complex appears to be a major power broker in Washington. All but one of the recent presidents, including the Bushes, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama, have entered into optional conflicts and prolonged existing conflicts, despite the fact that the U.S. has little to gain from them. In fact, trillions of dollars of taxpayers' money were spent, and innumerable precious lives were lost owing to these wars. The only modern president who did not start a new war and who attempted to withdraw from optional conflicts is Donald J. Trump. Agents of the military-industrial complex tried desperately to initiate regime change in Iran and for fresh escalations in Syria, but they failed. Top U.S. officials allegedly lied to President Trump about U.S. troop numbers in Syria. The media are also a proponent of the war-mongering faction. The only time President Trump's most trenchant of critics lavished blandishments on him was when he approved airstrikes on chemical weapons facilities in Syria. For these ravenous war-mongers, senile, doddering, perpetually listless, and mercurial Joe Biden was their blank check upon which they could write whatever figure they pleased. We are now seeing possible proof that Biden (or his handlers) is pushing for an unnecessary conflict. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and Joe Biden had a call yesterday evening to discuss the tense situation over the Russia-Ukraine border. However, a Ukrainian official told CNN's Matthew Chance that the call between the two leaders "did not go well." Earlier, Jen Psaki had claimed that the Russian invasion of Ukraine remains imminent. CNN claims that Biden, sticking to the narrative pushed earlier by Psaki, told Zelensky to brace his country for a certain Russian invasion. Biden also claimed that Kyiv could be "sacked" (annexed) by Russian forces. Ukrainian leaders allegedly disagreed with Biden's assessment, insisting that an invasion is not imminent. They claimed that intelligence officials looking at satellite photos on an hourly basis do not see Russia moving any troops into combat mode or preparing for an attack. However, CNN's claims of Biden's warning and Ukraine's subsequent refutation are not part of the following White House readout of the call: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine. President Biden reaffirmed the readiness of the United States along with its allies and partners to respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine. He also underscored the commitment of the United States to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. President Biden noted the United States has provided Ukraine with over half a billion dollars in development and humanitarian assistance in the last year, and is exploring additional macroeconomic support to help Ukraine's economy amidst pressure resulting from Russia's military build-up. President Biden made clear that despite the departure of American family members of embassy personnel, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, remains open and fully operational. The leaders discussed coordinated diplomatic efforts on European security, underscoring the principle of "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine." President Biden relayed the United States' support for conflict resolution efforts in the Normandy Format, expressing his hope that the sides' recommitment on January 26 to the terms of the July 2020 ceasefire will help decrease tensions and advance the implementation of the Minsk Agreements. Emily Horne of the National Security Council pushed back on CNN's claims by tweeting the following: This is not true. President Biden said that there is a distinct possibility that the Russians could invade Ukraine in February. He has previously said this publicly & we have been warning about this for months. Reports of anything more or different than that are completely false. Zelensky himself tweeted a summary of his conversation with Biden, but there was no mention of the dispute. "Had a long phone conversation with [Biden]. Discussed recent diplomatic efforts on de-escalation and agreed on joint actions for the future. Thanked [Biden] for the ongoing military assistance. Possibilities for financial support to Ukraine were also discussed," he said. CNN dutifully deleted a tweet that alleged that the phone call "did not go well" and then reposted it with context that the White House refutes that version. It has to be remembered that Biden, during his presser last Wednesday, claimed that he believes that President Putin will most likely "move in" to Ukraine. The following day, Biden attempted to walk back his comments by saying a "minor incursion" by Russia into Ukraine might result in less severe penalties. President Zelensky then fired back with the following tweet: We want to remind the great powers that there are no minor incursions and small nations. Just as there are no minor casualties and little grief from the loss of loved ones. I say this as the President of a great power. Ukrainian officials were understandably rather irked that Biden may have given Putin a "green light" to invade. Overall, the Ukrainian government is rightly concerned that reckless statements about imminent war emanated from the White House will hurt their economy and hamper public morale that has been hurt due to COVID-19. To summarize, there are a few obvious open questions pertaining to the call: Did Biden claim that the Russian invasion was imminent as he did last week? Did Zelensky urge him to tone down his aggressive rhetoric? Can Biden be trusted following his son's murky dealings in Ukraine while Biden was V.P.? Some of these questions can be answered by merely releasing the transcripts of the call. Biden must remember that in a democracy, an elected official doesn't own power; the people lend their power to him so he can represent them. The people hence have a right to know about the utterances of their representative Hopefully, Biden will follow his own advice that he offered to President Trump and insist on total transparency by releasing the transcripts. If it is proven that Biden did distort reality to cause a war, there must be consequences. There must at least be an investigation. Perhaps a special counsel should be appointed if not now, hopefully when the GOP takes back the House and the Senate. Irrespective of his motives, Biden's caprice is making the U.S. look like an incompetent and untrustworthy ally. This is only going to further ruin America's already dubious reputation following Biden's catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Photo credit: YouTube screen grab (cropped). Samsung started rolling out the Android 12-based One UI 4.0 update to the Galaxy Note 10 series late last month. First released in some Asian and European markets. the rollout has now reached the US. Both models vanilla Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ are now receiving the big Android update stateside. The new update is rolling out to the carrier-locked versions of the two phones with firmware version N97xUSQU7GULD. The same software package for the unlocked versions comes with firmware version N97xU1UEU7GULD. According to a SamMobile report, the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ are also receiving the Android 12 update in Canada. The new firmware version in the country is N97xWVLU7GULD. The updates in both markets bundle the January 2022 Android security patch. It is a pretty important SMR (security maintenance release) since it contains fixes for over 60 vulnerabilities from Samsung and Google, including a handful of critical ones. However, we are more interested in the new Android version, as well as One UI 4.0. Advertisement As we have detailed here, the latest iteration of Samsungs custom Android skin brings plenty of new features and enhancements to its Galaxy smartphones and tablets. There are some UI changes, improved stock apps, a new widget picker UI, improved dark mode, and more. In short, this update will change the look and feel of your Galaxy Note 10/Note 10+ on the software level. Galaxy Note 10 will not receive Android updates anymore When Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 10 duo back in August 2019, it promised only two major Android OS updates for the phones. But it later upgraded its software support policy to extend that commitment to three updates. All flagship models launched since 2019, as well as a few mid-rangers, will now receive three generations of Android updates. However, even with that extended support, the Galaxy Note 10 series has reached its end of life. Well, at least in terms of major Android updates. Launched with Android 9 Pie, the phones have already received updates to Android 10, Android 11, and now, Android 12. Advertisement Going forward, Samsung will only release security patches to the two S Pen-wielding Galaxy flagships. Those updates will come monthly for the next few months before the frequency drops to every three months and eventually the devices fade into oblivion. Nonetheless, if youre using a Galaxy Note 10 or Galaxy Note 10+ in the US or Canada, the Android 12 update should be available for you anytime now if it hasnt already. You can navigate to Settings > Software update > Download and install on your phone to check for the update manually. PLEASE NOTE: ALL ONLINE PURCHASES ARE AUTOMATIC RENEWALS UNLESS YOU EMAIL JPAYNE@ANNISTONSTAR.COM OR CONTACT CUSTOMER SERVICE @ 256-235-9253.... 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 *NEW SUBSCRIBERS ONLY join with a NEW ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION is just $59.99 for the first year. Existing customers do not qualify for the specials! AMEX is not accepted through this site. 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* Race to save beached whale near Athens Monitored by Coast Guard, concerns that it may die (ANSAmed) - ATHENS, JAN 28 - Efforts are underway in Athens to save a young, injured whale that has got stuck on a beach in a suburb of the Greek capital. This sort of incident is very rare. State-owned TV ERT showed a veterinarian getting a blood sample of the mammal amid waves that rose half the way up the whale's body off the Trocadero beach in the coastal suburb of Palio Faliro, moving weakly its tail. The Coast Guard is monitoring it from a dinghy nearby. Aimilia Drougas, an oceanographer from the Arion research organization that provides veterinary care for stranded cetaceans, said that it was young Cuvier's beaked whale. The small whale was found to have suffered a severe injury to its lower jaw and multiple superficial wounds to its body and was sighted on Thursday a bit further south near the Vouliagmeni suburb. Arion staff tried to push it back into the sea but the whale turned back. "From the footage it seems injured...in these cases, it usually does not end well," Skai TV was told by Drosos Koutsoubas, a marine biology professor at the University of the Aegean.(ANSAmed). BEIRUT - "Kurdish-led forces in northeast Syria on Friday found the bodies of 18 fellow fighters inside a prison that the Islamic State group attacked last week," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on its website on Friday. The prison, in the town of Hasakah in northeastern Syria in an area under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), was attacked on Jan. 20 by Islamic State (ISIS) fighters. The SDF announced on Wednesday that they had taken control of the prison but pockets in the northern part of the prison still remain out of their hands. SOHR said that "the death toll since January 20 now stands at over 250, including around 180 IS jihadists, 73 members of Kurdish-led forces and seven civilians." It added that clashes continue. BELGRADE - US envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar said Thursday that Washington expects Kosovo and Serbia to implement agreements already made. The Kosovo government has pledged to form a Community of Serb Municipalities and this pledge must be followed through on, Escobar was quoted by media outlets as saying. He added that it must implement a Kosovo Constitutional Court ruling on 24 hectares of land owned by the Visoki Decani Serbian Orthodox Church monastery. These are two points that remain in a dispute between Kosovo and Serbia, preventing progress in EU-facilitated dialogue. The US has showed ever greater willingness to give its contribution to this dialogue in recent months. Belgrade consider the creation of the Community of Serb Municipalities a necessary prerequisite to continuing the talks, called for by a wide-ranging agreement reached by the parties involved in Brussels in April 2013. However, Pristina refuses to implement the body, saying that it is against the Kosovo Constitution, which prohibits the creation of bodies of only one ethnicity. In the eyes of Prime Minister Albin Kurti, this would be tantamount to bringing to Kosovo a new 'Republika Srpska' like that in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The dispute over land near the Orthodox Serb monastery of Visoki Decani has not yet been solved despite repeated appeals to Pristina from the international community. UN envoy Escobar - who will in the coming days be in Pristina and Belgrade alongside EU mediator Miroslav Lajcak - also said that he backed the possibility for Serbs in Kosovo to vote in elections and consultations held in Serbia. This possibility was denied to them during the referendum on reform of the justice system held in Serbia on Jan. 16. This decision sparked strong protest from Belgrade and risks having more serious consequences with possible incidents and clashes if the ban on voting were to be upheld for the Serbian parliamentary and presidential elections on April 3. RABAT - Under pressure from numerous protests by its citizens demanding that the country's borders be reopened, the Moroccan government announced late Thursday that it would reopen to tourism starting on Feb. 7. A committee has been tasked with drawing up measures for the re-entering of numerous residents - about 10,000, according to consulate figures - stuck abroad as well as tourists wanting to visit the country. The details will be released at a later time, the government spokesman said. Optimism is thus back for parts of the tourism sector, which has been suffering from almost 22 months of inactivity. The sector accounts for 8% of the country's GDP and in normal times was worth 138 billion dirhams. The COVID crisis has resulted in enormous losses to the sector. Meanwhile, according to the National Tourism Transportation Federation, 40% of those registered with it have filed bankruptcy, while the federation gathering together car rental companies states that about 30% of those operating in the sector have gone bankrupt. Over 27,000 vehicles have been sold off to cover expenses. In the first ten months of 2021, the drop in revenue in Morocco's tourism sector - according to the country's audits court - was -0.7 thanks in part to the partial reopening between September and October. It then plunged to -6.1 in November. Compared with the same period prior to the crisis, the drop was 57.4%, or 38.5 billion dirhams. UNECA chief lauds success in exporting Ethiopian coffee to China Xinhua) 08:49, January 28, 2022 ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Recent successes achieved in exporting Ethiopian coffee to China will provide a roadmap in leveraging export potential of other African countries, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has said. "Success recorded in exporting Ethiopian coffee to China will provide a roadmap in leveraging export potential for other ten African countries, where ECA is working this year, to provide more export potential from Africa to China," an ECA statement sent to Xinhua quoted Vera Songwe, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive of the ECA, as saying. "We are delighted to work with the government of Ethiopia on this real opportunity, to see how this partnership will continue to improve the livelihoods of citizens in Ethiopia, by offering an interoperable platform for trade," Songwe said. According to the UNECA, more than 11,200 bags of Ethiopian coffee were sold within seconds last week during the Ethiopian Coffee Brands Launch on China's largest e-commerce platform, Alibaba (Tmall Global), in a joint effort with the ECA and the Ethiopian government. "This launch demonstrates the benefits that, not only Ethiopia, but Africa can reap in harnessing digitalization," an ECA statement quoted Gebremeskel Chala, Ethiopia's Minister of Trade and Regional Integration. "ECA has joined efforts with Alibaba Group, and the government of Ethiopia to bring more quality African products to one of the largest markets in the world today, the Chinese online market," it said. Through this partnership, the electronic World Trading Platform (eWTP) has successfully on-boarded three Ethiopian coffee brands that are Wild, Arada, and Hedero. The ECA, Ant Group from Alibaba Group, and the Ethiopian government exclusively featured freshly roasted authentic coffee produced by small and medium-sized Ethiopian businesses at a livestream event to promote the launch of new Ethiopian coffee products on Tmall Global. According to the ECA, using AntChain's track and trace technology, all coffee on display was airlifted from Ethiopia; thus, guaranteeing a safe and transparent journey from departure to arrival. The primary objective of the initiative was said to leverage the infrastructure provided by the eWTP in creating an enabling environment to promote e-commerce and tourism for African entrepreneurs, whilst bringing quality African products into the Chinese market. The ECA expects the initiative to enable other African countries to participate in and benefit from inclusive global trade. Eric Jing, Alibaba Group Director and Executive Chairman of Ant Group, on his part commended the milestone as Ethiopian coffee penetrates the emerging Chinese coffee market. "Through coffee, we will build a bridge fostering China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, and stimulating economic recovery," the statement quoted Eric as saying. Meanwhile, the launch set in motion a community project on Tmall Global, in which for each bag of coffee sold, a special donation will be made to purchase school supplies for Ethiopian primary school students. Ethiopia's Minister of Trade and Regional Integration stressed that "through your purchases, support, and the power of e-commerce, the cooperation will benefit coffee farmers, SMEs and students in Ethiopia." First proposed by Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma in 2016, the eWTP has been recognized by the G20 and launched in China, Malaysia, Belgium, Rwanda, and Ethiopia. It also offers training and support in areas such as e-commerce, logistics, financing, cloud computing and mobile payments. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) 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! According to information released on January 28, 2022, The Finnish Defence Forces has signed the agreement with Patria to acquire Patria 6x6 vehicles as a pre-series related to the joint 6x6 vehicle program between Latvia, Finland, Estonia and Patria. The pre-series vehicles will be in test use of the Finnish Defence Forces before the final serial order indicated by the Letter of Intent signed at the end of August 2021. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link The new Patria 6x6 armoured vehicle. (Picture source Patria) With pre-series testing, the customer can get acquainted with the vehicle, its usage and operating features comprehensively beforehand, thus ensuring the fluent and effective establishment of operational readiness when the serial order deliveries begin. All three vehicles will be delivered to the customer in summer 2022, says Jussi Jarvinen, Executive Vice President, Finland Division of Patria. The joint programme is progressing as planned. In Latvia, the first vehicles are already in use and serial production is underway. Finland has made the decision about the pre-series vehicles, and Sweden is preparing to join the programme. The joint 6x6 programme has arisen interest and is open to other countries with the mutual consent of the participating countries. Patria has developed a new 6x6 armoured vehicle as a successor for the Patria XA-series 66 Pasi armoured personnel carrier. The new vehicle will be developed in collaboration with Finland, Latvia and Estonia. In August 2021, Patria signed a contract with Latvia for the supply of more than 200 66 armoured personnel carriers under the joint development program. The company has also signed a letter. of intent with Finland for a potential serial order of 66 vehicles. The new Patria 6x6 armoured has been designed using components of the Patria 8x8 armoured which is in service with many countries all over the world. The vehicle keeps the layout of the PASI 6x6 armoured vehicle with driver and commander at the front and troops compartment at the rear. It has a modular armour providing ballistic protection STANAG level 2 that can be upgraded to Level 4. As APC (Armored Personnel Carrier), the Patria 6x6 vehicle has a crew of three and can accommodate up to 10 soldiers. The Patria 6x6 is motorized with a a five-cylinder, inline, turbocharged diesel engine developing a power output of 294kW. The vehicle can run at a maximum road speed of 100 km/h with a maximum cruising range of 700 km. This was informed by union law minister and BJP leader Kiren Rijiju Guwahati: The Peoples LiberationArmy (PLA) of China has returned the Arunachal youth who was alleged to have strayed into Chinese territory and captured by China last week. This was informed by union law minister and BJP leader Kiren Rijiju who in a social media post on Thursday said that the boy, Miram Taron, has been handed over to the Indian Army. Due procedures are being followed includ- ing the medical exami- nation, said Rijiju in a tweet. Army PRO Lt. Con. Harsh Wardhan Pande, when contacted, told this newspaper that they are still awaiting any official communicatio on release of Arunachal youth. We can hardly fail to see that these days, in addition to the pandemic, an infodemic is spreading: a distortion of reality based on fear, which in our global society leads to an explosion of commentary on falsified if not invented news, Francis said. Fake news has to be refuted, but individual persons must always be respected, for they believe it often without full awareness or responsibility, he added. [T]ruth is never merely a concept having to do with judgment about things; no, that is only a part of what truth is. Truth regards life as a whole. Vatican City (AsiaNews) Pope Francis spoke today to members of the International Catholic Media Consortium, participating in a meeting centred on Catholic fact-checking. The pontiff urged participants to work together in order to seek the truth, which is the best way to counter fake news and distorted information on topics such as anti-COVID-19 vaccines. This task belongs to media that pursue rigorously the facts and do not bend before economic or political interests. For Catholic communication media, countering fake news and disinformation that is spread perhaps unconsciously means building bridges and not being "against". Francis noted that Paul VI himself had emphasised that the work of communicators calls for a rigorous method, making a critical evaluation of the sources of their information, and finally, pass[ing] on their findings. The initiative of putting several Catholic media online involving various experts was born as a Consortium that seeks to be together for the truth, Francis explained. First, together. Working together is essential, not least in the field of information. Networking, sharing skills, knowledge and contributions in order to provide suitable information is already an initial form of witness. At a time when we are feeling the effects of the pandemic and of divisions in society and divisions in opinions the fact that you are networking as Christian communicators is itself sending a message. It is a point of departure, a message. We can hardly fail to see that these days, in addition to the pandemic, an infodemic is spreading: a distortion of reality based on fear, which in our global society leads to an explosion of commentary on falsified if not invented news. Contributing, often unwittingly, to this climate is the sheer volume of allegedly scientific information, comments and opinions, which ends up causing confusion for the reader or listener. This points to the importance of networking and uniting forces with scientific research on diseases, which continues to advance and enables us to combat them more effectively. Together is a principle that also applies to vaccines, which must be given to everyone, and not just be motivated by the haste of wealthy nations to be safer. Remedies must be distributed with dignity, not as pitiful alms. [. . .] Correct information must be ensured above all to those who are less equipped, to the weakest and to those who are most vulnerable. The second word, after together, is for together for. For is a little word but it says much. It reminds us that, as Christians, we are against injustices and lies, but always for persons. Even if the purpose of your Consortium is to combat disinformation, to refute fake news and the manipulation of more impressionable minds, the fundamental distinction between information and people must never be overlooked. Fake news has to be refuted, but individual persons must always be respected, for they believe it often without full awareness or responsibility. A Christian communicator must be evangelical in style, a builder of bridges, a promoter of peace, also and above all, in the search for truth. His or her approach is not one of conflict, it is not marked by an attitude of superiority, and it does not simplify reality, so as not to fall into a kind of fideism when it comes to science. Science itself is a constant process of advancing towards the solution of problems. For this reason, As Christians, we ought to be the first to avoid the mentality of conflict and simplification, but rather making an effort to approach, accompany, and provide answers in a serene and reasonable way to questions and objections. We should work to help provide correct and truthful information about Covid-19 and vaccines, without digging trenches or creating ghettos. The third word is truth. May we never tire of verifying data, presenting them in a suitable way, pursuing our own search for truth. That search cannot yield to a commercial viewpoint, to the interests of the powerful, to the great economic interests. No. Being together for truth also means seeking an antidote to algorithms projected to maximize commercial profit; it means working to promote an informed, just, sound and sustainable society. For Christians, truth is never merely a concept having to do with judgment about things; no, that is only a part of what truth is. Truth regards life as a whole; it is something one can lean on, so as not to fall. In this relational sense, the only reliable and trustworthy One the One on whom we can count is the living God, Jesus. We discover and rediscover the truth when we experience it within ourselves as the loyalty and trustworthiness of the one who loves us (Message for the 2018 World Communications Day). To work in service to truth thus means to seek the things that foster communion and promote the good of all, not those that isolate, divide and oppose. For 42 days, some 2,000 workers have been protesting against layoffs by hotel and gaming resort operator NagaWorld. According to the company, investments in a new resort and loss of business due to the pandemic justify the decision. Protesters slam the company for distorting the facts. Workers at home and abroad express solidarity with nine jailed union leaders. Phnom Penh (AsiaNews) After 42 days, some 2,000 workers are still protesting outside NagaWorld, one of Phnom Penhs foremost hotel and gaming complexes, in protest against the mass layoffs by the resort. This decision, according to management, is due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the huge losses incurred in first six months of 2021 compared to the previous three years, combined with investments in building NagaWorld 3. For workers, NagaWorld is twisting the facts, and using the current situation to its own advantage. In their view, the company's layoffs were not justified, and violated resort workers rights. However, a court ruled the strike illegal and ordered the arrest of nine union leaders, including President Chhim Sithar. Workers reacted immediate, holding a press conference this morning in which they denied the claims made by NagaWorld. They noted that 80 per cent of the 1,329 laid off employees were union members or union officials, many of them activists who fought to improve working conditions. In addition, the company terminated the employment of the most experienced and better paid employees, and kept the newest and younger recruits. For Chim Rotha, who spoke on behalf of workers, we want to make it clear to the public that NagaWorld is not trying to find a solution, but trying to distort the truth in order to avoid responsibility. What is more, Rotha complained that workers were constantly monitored and threatened by undercover police officers. Meanwhile, the negotiations have stalled. The Cambodian Ministry of Labour and NagaWorld are asking workers to accept the (tiny) compensation offered and look for another job. The laid off employees said that they would return to the negotiating table only if the eight jailed union leaders are released. Support for the workers is gaining momentum in the country and abroad. Union leaders at Coca Cola, Anchor Beer, and Caltex (Chevron) petrol stations have come out in support of striking workers. In Malaysia, Labour Law Reform Coalition co-chair Gopal Kishanam said unionists sent a letter in support of NagaWorld workers to the Cambodian embassy, but officials refused to accept it. The Pitkin County Library, pictured, has been the professional home of librarian Martha Durgy for more than 25 years. She announced her retirement on Thursday. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Under the newly signed agreement, Spright will acquire a large fleet of Wingcopters flagship delivery drones, called the Wingcopter 198. By signing the contract, Spright made Wingcopter the only eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) drone provider for its U.S. operations. At the same time, Spright also agrees to be the exclusive provider of MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) for the German-made drone to third parties in the country.While Spright is only working with the Hutchinson Regional Health System in Kansas for now, it plans to gradually expand its service beyond that area throughout 2022.Wingcopters drones will mainly operate in rural, underserved communities, delivering within minutes supplies such as medication, vaccines, blood, and lab samples between medical facilities. The entire operation will be a clean, sustainable one, meant to reduce the medical industrys carbon footprint.Commenting on the new agreement, Wingcopter CEO Tom Plummer stated that the multi-million-dollar contract is clear proof that its 198 drone has a perfect product-market fit. The eVTOL boasts a triple-drop system that makes the aircraft capable of delivering up to three separate packages to multiple locations, as long as the total weight doesnt exceed 5 kg (11 lb.) per single flight.With a 198-cm (78) wingspan and capable of flying at altitudes of up to 5,000 m (16,400 ft), the Wingcopter 198 can reach a top speed of 144 kph (90 mph) and can fly up to 75 km (46 miles) with a payload of 11 lb. With just 2.2 lb (1 kg) to carry, that range increases to 95 km (almost 60 miles) on a single charge. AutoFlight is headquartered in Shanghai but is working on expanding globally. It recently revealed that it expects to obtain EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) certification for its aircraft by 2025, with the certification program being scheduled to start this year.The companys first eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) air taxi , Prosperity I, will be tested and further perfected in Germany, at the recently established research & development center at the Augsburg airport. In addition, further locations for test and demonstration flights will be established across Europe.As for the Prosperity I air taxi, it is described by AutoFlight as a new category of aircraft with a lift and cruise configuration. This design approach is supposed to combine a superior range and safety with low technical complexity, resulting in a simple, clean, quiet, and affordable flying machine.Prosperity I accomplished its maiden flight last October. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,500 kg (3,300 lb.), a capacity of four people (three passengers and the pilot), and it boasts an impressive range of up to 250 km (155 miles) on a charge. AutoFlight says it will have a maximum cruising speed of 200 kph (124 mph).To prove the reliability of its eVTOL aircraft, the Chinese manufacturer recently shared footage of the Prosperity I transitioning from vertical to horizontal flight, stopping its front propellers to allow the rear ones to begin driving it forward.For now, AutoFlight has just released the trailer of the test flight but it will release the full video in early February. Redesigned on the Volkswagen MSB platform in 2019, the Flying Spur is available with a choice of three powerplants: 6.0-liter W12 as the flagship engine, 4.0-liter V8 shared with the Porsche Panamera Turbo, plus a 2.9-liter V6 with plug-in hybrid assistance. Dubbed Hybrid instead of Plug-In Hybrid, the latter may be the sweetheart of the range, according to Bentley.Almost 100 media guests and experts from around the globe had the opportunity to experience the new Flying Spur Hybrid in sunny California, said the British automaker in the attached release, driving an impressive number of miles on battery power alone. Bentley also highlights that up to three gallons of fuel are saved per day by the plug-in V6 powertrain while cabin noise is reduced by 50 percent in electric mode at 50 mph (80 kph).I dont mean to sound like a tweed jacket-donning individual with a tweed hat and a tobacco pipe in his mouth, but I remember Bentley stood for completely different virtues. The British company always combined ultra-luxury appointments with top-notch oily bits and sporting credentials. Think of a Bentley (an old-school one, that is) as a Rolls-Royce with an attitude.2,894 cubic centimeters and six cylinders do seem inappropriate in a full-size luxobarge featuring the Flying B logo, especially if you remember the twin-turbo V6 is used by Audi in the RS 4 Avant. But on the other hand, the company didnt have a choice due to stringent emission regulations.Had Bentleys marketing department used the Euro 6 and 7 standards to excuse the plug-in hybrid V6-powered Flying Spur, I would have accepted it, given the grueling circumstances. But painting the Flying Spur Hybrid as a true Bentley and a forward-thinking product is utter nonsense for discerning enthusiasts. The Flying Spur Hybrid also happens to be a stopgap to full electrification as Bentley gears up to premiere its first EV in 2025 In other words, Hyundai believes the whole struggle with the lack of chips would be over in 2022, pretty much because the production would finally be aligned with the current demand in the automotive market.Ford, on the other hand, doesnt believe the nightmare is likely to end in 2022.Company CEO Jim Farley has recently said in an interview that the chip shortage will continue until at least 2023, though guessing when exactly it would come to an end is pretty much impossible right now.Farley, however, says the American carmaker is now trying a different approach. The production of the most profitable vehicles is prioritized, as the company wants to offset the production losses.In theory, this is good news for those people going for the F-150, for instance, but on the other hand, customers of less popular Ford models might have to wait much longer to get the vehicles. And whats more, they could eventually ship without certain systems, again due to the lack of chips.Ford is one of the companies that have been hit hard by the semiconductor crisis. The carmaker has recently decided to suspend the production of the Mustang , as its chip inventory was running out, and halting the manufacturing temporarily was the only way to deal with the problem.Ford describes the chip shortage as a persistent problem, and in theory, this means the company is struggling with the lack of semiconductors as we speak. And, of course, the constrained chip inventory is unlikely to be dealt with in the short term, which for Ford means that 2022 is going to be a very challenging year in terms of car production, regardless of the model. Business tycoon Ron Perelman doesnt seem to be having a great year so far. The New York Times recently dubbed him the king of debt, explaining that his overwhelming bills are forcing the billionaire to sell not only many of the shares he has in numerous companies but also assets such as two private jets and his mind-blowing 280-foot (85.6 meters) superyacht. It turns out that his empire was largely built on loans and is now crashing down on him.The billionaire has been putting assets on the market for the past couple of years, Second Shelters reports, including ultra-luxury estates, worth hundreds of millions of dollars. But the decision to part with C2, the massive luxury yacht, must not have been an easy one. Named after his second wife, Claudia Cohen, the beautiful vessel was enjoyed by Perelman and his subsequent wives (Anna Chapman is the fifth) over the past ten years. It even has dedicated kids cabins and is described as the perfect multi-generational boat. Built in 2009 by the well-known Abeking & Rasmussen German shipyard, the vessel also benefitted from a refit in 2019, when it received a 23-foot (7 meters) extension to include a beach club, a tender garage, and two new cabins. The C2 really is a floating family mansion with 15 staterooms for 31 guests. But they can also be converted into other types of living spaces, from media rooms to libraries.The main deck boasts an outdoor cinema and a huge glass-bottomed pool, allowing light to flood the generous beach club below. All rooms are bigger than an average New York hotel room, and the master suite boasts an entire wall of windows for spectacular views, plus spa-like amenities. Even the galley is a chef-equipped huge space, ready for exquisite family meals.There are multiple open-air living spaces across its decks, all including a bar and a buffet. A raised jacuzzi and a massage room were mandatory for this opulent relaxation sanctuary.But the C2 is ready to become someone elses relaxation sanctuary, as long as they have $106 million to spare for the megayacht thats listed for sale by Burgess . The downsized billionaire will only get to keep his memories. kW kWh The heavy class 8 truck entered the 2022 Dakar Rally as an experimental new energy vehicle. The H2 Racing Truck ran across the planned route from Jeddah and ended in the same spot, passing through 12 special stages.With a design developed by the renowned Pininfarina, the H2 Racing Truck is equipped with two 402-hp (300) electric motors, fuel cells that generate 510 hp (380 kW), and 82of batteries.However, all that power had been tamed down as the vehicle was speed-limited to 87 mph (140 kph) to meet race's regulations. Nonetheless, the truck tackled the sand dunes like a champ and even exceeded Gaussins expectations. It had an availability ratio of 99.9% and was able to run across the tracks for up 250 miles (400 km).Our hydrogen truck impressed on the spot, with its speed of 140 km/h, coupled with the silence of its engine, which is a huge asset for drivers, and finally a phenomenal torque, which made the difference in the dunes, said Christophe Gaussin, CEO of Gaussin.The successful run of the H2 Racing Truck at this years Dakar Rally did not only validate its performance but also showed the company that theres room for improvement. The data gathered during the competition will help Gaussin work on decreasing the trucks weight and center of gravity.The company will also use the data to develop its road truck lineup, which is set to debut later this year. Gaussin will introduce four different variants of its zero-emission truck, including a road tractor, an autonomous truck, one used in distribution, and a construction vehicle.Following the successful demonstration of the H2 Racing Truck, Gaussin will also work with new partners. Saudi Aramco, the national oil company, will join Gaussin in the development of its future hydrogen-powered vehicles. Google Street View and Apple Look Around provide access to high-quality street-level imagery that makes it possible to see the surroundings in any location just like youd be there.But of course, such photos can sometimes show sensitive information that shouldnt be there in the first place. And this is what happened recently with the home of none other than Apples CEO Tim Cook.It was recently discovered that Google Maps and Apple Maps blurred Tim Cooks house on their street-level imagery, possibly due to some recent stalking concerns.A 45-year-old Virginia woman not only threatened Tim Cook but she was also seen close to his home, so most likely, the Apple boss himself requested the blur on the two mapping services and therefore made his house impossible to inspect online.While were not here to discuss these stalking allegations, worth knowing is that anyone can send a similar request to Google and Apple.In other words, if you dont want your house to be visible on Google Street View and Apple Look Around, just reach out to the company using the dedicated forms.Google, for example, says blurring certain elements is part of its efforts to protect others privacy, so it can blur faces, homes, and other identifying information. Apple too says that users can have their faces, license plates, or houses censored on its services, and reaching out to the company should be enough for the whole thing. It goes without saying youll have to confirm your identity before the blur is enabled on the flagged images.Additional information on how to do the whole thing can be found in these Google and Apple documents. Instead of racing himself, Kimi will have a different role in motorsport starting 2022. The Finn will be a team manager for an MXGP. He will lead the team with a former MXGP rider, Antti Pyrhonen.The team in question is called Red Bull Ice One Racing, and Kimi Raikkonen was one of its owners. It used to race using Husqvarna motorcycles, but Kawasaki has chosen it as a factory team this season. As Kimi Raikkonen stated, he and his colleagues are "very happy that Kawasaki chose them as a factory team."Kimi underlined the fact that the chances of success become greater with factory support, and it will be a great opportunity for them to compete as the new Kawasaki factory team in MXGP. We already know that Romain Febre, the 2015 FIM Motocross World Champion, will join the team, along with Ben Watson.It is a known fact that Kimi Raikkonen first started racing with dirt bikes, and then moved on to four wheels. Kimi has reiterated the fact that motocross is one of his great passions in life. Moreover, the Finn has confirmed his commitment to the team, which is not just a hobby, and will be treated as seriously as possible, Dirt Bike Rider notes.Both Kimi Raikkonen and Antti Pyrhonen started racing motocross bikes on Kawasaki bikes, so both racers are happy with the association with the Japanese marque.It is clear that we will never see Kimi Raikkonen compete on a dirt bike in MXGP, but we may not get to see him race another top-tier of motorsport, as he also underlined his retirement from racing. Whatever the case, he knows what he is doing, so just leave him alone Many former Formula 1 racers try their hand at endurance racing or other forms of motorsport after competing in the most expensive branch of auto racing, but it seems that Kimi has chosen a different route. We can only be grateful for the many years we got to see him race. Several companies, including NASA, are already working on developing the necessary technology that will allow humanity to return to our natural satellite and stay there for good. One of them is Masten Space Systems, which came up with an ingenious system that will help the agency sustain long-term missions on the lunar surface.A night on the Moon is equivalent to 14 Earth days. That means temperatures can drop during that time period to -232 degrees Celsius (-387 degrees Fahrenheit). The problem is that science payloads require at least -40 degrees Celsius to function, and depending on the mission profile, they might need a continuous power supply to survive the freezing lunar nights.The solutions that are currently used are lithium-ion batteries and alkaline fuel cells. And even though they do the job, they require complex fluid systems and have a short lifespan.Masten's new system, called Our Nighttime Integrated Thermal and Electricity (NITE), relies on exothermic chemical reactions to produce both heat and power "through the oxidation of metals using propellant margin from the lander's propulsion system."NITE is up to seven times lighter than an equivalent battery and can be attached as a payload to multiple types of machines, including landers or rovers. Several advantages that it brings include the ability to operate autonomously when temperatures go below a certain level. It can also be turned off throughout the lunar day to avoid overheating, and it's not afraid of lunar dust.Moreover, NITE doesn't require power from the Sun to function, and it's capable of supporting operations for up to 12 months (depending on the type and quantity of oxidizer).The company has already put NITE to the test, and it plans to show the world the finished product later this year. Masten also hopes to see it being tested on the Moon. That might happen sooner than you'd think because the company was awarded a NASA Tipping Point contract to advance the development of the NITE system. SUV Depending on who you ask, the soft-close system's usefulness ranges wildly , from being a must-have feature to a nice-to-have status to being completely useless for some people. You can add to this list another one, as the soft-close function turns out to be outright dangerous. Reports show several people lost their fingers because of this convenience, and the latest one we know of has sued Mercedes-Benz after his cars door crashed his thumb.Richard J. Kastigar, Jr., who also happens to be chief deputy of the Pima County Sheriff Department in Arizona, holds a grudge against his familys 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450. In October last year, as he was getting off his vehicle in the garage, he got his right thumb crushed by the doors soft-close system. Now, he is suing Mercedes-Benz and is asking for compensation, as well as a redesign of the system to include safeguards. In its current form, the soft-close system is nothing short of a modern-day guillotine," according to the plaintiff.The problem is that for the soft-close system is almost impossible to detect a finger or other object caught in between the door and the pillar. The system works on a very short travel a quarter of an inch (6 mm) and this makes it very difficult to detect a foreign object. The systems power is indeed high enough to break a wooden pencil, let alone a finger.Although this would not help Mr. Kastigar very much, there are many cases just like his, and some of them went before the court with abysmal results. BMW and Jaguar faced similar lawsuits years ago and the judges dismissed them all. In the case of BMW, the judge said humans have been slamming their fingers in doors since doors were invented and the doors on BMW's vehicles are no exception. We doubt Mr. Kastigar would be more successful with his case against Mercedes-Benz. In other words, customers in the United States and Canada can pre-order the MA1 today, though as it happened before, theres a chance itll be sold out quite fast. So if youre thinking of buying the wireless Android Auto adapter , youd better do it while you still can, as nobody knows for sure when Motorola plans to make more units available.Needless to say, given the wireless Android Auto adapter is still in the pre-order stage, it will still take a while until you receive it. However, this is pretty much the only option to be among the first to get their hands on the device anyway, especially as the demand appears to be quite strong right now.Motorola is the first big name that joins the wireless Android Auto adapter battle that has until now been dominated by AAWireless Just like its competitors, the MA1 comes with a very simple design and works as conveniently as possible. You just need to plug the device into the cars USB port and pair it with your mobile phone. After that, the MA1 does its magic automatically, converting the wired version of Android Auto into wireless.Needless to say, you can just leave the adapter in the car and therefore enjoy Android Auto wireless every time you start the engine. Amazon buyers are also getting a gel pad that helps keep the device in place when driving.The Motorola adapter is priced similarly to its competitors, so in the United States, it can be yours for $89.95. The gel pad is included at no extra cost and comes alongside the MA1 adapter itself, the USB cable to connect it to the car, and the quick start guide. Karl Mueller, Superintendent of CUSD, and Mary Frese, owner of Claytons chain of restaurants. CUSD and Claytons collaborated to give gift cards to all 400 CUSD teachers and staff. Each staff member will be receiving a gift card worth $40 that can be used at any of the three Claytons Coronado locations. ICE EV It was in a group that also had the BMW i3, smart fortwo ED (Electric Drive), and Renault ZOE, and all of them had gone through their first inspection three years after purchase. The best one was the smart fortwo, with a reproof rate of 3.5%. If that were compared to the 128models that were in the TUV Report 2022, the tinywould be among the 50 best ones.The about-to-be-retired BMW i3 only made the cut as one of the approved vehicles because it got precisely the rejection rate average in Germany in 2021: 4.7%. Its most prevalent defects are related to the low beams and brake disks. In this case, it is not exactly a malfunction but rather the lack of use, which made the disks present corrosion. According to Joachim Buhler, Managing Director of the TUV Association, that should work as a warning for owners of electric cars: they should step on the brakes more and verify them regularly.The Renault ZOE is the one that starts to present lousy news for EV owners. With a disapproval average of 5.7%, it is among the 50 worst cars in the report. Most of the issues it presented were related to defective or incorrectly adjusted headlights and also to the suspension. Thats something it shares with the Model S, even if the Renault seems to present problems in different suspension components while those on the Model S are pretty specific.The Tesla got a 10.7% rejection rate. That means that TUV reproved 1 in 10 Model S units that were still relatively new. Compared to the 128 in TUVs list, it is only better than the Dacia Logan and the Dacia Duster. Its main issues were connected to fog lights, low beams, and control arms.Tesla has a record of suspension issues. Keith Leech even coined the expression Whompy Wheels to denounce these defects and ask NHTSA to demand a recall about them. Officially, Tesla already had to recall all its models for suspension issues.China obliged the company to do so in 18,182 Model S and X units in October 2020. The most recent case involved suspension knuckles on the Model Y that affected 826 cars in the U.S. and 21,599 in China. Tesla publicly blamed its Chinese supplier for the problem.Apart from these cases, Tesla customers often report problems with failing suspensions, such as a Swiss owner that saw that happen in an Autobahn at 200 kph (124 mph). In May 2021, Tesla contacted Model 3 owners for suspension repairs, raising accusations of a stealth recall.Regarding the low beams and fog lights, they may be related to another chronic problem Tesla vehicles present: water leaks in headlights and taillights that makes moisture condense on the lenses.The TUV report reinforces that Tesla has to urgently take care of quality control and vehicle testing. In a few years, the Model 3 and Model Y will start needing general inspections and the results could hurt Teslas reputation in Germany and Europe as a whole. While theres still time to avoid that, the EV maker has not given any signs so far that it is even slightly concerned about this. Forewarned is forearmed. Chassis number 3941192773 started life as a Plymouth model (3) in police specification (9) assembled for the 1964 model year (4) at Lynch Road in Detroit (1). Restored at great expense, the Super Stock-inspired tribute offered by RK Motors Charlotte now flexes a buff 572-cubic-inch HEMI V8 crate engine with aluminum heads and cross-ram induction.Nearly 9.4 liters of HEMI muscle is pretty darn tremendous, isn't it? The high-octane fury hiding under the hood cranks out a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1-matching 650 horsepower and 650 pound-feet (881 Nm) of torque, features mirrored valve covers, and rocks a pair of Holley 650 carburetors. An aluminum water pump, electronic ignition, Taylor Spiro Pro cables, coated long-tube headers, stainless-steel exhaust pipes, 10.5 to 1 compression ratio, and a Viper Red-painted engine compartment also need to be mentioned.Finished in Viper Red for the outside as well, this one-of-one Savoy rolls on 15-inch American Racing Torq Thrust D five-spoke wheels mounted with Firestone Deluxe Champion and Dragster tires. A tried-and-tested A727 auto is connected to a Dana 60 rear end with 3.73 gears. The build further boasts a torsion bar up front, rear leaf springs, and cool mini tubs.Fitted with a quick-ratio steering box, the strip-oriented Savoy makes no excuses for the stripper interior clad with high-quality red vinyl. Factory gauges complement a Winters Sidewinder shifter and a restored two-spoke wheel that features a minimalist centerpiece depicting the Mayflower.Currently showing merely 300 miles (482 kilometers) on the odometer, this no-nonsense muscle car is offered by RK Motors Charlotte for $83,900. Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard (C) speaks as Renault interim CEO Clotilde Delbos (L) and Nissan Motors President and CEO Makoto Uchida stand beside him during their joint press briefing on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture on January 30, 2020. (Photo : STR/JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images) The French-Japanese alliance of Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi plan to spend $25.8 billion (23 billion) over the next five years to develop electric vehicle technology, the automakers announced on Thursday, January 27. The three companies will share auto parts, technology, and research to reduce costs and aim to produce 35 new EV models by the year 2030. The alliance will develop five new platforms as part of its 'smart differentiation' strategy to achieve that lofty target. These platforms will be shared across the three brands with 80 percent common usage. The affordable CMF-AEV platform is the base for Renault's budget Dacia Spring model. The LCV platform is designed for commercial vehicles like the Nissan Town Star and Renault Kangoo, while the mini-vehicle KEI-EV platform will serve as the base for ultra-compact electric vehicles. Alliance to use CMF-BEV platform for electric vehicle push The group currently uses the CMF-EV platform for crossovers like the Renault Megane E-Tech and Nissan Ariya. Last but not least is the CMF-BEV platform, which the alliance will use for compact EVs. This platform promises to slash costs by 33 percent and consumption by 10 percent compared to the current Zoe model of Renault. The Alliance expects great things from this platform, with the CMF-BEV serving as the base for around 250,000 vehicles under the Nissan, Renault, and Alpine brands per year. Among the cars that will utilize this platform are the Renault R5 and Nissan's much-awaited EV replacement to the Micra. Nissan teased that electric car in a separate press release, with COO Ashwani Gupta describing the vehicle as a great example of the Alliance's 'smart differentiation' approach. Gupta said that the all-new model would be designed by Nissan, while Renault would handle the engineering and manufacturing of the vehicle. Related Article: Flying Car Moves Closer to Reality After BMW-powered' Aircar' Earns Certificate of Airworthiness Alliance looks to stop Tesla's dominance in the EV market The alliance is critical for the three automakers to save costs amidst COVID-related supply chain issues. A lingering computer chip shortage has affected the entire auto industry, making coordination between Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi more urgent and important than ever. Tesla has proven to be a strong and powerful competitor in the EV market, with Elon Musk's company posting record profits last year. Other rival automakers are also making a big push with their EV plans, including Toyota and General Motors. Even Sony Corp. is looking to grab a share of the lucrative EV market, with the company recently showing a prototype of an electric car. According to Nissan Chief Executive Makoto Uchida, the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance will benefit from sharing components, production facilities, and research. Uchida added that the group would also benefit from their people's shared experience and expertise, which is the most important thing for him. READ MORE ON AWN: BMW M4 GT4 First Round of Tests Completed! These Features, Specs Will Make It a Beast on the Road Ford Unveils 2022 Bronco Raptor Performance SUV; CEO Labels Vehicle a 'Desert-Racing Beast' 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. A German court has sentenced a former Syrian intelligence officer to life in prison for crimes against humanity, making him the first person criminally convicted over the Assad regime's torture program. Why it matters: Anwar Raslan, who fled Syria in 2012, was accused of overseeing a detention center that tortured over 4,000 people during the first year of Syrian unrest that eventually devolved into a devastating, decade-long civil war. He is the first member of the Assad regime to stand trial for war crimes in a foreign criminal court, which was made possible by Germany's application of "universal jurisdiction" for certain egregious crimes. Human rights activists say Raslan's conviction is a watershed moment that could spur other European courts to pursue action against alleged war criminals associated with the Assad government or other regimes not party to the International Criminal Court. Background: Like hundreds of thousands of Syrians who fled their country during the civil war, Raslan claimed asylum in Germany in 2014. He joined the exiled Syrian opposition and lived peacefully in Germany until authorities uncovered his role in the Al-Khatib torture facility in Damascus. After Raslan's arrest in 2019, dozens of Syrian survivors came forward to testify against him during the extraordinary trial in Koblenz, a city in western Germany. Prosecutors said at least 58 people were killed under Raslan's watch. He denied the charges. The big picture: Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad remains in power more than 10 years after the uprising began, propped up by his allies in Russia and Iran. The regime remains under tough international sanctions, but several Arab states have begun the process of normalizing relations with Syria in recognition that Assad is here to stay. This week, the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs committees wrote to President Biden raising "urgent" concerns about his Syria policy including what they called his "tacit approval" of the Arab world's push for normalization. Go deeper: Assad comes in from the cold Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Pashinian pledged to set up a joint commission on border delimitation and demarcation during a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin held in Sochi last November. The Armenian government said earlier this month that the commission should start its work after a set of confidence-building measures, notably the withdrawal of Armenian and Azerbaijani troops from their border posts. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov rejected the Armenian preconditions, saying that Baku stands for an immediate and unconditional start of the demarcation. Armenias Foreign Ministry responded by saying on January 20 that Aliyev and Pashinian agreed on the mutual troop withdrawal during their follow-up negotiations held in Brussels in December. Mirzoyan insisted that the two sides are not deadlocked on the issue. But he refused to go into details. Discussions are continuing We are now trying to get clarifications about what exactly is unacceptable to them, on what grounds, and what new solutions there could be, Mirzoyan told journalists. Russia regularly calls for a quick start of the demarcation process, saying that it would minimize ceasefire violations along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The process is due to be mediated and facilitated by Russian officials. Two senior European diplomats discussed the matter with Aliyev and Pashinian when they visited Baku and Yerevan last week. Toivo Klaar, the European Unions special representative to the South Caucasus, described the talks as excellent. Senior officials instead issued written statements on the occasion and laid flowers at the Yerablur military pantheon in Yerevan where hundreds of Armenian soldiers killed during the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh were buried. Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian, who led a government delegation visiting Yerablur, said that an official reception dedicated to the army jubilee was postponed due to a spate of COVID-19 infections. The government announced on Wednesday that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has tested positive for the coronavirus for the second time in 20 months and gone into self-isolation. The Armenian Defense Ministry said the following day that a group of high-ranking military officers have also been infected. It did not name them. Pashinian and many other officials were among several hundred guests who attended on January 22 Defense Ministry Suren Papikians lavish wedding celebrated at a restaurant amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the country. Grigorian dismissed suggestions that many of them may have caught the virus there. The Defense Ministry said on Thursday that Papikian is not showing any symptoms but will take a coronavirus test. Its press office could not be reached for further comment on Friday. Papikian, who is a leading member of the ruling Civil Contract party, refused to answer questions from journalists when he visited Yerablur together with other senior government officials. Only the Armenian Apostolic Church held an awards ceremony on the occasion. Its supreme head, Catholicos Garegin II, handed Orders of St. Nerses the Gracious, a major church award, to a dozen army officers. In a written statement, Pashinian reiterated that his administration is doing its best to rebuild and reform the Armenian army after its defeat in the 2020 war. Improving the armys combat readiness, weaponry and conditions of service is our priority, he said amid continuing claims to the contrary made by his political opponents. Former Presidents Robert Kocharian and Serzh Sarkisian, who now lead the countrys main opposition groups, also issued statements paying tribute to the military and congratulating it on the anniversary. They both used the occasion to take a swipe at the current government. The army that used to be the guarantor of security in Artsakh (Karabakh) and the whole region today itself needs protection, said Kocharian. He expressed hope that it will straighten its back in the near future. For his part, Sarkisian, who had served as defense minister for over a decade, charged that the army fought the war under treasonous command. Meanwhile, several opposition lawmakers visited army posts on Armenias border with Azerbaijan and posted on social media their photographs with soldiers serving there. Join Edith Salas of Salas Properties & host Jenn Barlow as they visit the Coronado Shores community. The towers have amazing views including the world famous Hotel del Coronado, downtown San Diego, San Diego Bay, the City of Coronado, Point Loma, and the Pacific Ocean. 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. John Roby, a font of knowledge and history and saver of the railroad caboose on display at the Port of Beaumont, died suddenly Tuesday at his retirement home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was 67. "He really looked out for the port," said Pete Shelton, former longtime port board president and retired fire chief of the city of Beaumont. "His last big project was that caboose. He really cared about history. Roby joined the port in 1979 and retired in 2016 after working in publicity, advertising and as a reporter for the Beaumont Enterprise early in his career. At the port, Roby's final position was that of manager of corporate affairs, which included a portfolio of the port's public relations, government affairs and manager of transportation and marketing. On Roby's retirement, port chief executive officer Chris Fisher said Roby suggested the port consider a partnership with Jefferson Energies Companies, which ultimately built an oil terminal on the port's sprawling Orange County property once was an unimproved wilderness. Now, that property makes up nearly a quarter of the port's annual revenue. The investment in that part of the port's property is nearly $1 billion now, Fisher said. "He was such a great representative for the port," Fisher said. "I'd go to port conferences all over the country and people would ask me, 'Do you know John Roby?' He had met Al Salazar (former CEO of Jefferson Energies) at a conference. (The development of the Orange County property) initiated from a contact with John. That's how outreach works." Roby, in his characteristic quiet style, told port commissioners he was most proud of the growth that he had helped accomplish. "It's transformational," he told them almost exactly six years ago in a story published in The Enterprise on Jan. 26, 2016. His retirement date was Feb. 8, 2016, which coincided with his birthday. Roby was a railroad enthusiast, who helped acquire the obsolete caboose from BNSF Railway that showed every bit of its wear and tear. The port shunted it to a mostly unused rail spur at the time under a transfer shed so restoration could be done. It took months to achieve on a small budget, but once the job was done, the port laid a small stretch of track next to its administration building, 1225 Main St., for the restored caboose's display next to the gold-hued ship's propeller that greets all visitors to the port another port icon that Roby had a hand in, Shelton said. Roby had learned at a conference that the U.S. Maritime Administration had a ship's propeller in Mobile, Alabama that it was looking to donate. It began as a lease to the Port of Beaumont, and Roby figured a way to have it sent from Mobile to Beaumont aboard a vessel, because it was too big to put on a truck, Fisher said. Roby was actively involved in numerous port-related associations that involve shipping and transportation and also was on the steering committee that resulted in the establishment of the Lamar University Center for Advances in Port Management. That center recently was described in the annual economic meeting of the Southeast Texas Economic Foundation earlier this month as one of the education leaders for all U.S. ports and a beginning for students interested in maritime careers. At his retirement announcement, a then-port commissioner told Roby, "Your name is synonymous with the Port of Beaumont." Roby also made certain that his hometown was kept aware of newsworthy items, like the visit of the Union Pacific's "Big Boy" locomotive that rolled through Beaumont in August 2021. He also held fast to his beliefs and in a standoff with the home owners association where he lived in Santa Fe, he refused to take down a campaign sign he'd put up in front of his house in the 2020 presidential election. The HOA objected because it wasn't allowed, and Roby protested because of his First Amendment rights. The HOA said only For Sale signs could be erected, and even then they couldn't exceed 3 square feet. Roby said the HOA never enforced that just as it never enforced on-street parking. The HOA threatened him with a $25 fine. Roby paid the fine and his sign stayed up. Dan Wallach is a freelance writer for The Beaumont Enterprise. An arrest has been made in connection with the killing of a beloved Beaumont man whose family pleaded with the community for help in solving who took his life. Markeith Rashaad Morgan, 33 of Beaumont, was arrested on Thursday afternoon on a murder warrant issued in connection with the killing of Antonio A-Tone Wilson, a Beaumont PD news release said. Wilson, 32, was shot to death on August 6, 2020 in the 5900 block of Bedford Drive in Beaumont. The warrant was issued by Justice of the Peace Ben Collins Sr.with a bond amount of $1 million, the release said. Related: Beaumont family asks community to stop releasing balloons, start releasing names The Beaumont police Special Assignmemt Unit, along with the U.S. Marshals Service, arrested Morgan in the 2200 block of West Virginia at 2 p.m. Thursday, the release said. He was taken to the Beaumont Police station where he was interviewed before being taken to the Jefferson County Jail, Beaumont PD said. This investigation is on-going and detectives expect additional arrests to be forthcoming, the release said. On the one-year anniversary of Wilsons murder, his family asked the community to stop releasing balloons in his memory and start releasing names to solve the crime. The family previously said they believed the community was being more loyal to the person who killed the father of a toddler, who fought against gun violence and worked to unify Beaumont. Related: Shooting victims mother seeks justice as community mourns The family also previously set up a GoFundMe account with a $5,000 goal to help fund a Crime Stoppers reward for any individual that helps lead to an arrest in the case. Related: BPD looking for details in Bedford Drive shooting This is a developing story. Check back for updates. meagan.ellsworth@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/megzmagpie Weifeng Zhong is a senior research fellow with the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and a core developer of the open-sourced Policy Change Index project. The writer is addressing the U.S. diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Beijing Olympics. Internally displaced Rohingya walk at a market area in the Baw Du Pha Internally Displaced Peoples camp in Sittwe, in Myanmars Rakhine state, July 4, 2021. Bangladeshi government officials this week had their first meeting with Burmese junta representatives on the issue of repatriating Rohingya refugees who are sheltering in Bangladesh. The repatriation talks, the first in more than a year, have been moving at a snails pace since more than 700,000 of Myanmars stateless Rohingya ethnic minority fled to southeastern Bangladesh in August 2017 after a brutal military offensive against them in Rakhine, their home state. Bangladesh noted that it was dismayed at Myanmars tardiness in the vetting and verifying of Rohingya refugees, a statement issued Friday by Dhakas foreign ministry said about the meeting a day earlier. The verifying of refugees by Myanmar is a prerequisite for their return. The first-ever meeting of the newly formed technical level Ad-Hoc Task Force for Verification of the Displaced Persons from Rakhine was held today virtually between Bangladesh and Myanmar, the statement said. Shah Rizwan Hayat, Bangladeshs commissioner for refugee relief and repatriation, expressed dismay over the slow pace of verification of past residency by Myanmar and offered all cooperation to expeditiously complete the verification process, the statement added. Hayat noted that filling in the gaps in pending verification would pave the way for a quick sustainable repatriation of the people uprooted from Rakhine. He said the creation of a conducive environment there and confidence building among Rohingya would also facilitate swifter repatriation. Two earlier attempts to begin repatriation to Myanmar in November 2018 and August 2019 failed, with Rohingya leaders saying at the time that refugees would not return until their safety, security and rights were guaranteed in that country. The two nations had resumed China-brokered talks last January after a pandemic-related lull, and they tentatively discussed a fresh attempt to begin repatriation in the second quarter of 2021. The next month, though, the Burmese military toppled the elected government and that delayed further discussions yet again. Back then, Myanmar had approved only 42,000 names from a list of 840,000 compiled by Dhaka. At Thursdays discussion, both sides expressed readiness to continue working closely to address the reasons causing delay in the verification of the past residency of the displaced people in Rakhine, Bangladeshs statement said. Unlikely to succeed However, an ex-diplomat and some of the Rohingya in the sprawling refugee camps in Coxs Bazar district near the Myanmar border are not optimistic that Naypyidaw will easily agree to repatriation. Both said there must be pressure from Bangladesh as well as internationally on Myanmar to take back the refugees. Resolving the Rohingya crisis through bilateral negotiations with Myanmar is unlikely to succeed, Touhid Hossain, a former foreign secretary, told BenarNews [Myanmar] will only agree to accept the Rohingya when Bangladesh builds up pressure which they cant overcome, he said. One refugee leader, Mohammad Alam, said he and many others want to go back home one day, provided it is safe to do so, but that is not likely to happen soon. Believing Myanmar is very hard, Alam told BenarNews. But we believe Bangladesh and the international community have been working in favor of the Rohingya. We will definitely return to our homeland someday. Meetings are essential to keep the momentum going, said Kin Maung, founder of the Rohingya Youth Association in Coxs Bazar. There must be a way out if the meetings continue, Kin told BenarNews. But the international pressure on Myanmar must continue, otherwise they would change their position. Tokyo sending aid to Rohingya on island Separately, Japan on Friday announced an infusion of U.S. $2 million in aid for Rohingya refugees who have been moved from the camps in mainland Bangladesh to a remote Bay of Bengal island. This contribution includes U.S. $1 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and U.S. $1 million to the World Food Program (WFP) and allows implementing humanitarian assistance activities for the displaced Rohingya who are in need of urgent assistance in Bhashan Char in areas such as food and health, said a statement from the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka. With Rohingya repatriation delayed seemingly interminably, the Bangladesh government has moved around 20,000 Rohingya to Bhashan Char Island to ease the situation in the crowded camps in mainland Coxs Bazar. Critics have said the island is unsafe during the monsoon season and also lacks the requisite infrastructure to support thousands of people. In October, UNHCR signed a deal with the Bangladesh government to begin humanitarian work on Bhashan Char. Japans envoy in Dhaka, ITO Naoki, said he hoped the Japanese contribution would help with the necessities needed on Bhashan Char so refugees can live there safely and comfortably. Japan expects the U.N. will respond to prevailing and increasing humanitarian and protection needs on the island, and strongly hopes that this assistance will contribute to better service delivery and improve living conditions of people living on Bhashan Char, Naoki said in a statement. Abdur Rahman in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, contributed to this report. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, center, holds the ASEAN chairmans gavel during the closing ceremony for the 2021 virtual summit, Oct. 27, 2021. As the Southeast Asian bloc struggles to forge a consensus on divisive issues including the South China Sea and Myanmar, analysts see a possible shift in how the regions diplomats and officials go about their business. Consensus-driven diplomacy, epitomized by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), is in danger of being sidelined in favor of more flexible and nimble arrangements to address issues of regional concern. International relations analysts have a name for it: minilateralism. Just this week, top leaders of Singapore and Indonesia signed key documents paving the way for stronger bilateral cooperation including in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, the defense ministers of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines were to meet this week to discuss trilateral security cooperation, although those talks were postponed until March, apparently because of COVID-19. And Indonesia is planning talks with a small group of nations next month on maritime security. Observers say the trend may signal a rethinking of ASEANs principle of consensus calling for all member states to agree and find a common stance on any subject. Instead, they may look to form smaller, more informal and flexible groupings within the bloc to deal with pressing issues more effectively. Sadly minilateralism is probably the only way forward, said Shahriman Lockman, a senior analyst at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia. Foster brotherhood Differences with ASEAN have been on display in recent weeks over Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's maverick attempt to resolve the crisis in Myanmar. Last week he lashed out against his Malaysian counterpart for criticizing his dealings with the junta. Probably the most enduring, divisive issue within ASEAN is the South China Sea, which has left nations without a stake in those disputed waters at odds with those that do. In December, Indonesia invited officials in charge of maritime security from five other ASEAN members to meet to share experiences and foster brotherhood among the countries facing similar challenges posed by China. The head of the Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla), Vice Adm. Aan Kurnia, said he would invite counterparts from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam to a meeting in February to discuss how to establish a coordinated approach in matters related to the South China Sea, and how to respond in the field when we face the same disturbance. Huynh Tam Sang, a lecturer at Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH) in Vietnam, said: ASEAN has tried its best to maintain a neutral stance when coming to the South China Sea issue. But as ASEAN countries are all small- and middle-sized states, it is not easy [for them] to come up with a solid stance and effective strategy to navigate the South China Sea issue, he said. Shahriman from ISIS was more forthright: I think there is a growing frustration with the fact that ASEAN is unable to be more cohesive, he said. Minilateralism is inevitably seen as an option. I dont believe that minilateralism will be as damaging to ASEAN as some may think. For years, countries around the Mekong [river] have been working in their own mechanisms without raising existential questions about ASEAN, Shahriman said. So why should it be any different for the South China Sea? There have been precedents, including the Malacca Strait Patrol which involves several littoral states, and the Trilateral Cooperation Arrangement for the Sulu Sea, according to the Malaysian analyst. Unlike multilateral settings, minilateral ones tend to focus on narrower and more specific themes with exclusive membership, thereby proving more effective in solving issues that matter to those directly involved, agreed Sang from Ho Chi Minh City USSH. Analysts said a grouping of like-minded countries focused on maritime security cooperation would work best to promote stability and prevent conflicts in the disputed waters. An Indonesian Navy sailor monitors a Chinese Coast Guard ship during a patrol north of Indonesias Natuna island, Jan. 11, 2020. [Antara Foto via Reuters] Role of Bakamla China has been accused of harassing other countries when they are exploring resources in the South China Sea. Indonesia, for example, has been told by China repeatedly to stop drilling for oil and gas near the Natuna islands as the block is within the so-called nine-dash line that China uses to demarcate its expansive claims. Sang said the situation in North Natuna Sea, as well as Beijings constant objections to Jakartas development projects, has challenged Indonesias stance that it is a non-claimant in the South China Sea. Jakarta could no longer stay aloof from the South China Sea disputes, he said, proposing that Indonesia, through its maritime security agency Bakamla, should take the lead in navigating South China Sea challenges. Dedi Dinarto, a senior analyst at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, agreed. I believe that this is a feasible arrangement for Bakamla to interact with the neighboring coast guards as Indonesia prefers to maintain a cooperative security approach when dealing with threats and instability in the region, he said. Bakamla can initiate the minilateral white hulls forum as an initial step, said Dedi, who specializes in Indonesias politics and maritime security. But there are many hurdles to overcome before the neighbors can come up with a working mechanism. Beijing, known for putting economic pressure on smaller regional states, will not let those actions go unnoticed, analysts said. Domestic obstacles should also not be discounted, Dedi said. To sustain or even expand its role in the regional setting depends on its reputation at home and the willingness of the central government to place more resources for Bakamla and to set it as the key player compared to other maritime security agencies including the Navy, he said. Bakamla has modest operational assets, including just 10 coast guard ships and minimal weaponry. Its unclear institutional identity, Dedi said, led to a limited acknowledgement at home and up to date, the agency remains dependent on the Navy for backup support. With these issues, it remains to be seen whether Bakamla can thrive and play a more significant role. Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (left) talks with Indian envoy Shambhu Kumaran during a signing ceremony for Manilas purchase of supersonic missiles from Indias Brahmos Aerospace, in Manila, Jan. 28, 2022. Manila on Friday formally signed a U.S. $375-million contract to purchase BrahMos supersonic anti-ship missiles from India, making the Philippines the first foreign country to order the weapon reputed as the worlds fastest cruise missile. By acquiring three batteries of the BrahMos missiles, the Philippines is also making a leap in bolstering its territorial defenses amid an increasingly pressing external threat, particularly from Beijing, in its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, according to analysts. As the worlds fastest supersonic cruise missiles, the BrahMos missiles will provide deterrence against any attempt to undermine our sovereignty and sovereign rights, especially in the West Philippine Sea, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said during a virtual signing ceremony that sealed the deal, using Manilas name for the South China Sea. Equipping our navy with this vital asset is imperative as the Philippines continues to protect the integrity of its territory and defend its national interests, he added, according to a statement from his office. Lorenzana and BrahMos Director General Atul Dinkar Rane signed the contract during the ceremony. Shambhu Kumaran, the Indian ambassador to the Philippines, joined Lorenzana at the Philippine military headquarters in Manila for the event. The BrahMos missiles are a cost-effective way to bolster the archipelago-nations defenses, analysts have said. They see the weapons as a value-for-money option for a developing country with limited cash for defense spending. An advanced sea-to-sea variant of the BrahMos Supersonic Cruise missile is test-fired from the Visakhapatnam, an Indian navy ship, Jan. 11, 2022. [Photo courtesy Defense Research and Development Organization @DRDO_India via Twitter] Growing intrusions by Chinese government vessels, including trawlers believed to be crewed by maritime militias, have become common in Philippine-claimed waters in recent years. In 2021, reports of some 200 alleged Chinese militia ships in Philippine-claimed reefs in the Spratly Islands provoked a months-long diplomatic spat between Manila and Beijing. Manila has been in talks with BrahMos Aerospace for the missile deal since at least early 2021, with the agreement getting the green light from Lorenzana on Dec. 31. The contract [with the Philippines] is an important step forward for [the] Government of Indias policy of promoting responsible defense exports, the Indian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Friday. The missiles will be manufactured in India by BrahMos Aerospace, through a joint venture between India and Russia. The name BrahMos comes from fusing the names of the Brahmaputra and Moscow rivers in India and Russia, respectively. For India, which has a serious border dispute in its northeast with China, this marks the first export order for BrahMos missiles. The agreement boosts Indias profile as a regional power, with similar deals to export BrahMos missiles to other Southeast Asian countries reportedly in the works. Tourists jump from a cliff along a beach on the coast of Bani in Pangasinan province, Northern Philippines, Feb. 29, 2020. Foreigners who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be allowed to enter the Philippines beginning Feb. 10, the government announced Friday. Manila has been touting the gradual reopening of the economy amid a new wave of coronavirus infections, and Fridays decision came on the back of strong lobbying from the tourism sector. The decision, approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, allows foreigners to enter the country if they can show proof of vaccination. They must agree to additional safety protocols while in the Philippines. The department sees this as a welcome development that will contribute significantly to job restoration, primarily in tourism-dependent communities, and in the reopening of businesses that have earlier shut down during the pandemic, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said. She has been pushing to reopen the tourist spots since December, but delayed those efforts because of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. We are also aware that there is no room for complacency given the unpredictability of the virus. We will closely monitor the situation and ensure that health and safety protocols are strictly implemented in all tourism establishments, Romulo-Puyat said. The announcement came a day after officials announced that the Philippine economy grew by 5.6 percent last year after a steep recession in 2020 caused by ripple effects during the first year of the viral outbreak. Exemptions Signed on Thursday, the inter-agencys resolution allows children and those who are not vaccinated for medical reasons to be exempt provided they can show certification from their doctors. Foreign diplomats and their dependents who are qualified visa holders are exempt as well. Airlines are mandated to require that foreigners traveling to the country present proof of full vaccination before being allowed to board. Meanwhile, the health department said COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 5 to 11 are to begin on Feb. 4, depending on the supply. The department sought to allay fears about pediatric vaccinations, citing U.S. studies showing they are safe. Officials have been trying to combat vaccine hesitancy here years after the government stopped administering a dengue shot after its French manufacturer said it could be harmful. The shots, manufactured by Sanofi, were given to thousands of Filipino schoolchildren nationwide before being banned in 2017. Again, vaccines are safe and effective, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told reporters. The vaccination of our younger population will bring protection to the entire family. Mourners place flowers next to the crosswalk where a female doctor was struck and killed by a motorcyclist on Phaya Thai Road in Bangkok, Jan. 25, 2022. Outrage and dark humor have flowed freely in Bangkok this week after a policeman on an unlicensed Ducati motorcycle allegedly struck and killed a young doctor at a crosswalk, and then tried to enter the monkhood to atone for the deed after being slapped with seven charges. The killing of ophthalmologist Waralak Supawat-Jariyakul at a pedestrian crossing here last week and the post-accident actions of the young cop suspected of plowing into her has unleashed a torrent of sarcasm via social media. The story has come to symbolize the perils citizens of the Thai capital face when crossing its traffic-choked streets on foot even at the black-and-white crosswalks where motor vehicles are supposed to yield to pedestrians. Ying Nui, a university student in Bangkok, said she has become adept at the 20-meter-dash at zebra crossings because drivers do not give way to pedestrians. I call it my own CrossFit. You have to imagine like you are running for your life, or as if an angry dog is chasing you, she told BenarNews. At around 3:10 p.m. on Jan. 21, Dr. Waralak was trying to cross Phaya Thai Road at one of those marked crosswalks. Cars had stopped to allow the eye doctor to cross, but witnesses told local media that a big bike passing vehicles from the wrong side hit her at a high speed, sending her flying 10 meters (32.8 feet) away. The estimated speed was 108 to 128 kph (67 to 80 mph) according to the forensic team who investigated the scene, Thai police said on Friday. The roads speed limit is 80 kph (50 mph). The motorcyclist fled on foot. The doctor died moment later at a nearby hospital, three days shy of her 34th birthday. It took authorities two days to identify the motorcyclist as Norawit Buadok, 21, a riot-police lance corporal who had bought the 900-cc red Ducati Monster in December. Police said Norawit, who confessed, could face 10 years in prison if convicted of the charges that include reckless driving causing death. On Friday, police added another charge against the young cop driving above the speed limit officials told reporters. On Jan. 24, the day after the first charges were filed, Norawit and his father, Sub-Lt. Nikhom Buadok, entered the monkhood to make merit and compensate for the doctors death. Photos of Norawit getting his head shaved lit up social media. Pedestrians wait at a crosswalk on Phaya Thai Road, Bangkok, Jan. 25, 2022 [Thai News Pix] Police Maj. Gen. Nakarin Sukonthawvit, chief of the riot police, said he spoke to Norawit, who was deeply sorry. He said he wanted to [become ordained] to make merit for Dr. Waralak and that this decision was entirely his own, with no influence from his superiors, Nakarin told local media. The Sangha Supreme Council, the Buddhist governing body in Thailand that opposes suspects being ordained as monks, said it would disrobe Norawit who did not wait for the council to act. I will leave the monkhood tomorrow [Jan. 26]. I feel discomfort and beg for pardon and apologize, Norawit told reporters on Tuesday. WinsatonSamith posted a tweet comparing The Beatles crossing Abbey Road in London and what could have happened in Bangkok. [WinsatonSamith twitter @ WinsatonS] Backlash Artists and satirists have turned to Twitter to comment on the incident. RIP Dr. Rabbit [Waralaks nickname] and may God bless you who have to cross the road in Thailand, said a Twitter post by WinsatonSamith (@WinsatonS). It shows the famous album-cover photo of The Beatles crossing Abbey Road. But in this rendition, John, Paul, George and Ringo fly into the air after being hit by a motorcycle. Another Twitter post by satirist Luckleg (@Luckyleg88) showed people trying to cross the road in Thailand as if it were a deadly game in the popular Netflix series Squid Game. Uninspired by Current Events (@Uninspiredby) has posted four illustrations since the accident, including one titled Criss Crossing. They show police officers painting a motorcycle sign over a pedestrian crossing. It has been retweeted more than 86,000 times. Political cartoonist Stephff (@stephffart) tweeted a cartoon showing the suspect fleeing the scene dressed as a monk and leaving a police uniform behind. [Cartoon by Kuad for BenarNews] Another Thai was not convinced that Norawits response showed remorse. Does anyone think like me that he was advised to enter the monkhood? Not only would he be safe when he shows up to apologize to the family, but he would be treated with respect as a monk, Rattanaporn Too said in a Facebook post. Last weeks fatal accident shed light on two of the root causes of the problem the mentality that pedestrians do not matter and the lax enforcement of laws, according to one Thai journalist. The overall cost of living is cheaper in Thailand than in the West, but so are lives, Hathai Techakitteranun, deputy editor-in-chief of Thai PBS World, said on her website. Young and reckless For many, last weeks death reminded them of a 2010 incident when a wealthy 16-year-old girl rammed her car into a university van, killing nine people. Orachorn Praewa Thephasadin became an emblem of Thailands wealthy and powerful being able to avoid prison as she was ordered to perform 138 hours of community service. More recently, Red Bull heir Vorayuth Boss Yoovidhya was charged with reckless driving causing death over a 2012 incident where his Ferrari allegedly struck and killed a police officer. The suspect apparently left the country. Thailand had the highest annual rate of road traffic deaths in Asia, with 32.7 fatalities per 100,000 people, according to the World Health Organizations 2018 Global Status Report on Road Safety. It was the ninth highest globally, with most other countries being in Africa. About 20,000 to 22,000 people die in road accidents every year in Thailand, according to government data. The Thai public health ministry reported 800 to 1,000 pedestrians were killed between 2016 and 2018. By comparison, about 22,000 deaths have been blamed on COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Vocalist Hunnae Brandy sings Bob Marley songs at The Russell, a new Jamaican restaurant in West Hartford. (Susan Dunne) The sound of reggae and the smell of jerk chicken filled the air in West Hartford Center on Wednesday as the newest location of The Russell soft-opened at 39 South Main St. Hugh Russell, who founded the downtown Hartford restaurant-nightclub 16 years ago and a grab-and-go storefront in the South West neighborhood last year, expanded westward because Jamaican food was what West Hartford Center was missing. Advertisement This is a destination with lots of foot traffic, lots of families. I wanted to bring the island here, he said. It isnt just food that brings the island to the location on South Main Street, where Harrys Pizza used to be. On opening night, Hunnae Brandy sang Bob Marley songs in front of a mural of Marley. Other murals show the produce of the island ackee, soursop, sweetsop, breadfruit, sorrel and another translates Jamaican vernacular into English. Amusingly, that mural is between the restrooms, so people waiting in line can brush up on their patois. Advertisement The menu at The Russell includes, from top, Brown Stew Soy Chunks with pumpkin rice, steamed cabbage and plantains, jerk wings and codfish fritters. (Susan Dunne) In Jamaica, we say a who fah food dis, which means whose food is this, Russell said. Mek wi get ah drink an bill is lets get a drink and chill. Russell said he hopes to bring in other Hartford-area artists. The plan is to create a platform for local talent with music, poetry, visual arts, he said. Saxman David Davis entertained at the official opening Saturday night. The 2,600-square-foot store, which seats 65, is smaller than the downtown mothership, at 6,800 square feet and seating 180. Still, the West Hartford menu is bigger. All items from downtown are there, with a few additions. Food & Drink Weekly Keep up with news from the Connecticut food scene, delicious recipes, and restaurant and bar reviews > There are more vegetarian options, but they still have that Caribbean flavor, he said. The plant-based options in West Hartford include Vegan One-Pot Rasta Pasta, with ginger-coconut curry, penne, broccoli, peppers and tomatoes; Brown Stew Soy Chunks, with pumpkin rice, steamed cabbage and plantains; a jerk veggie burger; and Coconut-Curry Chickpea, with pumpkin rice and plantains. Kale and lentil patties share the menu with chicken and beef patties. Hugh Russell, owner of two The Russell restaurants in Hartford, has expanded to West Hartford. (Susan Dunne) Other favorites from two Hartford locations are there for dinner, lunch and Sunday brunch including brown stew chicken, oxtail, curry goat, ackee and salt fish, coconut shrimp, callaloo and mackerel rundung. Traditional American breakfast options such as omelets and chicken and waffles are listed as foreign-style. Desserts include rum raisin and grape nut ice cream, mango sorbet and cakes. The bar has the same color scheme as the Hartford bar and serves an impressive array of mixed drinks, as well as beer and wine. I want it to be sexy. Food is sexy. This space needs to be too, Russell said. Advertisement The Russell is open Monday to Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. (bar stays open late) and Sunday noon to 8 p.m. therussellct.com. Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. With the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, a Brattleboro woman has filed a federal lawsuit against the Vermont attorney general and the Windham County state's attorney, challenging the state's disturbing-the-peace statute. Isabel Vinson was cited with that charge after encouraging an anti-racist social media response from advocacy groups on Facebook. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., a prominent Senate advocate for gun control, speaking to a reporter outside the chamber at the U.S. Capitol on June 23, 2021 after President Joe Biden announced a new national campaign to stop the rise in violent crime. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) Theres little sign that Congress is ready to adopt a national version of Ethans Law regulating gun storage, but overall the prospect for stronger gun safety laws is improving, Sen. Chris Murphy said Wednesday. This issue is heading in only one direction. It takes sometimes far longer than many of us are comfortable with for federal politics to catch up with public opinion, but its a matter of when not if the federal government finally gets to where 80 or 90 percent of where the American public is, Murphy told listeners on a Facebook Live session. Advertisement Still, he conceded that even a Democratic House and Senate along with a Democratic president havent managed to drive through stronger laws since the 2020 election. We are working like crazy to try to get consensus in Washington. The reality is the Senate rules stop us from passing commonsense gun legislation, he said. What we dont have is a supermajority in the Senate, which explains why we cant get something like universal background checks passed. Advertisement Murphy, an outspoken Senate voice for stricter gun regulation, gave his update during an online forum hosted by Democratic state Rep. Eleni Kavros DeGraw of Avon and Rep. Tammy Exum of West Hartford. The session on gun violence came amidst a rising number of shootings and fatal shootings across the country. The nonprofit Gun Violence Archive reported that a record 44,881 Americans died in shootings last year, including homicides, suicides, accidents, self-defense cases and police-involved gunfire. DeGraw and Exum hosted speakers from several Connecticut organizations trying to reducing the number of shootings, including Moms Demand Action, Mothers United Against Violence and CT Against Gun Violence. They said that even though Connecticut has one of the lowest gun violence rates in the country, its still bad. Nearly 200 Connecticut people were shot to death in 2019, according to the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence. And Connecticuts cities like those across the country have been plagued with more shootings than ever during the pandemic. We need to be talking about the root causes of gun violence. Weve seen a dramatic increase in gun violence 11 percent this year, 17 percent last year, said Jeremy Stein, executive director of CT Against Gun Violence. New Haven has seen a 41 percent increase this year, a 70 percent increase last year, so were looking at over a 100 percent increase from pre-pandemic time, Stein said. We need to concentrate on the demand side for guns, we need to start investing in communities. Five Things You Need To Know Daily We're providing the latest coronavirus coverage in Connecticut each weekday morning. > Stein said the state needs to spend more on violence prevention, identification of high-risk youth and adults, and aid to families that have been victimized by shootings. Advertisement Its getting worse not better 2020 and 2021 have been amongst the most deadly years in our lifetime when it comes to gun violence, Murphy said. Theres just a straight line between the number of guns that flood our communities and the exposure to gun violence. Some commenters on DeGraws Facebook page said the forum should have included Second Amendment advocacy groups, and complained that law-abiding gun owners are being scapegoated. DeGraw said the session wasnt about outlawing guns, and Murphy maintained that its inaccurate to equate stronger gun regulation with an attack on run rights. Im a believer in the Second Amendment, I have no problem with people buying weapons to protect themselves, to hunt, to collect, he said. I just think there are some weapons that are so dangerous they should remain in the hands of the military, and that I think that everybody should have to prove that youre responsible enough to own a weapon. Connecticut in 2019 passed Ethans Law, which requires that loaded or unloaded guns be safely locked if theyd be available to someone under 18. The states Congressional delegation promised last winter to push for a federal version, but Murphy said the prospects are poor right now. It is still very difficult to get Republican support we dont right now have any Republicans that are willing to support it, he said. It appears to be the kind of thing that could get bipartisan support in Washington because its not about regulating the purchase of firearms. But for whatever reason, Republicans have not been willing to entertain support. Investigations editor Larry Parnass joined The Eagle in 2016 from the Daily Hampshire Gazette, where he was editor in chief. His freelance work has appeared in the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Hartford Courant, CommonWealth Magazine and with the Reuters news service. WILLIAMSTOWN The leader of Pine Cobble School said the community is devastated by the news that a former teacher, Peter Hirzel, is being charged with repeated aggravated sexual assault of a child under the age of 16 his former student. We are devastated by this news and our hearts are broken for the victim, said Sue Wells, the head of the private school, in an email to The Eagle. She declined to answer further questions. However, due to the ongoing criminal case, Pine Cobble is referring all questions to law enforcement officials, she wrote. Hirzel has not been working at the school since mid-March 2021, according to an email Wells sent to parents that was shared with The Eagle. Hirzel, 60, was arraigned in Bennington Superior Court on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to one count of repeated aggravated sexual assault of a former student under the age of 16, according to The Bennington Banner. The student told police that they would have sex almost every time the victim went to Hirzels home in Pownal, Vt., between August 2021 and January 2022, according to records provided by the Deputy States Attorneys Office. Hirzel has a long history in teaching, including working at New Roads School and Westview School in southern California, according to his LinkedIn page. Neither school responded to a request for comment on Friday. His next court date is scheduled for Feb. 3, according to the online calendar for the criminal division of the Bennington Court. If convicted, he faces prison time of at least 25 years with the possibility of life in prison, according to court records. When asked for any police reports the Williamstown Police Department has on Hirzel from the past four years, Town Clerk Nicole Beverly wrote in an email that the department does have records about Hirzel covering that time period, but is unable to provide them at this time because there is currently an open investigation. She said she could not provide any details about what was being investigated. Nor'easter expected? Blizzard in the forecast? Either prediction is a sure sign that media outlets will dig up photos and facts from historic storms of years past. Sure to be included are the Blizzard of 1888 and the Blizzard of 1978. But were those the worst storms to hit the Berkshires? The Blizzard of 1978 began as a typical nor'easter Feb. 5, developing into a devastating blizzard that wrought havoc on New England, New Jersey and metropolitan New York over the course of the next two days. Heavy snows and high winds, reaching 86 to 110 mph on the coast, forced about 10,000 people into emergency shelters and destroyed 3,500 homes. Travelers abandoned their cars on the Massachusetts Turnpike, and 100 deaths are attributed to the storm. But in the Berkshires, things were not that bad. Eleven to 19 inches of snow fell in the county over the course of the 33-hour storm, which also brought winds of up to 50 mph and dropped visibility to zero. The snow accumulation was less impressive when compared with the 27 inches that fell in Boston and Providence, R.I., and 40 inches reported in parts of Rhode Island. (The Northeastern United States Blizzard of 1978 is one of two blizzards that hit the country in 1978. It should not be confused with the Great Blizzard of 1978 that hit the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes region nine days earlier. The two-day storm, which began Jan. 25, left up to 52 inches of snow in its wake. With the wind chill, temperatures dropped to minus 50 degrees. Shortages of bread, milk and eggs were reported throughout the region.) Blizzard of 1888 Unlike the Blizzard of 1978, the Blizzard of 1888 lives up to legendary status. It began the evening of March 11 and lasted 3 days. Reported snow totals vary from 36 to 42 inches. What made the storm so memorable was the huge snowdrifts that came with it and the aftermath. A train arriving from Albany, N.Y., on the Boston and Albany Railroad was caught in the "Washington Cut," the name given to a granite outcropping on Washington Mountain 3 miles outside Hinsdale. There, 72 passengers remained for two days as efforts were made to free them from the snowdrifts that reached the top of the train cars. Passengers dined on raw eggs, which they took from a crate in the baggage car. A train carrying livestock didn't fare as well. The train, stopped in "the Junction" in Pittsfield, lost 32 carloads of hogs. The hogs froze to death during the night. But six carloads of sheep and another of cattle were saved. Fortunately, a spate of warm weather arrived days later, helping to melt the snow and clear roads. Blizzard of 1916 The Berkshires wouldn't be as lucky in March 1916, when a cold spell and a series of storms would cut travel between towns and keep supplies from reaching the hinterlands. Although a two-day storm March 8 and 9 only brought 20 inches of snow, the county would receive an additional 44 inches by the end of the month. With no break in the cold temperatures, snowdrifts reaching upward of 20 feet became common, making roads impassable. On March 23, The Eagle reported the closure of the Lee-Otis line for the past two weeks had created a kerosene shortage in Otis. There, residents had resorted to killing a "community steer" and its tallow was divided among the town's residents for candle-making. On October Mountain, a game warden reported that he feared a herd of moose would be lost to starvation. Farmers dug in deep, many taking up residence in their barns alongside their livestock, where they oversaw the arrival of lambs and calves. Trolley service came to a standstill. Brennan's Cut, between Lanesborough and neighboring Cheshire, was shut down for more than three weeks. The 22-foot drifts still remained when the Berkshire Street Railway Co. was finally able to break through April 12. February 1934 Nor'easter Transportation was again stopped in the Berkshires, in 1934, when a two-day storm, beginning Feb. 18, left 18 inches of snow in Pittsfield; 24 inches on the Mohawk Trail, 23 inches in Windsor, 27 inches in Savoy and 12-foot-high snowdrifts in its wake. Three major highways in the country were shuttered. For the first time in a century, the probate court in Pittsfield was closed. In North Adams, the city Fire Department called "Maggie" and "Maude" out of retirement. With roads made impassable by the storm, the horses were brought back into service, once again pulling a sleigh fitted with firefighting apparatus. Pittsfield Mayor Allen H. Bagg and several city councilors take over snow-clearing efforts after they accuse the Public Works Department of failing to cope with the storm and falling asleep during the worst of the snowfall. In Pittsfield, Dr. Earl L. Johnson, the county physician, made house calls on horseback, while postal carriers strapped on snowshoes to deliver the mail. And ninth-grader, Miss Esther Scace, not wanting to miss school, donned a pair of skis and made her way to class. Her trip from her Cascade Street home to Pomeroy School took an hour on skis. Other storms of note (through 2011): Who knew? Presidential historian Michael Beschloss is Berkshire blizzard geek Presidential historian Michael Beschloss is prompting national chats this week about bygone weather days in the Berkshires. Blizzards, for a s February-March 1947: A snowstorm that lasts for 16 days drops more than 45 inches on the Berkshires. The greatest one-day snowfall occurs March 3, when 16 inches fall. December 1969: A two-day storm that begins on Christmas Day leaves 23 inches of snow in Berkshire County. State police on snowshoes wade through 5- to 6-foot snow drifts to reach a woman with severe frostbite who is stranded off Route 116 in Cheshire. Oct. 4, 1987: An early snowstorm brings 18 inches across the county, causing power outages and hazardous driving. It cancels the Northern Berkshire Fall Foliage Parade, the only time in its history. December 1992: A nor'easter paralyzes the East Coast, including more than 20 inches of snow fall in Pittsfield; Otis has an unofficial total of 33 inches. March 1993: A nor'easter dumps 22 inches of snow on Pittsfield in 24 hours. The storm packs winds of up to 70 mph, which help create 10-foot snowdrifts. March 2001: A two-day late-season coastal storm dumps between 12 and 30 inches on Berkshire County. December 2002: The first Christmas Day snowstorm since 1985 leaves 10 to 24 inches of snow across the Berkshires. March 16-17, 2007: A snowstorm dumps up to 18 inches on parts of the county. Jan. 11-12, 2011: A whopping 40.5 inches are reported in Savoy; 33 inches are reported in North Adams and 23 inches fell in Pittsfield. Oct. 31, 2011: A Halloween day storm dumps 32 inches of snow in Peru, and nearly 2 feet in several other communities. Pittsfield saw 18 inches. Sources: The Berkshire Eagle, North Adams Transcript, The New York Times, The Boston Globe. (Editor's note: This story was originally published on Feb. 2, 2019) Reporter Heather Bellow, a member of the investigations team, joined The Eagle in 2017. She is based in the South Berkshire County bureau in Great Barrington. Her work has appeared in newspapers across the U.S. Donald Morrison is an Eagle columnist and co-chairman of the advisory board. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of The Berkshire Eagle. New York Mayor Eric Adams rides the subway to City Hall on Jan. 1, his first day in office. Adams says the New York City subway system must be safe and New Yorkers must "feel safe" in the system. About 18,000 Connecticut restaurant jobs are at stake if the Restaurant Revitalization Fund is not replenished, according to results of a study released Thursday by Connecticut Restaurant Association. In this state, 51% of restaurant operators who applied for the federal relief funds and were turned down say it is unlikely they will stay in business without aid. However, if the fund is replenished and they receive relief funds, 96% of restaurant owners would be able to retain or hire back employees. Advertisement The RRF was a critical lifeline to many, but far more remain on the sidelines, desperately looking for support amidst continued economic uncertainty, said Connecticut Restaurant Association President and CEO Scott Dolch. The decisions Congress could make in the coming weeks will be critical toward the future of the restaurants that are so proud to serve our communities. Restaurant recovery is paralyzed and nowhere near complete, Dolch said. We need Congress to finish the job and fund the additional 2,066 pending state applications. Advertisement The $28.6 billion fund, which offered grants to restaurants struggling during the pandemic, was part of the American Rescue Plan. But after a flood of 278,304 applications stating need totaling $72,233,280,031, just 101,004 of the applicants were awarded grants mostly on a first come, first served basis, according to the Small Business Administration. In Connecticut, 3,369 Connecticut restaurants applied for grants totaling $790 million. Of that, 1,303 received funding, totaling $301,164,069. The statistics, gleaned from a nationwide survey of 4,200 restaurateurs conducted between Jan. 16 to 18, were released as part of the National Restaurant Associations report Monday on the effect nationwide of the surging omicron variant on all restaurants. The omicron surge, which began in November and is reported to be on the wane, is the latest in almost two years of a catastrophic downturn in the national and state restaurant industries, a downturn that began when the pandemic lockdown began in March 2020. That national report also zeroed in on inadequate funding of the RRF and how restaurants that were passed over for relief are suffering more from the omicron wave than those that received the funds. Advertisement [ National poll: 50 percent of restaurants may fail if they dont get relief funds ] Restaurant industry trade groups and Congressional representatives have pushed for the replenishment of the fund. At the Monday news conference, National Restaurant Association spokesman Sean Kennedy said, The timing of this is critical. Congress is facing a Feb. 18 deadline to pass a government spending bill. Five Things You Need To Know Daily We're providing the latest coronavirus coverage in Connecticut each weekday morning. > Hudson Riehle, a research specialist with NRA, stressed that the dining industry is the nations second-largest private-sector employer, after health care. There are too many restaurants that are jeopardized right now. Too many jobs on the line. Failure is truly not an option, Riehle said. Every light for our industry is blinking red. The Connecticut-specific results of the survey found that 12,000 jobs statewide were saved at restaurants that received RRF funding. In other findings about the funded restaurants: 97% said the grant made it more likely that they would be able to stay in business. 84% said the grant helped them retain or hire back employees that would otherwise have been let go. 94% percent said the grant helped them pay expenses or debt accumulated since March 2020. Seventy four percent said the grant was not sufficient to cover all of their lost sales since March 2020. Connecticut restaurant owners also indicated the omicron surge was a significant blow to business. Advertisement 96% saw a decline in customer demand for on-premises dining. 52% reduced hours; 34% reduced days; 27% reduced seating capacity; 9% changed to takeout and delivery only for a time. 87% say business is worse now than three months ago. Only 2% say business improved. Other statistics, which reflect the downturn from its beginning in March 2020: 75% say their restaurant accumulated additional debt since March 2020. 73% say their restaurant fell behind on expenses since March 2020. 80% say their restaurant is less profitable now than it was before March 2020. 74% say their sales volume in 2021 was lower than it was in 2019. Only 15% reported a same-store sales increase between 2019 and 2021. 79% say their restaurants total costs (as a percent of sales) were higher in December 2021 than they were in December 2020. Only 10% of operators reported lower costs. 81% say their customer traffic in 2021 was lower than it was in 2019. Only 12% reported an increase in customer traffic between 2019 and 2021. Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com. Spearfish, SD (57783) Today Mostly cloudy early, then clearing overnight. Low around 40F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mostly cloudy early, then clearing overnight. Low around 40F. Winds light and variable. BOISE - Idaho Governor Brad Little and Attorney General Lawrence Wasden are applauding a development in the Washington legislature to delay the WA Cares Act. The Washington Legislature just approved a delay of the implementation of a payroll tax that would have taxed Idahoans working in the State of Washington for a benefit they could not receive. The delay comes after the Governors Office, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, and the Idaho Department of Insurance advocated for North Idaho citizens working in Washington. We heard from citizens in North Idaho about Washingtons ill-advised plans to unfairly tax Idahoans," Governor Little said. "We responded and engaged with our counterparts in the State of Washington, and the delay of the states program is a positive outcome. We will keep the pressure on Washington to back off its misguided plan and resolve these issues the correct way. The state of Washingtons ability to tax its citizens and spend that money as its leaders see fit is not normally Idahos business, Wasden said. But Im concerned with Washington taxing Idahoans to specifically pay for programs that will never benefit those Idahoans. The delay is welcome news and Im hopeful Washington lawmakers will be able to fix the problem. The tax would pay for implementation of a long-term care program for Washington residents. The Idaho leaders concerns stem from the fact Idahoans who work in Washington would have to pay the tax without being eligible for the related program. Legal concerns prompted Wasden to write Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson in November and ask that the state not implement the tax against Idaho residents. Legislation delaying the program passed both chambers of the Washington legislature by a combined vote of 137-9. Washington had planned to begin collecting the tax this month. 260 mln passenger trips made in first 10 days of Spring Festival travel rush Xinhua) 08:50, January 28, 2022 BEIJING, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- A total of 260 million passenger trips were made during the first 10 days of China's Spring Festival travel rush in 2022, a transport official said Thursday. The figure was 46 percent higher than the same period of 2021, Liu Pengfei, spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport, told a press conference. As of Wednesday, the number of railway and road trips reached 54.12 million and 196 million, respectively, while waterway and air passenger trips hit 3.88 million and 8.72 million, Liu said. The pre-holiday passenger flow is expected to peak around Jan. 30, while return trips are likely to peak during Feb. 5 to 8 and Feb. 16 to 17, he added. During the 40-day travel season, also known as chunyun, many Chinese people will travel to reunite with their families for the Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 1 this year. Outbreaks of the highly contagious Omicron variant in recent weeks have added to concerns that the massive movement of people will cause a spike in coronavirus cases. The ministry will coordinate with relevant government departments to introduce targeted measures to support the prevention and control of COVID-19 during the annual travel rush, Liu said. This year is the third Spring Festival travel rush since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. Chinese authorities will draw on the experience of past years to roll out stringent anti-virus measures in areas with high seasonal traffic. The sterilization of public venues and transport vehicles, regular body-temperature checks, and face mask rules will be strictly implemented, Liu said. Most trips during the travel rush will be over short and medium distances, with an average daily traffic volume reaching 28 million vehicles, almost unchanged from 2021, Liu said. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) A Superior Court judge has taken the unusual step of disbarring a divorce lawyer for making empty and malicious claims of abuse and antisemitic declarations to win an advantage for her client by snarling the case into an un-triable mess. Advertisement In his decision, Judge Thomas Moukawsher blasted attorney Nickola Cunha for what he said are malicious accusations that are unsupported by any evidence. In his long decision laying the groundwork for disbarment and in an earlier decision in the same case Moukawsher expressed concern that similar, if less egregious, tactics in the increasingly brutal arena of divorce court have the potential to disrupt and damage the integrity of the judicial system itself. She has systematically tried to use the justice system against itself in a bid to frustrate it. In a bid to discredit it. In a bid that, if unchecked here and elsewhere, threatens to destroy it as a credible instrument of democracy, Moukawsher wrote. Indeed, Ms. Cunha and her client have lashed the system as broken and corrupt. But the cases tortured history may be better explained by the system indulging Ms. Cunha and her client too much. In a quest to achieve fairness and give the benefit of every doubt, the system has allowed itself to be tied in knots. Advertisement Attempts to reach Cunha were unsuccessful. The alleged behavior questioned in Cunhas disbarment is not isolated. As contested divorces with prolonged custody battles at ruinous legal costs drag on longer and become more bitter, allegations of conspiracies and anonymous screeds about the states family court system are appearing more regularly on the internet. Judges have been threatened, and photos of their spouses posted online. A Cromwell man was convicted of threatening one judge and urging followers in antisemitic internet postings to kill others. In this file photo, Superior Court Judge Thomas Moukawsher in 2016. PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.com (Patrick Raycraft / Hartford Courant) Of Connecticuts 38,500 lawyers, 133 are currently disbarred, according to the Judicial Branch. Disbarred lawyers are able, under state law, to apply for reinstatement after five years, which Moukawsher suggests is too soon in Cunhas case. The state judicial branch said it could not immediately provide statistics on how common it is for judges to disbar lawyers who appear before them, a process affirmed by a 2003 state Supreme Court decision. The Connecticut Practice Book, which establishes rules for the operation of the courts and the conduct of lawyers, gives judges the power to disbar summarily for cause that occurs in the actual presence of the court. The Statewide Grievance Committee is empowered to discipline lawyers, but instructed to defer to the court if the court chooses to exercise its jurisdiction. Ms. Cunha will have the right to apply for reinstatement within five years of this order, not by virtue of the courts ruling, but because the practice book gives her that right, Moukawsher wrote. Until Moukawshers ruling Tuesday, Cunha, who has offices in Hamden and has practiced law since 1999, represented one party in a contentious divorce involving a couple with children that has entered its third year, generated enormous fees for lawyers and various family relations trial professionals and captured a following of court regulars. Advertisement The case was referred to Moukawsher, who is assigned to preside over especially complex and contentious divorces, after Cunha accused the judge presiding over the divorce trial, Gerard I. Adelman, of bias against non-Jews, bias against the disabled and other claims. When Cunha moved to disqualify Adelman, Moukawsher convened a hearing and told her to produce her proof. According to Moukawshers decision, which reproduces portions of the transcript of the hearing, Cunha rambled for 30 pages or so. Cunha made claims against Adelman but had not produced anything that, in Moukawshers view, supported her assertions. Finally, Cunha expressed antisemitic and conspiracy claims, the decision says.. Advertisement Cunha said she was relying on the enormous amount of information and evidence thats come to me about the alleged conspiracy. Pressed by Moukawsher, she said, when you start looking at the cases and you start looking at the professionals engaged in the cases, it is consistent and it supports that claim. She said, I have a list of cases ... So its a vicious circle. Moukawsher asked her to produce the list that would support her claim. Cunha rummaged through her computer put failed to produce one. A recess was called to allow her to search further. Finally, Cunha acknowledged she had no list. There there is not, Judge, Cunha said. Cunhas other allegations were dismissed after similar questioning. Advertisement Moukawsher summoned Cunha back to court earlier this month to defend herself. He told her she faced disbarment and advised her to hire a lawyer. Cunha declined the advice and instead lashed out at Moukawsher. She called his conclusions clearly erroneous. I find these proceedings to be intentionally harassing and intimidation and an attempt by Your Honor solely to shut me down for the corruption that I have raised before his Court, she said, according to the record. Your Honor has engaged in malfeasance, gross malfeasance, I will not be intimidated. I will remind this court that your so-called historical writing Memorandum of Decision where you touch upon the history that it is, it is a joke and it is pathetic, and you should be ashamed or yourself for subjecting myself to that type of rhetoric. Frankly Judge, I am ashamed to even be sitting before you with the type of conduct that you have engaged in. You have engaged in material misrepresentation; you have lied to the public. Cunha continued for a moment or two before Moukawsher asked her to stop speaking. Yes Judge, Cunha replied. Yes. I will obey, Your Honor, would you like me to bow, Im sorry, I am below you. I will obey. l will be quiet, no problem. Thank you. In his written decision, Moukawsher said it is monstrous to make Cunhas conspiracy claim without thought, without evidence, without restraint, repeatedly, on the record, in court, with a specific claim about a list that proves not to exist. Advertisement Five Things You Need To Know Daily We're providing the latest coronavirus coverage in Connecticut each weekday morning. > He said such behavior threatens the judiciary by undermining its credibility. When lawyers speak the public rightly assumes they dont speak lightly, Moukawsher said. After all truth is their business. Therefore, Ms. Cunhas lies about a Jewish conspiracy are particularly reprehensible. Without the court exposing them as lies, the public might give them some credit when they deserve none. Misconduct like this threatens to drag the courts into the primordial ooze that passes for public discourse in some quarters today, Moukawsher said. One whiff of this swamp should be enough for the courts and those of its officers who are true to their duties to set out firmly in the other direction. This moment is one chance to do so. Moukawsher wrote in his decision disbarring Cunha that her conduct and accusations violated at least seven rules of professional conduct and provide multiple grounds for disbarment. The rules prohibit dishonesty and deceit; stalling, diverting and disrupting proceedings; and recklessly impugning a judges integrity. He said Cunha used the judicial system to punish opponents and has called three judges assigned so far to her clients divorce corrupt and abusive. Her actions have been grave. Moukawsher wrote. They have been intentional. Her motives have been corrupt they have been to cloud the truth for the perceived benefit of her client, rather than to seek out the truth and seek the justice associated with that truth. PULLMAN - At the 46th Murrow Symposium scheduled for Tuesday, April 5, 2022, award-winning journalist Ann Curry will receive the Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism. The Symposium is held by Washington State University's Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. For more than 30 years, Curry has focused on human suffering in war zones and natural disasters through her work as an American journalist, photojournalist, and reporter. She has reported on wars throughout the Middle East and Africa, and she was the first network news anchor to report on the refugee crisis caused by the genocide in Kosovo in 1999. She also visited the Republic of Sudan three times between March 2006 and March 2007 to report on the violence and ethnic cleansing occurring in Darfur and Chad. Covering other disasters such as the tsunamis in Southeast Asia and earthquake in Haiti led to her being on Twitters top 10 most powerful tweets of the year in 2010. Currys work stands as a testament to using communication for the common good. I am particularly impressed with her consistent, in-depth reporting on stories concerning the human condition throughout her extensive career, said Bruce Pinkleton, dean of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. Her courageous and essential reporting on the genocide in Darfur demonstrated a desire to use journalism to better the human condition, to hold those in authority to account, and to raise the voices of those ignored by the powerful. Curry worked for NBC from 1990 through 2015, first as the NBC News Chicago correspondent and then as the anchor of NBC News at Sunrise from 1991 to 1996. In 1997, Curry became the news anchor for the Today show where she became the shows second-longest serving news anchor. In 2011, Curry became the national and international correspondent-anchor for NBC News and the anchor at large for the Today show. She was also the anchor of Dateline NBC from 2005 to 2011. In 2015 Curry left NBC News and founded her own multi-platform media startup. In January 2018, Curry reported and produced the PBS series Well Meet Again, which featured emotional reunions between people who lived through momentous events in US modern history such as the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens and the 9/11 attacks. Curry currently hosts the TNT series Chasing the Cure, which pairs undiagnosed patients with top-tier doctors who help them solve their medical mysteries. Curry is best known for her global humanitarian reporting and interviews with world leaders, such as Barack Obama and the Dalai Lama. Curry has earned seven Emmys, four Golden Mike awards and three Gracie Allen awards during her journalism career. She is also a recipient of the NAACPs Award for Excellence in Broadcasting, and the Simon Wiesenthal Medal of Valor for her extensive reporting in Darfur. In addition to Ms. Currys keynote speech, additional Murrow Symposium events including workshops, panel discussions, and alumni awards will take place both virtually and in person on Tuesday, April 5 and Wednesday, April 6. This years symposium focuses on ways communicators can elevate silenced voices and build a community where every person, regardless of difference, is valued and included. The company will offer emergency, healthcare and convenience services Yodda Elder Care Technologies has launched operations in Hyderabad. Yodda, a premium parent care company, will now offer emergency services, healthcare services and convenience services to senior citizens living in this city. Yodda Elder Care was launched in 2021 in Pune with a vision of empowering ageing people to live independently. Yodda's technology platform connects children, parents and elder care staff through a strong system-centric and process-driven ISO certified operational framework. The technology platform is supported on the ground by meticulously trained staff of military veterans. This solution aims to recreate the same emotional, physical and logistical support given by their children with a similar commitment, similar trust and better performance. Discussions were held on preventive strategies ASSOCHAM recently organised a conference on 'Awareness and Prevention of Cervical Cancer' to honour and assist women who have either been diagnosed with it or are being treated for this health condition. Dr Princess Nothemba (Nono) Simelela, Assistant Director-General and Special Advisor for Strategic Priorities, World Health Organization (WHO) stressed the need to be optimistic. She said, We need to recognise global health complacency. We have tools to detect this cancer. We have to make sure these preventive tools reach everybody." Dr Shalini Singh, Director, ICMR-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research, MoHFW, GOI, focussed on the need to spread awareness, which is lagging. She added, Awareness and knowledge give us power and perception. It also gives us the self-confidence to think from different levels. Ideally, all women should be aware of cervical cancer." Narendra Varde, MD - India & Neighbouring Markets, Roche Diagnostics India informed that one-fourth of cervical mortality comes from India. He further explained, "Cervical cancer is a common cause of death among women of reproductive age. India needs a robust public health policy for prevention through HPV screening and vaccination. Ravi Bhatnagar, Co-Chairperson, ASSOCHAM CSR Council, Director, External Affairs and Partnerships (SOA)Reckitt, focussed on the need of creating more awareness, vaccination, and preventive measures to erudite cancer. Dr S Shantha Kumari, President, The Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India FOGSI said that Pap smear screening examination should be made mandatory. She also stressed that the girls must be fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15. Dr Radhika Srinivasan, Professor, and Head of Department of Cytology & Gynec. Pathology, PGIMER, Chandigarh, and Secretary, Indian Academy of Cytologists gave a presentation titled Cytology for Cervical Cancer Screening - Is It Relevant Today? and stated that cytology detects the disease rather than the infection and emphasised that all disciplines need to work together and create an efficient system for the present and the future. Dr Abhishek Shankar, Associate Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, AIIMS, Patna; Associate Editor, APJCP; Associate Editor, SAJC, Editor in Chief, APJCC; Founder Secretary, ISCO explained that India needs a ground-shot approach as well as a community-based approach. For this, we need to create a good strategy as it's going to be difficult to do so. Co testing of HPV DNA and Pap tests are recommended for women above 30 years and only Pap test is advised between 21-29 years women. Mridu Gupta, CEO, Caped India stressed the need to create strategies and conversations around it regularly. Dr Rajesh Kesari, Founder, and Director, Total Care Control, Delhi-NCR, who moderated the session, highlighted that cervical cancer that affects the female gender is an infection due to human papillomavirus (HPV). Priyanka Chaturvedi, Member of Parliament was the guest of honour at the conference. Mainly Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province & Ringing Trips to Bahrain Fraud continues to pose the risk of serious financial losses for banking customers. The new phishing MO scam Scamming is a lucrative business The latest wave of scams to look out for in 2022 A call from the Ombudsman to raise more awareness Fraud-detection systems and insurance by banks Knowledge is power All indicators are pointing towards the fact that there are new scams and an increasing number of victims, warns Reana Steyn, the Ombudsman for Banking Services (OBS).The basic modus operandi of these scams is not new. However, over the years, there is a constant change in the execution techniques that fraudsters have applied. The success of these scams, and their evolution, is heavily guided by how the consumer will react in each situation, advised Steyn.Steyn highlighted two recent matters that were investigated by her office where two private banking customers fell victim to the same scam under the exact same circumstances. The story behind convincing the victims to disclose their confidential banking information was new. However, the basic scam remained the same, as did the results.M* advised that he received emails supposedly from the South African Post Office (post office). The emails informed him that he had unclaimed packages waiting for him at the Post Office Head Office.He advised the representative in the email that he in fact had a package at the Post Office which he was aware of and had not collected yet. M* then received an sms from the post office advising him to pay a fee of R42.50 for the package to be released and sent to his nearest post office.M* followed the instructions on the link he received, and the link opened to a payment option on an official post office payment page. He then inserted his card details and received an Approve It" message on his cellphone. He accordingly approved the transaction. Immediately thereafter, he received another Approve It" message from his bank and he noticed the word 'Singapore' and realised that he was being defrauded.He immediately reported the fraud to his bank and instructed the bank not to release the pending transaction of R16 061.80. However, since the transaction was authorised with the use of the card details and the Approve It" message, the bank had already released the transaction and refused any liability for the loss that was suffered. M* then reported the incident to the OBS and asked for assistance with his complaint against the bank.The OBS determined that M* had in fact made the payment himself and approved the transaction through his banking app. The OBS further found that - although M* advised that he thought he was making a payment for R42.50, the message he received from the bank for the authentication of the payment read: You are about to make an online purchase of CHF 1, 000.00 at BIGO Live.Since it was clear from the message that the payment was not to the Post Office and that the purchase amount was not R42.50, the OBS found against M* and concluded that he was unfortunately a victim of a phishing scam where he willingly compromised his confidential banking details.Steyn warned that banking fraud has become a very lucrative business for online scammers. The banking fraud matters investigated by her office in 2021 alone (the amounts claimed as losses by the victims of the various types of banking scams) exceeded R295m.This is an extremely worrying trend, especially when considering that these funds are mostly lost by individuals and small businesses who, in the majority of cases, are not in a financial position to suffer any kind of financial setback. In addition to the negative effects of Covid-19 on finances, most of these victims will sadly never be able to recover from these financial losses, says Steyn.The Ombudsman confirmed that it was unfortunate that, in most of these matters, the amounts that were claimed were not recovered as they had already been withdrawn by the fraudsters. In fact, Steyn reiterated that the losses were largely due to the victims falling hook line and sinker to typical and well-publicised scams.According to the OBS 2021 records, the Ombudsman received and investigated over 2,880 banking fraud related cases. This was a significant increase of 7.5% from the fraud cases that were investigated in 2020. Most of these matters were due to bank customers falling victim to internet banking fraud, credit card fraud, current account fraud, and ATM card swap scams.Steyn advised that these scams are avoidable and called on bank customers to be extra vigilant in 2022 to ensure that they (individuals and businesses) do not suffer significant financial losses over a scam, that could have been avoided, had someone taken the time to consider the possibility that they are being defrauded. Never provide confidential banking details to a stranger over the phone or enter these details on a link received via email or sms. Finally, never accept assistance from a stranger at an ATM, Steyn cautioned.Steyn emphasised the point that no legitimate caller or email from the bank will ever ask a bank customer to provide their card number, passwords, and especially an OTP over the call or a link. She further advised consumers to refrain from using any links that are received to make payments.Consumers should be extra vigilant when it comes to a link where you are instructed to put in your banking account details that can be used to access the funds from your account.The OBS called on all banking customers, banking institutions and other stakeholders to partner with each other in 2022 to educate the public and raise awareness about the various scams that target banking customers (consumers and small businesses).Steyn advised that the power to prevent these scams lies mostly with consumers as they are the ones being targeted. As such, the scams and the techniques that are used, are created to take advantage of the vulnerabilities that the fraudsters have identified.While there has been some consumer awareness and education regarding the scams that are currently being used and how they are committed, Steyn added that over the years, the number of fraud victims has not decreased. According to Steyn, this is an indication that more vigorous action must be taken by institutions like the OBS, banks, and (very importantly) the media, to assist, warn and educate South African consumers.Steyn stated that consumers played the most critical role in ensuring that they do not fall victim to scams. According to her, banks can never ensure that consumers do not provide their confidential banking information to strangers, nor can the fraudsters be prevented from trying their luck to deceive customers into providing them with the keys to their vaults.The responsibility is on customers to always remain vigilant and suspicious, especially when requested to provide their confidential banking details that they know can be used to access the funds in their accounts.To combat the scourge of fraud, banks have, over the years, created and introduced various fraud-detection systems. The aim of these systems is to monitor and detect unusual transactions and prevent them where possible. This will hopefully minimise the number of fraud losses that are suffered by consumers.However, while these systems have proven to be valuable in preventing fraud in most instances, Steyn warns these measures do not guarantee that all fraudulent transactions can or will be detected. Therefore, if it is found that you as a customer provided your confidential banking details to the fraudster (and as a result, funds were withdrawn from your account) you will suffer the loss should the transaction not be detected and stopped by the bank.Steyn continued and advised that such losses are not for the banks to absorb through their insurance. She advised that her office had - on previous occasions - received some matters where customers believed that the banks were insured for the losses suffered by clients through banking scams. This is incorrect. The only time the bank will be held liable by the OBS is when the losses suffered by the customer were because of the banks negligence or wrongdoing, warned Steyn.Lastly, Steyn encouraged the consumers to do their utmost to eliminate the scourge of banking fraud by educating themselves about the various banking-fraud threats that do exist.She warned that unless consumers assume the responsibility to educate themselves about banking scams (thus protecting their livelihoods), these scams will continue to grow as fraudsters will identify this as an ongoing lucrative vulnerability which only leads to increased profits.The nature of the fraud landscape is that there is a specific theme to all of the scams that fraudsters use, it is the execution of these schemes that change all of the time. Here are some tips that the public can use when presented with a possible fraudulent scheme:* Banks will never ask you to confirm your confidential banking information over the phone;* If you receive a phone call requesting confidential or personal information, do not respond and end the call. Contact your bank's fraud hotline immediately;* If you receive an OTP on your phone without having made a transaction, it is likely that it is a fraudster who has used your personal information. Do not provide the OTP to anybody. Contact your bank's fraud hotline immediately;* Do not click on links or icons in unsolicited emails or sms's.* Do not make payments into an unknown person or merchant's account without first verifying their authenticity. If you are unsure, go to your nearest bank branch and speak to a representative.Following these tips should protect you against becoming a victim of fraud:* When doing online shopping, only use your card to make payments on secure websites;* While transacting, always keep an eye on the ATM card slot to ensure that your card is not removed, skimmed and replaced without your knowledge;* Report lost and stolen cards immediately.* Be alert to your surroundings. Do not use the ATM if there are loiterers or suspicious people in the vicinity. Also, take note that fraudsters are often well-dressed, well-spoken and respectable looking individuals;* Key in your PIN in such a way that no one else can see it by, for example, covering your PIN when punching in the numbers even when alone at the ATM as some criminals may place secret cameras to observe your PIN; and* Don't let anyone stand too close to you, in order for you to keep both your card and PIN safe when entering a PIN, as it could be in cardless transaction mode. Evil is on the march. Mariana Zhaglo is ready to battle it on the frontline of freedom. Zhaglo, a 52-year-old Ukranian marketing researcher and mother of three, posed for a dramatic photograph in her Kiev kitchen holding a hunting rifle. Advertisement Zhaglo told the The Times of London she has never hunted but purchased the the carbine after listening to some soldiers discussing the best rifle to get. If it comes to it, then we will fight for Kiev; we will fight to protect our city. With more than 120,000 troops massed on Ukraines border, Zhaglo may soon have to fight. The prospects for peace appear grim. Advertisement A Russian invasion would be difficult for Ukraine to repel. A flash strike at Kiev would allow autocrat Vladimir Putin to show his modern weaponry, purchased by impoverishing the Russian people. Ukrainian servicemen carry water supplies for an advanced position on the front line in the Luhansk area, eastern Ukraine. The U.S. rejection of Russia's main demands to resolve the crisis over Ukraine left "little ground for optimism," the Kremlin said Thursday, but added that dialogue was still possible. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) (Vadim Ghirda/AP) Putin has been tormenting Ukraine for years. He invaded Crimea in 2014 and continues to occupy it. In 2019, Donald Trump was willing to sacrifice Ukraine by withholding military aid until President Volodymyr Zelensky announced an investigation of Joe Bidens son Hunters business dealings in the eastern European democracy. That provided the basis of Trumps first impeachment. Revulsion at Trumps embrace of dictators and contempt for our democratic allies caused enough suburban Republican-leaning voters to help Joe Biden win Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Wisconsin, Arizona, and the presidency. Facing down Putin in Ukraine would demonstrate to the world that democracies are united in the defense of freedom and can summon the strength required to maintain peace in Europe. It may offset the damage done to Bidens reputation by the chaotic August retreat from Afghanistan. Others are watching. Failure in Ukraine could embolden China to make the free people of Taiwan a garrison state or worse and expand its ambitions in the Pacific. Polls, with an outlier now and then, consistently find Bidens approval ratings hovering around 40%. Those polls have Democrats edging toward despair for their prospects in Novembers mid-term elections. Republicans, on the other hand, are showing signs of premature euphoria. A Republican drubbing of Democrats in November will give power to a party still in the thrall of Trump and his isolationism. Republican confidence appeared late this month in Connecticut. Republican National Committeewoman Leora Levy is contemplating a bid for the U.S. Senate against two-term incumbent Richard Blumenthal. Hearsts Dan Haar reported the Levy story Tuesday. Opinion Weekly Perspective on the week's biggest stories from the Courant's Opinion page > Former House Republican Leader Themis Klarides may also be weighing a bid against Blumenthal. Shes spent $400,000 of her own money on a campaign for governor, but Republican rival Bob Stefanowskis launch of his second campaign for the states top office may have discouraged Klarides. Former House Republican Leader Themis Klarides may be considering a run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Richard Blumenthal. Republican hopes are rooted in a poll of Connecticut voters conducted by the National Republican Senatorial Committee that showed Blumenthals approval rating is around 50%. (Courant file photo) (Kassi Jackson/The Hartford Courant) Klarides was reportedly preparing to announce this weekend a bid to challenge Blumenthal. To avoid a battle for the Republican nomination, Levy was considering taking a run at 4th District Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Jim Himes. The Greenwich Democrat and former investment banker is seeking an eight term representing the Fairfield County district that counties to turn bluer and bluer. Advertisement Republican hopes are rooted in a poll of Connecticut voters conducted by the National Republican Senatorial Committee. It revealed that Blumenthals approval ratings are around 50%, significantly less than what the Greenwich Democrat has enjoyed since he was elected attorney general in 1990 and senator 20 years later. National Republicans find Blumenthal particularly irksome. If they are flush with cash and can spend some of it on a few long shots, a race against Blumenthal will tempt them. Their commitment will be strengthened if Levy commits a few million dollars of her own early in the year and uses her ties to national Republican donors to raise more. If Levy makes the jump, Blumenthal and some Republicans will paint contrasting pictures of the former commodities trader. Blumenthal will highlight Levys devotion to Trump, who nominated her to be his ambassador to Chile. The Senate declined to confirm her before Biden was inaugurated. Trump Republicans (which is most of them) have begun circulating a 2016 anti-Trump opinion piece Levy wrote while supporting Jeb Bush for president. Blumenthal, who turns 76 in February, has never been defeated in 10 elections in 38 years. As one of the wealthiest members of the Senate, Blumenthal has his own fortune to tap into, as he did in 2010 when self-financing Republican Linda McMahon gave Blumenthal some anxious weeks. A serious challenger to Blumenthal, bolstered by the tangible support of national Republicans, may be an attempt to keep Democrats fighting on every front this year. Its also more proof that Biden needs a dramatic success and the best place to achieve it is in brave Ukraine. As a lifelong Connecticut resident, I am concerned about Hartfords attempt to close an important regional asset: Hartford-Brainard Airport. I began training for flight instructor at Brainard in the 1990s and eventually became a pilot for a major airline. Despite traveling all over the world, I have never left Connecticut and never stopped using Brainard Airport. I am immersed in general aviation in Connecticut and feel strongly about Brainards value to the state. Advertisement I recently flew into Brainard to bring an aircraft for avionics upgrades to VIP, the avionics facility located on the field. This visit contributed to the Hartford economy, as do the thousands of others that frequent this respected avionics provider. Patrons who utilized Brainard Airport are contributing to the local economy through tourism, hospitality, fuel purchases and any other money spent in the Hartford area. These expenditures are vital to the Connecticut economy, boost tax revenue and sustain jobs for the region and state. In October, the Hartford City Council voted to support a resolution for a commission focused on the closure of Brainard Airport and the redevelopment of the land with resulting increase to the citys grand list and creating job opportunities for residents. This is flawed and a gross misrepresentation of the facts by Councilman James Sanchez, an MDC employee and proponent of redeveloping Brainard. There is a long history of MDCs attempts to close Brainard Airport and claim part of the land. Fair market value of Brainard Airport is near $45 million, which by law, the state will need to pay for takeover and redevelopment. Advertisement [ Grassroots campaign to keep Hartford-Brainard Airport open organizes amid new push to close century-old airfield ] Connecticut Airport Authority Executive Director Kevin Dillon told town and city councils that Brainard Airport is a strong financial benefit to the state. It supports 361 jobs, brings in $28 million in wages, has an economic impact of $59 million and pays $1.3 million in state and local taxes, he said. His presentation also conveyed that 81% of the noise complaints emerging from Wethersfield emanate from one phone number. According to Connecticut Airport Authority Executive Director Kevin Dillon, Hartford Brainard Airport supports 361 jobs, brings in $28 million in wages, has an economic impact of $59 million and pays $1.3 million in state and local taxes. Photograph by Mark Mirko | mmirko@courant.com (Mark Mirko/The Hartford Courant) The CAA and stakeholders have specific plans to grow the airport and support investment, plans that have been hampered by city roadblocks. Tree trimming needed for airport safety areas has proved to be environmentally and wildlife friendly. Despite these facts, Hartford leaders continue to deny a 2016 bipartisan study that concluded Brainard Airport was a value to the region. This study strongly supported expansion and keeping Brainard Airport open. Connecticut residents need to ask: What has changed in five years, and is Hartford fiscally sound enough to take on the expense of redevelopment of Brainard Airport, or will it become another road show for Mayor Luke Bronin to ask neighboring towns for a bailout yet again? Why arent the intentions and plans of Hartfords leaders more transparent? As voters and taxpayers we need to start asking questions of our state and federal representatives in the state legislature and Congress. The city of Hartford is moving ahead with a task force to outline the best path forward to closing Brainard Airport and redeveloping the 200-acre airfield at the intersection of two interstate highways with frontage on the riverfront. (Courant file photo) (Patrick Raycraft / Hartford Courant) Each time I return to Brainard Airport, Im reminded of the people creating 50,000 yearly operations. This includes the Connecticut State Police, the Civil Air Patrol (search and rescue and cadet training), the FBI, Life Flight medical transport and three flight schools (which are training pilots to fill a nationwide shortage). As a captain for a major U.S. airline, I am acutely aware of the serious pilot shortage in the U.S. We simply cant hire enough qualified pilots. Also, many students attend the Connecticut Aero Tech School, which feeds the mechanic and avionics technician pipelines to our region and nation, two other areas in need of qualified employees. Large and small tax-paying companies use Brainard Airport to support their businesses. On the Connecticut registry of historic places, Brainard Airport is well-poised to potentially build a museum with its historical memorabilia. Brainard Airport benefits all of Connecticut and the region. If Brainard Airport closes, its 50,000-plus aircraft operations per year could create massive delays at Bradley Airport, a consequence the CAA cannot afford. Every citizen should urge their representatives to look into this matter before it is too late. If you are interested in more information about Brainard Airport, its history, and support it remaining open, please email the Hartford Brainard Airport Association at keepbrainardflying@gmail.com. Stephen Demko is a pilot who lives in Seymour. More than eight years into her cancer diagnosis, the pain in Kim Hoffmans body had become constant. I cant remember the last day that I did not experience pain, Hoffman, 59, of Glastonbury, said in a recent interview. It has been at least two months of daily, very often intense, sharp, biting pain. Advertisement Ive awoken from sleep in pain every night, multiple times. Three oclock in the morning is a standing hour for me three oclock and four oclock in the morning I can always count on waking up in discomfort or pain. In 2013, she was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer. During the following years, it spread throughout her body. She was given two to four months to live last fall. Advertisement Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, D-Westport, co-chairman of the General Assembly's Public Health Committee, speaks during session at the State Capitol, Monday, April 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill) (Jessica Hill/AP) She died on Jan. 18. In an interview with the CT Mirror just weeks before her death, Hoffman used some of her remaining strength to call for passage of an aid in dying bill, poised to be a key issue when the state legislature convenes in February. She wished the option had been available to her. I am advocating for our legislators to show compassion, kindness, care and sensitivity to those of us who face a terminal diagnosis, she said. It is kind and compassionate. It is a choice. It is not forced on anybody. It would give me such a sense of relief and peace. And I should say, it would give my family a sense of relief and peace as well, knowing Im comforted by that. For the first time, a version of Connecticuts aid in dying bill made it out of committee in 2021. The Public Health Committee voted 24-9 in favor of sending the measure to the House floor. The bill did not come up for a vote in either chamber, however. It didnt make it out of the Judiciary Committee. Versions of the bill have been debated as far back as 1994 and have failed at least 14 times. Under last years proposal, an adult patient with a terminal illness having six months or less to live would have been able to access lethal drugs by making two oral requests at least 15 days apart, and one written request. The written request would have to be done in the presence of two witnesses who could attest that the patient is of sound mind and acting voluntarily. Advertisement A physician would prescribe or dispense the medication, and the patient would self-administer the drug. Requests for the medication may be rescinded by the patient at any time without regard to his or her mental state, according to the measure. A doctor would have to refer the patient to another consulting physician for medical confirmation of the persons diagnosis and for confirmation that the patient is competent and acting voluntarily. Although three Republicans joined 21 Democrats in supporting the bill last year, several members of the health committee acknowledged that the bill needed work. As the 2022 session nears, proponents of the measure say they have incorporated the needed revisions and will press for a vote in the House. We came very close last year, said Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, a co-chair of the Public Health Committee. We have looked at the polling statewide, which indicates that the majority of Connecticut citizens are in favor of this. I think we made adjustments to the bill coming out of the committee and hearing processes that will make it have good prospects. A high priority Steinberg and other leaders on the health committee have marked the proposal No. 1 in terms of importance during the upcoming session, he said. Advertisement The Westport Democrat, who will complete his sixth term in 2022 and is considering not running again, has been a key backer of the legislation and is hoping to oversee its passage in what could be his final year. Wed like to get ready to go earlier rather than later so it doesnt become a victim of priorities and the clock ticking out, Steinberg said. Thats our objective: Get it ready to go out the door and ready for a vote as quickly as possible. This years effort will involve seeking out as many co-sponsors as possible, he said, including members of both parties from both chambers. Steinberg noted that the same people will be returning to the legislature that voted it out of committee in 2021, and that the proposal is gaining favor among the public. He and other proponents have pointed to polling by Compassion and Choices, an advocacy group that supports the legislation, showing 75% of Connecticut residents surveyed back the proposal. The organization polled 550 likely 2022 general election voters in March 2021. A Quinnipiac University poll in 2015 found that 63% of voters supported the bill. Aid in dying is legal in Oregon, Washington state, Montana, Vermont, California, Colorado, Hawaii, New Jersey, Maine, New Mexico and the District of Columbia. Advertisement For us, its not a question of if the law will pass, its a question of when, said Tim Appleton, senior campaign director with Compassion and Choices. This issue has been before members of the public health committee on several occasions, and there was a tipping point of education, when people really began to understand exactly what this issue is about. People should have options all options at end of life, and aid in dying should be one of them. For Steinberg, a decade-plus of advocacy on the bill was inspired by a local Westport politician who was an early mentor. William Meyer, a longtime Representative Town Meeting member, had helped his terminally ill father end his life (he was charged with second-degree manslaughter and later placed on probation). Meyer brought the issue of legalizing aid in dying to Steinberg during Steinbergs first term in the legislature. I kind of took up the mantle, and its been something Ive been working on for a lot of years, Steinberg said. Meyer died in 2014. In what may be his last term and final year as co-chair of the health committee, Steinberg said he hopes the bill will come up for a vote in the House and Senate. Its certainly something Id like to see done on my watch, he said. But Im not exactly sure how long my watch is going to last. Advertisement Cathy Ludlum, center, at a public hearing on the aid in dying bill in 2015. Ludlum opposes the legislation. Uncertain path forward Members of Connecticuts disability community continue to oppose the measure. Cathy Ludlum, head of Second Thoughts Connecticut, a grassroots organization whose advocates are against the legislation, said the proposal puts vulnerable people at greater risk. The very real likelihood of misdiagnosis, misprognosis, abuse and error is just enormous, she said. And when a life is ended, you cant go back and say, Whoops, that was a mistake. We in the disability community have to keep saying that we dont want to get in the way of anyones personal choice. But when that choice becomes a threat to us, we have to stand up and say no. Advertisement Stephen Mendelsohn, an advocate with Second Thoughts, said the bill promotes suicide as a solution to problems. This is bad social policy that puts everybodys life in danger, he said. Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney, a New Haven Democrat, said its too early to speculate on whether the measure will come up for a vote in his chamber. I couldnt say at this point whether attitudes have changed, or whether they are evolving, he said. Weve never actually had a full discussion to try to get a sense of it. House Speaker Matthew Ritter, D-Hartford, said he personally supports the bill. But legislative leaders will have to take a vote count before deciding whether to raise the proposal in the House. Its one of those issues where everyone has their own personal feeling about it. Its not the kind of thing where the speaker can come in and say, Heres what were going to do, we got this for you guys, he said. This is a very, very emotional, personal thing for members of the caucus. And they will determine the fate of this bill. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. 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. HyLife Food is continuing to expand its reach in southwestern Manitoba, with the proposed expansion of its operation in the RM of Deloraine-Winchester. SUBMITTED Residents attend the HyLife Foods open house in the RM of Deloraine-Winchester. HyLife Food is continuing to expand its reach in southwestern Manitoba, with the proposed expansion of its operation in the RM of Deloraine-Winchester. The pork producer held an open house for residents on Jan. 5 to gauge public feedback, said corporate sustainability director Sheldon Stott. "We had a number of people come through they asked some really good questions, and I feel like we were able to address them as best we could in the circumstances that we were in," Stott said. The proposed facility in the RM will serve a multiplier site, consisting of a barn with 3,800 nursery hogs and three barns with 7,600 finishing hogs. The site will have earthen manure storage. If things go to plan in a perfect world, the company would like to break ground on the project in the early spring or summer, he said. Stott added HyLife is currently in the preliminary stages of the project and has not made formal applications for conditional use permits. There is a long list of due diligence that must be completed, along with due diligence by the provincial technical review committee to confirm the sustainability of the proposed site development. HyLife has already established that the site meets local municipal land use planning, one of the most critical aspects, showing the facility is appropriate for the area of the municipality. The pork producer has also taken into account its proximity to residents in Deloraine-Winchester. "This is highly productive agricultural land, which fits well," Stott said. The last step is to ensure there is a sustainable water supply to feed the facility. HyLife projects have been feeling the impacts of COVID-19 and supply chain issues, and this could impact when the potential project could break ground. Pursuing the construction of facilities has been challenging during the global health crisis, Stott said, both in the logistics of getting supplies and the increasing prices of goods and services needed to complete projects. "Finding workers and crews capable of performing this work has been an ongoing challenge for us throughout the pandemic," Stott said. "Our construction team has worked really tirelessly in getting creative in trying to find different material sources as well as reaching out and really digging deep into their contact lists to find additional labour to put these facilities together." The cost of the proposed facility in Deloraine-Winchester is anticipated to come in around the $8- to $10-million range, although this will be subject to change based on COVID-19. "Its been a bit of a moving target over the last little while," Stott said. Establishing the facility could serve as an important economic activity, as HyLife invests millions of dollars in each project, Stott said. The site will create four full-time positions, he said, adding this means there is the potential of growth in the community of four additional families. "To me, that probably is the biggest impact is being able to sustain and continue some moderate growth in these rural communities," Stott said. "People are spending money because they are in the community eating lunches and shopping at the local stores. But then, theres the long term. Theres obviously a tax piece that is contributing back to the local municipality and to the province and then job." HyLife has been in an expansion phase in southwestern Manitoba for several years, and the proposed barns in Deloraine-Winchester are bringing the final steps of the expansion to fruition. The pork producer developed a feed mill in Killarney and has built subsequent farming operations in the surrounding municipality and areas. "This is one more piece of that puzzle that were trying to put together," Stott said. As of now, HyLife is not looking at too much more development in southwestern Manitoba at this time, Stott said, adding the pork producer is considering one more facility in 2021 in a different area. "Were taking it one step at a time and wanted to get through these developments and then look towards next year. Right now, theres nothing on the books for us," Stott said. Before the proposed development in Deloraine-Winchester, HyLife already had an established hub of facilities in southwest Manitoba. The producer has been in the area for several years and remains focussed on completing a production loop, Stott said. The company has a $30-million feed mill in Killarney that had a certain level of capacity and is now looking to fill that capacity within existing infrastructure with farrowing operations. HyLifes growth in southwestern Manitoba has provided 38 new full-time jobs in the community to date. "Its an attractive area because its really been a progressive part of the province. Weve seen a lot of opportunity and growth in that area, not only just driven by ourselves but driven by local municipalities willing to open up and encourage additional investment and growth, so weve taken advantage of that," Stott said. Deloraine-Winchester Reeve Gord Weidenhamer said the proposed HyLife facility has sparked a fiery conversation in the community. Some vocal community members have had an extremely negative reaction to the facility, placing the future of the expansion largely in doubt based on the current proposed location. "Theres a lot of backlash from the community," Weidenhamer said, adding this has included a petition against the facility and neighbours standing in opposition to the expansion. "People seem to have negative feelings toward it." Complaints have largely centred on concerns over the odour that would come from the facility. He added locals would also like to see the placement of the facility shifted to another location if development were to go ahead. Another emerging issue is HyLife is taxed as a farm-based business when many in the community would like to see the company taxed as a commercial industry. He noted these taxes are set by the province. HyLife has applied for a conditional use permit in the municipality, Weidenhamer said, and a public hearing regarding the expansion will be set at a future date. The municipality is continuing to look for infrastructure in the community to keep taxes at bay and ensure employment opportunities are available for residents. "Theres not a lot of options for small towns without investment coming forward," Weidenhamer said. This economic growth can be a difficult balance strike, he added, because it can be difficult to draw outside investment into the community, but HyLife has drawn significant vitriol from residents. He noted investment would create jobs and tax dollars in the small community with minimal investment from the tax base. This would include the four full-time jobs in the community with the potential for spousal spin-off jobs in the area. "Were looking for options," Weidenhamer said. "We want to expand our community and make it grow but its tough if quite honestly the options arent out there." Deloraine-Winchester is a unique municipality with a range of demographics including small-town, rural and recreational residents. It can be challenging to find vested shared investment between these groups. Weidenhamer added overcoming these adversities requires community involvement and he would like to see more people come forward to join in on these conversations. He considers them lucky in the southwest because they have the oil industry for the younger generation to work in, but it remains essential to find industries that want to invest in smaller towns. "There is negativity and by the looks of it, it probably wont go ahead in the end. But its back to the question of the community. Were looking for answers out there that what industry can be brought to a small community with minimal investment and add to our tax base and add to jobs in our community," Weidenhamer said. ckemp@brandonsun.com Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp City of Hollister officials and Skaggs Foundation representatives posed behind the new AEDs the city was able to purchase with a grant they received from the Skaggs Foundation. Due to Gov. Glenn Youngkin's (R) executive directive that states that no Virginia employees are required to be vaccinated or disclose their vaccine status by their employer, JMU has changed its policy so that university employees no longer must get the vaccine, report their status or undergo weekly testing. Want to praise someone or get something off your chest? Darts and Pats is the place to do it. Australia, Dodson suggested, is a nation of jailers. The dominant culture isolates or imprisons people it fears into dehumanising spaces, Dodson explained, drawing an arc from Australias colonial history as a penal colony and its treatment of Indigenous Australians through to the locking up of people seeking asylum on prison islands. Dodsons granddaughter Dalisa Pigram, and Rachael Swain, who run the bi-coastal intercultural arts company in Broome and Sydney, were seeking deeper answers in the wake of this documentary revealing a prison system that locks up 10-year-olds and places children as young as 13 in solitary confinement. In 2016, the day after ABC-TVs Four Corners aired its program Australias Shame , exposing the issue of Indigenous children in detention, the artistic directors of dance theatre company Marrugeku sat down for a conversation with Patrick Dodson, the Yawuru law man, philosopher and West Australian senator, who is also their patron. Pigram, who is also Yawuru, recalled an earlier conversation she had had with her grandfather about the concept of jurrungu ngan-ga, which translates as straight talk. Its reflective of a kinship term used in my culture, in our language group, which forbids direct talk with particular family members which might be your mother-in-law or son-in-law relationship, says Pigram. That led to us thinking about that on a national scale: weve never had the ability to talk direct in the relationship in black and white Australia. Jurrungu Ngan-ga has become the title of the companys latest show, featuring nine culturally diverse performers. Ever-present security cameras will project a live feed and zooming close-ups onto the wall. Speaking from Broome, Dodson says there has been a failure to talk in a direct manner about the truth of the dispossession of Aboriginal peoples, and the incarceration as part of the system to assert the sovereign position of the crown and a way to subjugate the people to the imperatives of the colonisers, basically. Jailing Aboriginal people is not just a modern phenomenon, says Dodson. Initially, he says, police were meant to be the protectors of natives from the more awful things that the colonists were doing at the frontier, to Aboriginal people, and then they became the agents who removed children of mixed blood from their families and communities to totally induct them into the white system. The legion of hate-watchers pondering the relevance of Carrie, Miranda and Charlottes wardrobe were silenced by the latest haute couture season in Paris, where Valentino inadvertently delivered wardrobe suggestions for a proposed second season of And Just Like That... Veteran supermodel Kristen McMenamy, 57, opened the refined show from designer Pierpaolo Piccioli in a little black dress with a sweetheart neckline that swooped into fetish territory with femme fatale opaque stockings. Her signature silver hair parted and severely pulled back, McMenamy was a couture stand-in for Sarah Jessica Parker, 56, complete with gloves for protecting the character Carries fingers from sneaky cigarettes. And Just Like That...Carrie has a new wardrobe thanks to the haute couture, spring/summer 2022 season in Paris with looks from Valentino and Schiaparelli. In a move welcomed by those seeking greater diversity on the runway, Piccioli outfitted a number of mature and curvaceous models from different racial backgrounds, reflecting the often jarring push for greater cultural relevance on And Just Like That... There was even boxy black menswear capable of elevating the stoner style of non-binary character Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez) or embellished tailoring ready for Mirandas slightly more structured wardrobe. Finding preppy Charlotte on the runway required a trip to the temporary space replacing the Grand Palais, undergoing renovations, for the Chanel show. Monegasque royal Charlotte Casiraghi riding astride a horse in a bejewelled black tweed jacket was in step with the Park Avenue princess style of Kristin Daviss character, but it was an update of the classic Chanel suit which best-suited televisions proudest perimenopausal mother. With plaid tweed jackets breezily open and skirts not completely closing over an exquisite lace dress, artistic director Virginie Viard provided an enticing uniform for liberal conservatives (no pearls required). The NT government has shortened the time people must wait before receiving a COVID-19 vacine booster and introduced a third dose mandate for workers, as some of Central Australias most influential Aboriginal organisations released a scathing open letter demanding a lockdown in the region. The NT has recorded more than 940 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases to about 4200. The jurisdiction also revised Thursdays case numbers from 626 to 747, after underreporting cases for the second day in a row. Yuendumu is in a lockout as COVID-19 spreads through the NT. Credit:Janie Barrett Chief Minister Michael Gunner announced that from Monday, Territorians will only need to wait three months between their second COVID-19 vaccination and their booster shot. The immunity that two doses of the vaccine provides does not last forever, and if you got your second shot, four, five, six months ago your level of protection has gone down, Mr Gunner said. Perrottet, in his speech to the National Press Club in December, canvassed a national reform ambition which will require the support of his fellow state leaders. On his collaboration with Daniel Andrews, Perrottet notes that Victoria and NSW have similar populations, similar demographics and are facing the same pandemic. This is about people, not politics, he says. If you dont put politics aside in a pandemic then you are doing your entire country a disservice. Daniel Andrews, although less expansive, affirms his commitment to what has become a highly productive partnership. Victoria and NSW have had similar experiences of the pandemic, he says. Where there is shared experience and mutual benefit weve worked collaboratively and well continue to do so. The Victorian Premier this week confirmed that on Monday, the day the states co-ordinated the timing and content of their back-to-school policy announcements, he had a lengthy conversation with Perrottet, as he does most weeks. If the two premiers released the audio from their regular Dom and Dan Zoom meetings, it would make for a lively podcast. United force: NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews have held regular Zoom meetings to co-ordinate their COVID policies. Credit:Daniel Andrews Perrottets first foray into pandemic politics did not augur well for future collaboration. On October 15, just 10 days after he was sworn in, the NSW Premier unilaterally announced that from November 1, all international travellers, subject to being fully vaccinated, would be able to enter NSW without the need to quarantine. The policy change the first step towards dismantling our Fortress Australia border arrangements was consistent with what the Victorian government was independently working towards, but Andrews was blindsided by the Perrottet announcement. From this shaky start however, a collaboration began to take shape. Within a week of the NSW announcement, Victoria publicly joined NSW by ditching its requirement for international arrivals to quarantine. On November 4, a joint statement was issued by the offices of Andrews and Perrottet announcing that for the first time in four months, the border between the two states would be fully open. NSW and Victoria are normalising living with the virus, the statement read. It was a policy change consistent with the vaccination milestones within the national plan for re-opening but significantly, Victoria and NSW had made it together. It is a case of NSW and Victoria taking politics out of the pandemic. Rather, both leaders realised that, for all their political differences, their interests and those of their states were fundamentally aligned. Victoria, like NSW, had come to accept that COVID could not be eradicated by public health interventions. The most recent Delta outbreak had revealed public fatigue and dwindling compliance with COVID restrictions. Mass vaccination had recalibrated the relationship between COVID infection, severe illness and death. The emergence and unprecedented spread of the Omicron variant, rather than challenging these assumptions, cemented them. The resultant transformation of our pandemic response, in a matter of weeks, has been profound. On December 6, just days after a Sydney school student was confirmed as the first known case of Omicron spread within Australia, Premier Andrews vowed to keep Victorias border with NSW open and where possible, harmonise the COVID policies of the two states. If Victoria and NSW are working closely together, I think thats a good thing for the rest of the country as well, he said. Loading Two weeks later, with Omicron starting to replace Delta as Australias dominant strain, NSW and Victoria issued a second joint statement announcing that international arrivals will only need to isolate until they return a negative test. By this stage, key staff within the offices of the Premiers had established working relationships with their counterparts and had begun sharing information on sensitive political decisions. Planning was already well advanced on a joint decision that would resonate more deeply with Australian families than any change to border policies; a return to classroom teaching, on day one of term one. The Victoria/NSW partnership, having endured the peak of the current Omicron wave, has recast pandemic politics. Whereas previously, the federal government sought to uphold NSW as a COVID exemplar a NSW/Victorian unity ticket on most public health measures dulls these attacks. Instead, NSW and Victoria have at crucial times used their combined strength to force a change to national policy. The week before Christmas, state health ministers Brad Hazzard and Martin Foley wrote to their federal counterpart Greg Hunt urging the Commonwealth to reduce the interval for COVID boosters. Their intervention was prompted by the release of UK data showing that, after 20 weeks, vaccination against COVID provided zero protection against infection with Omicron. The issue was referred to ATAGI, which recommended on Christmas eve that the interval be shortened from six to four months. To appreciate how far removed we are from the pandemic settings in place at the start of this summer, think back to what living with COVID used to mean. Once stay-at-home orders lifted, we could go to work and to shops and bars and restaurants but, if any of those places recorded a positive case corresponding with when we were there, we would be told to quarantine for two weeks. If any children got sick at school, the rest of their class would be sent home and in some instances, the entire school would shut. Infectious diseases expert Professor Robert Booy. Remember when workplaces were closed for deep cleaning? When getting tested was something that required a trip to your local clinic and a lengthy wait for results instead of a self-administered check, while the kettle boils, at your kitchen bench? When returning from overseas meant being unable to leave a hotel room for two weeks? When getting COVID was something we thought we could avoid? Robert Booy, an infectious disease expert with the University of Sydney and Sydneys Westmead hospital, says one of the most significant changes is that getting the virus has itself been normalised. Anyone reading this in Victoria and NSW has either had the virus or has family or friends who have been infected. Professor Booy can speak from personal experience; on the day he spoke to this masthead, he was on his sixth day of isolation after testing positive to COVID. He is triple vaxxed and his symptoms, like those experienced by most fully vaccinated people, were short-lived and mild. Omicron is clearly a dramatic change from Delta, he says. It is much less severe and it is incredibly more transmissible. It has created a situation where infection in the community has become the normal. Half the people in my street, who are careful, have gotten infected anyway. Im an example of being protected and, having been exposed, getting a mild infection only. Getting that mild infection has been a boon. Ive gotten better quickly and I have got better protection against what COVID throws up next. Professor Booy, like Professor Lewin, is delighted to see NSW and Victoria now in lock-step on so much of their pandemic response. An expert in COVID infections in children, he has been a staunch advocate for a return to classroom teaching with sensible mitigation measures. He has also been part of a broad research team that has collaborated, across bureaucratic and state divides, to inform the policies which enabled children to return to class. That research team included senior bureaucrats from the NSW health and education departments who, in turn, shared what information they gathered with their Victorian equivalents. Professor Booys mantra, one shared by the World Health Organisation and now, formally adopted by national cabinet at the urging of Andrews and Perrottet, is that schools should close for public health reasons only as a last resort and only for the shortest time possible. This is a radical rewriting of Victorias approach in 2020 and 2021, when classroom teaching was repeatedly disrupted and children kept home for entire school terms. Professor Lewin observes that the unanticipated emergence of Omicron, a variant that freely infects the fully vaccinated but puts 70 to 80 per cent fewer vaccinated people in hospital, turbocharged the speed of planned changes to our pandemic response. Our path out hasnt changed direction; we are just bolting along a route we thought wed be walking before the first Omicron case was identified in South Africa. As dramatic as the changes have been, there are potentially more to come. Once there is no constraint on the availability of rapid antigen tests something Professor Lewin expects to see within the next few months our management of COVID cases is likely to be further overhauled so that a COVID infection, like a cold, doesnt disrupt the lives of household members who arent sick. The likely availability of oral antivirals, perhaps before the winter, will expand treatment options without the need to go to hospital. These changes, like those we have already gone through, will create uncertainty in people who remain sceptical of our capacity to return to normal life while COVID circulates widely in the community. But, so long as their accord holds, you wont hear any argument between the premiers of NSW and Victoria. And thats good for all our health. Three legal bodies have urged the Queensland government to extend its proposed shield laws to protect journalists from being forced by the states corruption watchdog to identify sources. But even if those changes are made, the laws would come too late for a journalist and detective being prosecuted by the Crime and Corruption Commission over an alleged information leak. Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman introduced the proposed shield laws to state parliament on November 16. Credit:Matt Dennien The shield laws were introduced to State Parliament in November, with Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman saying Queensland would no longer be the only jurisdiction without that legislation. The laws only apply to court proceedings, in which journalists could refuse to identify a source in certain circumstances. Russia has rejected claims that its build-up of 120,000 troops along Ukraines border should be seen as an act of aggression while accusing Australia of falling for Western propaganda for believing allegations it was behind a series of major cyberattacks. In a rare media conference in Canberra on Friday, Russias ambassador to Australia, Alexey Pavlovsky, said just because troops were massing on the border with Ukraine it did not mean Moscow was preparing to invade, suggesting they are there as a warning that Kyiv needed to strictly abide by the Minsk arrangements. Dr Alexey Pavlovsky, Russian ambassador to Australia. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen He also took a swipe at Defence Minister Peter Duttons comments earlier this week, where he labelled Russian President Vladimir Putin an ageing dictator who was becoming more and more irrational. Dr Pavlovsky told reporters that if such comment were the level of analysis informing Australian policy then it is definitely a worrying sign while quoting lyrics from John Lennons Imagine. Employers and unions have welcomed the West Australian governments announcements on managing COVID-19 when the Omicron wave rises as markets show concern about continued supply from the states mines. Premier Mark McGowan outlined on Friday how WA would manage significant outbreaks that it has escaped for two years but now accepts as unavoidable. WA fly-in, fly-out miners will not have to isolate if they are close contacts without symptoms. Credit:BHP The challenge is to avoid rapid outbreaks that swamp the healthcare system, without isolating so many workers as close contacts that vital services such as groceries collapse, as has happened in other states. When high caseloads are reached in WA, which the Premier hopes will not be for some weeks, the definition of a close contact will be tightened and the isolation required cut from 14 days to seven. Loading Still, the sudden announcement of a nuclear substitute was a rude surprise, prompting cries of betrayal and the recall of French ambassadors from Washington and Canberra. Deeper ocean currents had been revealed. A common thread to all the talk was something called the Indo-Pacific, a term barely heard in international affairs just a few years earlier, but now code for what to do about China. The future of the Indo-Pacific will impact all our futures, said Prime Minister Morrison at the AUKUS launch. His British counterpart explained the new three-nation partnership as working hand in glove to preserve security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. President Biden declared the future of each of our nations and indeed the world depends on a free and open Indo-Pacific enduring and flourishing in the decades ahead. Days later, the leaders of the so-called Quad countries America, Australia, India and Japan convened in Washington for their first in-person meeting of this important new grouping. With a less confronting agenda than AUKUS (spanning vaccines, technology, environment and infrastructure) they committed to a region that is a bedrock of our shared security and prosperity a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is also inclusive and resilient. But all was not well within the tent. Canberras diplomatic activism had propagated the Indo-Pacific as a unifying idea. Now, Australia was at the centre of a family feud in which different democracies preached their own versions of the creed. France expressed its outcry over the sunken submarines deal not in the crude terms of the global arms trade, but as a regretful lack of consistency in upholding shared interests and values in la region indo-pacifique. On the same day as the AUKUS bombshell, the European Union had released its own strategy for co-operation in the Indo-Pacific. A US Navy guided missile destroyer in the Taiwan Strait, December 30, 2020. Credit:AP The European approach was high sounding, but its plea for multilateral diplomacy, inclusiveness and non-confrontation sidestepped the hard question of what to do if China had other ideas, especially with its coercion of Taiwan. By October 2021, tensions were escalating across the Taiwan Strait, with Chinese bombers making sinister daily air shows in skies it contested with the self-ruling island. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen was declaring that the course of the Indo-Pacific, the worlds fastest-growing region, will in many ways shape the course of the 21st century. That included the increasingly real possibility of catastrophic war. The Indo-Pacific is a place, an idea and a wave sweeping global diplomacy. Many powers and international groupings now invoke this term to define how they are rising to the China challenge. In early 2021, the new US administration of President Biden hit the ground running with a policy of competitive coexistence with China. This was underpinned by strengthened engagement of diverse allies and partners. Thus President Bidens first international summit was with fellow leaders of the Quad. This theme of Indo-Pacific solidarity was developed further a few months later in the Cornwall summit of the Group of Seven (G7) and its new democratic partners, Australia, India, South Korea and South Africa. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) subsequently warned that China posed systemic challenges. How to blunt Chinas bid to dominate the vital Indo-Pacific region in security, economics, technology and values, and amid the aftershocks of COVID-19 was now a first-order question in global diplomacy. The Indo-Pacific answer is a practical reimagining of the world map to suit the problem and the times. It reframes an Asia-centric region to reflect growing connectivity and contest across two oceans, driven in substantial part by Chinas expanding interests and influence. This vision explains and encourages the balancing and dilution of Chinese power through new partnerships across collapsed geographic boundaries. Loading In a global discourse dominated by Beijings transgressions and triumphalism, or simplistic narratives of USChina bipolarity, the Indo-Pacific idea offers a useful alternative. It is about incorporating a more powerful China into a regional order where the rights of others are respected, and counterbalancing that power when those rights are not. My book Contest for the Indo-Pacific has been described as a manifesto for this Indo-Pacific idea. The first edition was published in early 2020, just as COVID-19 was starting to spread across the globe. Much has changed in the subsequent two years of upheaval. But the Indo-Pacific idea has emerged tempered and true. No plague truce The global storm of COVID-19 and its impact on gathering great-power rivalry was not readily foreseen. My original analysis was over-optimistic in identifying a future pandemic as an opportunity to rebalance the worlds relations with China towards co-operation. In 1348, the bubonic plague brought a seven-year pause in the Hundred Years War between England and France. There has been no plague truce in the long struggle of our era. A pattern politely described as assertiveness underwent a step change towards confrontational wolf warrior diplomacy. Had the moment arrived for some confident execution of Chinese grand strategy? Or was this more a manifestation of anxiety, shaped by awareness that the window to lock in relative gains would close, as Chinas demographic, environmental, financial, political and strategic constraints hit home? Or had Chinas rampant nationalism become an unavoidable function of its internal repression, less strategy and more pathology? Rather than the careful implementation of a grand plan, perhaps we are seeing traces of a political autoimmune disease, where the Chinese Communist Partys hyper-defensiveness runs out of control, every germ of foreign criticism a trigger for counterproductive reaction in an empire of hurt feelings. The Chinese military featured prominently in 2021s Community Party centenary in a year when Beijing flew a record number of test flights over the Taiwan Strait and also parked dozens of vessels in a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea. Credit:AP Whatever the cause, China accelerated its bid for dominance: a sphere of instability and pressure against not only Taiwan but Australia, India, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, Britain and much of Europe, even little Lithuania. No wonder a growing number of nations have sought new ways to band together in protection of their interests and principles. Middle players make a move A core theme of my book is the agency of middle players not China, not America in mapping the future. The spread of the Indo-Pacific concept was a quiet achievement from years of activist diplomacy by these powers, notably Australia and Japan. Now Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Taiwan are renewing their efforts to engage America as a security provider. These same powers and many others are continuing to strengthen themselves while also weaving a diplomatic web of new connections, however Lilliputian this may seem at first. Part of the logic of these middle players banding together was to guard also against American unreliability under Trump. But the coalition building has not abated with the return to a more internationalist United States; instead, it is providing fertile ground for Washingtons re-engagement, demonstrating to America that its allies are increasingly interested in building their own united front. This makes eminent sense at a time when American leadership and credibility is under such strain, from Russias war threats against Ukraine to the tragic aftermath of withdrawal from Afghanistan. Washington may well be serious about a long game of rivalry with China, but this will require new levels of burden-sharing with partners. Thus the new spirit of self-help among Indo-Pacific allies, to influence the balance of power and forcefully defend national interests if stability fails. Australia is expanding its warfighting capabilities missiles, satellites, warships amid warnings from Mr Morrison that the era is starting to feel like the 1930s: poorer, more dangerous and more disorderly. Rather than isolating or subduing the middle players, Chinas actions have bolstered their resolve to seek common cause with one another, while building domestic resilience and keeping the door open for engagement on terms of mutual respect. Australia, India and Japan continue to strengthen bonds with each other and in the Quad with America. In 2020, Australia and India finalised a comprehensive strategic partnership reaching beyond maritime security into cyber, critical technologies, supply chains and infrastructure. Australia and Japan have committed to military access arrangements, allowing their forces to use each others bases. Plus there is new collaboration on cyber, advanced technologies, critical minerals, supply chains, pandemic response and strengthening third countries through aid and training. Indo-Pacific security co-operation has gone global. A few years ago, Indonesia led the 10 member Association of Southeast Asian Nations in devising an Indo-Pacific outlook, a policy of inclusiveness, coexistence and respect for maritime rules across this vast region. France was the first European power to redefine its strategy as Indo-Pacific, back in the 2010s. Despite the AUKUS rupture, France insists its attention will stay on this region, where it retains territories, citizens and military presence. Meanwhile, Germany, the Netherlands, Britain and the European Union have released Indo-Pacific policies to reframe their diplomacy in support of democratic values and a peaceful, rules-based order, while still hedging somewhat to preserve what commerce and other co-operation they can salvage with China. Quad summit: US President Joe Biden in the White House with, from left, Scott Morrison, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. Credit:AP Western nations are backing this up with shows of military presence, notably the 2021 deployment of a British aircraft carrier strike group through the Indian Ocean and South China Sea. Loading Taiwan has endorsed the Indo-Pacific in its so-called New Southbound policy. South Korea is starting to do the same in its New Southern policy, regaining confidence in its American ally and looking beyond the Korean Peninsula to sea lanes on which its economy is even more acutely dependent than Chinas. New Zealand and Canada are reframing their foreign policies through an Indo-Pacific lens. Most prominent among the new partnerships is the Quad. In March 2021, the first Quad summit recast the groupings agenda around public goods: co-operation and capacity in technology, vaccines and climate policy. A second summit at the White House reinforced this plan, including a vaccine rollout predicted to reach 2 billion doses in 2022. All this was hardly hawk talk, and undercut the theatrics of fulmination that Beijing has used to claim it was being threatened by an Asian NATO. The Quad is becoming a core for larger coalitions. As Biden promotes renewed partnership among democracies worldwide, there is scope to coordinate overlapping groups, including the Quad, the Five Eyes (the US, Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand), the new AUKUS trio and the G7. Rory Metcalfs updated edition of Contest for the Indo-Pacific: Why China wont map the future. Credit:Black Inc. For all the gloom and disruption of the early 2020s, the Indo-Pacific idea should be about building islands of trust and co-operation, in an era when global institutions are under intense strain yet standing alone is not enough. Professor Rory Medcalf is head of the National Security College at the Australian National University. This article is based on an extract from the updated edition of his book Contest for the Indo-Pacific: Why China Wont Map the Future, to be released by Black Inc. on February 1. London: A former British ambassador to Russia says Vladimir Putin is operating from a bunker and few Kremlin advisers would dare contradict the Russian President if he invaded Ukraine a decision that would provoke a conflict with the United States and the West. Both Russia and Ukraine on Friday (European time) moved to defuse tension over the potential crisis, with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky saying that while the situation could yet change, there had not been any escalation in recent days. Russian President Vladimir Putin. Credit:Kremlin via AP We dont need panic, Zelensky told a news conference with international media in Kyiv. Asked what Australia and other non-NATO countries could do to support Ukraine, Zelensky said: Investors are welcome. Lawrenceville, VA (23868) Today Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 59F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 59F. Winds light and variable. By Aditi Shah NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Ather Energy, India's top electric scooter maker by revenue, is raising funds to ramp up annual production to one million scooters over the next three years amid a surge in demand, the startup's co-founder and chief executive told Reuters. Ather, which counts Tiger Global and Indian bikemaker Hero MotoCorp as investors, has raised about 12 billion rupees ($160 million) since its inception in 2013 and is in the process of raising more, Tarun Mehta said in an interview. "Our plan was to not raise more capital and focus on growing the brand, but the rate of transition to electric and the pace at which the supply chain and capacities need to ramp is way faster than what we thought a year back," Mehta said. He declined to comment on the amount the company plans to raise. A source with knowledge of the plans said Ather was looking for about $133 million. Of this, it has already raised $56 million from Hero. Sales of electric scooters surged more than five-fold in India last year, as high fuel prices push buyers to look for alternatives and government subsidies narrow the price gap between electric and gasoline models. Even so, electric models made up just 1% of total Indian motorcycle and scooter sales of 14.5 million in 2021. The government wants this to reach 40% by 2030 as it looks to reduce its oil import bill and curb pollution. Ather is also building its war chest amid rising competition from startups like Softbank Group-backed Ola Electric, which recently raised $200 million, as well as from India's traditional bikemakers like Hero, Bajaj Auto and TVS, which are speeding up their clean mobility plans. Over the next three years, Ather plans to increase its annual production capacity to one million scooters from 400,000 by the end of 2022, install 5,000 fast chargers across India, develop new products and increase its network to 600 stores, Mehta said. The biggest challenge he sees is growing the supply chain and convincing suppliers to invest ahead of time in electronic components like motors and controllers for India's nascent electric vehicle market. The required investment and pace of expansion will also push back Ather's profitability, which Mehta expects is now another two years away. "The demand is massive, and the Indian market has been supply constrained," he said. Ather currently manufactures about 5,000 electric scooters a month and builds its own lithium-ion battery pack. Mehta expects to expand production to 20,000 scooters a month in 2022, helped by a surge in demand from smaller cities. His longer term vision is to invest in businesses that help increase the use of clean energy. "The next thing that excites me is trucks and buses - it is low volume but massive energy consumption," he said. (Reporting by Aditi Shah; Editing by Mark Potter) (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.) Agrochemicals company Dharmaj Crop Guard has filed preliminary papers with capital markets regulator Sebi to raise up to Rs 300 crore through an initial share-sale. The initial public offering (IPO) consists of fresh issue of equity shares worth up to Rs 216 crore and an offer-for-sale (OFS) of up to 14.83 lakh equity shares by existing shareholders, according to the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP). The offer also includes a reservation for subscription by eligible employees. As per market sources, the Ahmedabad-based company looks to raise anywhere between Rs 250 crore and Rs 300 crore. Proceeds from issue will be used for funding capital expenditure towards setting up of a manufacturing facility at Saykha Bharuch in Gujarat, funding incremental working capital requirements, payment of debt and general corporate purposes. The company is engaged in the business of manufacturing, distributing, and marketing of a wide range of agro chemical formulations such as insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, plant growth regulator, micro fertilisers and antibiotics to B2C and B2B customers. The company exports its products to more than 20 countries across Latin America, East Africa, Middle East and Far East Asia. Elara Capital (India) Private Limited and Monarch Networth Capital Limited are the book running lead managers to the 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.) The FAANG (Facebook-Meta, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google) listed over 250,000 jobs in 2021 -- a rise of around 44 per cent when compared to 2020, a new report showed on Friday. The job listings related to 'big data' and 'cloud' increased by 57 per cent in 2021, when compared to 2020, and jobs related to themes such as 'digital media', 'digitalisation' and 'mobile' more than doubled. 'AI' and 'industrial automation' were other trending themes that witnessed a high number of listings, according to GlobalData. This year, Meta (Facebook) is exploring verticals beyond gaming and social media in its reach towards the metaverse, developing content categories and ecosystems, as well as creating a marketing strategy for wearables and AR products. Meanwhile, Amazon Web Series is deepening its strategic relationship with Epic Games through metaverse tech. "The need to engage and influence customers through social commerce experiences more than ever, and this likely influenced the high number of listings in areas such as digital media and mobile, which more than doubled in 2021," said Ajay Kumar Thalluri, business fundamentals analyst at GlobalData. Although the total number of job listings increased in 2021, FAANG took an average of over two months to close a job listing during the year. Lower job duration -- the time elapsed between the day when a job was listed to the day it was closed -- suggests that there is enough talent available to quickly hire for a role, while higher duration could mean less available talent or lack of specific skills, the report noted. "Tech giants are striving to retain users - especially the new subscribers added during the pandemic - and generate new content. They are also searching for talent to prepare for the emerging themes such as augmented reality (AR), metaverse, and Web 3.0," said Rupantar Guha, principal analyst. Alphabet (Google) listed roles in Ghana in 2021 to help seed and grow operations in the country, while it also facilitated new partnership agreements in Sweden. Meanwhile, Netflix renewed focus on the South Korea, Thailand, and South-East Asia (SEA) region in 2021. Apple continued to post jobs requiring automotive experience for its electric car project 'Titan'. The company is hiring a data scientist role with experience in automotive ADAS. "The infamous Apple car is still a long way off. At the very earliest, we might expect to see something by 2025, but it is very likely that it will be delayed beyond that date, said Daniel Clarke, thematic analyst. Looking forward, FAANG companies are expected to keep up hiring requirements in 2022. "Meta is set to launch its first digital wallet as a standalone app in 2022; meanwhile, Alphabet is hiring for a 'Program Lead, Partner Customer Advisory Boards (CAB)' for strategic development and execution of programs for Google Cloud," said Thalluri. --IANS na/svn (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.) Moglix, the industrial business-to-business for manufacturing, has raised $250 million in its latest Series F round, at a valuation of $2.6 billion. This investment was led by Tiger Global and Alpha Wave Global with Hong Kong based-investment firm Ward Ferry coming on board as a new investor. In 2019, Moglix was the first B2B sector investment in India by Tiger Global which continued to double down and invest in Moglix over the last 3 years. Early investors, who had invested in Moglix during the seed stage have seen an 80X return on their investment in this B2B commerce firm. Moglix is one of Indias largest and fastest-growing B2B Commerce . It works with manufacturing and infrastructure to transform their end-to-end supply chain, from procurement to distribution. In May 2021, Moglix became the first B2B Commerce unicorn or a with over $1 billion valuation, in the manufacturing sector, raising $120 million. We are happy to have the continued support and faith of our investors, customers, suppliers and team. We are excited to welcome Ward Ferry onboard. We are focused on our mission to enable the creation of a $1 trillion manufacturing ecosystem in India, said Rahul Garg, founder and CEO, Moglix. We will continue to invest in building technology and supply chain capabilities to enable growth of the manufacturing and infrastructure sector. Moglix will increasingly focus on growth driven by supply chain financing, acquisition of the right partners and global expansion. Moglix was founded in 2015, by IIT Kanpur alumnus and ISB graduate Rahul Garg. Moglix provides solutions to more than 500,000 SMEs (small and medium enterprises) and over 1000 large manufacturers across India and the UAE. It has a supply chain network of over 16,000 suppliers, 40 warehouses and logistics infrastructure. In the commerce business, Moglix competes with unicorns such as OfBusiness, Infra.Market and Zetwerk.With close to 700,000 SKUs (stock-keeping units), Moglix said its marketplace is the largest e-commerce platform in the industrial goods category in India. It recently crossed $100 million disbursal rate on its supply chain financing platform Credlix. The firm is backed by marquee global investors such as Tiger Global, Alpha Wave Global, Sequoia, Accel Partners, International Finance Corporation and Harvard Management Company Industry stalwart. Also, Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons had invested in the start-up in 2016. Leaders from the start-up and manufacturing communities such as Kalyan Krishnamurthy, Vikrampati Singhania, Shailesh Rao have been investors in Moglix. Grounded carrier has appointed Priyapal Singh as its 'accountable manager', replacing Sudhir Gaur who resigned from the company late last year, an airline source said on Friday. A seasoned pilot, Singh took over the charge of the position in January, according to the source. The source also said that immediately after assuming the position, Singh along with the team met the DGCA officials and discussed various issues concerning the re-launch of operations. The consortium had on December 17 last year said 2.0 plans to start domestic operations at the earliest in 2022 as a full-service carrier. Singh, a squadron leader with IAF who has been associated with Jet Airways and JetLite in various capacities prior to its grounding in April 2019, moved back to Jet, which is now owned by the Murari Lal Jalan-Kalrock consortium, from the Nepal Airlines Corporation. "The new Accountable Manager Captain Priyapal Singh took over the charge on January 24 and the same day, he had a formal meeting with DGCA officials," the source told PTI. "The meeting was quite productive. All the manuals have been filed and DGCA is in an advanced stage to reviewing the manuals and granting necessary internal approvals," he said. The monitoring committee at its meeting on January 5 provided its "in-principle approval" to the nomination of Singh as the new 'accountable manager' of the company. The day-to-day operations and management of the company are being carried out by the monitoring committee constituted under the resolution plan as approved by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). On June 22 last year, the NCLT approved the consortium's resolution plan for grounded Jet Airways, subject to certain conditions. A seven-member monitoring committee has also been formed to manage the day-to-day affairs of Jet Airways till the insolvency resolution process is complete. (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.) Faced with surging imports in the home market, Indias largest stainless steel player, Stainless, is now looking at a bigger play overseas. Exports currently account for about 20 per cent of total sales, but Abhyuday Jindal, managing director, Stainless, said, given the dumping that is happening, the company is working towards increasing its share of exports to 30-35 per cent. Stainless has units at Jajpur in Odisha under Jindal Stainless Ltd and Hisar in Haryana under Jindal Stainless (Hisar). The are in the process of being merged and awaiting approval from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). The major competition for Jindal Stainless in the domestic market is from imports, particularly Indonesia and China. The suspension of countervailing duty (CVD) on stainless steel products from China and Indonesia in the Union Budget 2021-2022 led to an increase in imports. In 2020-2021, imports from China had stood at 133,525 tonnes, while that in April-November 2021-2022 was at 213,512 tonnes; imports from Indonesia during the same time increased from 51,607 tonnes to 118,812 tonnes. With imports eating into Jindal Stainless domestic market share, the company is planning to up its game in the export market. We see exports in the immediate future, going up. Imports in the US grew from Taiwan, Vietnam and India. Jindal Stainless also has been focused to increase sales in the US. Despite certain challenges, Jindal Stainless has made all preparation to achieve higher volumes in the US market in Q4 FY21-22, said Jindal. Europe currently accounts for the major chunk of Jindal Stainless export basket with Italy, Germany and France having a significant customer base. We have a good demand and customer base in these countries. So we can increase our volumes there. But the US is going to be a key focus area, said Jindal. With carbon taxes looming large in these countries, Jindal Stainless is gearing up to reduce emissions even as it expands capacity. With our expansion, we would be requiring more energy definitely. But as a company we are looking at no more addition of thermal power. Any addition of power will be from internal gas balancing; we are also looking at solar and wind opportunities, said Jindal. He added that hydrogen energy was another concept that the company was working on. Jindal Stainless is expanding capacity at Jajpur from 1.1 million tonnes (mt) to 2.1 mt. The cost of the ongoing brownfield expansion is pegged at Rs 2,150 crore and is one-third greenfield capex. Hisar, which caters to segments like auto, process industry, and oil and petrochemical, aerospace and electric vehicles, is also expanding capacity at a cost of around Rs 450 crore. A major growth area for Jindal Stainless is the metro segment. Over the last four years from FY19 to FY22 the company registered a CAGR of about 20 per cent in sales volume in this segment. Jindal believes that there could be a requirement of close to 1,400-1,600 metro cars over the next 4-5 years amounting to 14,000-16,000 tonnes of stainless steel. Moreover, international players like Hitachi Rail, Siemens, Alstom are in discussions for supply of stainless steel for their global projects, he added. Kotak Mahindra Banks consolidated net profit increased 31 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 3,403 crore in the OctoberDecember quarter (Q3) of FY22. Its net profit for the year-ago quarter stood at Rs 2,602 crore. On a standalone basis, which reflects the banks lending operations, the private sector lender reported a 15 per cent YoY increase in net profit to Rs 2,131 crore in Q3FY22, beating street estimates, due to higher net interest income and write back of provisions. Bloomberg analysts had estimated a net profit of Rs 2,074 crore for the bank. In the year-ago period, the bank had reported a net profit of Rs 1,854 crore. Its net interest income (NII), the difference between interest earned and expended, stood at Rs 4,334 crore, up 12 per cent YoY from Rs 3,876 crore in the year-ago period. Net interest margin, a measure of profitability of banks, stood at 4.62 per cent, 17 basis points (bps) higher than 4.45 per cent it had reported in the preceding quarter, and 26 bps higher than 4.36 per cent posted in the year-ago period. The bank has written back Rs 279 crore in Covid provisions, resulting in a provision and contingency write-back of Rs 131 crore in the third quarter. In comparison, it had made provisions of Rs 424 crore each in the year ago and sequential quarters. Despite the write-back of some Covid provisions, the bank is holding Covid-related provisions to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore at the end of December 2021 quarter. The total provisions held by the bank, which includes specific, standard, and Covid-19 related provisions, stood at Rs 7,269 crore at the end of December quarter. Asset quality has improved sequentially, with the bank reporting gross non-performing assets (GNPAs) of 2.71 per cent in Q3FY22 against 3.19 per cent in Q2FY22. Net NPAs also declined sequentially by 27 bps to 0.79 per cent. In absolute terms, GNPA was down by Rs 675 crore to Rs 6,983 crore, and net NPA was down by Rs 487 crore to Rs 2,004 crore in Q3FY22. Slippages for the quarter stood at Rs 750 crore whereas recoveries and upgrades were to the tune of Rs 1,086 crore. In the year-ago period, the proforma (due to the dispensation given to banks) GNPA ratio was 3.27 per cent and net NPA was 1.24 per cent. We have seen improvement in asset quality on all fronts. The actual increment in GNPAs was lower so we had a negative growth on GNPAs, on the back of better recoveries. We also saw a small Special Mention Account (SMA) number and the restructuring was pretty small, said Jaimin Bhatt, president & group CFO, . The lender has restructured loans worth Rs 348.65 crore under the Reserve Bank of Indias second Covid restructuring scheme. In accordance with Covid and MSME resolution frameworks announced by the RBI, the bank has standard restructured fund-based outstanding of Rs 1,364 core, or 0.54 per cent of advances as at December 31, 2021. As far as credit growth is concerned, the banks advances grew 18 per cent YoY and 7.7 per cent sequentially to Rs 2.53 trillion, led by the consumer vertical loans with 29 per cent YoY growth. The home loan and loan against property segment has shown 38 per cent YoY growth. The unsecured retail segment which the bank had slowed down earlier has grown in double digits. Customer assets, which include advances and credit substitutes, increased by 20 per cent YoY to Rs 2.75 trillion. We have talked in the past about going for growth and the bank has continued to pursue growth in this period, said Bhatt. Unsecured for us is a small base. It is 5-6 per cent of our total advances. It is still cautious optimism (for us). But the opportunity is huge, said Dipak Gupta, joint managing director, . Total deposits were at Rs 3.05 trillion, up 15 per cent YoY. The ratio of current account, savings account deposits stood at 59.9 per cent, 70 bps lower sequentially. Disclosure: Entities controlled by the Kotak family have a significant holding in Business Standard Pvt Ltd Infrastructure major on Friday reported 17% fall in consolidated net profit at Rs 2,055 crore for the quarter ending December 31, 2021 as higher raw material and fuel prices impacted margins. The company posted net profit of Rs 2,467 crore in the year-ago period. Consolidated revenue from operations rose 11% to Rs 39,563 crore as against Rs 35,596 crore in Q3FY21. The consolidated order book of the group was at Rs 3.4 trillion as on December 31, 2021, with international orders having a share of 24%, which gives multi-year revenue visibility, the company said in a stock exchange filing. The company bagged orders worth Rs 50,359 crore during the quarter ended December 31, 2021, registering decline of 31% over the corresponding period of the previous year, since the previous year had the benefit of the company securing the biggest ever EPC contract for Mumbai Ahmedabad High Speed Rail in the infrastructure segment. On Friday, L&T's scrip on BSE closed 0.65% lower at Rs 1,898.80. During the third quarter of the current financial year, orders were received in various businesses viz Hydrocarbon Offshore, Metros, Rural Water Supply, Minerals and Metal, Public Space, Health Infrastructure and Power Transmission and Distribution, L&T said. The international orders, at Rs 20,521 crore, during the quarter comprised 41% of the total order inflow, with receipt of large value international orders in Hydrocarbon Offshore, it added. The company's international sales during the quarter stood at Rs 14,541 crore, which is 37 per cent of the total revenue. Infrastructure segment secured orders of Rs 25,330 crore, down 44% over the previous year. The heavy engineering segment recorded an order inflow of Rs 1,288 crore, recording a growth of 29%. On the outlook, the company said in the backdrop of the current economic environment, it continues its planned path of winning targeted orders, focussing on profitable execution of its large order book and leveraging the strong growth momentum in its IT & TS portfolio, along with other value enhancing measures. Elon Musk-owned private rocket company plans to launch 52 missions in 2022, a NASA safety panel revealed. According to CNBC, during a meeting of a key NASA agency oversight committee panel member Sandra Magnus said that the private company is targeting "an ambitious 52 launch manifest" for 2022. "NASA and will have to be watchful during 2022 that they're not victims of their success," Magnus said during the meeting. "There's an ambitious 52-launch manifest for over the course of the year. And that's an incredible pace." SpaceX successfully completed 31 launches in 2021, which beat its previous record of 26 in 2020. Musk said the company was striving to hit 48 launches in 2021 but only made it to 31. In addition, there are now 1,469 Starlink satellites active, with 272 moving to operational orbits currently. In July 2021, Musk said that laser links in orbit can reduce long-distance latency by as much as 50 per cent, due to the higher speed of light in vacuum and shorter path than undersea fiber. A recent report said that the satellite internet division of SpaceX now has more than 1,45,000 users across 25 countries globally. Until November 2021, SpaceX had added roughly 11,000 users per month since beginning service in October 2020. --IANS wh/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.) Ola, Indias largest mobility platform has announced expansion plans of its quick commerce service- Dash. In next six months, Dash aims to expand its dark store network to 500 dark stores spread across 20 cities, making it the largest dark store network in India. The term dark store refers to a outlet or distribution centre that caters exclusively for . The move puts Bhavish Aggarwal-led in competition with players such as Reliance-backed Dunzo Amazon, Walmart-owned Flipkart, Swiggy, Zomato, Tata-backed Bigbasket and quick grocery delivery platform Zepto. Ola Dash currently services 9 cities (Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur and Lucknow) through its Store to Door service in 10 minutes, spread across 200 dark stores, offering an assortment of over 2500 SKUs (stock keeping units). Ola aims to grow the business, taking the order size to more than 500,000 per day by the year end. Ola has been a leader in the on-demand mobility business for more than a decade. Our advanced geolocation tech, coupled with very low cost of customer acquisition gives us a unique advantage to bring the benefits of mobility to all, said Anshul Khandelwal, chief marketing officer, Ola. Our quick commerce service is an essential part of our connect with customers as they rely on technology and online service to fulfill their daily needs. Over the next few months, we will be expanding our reach and presence to more cities and customers. The range of products available on Ola Dash include fresh produce, snacks and beverages, instant food, home care products, fruits and vegetables, cooking essentials etc. Available on the Ola app, Ola Dash is an expansion of the New Mobility vision that now covers a wider set of customer needs. These range from multi-modal ride hailing offerings to vehicle commerce to crafting unique food experiences with Ola foods and now quick commerce with Ola Dash. Ola said it is making urban mobility available on-demand for over a billion people across 3 continents. According to an industry report by Redseer, the addressable market for quick commerce is projected to be over $75 billion by 2025, creating a multi-billion dollar opportunity for players tapping this market. This month,Dunzo, the Google-backed quick commerce player, raised $240 million in its latest round of funding. The investment was led by Reliance Ventures Limited, with participation from existing investors. Quick commerce platform Zepto, which was launched almost 6 months back by two teenage Stanford dropouts, recently raised $100 million in its Series C round at a valuation of $570 million. This month, food-delivery giant Swiggy has raised $700 million in Invesco-led new funding, which, according to sources, has made the outfit a decacorn, almost doubling its valuation to $10.7 billion. This fundraise will also enable Swiggy to accelerate growth on the core platform and make meaningful investment to grow Instamart, its quick commerce grocery service which remains well-positioned to continue to lead the emerging space and set to reach an annualised gross merchandise value (GMV) run rate of $1 billion in the next three quarters. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has expressed disappointment over fewer allocation for new fuel retail outlets ( pumps). In a letter to Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL), the industry coordinator for public sector oil companies, the Oil Ministry has asked why the draw of lots was conducted for less than half of the envisaged number of pumps. It is observed that till date, the draw of lots has been conducted for less than 50 per cent of the locations and accordingly around 32,000 Letters of Intent (LOI) have been issued so far, the letter from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said. Also, it has been seen that OMCs have cancelled many locations due to wrong nomenclature in advertisement and several locations have either received nil response, or nil selection has been made, the letter added. According to the petroleum ministry, there is a need to set up many more fuel retail outlets due to construction of new roads, highways, e-ways, and economic corridors. It also reiterated the obligation of oil to set up pumps at remote areas to improve accessibility to consumers. This is required to ensure that oil marketing (OMCs) do not end up concentrating only on urban areas for better earnings, as consumption is higher there. The mandate to set up fuel retailing outlets in rural and low volume areas is also on new licensees that have been allowed access to Indias growing market under liberalised terms. Five per cent of the total outlets that new licensees need to set up have to be in rural areas within five years from commencing operations. The ministry has asked BPCL to submit a proposal for fresh advertisement on behalf of the industry, indicating OMC-wise numbers of locations in the proposal. But this is not the only front where OMCs are battling with respect to fuel retail outlets. In another communication, the ministry asked public sector OMCs to comply with a Rajasthan High Court directive, asking them to consider a revision of margins payable to fuel pump operators. The competent authority of respondents shall consider and decide the same in accordance with law and do the needful as early as possible, preferably within a period of twelve weeks, the Rajasthan High Court order read. The order was in context of a plea by the Rajasthan Petroleum Dealers Association, seeking a hike in dealer margins. The OMCs have been made the competent authority to decide on the revision. Representations regarding revision of Dealers Commission received in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas are forwarded to BPCL as coordinator of OMCs to provide a suitable reply at their end, the ministry said in response to a right to information query filed by dealers through their advocates. The new board of - which has been acquired by salt-to software conglomerate Sons is likely to have an eight member body with Sons chairman as the chairman. This will be the first time that Chandrasekaran will be heading a board of the groups aviation ventures and shows the growing importance of the sector in the groups business plan. Chandrasekaran is not part of the board of Tatas other two airlines- Vistara and AirAsia India. The Tatas are eager to have a strong board with high standards of corporate governance and are roping in Sanjiv Mehta, CMD of FMCG giant Hindustan Unilever and Alice Vaidyan, former chairman and managing director of General Insurance Corporation of India as non-executive independent directors. While Mehta has been heading Unilevers business in India and South since 2013, Vaidyan has over 36 years of experience and is considered to be one of the foremost insurance experts globally. She was the first woman CMD in the Indian general insurance industry. Mehta couldnt be reached for comment while Vaidyan refused to comment on the topic. The new CEO, who is likely to be a leading aviation turnaround expert will also be a part of the board while the existing directors of handling core functions- finance, commercial, operations and personnel will retain their position in the board. The group had appointed leading headhunter firms- DHR International and Eghon Zender to find a CEO for Air India. An interim management committee headed by Sons senior Vice President Nipun Aggarwal, senior vice president of and the four functional directors is currently heading the daily operations of the company. The Tatas are very eager to set a high standard of corporate governance within Air India and hence a strong board is required as seen within all of the group. Simultaneously, all leading names in aviation are eager to be a part of this project of turning around Air India as this is one of the most watched over projects currently in the global aviation industry, said a person aware of the development. Nearly seven decades after it lost control, Tatas on Thursday regained ownership of Air India and promised to turn the loss-making carrier into a world-class airline. The handover culminates a long process of governments attempt to transfer the ownership of the loss-making airline to a private owner. The airline has never made profit since its merger with Indian Airlines in 2007-08 and has reported a loss of Rs 7,017 crore in FY21. The acquisition gives the salt-to-software conglomerate 100 percent ownership in Air India, its low cost subsidiary Air India Express and 50 percent stake in ground handling firm AISATS. DCGI gives permission to for intranasal booster dose trials India's drug regulator has given permission to to conduct phase-3 clinical trial for its intranasal Covid vaccine as booster dose on participants who have been previously inoculated with SARS-CoV 2 vaccines. India is yet to approve the use of intranasal COVID-19 vaccine BBV154 developed by the Hyderabad-based company. Read more India to export BrahMos missiles to Philippines, signs $374-mn deal India got its first ever export order for BrahMos missiles on Friday when the Philippines' Defence Ministry signed $374 million contract with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited to supply an undisclosed number of missiles, military officials said. The BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL), an India-Russian joint venture, produces the supersonic cruise missile BrahMos that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or from land platforms. Read more B S Yediyurappa's granddaughter Soundarya found dead in Bengaluru Former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's granddaughter Dr Soundarya V Y allegedly ended her life by hanging herself from the ceiling fan at her Vasant Nagar flat on Friday morning, police said. According to police, the reason behind the extreme step taken by the 30-year old doctor working in a private hospital was not known immediately. Read more L&T Q3 results: Net profit falls 17% to Rs 2,055 cr; revenue rises 11% Infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro on Friday reported 17% fall in consolidated net profit at Rs 2,055 crore for the quarter ending December 31, 2021. It was Rs 2,467 crore in the year-ago period. Consolidated revenue from operations rose 11% to Rs 39,563 crore as against Rs 35,596 crore in Q3FY21. Read more Anil Agarwal-led reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 4,164 crore in December quarter, up 27 percent from corresponding period last year on the back of strong revenues. The companys net sales in the period under review stood at Rs 33,697 crore, up 50 per cent from the same period last year. The reported topline is a record consolidated quarterly revenue. Strong revenue stream was supported by improved commodity prices and higher sales volume across businesses which partially offset by lower sales volume at Zinc International and Oil & gas business. A current tax expense of Rs 2,100 crore also ate into the companys bottomline in the period under review. As per Bloomberg estimates, the companys topline was expected to be at Rs 33,212 crore in the quarter gone by and the bottomline was seen at Rs 4,831 crore. Among its business segments, the companys aluminium revenue was the highest at Rs 13,024 crore followed by Zinc India at Rs 7,819 crore. Revenues from oil & gas business rose 65 percent in the December quarter from last year to Rs 3,113 crore. "Q3 (FY22) played a big part in it with highest ever quarterly production from Hindustan Zinc, aluminium and ESL (Electrosteel Limited). Our commitment remains unchanged towards shareholders return and capital allocation," Sunil Duggal, chief executive officer of was quoted as saying. Alongside, the company reported highest ever quarterly earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and ammortisation (EBITDA) in the quarter ended December at Rs 10,938 crore, up 42 percent from last year. The companys EBITDA margin in the period under review, however, slipped to 37 percent from 39 percent in the corresponding period last year and 40 percent in the preceding quarter. Exceptional items for Q3 FY2022 was at Rs 37 crore, primarily on account of Capital work in progress (CWIP) impairment at Hindustan Zinc's Doswada plant. "With the commitment to transforming the planet and becoming net-zero carbon by 2050 or sooner, the momentum for decarbonatization across the business has increased with the focus areas being renewable energy, fuel switch, fleet electrification, plantations & afforestation. We have entered into number of partnerships to brings best-in-class expertise and also strengthen our commitment to transforming the communities and the workplace," said Duggal. Aluminium became the largest industrial consumer of renewable energy in India, said Vedanta. Also, MSCI index rating improved to B (earlier CCC) and CDP (carbon disclosure rating which is a measure of the environmental sustainability of a corporation) rating to B (earlier B-), it said. With regard to Vedantas debt levels, the company reduced its net debt by Rs 7,781 crore in the December quarter on year-on-year basis to Rs 27,576 crore. With this, the net debt/EBITDA ratio stood at 0.7x as on December 31, 2021. The company's gross debt was at Rs 52,783 crore on 31st December 2021, deleveraged by Rs 9,629 crore year-on-year. This was mainly due to deleveraging at Zinc India and Aluminium business, said Vedanta. Jared Brunson, right, dances during a rehearsal of "FIVE," a piece that will be presented as a part of Ballet Virginia's upcoming performance of "Beauty + Truth," on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022, in Norfolk, Va. "Beauty + Truth" will take place on Feb. 4-5 at Zeiders American Dream Theater in Virginia Beach. (Kaitlin McKeown/The Virginian-Pilot) Jalen Williams crouched on the studio floor, his head bowed to his hands in prayer. The ballet dancer was portraying 14-year-old Kevin Richardson after Richardson had been falsely accused and arrested for the rape of a woman in a 1989 New York case. Four other dancers surround Williams, each portraying scared, confused teenagers who were also jailed. Advertisement The dancers are the Central Park Five, who were the subject of a case that garnered international attention. The story will unfold locally in a performance called FIVE on Feb. 4 and 5 at Zeiders American Dream Theater. Its part of Ballet Virginias larger program, a series of dances called Beauty + Truth. Company artistic director Lydia Robert Coco choreographed much of the show, along with co-directors Suzanne Lownsbury and Janina Michalski. The real-life defendants Korey Wise, Yusef Salaam, Antron McCray, Raymond Santana and Richardson were between 14 and 16 years old when they were wrongly convicted of raping and brutally beating a female jogger in Central Park. They spent five to 11 years in prison. Advertisement After being exonerated in 2002, they sued the state of New York for discrimination and, in 2014, were awarded $41 million. Their story became the subject of the 2019 Netflix series, When They See Us. Richardson served seven years in prison. Williams was hesitant to be in the show after seeing the series, which he called horrifying. Dancers rehearse "FIVE," a piece that will be presented as a part of Ballet Virginia's upcoming performance of "Beauty + Truth," on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022, in Norfolk, Va. "FIVE" follows the story of the Central Park Five. (Kaitlin McKeown/The Virginian-Pilot) When I saw what they went through, I was like I would never wish that on anyone else, Williams said after a recent rehearsal. Ive been lucky enough and fortunate enough not to go to jail, but Ive been on the sidewalk before with my hands cuffed behind my back. They let me go, but Ive lived some of that stuff. Gianna Coco, 22, plays his mother. She said the show offers a refreshing perspective on what happened to the teens. She likes the ending because the male dancers are allowed to improvise, putting their own spin on the show. Imani David, 18, plays Linda McCray, mother of Antron McCray, who served six years. During one tense scene, David stands in front of her son, her arm stretched out to shield him from a prosecutor during the trial. Confusion and grief are etched into her face. For her, the story is personal. She likes the energy and emotion shes allowed to bring to the performance, but shes also thinking about what it would be like to have someone take advantage of a child. She has a 5-year-old brother. I have to worry about him getting in trouble for something he didnt do; hes just there and hes Black, she said. Im not a mom, but I am a sister. Advertisement A dancer is illuminated by afternoon sun during a rehearsal of "FIVE," a piece that will be presented as a part of Ballet Virginia's upcoming performance of "Beauty + Truth," on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022, in Norfolk, Va. (Kaitlin McKeown/The Virginian-Pilot) Lydia Roberts Coco said the companys executive director wanted her to put together a Black History show a few years back but the pandemic and lack of funding got in the way. She initially wanted a show centered around a 1964 case known as The Harlem Six. In that case, a white woman was fatally stabbed and her husband was critically injured. Six Black teenagers were charged and convicted of first-degree murder and other charges including first-degree attempted murder, the New York Times reported. All six were sentenced to life in prison and were granted a retrial because their confessions had been improperly obtained. According to The Washington Post, a prosecution witness told his probation officer that his testimony was a lie. The article also stated that there was little physical evidence to tie them to the case and that the arrests and trials were laden with racial hysteria. Four of the boys pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter while maintaining their innocence and were freed in 1973. The other two were released later. Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news > Coco, the artistic director, decided to focus on the more well-known Central Park Five. It also allowed her to have a smaller cast since she has only a few Black males in the company. Dance, she said, can touch people in a way that reading or hearing about the case on the news cant. Once you get in here and have these beautiful bodies to work with, if I can give them a step, they can make it something even more, she said about the performers. The whole production is called Beauty + Truth. Its beautiful that the truth came out in this case. Advertisement If you go When: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 5 Where: Zeiders American Dream Theater, 4509 Commerce St., Virginia Beach Tickets: Start at $15; tinyurl.com/BeautyTruthTix Details: tinyurl.com/BalletVABT; 757-446-1401. Masks are required for all patrons regardless of vaccination status and those 12+ must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken 72 hours prior to the event Saleen Martin, 757-446-2027, saleen.martin@pilotonline.com Ltd, restaurant aggregator and food delivery company, has decided to foray into the financial services business and has decided to create a non-banking finance company (NBFC) as a wholly-owned subsidiary for the purpose. The proposed paid-up capital of NBFC will be Rs 3 crore, while the authorised capital is pegged at Rs 10 crore. The name of the company is being finalised subject to approval by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, said in a filing with the BSE. The wholly-owned subsidiary will need Reserve Bank of Indias approval to carry on the financial services business. Zomato, founded by Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah in 2008, is a professionally managed company with no promoter or promoter group. In December 2020, signed a pact with InCred, a non-banking finance company, under which the latter will extend loans to restaurant partners. The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic hit the food delivery industry hard leading to a sharp decline in gross merchandise value. Union Home Minister on Friday said that the ruling government in Uttarakhand is working towards modernizing the Army and producing weapons within the country in an effort towards Atmanirbhar Bharat. "Several works are being done by the Modi govt to modernise the Army and to make the country self-reliant in the production of weapons," Shah said while addressing former Army personnel in Rudraprayag in the poll-bound Uttarakhand. He also noted that the defence budget was increased by the government at the Centre from Rs 2 lakh crore in 2013-14 to Rs 4.78 crore in 2021-22 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "In 2013-14, the defence budget was Rs 2 lakh crore...The Modi govt increased the defence budget to Rs 4.78 crore in 2021-22," Shah said. Shah said that the is committed to making changes in the security of the country adding that PM Modi has implemented the One Rank One Pension scheme, which reflects the priority of the party. Highlighting the works of the party in the defence sector, Shah said that BJP has implemented programs to provide modern defence material to those on the line of duty and has made an effort to ensure that the quality is not compromised. Slamming the Congress, Shah said that they are known as "failed government" while the BJP is known as a "double-engine" government. He further assured that the BJP is voted to power in the state, they will ensure that youth would not need to migrate outside of the state. Earlier in the day, Shah held a door-to-door campaign in Rudraprayag. He also offered prayers at Baba Rudranath Temple in Rudraprayag. Polls to elect the 70-member Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly are scheduled to be held on February 14. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (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.) Ten more cases of the variant of the have been reported in Himachal Pradesh, taking the total count to 25, a health official said on Friday. Initially, cases were reported only from international arrivals, but now they are being recorded in the community, he said. The senior official said that 127 whole genome sequencing (WGS) reports were received from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Delhi, on Friday. Of these WGS samples, mutations were found in 10 samples and all these samples have been found positive for Omicron, he added. Nine cases are from Kangra district and one from Mandi district, he added. Of the 10 cases, two are of international passengers -- one Kangra and the other from Mandi, the official said. The remaining eight cases were local to Kangra district, he said. These samples were taken from patients found positive between December 15 and December 31, the official said. Of the 15 cases reported previously, six had international travel history while nine were reported from the local community of various districts. The official appealed to the public not to panic and follow all Covid protocols of wearing masks, maintaining social distance, frequently washing hands and using sanitisers irrespective of the vaccination status. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government has slashed the rate of an RT-PCR test by nearly half to Rs 500 from Rs 950, a senior health official said on Friday. However, the additional charge of Rs 15 per km for home collection of samples remains unaltered, he said, adding that the new rate came into effect from January 27. "The revised rate will be applicable also to all private laboratories. The cost of reagents has dropped drastically, hence we slashed the charge. An order to this effect has been passed," Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) chairperson Justice (retired) Ashim Kumar Banerjee said. The rate of an RT-PCR test in Delhi is Rs 300, while that in Mumbai is Rs 500. has tested 2,30,02,149 samples for COVID-19 till Thursday. (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 is carrying out more warship patrols than ever before as concerns grow about the countrys ability to remain dominant in the as Chinas naval power quickly increases. The waters off India havent seen this many naval vessels together since World War II as both China and Western allies deploy more warships in the area, according to senior Indian naval officials familiar with the matter. They estimated about 125 foreign naval vessels were in the at any given time, roughly three times the number deployed in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks when the U.S. invaded Afghanistan. While Indian officials are confident they can manage the threat for now, a lack of funding threatens the countrys ability to keep pace with China and other nations. Most Indian submarines critical to controlling the oceans are about two decades old, and plans to increase the warship fleet to 200 -- including a third aircraft carrier -- keep getting delayed. India now has about 130 warships, roughly a third of Chinas naval fleet comprising 350 ships and submarines -- the largest in the world. Despite that, last year the navy saw the biggest gap among Indias three military services between requested and actual funds, prompting a parliamentary panel to ask the government to stop making further reductions. The navys budget will be in focus on Feb. 1, when Prime Minister Narendra Modis government presents its annual spending plan in parliament. In the last five years, the shortfall between what the Indian Navy requested and what it got ranged from 5% to 41%, the panel of lawmakers said in a 2020 report to the government. In the latest report submitted last month, they said the navys allocation was less than half the amount it wanted. Defense Ministry spokesman Bharat Bhushan Babu and Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. Over time as the region gets more militarized, tension in the area is bound to increase, said Anit Mukherjee, associate professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies who wrote a book on Indias military. The solution for India is to develop the navy if it wants to address its growing diplomatic and strategic needs. Chinese warships have been present in the since 2008, and India is constantly watching three to eight of them that are continuously on patrol, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R. Hari Kumar told reporters in December. I want to assure you the Indian Navy is confident of defending Indias maritime interests, he said. India has permanently deployed warships at five choke points in the Indian Ocean, stretching from the Gulf of Aden in the west to the Malacca Strait in the east. The waters carry some of 40% of the worlds oil from fossil-fuel producers in the Middle East to some of Asias biggest economies. Last year the Indian Navy carried out an all-time high of 50 joint exercises with friendly navies, including one with Japanese warships around the Malacca Strait, said a senior naval official. Still, India has been cautious to avoid antagonizing Beijing as the two countries battle along their contested Himalayan borders. Modis government has turned down requests from friendly navies to jointly patrol the South China Sea, another naval official said. Indias navy has sought to demonstrate its reach with humanitarian missions. In 2015, more than 26 countries, including the U.S., turned to India to help evacuate their citizens when civil war in Yemen intensified. Half a dozen Indian warships were able to rescue 4,000 Indian citizens as well as 1,200 foreigners before Port Aden was bombarded. In the last two years, the naval ships have sailed 40,000 nautical miles -- or twice around the earth -- carrying food, medicines and weapons to Indian Ocean countries. On Dec. 26, an Indian warship sailed into Mozambique for the first time carrying weapons and humanitarian aid. Overall leaders in Indias capital have become more aligned with the Indian Navys view of the countrys interest in the maritime domain, said Nilanthi Samaranayake, a director of the Strategic and Policy Analysis Program at CNA, a U.S.-based research organization. Especially if it relates to the safety of Indian citizens working overseas and remittances to the economy. India and China have agreed to hold the commander-level meeting at the earliest on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western sector to resolve the standoff between the two nuclear nations. Answering queries on disengagement talks, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, in a virtual weekly media briefing said, "The 14th round of India-China core commander-level meeting was held on January 12 this year. The two sides agreed that the resolution of the remaining issues will be held at the earliest, would help in the restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the Western sector and enable progress in bilateral relations." India and China have been engaged in a standoff since April-May 2020 over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including the Finger area, Galwan Valley, Hot springs, and Kongrung Nala. The situation worsened after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in violent clashes with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in June 2020. New Delhi and Beijing have been engaged in holding talks on the Line of Actual Control in the Eastern Ladakh area to resolve the standoff. So far, 14 rounds of talks have been held. The talks led to some disengagement of troops from several friction points along the LAC, but not all of them. The talks have also failed to reach any agreement over the frontier. "The two sides agreed to stay in close contact and maintain dialogue via military and diplomatic channels and work out mutually acceptable resolutions of the remaining issues at the earliest," said Bagchi. "In this context, it was also agreed that the next round of commander-level talks should be held at the earliest. We will share with you, once we have any update on this," added Bagchi. (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 got its first ever export order for BrahMos missiles on Friday when the Philippines' Defence Ministry signed $374-million contract with Private Limited to supply an undisclosed number of missiles, military officials said. . The $374 million contract is to supply shore-based anti-ship BrahMos missiles to the Philippines' Navy, officials noted. The Private Limited (BAPL), an India-Russian joint venture, produces the supersonic cruise missile BrahMos that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or from land platforms. In a statement, the defence ministry said, "The BAPL signed a contract with the Department of Defence of the Republic of on January 28, 2022, for supply of shore-based anti-ship missile system to . "The BAPL is a joint venture company of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The contract is an important step forward for Government of India's policy of promoting responsible defence exports," it added. India has already deployed a sizable number of the Brahmos missiles and other key assets in several strategic locations along the Line of Actual Control with China in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. Shambhu Kumaran, Indian Ambassador to the Philippines, on Friday said he was truly privileged to witness history in the making. "Signing of the Brahmos acquisition contract by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana today marks a decisive step forward for Prime Minister's Mission Sagar and India's Indo-Pacific engagement," he tweeted. #WATCH | We strengthen our partnership with $374mn deal for BrahMos missiles with Philippines, this is our major deal. BrahMos is imp to them however many more deals will follow. Many countries showed their interest in BrahMos:Atul Dinkar Rane, CEO & MD, BrahMos Aerospace Limited pic.twitter.com/qeFyzPb05k ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2022 He thanked Lorenzana and Philippines Cabinet Secretary Teddy Locsin Jr for their active support to build stronger relations with India. "Today we are one step closer to elevating ties between our democracies to a strategic partnership and our shared objective of a free and peaceful Indo-Pacific," Kumaran noted. "It is also a moment of deep pride as India establishes itself as a source of high-technology equipment and a trusted partner towards capability development of friendly nations," he added. Reacting to BrahMos's export order, DRDO chairman G Satheesh Reddy said, "Surface to air missile Akash, Astra, anti-tank missiles, radars, torpedoes gain the interest of various countries. More systems are being developed which have export potential. (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 Russian troop build-up around the borders of continues and tension in the region and beyond peaks, India has said it is following the developments closely and called for peaceful resolution of the situation. "We have been closely following the developments relating to including ongoing high-level discussions between Russia and the US. Our Embassy in Kyiv is also monitoring local developments," spokesperson Aridnam Bagchi said at the regular media briefing. Russia has demanded that there should be no presence of NATO forces in and other former territories of the erstwhile Soviet Union. Moscow, which shares friendly and very close ties with India, has denied that it is planning a war on Ukraine. However, US and NATO allies believe that Russia is preparing for an assault. The US has said there will be no change in its policy vis-a-vis the NATO alliance and is standing by Ukraine. Experts have said that the current crisis reminds them of the cold war era. Bagchi said there should be a peaceful resolution to the situation through sustained diplomatic efforts. "We call for a peaceful resolution of the situation through sustained diplomatic efforts for long term peace and stability in the region and beyond," he said. Asked whether amid escalating tensions India fears that the US may impose CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) as India is procuring the S-400 missile system from Russia, the spokesperson referred to India's partnership with both countries. "India and US have a comprehensive global strategic partnership, India has a special and privileged partnership with Russia. We pursue an independent foreign policy. This also applies to our defence acquisitions and supplies which are guided by our national interest," he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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. 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Digital Editor The COVID-19 tally in touched 9,41,456 on Friday after the detection of 7,763 cases, while the toll increased to 10,602 after five patients died in the last 24 hours, a health department official said. The positivity rate dipped to 10.8 per cent on Friday from 11.9 per cent the previous day, he said. The recovery count stood at 8,62,909 after 11,016 people recovered during the day, leaving the state with an active caseload of 67,945, he said. Bhopal and Indore, the two worst coronavirus-hit cities of Madhya Pradesh, registered 1,498 and 1,857 cases, respectively, during the past 24 hours, he added. With 71,313 samples examined during the day, the number of tests in MP went up to 2,56,99,496, the official said. A government release said 10,91,31,796 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far in the state, including 84,722 on Friday. figures in MP are as follows: Total cases 9,41,456, new cases 7,763, death toll 10,602, recoveries 8,62,909, active cases 67,945, number of tests so far 2,56,99,496. (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.) At Winnies Filipino Kitchen, I enjoyed the Chicken Adobo with pancit. I received a large leg and thigh that had been simmered in the adobo marinade until the meat was flavorful and tender. The pancit was bursting with umami and full of chicken and vegetables. Patrick Evans-Hylton/freelance (The Virginian-Pilot) Our region is richly flavored with indigenous ingredients and tasty traditions of folks who have come to call Virginia home. Among those tastes are delicious dishes from the large Filipino community here. Over the years, Ive enjoyed many Filipino meals across Chesapeake including lumpia from Maymar Filipino Restaurant, and the Filipino Breakfast, a wonderful plate with eggs, toast, sweet sausage (longganisa) and fried rice at Sunrise Breakfast Shoppe. Advertisement Recently, Ive added Winnies Filipino Kitchen to that list. In addition to party trays and large orders of lumpia and hot wings to go, Winnies offers a fresh, changing assortment of dishes to enjoy dine-in. Folks can get one entree with rice or pancit, two entrees with rice or pancit, or pancit alone. Advertisement THE EAT: CHICKEN ADOBO WITH PANCIT, $7.49 From the half-dozen options, I picked chicken adodo as my entree, and pancit as the starch. Adobo is a lovely seasoning that also is made into a marinade and sauce. It is used extensively in Spanish and Portuguese cooking, as well as the cooking in colonies from those two former global giants, such as the Philippines. The Philippines method differs a bit from the Old-World style, and incorporates indigenous cooking methods. Here spices, vinegar and varying ingredients are the base of a marinade for ingredients meats, seafood or vegetables which are browned in oil and simmered in the adobo. I received a large leg and thigh that had been simmered in the adobo marinade until the vinegar had tenderized the chicken so much it practically fell off the bone. The meat had picked up all of the rich spices, and each bite was succulent and satisfying. Pancit, sometimes spelled pansit, is one of the most recognizable Filipino dishes. There are many variations, but at Winnies, long, perfectly cooked noodles are served hot in a savory, soy-based sauce bursting with umami. The noodles are studded with pieces of chicken and a variety of vegetables. It was a wonderful side to the chicken. THE DRINK: WATER Although there were several bottled juices, some with enticing and exotic flavors, I opted for water to enjoy with my meal. There are no beer, cocktails or wine served at Winnies. Advertisement Winnies Filipino Kitchen is in Orchard Shopping Center at 1400 Kempsville Road; call 757-410-7331 or visit facebook.com/winnieschesapeake. A LA CARTE A virtual Valentines Couples Cooking Class from Team Zaddy is being offered from noon-3 p.m. Feb. 13. The online offering guides folks through the crafting of a pineapple bourbon lemonade cocktail or mocktail, bourbon BBQ wangs, Cajun crab dip, baby shower meatballs, and chocolate covered pineapple. The event is sponsored by Pour and Stay Full and the cost is $44.99. Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news > For more information, visit facebook.com/pourandstayfull. Branches Tasting Room is offering a Valentines Day brunch from noon-5 p.m. Feb. 13. Advertisement Gourmet waffles, breakfast flatbread, quiche, desserts, unlimited mimosas, craft cocktails and more are on the menu. The shop also is offering Valentines Day boards for pickup. Branches Tasting Room is at 2125 Starmount Parkway; call 757-392-3942 or visit brancheswinetasting.org. A Super Bowl party takes place at Eagles Nest Rockin Country Bar from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Feb. 13. Eagles Nest Rockin Country Bar is at 1723 Parkview Drive; call 757-420-9191 or visit eaglesnestchesapeake.com. Patrick Evans-Hylton, PatrickEvansHylton@gmail.com Prime Minister on Friday lauded Cadet Corps for their contribution to the country and said that the government has created over one lakh new cadets in the border areas of the country. "The training I got in and the things I learned here have provided me immense strength in delivering upon my responsibilities. Recently, I had also received an alumni card as well," the Prime Minister said while addressing the rally at Cariappa Ground here today. PM Modi said that there is a different enthusiasm in today's celebration as the young country is witnessing such a historic festival. "The country is celebrating the Amrit Mahotsav of its independence. When a young country becomes a witness to such a historic festival, there is a different enthusiasm in its celebration. It is visible even on this ground today. This is the vision of the youth power of India, which will fulfill our resolves," the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister said that in the last two years, the government have created over one lakh new cadets in the border areas of the country. "Today, when the country is moving forward with new resolutions, then our efforts are also going on to strengthen the NCC in the country. For this, a high-level review committee has been set up in the country. In the last two years, we have created one lakh, new cadets, in the border areas of the country," he said. The rally is the culmination of NCC Republic Day Camp and is held on January 28 every year. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two days after donning the traditional cap of Uttarakhand and a stole from Manipur during the Republic Day parade, Prime Minister wore a cadet turban while attending a rally of the Cadet Corps (NCC) here on Friday. Modi wore a rifle-green turban with a red-coloured feather -- similar to how cadets wear it in the -- for Friday's rally at the Cariappa parade ground here. On January 26, Modi had ditched his traditional turban look and wore a traditional cap from Uttarakhand with an image of the brahmakamal, the state flower, and sported a stole from Manipur. Official sources had said that Modi uses the brahmakamal whenever he offers prayers at Kedarnath. Punjab, Uttarakhand and Manipur are among the five states that head for polls next month. Turbans have been a highlight of the prime minister's sartorial choices at Independence Day and Republic Day events. Last year, he sported a a special turban from Gujarat's Jamnagar on 72nd Republic Day. On Independence Day last year, he chose a saffron headgear with red patterns and a long plume. For his maiden Independence Day speech in 2014, he had opted for a bright red Jodhpuri bandhej turban with green at the tail. In 2015, he chose a yellow turban covered with multi-coloured crisscross lines, and a tie and dye turban in hues of pink and yellow in 2016. The prime minister's turban for 2017 was a mix of bright red and yellow with crisscrossed golden lines all over. He donned a saffron turban for his appearance at the Red Fort in 2018. (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.) called on Friday by student bodies, and supported by all parties in the opposition and some in the ruling dispensation, against alleged irregularities in the Railway Recruitment Board's Non-Technical Popular Categories examination process evoked a mixed response. Citizens woke up to chanting of slogans by bandh supporters against the RRB which has conducted a staggered, and allegedly botched up selection process, the Centre which intervened not before the crisis snowballed, and the government in the state which has booked many students and teachers for the large-scale arson and vandalism that took place in the past few days. In Patna, bandh supporters burnt tyres on Ashok Rajpath throwing out of gear traffic on the busy street which leads to the state's largest government hospital, its most esteemed schools and colleges and shops dealing in medicines, books and stationery. At Dak Bungalow crossing in the heart of the city, they staged a demonstration and recited impromptu verses, to the beats of tambourines, urging RRB, the Centre and to come to their senses. They clashed with police personnel upon being stopped from marching towards the Raj Bhavan, which is a couple of kilometres away. In Samastipur district across the Ganga, a demonstration by AISA members stood out on account of participation by a noticeable number of young women. Legislators and cadres of opposition parties, most notably the RJD and the CPI-ML, led the protests in Buxar, Jehanabad, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Begusarai and Munger. In many places, tyres were set afire on highways, causing the traffic to come to a standstill. Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, who heads Hindustani Awam Morcha and minister Mukesh Sahani, founding chief of Vikassheel Insaaan Party, have also expressed "moral support" to the bandh even though they are aligned with the NDA. Major constituents of the ruling coalition like BJP and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) have also expressed their sympathy for the cause being espoused by the bandh supporters. JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan has come out with tweets blaming the unrest on the RRB's sloppy work and demanding an early resolution of the issue by the high-powered committee set up for the purpose. He has also demanded "immediate withdrawal of the FIRs by Railways and police" at various places in connection with the violent protests which hit the headlines earlier this week. Former deputy chief minister and veteran BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi has also come out with an impassioned plea for calm and the declamation that "Narendra Modi government will not allow any injustice". (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.) Russia selling the S-400 air defence missile system to India shines a spotlight on the "destabilising role" that Moscow is playing in the region and potentially beyond as well, the United States has said. In October 2018, India signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 surface-to-air missile defence system, despite a warning from the then Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions. India has asserted that its decisions are based on its national interest to protect its national security. Well in many ways, this doesn't change the concerns that we have with the S-400 system. I think it shines a spotlight on the destabilising role that Russia is playing not only in the region but potentially beyond as well, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters on Thursday at his daily news conference. The US was urging all countries to avoid major new transactions for Russian weapon systems, Price said, amidst escalating tensions between Washington and Moscow over Ukraine. The Biden administration has not yet clarified whether it will impose sanctions on India under the provisions of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for procuring the . When it comes to CAATSA sanctions, you've heard me say before, we haven't made a determination with regard to this transaction, but it's something we continue to discuss with the government of India given the risk of sanctions for this particular transaction under CAATSA, he said. CAATSA is a tough US law that was brought in 2017 and authorises the US administration to impose sanctions on countries that purchase major defence hardware from Russia. Price was responding to a question on implications of the Russian S-400 'Triumf' air defence missile systems to India on Washington's bilateral ties with New Delhi given the unprecedented tension it is having with Moscow on what it calls an imminent Ukrainian invasion. The build-up of tens of thousands of Russian troops on Ukraine's borders in recent weeks has stoked fears of an invasion. Russia denies it is planning an attack. The US imposed sanctions on Turkey in 2020 under the CAATSA for the purchase of a batch of S-400 missile defence systems from Russia. Following the US sanctions on Turkey over the procurement of S-400 missile systems, there were apprehensions that Washington may impose similar punitive measures on India. Russia has been one of India's key major suppliers of arms and ammunition. Despite strong objections from the US and threat of sanctions from the Biden administration, India has refused to make any changes in its decision and is going ahead with the purchase of the missile defense system. India pursues an independent foreign policy and its defence acquisitions are guided by its national security interests, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in November last year. On Thursday, State Department Spokesperson Price said the US was urging all countries to avoid major new purchases of Russian weapons. Whether it is India, whether it is any other country, we continue to urge all countries to avoid major new transactions for Russian weapon systems, Price said. The Biden Administration, so far, has not taken any decision on CAATSA sanctions. I don't have a timeline to offer, but these are issues that we continue to discuss with our partners in India, Price said. The S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday asked the southern states to focus on the 5-fold strategy of 'Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate and Adherence to Covid Appropriate Behaviour' along with effective surveillance of cases which is crucial for Covid management. Mandaviya reviewed the public health preparedness on Covid with state Health Ministers and senior health officials of eight southern states and UTs -- Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep in the presence of Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health on Friday. Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangaswamy was also present at the meet. The states and UTs were advised to keep a close watch on the emerging clusters and hotspots. States which have reported lower share of RT-PCR in Covid testing were advised to review the same. Adequate and timely testing will help in prompt identification of the infected cases and prevention of a sudden surge, they were told. "Mutual understanding, sharing best practices and collaborative spirit between the Centre and States have helped us in our fight against the pandemic," said the Health Minister, as he applauded the remarkable synergy between the Centre and the states during the video interaction with the states. "India's Covid-19 vaccination drive is a global success story, especially for such a populous country like ours," said Mandaviya. To give a further boost to the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive, we have now started the Precaution Dose and the vaccination for the 15-18 years age group from this month, he added. He noted that more than the projected requirements of doses of both vaccines were provided to the states and UTs. The Health Minister also advised the states to focus on ramping up opening of more tele-consultation centres as part of the Hub and Spoke Model for better public health management. "The tele-consultation centres will help us not only during Covid pandemic but also for non-Covid medical care," he said. While talking about the ECRP-II package under which the funds have been provided to states and UTs, and need to be utilised before March 31, Mandaviya said that while some states have expedited effective utilisation of the approved funds for health infra creation, other states may also review the physical and financial progress under ECRP-II and expedite the progress. He assured the states of all support from the Centre in their efforts for Covid response and management and urged them to provide data on time for efficient policy making. The State Health Ministers who joined the high level review meeting included K Sudhakar from Karnataka, Veena George from Kerala, Ma Subramaniam from Tamil Nadu and Thanneeru Harish Rao from Telangana. --IANS avr/pgh (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Air India's handover has come as a culmination of the governments attempt to transfer the ownership of the loss-making airline to a private owner. More on that in our top headlines this morning. The on Thursday regained ownership of Air India, 69 years after the airline was nationalised. The salt-to-software conglomerate promised to turn the loss-making carrier into a world-class airline. Read more India's high foreign exchange reserves not enough to shield rupee With crude oil touching $90 a barrel in international markets, Indias record foreign exchange (forex) reserves of $634 billion may not be enough to shield the rupee from the adverse effects of a spike in oil prices. There has been a sharp rise in Indias overall import bill in the first nine months of FY22, leading to a decline in import cover despite record forex reserves. Read more DoT drops plan on local 5G standards after strong opposition from telcos The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is dropping its contentious plan to push for a separate India-specific standard for 5G -- also known as 5Gi -- after strong opposition from telecom companies. Read more Payout to be Rs 4k cr to return up to Rs 5 lakh to PMC depositors: Centrum Following the government approving the scheme of amalgamation of Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank with Unity Small Finance Bank, the former will start the process of paying the first tranche of deposits, which is up to Rs 5 lakh to the PMC depositors. Read more Union Budget 2022-23: Clarity on tax compliance needed, say experts Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman should look at rationalising some tax provisions to ease the burden of compliance and regulation, experts said ahead of the Union Budget 2022-23, even as the expectation is that there wont be any changes in the corporate or personal income tax rates. Read more After the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) handed over the missing 19-year-old Arunachal Boy, Congress leader on Friday questioned the government on the "illegal" occupation of Indian territory by China. Taking to twitter on Hindi, said: "Am relieved that China has returned Miram Taron, but when will we get our occupied land from China Mr Prime Minister?" Upping its ante against the Chinese occupation at LAC and northeast, the grand-old-party had earlier alleged that China has built villages inside Indian territory. The party had said the new satellite images on Chinese military development, show purported construction of Chinese villages in Bhutanese territory over the last year, multiple new villages are seen spreading through an area roughly 100 square km (25,000 acres). The villages were constructed between May 2020 and November 2021. These new villages lie near the Doklam plateau where India and China had a face-off in 2017, after which China bypassed Indian defences to resume road construction activity in the region, it said. New construction on Bhutanese soil, the party said, is particularly worrying for India since India has historically advised Bhutan on its external relations policy and continues to train its armed forces. The Chinese PLA handed over Taron at Damai, Border Personnel Meeting Point, in Anjaw district of on Thursday. A resident of Jido Village in Upper Siang District, Taron, had gone missing while hunting since January 18 from Shiyung La in Bishing Area in Indian territory. According to a statement, the Indian Army immediately approached the PLA on a hotline to trace and secure the safe return of the boy and shared the identity details of Miram with the PLA. On January 26, the PLA confirmed that Taron would be handed back to the Indian Army at Damai Border Personnel Meeting Point. The Indian Army took over Taron at the meeting point after completing all the formalities. He is being handed over to his parents at the earliest. Taron is in high spirits and is elated to be back in his country. He and his family expressed gratitude for the sincere efforts by the Indian Army and the government to ensure his safe return. Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday afternoon first announced that the PLA has handed over Taron to the Indian Army nine days after the youth went missing. Rijiju, who closely monitored the process of the release of Taron, tweeted: "The Chinese PLA has handed over the young boy from Shri Miram Taron to the Indian Army. Due procedures are being followed including the medical examination." (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 Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhar has said that the had no respect for backwards and Dalits and had committed atrocities on students demanding jobs amid growing unemployment. Rajbhar is fighting the polls in alliance with the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party. Rajbhar said, "The has not been able to deliver jobs to the youth, and it has deprived backward students of reservation. When students demand reservation, they are showered with police batons. The question paper of recruitment exams of 16 departments was leaked, today 34 lakh positions are lying vacant in the state. In Prayagraj, when students raised their voice, they were beaten up mercilessly. The youth want a change and to see Akhilesh Yadav as their next chief minister." He further said that 85 per cent people in were with the SP-led alliance as the had snatched away their rights. Rajbhar, a former minister, accused the BJP of harbouring 'the likes of Ajay Mishra Teni', accused of killing four farmers during the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. He further said, "Amit Shah did not get time to visit farmers when over 700 of them died during the farmers' protest. The farmers were protesting for almost a year, having braved the cold, rain and intense heat. But the BJP ignored them and instead, used force to stop the farmers from taking part in the protest against the three black farm laws. Now, when elections are here, the BJP is going from door to door distributing pamphlets. "Why didn't Amit Shah remove Ajay Misra Teni who was involved in mowing down four farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri? If the vehicle used in the incident had belonged to any backward, Dalit or Muslim, the owner would have been in jail today. Ajay Misra Teni should have been in jail ideally, but the BJP is giving him political shelter." The SBSP leader said that the BJP had, time and again, shown disrespect to backward and Dalits. "Chief minister Yogi Adityanath and people belonging to his caste sit on chairs, but a deputy chief minister from a backward caste is given a stool to sit on. This is the kind of respect they give to the backwards. Yogi Adityanath sits on a sofa, but UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh is made to sit on a chair. There are 1,700 police stations, but the BJP is silent when it comes to the number of OBC and Dalit police personnel posted there," he stated. --IANS amita/dpb (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Appearing here with his ally RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary, Samajwadi Party president on Friday asked farmers to be wary of the BJP, saying the ruling party's government had withdrawn its controversial farm laws only for the sake of votes. He also assured farmers that if their alliance forms the government in Uttar Pradesh, they will not allow the implementation of any such anti-farmer law in the state. Yadav made the statement addressing a joint press conference with Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary, who on the occasion said his party's alliance with the SP is "solid" and aimed at furthering the cause of farmers. Ahead of the Assembly polls, the is reaching out to the Jats in western Uttar Pradesh, from where members of the community had taken part in the year-long stir against the laws at the Delhi's border points. leaders had also asked the RLD chief to join hands with their party after Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting with Jat leaders in Delhi on Wednesday. Lashing out at the BJP, Yadav said, "The had promised to double the income of farmers but it brought the three anti-farmer laws. The farmers forced the government to repeal the laws. The BJP rolled back the laws for the sake of votes. The BJP is a party, which brings laws without telling anything." Yadav asserted that on coming to power, their party won't implement any such law in the state and said he and Chaudhary are taking forward the cause of farmers championed by former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh, his father Mulayam Singh Yadav and the late farmer leader Mahendra Singh Tikait. Chaudhary said earlier people had doubts if the both parties would forge an alliance. "Our confluence had taken place much earlier. We want UP to develop and have forged the alliance as we want to take the fight of Chaudhary Charan Singh ahead," he said remembering his grandfather. Yadav also said, "Both of us are sons of farmers and will continue to fight till the last breath for their rights." The Samajwadi Party chief said they will make arrangements for the purchase of crops on the minimum support price. A farmer corpus fund will be made so that farmers do not have to wait for the payment of sugarcane dues, Yadav said. The SP chief said they will give 300 units of electricity free to domestic consumers. The former chief minister also promised free electricity for irrigation purposes. He added that the SP had distributed laptops earlier and will now give Samajwadi pension. "The BJP should now look back at its election manifesto and see whether the promises it made have been fulfilled or not. When the BJP declines, it attempts to divert the attention from the basic issues," he said. "I am hopeful that the Ganga-Jamuni 'tehzeeb' (culture) and brotherhood will negate the negative thought process in this election," he said. Yadav had reached Muzaffarnagar late for the press conference, claiming earlier in the day that he was stranded in Delhi as his helicopter was not allowed to take off. In a tweet in Hindi, the SP president posted a picture with a helicopter in the background and said no reason was given for it. "My helicopter is still detained in Delhi without assigning any reason and not being allowed to go to Muzaffarnagar, whereas a top BJP leader has just flown from here. This is a desperate conspiracy of the losing BJP. People are understanding everything," he said in his tweet. (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.) South Africa: SA remains unwavering in support of Palestine: DIRCO The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) says it has noted comments and questions regarding the status of diplomatic relations between South Africa and Israel. The department believes that the debate appears to have been prompted by President Cyril Ramaphosa accepting a letter of credence from the Ambassador of Israel on Tuesday. South Africa currently does not have an Ambassador in Israel. South Africa decided to recall our Ambassador in 2018 as part of processes to downgrade our diplomatic presence in Israel, the department explained. However, according to DIRCO, post-apartheid South Africa and Israel have maintained formal diplomatic ties to date. In part, a diplomatic presence has allowed South Africa to play a role with its international partners in the ongoing efforts to end the occupation of Palestine. The department said South Africa has been "consistent" and "unwavering" in its principled support for the struggle of the Palestinian people in their struggles against the occupation. Our country draws a direct parallel between the former apartheid regime and the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. Like the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), we consider Palestine, together with Western Sahara, as unfinished decolonisation struggles. This has been a priority on our foreign policy agenda since former President Nelson Mandela's time in office. The department said the country has also taken the support for Palestine to multilateral platforms, acting as a catalyst and amplifier of its positions on the international stage. We have initiated and supported countless draft resolutions in favour of Palestine, gone to every open United Nations Security Council meeting addressing the Palestinian question and held consistent voting behaviour since 1994. In addition, the country said it backed the Palestinian UN bid for statehood and the 2009 Palestine 194 diplomatic campaign, defended it in all peace conferences and used its influence to counter recent Israeli diplomatic offensives that could have proved harmful to Palestinian ties to other African countries. Over the last two years, South Africa has been instrumental in stepping up pressure on the government of Israel. Meanwhile, South Africa has partnered with Namibia, Palestinian Human Rights Organisations, Israeli Human Rights Organisations and international legal scholars, to speed up discussions on whether the actions of the Israeli government contravenes international legal prohibitions on the crime of apartheid. Organisations like Human Rights Watch and BTselem, the largest Israeli human rights organisation have found that the actions of the government of Israel have been akin to apartheid. The department is also waiting for the release of the Special Rapporteur of the Occupied Palestinian Territories report and the International Court of Justices legal opinion, which may lead South Africa and other countries to review its diplomatic stance about the Israeli government. The situation is dynamic and South Africa will ensure that its diplomatic presence is strategic and geared towards ending the occupation. South Africa is determined to continue working with the international community to launch a credible, time-bound, multilaterally sponsored political process to resolve the issue of the Palestinian cause based on international law. In this regard, South Africa will continue to support concrete and genuine efforts towards achieving this just and lasting solution, which we believe will greatly contribute to peace, justice and stability in that region. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-01-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. China maps five-year plan for transportation development 09:25, January 28, 2022 By Lu Yanan ( People's Daily China outlined a modern comprehensive transportation system over the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period in a circular recently issued. Photo taken on Jan. 5, 2022 shows a road winding on a mountain in Xianju county, Taizhou, east Chinas Zhejiang province. (Peoples Daily Online/ Wang Huabin) According to the circular, by 2025, China will have generally realized integrated transportation development, achieved breakthroughs in pursuing intelligent and green transportation, and made prominent improvements in overall capability, service quality and efficiency of the transportation sector. By that time, China will have made a further step on its road to build a world-class transportation system. The circular says, between 2021 and 2025, Chinas railway operation mileage will increase by 19,000 kilometers, highway operation mileage by 302,000 kilometers, and high-level inland river waterways by 2,400 kilometers. China is also aiming to have over 270 civil airports and a total mileage of urban transit of around 10,000 kilometers by 2025. Besides, more than 95 percent of cities with a population of over 500,000 will be connected to the countrys high-speed railway network, and a modern airport system will be basically completed. This will continue contributing to the improvement in the size, capability, quality and efficiency of the countrys comprehensive multidimensional transport network. According to the circular, China will strive to make secondary-level highways and above occupy 70 percent of its national highway system in the western region, and connect over 85 percent of unincorporated villages and groups with a large population to hardened roads. The country will also build around 100 rural logistics service brands by 2025. The circular says China will improve the collection and distribution system of transportation hubs. By 2025, over 70 percent of major coastal ports will be connected with railways, and more than 80 percent of aviation hubs connected with rail transit. The circular urges the country to continue optimizing transportation structure and improve the efficiency of the comprehensive transport network. The country will normalize price management in new businesses and models of the transport sector, and implement measures of tax and fee reduction for logistics enterprises. The circular estimates that by 2025, the annual revenue of Chinas courier industry will exceed 1.8 trillion yuan ($283.67 billion), and around 150 billion parcels will be handled on a yearly basis. The industry will have an annual growth rate between 10 percent and 11 percent, which is twice of that of the countrys GDP. Photo taken on Jan. 8, 2022 shows an expressway built in the mountains near Touche village, Longshan county, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture, central Chinas Hunan province. (Peoples Daily Online/ Zeng Xianghui) According to the circular, China will enhance its ability to offer equalized universal postal services during the 14th Five-Year Plan period to make courier services more convenient, more accessible and more reliable, said Zeng Junshan, director of the policy and regulation department, State Postal Bureau of China. Besides, the country will make smart parcel lockers and other devices in urban areas better meet the diversified demands of the people, and extend direct collecting and shipping services to basically all incorporated villages, Zeng said, adding that all border villages will be covered by postal services. A woman collects her parcel from a smart courier vehicle in Suyu district, Suqian, east Chinas Jiangsu province, Jan. 19, 2022. (Peoples Daily Online/ Sun Dongcheng) By 2035, the National 1-2-3 Travel Circle and the Global 1-2-3 Logistics Circle will take initial shape, basically making China a country with a strong transportation network. The National 1-2-3 Travel Circle refers to one-hour commute time in cities, two hours' travel time within city clusters and three hours to travel between major domestic cities. The Global 1-2-3 Logistics Circle means one-day delivery to destinations within China, two-day delivery to neighboring countries, and three-day delivery to major global cities, according to the document. Bullet trains in Xian, northwest Chinas Shaanxi province, Jan. 17, 2022. (Peoples Daily Online/ Wang Shutian) (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Two of Hampton Roads most powerful legislators are on a collision course when it comes to education policy, but both are confident in their vision for the commonwealths schools. Sen. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) and Del. Glenn Davis (R-Virginia Beach) are each in charge of the committee that reviews education bills in their respective chambers, and they are worlds apart when it comes to policy on schools. Advertisement Lucas chairs the Senate Education and Health Committee, and Davis chairs the Education Committee in the House of Delegates. Davis is solidly on board with Gov. Glenn Youngkins embrace of school choice, which includes publicly funded, privately run charter schools, education savings accounts and lab schools, where schools adapt their curriculum to revolve around a specific theme. Advertisement We want the parents to be able to make the best decision for their child, and to open up the resources to do so, Davis said. Davis may have the majority in the House and a governor eager to rethink public education, but it all has to go through Lucas, a staunch defender of traditional public schools. Obviously the Senate Education committee presents a challenge, Davis said. Lucas is a veteran legislator who has already shown that shes not reluctant to stand up to Youngkin and his agenda. I take exception to any funds being taken out of public schools for the purpose of propping up charter schools or lab schools, Lucas said in an interview with the Pilot on Wednesday. If the governor wants to set up those schools, find the funding for it, but do not take the money out of public schools to do it. Virginia only has seven charter schools. Charter advocates say the low number is largely because the power to approve or deny charter applications rests solely with local school boards. Davis has filed a bill to allow charter schools to apply directly to the state, a tweak that school choice advocates believe will make it far easier to get charters up and running. It even has the support of two swing Democrats in the Senate, Sen. Joe Morrisey (D-Richmond) and Sen. Chap Petersen (D- Fairfax City). Sometimes local school boards arent as open minded to charter schools as I would like them to be, Morrisey said. Advertisement Both say they would break from their party if a charter school bill made it through committee and came to the Senate for a vote. But Lucas can prevent that from happening. If the House passes school choice reform and a companion bill shows up in the Senate, Lucas can let it die in the committee she chairs. On Wednesday she said her role on the Senate Education Committee means defending traditional public schools. This has been a mission that I have had ever since I have been in the Senate, when I took my oath of office in 1992, is to make sure charter schools do not siphon funds from public schools, Lucas said. Period. Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news > This may be where the backroom bargaining begins, as lawmakers strike deals with other committee chairs. Lucas has several criminal justice reform initiatives that could get blocked by the House Justice Committee just as easily as her education committee can block school choice initiatives. Advertisement Neither lawmaker pulled back the curtain Wednesday, but both say they remain confident in their preferred outcome. When asked if her legislative priorities would become bargaining chips, Lucas said she expects offers, but has not gotten any yet. I suspect that I will, but that remains to be seen, Lucas said. Davis, meanwhile, said he is eager to ensure his House education priorities survive Lucas committee in the Senate. He declined to say which of the many education bills were most important, saying it was an all of the above approach. I look forward to working with them once the bills get out of the House to help it be successful in the Senate as well, Davis said. Ive always believed that if a bill is good, you pass the bill. Ryan McKinnon, ryan@mckinnonwriting.com Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday exuded confidence that the BJP would win the forthcoming civic body election in Bengaluru. "The victory of BJP in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike election is as true as the sun rising in the east. There is no doubt that people of Bengaluru will support the BJP," Bommai said at a special programme organised at the State BJP office to felicitate him on completing six months in the office which coincides with his birthday. He appealed to the party workers to convey the work done by the BJP government in the past two-and-a-half years to the people of Bengaluru. Bommai explained that his government provided Rs 6,000 crore provided for development of Bengaluru, Rs1,500 crore for remodeling of main stormwater drains and Rs 2,300 crore for development of 12 corridors. He said the development of 75 slums and 75 parks under the Amrith programme has been taken up. "Our government has resolved to complete all-round development of Bengaluru and make it an international-level city," he said. Speaking about various pro-people measures taking by his government, Bommai told the gathering that doubling the compensation for crop loss during the floods, increasing the pension under Sandhya Suraksha Yojana, pension for the physically challenged and widows has benefitted 58 lakh people. He pointed out that the families of those who lost their lives due to COVID have been paid an ex-gratia of Rs 1.50 lakh. According to him, his government is 'Sarva Vyapi- Sarva Sparshi' (all pervasive and all inclusive). (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.) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister on Friday said people of Uttar Pradesh are fed up with politics of caste and religion and now they want a change. On a two-day visit here, Baghel told reporters that during his campaign for the Congress candidates in the city, he spoke to many people and all of them echoed the same need for change. "During my door to door campaigning I met people such as rickshaw pullers, vendors, women, and others, they all wanted change. "People are fed up with the caste and religion politics of other parties and are looking forward to Congress," Baghel said. He said Congress is the only party which is raising issues of women and employment for youths. "These days not one party is raising issues related to the common man. It is only the Congress party that's speaking about farmers, safety of women, and jobs to jobless," he said. Baghel began his door-to-door campaign from Kheria Mod and then moved to Meera Hussaini, Mantola, Ghatia and other areas, campaigning for candidates from Agra Cantt, Agra South, and Agra North. He also met traders and youths of the city and discussed issues they are facing, said a Congress party leader. "On Saturday, he will campaign for the candidates from Fatehpur Sikri and other places," he added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The on Friday released a list of 91 candidates for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, giving tickets to 13 ministers and repeating its sitting MLA in Ayodhya. The party dropped Co-Operative Affairs Minister Mukut Bihari Verma, whose son Gaurav will be contesting from his Kaiserganj seat in Bahraich. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's media adviser Shalabh Mani Tripathi has been fielded from Deoria. The repeated its sitting MLA from Ayodhya, Ved Prakash Gupta. The ministers who have been fielded include Siddharth Nath Singh, who will contest from Allahabad West, and Nand Gopal Gupta 'Nandi', who will be in the fray from Allahabad South. Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi has also found a place in the list. (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.) Assets under management for environmental, social and governance (ESG) funds increased 2.5 times to USD 650 million in India in financial year 2021 on an annual basis, a top official of IT industry body said on Friday. President Debjani Ghosh, during the launch of 'Enterprise Innovation Challenge', said there has been a sharp increase in conversations around . "Companies are not just becoming alert to performance of vendors or partners that they are willing to work with, but investors also are using as metrics to drive investments. "In India alone, the assets under management for rose by 2.5 times in just a year. From 275 million USD in Fiscal Year 20, the assets under management for went up to 650 million USD in Fiscal Year 21," Ghosh said at the virtual event. Digital India CEO Abhishek Singh said ESG will be one of the top priorities for the industry. He said at COP26, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made the net-zero commitment which requires everyone to contribute, including government and the industry. "Even in corporate governance, what we really need is that if our unicorns have to become real value-adding companies and if our startups have to go up and become the best in the world, the adoption of ethical corporate governance standards become a very important part of it. "I am sure that the solutions coming out of the Enterprise Innovation Challenge will help not just corporations but also the government," Singh said. He said increasing adoption of green technologies ensures conservative use of water and natural resources, and puts forward a sustainable agenda which not only takes care of present day needs but also those of the future. (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.) Jan 28 (Reuters) - Indian banks' loans rose 8% in the two weeks to Jan. 14 from a year earlier, while deposits rose 9.3%, the Reserve Bank of India's weekly statistical supplement showed on Friday. Outstanding loans fell 1.85 trillion rupees ($24.57 billion) to 114.96 trillion rupees in the two weeks to Jan. 14. Non-food credit fell 1.82 trillion rupees to 114.10 trillion rupees, while food credit fell 29.99 billion rupees to 856.81 billion rupees. Bank deposits fell 2.59 trillion rupees to 159.83 trillion rupees in the two weeks to Jan. 14. ($1 = 75.0870 Indian rupees) ((India Headline News Team; +91 80 6749 1310)) (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 State Bank of India's recent fundraising of $300 million through issuance of Formosa Bonds is a testimony of the confidence reposed by the overseas investors in the country's growth story, its Chairman Dinesh Khara said on Friday. The lender is the first Indian entity to raise money through Formosa Bond, which is a bond issued in Taiwan. "This first successful issuance of Formosa Bond by any Indian commercial bank, is a testimony of the confidence reposed by the overseas investors into India's growth story and also in SBI, in particular. "This is a reflection of India's March towards the next step of being a developed country," Khara said at the listing ceremony of the Formosa Bonds on India INX. He said the issuance is a step further in the direction of the globalization of the world, when a bank could raise money for those markets which have remained untapped for several years. "It very clearly reflects how far India has reached in terms of the acceptability with all the international investors," Khara said. The lender had said that a wide range of investors such as supranational agencies, assets managers, private bankers and financial institutions have invested in the issue. On the back of strong demand, the price guidance was revised from T+130 bps area to T+100 bps. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Australian government on Friday announced an additional investment of 1 billion Australian dollars ($703 million) in saving the iconic Great Barrier Reef. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the funding over the next nine years is aimed at improving water quality, reef management and research. The government said the package, which increases the funding committed to the Reef 2050 Plan to more than 3 billion AUD ($2.1 billion), will support 64,000 jobs and the economic future of tourism operators. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef and one of Australia's biggest tourism attractions. It is facing threats from climate change, with mass coral bleaching events in recent years. More than half the new funding announced on Friday -- 579.9 million AUD (408 million U.S. dollars) -- will be planned to be spent on improving water quality in the area through remediating erosion. The announcement came weeks after Anthony Albanese, leader of the opposition Labor Party, said they would invest 163 million AUD ($114 million) to conserve the Great Barrier Reef and support the tens of thousands of jobs that depend on it if victorious at the 2022 election. --IANS int/shs (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.) US President spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reaffirm his commitment towards the sovereignty and territorial integrity of his country, as his administration mounted a global pressure campaign against Russia to prevent it from invading . President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of . President Biden reaffirmed the readiness of the United States along with its allies and partners to respond decisively if Russia further invades . He also underscored the commitment of the United States to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, White House said in a readout of the call. The leaders discussed coordinated diplomatic efforts on European security, underscoring the principle of nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine, the White House said. During the call, Biden relayed the US' support for conflict resolution efforts in the Normandy Format, expressing his hope that the sides' recommitment on January 26 to the terms of the July 2020 ceasefire will help decrease tensions and advance the implementation of the Minsk Agreements. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reports that the US has seen preparations and buildup at the border and that an invasion could come at any time. Our assessment has not changed since that point, she said. A day earlier, the United States and NATO both separately delivered their responses to Russia, which a senior State Department official said they believe that these responses offer a real opportunity for security improvements across the Euro-Atlantic area if Moscow chooses the path of diplomacy rather than that of conflict or sabotage. We and our NATO allies and partners have long been concerned about many of the same issues that Russia raised. And we have long wanted serious talks about these things, including intermediate and short-range nuclear weapons that can reach our allies' territory, and the need for more transparency and risk reduction measures, and updated and reciprocal rules of the road for military exercises, Assistant Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland told reporters at a news conference. We too, have concerns about weapons and military activity around Ukraine, including in Donbas and occupied Crimea. Between the US and Russia, between NATO and Russia, and within the OSCE, we have resolved very difficult security and arms control issues before through negotiations. This was true even in the worst of times, and we need to do that again now, she said. She said Russia needs to study whatever has been offered to it. So, it's on that basis that we hope Moscow will study what we have offered them and come back to the table, back to the bilateral table with the US, back to the NATO-Russia Council and to the OSCE, she said. The most important thing we heard from Moscow today is that the documents are with President Putin, that he is studying them. And as I said, we hope he will see here a real opportunity for a legacy of security and arms control, rather than a legacy of war, Nuland said. At the UN headquarters in New York, its envoy to the world body, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, members of the Security Council must squarely examine the facts and consider what is at stake for Ukraine, for Russia, for Europe, and for the core obligations and principles of the order should Russia further invade Ukraine. This is not a moment to wait and see. The Council's full attention is needed now, and we look forward to direct and purposeful discussion on Monday, she said. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke with NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana, Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Secretary General Helga Schmid, European External Action Service (EEAS) Secretary General Stefano Sannino and, representing the OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski. They discussed the US and NATO written responses to Russia, continued OSCE and EU engagement, and our ongoing commitment to diplomacy. They agreed on the importance of continued close coordination and unity in the face of Russia's unprovoked military buildup on Ukraine's borders, a media release said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President strongly affirmed on Thursday that he will nominate the first Black woman to the US Supreme Court, declaring such historic representation is long overdue and promising to announce his choice by the end of February. In a White House ceremony marking a moment of national transition, Biden praised retiring Justice Stephen Breyer, who will have spent nearly 28 years on the high court by the time he leaves at the end of the term, as a model public servant at a time of great division in this country. And with that the search for Breyer's replacement was underway in full. Biden promised a nominee worthy of Breyer's legacy and said he'd already been studying the backgrounds and writings of potential candidates. "I've made no decision except one: The person I will nominate will be somebody of extraordinary qualifications, character and integrity," he said. And that person will be the first Black woman ever nominated to the Supreme Court. It is long overdue. Biden's choice will be historic on its face: No Black woman has ever served on the high court. The decision is also notable coming at a time of national reckoning over race and gender inequality. However, the court's 6-3 conservative majority is destined to remain intact. Biden is using his choice to fulfill one of his early campaign promises, one that helped resurrect his moribund primary campaign and propel him to the White House in 2020. And it gives him the chance to show Black voters, who are increasingly frustrated with a president they helped to elect, that he is serious about their concerns, particularly with his voting rights legislation stalled in the Senate. It also could help drive Democratic enthusiasm amid concerns about a midterm routing in congressional races. Biden spent his first year in office working to nominate a diverse group of judges to the federal bench, not just in race but also in professional expertise, and he has been reviewing possible high court candidates along the way. He has installed five Black women on federal appeals courts where many high court justices come from with three more nominations pending before the Senate. As a senator, he spent years leading the Senate Judiciary Committee and so he's quite familiar with the nomination process, having overseen six Supreme Court confirmation hearings. One person who will be central to Biden's selection process is chief of staff Ron Klain, a former Supreme Court law clerk and chief counsel to the Judiciary Committee. The president has already met personally with at least one top nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson, 51. She is a former Breyer clerk who worked at the US Sentencing Commission and has been a federal trial court judge since 2013 in the District of Columbia. The two met when Biden interviewed her for her current post as an appeals court judge in the DC circuit, where she has served since last June. Early discussions about a successor are focusing on Jackson, US District Judge J. Michelle Childs and California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss White House deliberations. Jackson and Kruger have long been seen as possible nominees. Childs, a federal judge in South Carolina, has been nominated but not yet confirmed to serve on the same circuit court. She is a favourite among some high-profile lawmakers, including Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C. Her confirmation to the federal appeals bench is expected next week. Kruger, a graduate of Harvard and of Yale's law school, was previously a Supreme Court clerk and has argued a dozen cases before the justices as a lawyer for the federal government. Biden also personally interviewed a few other possible candidates, including Eunice Lee and Candace Jackson-Akiwumi. Both women have experience as criminal defense attorneys and could diversify the range of legal expertise on the high court, where many of the judges came from prosecutorial jobs or academia. Biden spoke to those two for their recent appointments to the federal bench. In the Roosevelt Room on Thursday, Biden spoke wistfully about presiding over Breyer's ascent to the court in 1994. He praised the justice's legacy and highlighted Breyer's opinions on reproductive rights, health care and voting rights, calling him sensitive and nuanced. Justice Breyer has been everything his country could have asked of him, he said. Breyer, in brief remarks, praised the miracle of America's constitutional democracy and issued a reminder to a nation riven by partisan discord and last year's insurrection at the US Capitol that the government experiment is not yet over. This is a complicated country, he said, leaning onto the lectern. He added: People have come to accept this Constitution, and they've come to accept the importance of a rule of law. Recounting a subject of frequent talks with students, the outgoing justice noted that in the nation's earliest days, European powers doubted it could survive, and during the horrors of the Civil War it appeared the might not make it. They're looking over here and they're saying it's a great idea in principle, that it'll never work, Breyer said. But we'll show them it does. That's what Washington thought, and that's what Lincoln thought, and that's what people still think today. It's an experiment that's still going on, he added, saying future generations will see if the government can live up to its promise. They'll determine whether the experiment still works. And of course, I'm an optimist, and I'm pretty sure it will. Republicans who changed the Senate rules during the Trump era to allow simple majority confirmation of Supreme Court nominees appear resigned to the outcome in the currently split chamber. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-K.Y., said he hoped Biden would not outsource this important decision to the radical left. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said after Breyer's announcement that his successor should be an individual within the legal mainstream who can receive similar broad, bipartisan support." Grassley voted against Jackson's confirmation to the DC appeals circuit, as well as most other Biden appellate court nominees. (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.) Chinese bourses have halted processing at least 60 initial public offering (IPO) applications as regulators investigate intermediaries in the deals, including Deutsche Bank's Chinese securities venture. Exchange disclosures on Wednesday showed 12 plans in Shanghai's tech-heavy STAR Market and 48 in Shenzhen's start-up market ChiNext were suspended. Each had hired one or more of three companies being investigated by securities regulators - Zhong De Securities Co, accountancy firm SineWing and law firm King&Wood Mallesons - the exchange filings said. Zhong De is a joint venture between Shanxi Securities and Deutsche Bank AG. All three companies served Leshi Internet Information and Technology, which the Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) last March said conducted accounting fraud between 2007 and 2016. King&Wood Mallesons and Zhong De said they had no immediate comment. SineWing and Deutsche Bank could not immediately be reached for comment. Shanxi Securities said in an exchange filing on Jan. 18 that Zhong De would fully cooperate with the CSRC's investigation into suspected law violations when it underwrote sales for Leshi in 2016. It was not immediately clear if IPOs targeting the Beijing Stock Exchange were also affected. Chinese bourses have halted processing batches of applications previously as regulators investigated intermediaries. (Reporting by Samuel Shen and Josh Horwitz; editing by Jane Wardell) (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 south island of the HRBT, as seen Tuesday, October 26, 2021, from the north island. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot) An argument between coworkers on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel expansion project Thursday led to a nonfatal stabbing on the bridge-tunnels south island, according to Virginia State Police. The coworkers, both men, are employees for Hampton Roads Connector Partners a design-build team working on the expansion project, according to the projects website. The coworkers got into a verbal fight that turned physical, with one man stabbing the other three times on the south island of the HRBT, located in Hampton, police said. Advertisement The victims injuries are not life-threatening, police said. State police responded to the stabbing around 1:30 a.m. Police said the victim identified Jason Burl, 43, of Chesapeake, as the man who stabbed him. Advertisement Jason Burl, 43, of Chesapeake, is accused of stabbing his coworker three times on the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel. Burl drove away from the scene after the stabbing, police said. Troopers arrested him on charges of malicious wounding at a Chesapeake address at 3:32 p.m. Thursday. Hes being held at Chesapeake City Jail. Ali Sullivan, 757-677-1974, ali.sullivan@virginiamedia.com DBS Group has agreed to buy Citigroup's consumer business in Taiwan in a move that will see the Singapore-based bank pay S$956 million ($706.6 million) above the net asset value, making it Taiwan's largest foreign bank by assets. DBS, Southeast Asia's biggest lender, said in a statement on Friday that it will take over 3,500 staff in Citi's Taiwanese business that has 2.7 million credit cards, 500,000 deposit and wealth customers and 45 branches. " Consumer Taiwan is a highly attractive, high-returns business that is expected to contribute at least S$250 million annually in net profit to DBS after Covid-19 recovery," DBS CEO Piyush Gupta said in a statement. The transaction comes after announced last year that it would exit retail operations in 10 markets in Asia as it refocuses on its more lucrative institutional and wealth management businesses. DBS said it will pay cash for the net assets of Citi's consumer business in Taiwan plus a premium of S$956 million. Citing sources, Reuters had reported late on Thursday that DBS would announce the purchase on Friday. Earlier this month, struck a deal to sell its consumer business in four Southeast Asian markets to United Overseas Bank for about S$5 billion. (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.) American billionaire slammed US President after the latter left out the name of Tesla in a post that talked about the future of electric vehicles in America. Tesla CEO, Musk, apparently was miffed after the US President excluded the name of the electric vehicle manufacturer in a Twitter post where he said, " like GM and Ford are building more electric vehicles here at home than ever before." Replying to Biden's Twitter post on the future electric vehicles in America, Musk wrote the name of "Tesla" in all caps. In another tweet, he said, "Biden is a damp Socks puppet in human form." Musk also said that "Biden is treating the American public like fools". He made these remarks after the US President met with executives from rival car General Motors and Ford Motor earlier this week. The swipe comes after Biden invited CEOso of General Motors and Ford to the White House along with other business leaders to discuss his administration's Build Back Better legislation. Interestingly, Biden invited executives from these last year when signed an executive order with the goal of making all vehicles sold in the US electric by 2030. However, Musk, who is critical of the Biden administration, was omitted from the list. Back in September, Tesla CEO had said that Biden administration of being "a little biased" and "seems to be" controlled by unions, Fox News reported. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The and the United Kingdom are preparing sanctions against new Russian gas projects that will be imposed in case of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, media reported. According to Financial Times, the new set of sanctions is being developed with the US support, and will be aimed at curtailing financing and technology transfer for future gas projects. If introduced, these sanctions will affect European giants - such as BP, Total and Shell - which are investing in the Russian energy sector. In the past few months, the West and Ukraine have accused of concentrating troops near the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for an invasion. has repeatedly said that it has no intention of invading Ukraine, while stressing that it has the right to move forces within its own territory. (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.) Global prices have shot back towards record highs as the crisis raises expectations that European buyers will start loading up on the fossil fuel for fear that a standoff between Russia and western nations will cut off gas supplies. The benchmark Newcastle index has soared by over a third this month to $262 a tonne, fuelled initially by a month-long export ban by top supplier Indonesia and now by worries that any military engagement in will sever gas supplies from Russia. Europe relies on Russia for around 35% of its natural gas, and has been grappling with a gas shortage since last summer that sent local prices to record highs late last year. GRAPHIC: Global prices soar as tensions add to coal supply worries, https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/klpykmkympg/ICENewcastleCoalJan282022.png Gas prices started to ease in recent weeks as imports surged, but have rallied again as the escalating tensions with Russia raise concerns about a potential supply disruption https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/what-are-europes-options-case-russian-gas-disruption-2022-01-27. To protect themselves from any fuel shortages, European utilities have stepped up imports of coal, further tightening a market that has yet to recover from Indonesia's shock ban that cut coal flows during the peak winter demand season. "Spot cargoes are becoming scarcer in the near term, with movement towards Europe where prices are jumping due to gas prices and the simultaneous effect of the recent Indonesian ban," said Puneet Gupta, founder of Indian coal marketplace Coalshastra. While Europe's coal use has declined sharply in recent years - accounting for just 6.2% of global coal use in 2020, according to BP data - European buyers have aggressively stepped up purchases since mid 2021. GRAPHIC: Europe thermal coal imports, https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/dwvkrjrblpm/Europethermalcoalimports.png Under pressure to meet climate targets, several EU countries have shut down old coal-fired power plants. Some countries retain coal plants for use for back-up supply but many have already been fired back up https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/what-are-europes-options-case-russian-gas-disruption-2022-01-27 due to high gas prices. According to commodity flows tracking firm Kpler, Europe is on course to import 5.58 million tonnes of thermal coal in January, the highest monthly total since November 2019, and over 1 million tonnes more than the monthly average in 2021. The buying has helped coal prices snap back sharply after drifting off record highs struck last October on shortages in China and India amid extreme weather and post-pandemic industrial demand. KNOCK ON EFFECT The rise in European consumption could squeeze out other buyers, especially in number two coal consumer India. GRAPHIC: Europe's imports of thermal coal set to jump in January amid tight gas supplies, worries over Russia-Ukraine fallout, https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/gkplgjgyevb/RegionalCoalImports.png India will have to pay a higher price for seaborne coal as supply tightens in the coming weeks, said Rajendra Singh, managing director at Komin India Resources Pvt Ltd, a commodities trading firm. "The Ukraine-Russia geopolitical issue will exacerbate the logistical challenges due to the coal ban by the Indonesian government," Singh said. Top coal consumer China gets roughly 90% of its supplies from domestic mines, making it better insulated from market gyrations. Even so, traders there remain wary of any lengthy disruptions to coal flows given the country relies on coal for over 60% of its electricity. In the Philippines, where coal also accounts for around 60% of electricity production, power producers have been told to use more domestic coal supplies where possible. "For other power plants that solely rely on imported high-grade coal, there is no other recourse but to seek other sources of coal from nearby countries such as Australia, Russia and Vietnam," said Arnulfo Robles, executive director of lobby group Philippine Chamber of Coal Mines. "But the downside is that the supply of high-grade coal from these countries is more expensive given high freight costs," he said. The impact of the Indonesian ban has also been felt more on high-energy coal as replacement options are more limited, said Rory Simington, a principal analyst at Wood Mackeznie While prices should fall in February, the picture could change in the event of the cancellation of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Europe or an interruption to Russian coal exports, he said INDONESIAN OUTLOOK UNCLEAR As well as uncertainly over Ukraine, importers are still unclear over what to expect from Indonesia after authorities there said only miners that have complied with new domestic market sales regulations will be allowed to resume exports after the official ban expires on Jan. 31. Private power plants in India would "definitely be impacted" by the Indonesian coal ban, as the issue has not been fully resolved and Indian utilities mostly buy from small miners, said Kirit C Gandhi, joint president at Indian cement firm Shree Cement. "If fresh loading is not allowed in the next 5-10 days, there will be a further jump in prices. Consumers cannot wait any further because this is peak buying season," Gandhi said. Vasudev Pamnani, managing director of Indian consultancy Lavi Coal Info OPC Pvt Ltd, said buyers have "very few options, there are supply issues everywhere." (Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan in New Delhi, Enrico De la Crus in Manila, Muyu Xu in Beijing, Shivani Singh in Singapore, Yuka Obayashi in Tokyo, editing by Gavin Maguire and Richard Pullin) (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 five Central Asian countries on Thursday discussed the evolving situation in and its impact on security in the region and decided to establish a joint working group on at the senior officials level. The first India-Central Asia Summit, hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in virtual format was attended by five presidents -- Kazakhstan's Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbekistan's Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Tajikistan's Emomali Rahmon, Turkmenistan's Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and Kyrgyz Republic's Sadyr Japarov. The timing of the meeting is of particular significance as India and Central Asia countries are celebrating the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations with the 5 Central Asian countries this year. "The Leaders discussed the current situation in and its impact on the security and stability of the region," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. The leaders reiterated strong support for a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan while emphasizing the respect for sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and non-interference in its internal affairs. They also discussed the current humanitarian situation and decided to continue to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan. "The Leaders reaffirmed the importance of UNSC Resolution 2593 (2021) which unequivocally demands that Afghan territory not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist acts and called for concerted action against all terrorist groups, including those sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)," read the statement. "They also agreed to continue close consultations on the situation in Afghanistan. In this context they decided for the establishment of a Joint Working Group on Afghanistan at Senior Officials Level," the statement said. The leaders also noted that there is a broad 'regional consensus' on the issues related to Afghanistan, which includes the formation of a truly representative and inclusive government, combating terrorism and drug trafficking, the central role of the UN, providing immediate humanitarian assistance for the people of Afghanistan and preserving the rights of women, children and other national ethnic groups and minorities. In this regard, the Leaders noted the initiative of Uzbekistan to hold a High-Level Conference on Afghanistan under the auspices of the SCO in July 2022 in Tashkent, the statement said. The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated drastically since the Taliban took control of Kabul in mid-August last year. A combination of a suspension of foreign aid, the freezing of Afghan government assets, and sanctions on the Taliban have plunged the country, already suffering from high poverty levels, into a full-blown economic crisis. (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 the will sign the USD 375 million deal for the sale of supersonic anti-ship cruise missile today, Government officials informed on Friday. They added that the top defence brass of the would be present on the occasion while India would be represented by its Ambassador. These missiles are meant for the Navy. Earlier this month, the Philippines accepted Indian Aerospace Private Limited's proposal worth USD 374.9 million to supply Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile systems for the Philippines Navy. The Philippines government's Department of Defence had also uploaded the contract award notice on its website. Defence Research Development Organisation and Aerospace together have been pushing hard for exports of this missile to friendly foreign countries for the last few months. The BrahMos export order would be the biggest for the country in this field and is likely to propel India amongst the arms exporter countries as more orders for the missile are expected from other friendly countries too. It is in the advanced stage of negotiations with some other nations too. The missile is also getting more capable due to added range and other modern technologies getting incorporated into it. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian-American non-profit body Sewa has jumped to the 10th spot in a latest list of charitable organisations for the year 2021, mainly because of the commendable work carried by it during last year's COVID-19 crisis in both India and the . Notably in 2020 Sewa was ranked 375 in the list of Benevity Inc, the leading provider of global corporate purpose software, and was placed at 690 in 2019. In 2021, the list is led by Doctors Without Borders. Non-profits supporting India's COVID-19 crisis received a groundswell of support, including Sewa . Our earnest thanks to Benevity Inc. for keeping track of these trends and identifying Sewa's increasing support from corporations and their people, said Sandeep Khadkekar, Sewa's vice president for Marketing and Fund Development. In 2021, nearly 1.6 million people from over 700 companies donated USD2.3 billion on the Benevity platform to more than 200,000 nonprofit organisations around the world, a media release said. Nonprofits supporting India's COVID-19 crisis received a groundswell of support, including Sewa International (ranked 10 vs. 375 in 2020), Give2Asia (23 vs. 63), Pratham USA (26 vs. 75) and Goonj (30 vs. 384), Benevity said. The crisis in India also drove additional giving to UNICEF and was part of the reason the organisation's support through Benevity almost doubled year over year (USD13.5 million vs. USD7.3 million in 2020), it said. When the Delta variant hit India last year, we saw companies and their employees mobilise to help, said Birger Stamperdahl, Give2Asia's president and CEO. Their generosity made possible life saving projects that delivered oxygen concentrators, protective gear for health workers and emergency food rations to those hit hardest by the pandemic, he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Several Indian-origin scientists are among hundreds of worldwide experts to urge the UK to back a temporary waiver of intellectual property rules for COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to achieve greater vaccine parity worldwide. India and South Africa had introduced a proposal at the WTO for such a patent waiver for fairer vaccine access for the developing world, but the issue remains deadlocked at the multilateral arena. Epidemiologists Professor K. Srinath Reddy of the Public Health Foundation of India and Dr Deepti Gurdasani of London's Queen Mary University, Bioengineer Manu Prakash, Associate Professor at Stanford University, Professor Amitava Banerjee of University College London, and Professor Harish Nair of the University of Edinburgh are among 320 scientists calling on technology sharing for global vaccination coverage to boost the fight against variants of concern. Allowing huge numbers of people in low- and middle-income countries to remain unvaccinated is a reckless approach to public health that creates conditions where new SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) variants of concern are more likely to develop, reads a letter addressed to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at 10 Downing Street this week. The experts point out how the Omicron variant was first identified in Botswana and South Africa, countries on a continent in which fewer than one in 10 are fully vaccinated. Thanks to remarkable scientific innovations, we have a number of vaccines that remain highly effective against all known COVID-19 variants. Yet, unless we share this technology with the world and increase global vaccination coverage, vaccines will not be effective at stopping new variants of concern, the experts say. They add: We must use and expand domestic vaccine manufacturing and distribution capacity within low and middle-income countries. However, intellectual property rules and trade secrets remain a major barrier to this task. We call on the UK government to support the temporary waiver of intellectual property rules under the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement for COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to scale up and diversify production of the tools needed to end this pandemic. The UK and European Union (EU) are among the countries not in favour of such a waiver, while the US expressed support last year. We also call on the to use all means at its disposal to pressure pharmaceutical companies to share their technology and know-how with the World Health Organisation's (WHO) COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) and its mRNA technology transfer hub in South Africa. This way, we can accelerate production and supply in low and middle-income countries and prevent further variants of concern from emerging, the scientists urge. The UK has maintained that it is doing its bit and making "significant" contributions through the WHO's COVAX initiative for vaccine supplies by donating excess doses. "We recognise and share concerns regarding the level of vaccination in some parts of the world, and we are working on tackling the underlying issues including manufacturing and supply constraints, pressure on health systems, and vaccine confidence," a UK government spokesperson said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Oil prices rose on Friday, set for their sixth weekly gain, amid concerns of tight supplies as major producers continue their policy of limited output increases ami rising fuel demand. futures climbed 45 cents, or 0.5%, to $89.79 a barrel at 0429 GMT, after falling 62 cents during the previous day. However, prices did reach $91.04 earlier in that session, the highest since October 2014. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 50 cents, or 0.6%, to $87.11 a barrel, having declined 74 cents on Thursday. WTI also reached a seven-year high of $88.54 earlier in the session. Both Brent and WTI are set to rise for a sixth week, the longest weekly streak since October, when Brent prices climbed for seven weeks while WTI gained for nine. This year, prices have gained about 15% amid geopolitical tensions between Russia, the world's second-largest oil producer and a key natural gas provider to Europe, and the West over as well as threats to the United Arab Emirates from Yemen's Houthi movement that have raised concerns about energy supply. "Where Brent crosses $90 level, we see some selling from a sense of accomplishment, but investors start buying again when the prices fall a little as they remain cautious about possible supply disruptions due to rising geopolitical tensions," said Tatsufumi Okoshi, senior economist at Nomura Securities. "The market expects supply will stay tight as the OPEC+ is seen to keep the existing policy of gradual increase in production," he said The market is focusing on a Feb. 2 meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies led by Russia, a group known as OPEC+. OPEC+ is likely to stick with a planned rise in its oil output target for March, several sources in the group told Reuters. An increase in oil output by producer nations cashing in on expensive crude has depleted the cushion of spare capacity that protects the market from sudden shocks and raised the risk of price spikes or even fuel shortages. "OPEC has been struggling to increase output in line with the agreed rise in quotas ... In effect, spare capacity is at a level which may not be enough to cover any geopolitical disruptions," analysts from ANZ Research said in a note on Friday. "We see the market remaining in deficit in Q1 2022. With supply constraints likely to be a feature of the oil market for a while, we see pricing in a sizeable risk premium," said ANZ, adding that it raised its short-term oil price target to $95 per barrel. On the demand side, crude oil imports in China, the world's biggest importer of the commodity, could rebound by a much as 7% this year, reversing 2021's rare decline as buyers step up purchases for new refining units and to replenish low inventories, analysts and oil company officials said. (Reporting by Yuka Obayashi in Tokyo, additional reporting by Emily Chow in Beijing; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Jacqueline Wong) (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) on Friday announced that Prime Minister will visit China to attend the opening ceremony of the next week, reinforcing the "all-weather strategic cooperative partnership" between the two countries. During the visit, Khan will have meetings with the Chinese leadership, Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said at the weekly briefing. The visit will reinforce the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between our two countries, and further advance the objective of building a closer China- community with a shared future in the new era, he said. The foreign office on January 13 had said that Khan will be embarking on a three-day visit to from February 3 on the invitation of the Chinese leadership. The will be held from February 4 to 20, followed by the Paralympics Winter Games from March 4-13, amid a diplomatic boycott by several Western countries, including the US and the UK, over concerns of China's alleged human rights abuses. China has launched a diplomatic offensive to mobilise world leaders to attend the opening ceremony of the as the US, the EU and several western countries announced a boycott of the event by their diplomats to highlight the allegations of human rights violations in Xinjiang, including the incarceration of over a million Uygur Muslims in camps. A host of world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are due to attend the opening ceremony to show solidarity with Beijing. China defends the camps, describing them as re-education centres aimed at de-radicalising sections of the Uyghur Muslim population from extremism and separatism campaign carried out by the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM). During the weekly briefing, Ahmad also sought to dispel the impression of any slowdown in projects under China Economic Corridor (CPEC) by saying that both Beijing and Islamabad are strongly committed to take the infrastructure project forward and make it successful. The USD 60 billion CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of China's ambitious multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). India has protested to China over the CPEC as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The BRI was launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes. The BRI is seen as an attempt by China to further its influence abroad with infrastructure projects funded by Chinese investments all over the world. The initiative also led to allegations of smaller countries reeling under mounting Chinese debt after Sri Lanka gave its Hambantota port in a debt swap to China in 2017 on a 99-year lease. FO Spokesperson Ahmad also said the 48th Session of the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) Council of Foreign Ministers will be held in Islamabad from March 22-23. He said Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood visited Jeddah from January 22-25, where Pakistan assumed the Chair of OIC's Senior Officials Meeting in the run up to the Council of Foreign Ministers. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In this photo provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, officials remove mooring line and a buoy from a young humpback whale off Ukumehame, Maui, Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022. Federal officials say the yearling humpback was freed from entanglement in gear that included about 140 feet of line and a plastic trawling buoy. (Rachel Finn/NOAA/AP) HONOLULU Federal officials say a yearling humpback whale off Hawaii has been freed from a life-threatening entanglement in mooring gear. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said a rescue team cut off about 140 feet (43 meters) of line and a plastic trawling buoy when they freed the whale off Maui on Wednesday. Advertisement The whales tail and fins were wrapped in small-gauge line with the plastic buoy floating behind, the agency said in a statement. In this photo provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, officials remove mooring line and a buoy from a young humpback whale off Ukumehame, Maui, Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022. Federal officials say the yearling humpback was freed from entanglement in gear that included about 140 feet of line and a plastic trawling buoy. (Ed Lyman/NOAA via AP) Officials said the whale was in good condition but that the line wrapped around its tail had begun to cut into the animals flesh. The gear was of considerable weight, the agency said. Advertisement The gear will be analyzed to determine its exact source. The animals behavior was very evasive, and while it stayed near the surface, it maintained unusually rapid speeds, at times in excess of six knots, the agency said in a statement Thursday. Trained responders cut the gear off with a blade attached to a pole after getting close on an inflatable boat. It is a federal crime to approach a humpback whale and the team was working under under federal permit. Given that has amassed 100,000 troops along its nearly 1,200-mile border with Ukraine, a look at two recent invasions by against neighboring territories offers insight to what a possible new invasion would entail if diplomacy is unable to ease the growing tensions. Invasion of Georgia In 2008, Russian President invaded Georgia, a country in the Caucasus region located on the Black Sea, during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. Approximately 40,000 soldiers and 1,200 armored vehicles entered into Georgias semi-autonomous region of South Ossetia before stopping about 35 miles short of Tbilisi, Georgias capital. Putin attempted to justify the invasion under the pretense of the norm of the responsibility to protect. In this case, Russia argued that its use of force was required to protect Osseitians from Georgian genocide. Yet the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, a nongovernmental international agency started in 2008 to prevent genocide, found no legal justification for Russias use of force. Instead, there is plenty of evidence to indicate the war was premeditated. Invasion of Crimea In 2014, when Russian invaded Crimea, Putin had a large troop formation along Ukraines border. But instead of invading there, Putin used hybrid warfare to seize Crimea, a peninsula that juts into the Black Sea and housed a Russian naval base. failed to provide a military response. But when actively supported separatists in the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk collectively known as the Donbass fought back. Even though Ukraines military was in a decrepit state, hollowed out by decades of corruption, it was able to push the Russian-backed separatists to the border with the help of volunteers. In response, Russia increased its support, sending small military formations to assist the separatists. As a career U. S. special forces officer with combat and operational deployments in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, Africa and South America, I conducted field research on the 2008 and 2014 wars in Georgia and . Based on my military experience, Putin would not want to send large troop formations into Ukraine without some sort of justification, credible or not. As it is now, justification for an invasion would be extremely difficult for Putin. That doesnt mean he wont invade anyway. From what I have learned, I expect a possible Russian invasion would start with cyberattacks and electronic warfare to sever communications between Ukraines capital and the troops. Shortly thereafter, tanks and mechanized infantry formations supported by the Russian air force would cross at multiple points along the nearly 1,200-mile border, assisted by Russian special forces. Russia would seek to bypass large urban areas. Likewise, Ukraine would seek to keep the major combat out of large urban areas to minimize the destruction. But neither side likely would be able to avoid urban fighting altogether. A stronger Ukrainian military It would likely be a limited incursion. The political cost of capturing Ukraines capital would be too high, and as a result, Putin would likely stop short of Kiev, just as he did with Tbilisi during the invasion of Georgia in 2014. But the war would be extremely costly for Russia because of significant improvements in the Ukrainian military since 2014. In 2008, a less sophisticated Georgian Army shot down as many as 22 Russian aircraft, causing Russia to significantly decrease its sorties. Russia would likely meet the same fate in 2022 against a Ukrainian military armed with Stinger missiles that are being transferred from Lithuania and Latvia. After testing Ukrainian air defenses and suffering losses in the first few days, I suspect Russia would largely ground its aircraft and instead rely on multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) to knock out strategic strongholds. Ukraine also would likely keep its air force grounded, just as it did in 2014, leading observers to question why Ukraine maintains an air force that costs billions of dollars if it fails to employ it in war. On the ground, Russian tanks also would likely face a much different defense. In 2014, for instance, Russian T-90 tanks supporting separatists in Ukraines Donbass region were almost impenetrable. Since then, Ukraine has upgraded its defense. In 2017, the United States provided Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine, with additional missiles arriving from Estonia in the coming days. These man-portable, self-guided missiles are extremely accurate, extremely effective, easy to use and would inflict heavy losses on the Russians. Ukraines military is far more capable now than it was in 2014. Since then, the United States has committed over $2.7 billion in training and equipment that has helped reform Ukraines defenses. Ukraines military is now at least on par and most likely better than the Russians at the tactical level, which is similar to 2008 when Georgian forces often outperformed their Russian counterparts. When Russia invaded the Donbass, Ukrainian volunteers flocked east to stave off Russian forces, preventing Ukraine from losing more than just the Donbass. Many were completely untrained, yet they fought well. Over the past few years, volunteers have continued to train. Russia would not have the element of surprise as it did in 2008 and 2014. Instead, it would find a ready and trained volunteer force that would provide not only critical intelligence to the Ukrainian military but also counterattacks against Russian forces during the invasion. A high price to pay Despite the advances of the Ukrainian military, Russias military, due to its sheer size, would still overwhelm the Ukrainians. Yet a military victory would come at an extremely high military and political cost. Sanctions against Russia following its seizure of Crimea in 2014 have been estimated to have reduced Russias economic growth by 2.5 to 3%, or roughly $50 billion per year. Sanctions would likely be much more significant this time. It is doubtful that Putin is willing to accept these costs. With additional Javelin and Stinger missiles being sent to Ukraine from Western allies and messaging from President Joe Biden that Russia would pay a heavy price for any invasion, Putin might heed the warnings. [Too busy to read another daily email? Get one of The Conversations curated weekly newsletters.] Liam Collins, Founding Director, Modern War Institute, United States Military Academy West Point This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Russian President Vladimir Putin told President Emmanuel Macron he wanted to continue dialogue with the West and did not want the situation near to escalate, a French presidency official said after the two leaders spoke on Friday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, on the other hand, said he could not rule out a further escalation of tensions with but he criticised what he said was too much "panic" weighing on the economy. I don't consider the situation now more tense than before, Zelenskiy said. This after the country earlier in the day sent its strongest signal so far that it is willing to engage with US security proposals and reiterated that it does not want war over . Moscow has massed troops near and sought security guarantees from the West, including a promise that Nato will never allow Russia's former Soviet neighbour to join the US-led alliance. Putin spoke to Macron after the and Nato submitted responses to Russia's security demands after weeks of personal public silence on the crisis. "President Putin said he wanted to continue dialogue and that we needed to work towards the implementation of the Minsk accords," the official said after a call between the two leaders, referring to four-way talks between France, Germany, and Ukraine on the conflict in eastern Ukraine that began in 2014. "He said he didn't want an escalation." The Kremlin said Putin told Macron the and Nato had not addressed Russia's main security demands in their standoff over Ukraine but that Moscow was ready to keep talking. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden and his counterpart Ursula von der Leyen on Friday pledged to cooperate on guaranteeing Europe's energy security as well as Ukraine's amid the standoff triggered by amassing troops at Ukraine's border. "The and the EU are working jointly towards continued, sufficient, and timely supply of natural gas to the EU from diverse sources across the globe to avoid supply shocks, including those that could result from a further Russian invasion of Ukraine," they said in a joint statement. Also, Ukrainian President Zelenskiy spoke with Putin, after which he said said the US and Nato had not addressed Moscow's main security demands in the East-West standoff over Ukraine, but that he was ready to keep talking. Speaking at a news conference, Zelenskiy said: "I don't consider the situation now more tense than before. There is a feeling abroad that there is war here. That's not the case." "I am not saying an escalation is not possible...(but) we don't need this panic." Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told radio stations in an interview: "If it depends on Russia, then there will be no war. We don't want wars. But we also won't allow our interests to be rudely trampled, to be ignored.". The United States and its allies have warned Putin that Russia will face swift and tough economic sanctions if he attacks Ukraine. Lavrov said the West was ignoring Russia's interests but there was at least "something" in written responses submitted by the United States and Nato on Wednesday to Russia's proposals. Oil trades over $91 in a new 7-year high Oil prices reached seven-year highs on Friday as geopolitical tensions continue to raise supply concerns. Brent crude futures were up $1.91, or 2.1%, at $91.25 a barrel by 1436 GMT, having hit $91.41 on Friday for their highest since October 2014. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose $1.83, or 2.11%, to $88.44 a barrel. WTI also reached a fresh seven-year high of $88.76 earlier in Friday's session. Both Brent and WTI are on track for their six-weekly gain in the longest run of weekly gains since October. Supply scarcity has pushed the six-month market structure for Brent into steep backwardation of $6.62 a barrel, the widest since 2013. (Reuters) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The global smartphone market grew for the first time since 2017, with annual shipments reaching 1.39 billion units in 2021, with leading the pack with 271 million units, a new report showed on Friday. Despite the 4 per cent annual growth, annual shipments remained below the pre-pandemic level due to continued Covid-19 impacts as well as component shortages, according to Counterpoint Research. "India, too, had a good year due to higher replacement rates, better availability and more attractive financing options in mid-to high-tier phones," said senior analyst Harmeet Singh Walia. However, China, the world's biggest smartphone market, continued to decline due to supply-side issues caused by the ongoing component shortages, as well as demand-side issues resulting from lengthening replacement cycles, Walia informed. shipped 271 million units in 2021, up 6 per cent from 2020, mainly due to increased demand for its mid-tier A and M series smartphones. Samsung's annual shipments grew despite supply-side issues starting with its Vietnam factory being shut in June due to Covid-induced lockdown, according to the report. Apple's global smartphone shipments grew 18 per cent to reach a record 237.9 million units in 2021 due to strong performance by the iPhone 12 series. Apple also grew in key markets such as the US, China, Europe and India. Motorola was the fastest-growing brand among the top 10 smartphone OEMs based on annual global shipments. It took advantage of LG's exit in the US. "Despite the threat of a resurgence towards the end of last year, and with supply issues hopefully coming to an end towards the middle of this year, there is reason to be optimistic for good growth in 2022 as a whole," said research director Jan Stryjak. (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.) Inc. wiped out about $109 billion off its valuation in the course of a single day after the electric vehicle makers fourth-quarter earnings and outlook failed to impress investors. of the Austin, Texas-based electric vehicle maker plunged nearly 12% on Thursday after an earnings call the previous day that was long on a humanoid robot called Optimus and short on new vehicles. The stock closed at $829 in New York, the lowest since Oct. 14. The decline was the second biggest on the S&P 500 Index on Thursday. The last time erased more than $100 billion in market value in a single day was Nov. 9. During Teslas fourth-quarter earnings call on Wednesday, chief executive officer Elon Musk said that the company would not introduce any new vehicles this year. President on Thursday called on Congress to immediately enshrine the Equal Rights Amendment in the U.S. Constitution and formally protect women's rights nearly a century after lawmakers first raised them. In a statement, Biden urged Congress "to pass a resolution recognizing ratification of the ERA," saying recent legal analysis showed there was nothing preventing lawmakers from acting. The Democratic president's call comes amid jostling over the deadline to enact the ERA, which passed Congress in 1972 with a 1982 deadline to be enacted if 38 state legislatures voted to approve. Nearly 100 years have passed since it was first introduced in 1923. Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives separately unveiled a resolution to enshrine the ERA, but it could fall short of the 60 votes needed in the Senate, where Democrats control just 50 seats. Congressional aides also said the ERA resolution would have to overcome the filibuster unless Republicans agree to pass it by unanimous consent. While supporters say the ERA is needed to protect against sexual discrimination and would help achieve equal pay, opponents argue the original timetable has passed and that the amendment is no longer needed. Virginia became the 38th state in 2020 to adopt the ERA, but Republican then-President Donald Trump sought to block ratification with a legal memo saying the process must begin anew. A new Justice Department legal analysis, however, allows the process to move forward and "makes clear, there is nothing standing in Congressas way from doing so," Biden said. House oversight panel Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney and other Democrats argue that the ERA made clear it takes effect two years after the final stateas ratification, with Thursday marking two years since Virginia's vote. The resolution "reaffirms what we already know to be true: the Equal Rights Amendment is the 28th amendment to the U.S. Constitution," Maloney said. The issue also remains entangled in the federal courts: Virginia, Illinois and Nevada sued to have the ERA declared valid. In a statement, the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration said it would abide by the Justice Department's legal opinion unless otherwise directed by a final court order. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vedant Fashions Ltd, which owns ethnic wear brand Manyavar, on Friday fixed a price band of Rs 824-866 a share for its Rs 3,149-crore initial public offering (IPO). The initial share-sale will open on February 4 and conclude on February 8. The bidding for anchor investors will open on February 3, according to the company. The public issue is purely an offer for sale of 36,364,838 equity shares by promoter and existing shareholders. The OFS comprises sale of up to 1.74 crore shares by Rhine Holdings Ltd; up to 7.23 lakh shares by Kedaara Capital Alternative Investment Fund-Kedaara Capital AIF I; and up to 1.81 crore shares by Ravi Modi Family Trust. The promoters of the company are Ravi Modi, Shilpi Modi and Ravi Modi Family Trust. Since, the is entirely an offer for sale, the company will not receive any proceeds from the public issue. At the upper end of the price band, the public issue is expected to fetch Rs 3,149 crore. Half of the issue size has been reserved for qualified institutional buyers, 35 per cent for retail investors and the remaining 15 per cent for non-institutional investors. Investors can bid for a minimum of 17 equity shares and in multiples thereof. Vedant Fashions' brand is a category leader in the branded Indian wedding and celebration wear market with a pan India presence. The company's other brands include Twamev, Manthan, Mohey and Mebaz. As of September 2021, the company has an extensive retail network with 546 exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) including 58 shop-in-shops globally, including 11 overseas EBOs across the United States, Canada and the UAE, which are countries with a large Indian diaspora. In India, the company's EBO network spans across 212 cities and towns, as of September 2021. "We seek to grow our retail network and product reach by entering new geographies, including in Tier II and III towns and cities in India, as we believe that these offer significant growth opportunities for us," the company said in the red herring prospectus. Axis Capital, Edelweiss Financial Services, ICICI Securities, IIFL Securities and Kotak Mahindra Capital are the book-running lead managers to the issue. The ongoing correction in capital market has not dented valuation of Kolkata-based ethnic wear major Vedant Fashions' initial public offer that aims to raise Rs 3,149 crore, a company official said on Friday. The company, whose flagship brand is the male ethic brand 'Manyavar', has fixed its upper issue price band at Rs 824-866 a share, a company official said. BSE Sensex has seen about 4300 point correction since early January amid highly volatile trading sessions. The company official said the pricing was decided after feedback from institutional investors who have shown high demand interest for the shares. The company officials said initially it was estimated to raise Rs 2500 crore. However, with better valuations the company will raise upto Rs 3,149 crore at the upper price band through the IPO. The public issue is purely an offer for sale of 36,364,838 equity shares by promoters and existing shareholders. The offer for sale comprises sale of up to 1.74 crore shares by Rhine Holdings Ltd, up to 7.23 lakh shares by Kedaara Capital Alternative Investment Fund and up to 1.81 crore shares by Ravi Modi Family Trust. Rationalizing the high price band, officials said it is an asset light company with zero debt despite its 546 exclusive stores. The huge growth potential in the organised celebration market will help to retain its high growth momentum. Vedant Fashions is a pan-India player with a retail presence in over 200 cities and three countries in UAE, Canada and the United States. The company said it will double its overseas store floor area in the next few years. Its 'Manyavar' brand accounts for about 80 per cent of its revenue and the company officials said it was confident that its other newer brands will grow stronger in the years to come. Asked about the impact of the third wave of COVID-19 on it, the company said it was minimal as shutdown was minimal. (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 key benchmark indices are likely to start trade on a flat note amid mixed global cues. On one hand, investors will be contemplating the bearish global mood, while on the other pinning hopes for some positive from the upcoming Union Budget on February 01. As of 07:55 AM, the SGX Nifty February futures quoted at 17,132 as against the spot Nifty close of 17,110 on Thursday. Meanwhile, here are the top for trade today. Earnings Watch: 3i Infotech, AU Small Finance Bank, Bajaj Heathcare, Bharat Electronics, Blue Dart, Britannia, Central Bank, Chambal Fertilisers, Crompton Greaves, Deepak Fertilisers, Dixon Technologies, EIH Associated Hotels, Equitas Small Finance Bank, Gujarat Fluorochemicals, GE Shipping, GSFC, Happiest Mind Technologies, HT Media, Kitex Garmets, Kotak Bank, Karnataka Bank, Larsen & Toubro, Marico, Max Financials, MRPL, Naukri, NIIT, Oberoi Realty, Shriram City Union Finance, Suzlon, Tata Coffee, TCI Express, Thirumalai Chemicals, United Breweries, UTI AMC and Vedanta are some of the companies to announce December quarter results today. Company: The flagship company of the $8.5-billion TVS Group, acquired a 75 per cent stake in Swiss e-Mobility Group (SEMG) for $100 million (about Rs 752 crore). This was the companys second acquisition in Switzerland in the e-mobility space during the current fiscal, after buying 80 per cent in EGO Movement for $17.9 million in September 2021. The company plans to launch SEMG brands - Cilo, Simpel, Allegro, and Zenith - in India by the end of 2022. READ MORE RBL Bank: The private sector lender reported a 6 per cent YoY increase in net profit at Rs 156.10 crore for the OctoberDecember quarter (Q3FY22), aided by lower provisions and healthy growth in net interest income (NII). Net profit in the reporting quarter beat street estimates as analysts at Bloomberg had estimated a net profit of Rs 75.7 crore. Provisions of the lender fell 30 per cent on a YoY basis to Rs 423.88 crore in the Q3FY22. READ MORE In a major relief to telecom operators, the Telecom Standards Development Society of India (TSDI), backed by the government, informed the Telecom Enginneering Centre (TEC) under the DoT on January 25 not to proceed with the process of adopting 5Gi as a national standard. The TSDI has also informed the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) that it will follow the global 5G standards. READ MORE The telecom major informed BSE, that its subsidiary Airtel Africa has been inducted into the London Stock Exchange's (LSE) FTSE 100 index. Airtel Africa listed on LSE in June 2019 and had a market capitalisation of $ 7.5 billion as of January 26. Indus Towers: The telecom infrastructure company posted near about 16 per cent YoY rise in consolidated profit at Rs 1,570.8 crore for December quarter. Revenue grew marginally to Rs 6,927 crore from Rs 6,736 crore in the corresponding period of 2020-21. Fino Payments Bank: The companys Q3FY22 net profit more than doubled to Rs 14.10 crore as against Rs 6.52 crore in Q3FY21. Total income grew 20.3 per cent YoY to Rs 275.17 crore from Rs 228.65 crore in the same period. Future Enterprises: The company has agreed to sell a 25 per cent stake in its general insurance joint venture to its Dutch partner for Rs 1,252.96 crore, in cash, and an additional consideration linked to the date of the closing of the transaction. READ MORE Future Retail: The Supreme Court will hear Future Retails plea against lenders on January 31. The Kishore Biyani-led company had filed a petition, requesting the Supreme Court to pass an order to refrain its lenders from declaring it as a non-performing asset (NPA) if it does not pay dues of Rs 3,494 crore by January 29. READ MORE LIC Housing Finance: The companys net profit rose 6 per cent YoY to Rs 767.33 crore in the third quarter. The mortgage finance companys net interest income (NII) was up 14 per cent at Rs 1,455 crore in Q3FY22 as against Rs 1,281 crore in the year-ago quarter. READ MORE (PNB): The state-run bank reported a two-fold jump in standalone net profit at Rs 1,126.78 crore for the third quarter ended December, as bad loans marginally declined. Total income, however, during October-December 2021 declined to Rs 22,026.02 crore as against Rs 23,298.53 crore a year ago. READ MORE Colgate-Palmolive India: The FMCG company reported a marginal 1.6 per cent YoY rise in its net profit to Rs 252.33 crore for the third quarter ended December 2021. Revenue rose 3.84 per cent to Rs 1,271.29 crore from Rs 1,224.21 crore in the year-ago period. Shares of slipped 7 per cent to Rs 585.20 on the BSE in Fridays intra-day trade in an otherwise firm market after the company announced it acquired 75 per cent stake in Swiss E-Mobility Group (SMEG) for $100 million (about Rs 752 crore). The acquisition reaffirms TVS Motor Companys commitment to expansion in Europe through a portfolio of premium and technology leading brands, including Norton Motorcycles and EGO Movement, which were recently acquired, the company said in a press release. TVS Motor had bought 80 per cent stake in EGO Movement for $17.9 million in September 2021. This acquisition furthers TVS Motors commitment towards e-personal mobility products. We are strengthening our presence in the rapidly growing e-bikes segment. SEMG has strong omnichannel distribution and aspirational brands, including Cilo, Simpel, and Zenith Bikes, the companys management said. SMEG was incorporated in 2018 and is mainly operating in E-bike segment with revenue (FY20) pegged at around Rs 550 crore. SEMG is a fully integrated e-bike platform with its core business consisting of purchase and re-sale of own branded e-bikes, third party branded e-bikes and spare parts through retail and online stores in Switzerland and Germany. SEMG has a network of over 30 retail stores across Switzerland and Germany with plans to expand into other European Countries. The transaction is concluded at a P/S ratio of ~1.2x, ICICI Securities said in a note. In the past three months, the stock of TVS Motor underperformed the market by falling 8 per cent, as compared to 3 per cent decline in the S&P BSE Sensex. In the six months, the stock was up 5 per cent, as against a10 per cent rally in the benchmark index. At 11:04 am; TVS Motor was down 4 per cent at Rs 607, as compared to 1.2 per cent rise in the S&P BSE Sensex. The trading volume at the counter more-than-doubled with a combined 4.3 million equity shares changing hands on the NSE and BSE. Days ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections, a woman, Suman Toor, who says she is Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu's sister described her brother, Sidhu as a 'cruel person' and alleged that he had deserted their old mother after their father's death. Toor, who is based in the United States alleged, "Sidhu abandoned our old mother after the death of our father in 1986 and she later died as a destitute woman at Delhi railway station in 1989." According to her, ended "everything for the sake of money". She also said that in a news article earlier Sidhu had lied about their parents having been separated, when he was two years old. Meanwhile, a response from on the allegations is still awaited. Punjab will go to the polls on February 14 and the counting of votes will take place on March 10. #WATCH | Chandigarh: Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu's sister from the US, Suman Toor alleges that he abandoned their old-aged mother after the death of their father in 1986 & she later died as a destitute woman at Delhi railway station in 1989. (Source: Suman Toor) pic.twitter.com/SveEP9YrsD ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2022 (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.) Archaeologists Jack Schreiber and Caitlin Delmas record the location of a broken millstone. The stone fragment and other cobbles around it were originally part of the 1617 church foundation and were removed and thrown into the churchyard during the construction of the 1680s brick church tower. Courtesy of Jamestown Rediscovery (HANDOUT) Jamestown When the Jamestown Rediscovery archaeology team began excavating a pit on the north side of the church tower, the goal was to discover what it had been used for at the time. But what they hadnt anticipated finding were Native artifacts dating back to the early years of the Jamestown colony, furthering the teams understanding of the intricate socioeconomic interactions between the First Peoples and colonists. Advertisement So, thats something that we had never expected to find and something that wasnt in the historic documents and underscores the importance of archaeology, Jamestown Rediscoverys Director of Archaeology Dave Givens said. When senior staff archaeologists Mary Anna Hartley and Sean Romo began excavating the pit, they anticipated that the spot might have been disturbed as nearby excavation areas had been damaged by modern activity. Advertisement But, to their surprise, the spot was relatively intact with historic surfaces dating back to the 1680s and the 1640s surviving just below the modern ground. As they dug deeper, the team discovered bricks and pieces of plaster that could have been salvaged from the nearby church after it burned in Bacons Rebellion. Further down, the team uncovered the boundaries of the original churchyard, marked out by a large ditch. Thats the kind of interesting thing, the main point was to focus on uncovering the pit and then, along the way in the journey, weve uncovered a piece of the original churchyard that we hadnt quite understood before, Hartley said. Its a nice bonus. With each layer uncovered, the team is transported back to that time. With nearly hundreds of years of soil layers to uncover, the pit can offer insight into previous digs. As Romo explains, it is like putting puzzle pieces together and some have yet to be uncovered. Often, pits like the one currently under excavation at the north side of the tower were once small cellars within a building. When the building comes down, the colonists would fill in the pit with their trash. While Jamestowns earliest residents might have viewed these pits as trash dumps, they serve as a sort of time capsule for archaeologists. In this particular pit, the team found evidence of structural supports for the building that had contained this pit. A find located just outside of the 1607 fort wall sheds light on how these features relate to the original fortifications and how they changed through time. Every time we dig we figure out something new that paints something we found in the past in a different light, Romo said. The complexity of the space was surprising to us. Advertisement Senior Staff Archaeologist Mary Anna Hartley studies pieces of a Roanoke Simple-Stamped pot from the pit currently under excavation. The fill in the pit contains evidence of Native Americans and English interaction within the first few years of James Fort. Courtesy of Jamestown Rediscovery (HANDOUT) Farther down in the pit, Hartley made an intriguing discovery: remnants of a Roanoke simple-stamped clay pot dating back to between 1607 and 1609. With discoveries of other artifacts in other dig sites at the fort, it is a strong indication that there were Native Americans on Jamestown Island before and after the colonists arrived. According to Givens, the material collection shows that there was clear support by the Native American community to the colonists including feeding them as well as living and working in Jamestown. These recent discoveries help tell a more complete narrative of the socioeconomic interactions between the Indigenous community, the English and the first Africans and how they interacted, which is one of the teams most pressing goals. Archaeologists Kalen Anderson and Caitlin Delmas excavate plaster from the 1617 Timber Frame Church in the site north of the Church Tower. This plaster is likely evidence of when the 1640s Brick Churchs west wall punched through the still-standing western portion of the 1617 Church. Currently, the team theorizes that the far western end bay of the Timber Frame Church was incorporated into the new Brick Church because it was serving as its belfry. Courtesy of Jamestown Rediscovery (HANDOUT) Upon the colonists arrival to the island, the first couple of years were difficult and the English relied on support from the Powhatan which ultimately helped the colony survive. The Powhatan, which controlled the entire Eastern seaboard of Virginia, actively supported the English, viewing them as potential trade partners as the colonists had access to goods and materials considered valuable such as weapons, Romo said. Meanwhile, the English had dreams of empire and wealth. Internally, the colonists were faced with their own struggles as they were not receiving support from the Virginia Company, which funded the expedition. This led to them turning to the Powhatan tribe for food to survive. Advertisement According to Hartley, many of the commoners among the colonists abandoned the fort, choosing to live with their Powhatan neighbors as they could shelter and feed the colonists. Prior to 1622, when aggressions broke out between the colonists and the Native Americans, there were complex relations taking place between the two parties and the archaeological team is helping to uncover some of the early history. It was a more complicated place than I think most people realize, Hartley said. For more information regarding the dig site, visit bit.ly/3qRdSAt or historicjamestowne.org. Em Holter, emily.holter@virginiamedia.com, 757-256-6657, @EmHolterNews. The issue received bids for 13.85 crore shares as against 12.25 crore shares on offer. The initial public offer (IPO) of Adani Wilmar received bids for 13,85,77,270 shares as against 12,25,46,150 shares on offer, according to stock exchange data at 17:00 IST on Friday (28 January 2022). The issue was subscribed 1.13 times. The issue opened for bidding on 27 January 2022 and it will close on 31 January 2022. The price band of the IPO is fixed at Rs 218-230. An investor can bid for a minimum of 65 equity shares and in multiples thereof. The IPO comprises of fresh issue of equity shares worth up to Rs 3600 crore. The objectives for the fresh issue are capital expenditure of Rs 1900 crore, repayment or prepayment of outstanding borrowings for Rs 1058.9 crore, funding strategic acquisitions and investments for Rs 450 crore and general corporate purposes. Ahead of the IPO, Adani Wilmar on Tuesday, 25 January 2022, finalized allocation of 4,08,65,217 equity shares to anchor investors at an allocation price of Rs 230 per share, aggregating to Rs 939.89 crore. Adani Wilmar is among a few large FMCG food companies in India to offer most of the essential kitchen commodities for Indian consumers, including edible oil, wheat flour, rice, pulses, and sugar. The company's products are offered under a diverse range of brands across a broad price spectrum and cater to different customer groups. Essential commodities, such as edible oils, wheat flour, rice, pulses and sugar, account for approximately 66% of the spend on essential kitchen commodities in India. The company has 22 plants are strategically located across 10 states in India, comprising 10 crushing units and 19 refineries with an aggregate designed capacity of 8,525 MT per day and 16,285 MT per day, respectively, as of September 30, 2021. Out of the 19 refineries, ten are port-based to facilitate use of imported crude edible oil and reduce transportation costs, while the remaining are typically located in the hinterland in proximity to raw material production bases to reduce storage costs. The company's refinery in Mundra is the one of the largest single location refineries in India with a designed capacity of 5,000 MT per day. In addition to the 22 plants it owns, it also used 36 leased tolling units as of September 30, 2021, which provided with additional manufacturing capacities. The company intends to further expand its distribution network with an omni-channel approach. It aims to expand its online reach in India from current 25 cities to 100 cities in the next few years. It also aims to have more than 40 Fortune Mart stores opened across India in the next few years. Adani Wilmar reported a net profit of Rs 357.13 crore on sales of Rs 24,874.52 crore in six month ended September 2021. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chambal Fertilisers & Chemicals slipped 4.79% to Rs 432.15 after the company posted a 7.56% fall in consolidated net profit to Rs 435.17 crore in Q3 FY22 from Rs 470.75 crore posted in Q3 FY21. Revenue from operations increased by 22.4% to Rs 4,743.33 crore in Q3 FY22 from Rs 3,872.6 crore posted in the same quarter last year. Consolidated profit before tax stood at Rs 610.58 in Q3 FY22, 10.5% lower than Rs 682.2 crore registered in Q3 FY22. The company's total expenses for quarter ended December 2021 spiked by 32.4% to Rs 4260.89 crore from Rs 3,217.7 crore recorded in the corresponding period last year. The board of directors at its meeting held today also approved setting up a plant for manufacture of Technical Ammonium Nitrate at its existing site at Gadepan, District Kota, Rajasthan with a capacity of approximately 2,20,000 metric tons per annum. The estimated cost of project is approximately Rs 1170 crore. The project will also include a plant to manufacture approximately 1,80,000 metric tons per annum of weak nitric acid. Chambal said that the demand of Technical Ammonium Nitrate in India outstrips the supply and balance is met through imports. The company has excess ammonia being produced in its fertiliser plants at Gadepan due to technical reasons which is presently being sold in the domestic market. Such excess ammonia is proposed to be utilized for manufacture of Technical Ammonium Nitrate which will result into value addition and hence better margins for the company. The Technical Ammonium Nitrate to be manufactured shall cater primarily to the domestic market in India. The said project is estimated to be completed in next 36 months and implementation of the project is subject to necessary statutory and other approvals. Meanwhile, the company has declared a dividend of Rs 4.5 per share. The interim dividend shall be paid/ dispatched on or before 25 February 2022. Chambal Fertilisers & Chemicals manufactures ammonia, urea, pesticides and other products for farming and other agricultural applications. The company also provides consulting services to farmers on their seeding programs. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hindalco Industries Ltd is quoting at Rs 503.95, up 3.03% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The stock is up 122.69% in last one year as compared to a 27.28% spurt in NIFTY and a 81.75% spurt in the Nifty Metal index. Hindalco Industries Ltd gained for a third straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 503.95, up 3.03% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 1.43% on the day, quoting at 17354.6. The Sensex is at 58048.43, up 1.35%. Hindalco Industries Ltd has risen around 10.94% in last one month. Meanwhile, Nifty Metal index of which Hindalco Industries Ltd is a constituent, has risen around 2.06% in last one month and is currently quoting at 5445.9, up 2.7% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 30.31 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 74.43 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark February futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 506.55, up 3.28% on the day. Hindalco Industries Ltd is up 122.69% in last one year as compared to a 27.28% spurt in NIFTY and a 81.75% spurt in the Nifty Metal index. The PE of the stock is 32.5 based on TTM earnings ending September 21. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SGX Nifty: Trading of Nifty 50 index futures on the Singapore stock exchange indicates that the Nifty could fall 21 points at the opening bell. Build up to the upcoming budget session would be the key event that the market would be looking for in the near future. The Budget session of Parliament is set to commence on January 31 and will conclude on April 8. The government will present the Budget for fiscal 2022-23 on February 1. The Economic Survey is likely to be tabled on January 31 after the president's address, as per reports. Investors will also continue to monitor the situation surrounding the omicron COVID-19 variant. On the political front, developments in the upcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab, and Manipur will be closely watched. Polls in all the five states will be held between February 10 and March 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes and the result will be declared on March 10. Global markets: Overseas, Asian stocks are mostly trading higher on Friday, following a volatile session on Wall Street overnight where investors reacted to comments from the Federal Reserve and U.S. GDP data. The Taiwan market is closed for a holiday on Friday. Wall Street gyrated wildly on Thursday as investors juggled positive economic news with mixed corporate earnings, geopolitical unrest and the prospect of a more hawkish Federal Reserve. On the macro front, the US economy expanded by 5.7% in 2021. It was the strongest calendar-year growth since a 7.2% surge in 1984 after a previous recession. The economy ended the year by growing at a solid 6.9% annual pace from October through December, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. Domestic markets: Back home, the benchmark indices ended with modest losses on Thursday. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, dropped 581.21 points or 1% at 57,276.94. The Nifty 50 index fell 167.80 points or 0.97% at 17,110.15. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 6,266.75 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs), were net buyers to the tune of Rs 2,881.32 crore in the Indian equity market on 27 January, provisional data showed. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nava Bharat Ventures rose 7.38% to Rs 128 after the company's consolidated net profit rose 42.31% to Rs 168.55 crore on a 43.90% increase in net sales to Rs 949.91 crore in Q3 December 2021 over Q3 December 2020. On a consolidated basis, profit before tax rose 61.23% to Rs 273.75 crore in Q3 December 2021 as against Rs 169.79 crore in Q3 December 2020. Adjusted EBITDA rose 30.8% to Rs 507.51 crore in Q3 December 2021 over Q3 December 2020. Adjusted EBITDA margin stood at 50.5% in Q3 December 2021 as against 54.7% in Q3 December 2020. Provision for expected credit loss continued to impact the reported adjusted EBIDTA while impact on account of forex adjustment remained minimal for the quarter. Consolidated revenue increased due to strong standalone operational performance and increased plant availability of Maamba Collieries Limited (MCL), the step down subsidiary of Nava Bharat Ventures, during Q3. International operations were stable with merchant coal sales exhibiting continuing strength. The company's consolidated debt stood at Rs 3591.60 crore as on 31 December 2021 as against Rs 3550.80 crore as on 31 December 2020. Most of the debt on consolidated front pertains to Zambian operations which does not have any recourse to the company nor its any subsidiary. On a standalone basis, Nava Bharat Ventures reported 99% growth in revenue, 238% growth in EBITDA and 222% growth in PAT for the quarter. Commenting on the results, Asbwin Devineni, CEO, said: "For Q3FY22 Nava Bharat has delivered strong top-line growth riding On its Ferro Alloys and Standalone Power business operations. On International operations front, Zambian power operations remained stable with continued improvement in merchant coal sales. Nava Bharat ha been continuing its efforts to further strengthen its operations especially via backward integration. Company has received exploration permit from the Government Cote d'ivoire (Ivory Coast) for manganese ore in Q2FY22. Recently the Company has completed its INR 1.5 bn buyback program for FY22 and it continues to explore more opportunities which can further enhance shareholder value." Nava Bharat Ventures is an Indian conglomerate with business interest in ferro alloys, power generation, coal mining and healthcare. Nava Bharat is one of the leading Ferro alloy producers in India with about 125,000 MT of Manganese and about 75,000 MT of Chrome Alloy capacities. The Group has total installed power generation capacity of 434MW in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha in India. Nava Bharat owns and operates an integrated mine mouth 300 MW thermal power plant in Zambia, held through its step down subsidiary Maamba Collieries Limited (65%). Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SJVN announced that Bihar Renewable Energy Development Agency has issued a letter of intent for supply of 200 MW power at the fixed quoted tariff of Rs. 3.11/- per kWh for sale of solar power as per terms & conditions laid down in the RFP, PPA, Corrigendum and BERC final order on long term basis for 25 years. These projects will assist SJVN in achieving its ambitious shared vision of 5000 MW by 2023, 25000 MW by 2030 and 50000 MW by 2040 and simultaneously contribute towards RE capacity addition target of 500 GW by 2030 set by Government of India. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SpiceJet jumped 5.71% to Rs 63.90 after the media reported that the Supreme Court of India has granted a stay on the Madras High Court's order directing the winding up of SpiceJet. According to the media report, the apex court has granted three weeks to SpiceJet to resolve the matter with Credit Suisse AG. The matter pertains to a Madras High Court order that directed the winding up of SpiceJet after it failed to clear dues given by Credit Suisse. The airline is challenging unpaid dues to the tune of Rs 180 crore, claimed by Swiss Financial Services, Credit Suisse AG. The SC stay order came after SpiceJet reportedly said that it was working something out and needed a little time. SR Technics in Switzerland had reportedly carried out aircraft maintenance, repair and other services through an agreement with a lifetime of 10 years in 2011. SpiceJet and Credit Suisse signed a supplemental agreement in 2021 that enabled them to repay the amount raised by SRT. Credit Suisse AG had the rights to receive payments that were due to SRT in 2012 through a financial agreement. The agreement also entitled the third party to receive payments from SpiceJet under seven invoices that were raised by SRT. The Swiss firm stated that even after repeated requests SpiceJet shrugged off responsibilities to repay the money due as per the invoices, the media report suggested. Spicejet reported a net loss of Rs 570.56 crore in Q2 FY22, higher than the net loss of Rs 105.61 crore posted in Q2 FY21. Net sales increased by 26.4% to Rs 1,304.52 crore in Q2 FY22 from Rs 1,031.66 crore posted in Q2 FY21. SpiceJet is a low-budget air carrier. The airline operates a fleet of Boeing 737s, Q-400s & freighters and is the country's largest regional player operating 63 daily flights under UDAN or the Regional Connectivity Scheme. The airline also operates a dedicated air cargo service under the brand name SpiceXpress offering cargo connectivity across India and on international routes. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TVS Motor Company announced the successful acquisition of a 75% stake in the Swiss E-Mobility Group (SEMG). The acquisition has been made in an all-cash deal through TVS Motor's Singapore Subsidiary, TVS Motor (Singapore). TVS Motor acquired 75% stake at Swiss Franc (CHF) 525.78 per share. 75% stake amounts to 114,658 common equity shares of SEMG. TCS said the acquisition is aligned with its larger vision of becoming a leading player in the e-personal mobility space and providing its customers with sustainable mobility solutions, and complements its other recent acquisitions. TVS considers SEMG as a long-term partner to establish a strong presence in the e-mobility business. The acquisition reaffirms TVS Motor Company's commitment to expansion in Europe through a portfolio of premium and technology leading brands, including Norton Motorcycles and EGO Movement, which were recently acquired. SEMG is a market-leading provider of e-mobility solutions within the DACH region, operating the largest pure-play e-bike retail chain M-way in Switzerland with close to $100 million in revenue. The company has a prestigious Swiss mobility brands portfolio, including Cilo, Simpel, Allegro, and Zenith - Bikes. By combining its extensive physical network and e-commerce platform with two online platforms and 31 physical stores, SEMG is able to deliver a seamless and world-class customer experience. In 2020, SEMG generated a turnover of Swiss Franc (CHF) 69.87 million. E-bikes are establishing themselves as the de-facto form of personal mobility in Europe due to the increased ease of usage, regulatory support, and overall perception as a sustainable form of transport. With a current penetration of approximately 15% of the total bicycle population in Europe and growing at a CAGR of ~18%, the market for the e-bicycle holds significant growth potential. TVS Motor Company is a two and three-wheeler manufacturer and is the flagship company of the TVS Group. TVS Motor's consolidated net profit jumped 29.2% to Rs 234.37 crore on 23.4% surge in net sales to Rs 6,483.42 crore in Q2 FY22 over Q2 FY21. Shares of TVS Motor were down 5.50% at Rs 595 in early trade on BSE. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) LaTeisha Meekins is next scheduled to appear in court 7:59 a.m. July 28, at which time the court will determine whether her competency is restored. Williamsburg A Williamsburg woman who police say fatally stabbed a 71-year-old James City County woman outside of a Walgreens has been deemed incompetent to stand trial by the Williamsburg-James City County District Court. LaTeisha Meekins, 35, appeared virtually before a judge Thursday morning, charged with one count of second-degree murder for a hearing to determine whether she was able to stand trial following a mental evaluation. Advertisement According to Commonwealths Attorney Nat Green, the court found that Meekins was not competent to stand trial and she has been ordered to receive inpatient treatment to restore her competency before preceding to trial. LaTeisha Meekins, 35, of Williamsburg, is charged with second-degree murder. (Courtesy of Williamsburg Police Department) Meekins is next scheduled to appear in court 7:59 a.m. July 28, at which time the court will determine whether her competency is restored. Advertisement Around 6 p.m. Nov. 12, witnesses described a person matching Meekinss description attacking the victim, Catherine Patricia Heaston, unprovoked with a knife, stabbing her multiple times. Williamsburg Police Department officers obtained video from the surrounding businesses and conducted a canvass. Meekins was arrested at her home and later verbally confessed to the attack, according to court documents. Heaston was transported to Riverside Doctors Hospital in critical condition where she was later pronounced dead. According to officers, Meekins and Heaston arrived at the Walgreens separately. The department could not provide a definitive cause for the incident. Meekinss previous criminal offenses include several traffic infractions and misdemeanors including child restraint, failure to appear in court, driving under a suspended license, improper brakes and following too close. According to the department, this was the only homicide in 2021 in the city. The last recorded homicide in the city occurred in 2017. In 2006, the city recorded its highest homicide rate in 15 years with three slayings. Em Holter, emily.holter@virginiamedia.com, 757-256-6657, @EmHolterNews. Vedanta Ltd is quoting at Rs 335, up 2.07% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The stock is up 107.75% in last one year as compared to a 27.28% jump in NIFTY and a 81.75% jump in the Nifty Metal index. Vedanta Ltd is up for a third straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 335, up 2.07% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 1.43% on the day, quoting at 17354.6. The Sensex is at 58048.43, up 1.35%. Vedanta Ltd has slipped around 1.31% in last one month. Meanwhile, Nifty Metal index of which Vedanta Ltd is a constituent, has slipped around 2.06% in last one month and is currently quoting at 5445.9, up 2.7% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 85.76 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 108.2 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark February futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 336.2, up 2% on the day. Vedanta Ltd is up 107.75% in last one year as compared to a 27.28% jump in NIFTY and a 81.75% jump in the Nifty Metal index. The PE of the stock is 8.76 based on TTM earnings ending September 21. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) World Gold Council (WGC) noted that Indian gold jewellery demand almost doubled y-o-y in 2021, surging past pre-pandemic levels to reach a six-year high of 611 tonnes (t). Record quarterly demand of 265 tonnes (t) in Q4 set the seal on this remarkable annual performance. With the easing of lockdown restrictions from June onwards and continued successful roll out of the vaccination program, India's economy recovered in H2 2021. This boosted consumer sentiment particularly in urban India as reflected in an increase in the Reserve Bank of India's Consumer Confidence Index, which rose to 62.3 in November 2021. Rural demand was supported by normal monsoon rainfall, although crop loss due to floods in the Southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu impacted rural demand to a degree. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid internal rumblings within the Congress over being awarded Padma Bhushan, Congress leader took a dig at those criticising Azad within the party, saying the importance of an award is when the rival party honours the achievements of a leader as people can fulfil any wish when it is their own government. His remarks come amid speculation over his political future and talk that he is in touch with the Samajwadi Party for a possible switch ahead of Uttar Pradesh assembly polls. "The importance of an award is when the rival party honours the achievements of a leader -- people can fulfil any wish when it is their own government," Babbar said in a tweet in Hindi on Thursday. "I think the ongoing debate about is unnecessary," he said. The comments by Babbar, who was among the group of 23 leaders who had written to Sonia Gandhi demanding an organisational overhaul in the Congress, come amid a controversy triggered soon after the announcement of the Padma awards on Tuesday evening when Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, while commenting on CPI(M) leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharya's refusal to accept the award, said, "He wants to be Azad not Ghulam". Several members of the group of 23 leaders who had written to Sonia Gandhi demanding an organisational overhaul in the Congress congratulated Azad for being awarded Padma Bhushan, saying it was "well-deserved". (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 the PMK, which represents the powerful Vanniyar community, snapped ties with the AIADMK during the October 2021 rural local body polls, a large section of the Tamil Nadu BJP leaders is also putting pressure on the party leadership to go it alone. BJP leader in Tamil Nadu legislative Assembly Nainar Nagenthran recently came out strongly against the AIADMK state leadership indicating that the BJP wanted to go it alone in the polls. However, the state president of the BJP, K. Annamalai was trying hard to mend fences and to downplay the statement of Nagenthran. A large section of the BJP leadership in Tamil Nadu is of the opinion that AIADMK lower-level cadres and the BJP cadres are not gelling together and that even in the 2021 Assembly elections, the AIADMK did not transfer votes to the BJP candidates. Some senior leaders of the BJP are of the opinion that while the DMK is a tight coalition with a grassroots presence, the AIADMK has reduced itself into a party that comes together during the elections only. It may be noted that the AIADMK has been drawing criticism from several corners over the party not being able to carry out many agitations against the DMK government on issues, including the poor quality of materials supplied in Pongal gift hampers. The AIADMK leadership has, however, pooh-poohed the charges stating that Covid-19 and its restrictions have hampered the party's efforts to organise the grassroots agitations against the DMK government. BJP leaders, who vouch for snapping ties with the AIADMK are of the opinion that if the party breaks its ties during the Urban local body elections, it could get some leverage in the grassroots and could develop its cadre base. The BJP is also miffed at the fact that several issues that the party brought forward, including conversion at schools and slums by the Christian groups and the attack on BJP and RSS workers by the Islamist groups, the AIADMK had maintained a studied silence. A senior leader of the AIADMK from Theni while speaking to IANS said, "The BJP as a political party does not have any grassroots support in Tamil Nadu and it will be like this even for the next 50 years. It's a Brahmanical party that is not accepted in South India at least not in Tamil Nadu and the BJP got a semblance of respect only with the alliance it has had with us at the grassroots. Let them contest the Urban local body elections on their own and we can see the results." --IANS aal/dpb (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress leader on Friday asked Prime Minister when will India's land "occupied by China" be returned. His tweet came after returned missing Arunachal teen Miram Taron to India. "It was comforting to know that has returned Miram Taron. When will India get back its land occupied by China, Prime Minister ji," Gandhi asked on Twitter. The teenager from had gone missing a few days ago and the Chinese located him later. The China's People's Liberation Army handed him over to the Indian Army in Thursday. Gandhi has been attacking Modi and his government on the standoff in Ladakh and has accused the prime minister of "surrendering" India's land to . (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.) Gurugram (Haryana) [India]/ San Francisco (California) [US], January 28 (ANI/PRNewswire): Engineering Analytics platform, (https://www.hatica.io) Hatica has emerged from stealth with a $900,000 pre-seed funding, led by Kae Capital and followed by Titan Capital, iSeed Ventures, and angel investor GBS Bindra (CEO of Charmboard). Hatica was founded by former Uber engineers Naomi Chopra and Haritabh Singh, who incubated the idea as part of the Accel Founderstack Program. Hatica, a SaaS startup based out of San Francisco and Gurgaon, provides a Software Engineering Analytics platform to help boost developer productivity. Hatica equips engineering leaders, managers and software developers with software development dashboards, alongside team productivity and workflow insights, to help them drive team effectiveness, alignment and well-being. Hatica is trusted by customers across US, India and Brazil. As lockdowns reduced workplace visibility for remote and distributed teams working across a growing stack of developer tools, Hatica's co-founders realized the need for an engineering intelligence platform that could improve visibility and deliver insights to boost developer productivity. Speaking about Hatica's journey, Naomi Chopra, Founder and CEO of Hatica said, "We began developing Hatica by coordinating remotely to build a platform which helps teams drive engineering excellence with data-driven insights. As we grasped the reality of remote work, we were able to make our platform more robust, driving productivity and well-being of both in-person and remote working paradigms. Currently in beta stage, we are on track to go to market with our platform in Q1 2022." Gaurav Chaturvedi, Partner at Kae Capital remarked, "Hatica is a powerful platform built by a stellar team that has the potential to disrupt the developer tools market by significantly improving engineering efficiency and optimizing dev workflows. Hatica is operating in a large market addressing a significant pain point for engineering teams and we are looking forward to seeing it grow." Hatica is a SaaS startup providing an Engineering Analytics platform to boost developer productivity. For more information, visit (https://www.hatica.io) Kae Capital is a leading early-stage investor focused on tech startups and invests in seed and series A stage. Kae believes in backing stellar teams building for large markets early in their journey. For more information, visit (https://kae-capital.com) This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mumbai [India], January 28 (ANI/PR Newswire): Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India) Pvt. Ltd., one of the fastest-growing fund houses in India today announced that it is planning to offer its Global X ETF (owned by Mirae Asset Global Investments) products to Indian investors. Mirae Asset's total Global ETF AUM across 10 countries has crossed the Rs 6.3 trillion or approximately US$ 84 bn mark, making Mirae Asset the 14th largest (https://www.miraeassetmf.co.in/mutual-fund-scheme/etf-and-fof" rel="noopener" target="_blank">ETF provider in the world. Mirae Asset India is planning to offer the Global X ETF to investors, adding to its innovative portfolio of ETF products that it has launched since its first ETF product in 2018. The achievement illustrates the strides that Mirae Asset has taken globally with the launch of a slew of innovative products in thematic and overseas ETFs. In fact, the aggregate AUM of Mirae Asset Global ETFs is larger than all ETFs listed in Korea.* *Source : KRX, as on January 31, 2022 Mirae Asset India has plans to offer Global X ETF in India: -Mirae Asset India aims to offer its global ETF arm, Global X's product via Fund of Fund Product to enhance innovative product lines in overseas Fund of Fund (FoF). -Global X is one of the largest thematic ETF providers globally and Mirae Asset India has plans to introduce various innovative overseas Fund of Funds (FOFs). Global X ETFs have innovative themes such as Electric Vehicles (EV), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Block chain etc. Mirae Asset India has been consistently launching innovative funds in India and was the first to offer ETFs based on (https://www.miraeassetmf.co.in/mutual-fund-scheme/etf-and-fof/mirae-asset-esg-sector-leaders-etf) Nifty 100 ESG Sector Leaders Index, Nifty Financial Services Index, Nifty Manufacturing Index, NYSE Fang+ Index and (https://www.miraeassetmf.co.in/mutual-fund-scheme/etf-and-fof/mirae-asset-s-and-p-500-top-50-etf) S & P 500 Top 50 Index in India. Mirae Asset India also endeavours that most of its ETFs are provided with adequate liquidity for investors to trade. Using Global X's ETF products, Mirae Asset India aims to continue this journey forward to bring more Global Thematic offerings to Indian Investors. (https://www.globalxetfs.com) Global X has impressive line-up of products like Blockchain, Millennial, EV and so on. Mirae Asset India ETF Highlights: - -Launched 1st product in 2018. -Currently has an AUM of Rs. 3,000 crore with 8 ETF products as on December 31, 2021 -(https://www.miraeassetmf.co.in/mutual-fund-scheme/etf-and-fof/mirae-asset-nyse-fang-plus-etf) Mirae Asset NYSE FANG+ ETF (An Open-ended fund of fund scheme predominantly investing in Mirae Asset NYSE FANG+ ETF) drew large attention from the market by collecting around Rs. 400 cr during the NFO. -Recently, Mirae Asset India launched (https://www.miraeassetmf.co.in/mutual-fund-scheme/etf-and-fof/mirae-asset-nifty-india-manufacturing-etf-fund-of-fund) Mirae Asset Nifty India Manufacturing ETF (An open-ended scheme replicating/tracking Nifty India Manufacturing Total Return Index) which invests in companies under the manufacturing sector in India. -Mirae Asset India is planning to introduce various innovative overseas Fund of Funds with underlying as Global X's innovative ETFs. -Mirae Asset India also offered first ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) based ETF in Indian market Mirae Asset Group's Key Global Highlights -AUM of ETFs operated worldwide increased to approximately USD 30bn compared to the previous year. -The Number of ETFs operated worldwide more than tripled from 93 in 2011 to 396 at the end of 2021. -Successful acquisition of several reputable ETF providers such as Global X and Horizons. -Global X ETF is one of the largest thematic ETF providers globally. -Prior to acquisition, Global X ETF had an AUM of approx. US$ 10 Bn. Post-acquisition by Mirae Asset Group in 2018, the AUM has seen a rapid growth with current AUM of US$ 43 Bn (Source, Internal, as on December 31, 2021) "The rapid growth in Mirae Asset's ETFs business globally, reaching the US$ 84 bn mark, is evidence of the innovation and choice that it offers to investors in multiple markets. In India, we look forward to leverage our global expertise in ETFs and launch many more innovative products for our Indian investors having underlying as Global X ETFs," said Swarup Mohanty, Director & CEO, Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India) Pvt. Ltd. With its proven record, Mirae Asset Group has emerged as a major global player in the ETF space and has several firsts to its credit which would have benefitted the investor community. With this, millions of investors in India can now avail Global X products through Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India) Pvt. Ltd. Scheme Product Labelling: Mirae Asset Nifty India Manufacturing ETF is suitable for investors who are seeking* -Returns that are commensurate with the performace of the Nifty India Manufacturing Total Return Index, subject to tracking error over long term -Investment in equity securities covered by Nifty India Manufacturing Total Return Index *investors should consult their financial advisers if in doubt about whether the product is suitable for them. Scheme riskometer - Investor understand that their principal will be at Very High Risk Scheme Benchmark - Nifty India Manufacturing Index Benchmark Riskometer - The benchmark is at Very High Risk Mirae Asset NYSE FANG+ ETF is suitable for investors who are seeking* -Returns that are commensurate with the performace of NYSE FANG+ Total Return Index, subject to tracking error and foreign echange movement -Investments in equity securities covered by NYSE FANG+ Total Return Index *investors should consult their financial advisers if in doubt about whether the product is suitable for them. Scheme riskometer - Investor understand that their principal will be at Very High Risk Scheme Benchmark - NYSE FANG+ Index (TRI) Benchmark Riskometer - The benchmark is at Very High Risk Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully. Mirae Asset Global Investments (India) Private Limited ("MAGI India") has transferred its asset management business to its wholly owned subsidiary, Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India) Private Limited ("Mirae AMC"), as part of internal restructuring of its business with effect from January 1, 2020. Over the last 2 decades Mirae Asset Global Investments Ltd. (the sponsor) has become one of the world's largest investors in emerging market equities, managing total assets of over USD 217.9 billion as on 30th September 2021. Headquartered in South Korea, Mirae Asset Global Investments Ltd also has investment management operations in Hong Kong, United Kingdom, India, Vietnam, USA, Canada, Taiwan and Brazil. Apart from Asset Management, Mirae Asset Financial Group has business interest in Life Insurance, Securities and Investment & Venture Capital. This story is provided by PR Newswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PR Newswire) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pune (Maharashtra) [India], January 28 (ANI/NewsVoir): Sany India, a leading construction equipment manufacturer in India, has added one more feather to their cap with the key handover of the country's first 800 tons lifting capacity crawler crane to Dwarkesh Transport Corporation, Sany India's esteemed patron based in Anand, Gujarat. Sany SCC8000A is India's largest Crawler Crane with distinct design and safety features, which make it one-of-its-kind in the industry. This leviathan crane, will be used by Dwarkesh Transport for wind turbine installation. The owners of Dwarkesh Transport Corporation, Rajendra Dwivedi, Dipal Dwivedi, Romal Dwivedi and their family were present to grace the key handover ceremony. From Sany India, Deepak Garg, Managing Director, Sany India & South Asia, Sanjay Saxena, Senior Vice President & Head of Heavy Equipment Business Unit, Vinay Oza - Regional Head (HE), West Region and Kapil Jain - General Manager, Institutional Sales presented the SCC8000A crane to Dwarkesh Transport Corporation. Speaking on the occasion Deepak Garg, Managing Director, Sany India & South Asia said, "We share a special bond with Dwarkesh Transport Corporation. They have been our esteemed customer since many years and we cherish this association as both companies continue to grow and capture new markets. Dwarkesh Transport already own more than 15 cranes of Sany and as a proud owner of India's largest crawler crane, we wish them success in all their ventures and look forward to achieving new milestones on this journey with them." Sany SCC8000A is an 800-tonne capacity crawler crane. It can be configured for boom length up to 168+12 meters for wind energy applications, capable of handling all wind turbine installation requirements in India. Sany India is the country's largest crawler crane company. Sany Crawler Cranes features excellent reliability and the highest operational efficiency by offering technological innovations, maximum safety, stability and flexibility in all kinds of operating environments. The SCC8000A Crawler Crane is currently being used at a wind power project in Kutch, Gujarat. Sany India was incorporated in 2002 and offers the widest range of Construction Machinery in India & South Asia. In 2012, Sany India invested more than INR 600 crore to develop infrastructure for R & D, Manufacturing, Quality Inspection, Testing, and Service at their manufacturing facility in Chakan, Pune. Through this facility, the company operates in four Business verticals viz: Excavator, Heavy Equipment, Mining Machinery, and Renewable Energy. Presently, Sany India offers products like excavators, truck-mounted cranes, all-terrain and rough terrain cranes, crawler cranes, transit mixers, batching plants, boom pumps, trailer pumps, piling rigs, motor graders, pavers, compactors, reach stackers, rubber-tyred gantry cranes, rail-mounted gantry cranes, mining equipment, wind turbine generators and many more. The company has already established a strong network of around 39 dealers and 180 touchpoints across India to cater to the growing demand and provide support to all its customers & associates. Sany has more than 20000 machines delivered on the ground, contributing to infrastructure development projects in India & other South Asian countries. Owing to its widest product range, superior build quality, service commitment, innovative solutions, and global expertise, Sany India has achieved market leadership in various construction equipment segments. With the Government of India's focus on infrastructure development and modernization, the company is poised for tremendous growth. (https://www.facebook.com/SanyInd) (https://twitter.com/SanyIndia) (https://www.instagram.com/sany_india) (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7MWAQYIBxbIFakh_1ICefg?reload=9) 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.) New Delhi [India], January 28 (ANI/NewsVoir): Turing, an AI-powered, international platform that connects software developers with high-quality, long-term, remote U.S. jobs, announced today the launch of Turing Community: a global career-centric community exclusively for developers. With a mission to unleash the world's untapped human potential, Turing is building a diverse community, free and open to all developers worldwide. The community helps developers with job preparation, upskilling and reskilling, English communication and personal development, and mentoring, among other perks. Through this initiative, the company aims to build a safe space for developers to grow, seek guidance from experts, and progress in their careers. With over 1 million developers signed up on Turing, the launch of a career-centric developer community will further strengthen the company's mission to help solve the challenges faced by software developers globally. The community plans to host a range of events including the Women's Mentoring Circle, Rethinking the Developer Career Path, and AMA Sessions with Senior Developers, amongst others. These events will equip developers with the necessary knowledge and tools to advance through their careers. Commenting on the launch, Uma Subramanian, Sr. Director and Head of Developer Success and Community at Turing said, "Thousands of developers from more than a hundred countries have already joined our community and are making their way to the top with the tools and opportunities provided by the community. At Turing, our intention is not only to offer jobs but also to offer a community that inspires learning and development. Moreover, the community is equipped with tools that steer developers to their calling while understanding their passion and enhancing their skills. Aiding developers to walk the path to success resulting in breakthroughs in fields like science and tech-that is what the Turing community is all about-tapping into the world's unexplored human potential and bringing disruption to the industry while forming a legacy!" Furthermore, the Turing Community aims to help developers form deep relationships with fellow developers, seek advice from industry veterans, and create positive experiences. Founded in March 2018, Turing's Intelligent Talent Cloud uses AI to connect the world's best developers to high-quality U.S. jobs. Turing is the brainchild of Stanford alumni and serial AI entrepreneurs Jonathan Siddharth and Vijay Krishnan. The duo's previous company Rover, a machine learning-based content discovery engine, was successfully acquired. With Turing, companies can hire pre-vetted, Silicon Valley-caliber remote software talent across 100+ skills at the "push of a button". 200+ firms, including Johnson & Johnson, Dell, Disney, Coinbase, Rivian, Plume, and VillageMD, have hired remote engineering talent from Turing. The company recently entered unicorn territory (now valued at over $1.1 B) with a Series D round of financing and is backed by prominent investors such as WestBridge Capital, Foundation Capital, Founders Fund (investors in Facebook, Tesla, Asana), Altair Capital, Mindset Ventures, Frontier Ventures, Gaingels, Facebook's first CTO (Adam D'Angelo), and illustrious executives from Google, Amazon, and Twitter. To learn more about the Turing Community, please visit: (https://community.turing.com). 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.) The updated snow forecast for this weekend, as of 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. (National Weather Service) Hampton Roads will miss the worst of a significant noreaster that was bearing down on the East Coast Friday night and expected drop several inches of snow through Saturday afternoon, forecasters predict. South Hampton Roads and the Peninsula are expected to get 3 to 4 inches of snow, while the Eastern Shore may see up to a foot or more of the white stuff, according to the National Weather Service in Wakefield. A winter storm warning is in effect for much of Hampton Roads, as well as parts of northeastern North Carolina. The Eastern Shore was upgraded to a blizzard warning Friday morning meaning low visibility and powerful winds will accompany the heavy snow. Advertisement But the weather wont be just snowy gale force winds are expected Saturday and temperatures will be frigid throughout the weekend. Wind chill temperatures will hover around the single digits throughout Hampton Roads from Saturday night into Sunday morning, according to a Friday afternoon briefing from NWS Wakefield. Wind chill values may drop below zero for portions of the lower Eastern Shore, the weather service warned. Advertisement Widespread single digit wind chill values are expected Saturday into Sunday morning. The Eastern Shore may even see below zero wind chill. (2/?) pic.twitter.com/B36jlQPEVv NWS Wakefield (@NWSWakefieldVA) January 28, 2022 The impending storm prompted Hampton Roads Transit to suspend all bus, light rail, paratransit and ferry service on Saturday. The agency will evaluate conditions before determining if service will reopen Sunday. Norfolk city manager Chip Filer declared a state of emergency Friday afternoon, a designation that allows the city to seek state and federal reimbursement for some of the storms costs. The city also opened the York Street garage for free winter storm parking downtown through 8 p.m. Sunday. Theres also potential for minor coastal flooding at high tide Saturday into Sunday, according to the briefing. Virginia Beach is no stranger to the power of a noreaster and the coastal flooding that can come with a storm of this magnitude, and city officials said they are prepared. It could be a problem along the coastal areas, said Drew Lankford, the citys public works spokesman. Extra hands are on call and will be keeping an eye on city streets for flooding and downed trees as well as traffic signals that could get damaged in the high winds, Lankford said. [ Closings and cancellations in Hampton Roads as noreaster brings cold, snowy weekend ] Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > The impending winter weather is expected to create hairy travel conditions particularly on the Eastern Shore. Subfreezing temperatures mean any wet pavement should be considered icy, the Virginia Department of Transportation said in a news release. VDOT shifted additional resources to Hampton Roads to respond to the storm and has 325 trucks equipped with plows and salt spreaders ready to respond, officials said. The department had used approximately 60,000 gallons of brine to pretreat the regions interstates and primary routes as of Friday morning. Advertisement Hampton public works crews have also been pretreating roads with brine and salt since Wednesday morning. The Hampton crews will work 12-hour shifts until the storm has passed and roads are cleared, according to Hampton spokesman Mike Holtzclaw. The city is also prepared to clean up damage from high winds, but thats not something you can really pretreat for like you do for the roads, Holtzclaw said. The 64 Express Lanes through Norfolk will be closed as early as 6 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday to allow for snow removal, according to VDOT. Norfolk also removed street parking along Boush Street, Granby Street, Plume Street, Main Street, City Hall Avenue in front of Fairfax Building and the 400 block of Monticello Avenue to allow for plowing operations. Vehicles in these areas will be ticketed and towed starting Friday afternoon, according to city officials. Staff writers Stacy Parker and Caitlyn Burchett contributed to this report. Ali Sullivan, 757-677-1974, ali.sullivan@virginiamedia.com On January 16th, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that Indias can play a big role in raising services exports to $1 trillion a year. In a virtual meeting with a clutch of top leaders from the IT industry, the Union minister assured the governments full support to the sector. The assurance, which came just days before the Union budget, was a confidence-booster for the sector. And amid strong Q3 performances, the Indian IT sector got another shot in the arm this week. Six Indian IT companies found themselves in the top 25 list of most valuable global IT services brands. TCS growth is attributed to the companys investments in its brand and its employees, customer equity, and strong financial performance. Tata Consultancy Services or has become the worlds second most valuable brand in the IT services sector, according to Brand Finances recent Global 500 IT Services Ranking report. On the top of the list was Accenture. grew its brand value by $1.84 billion (12.5%) to $16.78 billion in just over the last 12 months. came in at third rank with a brand valuation of $12.77 bn. And apart from the two giants, four more Indian companies feature in the top 25 IT services brands The average growth of Indian brands that have appeared in the Brand Finance IT Services ranking since 2020 is an impressive 51 per cent. The US brands have on average contracted by 7 per cent. Both and reported a healthy quarter-on-quarter rise in their consolidated net profit in the quarter ending December 2021. While TCS saw its net profit increase 1.51% to Rs 9,769 crore, saw its net profit increase by 12% to Rs 5,809 crore. And the top 5 Indian IT companies, namely TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL Technologies and Tech Mahindra are expected to report around $70 bn as combined revenue in the ongoing fiscal year. The pandemic has dealt a big blow to Indias unorganised sector. But it helped several organised sectors register a good growth. Over the last two years, Indian IT companies reaped rich dividends as the world underwent digital transformation at a frantic pace. Indias $194-billion has been a big beneficiary from the pandemic. It spurred global companies to bolster investments in services, ranging from cloud-computing, digital payment infrastructure to cyber-security. In fact, industry body NASSCOM has recently pointed out that before the pandemic, Indian IT companies were reporting annual growth rates of around 6-7%, which have now increased to around 15-20%. However, the industrys growth has brought with it an increased scale of attrition. Indian IT majors and newer tech start-ups flush with venture capital money are competing for the same talent pool. And as evidenced by payments startup BharatPe luring techies with the promise of BMW bikes and paid holidays to Dubai, the entry of these VC-backed startups is driving up the industrys compensation metrics, leading to higher attrition rates, which for most companies including TCS, hovers around 15-16% today. Even as Indian IT services players keep pace with their global peers, they need to be ready to adapt to a volatile market, where change is the only constant. Another question that remains open is what will happen to the industry's momentum if and when the rapid pace of digital adoption driven by COVID-19 settles down. Olymp Trade introduces Fractional Units, a unique feature that enhances the opportunities of SPT mode traders. It enables them to purchase a portion of a stock instead of spending hundreds of dollars on a full share. Fractional Units will become available starting January 31 in conjunction with the start of the Lunar New Year celebration on the platform. Therefore, its participants will be the first to test the new feature in practice. Apart from this exciting opportunity, the event brings many benefits including gifts and bonuses. With Fractional Units, Olymp Traders will be able to make investment decisions based on the amount they have rather than on the market price of a whole share. It gives anyone a chance to dabble in trading the stock market regardless of the size of their investment capital. On the platform, the feature will be located in the Stock Price Trade tab. Go to Assets Stock PT, select an asset, and enter the quantity you want to purchase in the Buy window. The list of available companies includes Alibaba, Tesla, Apple, Disney, Facebook, Google, Nike, Netflix, Oracle, Pfizer, and Nvidia. Fractional Units: Main Benefits Marcelo Claure to Depart SoftBank by Mutual Agreement Michel Combes Appointed CEO of SoftBank Group International SoftBank Group Corp. (SoftBank) today announced that the company and Marcelo Claure have mutually agreed to part ways after a successful nine-year partnership. In conjunction with Mr. Claures departure, Michel Combes has been appointed as CEO of SoftBank Group International (SBGI). In this position, he will oversee SoftBank Group Internationals operating and investment portfolio*. Masayoshi Son, Representative Director, Corporate Officer, Chairman & CEO of SoftBank Group Corp., said, Marcelo has made many contributions to SoftBank during his time here and we thank him for his dedication and wish him continued success in his future endeavors. I have great confidence in Michel Combes and the talented SoftBank team to continue with the great work we have underway at SBGI. Mr. Claure said, I will forever be grateful for my experience at SoftBank over the last nine years. I have had the opportunity to collaborate with some of the worlds great executives and entrepreneurs, and tackle several immense professional challenges, which makes the success we achieved together that much more rewarding. Beyond the value we have created for SoftBank stockholders, we have invested in some of the most innovative and disruptive companies that will be industry leaders for decades to come. I am particularly grateful to Masayoshi Son, who gave me the opportunity to thrive at SoftBank and served as a mentor and friend during my tenure. Mr. Combes said, I am extremely grateful to Masayoshi Son for this opportunity and to Marcelo for his friendship and partnership. As CEO of SBGI and Corporate Officer, Executive Vice President & COO of SoftBank, Mr. Claure helped lead highly consequential projects over the last several years, including the turnaround of Sprint and the T-Mobile/Sprint merger, the successful repositioning of WeWork, the launch of Latin Americas largest venture capital fund, and the launch of the SB Opportunity Fund to invest in underrepresented racial minorities. *SBGI includes SoftBank Latin America Funds and the SB Opportunity Fund. Michel Combes Biographical Information Mr. Combes has significant leadership experience at multinational companies across industries. He joined SBGI as President in April 2020 and serves on several boards of directors of SoftBank portfolio companies, including WeWork Inc., OneWeb, SoFi Technologies, Inc, Contentsquare, Jellysmack and Swile. Mr. Combes also serves on the boards of directors of Philip Morris International and Etisalat Group. Before joining SBGI, Mr. Combes served as CEO of Sprint. Before Sprint, Mr. Combes served as CEO of several companies, including Altice, Alcatel-Lucent and Vodafone Europe. Mr. Combes is a graduate of Ecole Polytechnique, Telecom ParisTech and Paris Dauphine University. About SoftBank Group The SoftBank Group invests in breakthrough technology to improve the quality of life for people around the world. The SoftBank Group is comprised of SoftBank Group Corp. (TOKYO: 9984), an investment holding company that includes stakes in telecommunications, internet services, AI, smart robotics, IoT and clean energy technology providers; the SoftBank Vision Funds, which are investing more than US$140 billion to help extraordinary entrepreneurs transform industries and shape new ones; the US$5 billion SoftBank Latin America Fund, the largest venture fund in that region; the US$3 billion SoftBank Latin America Fund II; and the SB Opportunity Fund, a US$100 million fund investing in Black, Latinx and Native American founders in the U.S. To learn more, please visit https://group.softbank/en. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220127006063/en/ If you've decided to begin investing this year, there are many ways to get started. Popular options are stocks, gold, and even cryptocurrencies. But if you want an exciting and fast-paced investment vehicle that works both in the short and long term, look no further than the foreign exchange market. One of the largest and most liquid markets in the world, forex has a daily turnover amounting to trillions of euros. Trades here are based on currency exchange rates, which in turn are affected by factors like current events and a countrys financial policies. In particular, this year may turn out to be especially lucrative for Irish traders, with the European Commission doubling its growth forecast for the Irish economy. If you're interested in venturing into this highly dynamic market, this quick and simple guide can get you started. Gather what you need Forex is one of the most accessible markets today. Since it trades in currencies, the market is decentralised and open 24/7 across various time zones. Consequently, all you need is a strong and speedy Internet connection to get started. The quality of this connection is crucial. Currency values can fluctuate within minutes or even seconds in response to real-time events. A good connection will help inform you of these events so you can open trades accordingly. You also need to determine how much capital you wish to use in your initial trades which, as a general rule, should be as much as you're willing to lose. As we'll discuss below, brokers can help you start with nearly any principal amount while lowering the risk on your transactions. Select a brokerage platform A Business World contributor previously discussed why forex brokers are crucial for trading success. For a fee, they give you easy access to the market and even advice customised to your investment goals. Reputable brokers are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and comply with the EU's Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID). One option you may want to consider is FXCM. Aside from providing fast trade execution and reliable customer support, it also lets you open an FXCM account in as little as three steps. An additional demo feature makes it an excellent choice for new traders wanting to familiarise themselves with the market. If you're looking for a hands-off trading experience, there are also algorithm trading platforms that analyse trends in currency value, predict future movements, and automatically place trades for you. Choose a strategy If you wish to forego algorithmic trading and instead deal in the market yourself, a strategy will help guide your trading decisions. Day trading is one of the most popular methods used in forex. It involves making trades that are open for less than a day, so you're liquid by the time the market closes. These trades are usually dependent on current news events. Meanwhile, position trading is a long-term strategy that relies on more overarching policy decisions like those made by central banks. Here, one identifies a trend in price movements and buys into a currency that's on the rise. Once the trend peaks, they close the trade and sell the currency to get maximum returns. Adapt a slow-but-steady-attitude No matter what you choose, though, try to enter forex slowly and increase your trades with experience. You should consider Trading Psychology when making decisions. This phenomenon finds that greed and fear can warp data-driven judgments and lead them astray. Along with starting small, keeping emotions out of your investments can lower the risk on your trades and ensure the success of your very first ventures into forex. It was announced today that Eli Lilly and Company plans to invest over 400 million in a brand-new manufacturing facility in Limerick. The investment project is subject to planning approval and the company will submit a planning application with Limerick City and County Council in the coming weeks. The new facility will expand Lillys manufacturing network for biologic active ingredients, support increased demand for existing Lilly products and play a key role in bringing Lillys robust clinical pipeline, including its Alzheimers portfolio, to patients around the world. The proposed project is expected to create more than 300 new jobs for highly skilled workers such as engineers, scientists and operations personnel, who will use the latest biologics manufacturing technology to produce life-changing treatments that patients need to address health challenges. In addition, an estimated 500 additional positions will be required while the facility is under construction. Welcoming the news, Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise Trade & Employment, Leo Varadkar said, "This is fantastic news for Limerick and indeed the entire region. The Mid-West has become a real hub for leading biopharma companies such as Lilly and Im really pleased that the company has chosen Limerick for its new manufacturing centre, investing over 400m and creating 300 new, permanent jobs and a further 500 jobs during construction. Lilly produces crucial healthcare products which are making a huge difference to the lives of patients around the world fighting some of the worlds most serious illnesses. This new manufacturing centre is a significant expansion of that work and I wish the entire team the very best with the project." Senior Vice president and President, Lilly Manufacturing Operations, Edgardo Hernandez said, "Over the past 40 years, we have continued to invest in Ireland in part because of supportive government policies that value life science innovation. This new Lilly campus in Limerick will allow us to expand our capacity to make innovative new medicines that can help treat some of the worlds most serious illnesses. This facility will use the latest technology to support advancements in science, productivity and sustainability, further establishing Lilly as a global manufacturing leader." Source: www.businessworld.ie New research from jobs site Indeed and the OECD has found that demand for jobs that allow employees to work from home in Ireland has surged during the pandemic and this trend looks set to continue even after last Fridays dramatic easing of restrictions. A study based on Indeed job postings in 20 OECD countries showed searches for jobs in Ireland allowing remote work in December 2021 were six times higher than before the pandemic. Employers appear to be looking to cater to this trend with posts for remote roles currently four times higher than pre-pandemic - 12.5% of job adverts in Ireland contained remote terms in the job description, compared to just 2.9% in 2019. Government restrictions during the pandemic were clearly a catalyst for this change, but even as restrictions have eased there has not been a commensurate reduction in the level of job ads for remote roles, suggesting this will be a longer-term trend. Ireland ranked the second highest in terms of its growth in remote postings, and the study found that countries with the stricter restrictions (Italy, Spain, UK) tended to see the biggest growth relative to those with more limited restrictions (Japan, New Zealand). The findings on the attractiveness of working from home are supported by recent CSO research which showed that of those who can work remotely 88% would like to do so when pandemic restrictions are removed: 28% all of the time and 60% favouring a hybrid arrangement. The study found that whilst remote work job opportunities have increased across all categories, it has been particularly notable in areas like IT and software development. This may be one factor that explains why the increase in postings for remote/flexible jobs in Dublin was nearly five times (x 4.8) the pre-pandemic level, but closer to two times (x 2.4) for the rest of the country. Dublin has a high density of large technology companies competing to attract staff and accommodating changing worker preferences is one way companies can appeal to new hires. The study argues that public policy must evolve to try to make the most of the potential positive effects of remote working on productivity and well-being. This may include ensuring that workers have a suitable working environment (e.g., computer equipment, office and childcare facilities), facilitating the spread of managerial best practices (e.g., moving from a culture of presenteeism to a results-based assessment of productivity), or ensuring that everyone has access to a fast, reliable and secure Internet connection (e.g., in rural areas). Commenting on the data, Economist at Indeed, Jack Kennedy said, "Ireland has seen one of the biggest increases in remote work according to this study, and it is a practice likely to persist even as the pandemic threat recedes. It does, however, raise important long-term questions. First, real thought needs to be given to welcoming new employees and spreading corporate culture in a hybrid environment where some staff are in the office and some at home. Secondly, management and leadership style will need to evolve to best transmit knowledge and motivate teams." He concluded, "Finally we must accept that whilst increasing employee flexibility was a trend pre-Covid, the process has been massively accelerated, and on this steep learning curve it is likely that there will be teething problems along the way with company policies needing to adapt and evolve." Source: www.businessworld.ie When teachers try to reach out to these parents, they are unresponsive and hurl abuses. Even during physical classes, parents nit-pick small details and have an issue with buying new books and mid-day meal services, the government teacher adds. Representational image/By arrangement Hyderabad: Only 10 per cent of students in government primary schools have been accessing the Vidya Mitra YouTube channel since January 8. It is an initiative by government school teachers and the Siddipet district education officer. Most of the remaining students were unable to access lessons despite having a smartphone. Many students with access to smartphones are not able to make use of the platform as their parents are daily-wage workers and return home after the children are fast asleep. The parents cannot afford another smartphone or get drunk and abuse their children and refuse to give phones, said Priya Reddy (name changed), a government school teacher from Siddipet district. She added that the government is not addressing the intricacies of the issue and efficient teaching via the TSAT platform is not possible. "Worksheets and follow ups are a must for students, especially in a pandemic situation where education is taken for granted by all stakeholders," she added. When teachers try to reach out to these parents, they are unresponsive and hurl abuses. Even during physical classes, parents nit-pick small details and have an issue with buying new books and mid-day meal services, added Priya. Vidya Mitra is the only other platform after TSAT, set up by teachers who record 15-minute lessons for students from classes 1-5 and also prepare a worksheet for the students, she said. Some teachers, who were selected by the DEO, helped prepare video lessons and worksheets. There are subject-wise teachers and most of the important lessons are covered in Siddipet district, said another government teacher who contributes for Vidya Mitra Channel. She added that there are three levels under this programme. Level one has students of classes 1 and 2, level 2 for students from class 3 and level 3 has students from classes 4 and 5. The channel was established in April 2021. DC also spoke to other teachers from government and private schools who said that because of the pandemic, those who have smartphones and TV are not letting other students access these facilities. Around 36, 440 students in high schools do not have access to smartphones, according to the report released by the school education department. Out of 7,19,385 students of classes 8 to 10, only around three 3 lakh accessed digital lessons through DD, TSAT and other TV channels whereas around one lakh students used smartphones, laptops and computers for digital education. Teachers have questioned the learning outcomes of those left behind due to such pandemic-induced barriers to education." Short-distance rural tourism grew more popular in Chinas capital during this years Labor Day holiday amid curbs on travel to control the pandemic. Bookings for hotels and homestays outside urban areas started earlier than usual for this years five-day national holiday, with volumes climbing since April 10. Despite Covid control measures, most scenic spots in suburban areas remain open, though visitors are required to present negative Covid-19 test results to enter May 04, 2022 03:50 PM The Jagan Mohan Reddy regime stopped NTR Smruti Vanam in Amaravati and also cancelled Anna Canteens, which were started in the name of NTR, the TD leaders pointed out. Facebook Vijayawada: Telugu Desam leaders, at a strategy committee meeting presided over by party national president and former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said they had no objection in naming Krishna district after NTR. Anybody would welcome the same if they truly respected the TD founder, Naidu added. The TD would stick to its demand for Bharat Ratna for NTR. Though NTRs name was removed from Hyderabad airport, the TD did not politicise and it did not object to giving the YSR name to Kadapa district. Our party would not practise double standards like the ruling YSRC, which was demolishing NTR statues in the state on the one hand and feigning great respect for him on the other," TD leaders asserted. The Jagan Mohan Reddy regime stopped NTR Smruti Vanam in Amaravati and also cancelled Anna Canteens, which were started in the name of NTR, leaders stated. "The reorganisation of districts was a politically motivated diversion game," they said. The TD accused the ruling YSRC leadership of bringing the formation of new districts to force as it was unable to face the rising public resentment on a variety of issues and problems. The leaders asked, Where was the need for issuing overnight notifications on January 25 by hurriedly sending a note and getting it approved by ministers? This was not even discussed at the Cabinet meet held on January 21, they said. In what seems to be a regular occurrence at this point, Mazda has announced a product stoppage anew at their Japanese factories this May. FILE - Participants with the Alliance for GLBTQ Youth march at the annual Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade, Sunday, April 9, 2017, in Miami Beach, Fla. Republican-backed legislation in Florida that could severely limit discussion of gay and lesbian issues in public schools is being widely condemned as dangerous and discriminatory, with one gay Democratic lawmaker saying its an attempt to silence LGBTQ students, families and history. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File) Country partners celebrate in local towns and villages, where communities are making great strides in the fight against NTDs. Above, people celebrate in Yei Village, South Sudan. The home of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander and Maria Thacker Goethe, CEO, Center for Global Health Innovation, in front of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. On World NTD Day Jan. 30, 2022, more than 100 landmarks in over 30 nations lit up to bring awareness to neglected diseases that affect 1.7 billion people. Above, the Carter Center's "Sightless Among Miracles" statue. 100+ sites to join observance of World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day Great Wall, Colosseum, Carter Center to glow orange, purple 20 little-known diseases affect 1.7 billion people ATLANTA The third annual World NTD Day is Jan. 30, 2022, highlighting the global commitment to ending neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which cause immeasurable suffering among the worlds most marginalized communities. On Sunday, more than 100 landmarks in over 30 nations will light up to celebrate progress and ensure NTDs remain a global priority. There should be no such thing as a neglected disease, tropical or otherwise. With the resources, knowledge, and technology available to us today, there is little excuse for millions of people to continue to suffer from these preventable illnesses, said former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who, with former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, founded The Carter Center in 1982. For over 35 years, The Carter Center has been a pioneer in eradicating, eliminating, and improving control of five NTDs: Guinea worm, lymphatic filariasis, river blindness, trachoma, and schistosomiasis, as well as uniquely addressing malaria. The Centers Mental Health Program has begun working with NTD programs to address mental health issues related to these debilitating diseases. About one in five people around the world are affected by NTDs, which can disfigure and sometimes be fatal. From the Colosseum in Rome to the Tokyo Tower to the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, the world will come together to support putting an end to these debilitating and preventable diseases. The Center has joined partners to light up these buildings and monuments on Jan. 30: U.S. Carter Center World NTD Day Lighting Partners Plains, Ga.: -Home of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, the Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm, Plains High School and Museum, and Main Street downtown -Georgia Southwestern University in nearby Americus will illuminate a statue of Rosalynn Carter on its campus. Atlanta: -The Carter Center main sign and the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum (including the Kirbo building on Ponce de Leon Avenue and Sightless Among Miracles statue on the grounds) -Emory Rollins School of Public Health (Jumbotron) -Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport -Mercedes-Benz Stadium -Skyview Atlanta Ferris Wheel -Atlanta City Hall Chicago, New Jersey, Atlanta (Sightless Among Miracles Statues): -Three organizations, The Lions Clubs International Foundation, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA, and The Carter Center will each light up their Sightless Among Miracles statues in Oakbrook, Illinois (near Chicago), Kenilworth, New Jersey, and Atlanta, respectively. These statues were commissioned by philanthropist John Moores and created by sculptor R.T. Wallen to raise awareness of the suffering caused by river blindness. These three organizations have worked together with endemic countries and other partners for over 20 years to eliminate river blindness and other neglected tropical diseases. Global Carter Center World NTD Day Lighting Partners -UAE: World Expo in Dubai. -Qatar: Baharat Msheireb square in Doha. Supported by World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), an initiative of Qatar Foundation. -Saudi Arabia: Carter Center partner Alwaleed Philanthropies to light up Kingdom Tower in Riyadh. -Nigeria, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda: Country partners will celebrate in local towns and villages, where communities are making great strides in the fight against NTDs. World NTD Day 2022 comes just days after the world learned of historic progress in the global effort to eradicate Guinea worm disease. On Jan. 26, The Carter Center announced that just 14 (provisional) human cases of Guinea worm disease were reported worldwide in 2021. When The Carter Center assumed leadership of the global Guinea Worm Eradication Program in 1986, about 3.5 million human cases occurred annually in 21 countries in Africa and Asia. The WHO has elevated World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day to the level of an official observance under the leadership of Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. World NTD Day 2022 is the catalyst to launch an energizing global movement 100% Committed to end neglected tropical diseases. The World Health Organization designates these 20 conditions as neglected tropical diseases, or NTDs: Buruli ulcer, Chagas disease, dengue and chikungunya, dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease), echinococcosis, foodborne trematodiases, human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), leishmaniasis, leprosy (Hansens disease), lymphatic filariasis, mycetoma, chromoblastomycosis and other deep mycoses, onchocerciasis (river blindness), rabies, scabies and other ectoparasitoses, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiases, snakebite envenoming, taeniasis/cysticercosis, trachoma, and yaws and other endemic treponematoses. World NTD Day is made possible through the leadership and support of the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi. For more than 30 years beginning with a meeting in 1990 between former President Carter and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, President of the UAE the UAE has shown a commitment to ending preventable diseases that affect the worlds poorest and most vulnerable communities. Key hashtags: #WorldNTDDay #BeatNTDs #100PercentCommitted The main colors for lighting are orange and purple. More information on World NTD Day and a full list of partners are here: https://worldntdday.org/ Carter Center Celebrates 2022 World NTD Day World NTD Day 2021 video The Carter Center: Leader in the Eradication and Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases WHO World NTD Day 2022 Campaign Contact: Rennie Sloan, Rennie.Sloan@cartercenter.org ### The Carter Center Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope. A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide. Photo: The Canadian Press Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel (left to right), son Dharmik Jagdishkumar Patel, wife Vaishaliben Jagdishkumar Patel, and daughter Vihangi Jagdishkumar Patel are shown in a handout photo. Officials in Ottawa say they have confirmed the identities of four Indian nationals whose bodies were found frozen in Manitoba near the Canada-U.S. border last week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Amritbhai Vakil A family of four Indian nationals was only in Canada for a week before their bodies were found frozen in Manitoba near the Canada-U. S. border, RCMP said Thursday as new details emerged about the deaths believed to be linked to a human smuggling operation. The High Commission of India in Ottawa and RCMP released the identities of the four who died. They were Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel, a 39-year-old man; Vaishaliben Jagdishkumar Patel, a 37-year-old woman; and their children Vihangi Jagdishkumar Patel, an 11-year-old girl; and Dharmik Jagdishkumar Patel, a three-year-old boy. Investigators believe the family was attempting to cross into the United States by foot around Jan. 19 during severe winter weather and died from exposure. Police provided some details into the family's journey from Gujarat, a state in western India. The family arrived in Toronto on Jan. 12 and that was their first point of entry, said RCMP Chief Supt. Rob Hill. Hill said the family made its way to Manitoba but he couldn't confirm the date of arrival. Police believe the Patels were dropped off near the border near Emerson. "This is an extended period of time for a family who is unfamiliar with Canada to be travelling across the country. A part of the investigation is determining whether this travel was facilitated in some way by an individual or individuals," Hill said. RCMP are asking anyone with information related to the family's time in Canada to come forward. That could include people who may have interacted with the Patels at restaurants, gas stations or hotels. "Think about what they went through and step forward," said Hill. Police originally said one of the victims was a male teen. RCMP, apologizing for the error, said the frozen bodies and the family's clothing made identification difficult. Mounties continue to work with authorities at the national and international level. They said no one was in custody on the Canadian side. The family was from Dingucha, a village in Gujarat, said Amritbhai Vakil, a relative. Vakil, who lives in the U.S., described the village as quiet with almost every home having a family living in the U.S., United Kingdom, Australia or Canada. Vakil said family in India were aware the Patels had travelled to Canada, but lost touch with them days after they landed. The father came from a well-to-do middle-class family, he said. Patel helped his father farm and worked in a school and as a salesman, Vakil said. "I don't know what they wanted to do in the U.S." The High Commission of India said in a release that the family's immediate relatives had been informed. RCMP found the bodies after U.S. border patrol agents advised police that they had picked up a group of Indian nationals on the U.S. side. Two people were found in a van in the U.S. with a man who now faces human smuggling charges. A group of five were picked up by border patrol officers a short distance away. Steve Shand of Deltona, Fla., faces counts of transporting or attempting to transport illegal aliens. He was released from custody on Monday. Court documents state one of the individuals told officers his group had been walking for 11 hours through the bitter cold. The man said he had paid a large amount of money to get a fake student visa in Canada and was expecting a ride to a relative's home in Chicago after he crossed, the documents say. The U.S. Border Patrol said the seven people who did cross have been released while they are being processed for deportation. The High Commission of India said there are ongoing conversations with Canada about issues related to migration and the welfare of citizens residing in either country. "On longer-term issues that this tragedy has brought into focus, (there's) the need to ensure that migration and mobility are made safe and legal and that such tragedies do not recur." Photo: Glacier Media A Vancouver man is heading to court next month on charges related to allegedly secretly recording four women naked and then publishing those images. Victor Edward Austin Jr. is charged with four counts of secretly observing and/or recording nudity in a private place, three counts of making available or possessing voyeuristic recordings and eight counts of publication of an intimate image without consent. All events are alleged to have occurred in Vancouver. Court documents say Austin allegedly observed or recorded H.H. in a place where they could expect to be nude or engaged in sexual activity between Sept. 1, 2018, and March 1, 2019. Documents alleged that, from Jan. 1-12, 2021, the man observed or recorded J.H. in a place where they could expect to be nude or engaged in sexual activity. It is also alleged that between May 1-31, 2020, Austin observed or recorded J.R. in a place where they could expect to be nude or engaged in sexual activity. And in incidents involving a fourth individual, Austin is alleged to have observed or recorded K.B. from May 17, 2020, to Nov. 30, 2020, in similar circumstances. Austin is said to have unlawfully printed, distributed, circulated, sold, advertised or made available the images in eight periods in 2019, 2020 and 2021, all while knowing the persons depicted had not consented, according to allegations laid out in court documents. None of the allegations have been proven in court. Austin is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 17. Photo: The Canadian Press Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole says changes will be made to his team and to the party after an internal review revealed what went wrong in the recent election and took aim at issues from the party's past found to be holding it back. The review by former Alberta MP James Cumming was presented Thursday to Conservative MPs on the final day of the party's two-day caucus retreat, which was held ahead of Parliament's return Monday. Caucus was briefed on the findings that were compiled using the feedback Cumming received from some 400 people, including campaign staff, candidates, MPs and senators. The review landed at a time when O'Toole faces division among his MPs and grassroots members. Some of his critics are pushing for his leadership to be put to an early confidence test by mid-June instead of waiting until a scheduled vote at a national convention in 2023. At least three of the party's riding associations have requested an earlier vote. After two days spent facing his MPs, O'Toole heaped the election campaign's failings onto his own shoulders. "I'm responsible for the loss," O'Toole told reporters at a press conference late Thursday. When it came to his performance on the hustings, O'Toole said the review confirmed he spent too much time in a broadcast studio the party built at a hotel in downtown Ottawa that served as a set for campaigning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Doing so meant he became disconnected from Canadians, he said. As well, O'Toole said he was overly scripted in his public messaging in the final stretch of the campaign and failed to address certain issues Canadians had hoped to hear about. "We didn't showcase some of the great policies we had for Western Canada," O'Toole said. "All of these decisions are my responsibility." Many of the Conservatives' MPs hail from the party's heartland in Saskatchewan and Alberta, where some of them lost votes in last September's election. That set off concerns that O'Toole's failed attempt to gain support in Ontario and Quebec by taking a more moderate stance on a host of issues ended up costing the party some of its traditional support. Three Conservative sources who were briefed on the report shared more of its findings and recommendations. They spokeon the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The Canadian Press has not viewed the report. One of the recommendations, the sources said, is for the party to find ways to recruit a more diverse slate of candidates for the next election. The review also pinpointed how the party needs to improve its outreach to different cultural communities where the Conservative brand has not recovered from damage inflicted during the 2015 campaign. The sources said the review found that in major cities where Conservative support must grow if it hopes to form government the party is still dealing with fallout from former prime minister Stephen Harper's promise to set up a tip line to report "barbaric cultural practices." Sources say the review recommends the party should improve its outreach by improving its communications. One example provided was the need for Conservatives to have a presence on the messaging app WeChat, which is used by some Chinese Canadians. In the last election, the Conservatives lost three ridings in Metro Vancouver and the Greater Toronto Area that are home to many residents of Chinese descent. That left some in the party wondering about the domestic impact of O'Toole's tough criticism of Beijing's actions. Among other things, O'Toolehas faced criticism from some fellow Conservatives for shifting his position on issues such as gun control, conscience rights, the carbon tax and defunding the CBC. One source said the election review identified better planning was needed to prepare for attacks on issues that have been used as wedges against Conservatives, such as firearms. In the last race, O'Toole inked a footnote into his platform to clarify he would maintain the Liberal government's ban on so-called assault-style weapons, despite the campaign document promising the opposite. He was also dogged with questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly his position on vaccine mandates and the immunization status of his candidates. According to the sources, the review concluded that Canadians generally lack trust in the party because of its well-reported infighting and the fact that it has gone through two leadership races in the past five years, which has also made it difficult to tackle issues around outreach. In 2017, Andrew Scheer was elected Conservative leader following the 2015 defea. He led the party in the 2019 election and resigned shortly afterwards amid an intense pressure campaign for him to step aside. O'Toole took over the party reins in 2020. Photo: Wikimedia Commons The Australian government has pledged to spend another one billion Australian dollars (US $704 million) over nine years on improving the health of the Great Barrier Reef after stalling a UNESCO decision on downgrading the natural wonders World Heritage status. Critics argue the investment is a bid to improve the ruling conservative coalitions green credentials ahead of looming elections while doing nothing to change the greatest threat to the coral: rising ocean temperatures. In July last year, Australia garnered enough international support to defer an attempt by UNESCO, the United Nations cultural organization, to downgrade the reefs World Heritage status to in danger because of damage caused by climate change. Photo: Lisa Maria Fox A Vancouver Island woman described Thursday how she rescued a truck driver whose vehicle ended up upside-down in eight feet of water after its brakes failed on a steep hill in Mill Bay. Lisa Maria Fox was at home about 11:45 a.m Wednesday when she heard a loud crash. When she rushed to the deck of her house, which overlooks Saanich Inlet, she saw a brown circle in the water, indicating that something big had gone in. The brakes of a loaded tandem-axle truck had failed, and it barrelled down the road, smashed through a concrete barrier and down a 50-foot embankment, coming to rest about 300 feet from shore. When she scrambled down to the beach to get a better look at what had happened, Fox saw two large wheels sticking out of the water. Then she heard screams from the driver, a woman who looked like she was in her 30s. I first only waded up to my waist, calling out to her and letting her know I was there, I was there to help her and she was OK, said Fox. The woman had scrambled out of the trucks cab, but was only moving one arm and her face was covered in blood. She looked like she was having difficulty breathing and was drifting out with the tide, Fox said. Fox, who grew up around Nanaimo and considers herself a strong swimmer, swam out to the driver who later identified herself as Kelly and started pulling her towards the shore. I kept telling her she was strong, that she was amazing, and she was alive and I was there to help her, said Fox, 51. She only had to swim about 10 to 15 feet before her feet touched the bottom again. I just helped her to the shore and got her settled, rubbing her briskly on her back and arms and comforting her, Fox said. Neighbours sent down blankets, which Fox wrapped the driver in while they waited for the Mill Bay Fire Department to arrive. When we got on scene, they were both sitting on the shore, said Ron Beck, Mill Bay fire chief. The truck driver was taken to the hospital, but was released later in the day. Totem Towing of Victoria assisted Mill Bay Towing in extracting the truck from the water. Fox doesnt consider herself a heroine. Instead, she credited the driver for her resilience, calling her one tough lady for managing to get herself out of the wreck. I feel so blessed, so glad that I was there to be able to help save a life, said Fox. Photo: The Canadian Press Saudi Arabia says it has reached a deal with Cirque du Soleil that could see the struggling circus company perform a slew of shows in the kingdom. In a release, the Saudi Ministry of Culture says a newly inked agreement means Cirque will "have the potential" to debut at least five of its touring performances including the Blue Man Group and Paw Patrol, as well as a possible resident show unique to the country. The government also specifies that the two parties will develop a plan to set up a regional Cirque training academy there. Cirque last pitched its tent in the kingdom in 2018, raising the ire of some of its artists who hoped the company would cancel shows amid international condemnation of the regime following the killing of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and a diplomatic dispute between Canada and Saudi Arabia. Soon after the COVID-19 pandemic struck two years ago, Cirque scrapped its performances and cut nearly 3,500 employees, but began to add shows again last summer. The Montreal-based company was sold to a group of its creditors led by Catalyst Capital Group in late 2020 after the circus troupe was forced to file for creditor protection. Cirque is not the only Canadian franchise to have faced calls to cancel shows in Saudi Arabia. Pop star Justin Bieber heard similar demands ahead of his concert in the Red Sea city of Jidda last month during the kingdom's Formula One race. Photo: The Canadian Press Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he's concerned about the potential for violence during this weekend's planned protest on Parliament Hill by truckers and others joining the crowd. In an interview with The Canadian Press, Trudeau says the "freedom convoy" is no longer a protest against the federal vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers and has morphed into a forum for a small minority of "very angry" people opposed to all public health measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, some of whom espouse violence. Trudeau says it doesn't worry him that much of the anger is directed at him personally; getting an earful from angry critics goes with the territory of being a politician. But he says threats of violence should not go with the territory for anyone who steps up to serve, including politicians and health-care workers. While supporters of the convoy are rallying around a cry of freedom, Trudeau says they're ignoring the freedom of fellow Canadians to protect themselves against COVID-19, get their kids back in school, their businesses back in operation and life back to normal. A key convoy organizer has urged people to remain peaceful, while Canada Unity, a group behind the protest, falsely believes it can work with the Governor General and Senate of Canada to bypass existing systems of governance and reverse pandemic-related restrictions and penalties. Trudeau stresses that the protesters do not represent the vast majority of truckers or the vast majority of Canadians who've done the right thing by getting fully vaccinated to protect themselves and their loved ones. The fact that the West has forgotten, or has chosen to forget, what happened in the Ukraine is an obscenity. Various voices on the American right Tucker Carlson, Elbridge Colby, and others have recently argued that risking war with Russia over its bullying of Ukraine is a bad idea. They note that Ukraine is not vital to our security. That the real threat to our nation is China, not Russia. We have a record of involving ourselves in wars that drag on fruitlessly, they argue. We squander our influence by acting unrealistically on the world stage when we're divided and weak. And last year's bungled Afghanistan exit proved our ineptitude and weakness, to anyone paying attention. These views do have some merit. We no longer live in a unipolar world. The kind of global dominance achieved by the United States in the 1990s no longer exists. James Kurth, the distinguished political scholar, explains why in The American Way of Empire. After the U.S. victory in the Cold War, Kurth says, "the globalist economic elites of the United States," working through both the Democratic and Republican parties, violated wise strategic principles in pursuit of a new and ambitious (and self-serving) world order. Their "pride, greed and fantasies indeed hubris" resulted in a "reckless multiplication of enemies" at home and abroad, the decline of real American power, and the dangerous world we have today. All of which may be true. But none of which addresses the moral dimension of Ukraine's history and its current crisis. In a January 22 public statement, the Ukrainian Catholic bishops of the United States noted that: Praying for peace: Women light candles during a prayer service at a church in Kyiv, Ukraine. [CNS/David Mdzinarishvili, Reuters] After eight years of war initiated by Russia, Ukraine has lost a substantial part of its territory. 14,000 people, including children, have been killed, 1.5 million have been internally displaced, several hundred thousand agonize near the frontline, and millions suffer from post-traumatic stress. There are 400,000 traumatized Ukrainian veterans of the Russian war and thousands who have lost their loved-ones. How long will this continue? How many more shattered families, destitute widows and orphans, grieving parents and grandparents? How many more destroyed churches, mosques, and synagogues, schools and hospitals. . . ? The war in Ukraine is real. It kills, maims, and destroys daily. An escalated Russian invasion will generate additional millions of refugees, more dead and injured, more tears and pain. In a January 23 private email (used here with his permission), Archbishop Borys Gudziak, Philadelphia's Ukrainian Catholic archeparch, added that: The recent case for an American disengagement from Ukraine, written by an otherwise clear-headed U.S. columnist, is disappointing because it's both shortsighted and morally empty. For too many people, the historical consequences of appeasing Hitler remain a lesson not learned. This amnesia emerges tellingly in the case of Western attitudes toward Vladimir Putin. There were no Nuremberg Trials for communism; no punishment for the perpetrators of Soviet crimes against humanity; no justice for the tens of millions of Soviet-era victims in Ukraine and elsewhere. The absence in the Western world, especially in its elites, of a moral consensus a philosophical and political condemnation of the brutal depravity of the Soviet legacy has led to our current, fruitless policies toward Russia. For the president of Russia, the collapse of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the twentieth century. Mr. Putin insists that it needs to be rebuilt. Yet, such a prospect does not seem to generate real revulsion in the minds of many columnists, or the West in general. There's little moral outrage, hence little incentive for policies that would effectively address the mutations of post-Soviet Russian imperialism. The assumption seems to be that we can be isolationist, and somehow the ugly consequences won't reach us. Today in the West, any hint, in any form, of Nazi-like rhetoric or revival is cut off ruthlessly in the bud and rightly so. The re-emergence of a Russian Soviet-style colonial appetite should be as unspeakable as any notion of a Nazi one. The prospect of a wider war in Ukraine may be feared as something "imminent" and urgently to be avoided here in the West. No one wants such a conflict. But in Ukraine itself, the war is happening right now. As already noted, it's been ongoing in one form or another with families receiving the bodies of husbands, fathers and sons killed in action for eight years. And yet, as the U.S. Ukrainian Catholic bishops stress, "[T]he people of Ukraine courageously endure. As they stand with a gun to their head, they ask for our solidarity." So what can the American Catholic community do to help? Pray, obviously. Then, stay informed. And finally, provide financial support to ease Ukraine's humanitarian crisis. Clean water, medicine, food, and clothing are all lacking among refugees and others near the frontline. (Donations can be made at ukrarcheparchy.us/donate.) A poster of Russian President Vladimir Putin is used as target practice along a trench on the frontline with Russia-backed separatists near Zolote village, in the Lugansk region. [Photo: AFP] We Americans have always seen ourselves as the "good guys"; flawed, yes, but well-meaning and at least trying to do the right thing in our dealings with each other and the world. This hasn't always been true. And even when true, it's led to some disastrously imprudent foreign interventions. How the United States handles the coming weeks and months regarding Ukraine and Russian intimidation is, very wisely, in the hands of others. But before those "others" decide how best to act, they should spend a few moments reflecting on the savage Stalinist persecution of Ukrainian Catholics that took place in the name of Marxist-Leninist "progress." And then they might profitably watch the 2019 feature film Mr. Jones. Millions died in the Holodomor, the deliberate, genocidal Soviet starvation campaign inflicted on Ukraine and its people in the 1930s, and captured brilliantly on screen in the story of Mr. Jones. My point is simply this: The idea that Ukrainians might forget or ignore the memory of Russian criminality in their country, for the sake of a dubious peace, is ludicrous. The fact that the West has forgotten that memory, or chooses to forget it, is an obscenity.< China releases white paper on space program Xinhua) 10:44, January 28, 2022 >>Full Text: China's Space Program: A 2021 Perspective BEIJING, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- China issued a white paper on the country's space program on Friday. The white paper was published by the State Council Information Office of China. Titled "China's Space Program: A 2021 Perspective," the white paper introduces China's purposes, principles, policies and measures, and cooperative mindset in its space exploration. It summarizes China's achievements in space science, space technology and space application. "The space industry is a critical element of the overall national strategy, and China upholds the principle of exploration and utilization of outer space for peaceful purposes," the paper says. The major achievements in China's space industry since 2016 include a steady improvement in space infrastructure, the completion and operation of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), the completion of the high-resolution Earth observation system, steady improvement of the service ability of satellite communications and broadcasting, the conclusion of the last step of the three-step lunar exploration program, the first stages in building the space station, as well as Tianwen-1's landing and exploration of Mars, according to the paper. It lays out key space areas China plans to focus on in the upcoming five years, concerning the space transport system, space infrastructure, manned spaceflight, deep space exploration, space launch sites and telemetry, tracking and command, experiments on new technologies, and space environment governance. China is ready to explore the moon's polar regions and is mulling over a manned lunar landing. The country also vows to improve space debris monitoring and expand the space environment governance system with a near-Earth object defense system and space-ground space climate monitoring system planned, according to the paper. The country will further boost public services with satellites and expand space application industry. It will continue with the research on space science, including the research and development of the satellite for space gravitational wave detection, the Einstein probe satellite, and the advanced space-based solar observatory. Meanwhile, the white paper notes that China calls on all countries to carry out in-depth exchanges and cooperation in outer space on the basis of equality, mutual benefit, peaceful utilization, and inclusive development. More cooperation in astronaut selection and training, joint flights and other fields will take place between China and foreign countries. China will strengthen cooperation in international lunar research station project, it says. It is the country's fifth white paper on space activities. China issued white paper on space activities in 2000, 2006, 2011, and 2016. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) 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. USG Supramax/Ultramax sees sharp rate drop ICR Newsroom By 28 January 2022 By Maria Vasyutenko, freight associate of Brannvoll ApS, Denmark The USG Supramax/Ultramax spot freight market experienced a sharp rate fall after a short-lived spike. Traditionally, the month started on a positive mode. USG tonnage supply was tight, while there was plenty of cargo due to move prior to the holidays. It allowed shipowners to push rates up before a substantial drop. As the month progressed, given the time of year, owners were making more practical than commercial decisions when accepting sharper rates in an effort to clear the decks before the holidays begin. At the end of the month, the tonnage list was considerably greater than the demand and therefore owners have to discount drastically to secure employment. Freight rates for transportation of a Supramax-lot of petcoke from Houston to ARA ports with spot laycans are at US$26/t (-US$6/t MoM) on average. Deals for delivery of 50,000t of petcoke from Houston to Iskenderun with spot laycans are discussed at around US$30/t on average (-US$7/t MoM). The freight rates on fronthaul directions (trips to southeast Asia and China) showed quite a big drop in rates as the US grain season failed to gain momentum after its delayed start. The pre-holiday spike of activity in the fronthaul segment did not really help the rates to reach expected heights. Shipping costs for delivery of a Supramax-lot of petcoke from USG to EC India are at US$60/t (-US$14/t MoM) on average. The first quarter of the year is traditionally the slowest period for the dry bulk freight market. Therefore, further rate falls are expected on the back of limited demand from the main importers, slow cargo flow and growing tonnage supply in the Atlantic basin. Published under Ceskomoravsky Cement plans CZK300m sustainability investment into Radotin ICR Newsroom By 28 January 2022 Czech cement producer Ceskomoravsky Cement is preparing an investment of CZK300m (US$13.71m) to improve the environmental performance of its Radotin plant. The purchase of a new vertical mill and other environmental measures will enable the works to reduce CO 2 emissions by 12 per cent and electricity consumption by 24 per cent by 2030. The company intends to select the technology for the new mill this year and prepare project documentation for the building permit application in 2023. If construction can start in mid-2023, the upgraded plant is expected to come online in 2025, according to the Ceska Informaci Agentura news agency. Published under Buena Vista, CO (81211) Today Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Low around 30F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Low around 30F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. 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 Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions Danville City leaders get ready to breathe new life into the old mill village; Danville leaders ready to weigh proposal to provide real estate tax help to elderly and disabled; Danville native taking his place in Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. Southern Adventist University invites the community to a special worship experience with Aaron Shust in concert Thursday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. in the Collegedale Church of Seventh-day Adventists. Review for Aaron Shust: Known for songs such as My Hope is in You, Ever Be, and No One Higher, Shust has earned a reputation as one of Christian musics most compelling and spiritually deep song writers. He was named both New Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year at the 2007 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards and the impact of his song, My Savior, My God was recognized with the Song of the Year honor. All are welcome to the concert, which is free thanks to the generosity of a Southern alum. Please plan on wearing a mask. French President Emmanuel Macron seeks to have a dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin to pursue the de-escalation of tensions on the border of Ukraine amid threats of potential war. Macron is set to call Putin on Friday. According to French government spokesperson Gabriel Attal, the goal of the talks is to pursue diplomacy and "push Russia to clarify its position and the aim of military maneuvering." The meeting of Russian, Ukrainian, French, and German top advisers on Wednesday in Paris seemed to buy time for all parties, as they agreed to meet again in two weeks. However, France's pursuit to resolve the tensions in diplomatic ways challenges the efforts of the US and NATO to form a united front against Russia. Experts are divided on whether it will be sufficient to prevent a Russian invasion of Ukraine, as per Associated Press. Amid the allegations of an invasion plot, Russia has denied planning an assault on Ukraine. But it has moved around 100,000 troops near the border in recent weeks. Moscow has been conducting military exercises at multiple locations. Such a move alerted the US and NATO, per Euronews. Read Also: Joe Biden Predicts Russia Will Attack Ukraine Anytime But Vladimir Putin Will Face Stiff Price; Volodymyr Zelensky Rebukes Gaffe Macron Pursues Diplomacy Attal believes that Macron "is at the heart of efforts towards de-escalation." The French President is also set to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the coming days. Macron favors the resumption of the dialogue between Washington and Moscow in the previous weeks. However, he commented, the talks have not produced any concrete results. The French leader admitted that "discussion with Russia is always difficult," based on his own experience in pursuing to build a personal relationship with Putin. Macron and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel attempted to persuade EU leaders to hold a summit with Putin in June of last year. The Baltic countries and Poland were against the proposal, citing fears about meeting with the Russian President at a period when Europe's relations with Moscow were at an all-time low. On the other hand, Macron has made a renewed effort over such a high-level summit in recent days. He emphasized that it would not interfere with existing negotiations between the US and NATO. He insisted that the outlets "must be exploited until the end to get Russia back into a process of de-escalation, to get guarantees, and allow us to build a new (European) security and stability order." Talks to De-escalate Russia-Ukraine Tension Needs More Time On Wednesday, Paris hosted a meeting of top advisers from Germany, Russia, and Ukraine with the "Normandy format." The talks try to revive a dialogue that started in 2014, per New York Times. To give up is to acknowledge that the political situation is no longer on the table," Macron said, who is optimistic that the recent talks would result in "positive expectations." However, the four-nation discussions on resolving a separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine, which is part of a larger crisis between Moscow and Kyiv, took longer than expected. Related Post: Biden Warns Putin With Personal Sanctions If Russia Invades Ukraine; Russia Says It Would Not Hurt Putin @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Two prosecutors in the Hamilton County District Attorneys Office resolved the cold case murder of 25-year-old Jose Avenado in Davidson County Criminal Court in Nashville on Thursday. Executive Assistant District Attorney Cameron Williams said Adam and Ricky Saysongkham both agreed to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter and serve six years in prison. District Attorney General Neal Pinkston said General Williams and Assistant DA AnCharlene Davis were asked to serve as special prosecutors because a witness provided information to a Nashville Assistant DA, who is a potential witness in the case. This case goes back to April 18, 2007. A little past 3 a.m., Nashville police responded to Dominion House Apartments on Lindbar Drive in Davidson County. They located the victim, Jose Avenado, who had been awakened by gunshots and apparently looked out his window and was struck by one round in the neck. He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. The Metro Nashville Police Department began an investigation and collected evidence that included shell casings, two shirts and a necklace that belonged to one of the suspects. Eyewitnesses told investigators that they were in the parking lot when they observed a vehicle enter the parking lot. Two suspects exited the vehicle and began to break into a Silver Honda Civic. The eyewitnesses confronted the suspects and a brief altercation ensued. During the altercation, one of the suspects lost two shirts and a necklace. Both suspects, described as young men of Asian descent, fled the area. A short time later, one of the eyewitnesses said he heard several gunshots outside of his apartment complex, which is the same complex Mr. Avenado resided in. It is believed one of the gunshots the eyewitness heard struck Mr. Avenado and killed him. Nashville police later identified a suspect, and an eyewitness identified him in a lineup. However, the case was dismissed in 2007 because the witnesses failed to appear in court. The case went cold. The Metro Nashville Police Departments Cold Case Unit reopened the case in 2017, when Detective Mike Roland received information from a concerned citizen regarding Mr. Avenados murder. The information implicated Adam and Ricky Saysongkham and a third individual as the people responsible for the death of Mr. Avenado. Two of the eyewitnesses were offered and signed Immunity Agreements before providing the crucial information needed to solve the case. Adam Saysongkham was 17 and his brother Ricky was 19 at the time of the murder. General Williams said Nashville police as well as the victims family supported the plea agreement and the resolution of the case. The Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga released the following statement regarding the decision in McMinn County to ban a Holocaust book. "The Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga is disappointed by the McMinn County School Board's decision to remove an important work and resource about the Holocaust, 'Maus', from its curriculum. It is imperative that we teach our children about the Holocaust in age-appropriate ways, as outlined in Tennessee's state standards for Holocaust education. At a time of rising antisemitism, we must be particularly vigilant so that nothing like the Holocaust can ever happen again." "On International Holocaust Memorial Day, in particular, we must redouble our efforts to ensure the crimes of the Nazi regime are never forgotten," said Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga Executive Director Michael Dzik. "We are in the process of reaching out to the McMinn County School Board and look forward to discussing this issue with them in hopes that they will reconsider their decision." Mr. Dzik continued by saying, The Jewish Federation looks forward to sharing many local and regional Holocaust resources with the McMinn County School Board including Whitwell Paperclips Project, One Clip at a Time, Tennessee Holocaust Commission, and Facing History and Ourselves, to name a few. We recognize that the Holocaust topic is challenging and difficult but one that is essential in creating informed, educated, caring and thoughtful communities. The Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga works diligently to educate and fight against antisemitism and all forms of hate. It creates partnerships with civic, business and faith communities to build understanding and respect for all. The Joint Study Committee on Refugee Issues on Thursday approved a report that includes a series of recommendations related to refugee issues in Tennessee that could become the basis for future legislation. The committee was formed by Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) and House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) in May of 2021 to investigate the federal governments immigration program within Tennessee. The committee heard testimony regarding immigration in Tennessee during four meetings held between June and November of that year. Those meetings culminated in this report. Secretary of State Tre Hargett is warning Tennessee business owners about a scam that has recently resurfaced targeting businesses with a deceptive mailer from a company that goes by two names: Tennessee Certificate Service and TN Certificate of Existence Filing Company. Our Division of Business and Charitable Organizations and I personally have heard of multiple complaints from business owners across Tennessee about these misleading mailers. We have seen scams like this before, with similar deceptive language that implies that businesses must have a Certificate of Existence to complete its formation or to fully operate in the state, said Secretary Hargett. This is not the case. Unfortunately, businesses who order a Certificate of Existence through these scammers may be paying an exorbitant amount for something that is totally unnecessary or would only cost $20 through our office. The misleading mailer titled 2022 Certificate of Existence Request has been sent to businesses across the statepurporting that all Tennessee businesses are required to pay a fee of either $83 or $175.50 for this third-party company to step in and complete the Certificate of Existence paperwork on businesses' behalf. However, a Certificate of Existence can be obtained directly from the Secretary of States office for just $20, either by phone, mail or online at tnbear.tn.gov/Ecommerce/ CertOfExistenceInstr.aspx . The mailer makes it appear that the 2022 Certificate of Existence Request is part of the business entitys registration process: A Certificate of Existence certifies that your Tennessee business is in existence, is authorized to transact business in the state and complies with all state requirements. The mailer and organization are not affiliated with or authorized by the Secretary of States Office in any way. Businesses may wish to obtain a Certificate of Existence in certain circumstances, such as a loan closing or other business transaction. However, they are not required to do so as a matter of course during the business formation process. Secretary Hargett encourages business owners to call the Division of Business and Charitable Organizations by phone at 615 741-2286 or email TNSOS.CERT@tn.gov if they receive a questionable mailer or want to know more about obtaining a Certificate of Existence. Mayor Tim Kelly today named four finalists who will advance in the search for Chattanoogas next chief of police. The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) and an internal review committee have selected the following finalists: Celeste Murphy: Deputy Chief Celeste Murphy has served in the Atlanta Police Department for over two decades, where she has held the roles of patrol officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, and captain. In 2016 she was appointed to the rank of major and selected to lead the Office of Professional Standards (or, Internal Affairs). In the history of the Department, she is the sixth woman to serve as a precinct commander, and the first woman ever to command two different precincts. Paul Noel: Deputy Superintendent Paul Noel has served in the New Orleans Police Department for over two decades, having held a variety of patrol and investigative assignments including chief of Field Operations, and as commanding officer for the Special Victims Section, the Criminal Investigation Division, and the Second District. In his current role as chief of detectives he oversees all centralized investigative functions, the Crime Lab, and various other support functions. Troy Price: Assistant Chief Troy Price began his career in law enforcement in Chicago, and currently helps lead the Vancouver Police Department, where hes served in a variety of roles. As assistant chief of police, he currently oversees the Departments precincts, patrol personnel and a team of over 100 volunteers. Glenn Scruggs: Assistant Chief Glenn Scruggs has nearly three decades of service to the Chattanooga community in public safety. He has worked in the Public Housing Unit, the CPD Neighborhood Policing Bureau, and the CPD Investigations Bureau. In his current role as assistant chief for the Chattanooga Police Departments Neighborhood Policing Bureau, he oversees approximately 260 sworn officers. A document containing full-length biographies on each of the four candidates can be found at cha.city/chiefsearch. Our next chief of police must have a demonstrated commitment to civil rights and community policing, the ability to spur a strong culture of accountability within the department, and a track record of successfully keeping residents safe, said Mayor Kelly. Theres no question that every single one of these four finalists brings these traits to the table, and Im impressed with the caliber of law enforcement professionals who've shown interest in CPD, in Chattanooga, and in our City government. Over the coming weeks, Mayor Kelly as well as an interview panelthat includes local public-safety stakeholders representing a diversity of community voices, ideas, and perspectiveswill go in-depth with each candidate to identify the best fit for Chattanooga residents. Finalists will spend time in Chattanooga with Mayor Kelly and the interview panelists. Community voices participating in the finalist-interview stage of the hiring process include: Charlie Brock Entrepreneur Dr. Ternae Jordan, Sr. Mount Canaan Baptist Church Ann Pierre Chattanooga NAACP Joe Smith Hamilton County School Board District 3 Dr. Ernest L. Reid, Jr. Second Missionary Baptist Church Kristie Wilder, JD, MSW Southern Adventist University, School of Social Work Organizations listed for identification purposes only, as these community leaders are representing their perspectives rather than their organizations, officials said. While wed be fortunate to have any one of these dedicated public servants at the helm of CPD, Im looking forward to selecting the best possible chief for Chattanooga, said Mayor Kelly. To ensure a fair, transparent and ethical process, the Mayors Office and City Council engaged the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), a police research and policy organization with 30 years experience helping local governments recruit qualified police chief candidates. PERF has assisted with more than 75 executive searches in the last ten years and has also coordinated several successful searches during the pandemic. The City previously contracted with PERF for a police chief search in 2014. That search resulted in the hire of Chief Fred Fletcher. In October 2021 Mayor Kellys office announced its timeline for completing the search process for a new Chief of Police, and the City remains on track to nominate a candidate for City Council confirmation by the end of February. The public-engagement portion of the search process included both an online survey and multiple public input sessions to ensure Mayor Kellys administration heard from as many residents as possible. Recordings of the three public input sessions and a detailed summary of community feedback received through all channels can be viewed at cha.city/chiefsearch. The internal interview panel for earlier phases of the selection process included staff from PERF, Mayor Kelly and members of Mayor Kellys senior team. This panel was charged with ensuring that the city identifies candidates with a track-record of innovation and community engagement, and a commitment to civil rights and public safety. By City Charter, Mayor Kelly will select the next chief of police. Captain Lee Rosbach from Below Deck said the feeling is mutual about Cynthia Bailey from The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Bailey recently told Showbiz Cheat Sheet that going on Below Deck was a voyage of a lifetime. And Rosbach said having Bailey and pal Claudia Jordan onboard during Below Deck Season 3 was a blast. He did, however, admit that he was worried before she arrived that hed have high-maintenance Housewives for charter guests. Captain Lee said they had a ball on Below Deck Rosbach said he had fun during Baileys charter. We just had a ball, Rosbach told Hollywood Life. Shes a lot of fun. We actually had her on charter. Cynthia Bailey and Captain Lee Rosbach |Bruce Glikas/WireImage/Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images But he said when he heard Housewives would be on board he was a little concerned. I was just like, Oh, my God. Housewives of Atlanta. Im thinking high maintenance, Rosbach admitted. Really a pain, demanding. And she was on there with Claudia Jordan as well. And [she] couldnt have been more different. Not demanding at all. Rosbach also blogged about having the RHOA cast members on board. When I was told it was the Housewives of Atlanta, my first thought was we might be understaffed, he wrote. I could not have been more wrong. These ladies were just so pleasant and easy to get on with. They were gracious and fun. Give me more guests like these ladies, and Ill break into my happy dance. Adding, The Housewives were just the charter that we needed, and the crew changes were definitely for the better. Captain Lee, thats my boy, Cynthia Bailey said Bailey felt the same way about Rosbach and going on the series, even though her charter ended up at the dock due to bad weather. Captain Lee, thats my boy, she told Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Hes great. Were friends now and hes amazing. We ended up docking because the weather in the Bahamas was not the best, she recalled. But you know what, if Bravo has ever given me a gift, it was being able to take my family on Below Deck. Baileys teenage daughter Noelle also developed a little crush on deckhand Emile Kotze, which scored her some points at home. I got so many mom points from [daughter] Noelle, she added. She had the best time. And my mom, it was like the best vacation of her life. It could have been like a tornado the whole time, she added. And the yacht was so beautiful. The crew was so amazing. Captain Lee was our captain. They basically gave us everything we wanted. So it didnt even matter that the weather was kind of crappy because it just ended up being so much fun. New season means Cynthia Bailey could return With a new season preparing to film, Bailey said shed love to be included on the Below Deck Season 10 charter guestlist. I have my bikini ready to go! she gushed. In 2022, I would love to go on Below Deck with my family. That would be awesome. Especially with my girls and [husband] Mike [Hill]. Hes never been and hed love it. She added, And you know, for someone coming from reality TV, Ive never been on a show where I wasnt part of the drama, she remarked. But the crew was the drama. So I just got to actually be on a cruise and just eat and drink and have fun with my friends and family. Then all the drama was happening in the kitchen with other people and it had nothing to do with me. Sign me up! I would go on Below Deck once a year if they would have me. RELATED: Below Deck: Courtney Skippon Said Shed Never Go Back to the Show Its Embarrassing Chef Gordon Ramsay has met and cooked for a number of celebrities and high-profile people over the years but one meeting with a royal sticks out to him as he got to serve the woman he called his dream dinner date. Ramsay stated that his favorite meal to date is still the one he made for Princess Diana. Read on to find out what Ramsay served the late princess when she dined at one of his restaurants. (L) Gordon Ramsay in the finale episode of 24 Hours to Hell and Back | FOX via Getty Images, (R): Princess Diana wearing a pick outfit in Argentina | Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images Ramsay recalled meeting gracious Princess Diana Ramsay talked about meeting and cooking for the Princess of Wales during the British docuseries Gordon, Gino and Fred Go Greek. On the show Ramsay travels around Greece with fellow chef Gino DAcampo and the French maitre dhotel Fred Sireix. In one episode, Ramsay was asked about Diana. I mean, heres renowned as the supermodel of the isletsSantoriniand she, by far, was one of the most gracious members of the royal family Ive ever met, Ramsay said (per the Independent). And when DAcampo wanted to know what the restaurateur and television personalitys favorite meal to date was, he replied: Cooking for Lady Di. Princess Diana sitting cross-legged on cushions at a Bedouin-style picnic lunch | Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images RELATED: Why Gordon Ramsay Refuses to Eat This Type of Food Ramsay said the food he cooked for his dream dinner date was the best meal he ever made Ramsay previously spoke to the Daily Mail as well about cooking for Princess Diana in the 90s at his Chelsea, London restaurant Aubergine and called her his dream dinner date. I was very fortunate to cook for her at Aubergine back in the early days. When she came in she was so normal, the chef recalled. No airs and graces, security outside, she had the lunch menu and didnt go a la carte. Ramsay added that he prepared a starter of pressed leek terrine and the main course was sea bass, which he still considers the best meal he ever made. Gordon Ramsay in the Southern Kitchen episode of his show 24 Hours to Hell and Back | FOX via Getty Images Dianas former chef reveals what he used to make for the princess Now that we know what Diana ate at fine restaurants, you may be wondering what she ate when she was at home. Her former chef Darren McGrady, who worked for Queen Elizabeth II for over a decade until he was moved from Buckingham Palace to Kensington Palace in 1993, said that when he started working for Diana she was eating very healthy. He said some of her go-to dishes were stuffed peppers and eggplant. However, she did splurge from time to time and order bread and butter pudding. McGrady told Hello!: She would have a small portion every now and then and only when William and Harry were at home. RELATED: Former Royal Chef Says Princess Diana Was Too Scared to Ask for Seconds at Dinner in Front of Queen Elizabeth The Succession cast is full of fascinating actors and characters but Logan Roy (Brian Cox) is at the top of the hill. Both by nature of his authoritative role and Coxs performance, Logan Roy is an onion viewers keep trying to peel, and he wont really let them. Cox said in a recent interview that he only learned one detail in the penultimate episode of the first season. Brian Cox | Graeme Hunter/HBO Cox was a guest on the Fresh Air podcast on Jan. 18 to discuss his new memoir, Putting the Rabbit in the Hat, released last year. When host Terry Gross asked Cox about Succession, he revealed a change creator Jesse Armstrong made that he considered bizarre. Logan Roy was originally American on Succession, against Brian Coxs suggestion Cox was born in Dundee, Scotland. As an actor, he can do accents from anywhere, so American on Succession is no problem. However, Cox initially suggested to Armstrong that they could use his authentic heritage for Logan Roy. Hes sort of partly American, Cox said on Fresh Air. I always had the idea that Logan Roy could be Scotch. I thought Logan Roy, its a Scottish name. So I thought he could be Scotch. I suggested it to Jesse and he said, No, hes got to be American. I said, Okay, fine, so Im American. So I played it for 9 episodes in the first season. A Succession cast member alerted Brian Cox to the totally bizarre change Cox explained that originally, Succession determined that Logan Roy was born in Quebec, Canada. However, he found out from a fellow Succession cast member that Logans origin had changed. Then in the 9th episode, Peter Friedman, who plays Frank, had done an ADR session. He came to me and said, You know, theyve changed your birth place. I said, What do you mean theyve changed my birthplace? He said, Youre no longer born in Quebec and hed done a big speech in the first episode. I said, So where am I born? He said, Oh, I cant remember. He looked at his device and said, Oh, here we are. Somewhere called Dundee, Scotland. I went, Thats where Im from. And he said, Oh, thats a coincidence. I said, Im not sure if it is a coincidence. Brian Cox, Fresh Air, 1/18/22 RELATED: Succession Cast Member Alan Rucks Wife Mireille Enos Burst Into Tears When He Auditioned, and Not for Joy Cox asked Armstrong about the change and was not quite satisfied with the answer. I went to Jesse and said, What the hell was going on? Cox said. He said, We thought youd be a little surprised. I said, Its a hell of a surprise. Ive been acting this character for 9 episodes thinking hes born in Quebec, Canada with a kind of mutt Vermont Canadian accent. Now Im a Scot. He says, Yeah, well, we just thought it was more interesting. That whole thing was totally bizarre. Brian Cox did not change his voice for Logan Roy The 11th hour change did not require Cox to redub his lines. Cox continued to play Logan Roy with the same voice throughout three seasons of Succession, with a fourth on the way. Congratulations to the cast of Succession on their five #SAGawards nominations, including Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. pic.twitter.com/d4pp2KLTof Succession (@succession) January 12, 2022 Because hes lived in America and basically we slip in and out, so it kind of works that I do it, Cox said. When I was a kid, when I was a little boy, playing movies, I was always doing American accents right from the age of about 5. RELATED: Succession: Roman Roys Obscene Photo Upset Logan for Many Reasons, Creator Jesse Armstrong Says The Young and the Restless Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford) has been going through a rough patch. Aside from her breakup with Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow), Phyllis also has empty nest syndrome. Her daughter Summer Newmans (Hunter King) move to Italy has put Phyllis in a depressed mood, and fans believe its time she cheers up. Michelle Stafford I Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic The Young and the Restless fans believe Phyllis Summers needs to accept Summer Newmans departure Phyllis and Summer were a famous mother-daughter duo on The Young and the Restless. While the two had their share of arguments, nothing could break their bond. Phyllis is always protective of Summer and stops Sally Spectra (Courtney Hope) and Tara Lockes (Elizabeth Leiner) scheme against her. RELATED: The Young and the Restless Speculation: Phyllis and Sally Are Mother and Daughter Sally and Tara drove Summer out of town by making her accept a handbag designing job in Milan, Italy. After Phyllis exposed their crime, she was hopeful that Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor) would bring her daughter home. However, Phyllis was in for a shock when Summer and Kyle announced their plans to move to Italy permanently. Its been five months since Summer and Kyles departure, and Phyllis is still upset over the situation. On Twitter, fans voiced their annoyance with Phyllis whining. Since when did Phyllis follow around her daughter this closely and cry about her? asked one viewer. Why cant she just celebrate the fact her daughter is happy and doing well, another fan chimed in. Contemplated moving to Milan to be closer to Summer Newman Phyllis loneliness over Summer had her contemplating a massive change on The Young and the Restless. On the Jan. 25 episode, Phyllis told Amanda Sinclair (Mishael Morgan) that Summer offered her a job in Milan. Phyllis debated selling The Grand Phoenix and moving to Italy to be closer to Summer. After Amanda failed to get through to Phyllis, she called in reinforcements. Pep talks by Michael Baldwin #YR pic.twitter.com/XNt7TbP32J Young and Restless (@YandR_CBS) January 25, 2022 RELATED: The Young and the Restless: Michelle Stafford Loves Playing Phyllis Dark Side Michael Baldwin (Christian LeBlanc) arrived to give his longtime friend a pep talk. Michael told Phyllis shed be miserable in Italy, and working with Summer would strain their relationship. He then explains Genoa City is her home and she cant leave. Michaels pep talk does the trick when Phyllis agrees moving to Italy is a bad idea. But she does decide to visit her daughter. Jack Abbott the cause of Phyllis Summers behavior The Young and the Restless is pushing for a potential Phyllis and Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) reunion. After her split with Nick, Jack confessed his feelings for Phyllis. While His confession touched Phyllis, she thought it best if she and Jack stayed friends. However, the redhead is still in love with the Jabot CEO. Even Michael and Amanda sense her feelings toward Jack and believe he was the reason for her desire to move to Italy. After a brief absence, Jack returns to Genoa City, and there are surprises in store for him. According to Celeb Dirty Laundry, Phyllis and Jack will work together to solve a mystery. Its unknown what the secret is, but it will be bringing the exes one step closer to a reunion. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell cautioned President Joe Biden not to nominate an "extreme left" nominee to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. Breyer's retirement was announced on Wednesday; Biden and Breyer held a joint news conference on Thursday to make it official. Biden said he will reveal his candidate before the end of February and that he would appoint a black woman to the Supreme Court. McConell claims he'll have a "fair look" at Biden's Supreme Court nominee Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and John Cornyn of Texas, both Republicans, reiterated McConnell's advice to pick a nominee who is more moderate in his jurisprudence. By voting 50-50, Democrats could hypothetically approve a Biden candidate without the assistance of the Republicans, with Vice President Kamala Harris as the tiebreaker. On a Supreme Court confirmation vote, there has never been a tie. The majority of recent Supreme Court appointments have been political, with just a few senators switching parties. Despite blocking movement on now-Attorney General Merrick Garland's nomination to the court in 2016, McConnell oversaw the swift confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett in 2020 after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, arguing that confirmation should not occur in an election year with a Senate controlled by the president's party, as per Washington Examiner. Biden has committed to appointing the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, as part of his long-standing commitment to diversify the federal court, which has historically been dominated by white males. So far, Justice Sonia Sotomayor is the first woman of color and the first Hispanic to serve on the Supreme Court. In his first year in office, the president has already appointed the most federal judges in four decades, with a broad variety of ethnic, gender, and professional backgrounds. In four months, Biden nominated twice as many minority women to the federal court as Trump had confirmed in four years. He currently has twice as many minority women on the federal bench as Trump. The Senate has confirmed 42 of Biden's nominations as of January 26. There are 33 women among them and 29 people who identify as Black, Asian, Native American, Hispanic, or mixed. The spotlight on the Black female jurists who may succeed him has been renewed by Breyer's retirement. Only two White men have been appointed as Article III judges, a category that includes Supreme Court justices as well as federal circuit and district judges. According to the US Constitution, these judges must be chosen by the president and approved by the Senate, Justices on the Supreme Court, and judges on the federal circuits and district courts. Read Also: NY Attorney General Letitia James Slams Donald Trump for Filing a Lawsuit To Stop Investigations Into Trump Organization Biden vows to nominate a Black woman Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who was appointed to the prestigious US Court of Appeals for the DC last year, is on the list of prospective Supreme Court nominees. The Federal Judicial Center provides information on federal judges. This research took into account Federal Judges under Article III. For each president's total, each judge has only been tallied once. Judges' racial and ethnic identifiers were submitted to the Justice Department's Office of Legal Policy by the judges themselves. Judges who identified as Black, Asian, Native American, Hispanic, or mixed were classified as minority judges in this study, according to The Washinton Post. During his first year in office, Biden worked hard to propose a diverse set of federal judges, not only in terms of race but also in terms of professional experience; he has been looking into potential high court prospects along the way. He has appointed five Black women to the federal appeals courts, which are home to many of the nation's top judges, and the Senate is considering three more candidates. He has overseen six Supreme Court confirmation hearings while serving as a senator, and he has extensive experience with the nomination process as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Ron Klain, Biden's chief of staff and former top counsel to the Judiciary Committee and a former Supreme Court law clerk, will play a key role in the process. At least one of the top nominees, 51-year-old Ketanji Brown Jackson, has already met with the president in person. She has been a federal trial court judge in the District of Columbia since 2013 and is a former Breyer clerk who worked at the US Sentencing Commission. Biden met her when she was being interviewed for her present position as an appeals court judge in the District of Columbia, HuffPost reported. Related Article: Mitch McConnell Is Reportedly Hurt Over Backlash from His Black Voter Comments; Senator Praises Joe Biden About Ukraine Decision @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Cherokee Nation will begin dispersing its limited supply of heirloom seeds on Feb. 7 to tribal citizens who are interested in growing traditional Cherokee crops. Attorney Peter Bowman knows that the law can be intimidating, especially to those who do not spend their time immersed in the intricacies of the legal system. What does one do if evicted? Whats the process of settling a family dispute? How does probate court work? Many may not want to or be able to hire a lawyer to answer such common questions, so Bowman and his team at BBB Attorneys, LLC, decided to help. On Monday, Jan. 17, the law firm, which has offices throughout Connecticut, including in Cheshire, offered free one-hour consultations to state residents on a variety of topics. The consultations were held virtually, and coincided with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This is our first year doing this, said Bowman, a Cheshire native. We were looking at our schedule for our staff and thought this would be a great opportunity. My church (St. James of West Hartford) usually does a day of service around MLK Day, so we thought that offering this kind of access to (legal advice) would be a real benefit. The service was offered throughout the entire day on Jan. 17, and Bowman estimates that approximately 50 hours worth of consultation, or about $25,000 in legal advice, was provided. Those members of the staff who were unable to participate were asked to give blood, as a way to give back to the community. We wanted to provide two ways for everyone to offer something, said Bowman. The topics discussed were varied. Bowmans office stated that the group would be offering advice on issues such as family and divorce assistance, personal injury questions, landlord-tenant issues, real estate questions, reviewing contracts, small business questions, advice for people filing or defending small claims cases, and more. While there are different organizations throughout the state that offer legal advice to those who cannot afford representation, Bowman stated that securing an appointment can at times be difficult. Also, many seek information from clerks offices at municipal courts, and while employees there are often willing to provide advice, they are not equipped to give out such legal assistance to those in need. We have some of the best clerks in the country (in Connecticut), but they arent there to give that kind of (detailed) advice, said Bowman. Some of the issues discussed the most, such as evictions, have been exacerbated by the pandemic, Bowman said, as many more people are confronting issues having to do with property law. But the pandemic also, in a way, made the entire service possible, Bowman said, as advances in technology allowed his legal team to more easily connect with people. It just isnt a big ask anymore for people to go on our website and log in (to a video conference call), because so many people have had to do it over the pandemic, he said. People are much more knowledgeable (with the technology) now. I dont think this (service) would have been nearly as successful without the technological advances during the pandemic. The topics covered were wide-ranging, Bowman said, but it was clear that many who contacted BBB Attorneys on Jan. 17 were frustrated and simply didnt know how to begin when dealing with a particular legal issue. When you Google (such questions), you end up getting 17 different answers, said Bowman. The feedback the team received after clarifying many of those issues was gratifying, he said. That was worth more than anything they could have paid us, he said. The service was also a learning experience for Bowmans team, he insisted, as it provided them with an opportunity to understand and put into practice how to communicate legal issues in a way the general public can understand. As far as future programs are concerned, Bowman said that, while BBB Attorneys will definitely be offering the free legal advice once again next year on MLK Day, hed like to expand it and perhaps encourage other law firms to do the same. In the future, he imagines having more focused events, where legal advice is offered on one particular issue rather than on various topics. It really felt great to give back, and we are looking forward to offering some options (to the public) throughout the year, he said. A conservative commentator on Fox News once dismissed Robert Shine Sr. and the impact of the group of Black Christian clergy he led in Philadelphia with a wave of his hand. Theyre not kingmakers, he said. They probably lose more than they win. But that wasnt how Shine measured the ministers witness. That wasnt how he understood the job. We represent the kingdom of God, he told a Philadelphia newspaper in 2002. We are the voice calling for conscience, appealing to do the right thing. Shine, who spoke out for the least and the last and the lost for more than 40 years, pastored a Black Baptist church in the East Germantown neighborhood for more than 30, and taught pastors and deacons at a Bible institute for more than 20, died at home on January 4. He was 82. He was truly a man of God who loved doing what God called him to do, and that was pastoring, teaching and working for social justice, Michael W. Couch, a fellow pastor, told ThePhiladelphia Inquirer. Shine was born on August 4, 1939. His parents, Benjamin and Estelle Shine, raised him and his 15 siblings in Germantown, the historic Philadelphia neighborhood that gave birth to the American antislavery movement. He knew early on that he wanted to be a preacher. At 8, he climbed up on a milk crate on a street corner and delivered his first sermon. He was baptized at a Baptist church at 11 and ordained a deacon at 20. After high school, Shine took classes at La Salle Universitys business college and worked as an evangelist with a group he helped organization called Christians United Reaching Everyone. Shine earned a degree from Manna Bible Institute in 1971. The unaccredited Bible college describes itself as offering an education built on the full authority of the Bible as the written Word of God and dedicated to Gods glory. It was founded to serve people who couldnt afford a formal seminary education. Many classes were offered at night for working students seeking a Christian worker or standard Bible degree. Shine was ordained after graduation and immediately began pastoring a local Baptist church. The congregation couldnt pay enough for him to provide for his young family, though, so the 31-year-old pastor took a second job as a janitor, first at Prudential Life Insurance and then at Merck Pharmaceuticals. It was at the multinational pharmaceutical companymopping floors, cleaning toilets, and emptying trashthat the bivocational pastor started turning his attention to social justice issues. He and 12 other employees joined together and sued the company for racial discrimination, alleging it gave preferential treatment to white people in hiring and promotion. In 1976, Merk settled the suit, committing $3.2 million to a fund for minority training. A few years later, the AIDS epidemic changed how Shine thought about social problems. When the first few cases were diagnosed in the city in 1981, he thought the disease was Gods punishment for gay men. He looked at how God sent 10 plagues to Egypt and leaned on Amos 3:6: Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it? (KJV). Then, looking more closely, he became convinced that one key reason God sends evil to a city is to challenge his people. Shine was convicted that AIDS was sent to test the church, and the church was failing. Evil tends never to recede until the church draws its sword, Shine wrote in The Philadelphia Daily News. If the church could be more compassionate and less judgmental, we the church would be far more helpful in reaching those whose souls are perishing from this evil. As the Apostle James writes, Mercy triumphs over judgement (James 2:13). And surely mercy suits this cause. In 1996, Shine became the chair of social action committee of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia & Vicinity. In that role, he became a leading voice on social justice issues in Philadelphia, speaking out against racism, police violence, state-sponsored gambling, and violence against Asian Americans. Regardless of the issue, Shine maintained that social problems were an opportunity for churches and ministers to stand up and speak with moral authority. The root cause of many problems, he said, was silence from the church. The reason racism has continued so long, he said in 2000, protesting police brutality against a Black suspect, is that certain pulpits have been quiet too long. Shine was elected president of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia in 2001. He also served with the Philadelphia Martin Luther King Jr. Association for Non-Violence and the Pennsylvania Statewide Coalition of Black Clergy. However much time Shine spent on social activism, he continued to focus on strengthening the church. One way was his ministry at Manna Bible Institute, where he taught and served as chair of the board as the school went through a difficult time. Manna was forced out of its five-building campus in the 1990s because of plumbing and heating problems. The school moved three times and then had its building go up in flames when a group of teenagers set it on fire. (Manna officials intervened with a local judge not to send the boys to prison but instead arrange a plan of mentorship and restitution.) The institute moved nine more times before finding a home in North Philadelphia in 2011. Shine said the leadership of the school believed it was important Manna remain in the city to provide that additional opportunity to strengthen our churches and leaders at a cost that is affordable. At the time, at least 100 pastors in Philadelphia had been trained at Manna. Shine also pastored Berachah Baptist Church from its founding in 1985 to the summer of 2021. He preached a final one-hour sermon the day before he died. He told his congregation about his cancer treatment and preached on Christs incarnation and the final judgement. Some of us have the mindset we can do whatever we want to do and call it Christian. But if its not doing the will of God, then it becomes self-will, Shine said. Whatever you have left undone, your record is on high now. You cant reach it. You cant amend it. You cant send any notice to the secretary of heaven. The record is sealed and will be sealed until the day the Lord comes and the book will be open. Shine is survived by his wife, Barbara Ann Wayns, and children Robert P. Shine Jr., Randall Shine, Robin Shine Maddox, Rhonda McKinney. Michigan can't force Catholic charity to place kids with same-sex, unmarried couples: settlement Christian adoption agencies and foster care groups that contract with the Michigan government won't be required to place children with same-sex couples, according to a new legal settlement. In 2019, Michigan reached a settlement with the American Civil Liberties Union, agreeing not to enforce a law passed in 2015 that allowed faith-based adoption and foster care agencies that contract with the government among them St. Vincent Catholic Charities to be exempted from state antidiscrimination law. However, in a settlement filed in federal court on Tuesday, St. Vincent will now be allowed to be exempted from state anti-discrimination law when it comes to only placing children with opposite-sex married couples. David Maluchnik, spokesman for the Michigan Catholic Conference, released a statement on the day of the settlement celebrating the result, seeing it as a victory for religious liberty. We are grateful that a law signed in 2015 with bipartisan support to uphold conscience rights will continue to benefit Michigans most vulnerable children who are served by a network of faith-based child placement agencies, stated Maluchnik. Despite a coordinated and high-profile sue and settle strategy that sought to find the 2015 law unconstitutional, Michigans child placement policy now enjoys federal legal protections that solidifies and strengthens the right of religious agencies to assist a range of children and families in search of permanent homes. Demetrius Starling, executive director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement on Tuesday that while they cannot force St. Vincent to adhere to anti-discrimination law, they will find other ways to make LGBT families feel more included. While this outcome is not what we hoped for, we are committed to providing support to the many members in the LGBTQ+ community who want to open their hearts and their homes, Starling said. We are so appreciative of all families that step up to help these children no matter their orientation or gender identity and expression. In 2015, Michigan passed a law that allowed religious charities who contracted with the government to be exempted from anti-discrimination law in accordance with their sincerely held religious beliefs. St. Vincent Catholic Charities had testified in defense of the legislation, with a representative explaining that while they would refuse to place a child in an unmarried or same-sex family, they would refer that family to another agency. In 2017, the ACLU filed a complaint against the law on behalf of two same-sex couples who were turned away from state-supported child-placing agencies due to their relationships. In March 2019, in response to the suit, Michigan announced that it would require all groups contracted with the government to comply with state anti-discrimination law. This is a victory for the nearly 12,000 children in foster care in Michigan who need loving families like those offered by our clients, stated Leslie Cooper, deputy director of the ACLU LGBT & HIV Project, at the time. We are thrilled that the state of Michigan has committed to ensuring that all of the agencies it hires to find families for children in state custody comply with its non-discrimination requirements so that children do not lose out on families to care for them. However, in September of that year, Judge Robert Jonker issued a preliminary injunction against the settlement between the ACLU and the state, explaining that the States new position targets St. Vincents religious beliefs. In June of last year, the United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia that Philadelphia officials cannot exclude a Catholic charity from its foster program because the organization will not place children with same-sex couples in accordance with religious beliefs. TD Jakes eldest daughter Cora says shes ending marriage to husband of 10 years, rapper SkiiVentura Just over a decade after wedding her husband, rapper Richard Brandon Coleman, who goes by the stage name SkiiVentura, Cora Jakes Coleman, the eldest daughter of megachurch Pastor T.D. Jakes, has announced that she is ending her marriage. It is with a heavy heart that I announce that my husband and I have decided to divorce, she began in a statement on Instagram this week. This is a very private and personal matter and I kindly ask for your prayers as I prioritize myself, and most importantly, my childrens well-being at this time. God bless. The couple, who got married on June 4, 2011, in a private ceremony at her parents' home, share two adopted children, Amauri, 13, and Jason, 7, as Jakes struggles with infertility. Jakes, who is also a pastor, received her ministerial license from the Potters House School of Ministry, according to her ministrys website. She also directs the childrens ministry at The Potters House of Dallas. On her sixth wedding anniversary in 2017, Jakes revealed that before she met her husband, she struggled with unhealthy relationships. "God help me to stop giving my body to men that only value my body, but not my mind or spirit. Help me to stop falling for my will and not submitting to yours. I just want to be loved, really loved," she wrote in a statement on social media. "I'm tired of being hurt over and over again. God, I want love unconditionally. God I'm tired of people betraying me and taking advantage of me." She said she asked God in 2009 to send her a protector that would help her find peace and she ended up marrying Brandon Coleman in 2011. "Please send me someone to protect me. Help me to submit to you God so that I can be found spirit first by the man who is called by you to love me," she said. "God cause my spirit to feel peace when I meet him, Amen." She further added: "This was my prayer for my husband wherever he was October 2009, and after diligently seeking God and stepping away from my flesh to get connected to my spirit suddenly God brought me the most amazing man I have ever known. He was not perfect, but he was amazing." Richard Coleman told the Dallas Observer in 2019 that he battled kidney failure in 2018 as he tried to bolster his music career. Because I am a believer, there are a lot of things that I experience on a daily basis and in my spirituality that I navigate, and I like to create from the most natural place," Coleman told the publication. "If Im heavily inspired by my spirituality in the moment, then I own that. I take that on and create from that place. ... When you hear my music, you hear me navigating with God. My music is literally my conversations with God. Floral Artists Legal Case is Over But Shes Passing Legacy on to Other Creative Professionals After almost a decade, Washington floral artist Barronelle Stutzman has ended her legal battle on her own terms. I am willing to turn the legal struggle for freedom over to others. At age 77, its time to retire she wrote in an open letter. But why was this seventy-seven-year-old grandmother in court in the first place? Well, because shelike many creative professionals across the countrysimply wanted to create art consistently with her deeply held religious beliefs. Artists know that everything they create contains a piece of themselves. Art is a form of communication that requires the creator to be present as a whole person. Asking an artist to create messages with their art that they dont agree with is asking them to be dishonest. And asking anyone to speak a message that is against their beliefs is a violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution. Barronelle fought for Americans constitutional right to believe and speak freely for nearly 10 years. Now, she is leaving the legal battle to another creative professionalweb designer, Lorie Smith. As Barronelle put it: [I] am passing my legal torch on to other artistslike Lorie Smith of 303 Creative in Colorado, whose case may well be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court this termand thanking God for the victories Hes so graciously given me. Do you want to help Alliance Defending Freedom protect your First Amendment Freedoms? Click here. Give Now Barronelles Story You may have already heard of Barronelle. She owned a small flower shop in Richland, Washington called Arlenes Flowers. Its because of something that happened in this shop that Barronelle became a household name. In 2012, Barronelles longtime customer, Rob Ingersoll, asked her to create a custom floral arrangement for his same-sex wedding ceremony. Barronelle knew that Rob was in a same-sex relationship. It never bothered her. She loved working with Rob because he often asked for out-of-the-box ideas that Barronelle loved to use her artistic skills to create. But creating arrangements for a same-sex wedding was something different. As a devout Christian, Barronelle believes that marriage is the sacred union between one man and one woman. She also puts her heart and soul into her custom floral arrangements. She knew that creating arrangements for a same-sex wedding would violate her conscience. She served everyoneshe served Rob for almost a decadebut, as a creative professional, she could not create all messages. So, Barronelle had a heart-to-heart conversation with Rob in a quiet corner of her shop, gently explaining that she could not fulfil his request and referring him to several other florists in the area that would do a great job. The two hugged and Rob left the shop. Thats when the state of Washington and the American Civil Liberties Union got involved. The Washington Attorney General heard about Barronelles decision through news reports generated by a social media post. Without anyone filing a complaint, he decided to file a lawsuit against Barronelle in her personal and professional capacity. Suddenly, because she referred one request, Barronelle was being sued for nearly everything she ownedincluding her retirement moneyby the government. This was clearly a violation of Barronelles constitutional rights. With the help of Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys, Barronelle fought these attacks in court. She asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear her case twice. The first time, the Court sent her case back to the Washington Supreme Court to be redecided in light of its decision in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. But the Washington Supreme Court came back with virtually the same decision it made in the first place, ignoring Barronelles rights. In 2019, Barronelle asked the Supreme Court once again to take her case. But the Court declined in July 2021. With her husband Darold by her side, Barronelle bravely fought for the constitutional rights of creative professionals since 2013. In November 2021, Barronelle settled her case with her conscience intact. Now its time to pass the torch on to others to continue the legal battle. Help continue Barronelles fight for freedom by giving to Alliance Defending Freedom today. Donate Lorie Will Continue Barronelles Fight Barronelle and Lorie Smith seem like totally different women. One is a floral artist who works with flowers, while the other is a web designer who uses a computer to create her art. One lives in Washington while the other lives hundreds of miles away in Colorado. But both Barronelle and Lorie are passionate about their art and strong in their convictions. When it comes to protecting her freedom to create according to her beliefs, Lorie is willing to take a stand just like Barronelle has done. Lorie designs websites and graphics for everyone. But, like Barronelle, she cannot create all messages. Colorados public-accommodation law threatens to punish Lorie for not creating wedding websites celebrating same-sex ceremonies if she does so for weddings between one man and one woman. (If this sounds familiar to you, its because this law is the same one that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission used to target cake artist Jack Phillips, prosecuting him all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court) Shockingly, in 2021, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Lories First Amendment freedoms. Now, Lorie is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear her case and overturn this ruling and protect the freedom of speech for all creative professionals. The 10th Circuits reasoning turns free-speech protections on their head by saying that the more unique speech is, the more the government can compel it. said ADF General Counsel Kristen Waggoner. That kind of dangerous, unconstitutional reasoning is why we have asked the Supreme Court to take Lories case. Lorie is picking up right where Barronelle left off. In many ways, Barronelles legal battle paved the way for creative professionals like Lorie to seek protections for their God-given rights in court. Her case and her countless hours speaking up for her beliefs in the media set a precedent and sent a message: The First Amendment Freedoms of artists must be protected. Alliance Defending Freedom is proud to have represented Barronelle for the better part of a decade. We are dedicated to honoring her legacy by continuing to stand for First Amendment freedoms. But we need your help. As a nonprofit, ADF does not charge a dime for its legal services. Will you give today to help us represent more creative professionals like Lorie and Barronelle? GIVE NOW Bethany Christian Services will place children in LGBT families as part of Michigan settlement Bethany Christian Services, a global nonprofit adoption agency based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which was sued for refusing to work with same-sex couples, announced that it will start placing children with LGBT families as part of a settlement with the state. The agency insists, however, that its beliefs have not changed. Bethany will continue operations in Michigan, in compliance with our legal contract requirements. The mission and beliefs of Bethany Christian Services have not changed, the agency said in a statement last Thursday cited by WGVU. We are focused on demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ by serving children in need, and we intend to continue doing so in Michigan. The announcement comes weeks after the state of Michigan settled a lawsuit with the American Civil Liberties Union and two gay couples who sued in 2017 because they were rejected for adoptions. We filed a lawsuit challenging the state of Michigans practice of permitting state contracted tax payer funded foster and adoption agencies to refuse to work with same sex couples citing the agencies religious beliefs, Jay Kaplan of the ACLU said. Whereby the state of Michigan agreed to hold these contracting agencies to the contract language of non-discrimination, because children in foster care need every family that is willing and able to provide them with a loving home, Kaplan added. Bethany expressed disappointment, however, with how the settlement agreement had been implemented by the state. In a statement on Twitter Saturday, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel praised the Christian adoption agency for welcoming LGBT families. Having more adoption agencies which dont discriminate =s more children adopted into loving, nurturing forever homes. Thank you to Bethany Christian Services! Nessel wrote. An employee of Bethany Christian Services who spoke with WGVU anonymously also claimed that just before the agencys announcement on their new policy, employees had threatened to walk out of their jobs if the policy was not amended. As of February, according to The Detroit News, Bethany Christian Services was responsible for approximately 8 percent of the states foster care and adoption agencies. Prior to the settlement with the ACLU, which sued on behalf of the same-sex couples, the organizations contract with the state was in jeopardy. St. Vincent Catholic Charities, a former foster child, and an adoptive mother recently filed suit against the Michigan Department of Human Services alleging the new rules violated the groups First Amendment rights to free exercise of religion and free speech and its 14th Amendment rights to equal protection. St. Vincents and other faith-based foster care and adoption agencies will have to shutter if forced to comply with the new state rules, lawyer Nick Reaves said. Lori Windham, senior counsel for Becket, the religious liberty group representing St. Vincent's told The Detroit News that while the First Amendment certainly allows groups varying stances on the issue, it does not allow the state to "shut down people you disagree with. "Religious freedom means different people can make different choices," Windham said in a statement. "That's what freedom looks like in America." Families Warn of 'Devastating' Consequences If Adoption Agencies Are Shut Down Over Gay Marriage Beliefs A number of former foster children who are now helping others find homes through faith-based adoption agencies told a Michigan court on Thursday that there will be "devastating" consequences if such agencies are shut down over their views on gay marriage. The American Civil Liberties Union is suing agencies such as St. Vincent Catholic Charities in the state over its conservative stance on marriage, accusing it of turning down gay couples who want to adopt. "St. Vincent rescues children from the most vulnerable, most disadvantaged backgrounds like mine and gives them a chance to be part of a loving family and have a normal, healthy, happy childhood," said Shamber Flore, who once found her adoptive family through St. Vincent. "We can't let the ACLU take that away," Flore added, according to Becket, the nonprofit, public interest law firm that is representing St. Vincent. Melissa Buck, a mother of five children with special needs adopted through the agency, also talked about the vital role St. Vincent plays. "We continue to rely on vital support services St. Vincent provides to this day. If these programs were shut down, it would be devastating for our family," Buck said. The ACLU, which filed a lawsuit in September 2017, is challenging the Michigan's practice of permitting state-funded child placement agencies to use religious criteria to turn away LGBT prospective foster and adoptive parents. "There are currently 13,000 children in the state welfare system," it says on its website. "Our lawsuit states that the State of Michigan is hurting its most vulnerable children and violating the Constitution by allowing taxpayer-funded child placement agencies to deny these children qualified foster and adoptive families based on religious eligibility criteria that have nothing to do with the ability to care for a child." Becket has argued, however, that St. Vincent helps gay couples to adopt from other agencies, even if it itself cannot violate its beliefs on marriage. The law group added that in 2017, St. Vincent successfully recruited more new adoptive families than nearly 90 percent of other agencies in the area. "ACLU is trying to punish St. Vincent because of its beliefs but the only casualties from its needless lawsuit are the kids," stated Stephanie Barclay, counsel at Becket. "Shutting down one of the most effective adoption agencies in the city helps no one and instead hurts thousands of vulnerable children." Flore has in the past said that children in adoption programs are highly vulnerable and need all the help that they can get, with many of them having suffered abuse due to drugs, prostitution, and neglect. "I don't understand why the ACLU is trying to take away hope from children who were once like me," Flore said. Kirk Cameron, Kendrick Brothers team up to make pro-life film about adoption Actor Kirk Cameron and the filmmaker brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick have reunited for a new feature film titled "Lifemark" that celebrates the sanctity of life. Tens of thousands of pro-life activists and politicians gathered at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., last week for the annual March for Life. Cameron was a guest speaker at the event, and during his speech, he spoke about the upcoming film. "I hope that you have a chance later this year to see the movie 'Lifemark' that is based on a true story. It is a story that is so much better than anything we ever could have scripted, Cameron said. The forthcoming film marks the first time the 51-year-old actor and the Kendrick brothers will reunite since collaborating on the 2008 film Fireproof." The makers of Fireproof, Courageous, and War Room and I have teamed up to bring this film that highlights the value and preciousness of life in the womb and the beauty of adoption, explaining how one life can impact so many, Cameron declared. The Growing Pains actor shared with the audience why the topics of adoption and protecting life are so important to him. This issue of life is very personal for me, he shared. My wife is an adopted child. Chelsea was one doctor appointment away from not existing. Our first four children are also adopted, and if my wife, Chelsea, had not been born, our two natural-born children would not exist either," he continued. "So my six children and my wife are here as a result of loving, compassionate and courageous people like you who are marching today at the March for Life. In April 2021, Alex Kendrick shared news of the film on his Instagram page. Its been 14 years since we shot the movie 'Fireproof.' Were excited to be working with Kirk Cameron again on this new feature! he wrote. Cameron serves as executive producer for "Lifemark" and also plays the role of the adoptive father. "Someone sent me a brief documentary of a true story that was so inspiring and meant so much to me personally that I decided to turn it into a feature film," the actor told The Christian Post in a recent interview. "I wanted to illustrate the value of every life and all of its potential and also to show the beauty of adoption and demonstrate how even one person's life can powerfully impact so many others." In a past post that included a photo of both Kendrick and Cameron, the actor is seen in character sporting grey hair. The film crosses two decades, so we get to see him age almost 20 years, Alex Kendrick explained. Its a true story with lots of action, humor and heart! While attending the 28th annual Movieguide Awards in 2020, Kendrick shared more about the forthcoming film. We're very excited about that, and it's a true story, and it's going to grab your heart. We love it. Kendrick told CP at the time, adding that he and his brother love the subject matter and what's going to happen as a result of it. We think it's a very timely movie, he said. Though the brothers typically make original content such as War Room, the pro-life film was brought to them by a friend, he revealed. "We normally do write our own movies, but this one was so powerful when we read it and we saw how it was very timely for today's culture, Kendrick added. As we began researching a way to shoot it, it became very obvious the Lord was opening the door to do it, he added. Michigan bars Christian adoption agencies from refusing LGBT couples after legal settlement Adoption and foster care agencies in Michigan who contract with the state can no longer refuse to place children with qualified same-sex parents over religious reasons thanks to a legal settlement Friday that some fear will put faith-based agencies out of business. Democrat Attorney General Dana Nessel and the two same-sex couples represented by the American Civil Liberties Union came to a legal agreement that a 2015 law allowing religious-based adoption agencies to refuse adoption services to same-sex couples violates federal discrimination laws. The agreement settled a federal complaint filed in 2017 after the couples were refused service by St. Vincent Catholic Charities and Bethany Christian Services. Discrimination in the provision of foster care case management and adoption services is illegal, no matter the rationale, Nessel said in a statement. Limiting the opportunity for a child to be adopted or fostered by a loving home not only goes against the states goal of finding a home for every child, it is a direct violation of the contract every child placing agency enters into with the state. Under its nondiscrimination provision, agencies looking to partner with the state cannot turn away or refuse a same-sex couple or individual who is suitable to foster or adopt a child. Agencies that violate such a provision could have their contracts terminated. A summary of the agreement states that when an adoption or foster agency accepts a referral of a child for foster or adoption care from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, its legal protection ensuring its right to refuse to work with same-sex couples because of deeply-held religious beliefs no longer applies to the agencys provision of these services to the accepted child or individual. In a summary of the agreement, it was claimed that Title IVE-funded programs prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. It should be noted, however, that sexual orientation and gender identity are not protected classes in federal civil rights law and there is a push right now among Democrats in Congress to pass a law that would make those protected classes. The ACLU, a far-left nonprofit advocacy group, celebrated the settlement. We are thrilled that the state of Michigan has committed to ensuring that all of the agencies it hires to find families for children in state custody comply with its non-discrimination requirements so that children do not lose out on families to care for them, Leslie Cooper, deputy director of the ACLU LGBT & HIV Project, said in a statement. Our children need every family that is willing and able to provide them with a loving home. When agencies choose to accept taxpayer dollars to provide public child welfare services, they must put the needs of the children first. Critics fear that the settlement could force faith-based adoption agencies to close. Lori Windham, senior counsel at the nonprofit religious freedom law firm Becket, which is representing St. Vincent Catholic Charities, argues that Nessel and the ACLU are working to stop the state from working with faith-based adoption agencies. The result of that will be tragic. Thousands of children will be kept from finding the loving homes they deserve, Windham explained. This settlement violates the state law protecting religious adoption agencies. This harms children and families waiting for forever homes and limits access for couples who chose to partner with those agencies." The agreement was also criticized by Republican Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey. Dana Nessel has shown us that she cares little for the Constitution and even less for the vulnerable population of children in need of forever homes, Shirkey wrote in a statement. Nessels actions make it clear that she sought the office of attorney general to further her own personal political agenda. The legislature wrote and passed a law regarding adoption practices in Michigan to both protect religious freedom and guard against discrimination. Shirkey stated that faith-based adoption agencies comprise at least 25 percent of the licensed agencies in the state. He fears that the new agreement will put an end to those organizations. As a result, there will be fewer advocates working to place children in loving homes, he contended. Nessels apparent disregard for the laws of our state, the Constitution, and the well-being of thousands of children is an affront to all citizens. In a tweet, the Michigan Catholic Conference argued that the settlement does nothing to protect the thousands of children in foster care looking for loving homes. As such, it is highly unlikely this is the last chapter of the story. The legal settlement was signed after Michigan Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an anti-discrimination directive earlier this year that does not include a religious exemption for faith-based groups who contract with the state. A directive signed by previous Republican Gov. Rick Snyder included a religious exemption for state contractors. The settlement also comes as faith-based foster and adoption agencies in other states have either had to close down or change their policies because of state or local government rules barring refusal based on religious reasons. A Chrisitan adoption agency in New York appeared in court last month for a lawsuit against the state of New York over an ultimatum last year to either change its policy forbidding placement with same-sex couples or no longer be able to provide adoption services. Also in upstate New York, Catholic Charities of Buffalo ended its adoption and fosters services last August over conflicts with the state and local nondiscrimination policies. Bethany Christian Services of Greater Delaware Valley changed its policies last year to allow for children to be placed with same-sex couples after the Philadelphia city government stopped placing foster children with BCS and Catholic Social Services because of their stances against gay adoption. Instead of changing its policy, Catholic Social Services filed a lawsuit. However, it was not victorious in federal court. In years past, faith-based adoption and foster care agencies in states such as Illinois, Massachusetts, California and Washington, D.C., have had to halt their adoption services over policies on gay adoption. The United States and its allies are scrambling to come up with contingency plans in case the crisis in Ukraine stifles supplies of Russian gas, which is essential in powering companies and heating homes across Europe. Without Russian gas, Europe would not be able to last long, and finding alternative supplies would be a logistical nightmare - a reality that is raising fears about the continent's energy security amid winter season. US, Germany step up pipeline warnings This week, senior White House officials told reporters that they are in talks with nations and businesses about increasing production. They are also attempting to figure out how to redirect natural gas to Europe from other sources. It would, however, be difficult to carry out such a large-scale intervention in the energy markets. It takes years to establish new pipelines and gas liquefaction plants. And, at a time when the world market and transportation networks are already overburdened, rerouting substantial quantities of fossil fuel would need the assistance of major gas producers like Qatar, which may not have much leeway, according to CNN. Despite Moscow's chilly words, the US and Germany cautioned Russia on Thursday that if it invaded Ukraine, a vital gas pipeline would be jeopardized. Washington expressed hope for a diplomatic solution. Top officials in Moscow said that their main concerns were not addressed a day after the US and its partners formally responded to Russia's security requests, but they did not rule out fresh discussions. The United States has warned Russia that if it invades Ukraine, it would face swift and devastating consequences despite the fact that Moscow has tens of thousands of troops on the border with its Western-leaning neighbor. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told parliament that her government was "working on a tough package of penalties" with allies that would include Nord Stream 2 after concerns of fractures within Europe. Despite protests from the US and Eastern Europeans, Germany has proudly completed the pipeline, which would treble Russian natural gas supplies to Europe's largest economy. A key official in Washington expressed confidence that an invasion would prevent Germany from launching the multibillion-dollar project, which was finished in September. However, it still has to be tested and approved by regulators, as per NDTV. Read Also: Vladimir Putin has New Weapons To Defend Russia if NATO Decides to Strike From the Ukraine Border What may US-Russia tensions imply about fuel prices Prepare for a greater shock if you believe gas prices are already too high this year. As the omicron variant fades and the spring driving season begins, more drivers are likely to take the road. If a conflict breaks out in Ukraine or if US-led nations impose harsh sanctions on Russia, prices are projected to soar considerably higher. State-by-state, prices vary greatly. In Kentucky, they range from $2.98 per gallon to $4.64 per gallon in California. Refineries will start converting back to their warmer-weather mixes, which are more difficult and expensive to create, in roughly a month. If there is any good news, it is that prices might rise considerably higher in the future, notwithstanding current levels. Because of the increase in COVID-19 instances caused by Omicron, many employees have been forced to stay at home, unable to go into their offices, which has stifled their desire to drive. In the Northeast, a series of cold spells has followed, USA Today reported. Related Article: US Military Support Starts Arriving in Ukraine To Boost Defense Amid Tension With Russia; UK Accuses Kremlin Of Trying To Install Pro-Russian Leader In Kyiv @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. DC archbishop compares Catholics for Choice's Basilica protest to Judas, cites John 13:30 The cardinal of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is condemning the move by a Catholic pro-choice organization to display a pro-abortion message on the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, likening the activity to the infamous Judas Iscariot. On Thursday, the night before the annual March for Life, the group Catholics for Choice held a light show outside the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the home of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. The group displayed a message on the building that read, pro-abortion Catholics, you are not alone. In a tweet, the group elaborated on the rationale for its actions. FACT: 68% of Catholics want #RoevWade to remain the law of the land, the group asserted. The #MarchforLife & @usccb want folks to think they speak for Catholics, but nothing could be further from the truth. Pro-choice Catholics: you are not alone! #LiberateAbortion #AbortionIsEssential. FACT: 68% of Catholics want #RoeVWade to remain the law of the land. The #MarchForLife & @usccb want folks to think they speak for Catholics, but nothing could be further from the truth. Pro-choice Catholics: you are not alone!#LiberateAbortion#AbortionIsEssentialpic.twitter.com/qr5RFMX69Z Catholics for Choice (@Catholic4Choice) January 20, 2022 A video shared on social media revealed additional messages displayed on the Basilica, which included a proclamation that 1 in 4 abortion patients is Catholic as well as a call to stop stigmatizing and start listening. Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of the archdiocese, reacted to the light show with a statement. The true voice of the Church was only to be found within The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception last evening, he said. There, people prayed and offered the Eucharist asking God to restore a true reverence for all human life. Those whose antics projected words on the outside of the church building demonstrated by those pranks that they really are external to the Church and they did so at night John 13:30. The Bible passage Gregory spoke of recounts the events of the Last Supper, where Judas Iscariot betrays Jesus by turning him over to the Romans. Jesus was crucified shortly after on Good Friday. The passage reads: As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread, he went out. It was night. Catholics for Choice President Jamie Manson responded to Gregorys statement by declaring on Twitter that the idea that support for abortion is external to the church is a tragic denial of reality. We went to the Basilica to draw attention to the fact that women in the church have abortions, Manson wrote. Those are likely the women who serve as his lectors and Eucharistic ministers; who sew his vestments and wash his dishes. To ignore them is to betray them. The pro-life movement calls them murders without ever hearing their stories, Manson continued. They push for a political cause w/out regard for the disproportionate suffering it will inflict on women, poor families & people of color. Describing Catholics for Choice as a part of this church who are asking to be heard, Manson cited the Bible passage Romans 8:38-39 as justification for Catholic support for abortion. Apostle Paul writes, I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, which contains all the churchs teachings, affirms the moral evil of every procured abortion and condemns the policy as gravely contrary to moral law. Additionally, the catechism asserts that formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense punishable by the canonical penalty of excommunication. J.D. Long-Garcia, the senior editor at America Magazine, a Jesuit publication, wrote in an op-ed that Catholics for Choices actions could be considered sacrilege. Even if we do not consider the sacrilege, this prank is childish and rude, he wrote. Imagine going to the movies only to discover someone projecting messages on the lead characters forehead. Or imagine someone projecting Trump 2024 on the garage of the Democrat next door. It undercuts their own cause by potentially alienating pro-choice Catholics who see this stunt for what it is, he continued. I imagine such Catholics would feel similar to my conservative family and friends who bemoan the prominence of the QAnon movement in the media. And while I am a Christian, I never want to be associated with the Westboro Baptist Church and their hateful actions against the L.G.B.T. community. Not all Christians are like that. In 2004, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI, sent a letter to Gregory and other top church leaders in the U.S. He contended that the grave sin of abortion, when a persons formal cooperation becomes manifest ..., his pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Churchs teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself to Holy Communion until he brings an end to the objective situation of sin. The debate on whether pro-choice Catholic politicians can participate fully in the church has intensified in the past year after President Joe Biden, a Catholic Democrat, took office. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops debated implementing a national policy instructing priests to withhold communion from Catholic politicians who advocate for permissive abortion laws that directly contradict the denominations teachings. Gregory was among the Catholic leaders who indicated that he would not deny Biden communion if he presented himself for the Eucharist at his church. The USCCB approved the drafting of a formal statement on the meaning of the Eucharist in the life of the church at its General Assembly earlier this year. Following criticism and allegations that it was designed to rebuke pro-abortion Catholics, the body of bishops insisted that the document being drafted is not meant to be disciplinary in nature and that the question of whether or not to deny any individual or groups Holy Communion was not on the ballot. South Dakota House committee rejects Gov. Noems bill to 'restore protections for prayer in schools' A Republican-controlled South Dakota House committee rejected Republican Gov. Kristi Noems bill that would require public schools to set aside time for students to pray every morning if they so choose, reportedly due to pressure from education groups. The bill, introduced in December, would require a moment of silence in schools to begin the school day. But it was rejected by the House Education Committee on Friday after education groups argued that voluntary prayer is already allowed in schools and the proposed legislation could imply an unclear mandate, The Associated Press reports. The legislation would mandate that no school employee may dictate the action to be taken by students or teachers during the moment of silence and that no student may interfere with another students engagement in the moment of silence. It also clarified that the language in the bill shouldnt be construed to permit schools to conduct the moment of silence as a religious exercise. But Rep. Will Mortenson, a Republican, contends that the language in the bill is vague. Maybe its me, but I view prayer as something that is personal and not performative, he was quoted as saying. The governors office had reportedly not consulted groups representing schools and the teachers union on the proposal, but Noems office argued that 15 other states had similar measures. Allen Cambon, the governors policy advisor, told the House committee that the bill would serve as a valuable learning opportunity and a chance to establish a sense of calm and decorum before students and teachers begin their busy day. A press statement from Noems office when the bill was introduced in December characterized the bill as an effort to restore protections for prayer in the classroom. The separation of church and state advocacy groups raised concerns with similar bills introduced or passed in other states. The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which advocates for a strict separation of church and state, wrote a letter to the Ohio Senate last month criticizing Senate Bill 248 as an unconstitutional promotion of religion. The bill was introduced in October and would also mandate a daily moment of silence in schools. The Wisconsin-based advocacy group expressed particular opposition to the language of the bill calling on each public school district to provide for a moment of silence each school day for prayer, reflection, or meditation upon a moral, philosophical, or patriotic theme. Similar to the Alabama law at issue in [the Supreme Court ruling] Wallace v. Jaffree, Ohios moment of silence law states that the moment of silence is for prayer, reflection, or meditation upon a moral, philosophical or patriotic theme, the letter reads. The only difference is that Ohios law suggests prayer first rather than second, making the endorsement even more clear. This runs squarely into Supreme Court precedent. In the 1985 decision, the nations high court ruled that Alabama could not require teachers to conduct prayer and religious activities during the school day. In a December statement, Noem shared her belief that every student deserves the opportunity to begin their day with a calm, silent moment. I hope students will take this opportunity to say a quick prayer or reflect on their upcoming day, she said. However they choose to take advantage of this time, it will be beneficial to students and teachers alike. Last June, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law that would give students a daily opportunity to reflect and be able to pray as they see fit. DeSantis described the moment-of-silence bill as legislation that counters attempts to push God out of every institution. In 2019, Noem signed a law that mandates that all public schools display the national motto In God We Trust. Kirk Cameron says abortion is a 'personal issue' for him and his family at March for Life Actor says wife was 'one doctor appointment away from not existing' Pro-life Christian actor Kirk Cameron said that it was "thrilling" to speak at the March for Life this year, and he hopes the annual march that takes place around the anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision would continue even if the contentious Supreme Court ruling is overturned. Tens of thousands of pro-life activists and politicians gathered at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Friday for the annual March for Life. The "Growing Pains" star gave remarks on the main stage to those gathered not long before they marched from the National Mall to the U.S. Supreme Court building. In an interview with The Christian Post on Friday after the march, Cameron said he was excited to be there, saying he believed the attendees had "cold hands, but very warm hearts." "People were singing, and smiling and there with their kids. My family was there with me, and it was inspiring to hear the speakers," he said, noting that Katie Shaw, a pro-life advocate with Down syndrome, spoke before him. "She gave a speech that just brought the house down. They were chanting her name after her speech. I had big shoes to fill, and I just expressed how personal this issue is for me. This issue of life." During his speech, the actor spoke about how his wife was adopted after being "one doctor appointment away from not existing." Had she been aborted, his two biological children would have never existed, and his four adopted children would not have a home. "My six children and my wife are here as a result of loving, compassionate and courageous people like you who are marching today," he said. Cameron promoted his new movie project titled "Lifemark," based on a true story of an adoption that positively influenced many lives. Cameron will serve as executive producer for the film and play the role of the adoptive father, working along with the Kendrick brothers, who were behind films like "Courageous" and "Facing the Giants." "Someone sent me a brief documentary of a true story that was so inspiring and meant so much to me personally that I decided to turn it into a feature film," Cameron told CP. "I wanted to illustrate the value of every life and all of its potential and also to show the beauty of adoption and demonstrate how even one person's life can powerfully impact so many others." In a video posted to his Facebook page during the march, Cameron said, "the reason why we are here is that the Bible says those who hate love death." "But we're the family of faith and we love God. Therefore, we love life," he said. "We love children and we love moms and dads and families. And our hope is not in Washington, D.C. In fact, it's not in the people who govern us or the laws that we make as a nation. Our hope is in the power of God working in the hearts of His people. That's why we are here." This year's March for Life comes at a time when many believe that the U.S. Supreme Court is close to overturning Roe v. Wade, as it is expected to rule on Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban by June after hearing arguments in December. Cameron speculated that he would not be surprised if the March for Life remained as a community gathering even if Roe is overturned or weakened this year. "People so enjoy being with each other, even out in the cold. You have 100,000 people standing for hours and hours and hours outside and they have smiles on their faces. They're just loving being there together," he said. "This is really just a symbol for the marching orders that we hear in our hearts, which is to value life at all stages, all people. And so, I hope that it does continue. It doesn't always need to be a protest against a law, but if it morphs into a giant celebration, I think that would be a great annual get together." Michigan youth pastor charged with sexually abusing 4 minors, 2 younger than 13 A 28-year-old youth pastor in Michigan has been charged with sexually assaulting four children and faces charges of indecent exposure and distributing explicit content. William Stefan Wahl, who worked at the River Church in Kimball, was charged Friday with two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct of a person younger than 13 and two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct of a person ages 13 to 16, according to court records. He was also charged with distributing obscene matter to children, aggravated indecent exposure and using computers to commit a crime. Wahl refused to enter a plea as records indicate that he stood mute" during his arraignment. Wahl is accused of sexually abusing four juvenile victims from the church, St. Clair County Sheriff Mat King was quoted as saying by The Port Huron Times Herald. The sheriffs office began investigating Wahl after it received a complaint of sexual assault of a child in late 2021. According to Fox 2, the investigation revealed that there were four victims involved two of which were younger than 13 and some of allegations dated back to 2014. The Times Herald noted that the victims ranged in age from 10 to 17. There could be more victims, authorities believe. Bond was set at $25,000 and was posted on Monday. Attorney Stephen Rabaut represents Wahl. In November, Bill Wahl, the co-lead pastor of the River Church, said in a statement that within hours after the church leadership learned about possible child abuse of two minors, the church board terminated the employee and reported the allegations to authorities. Additionally, the parents of the children involved were told of the allegations. It is unclear what the pastors relationship is to the defendant. Earlier this month, a former youth pastor in Indiana was sentenced to 20 years in prison for molesting several boys aged 11 to 13 for several years. An Elkhart County judge sentenced 46-year-old Scott Christner, formerly a youth group leader for First Baptist Church in Goshen, to three 9-year sentences for Level 4 felonies. Twenty of those years will be served in prison with seven suspended, WNDU reported at the time. Christner also received two seven-year sentences for two Class C felonies to be served along with the remaining suspended sentence in case he violates his parole after serving the prison time. He was convicted of molesting children dating back as far as 2012, according to court documents. In a written statement, a victim referred to Christners double life, pretending to be a kind, giving man, while also molesting kids. In a separate case early this month, the Reformed Presbyterian Church placed Jared Olivetti, a pastor of Immanuel Reformed Presbyterian Church in West Lafayette, Indiana, on leave pending its investigation into accusations of covering up sexual abuse involving minors in his congregation. The pastor and three elders eventually resigned. The incidents of abuse took place on and off church property between spring 2019 and March 2020, according to IndyStar. The newspaper revealed that eight victims from multiple families reported over- and under-clothes touching, oral-genital contact and penetration by a boy at the church believed to be related to Olivetti. Holocaust Remembrance Day: 'Never again' Yesterday, January 27, marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It was on this date in 1945 that Soviet troops took control of the extensive Auschwitz labor and extermination complex that the Nazi Reich operated from 1940-45, finally liberating the remaining survivors. Of the 1.3 million people who were taken to Auschwitz, 1.1 million were murdered. Of that number, 865,000 Jews were killed by lethal gas upon arrival. Others succumbed to starvation, disease, beatings, execution and medical experimentation. The Red Army soldiers experienced shock and disbelief as they approached and liberated the camp. These were hardened men, having fought the Nazis since June 1941. In December 1941, they had retreated to the outer perimeter of urban Moscow. Yet, they fought their way back after turning the tide of the war in late 1942 and were in the outskirts of Krakow, Poland, approaching the pre-war German-Polish border. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museums Holocaust Encyclopedia has a page devoted to giving a brief descriptive overview of the Nazi camps. The Encyclopedia states that in its 12 years of existence, the Nazi state established more than 44,000 camps and other incarceration sites (including ghettos). And these were used for a a range of purposes, including forced labor, detention of people thought to be enemies of the state, and for mass murder. Imagine the death and destruction Soviet soldiers witnessed walking through the tragic scenes the Nazis left behind in Auschwitz. In addition to the carnage in the camps, there was the endless destruction brought about by the war itself being fought eastward to Moscow and back to near-Germany with millions of men bombing, shelling, and shooting apart so much of the pre-war civilization that existed in these regions. They must have already seen many horrific sites in the past several years, yet Soviet soldiers were appalled by what they saw in Auschwitz. The level of brutality and depravity seen there was beyond comprehension. Of course, it still is. Yet, the Nazis did not operate haphazardly. Hitler held to a racial hierarchy of human life. In it, the most despised were the Jews. The Nazis targeted the Jews and psychologically manipulated the German people to other them. They accused the Jews of being the source of every sort of evil in the world. Thus, their complete extermination would be a paramount goal of the Reichs war aims. The Holocaust is unique for its horror and scale in world history. In the other cases, the perpetrators of genocides targeted a people group because they occupied territory that the perpetrator wanted free and clear: They lived next to each other, one group had to go. The extermination of the Jews by the Reich was a different thing altogether. Hitler sought the killing of the Jews in all places. When the Nazis invaded North Africa, they brought SS killing teams to hunt down Jews in Africa. The Isle of Guernsey, Corfu, Tunisia, Norway, Sicily, the Caucuses all became killing fields for Jews. There was no realpolitik reasoning for it. Hitler sought a metaphysical purge of the Jews from the earth reminiscent of the same demonic drive exhibited in the Book of Esther (Esther 3:5-6). Satan hates God, and he hates the Jews for their relationship with Him. It is a hatred that never rests. There has never been anything like the tragedy of the Holocaust. That is why we observe International Holocaust Remembrance Day. We remember the victims, and we renew our commitment to Never Again allow this to happen. Originally published at the Family Research Council. The human costs of Chinas demographic collapse Last week, China announced that its birth rate hit a record low in 2021 after five years of decline. In 2021, Chinas population growth rate was up a measly 0.034 percent, while the number of births per thousand people fell to 7.52 in 2021 from an already low number of 8.52 in 2022. Years of propaganda and policies discouraging families from having more than one child have had a major impact. Now, Chinese officials are scrambling to come up with ways to reverse the self-inflicted damage. For over three decades, China brutally enforced its one-child policy, even utilizing forced abortions and sterilizations. The damage wrought by the policy is not just psychological or cultural, but also physical. A Wall Street Journal article on Chinas urging of parents to have children notes that multiple abortions impact womens bodies and infertility is a possible consequence, according to anthropologist Ayo Wahlberg. Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leaders first instituted the one-child policy due to their concern that the growing population would strain the economy. Now, they worry about the economic cost of slowing population growth and the possibility of population decline. Mainstream media outlets cover the possibility of Chinas population decline mainly as a troubling development for the rising powers economy. Rightfully so. China has an aging population and fewer young workers to support the elderly. A decline in the birth rate and certainly a population decline overall would have high economic costs. But it will also have a human cost; thats because families matter. Individuals belonging to a healthy family will have a support system when they age. Children and families can act as a hedge against loneliness (especially in old age) and lend purpose and meaning to life. These benefits cannot be underestimated. With population decline, nations will lose much more than numbers. In China, the ramifications already harm millions. Most Chinese adults born under the one-child policy have no siblings and bear the weight of supporting their elderly parents alone. And only children whose parents are also only children lack the larger support network and community of an extended family. Nothing illustrates the human cost of population decline quite like the bizarre cultural phenomena it is currently causing in Japan. For Japanese brides or grooms with few family members, relatives can be rented to attend weddings. For those who want the affection of a pet without the responsibility of caring for them, robot pets and rental pets are increasingly common. Meanwhile, there are now so few people that one in eight houses sit vacant; so many that there is a term for them akiya. The Institute for Family Studies points out that low fertility rates very directly impact the lives of those who experience missing births, including rising loneliness to aging alone to less happiness. Chinese leaders are scrambling to undo the damage of the one-child policy and encourage births, but some think it may be too late. Theres an air of fear in China regarding having children. Its impossible to believe that decades of propaganda against having additional children (and abusive measures taken against families that do) is not largely to blame for this. Many couples view having multiple children as too much of a burden. Education and extracurricular costs for children are extremely high, and a culture that prioritizes career growth undercuts the importance of family. Repressive government policies against ethnic minorities only exacerbate Chinas demographic challenges. In Xinjiang, Chinese authorities are committing genocide against the Uyghur people by preventing births through forced abortions and sterilizations. The brutality of the atrocities being carried out in this region is difficult to comprehend, and women of reproductive age bear the brunt of these policies. If Chinese leaders truly want to raise the birth rate, a good first step is to stop committing genocide. After decades of tinkering with population control, Chinese leaders have not learned their lesson. The number of children a couple is allowed to have is currently up to three, but any limitation should be removed. Chinese people and Uyghur people ought to be free to have as many children as they desire. Chinese leaders should resist the temptation to use heavy-handed policies to force a rise in the birth rate. Instead of coercive measures to fix its demographic issues, they should focus on affirming the inherent value of every human life and the deep importance of families. The world is beautiful and full of adventure. Instead of worrying about fleeting career advancements or economic gain, couples should open their hearts to invite more children in to enjoy it. Having kids can be scary but they can also make you a better person. Governments dont need coercive policies; they need only to affirm the profound importance of families, a truth people know deep down but need reminded of. In China and all countries experiencing lower birth rates, a change of heart about children and families can make all the difference. Originally published at the Family Research Council. We are meat, we are potential carcasses: Francis Bacons search for the animal spirit in us all Francis Bacon: Man and Beast a new exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London supported by Christies offers a compelling reappraisal of the artists fascination with animals and their connection to our own primal instinct When the British broadcaster David Attenborough was asked in 2018 which animal scared him the most, he replied, a human being, recalling an incident with a man who didnt like the look of him. He had a gun in his hand and he had been drinking. That is a dangerous animal. Such a description would have resonated with the artist Francis Bacon (1909-1992), who sought to reflect in his haunting, unforgettable paintings the animalistic nature of man. We are meat, we are potential carcasses, he once said. If I go into a butchers shop I always think it is surprising that I wasnt there instead of the animal. On 29 January Francis Bacon: Man and Beast opens at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. According to the curator, and the artists biographer, Michael Peppiatt, the central question of the exhibition is: How animal are we, and how much more dangerous do we become when we attempt to hide it beneath a veneer of civilisation? The show reveals that man and beast were inseparable in Bacons vision. He studied animals intently in the firm belief that the more he observed them, the better he would understand humanity. Open a larger version of this image Francis Bacon, Head I, 1948. Oil and tempera on board, 100.3 x 74.9 cm. Lent by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bequest of Richard S. Zeisler, 2007 (2007.247.1). The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved, DACS/Artimage 2021. Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd Francis Bacon was born in Ireland to English parents. His father was a horse trainer, and the family house in County Kildare was surrounded by the trappings of country life dogs, horses and hunting. Animals, however, triggered the young boys asthma and much of Bacons childhood was spent in sickly confinement. He described his father as narrow and unpleasant and with a streak of sadism. At the age of 16, Bacon was banished from home for wearing his mothers underwear. His parents sent him to Berlin in the hope that it would straighten him out. It did not. In Weimar Germany, Bacon was introduced to every sexual proclivity known to man. Berlin is the buggers daydream, said the poet W.H. Auden, who was there at the time. There are 170 male brothels under police protection. No sexual desire was taboo. In 1928 Bacon moved to Paris, where he discovered Picasso. He is the reason why I paint, he said to the critic David Sylvester. He is the father figure, who gave me the wish to paint. By the early 1930s he was back in England and making a name for himself as an up-and-coming artist. He found inspiration for his paintings in the permissive darkness of Soho, a place he described as his sexual gymnasium. There, amid the gangsters and rent boys of Londons underworld, he was a predator in search of raw human nature. Open a larger version of this image Francis Bacon, Second Version of Triptych 1944, 1988. Oil paint and acrylic paint on 3 canvases. 198 x 147.5 cm (each). Tate: Presented by the artist 1991. The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved, DACS/Artimage 2021. Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd It was not until 1944 that Bacon came to prominence, with the shocking triptych Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion. The painting depicts three howling creatures that seem to have been subjected to some unspeakable act of violence. The figures are barely recognisable as people more a collection of severed limbs and greying flesh, the colour of decomposition against a violent orange background. The philosopher Gilles Deleuze suggested that Bacons obsession with screaming mouths was perhaps the whole bodys response to the immense pity that meat provokes, and certainly the artist often drew parallels between carcasses hanging in a slaughterhouse and Christs Crucifixion. In 1952, the artist was photographed by John Deakin for Vogue, stripped to the waist and holding two carcasses. The subtext was clear humans and non-humans are more alike than different. Bacons name, after all, was synonymous with meat. Open a larger version of this image Francis Bacon, Study for Chimpanzee, 1957. Oil and pastel on canvas. 152.4 x 117 cm. Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York. Photo: David Heald (NYC). The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved. DACS 2021 When not in Soho, Bacon liked to visit London Zoo, observing the chimpanzees and baboons and taking note of their sharp teeth and wide mouths, which would later appear as raging furies in his paintings. He discovered the photographs of animals in motion by Eadweard Muybridge (1830-1904) in the Victoria and Albert Museum, and used them as source material. In the 1950s he travelled to southern Africa to study big game and collected books on wildlife, becoming friends with the photographer Peter Beard. Bacon was attracted to people with a fierce animal confidence, like his sadistic lover Peter Lacy or the artist Isabel Rawsthorne. He painted their portraits with smeary, simian faces, stripping away human respectability to reveal the animal spirit within. Like the work of the Belarussian painter Chaim Soutine, whom he described as one of the very finest artists of our time, Bacons portraits were often indistinguishable from his sinewy depictions of flayed meat and dead animals a bloodied mass of blue and red paint. Open a larger version of this image Francis Bacon, Portrait of George Dyer Crouching, 1966. Oil on canvas. 198 x 147 cm. Private collection. The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved, DACS/Artimage 2021. Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd Cages were another obsession, often imprisoning his subjects behind lines of thick paint. The Royal Academy exhibition was delayed because of Covid-19, and no doubt Bacon would have enjoyed the irony. All his figures seem to be held in some form of lockdown, tortured by the awareness of their own mortality. Sign up today Christies Online Magazine delivers our best features, videos, and auction news to your inbox every week Subscribe Scientists fear that a new COVID-19 sub-variant is more contagious than Omicron have been bolstered by maps depicting the distribution of the virus in the United Kingdom. BA.2 is a sub-variant of Omicron that has many of the same traits as Omicron 2 but with a variety of mutations. "Omicron's sister," "Omicron's brother," and "Omicron's son" have all been used to describe it. You get the point: it's closely connected to Omicron, regardless of which family member you like. BA is a term used to describe a group of people. More than 40 nations have now been identified as having two sub-variants, with Europe being the most common. In Denmark, for example, where it has surpassed the original Omicron variety, it now accounts for over half of all COVID-19 cases. Britain under threat of new variants In the United Kingdom, this has not happened yet. However, it can be seen in the graphs that it is rapidly increasing. As part of its research into the spread of COVID-19 variants in the UK, the Wellcome Sanger Institute has generated this map. At the start of the month, 2 was essentially non-existent in the United Kingdom. After a fortnight, there are hotspots throughout the nation. There were 186 occurrences of the sub-variant by January 1, around 1700 the following week and 4400 the following week, according to the institution, as per News. Dr. Tom Peacock, a virologist at Imperial College London, is sure that the new sub-variant is not a cross between Delta and Omicron. Since November, the strain, Omicron BA.2, has been discovered more than 420 times in the United Kingdom, with instances spreading to other regions of Europe and India. The UK Health Security Agency categorized BA.2 as a "variant under investigation" last week (UKHSA). With early clues showing it might be even more transmissible than the dominant form of Omicron, known as BA.1, but no more dangerous, we still have a lot to learn about the mutation. Read Also: Anthony Fauci Says Children Aged 4 Below Will Receive 3 Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine But Declines To Predict Vaccinations' Timetable New Omicron variant BA.2 spreads quickly With almost 6,400 confirmed cases, Denmark appears to be the hub of the new variety, according to global statistics. However, doctors have stated that there is no need to be concerned and that new mutations are constantly expected, according to Mirror. Although there are three Omicron lineages (BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3), according to the WHO, only BA.2 seems to be surpassing the original strain. Until now, the UKHSA hasn't been able to pinpoint where it came from. The agency revealed that it has found the strain 426 times, suggesting that the proportion of cases made up by BA.2 was still 'low'. So far, most cases have been reported in London (146) and the South East (97). Because of one of the variant's unique characteristics - a deletion of the spike "S" gene - it was quite straightforward to trace Britain's Omicron boom. A common PCR test, known as genome sequencing, might be utilized to detect a strain without the need for a long laboratory examination. Because the Omicron variant did not have the same PCR "S-gene target failure"impact as the other strains in circulation at the time, including Delta, the deletion allowed them to stand out. With BA.2, however, this does not appear to be the case. If someone with BA.2 has COVID-19, PCR testing will still detect it. BA.2 samples, on the other hand, will need to be sent to a lab for further testing to see if anyone has caught that particular lineage. As part of the UK's pioneering surveillance program, original Omicron samples are still handed on. However, according to scientists, there is no reason to be excessively concerned about the strain, as per Mail Online. Related Article: Pfizer Human Trials for Omicron-Specific COVID-19 Vaccine Begins: Full Details @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A federal judge resentenced Tiger King Joe Exotic to 21 years in prison on Friday, rejecting pleas from the former zookeeper to free him from prison. Joe Exotic whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage was convicted in a murder-for-hire case involving animal welfare activist Carole Baskin. Both were featured in Netflixs Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness. Maldonado-Passage was resentenced after a federal appeals court ruled last year that improper sentencing guidelines were used. Prosecutors say Maldonado-Passage tried to hire two people including an undercover FBI agent to kill Baskin, whod criticized his treatment of animals. But Maldonado-Passages attorneys said he wasnt being serious. Baskin attended the sentencing in Oklahoma City. Last month, attorneys said Maldonado-Passage was delaying prostate cancer treatment until after his resentencing. His legal team has argued that the two counts against him should have been combined, which would have lowered his overall sentence by more than four years. Maldonado-Passage was previously sentenced to 22 years. A motion filed in federal court in December said Maldonado-Passage would delay cancer treatments until after his resentencing. He transferred from a federal medical center in Fort Worth, Texas, to a federal medical center in Butner, North Carolina. Federal officials have said Maldonado-Passage will need up to eight weeks of radiation treatments and would be unable to travel during the treatments. The motion said Maldonado-Passage was told by his physicians that his condition can currently be safely monitored. The Associated Press contributed to this article. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Honor Cafe owner Chris Sadler describes it as an all hands on deck situation this weekend. Earlier in the week ahead of Saturdays Save America rally featuring former President Donald Trump, Conroe-area businesses especially those in the hospitality sector were beefing up on their staff anticipating more business than usual as more people are expected to visit the city for the rally. On YourConroeNews.com: Montgomery County approves OT pay for security at Save America rally Visit Conroe Director Shannon Overby said the Visit Conroe staff members have received many calls and emails about the event. They have also fielded many requests asking for lodging information on local hotels and RV sites in the area an indicator that many travelers are headed this way. Sadler, owner of the veteran-themed Honor Cafe in Conroe, will be ready with a full staff this weekend and hell have staff in place to keep the food moving at peak times. On HoustonChronicle.com: Donald Trumps upcoming Houston-area rally is like Coachella for Texas GOP candidates I think a lot of people are going to show up in this area that dont live in this area, he said. Even if its people from Spring, Houston, League City or Tomball, those are visitors we wouldnt normally have in this area on the weekend. He also did not book any events in Honor Cafes meeting space for this weekend to be able to allow for extra diners. As a business owner, he believes that the rally will introduce out of towners to everything the city has to offer. On YourConroeNews.com: Preparation underway for Trump rally in Conroe Anyway we can get good people to come up to our area is a good thing, he said. According to Overby, a hotel-impact report due out next week will show the impact of the event on local hotels. Gates open at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds at 2 p.m. with the former president scheduled to speak around 7 p.m. Texas GOP leaders expected to speak at the event include Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton and Commissioner Sid Miller among others. shernandez@hcnonline.com China seeks Saudi Arabia to improve relations via military and technological assistance as the US is losing ground in the Middle East. A reported source said that a 400% growth in arms-related sales that ignored Washington, Middle Eastern states are leaving the sphere of western influence. This signals a chance for Beijing to outflank Joe Biden's flawed US policy, which has caused havoc in international relations. China, Saudi Arabia military alliance The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has supported China on Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang issues, much to Americans and the West's dismay. On Thursday, a call between China's defense minister, General Wei Fenghe, and Saudi Arabia's representative indicated a broadening military pact in the making, reported the Express. A shift of Saudi support to China is a big headache to president Joe Biden after losing Afghanistan and getting blamed for the worsening standoff between Moscow and Kyiv. Petroleum has been one of the exports bought by the US from the KSA and one of its oldest allies, but things had changed when the new US administration took charge. If it was distant now, it is more pronounced. One of these factors is the alleged killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 that caused a divide between the two nations, cited France 24 Increased production of shale oil in the US has made it more energy independent on Saudi oil compared to before. Prospective Beijing and Riyadh relationship General Wei and Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's deputy defense minister, had a meeting that ended in a push to cooperation and better solidarity between the two militaries with military and technological assistance. Read Also: UAE, Bahrain and Israel Signed Agreement to Re-Establish Ties After a Quarter Century According to South China Morning Post states that Mr. Wei asked the two countries to stop the bullying and hegemony by keeping their mutual interests at the forefront. The Prince agreed and wanted stronger unity to move up military ties. We told the KSA official that China respects Saudi sovereignty and will support its aspirations to improve its technology with other concerns. Beijing is busily outflanking a struggling White House hamper by an allegedly ineffective leader losing the Middle East. Trump authored the Abraham Accord, which could have been a tool, but it was dropped. China uses its advantages to court KSA and kicks out the already waning US from global power. Early January saw Wang Yi of the Chinese Foreign Ministry had a meeting with Gulf states to encourage them to have free trade talks in the future. In the meeting with Wang, Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al Saud had a favorable outlook on the prospective relationship between Beijing and Riyadh. Getting Saudi approval to a higher level is important to China's foreign policy. KSA buying more weapons from other sources. To date, the US sells the most arms to the kingdom, with 24% sold from 2016 to 2020 mentioned by Sipri, an arms research organization. But less has been bought recently. A 400% increase sold in Chinese arms, but CNN said that the Saudis were getting help in its ballistic missile program with Beijing last December. So far, Joe Biden has not attempted to contact the current Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud since February. Saudi Arabia and the military and technical assistance rendered by the Chinese for its weapons program, which the US has not supported. Also, the KSA is an independent state which cannot be dictated upon. Related Article: Trump Earns Nobel Peace Prize Nomination for the Israel-UAE Peace Deal @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate For each of the past few years, students at Texas A&M International University in Laredo have been presented with a rare travel opportunity: a two-week trip to Azerbaijan to study energy, business and policy. The excursions have been facilitated by local U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, who has touted the vast opportunity to strengthen South Texas relationship with Azerbaijan. Its one of the many ways that Cuellar has taken particular interest in the oil-rich former Soviet republic. Cuellar has taken his own trips there and even co-chairs the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus. This month, those ties have generated new interest after Cuellars home and office in Laredo were raided by the FBI. Authorities have not said what they were looking for, and its unclear whether Cuellar is a target of any investigation. But ABC News reported the raid was part of a federal grand jury probe. Subpoenas reviewed from the probe by ABC News reportedly sought records from a number of organizations with ties to Azerbaijan, in addition to three Texas-based companies with ties to Cuellars wife, Imelda. Cuellar released a defiant statement on Tuesday, and law enforcement has not charged him with any crimes. There is an ongoing investigation that will show that there is no wrongdoing on my part, he said on a video his campaign released. I pride myself on being your congressman and always doing things honestly, ethically and the right way, he added. But the whole incident set off questions about why he has been so be eager to advocate for Azerbaijan, an ex-Soviet country with a troubled recent history on issues like corruption and human rights. Cuellar didnt return a request for comment Wednesday and hasnt addressed his relationship with Azerbaijan since last weeks raid. Azerbaijan has had a turbulent history since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. It borders the Caspian Sea and is otherwise surrounded by Iran, Armenia, Georgia and Russia. Its predominantly Muslim, with an economy based on oil exports. But since gaining independence, it has a reputation for corruption and dynastic leadership. The CIA World Factbook describes it as a place where corruption remains a burden on the economy, and Western observers and members of the countrys political opposition have accused the government of authoritarianism, pointing to elections that are neither free nor fair, state control of the media, and the systematic abuse of human rights targeting individuals and groups who are perceived as threats to the administration. Azerbaijan has a uniquely aggressive official lobbying arm in Washington, according to a dozen interviews with members of Congress and Capitol Hill aides. Some members simply put their name on a list called the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, but there is hardly a more devoted congressional advocate for the country than Cuellar, who has been one of the caucus co-chairs. In 2014, he and the Azerbaijani ambassador visited the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio together and Cuellar spoke of the vast opportunity to strengthen South Texas relationship with Azerbaijan. A year earlier, he and his wife, Imelda, traveled to Azerbaijan, at a cost of nearly $25,000. The trip was paid for by the Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians, a Texas-based nonprofit. For the next several years, Cuellar frequently collaborated with Kemal Oksuz, the leader of the nonprofit. A few months later, a Cuellar staffer took an additional trip to Azerbaijan that also included U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, and nine other members. The trip was approved by the Congressional Ethics Office, but The Washington Post later reported the Azerbaijani governments state oil company secretly funded the junket. Jackson Lee and other members who went on that trip publicly stated at the time that they were misled and that the House Ethics Committee signed off on the trip. Oksuz was later charged with covering up the source of the funding. He pleaded guilty to the charges in 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The government stated at the time that Oksuz falsely represented and certified on required disclosure forms that the Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasions had not accepted funding for the Congressional trip from any outside source. Oksuz and Cuellar also worked together on the Texas A&M International partnership. But nowhere is Cuellars relationship more formally recognized than in his position as co-chair of the caucus. The caucus is a small, bipartisan group within which Texas has an outsized presence. There is not a publicly available official list of members in the caucus, but third parties have published past tallies of the caucus, and several Texans confirmed they are a part of the group. It is widely perceived that the source of these members interest is tied to the oil industry. In or out of the caucus, Texans have demonstrated support for Azerbaijan in various ways, including authoring op-eds, giving floor speeches and traveling to the country. U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, a Brownsville Democrat, took to the House floor in 2014 when Russia invaded Crimea, a part of Ukraine. He called for bolstering former Soviet satellite states in the face of Russian aggression. With the volatility and strategic importance of this region, the U.S. must continue to work with its allies such as Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Georgia to ensure their sovereignty is protected, especially in light of Russias actions in the Crimean Peninsula, he said. Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Weber of Friendswood concurred on the concerns about Russian aggression toward former Soviet satellite states. A sensible energy policy is multi-pronged, and Azerbaijan is part of that equation, especially in relation to the discussion on neutralizing Russia, he wrote in an op-ed in The Washington Times in 2015. The spokesperson to U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey of Fort Worth, another Democratic member, released a statement: Rep. Veasey has been a supporter of facilitating peace and harmonized relations in the Caucasus region between Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia and has also supported efforts to lower tensions in the region through his position on a U.S. commission that monitors human rights abuses. Similarly, U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas, joined the caucus in the early 2000s, citing Azerbaijans importance as a geostrategic partner, according to her spokesperson. Another Texan who surfaced on the lists is Democratic U.S. Rep. Al Green of Houston, who declined to comment for this story. In total, there are approximately two dozen members of Congress in the caucus. It's a politically and geographically disparate group, with the one commonality that the members are mainstream members of the Republican and Democratic caucuses. But not all Capitol Hill caucuses are equal in relevance. For instance, the Congressional Black Caucus, the most decisive bloc in House Democratic politics, meets regularly and leverages its interests by operating as an organized unit. Very little happens in the Democratic Party without that groups signoff. That is not the case with the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus. Its one of hundreds of causes rooted in issues, hobbies, ethnic background or esoteric interests. Most of these groups never or rarely meet, as is the case with the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus. For instance, there is a Congressional Auto Care Caucus, a Bourbon Caucus and a Congressional Writers Caucus. Some of the more serious, foreign-policy-minded caucuses are comprised of members whose districts include the country in questions expatriates. Or the members themselves might share an ethnic background with the country. Or, as is most often the case, a country like Azerbaijan hires a lobbyist to round up support, and those lobbyists target members on relevant committees. In this case, the obvious members to recruit serve on committees that deal with foreign affairs. Cuellar serves on only one committee, appropriations, which is where members decide where and how to dole out federal money. Within that committee, he specializes in funding homeland security and the Pentagon and could one day be the chair of one of those subcommittees. Still, a congresspersons support for Azerbaijan can generate some backlash. The country and neighboring Armenia have been at war on and off since the early 1990s, and the Armenian lobby brings bipartisan firepower to Capitol Hill, with backing as varied as that of Democratic U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and outgoing Republican U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes, both of California. With hot tensions between the two countries, congressional support for one of those communities is perceived as mutually exclusive to the other. Sensitivities are so delicate that Capitol Hill aides looking to join the lobbying profession will consider whether countries like Azerbaijan are among a firms clients rather than defy their former bosses and their constituents. The Armenian Council of America went so far as to release a statement amid the Cuellar raid aftermath calling on members to resign from the Azerbaijan caucus. At this point, none of the Texans in the Azerbaijan caucus have changed their minds. As her primary opponents strive to make housing a prominent campaign issue, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is again seeking the feds for additional rent assistance. On Thursday, the governor filed a second petition to the Treasury Department, requesting an additional $1.6 billion in funding for landlords and renters who have asked for pandemic rental assistance. In recent weeks, Hochul has made a number of similar offers as the state's eviction moratorium has ended and a court ruling has compelled officials to resume the application process for the state's COVID-19 rent assistance program. Gov. Kathy Hochul offers several eviction moratorium Following the exhaustion of its initial $2 billion allocations earlier this month, the state's overburdened Emergency Rental Assistance Program. After receiving just under 300,000 applications, the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance awarded roughly $1.4 billion to landlords via 109,000 direct payments. The remaining money are related to applications that have been approved. With insufficient funding to meet the extra claims, reopening the application process earlier this month gave only short-term safeguards against evictions for struggling renters. After Hochul sought $996 million to cover the underfunded program, the Treasury Department only provided $27 million late last year. The governor joined five other states in asking for a reallocation of federal COVID aid left unspent earlier this month, according to New York Daily News. According to Hochul's office, New York State has simplified and expedited the delivery of rent assistance money. According to the authorities, more than 166,000 families were spared eviction and approximately $1.4 billion was handed to landlords via 109,000 direct payments. The state sought $996 million in reallocation financing from the Treasury Department after exhausting all initial monies for this program, which is nearly enough to satisfy about 70,000 unfilled applications. According to Hochul, the Treasury Department only gave New York $27 million more than it needed to cover less than 2,000 applications. Read Also: Conservative GOP Lawmakers Oppose Vaccine Mandates That Are Considered Tyrannical, Say These Should Not be Funded GOP slams Hochul's stance on controversial bail reform A joint letter to US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen was submitted earlier this month by New York, California, New Jersey, and Illinois, requesting increased government funds and ensuring that high-need states with substantial tenant populations are given priority. These four states have spent a total of $5.4 billion in federal rent relief since November, approximately 12% of the total $45.5 billion in federal rent relief distributed across all states, helping to stabilize over 625,000 families. Meanwhile, the Republican Party of New York on Thursday urged voters to remember Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul's support for the state's controversial bail reform law in November, as the legislation has come under increased scrutiny in the wake of the deaths of two New York City police officers who were shot in the line of duty, as per Silive. After the recent killings of NYPD Officers Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora in the line of duty, Democrats have been under heightened pressure from law enforcement authorities to put an end to gun violence. In New York City so far this year, five policemen have been shot, two of them fatally. As law enforcement officers lined the streets of Manhattan as Rivera's casket was taken to St. Patrick's Cathedral for his funeral, NYGOP Chairman Nick Langworthy issued a statement. On Monday, Adams unveiled his "Blueprint to End Gun Violence," which calls for reviving a modified version of the plainclothes anti-gun team that was dissolved by Bill de Blasio's predecessor. Adams congratulated Hochul, a fellow Democrat, for establishing the Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns in a speech at City Hall, but he acknowledged that bail reform has to be adjusted to keep felons off the streets, Fox News reported. Related Article: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul Shatters Records by Raising $21.6 Million For Election Campaign @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Robert Peston, an ITV Host, spoke to a former US security chief about his views on how then tense conflict is going about and how Russian President Vladimir Putin is handling it. He spoke to John Bolton, assistant to then-president Donald Trump as part of the National Security Affairs (NSA), regarding the border conflict. Last Wednesday night, the ex-Trump official said things are going bad, and the US and NATO are in the wrong spot. Putin Shows Control Bolton said that President Vladimir Putin is doing what he does best, making the West bereft of strong US leadership is fraying NATO are the edges. He is controlling the tempo of the Ukraine-Russia spat at the border with 1,000,000 troops causing chaos, reported Express UK. Despite the fear-mongering done by President Joe Biden by saying Russia will attack, Putin coolly says there are no such intentions while the White House has no effective response. He verbalized what the Kremlin is getting at that the Russian president sees how the US and NATO are not making the right moves. Otherwise, he's one step ahead of the rag-tag response of the alliance. The ex-adviser told Peston that the Kremlin leader has plans getting mulled over in a range of options that would be optional to consider, cited Daily Star Post. He added that Putin wants to sow divisiveness in a scrambling NATO, causing distrust among them which has been very successful. Another is to shame Joe Biden as the one who destroys Europe's trust by crushing Kyiv in many ways or planning a big show where the leading players will fail. According to Peston, the former US security chief is what the Kremlin wants. Read Also: Ex-Trump Security Adviser Says Taliban Could Get Nukes if Pakistan Falls to Them that Could Endanger the West The West is focused on Ukraine, and other places like Georgia, Belarus, and others are options. For now, Kyiv has lots of choices on how to squeeze the West. On Wednesday, the White House said that personal sanctions would be applied if the Russians invaded. So, far Putin has ignored Washington or its tirades, noted Reuters. White House issued warnings that Russia will regret rolling over the border on its southwest flank. Many experts have said that Russia has no such plans to attack Kyiv. Besides the US, Brussels has parroted what Biden said to no effect as their ranks are divided in its response. Shortsighted White House and EU Bolton said as denials of an all-out invasion of Ukraine are not the only option to get what he wants. Other options would be replacing the Zelinsky government or taking more and annexing another part of Ukraine's territory and claiming it. Saying Putin has outplayed everyone and is poised with the initiative to make the West shudder more. He added that the allies' response is failing, and they are getting deterred, not Russia. Too many problems in NATO, the EU, and the weak US president have given the Kremlin keys to a victory. Other experts say Putin's hybrid war from the Belarus and Ukraine border, with the gas crisis and some EU members not agreeing with the US response. In the interview by Peston of the former US security chief, the West is not ready for such a conflict, and the Kremlin is ahead. Related Article: Putin Touts New Robotic Tank and More Weapons in the Zapad-2021 Wargames, NATO Countries Concerned @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The U.S. Air Force is looking at possible flight paths to conduct test flights for some of its aircraft, and Upper Michigan and the Thumb are two of its considered options. According to a letter from Nolan Swick, a member of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center located near San Antonio, the Air Force is looking to establish a permanent Foreign Military Sales Pilot Training Center, which would initially provide a spot for up to 36 F-35 aircraft at a single location. Multiple nations have agreements with the DAF to purchase the F-35 aircraft, Swick wrote. This drives the need for a location suitable for initial F-35 training before returning to their home country. Swick notes that Singapore is one of the nations that purchased these F-35s, plans to keep its crafts in the U.S. for an indefinite period of time, and is looking to relocate 16 F-16s from Luke Air Force Base in Arizona to whichever location is chosen to keep these crafts. Other nations listed in Swicks letter as receiving either F-16 or F-35 aircraft in the future are Poland, Finland, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates. The proposed routes for Michigan would start out of Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township. From there, the jets would go over the Thumb and over Lake Huron, back over land near Au Gres, Alpena, and Oscoda, and proceeding over Grayling or going further north to the Upper Peninsula. The other option the Air Force is considering is out of Ebbing Air National Guard base in Fort Smith, Arkansas, with the training routes flying over Arkansas, Southern Missouri, Eastern Oklahoma, and brief stretches of Kansas and Texas. Whichever option is chosen would result in facility renovations, new construction, and the addition of 384 military and civilian personnel and approximately 800 associated dependents. The Air Force is currently in the scoping process, which identifies and determines the scope of any issues addressed in environmental impact statements, lasting through Feb. 14. It will hold two virtual public meetings from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time on Feb. 1 and 3 at http://www.FMSPTCEIS.com to solicit comments about the proposed action. The meetings will start with a welcome message followed by a 15-minute presentation describing the purpose of the project scoping, schedule, opportunities for public involvement, proposed action and alternatives, and a discussion on resources. Another 15-minute presentation about each alternative will follow. There will be a 30-minute Q&A session followed by a 55-minute public comment section where members of the public have 3 minutes each to comment. Public comment outside of these presentations are encouraged. They can be either submitted electronically at http://www.FMSPTCEIS.com, submitted through the U.S. mail at: FMS PTC EIS Project Manager, AFCEC/CZN 2261 Hughes Ave., Suite 155 JBSA Lackland, TX 78236-9853 or through FedEx or UPS at: FMS PTC EIS Project Manager, AFCEC/CZN 3515 S. General McMullen, Suite 155 San Antonio, TX 78226-2018 According to this projects website, further public participation can be done during the environmental impact statement review period in July and August 2022. The final decision on which proposal to go with is expected in March 2023. The Upper Thumb is familiar with military aircraft proposals like this. The Michigan Air National Guard proposed a permanent Steelhead Military Operations Area over Huron County back in 2019, which featured flying jets as low as 500 feet off the ground in some areas, operating as many as 14 sorties a week, and conducting test flights five days a week. That proposal drew backlash from some residents who complained about the noise from the aircraft flying over the area and concerns about the noises negative impact on area tourism. ALTON The artwork of the late Arthur Towata is featured in a Feb . 4 reception at Jacoby Art Center in Alton. Towata: A Celebration of Art runs for five more weeks in the Simmons Hanly Conroy Gallery at Jacoby Arts Center. Because of the large number of his artwork, pieces have been rotated out multiple times during the exhibition. Select pieces also will be on sale through March 5. The Feb. 4 reception is planned 6-8 p.m. at the center, 627 E. Broadway. A closing reception also is scheduled for March 5. Towata, an expert at singular ash-fired ceramics, died in November 2019 after living and working in Alton for more than 65 years. Instrumental in the founding of Jacoby Arts Center, he owned the Towata Gallery at 206 W. 3rd St., Alton, and Towata Studio at 603 Piasa St., where he taught and showcased other artists' work. He drew inspiration from the Mississippi River, local wildlife and dragonflies. Alton is a small community, and Alton has provided many things to those who participate in making this city a wonderful place to live in, he once told The Telegraph. It gave me energy and hope and has helped me make many wonderful friends. Born Nov. 7, 1933, in Los Angeles, he spent time in a Japanese-American internment camp in California with his family, a time in his life that he said inspired some of his artwork. He served in the Air Force before attending Southern Illinois University Edwardsville where he earned a bachelors degree in 1962 and a Master of Fine Arts/Masters in Education degree in 1971. For more information on the exhibit and receptions, visit www.jacobyartscenter.org or call 618-462-5222. OnScene TV A three-day manhunt spanning national borders came to an end Wednesday when Mexican authorities arrested Oscar Rosales, 51, who is accused of shooting and killing Harris County deputy constable Charles Galloway during a traffic stop in the early hours of Sunday morning. Rosales was brought before a Harris County magistrate Wednesday night for a probable cause hearing. Appearing in court in a yellow jumpsuit, Rosales was recorded by OnScene TV speaking out during proceedings and accusing the seven police officers surrounding him of deadly inclinations. To address alleged voter registration card shortages ahead of the March 1 primaries, the Texas Democratic Party announced Thursday plans to print and send out 500,000 of the forms across the state. Only four days remain until the Jan. 31 deadline for signing up to cast a ballot. Last week, the Texas Secretary of State office announced it would be printing out limited quantities of voter registration forms due to alleged supply chain issues driving up the cost of paper. In a series of tweets Thursday, Texas Democrats called slammed the state for "refusing to do their jobs and help Texans register to vote." The party also pointed to applications for mail ballots that have been rejected due to new requirements under Senate Bill 1, which it called a "voter suppression bill." Hundreds of mail-in ballot applications have been rejected in some of the state's largest counties for not complying with new ID requirements state Republicans enacted last year. "Last week, Texas proved to be ground zero for voter suppression yet again, as the State of Texas announced they'll only be printing only a very limited number of voter registration applications," read a statement on Texas Democrats website. "But the Texas Democratic Party is committed to registering hundreds of thousands of voters in 2022, regardless of who or what stands in our way." Texas Democrats is also calling for donations to its "Let the People Register" fund to help with expenses. One dollar covers the cost of creating six voter registration cards, the party said. The group is not the only entity pitching in to help fill gaps. The Houston chapter of the League of Women Voters Texas said they spent nearly $1,300 printing forms before the Secretary of State office gave in to public pressure provided thousands of the documents to the group. The League says it distributed 10,000 voter registration cards over the weekend, and has previously threatened to sue if the state did not provide the needed registration forms to itself and other voter registration organizations ahead of the March 1 primaries. As of Monday, 17,163,774 individuals are registered to vote in Texas, according to the Secretary of State office. It's official: TxDOT still owns a southern portion of Broadway. Though officials with the state agency promise to work with San Antonio to find a solution, it seems more challenges lie ahead for the Broadway revitalization project. The Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) unanimously rescinded 2014 and 2015 orders that effectively ended the process of transferring ownership of a 2.2 mile stretch of State Loop 368, known colloquially as Broadway, to San Antonio. The commission's move effectively halts the city's $42 million plan to revitalize the Broadway corridor, a key component to San Antonio's 2017 bond package passed by 70 percent of voters. It also stops a project that would reduce the number of lanes from six to four. City officials, business owners and community leaders spoke out against the decision. "Broadway belongs to San Antonians," said Kari Kuwamura, executive director of ActivateSA. "Earlier you spoke so passionately about the need for the safety of our loved ones and [lane reductions] is how we attain that." San Antonio officials were stunned by reports earlier this of the TTC's intentions to end the ownership transfer agreement. The commission agreed to transfer approximately 2.2 miles of Broadway, from the Alamo Heights city limit south to I-35, to San Antonio in December 2014. The commission then amended that agreement in February 2015, saying the transfer would be completed only when TxDOT received a project acceptance letter, which it never received. San Antonio Assistant City Manager Jeff Coyle said he was under the impression that project acceptance letters were presented at the end of projects. Tom Reel, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer TxDOT, backed by Gov. Greg Abbott, used this technicality to rescind the agreement because of San Antonio's plans to reduce six lanes of Broadway down to four lanes to make way for bike lanes and sidewalk space, something they said would increase congestion. San Antonio Assistant City Manager Jeff Coyle said at the meeting that he was still stunned by commission's actions, and asked that TxDOT delay their decision. "This has stunned all of us in San Antonio," Coyle said. "We can work together on a resolution that preserves the essence of this project and frankly preserves our contract with the voters." TxDOT staff, including San Antonio district engineer Gina Gallegos, and commissioners said at the meeting that they were not aware of plans to reduce lanes especially since that language wasn't present in bond presentations until after it was approved. Coyle still maintained that the project was about safety. J. Bruce Bugg, a San Antonio banker and chair on the commission, reiterated that ultimately San Antonio can't reduce lanes to keep in line with Abbott's Texas Clear Lanes policy to reduce congestion on Texas highways. As it stands now, that portion of Broadway is still a TxDOT highway. Kyle Madsen, director of right of way for TxDOT, says this action shouldn't hinder the projects along Broadway. It's not clear what San Antonio's next step will be but the commission vowed to work together with the city to find a solution. MySA reached out to the city for comment. A major bridge in Pittsburgh has collapsed, hours before President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit the city Friday to tout his signature bipartisan infrastructure law. The bridge collapsed Friday morning, city authorities said on Twitter. Images broadcast by CNN showed a city bus and several vehicles stopped precariously on sharp angles of broken sections of the bridge, which were lying in a valley under the route. President Joe Biden hasn't seen a letter in eight months that clarifies whether he has the legal authority to cancel student loans in a wide sense. Hundreds of Democratic legislators are fed up with waiting for the findings. Democrats including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chuck Schumer, along with Congresswomen Pramila Jayapal, Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, and Katie Porter, demanded on Wednesday that Biden release the memo outlining his legal authority to cancel federal student debt broadly, as well as "immediately" canceling up to $50,000 in debt per borrower. Lawmakers ask Biden to cancel $50K in student loan debts Biden had ordered Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to write a document on the president's legal power to cancel $50,000 in student debt per individual, according to White House chief of staff Ron Klain. Although the memo has been around since April 5, according to redacted papers obtained by the Debt Collective, the nation's first debtors' union, it hasn't been made public by the White House. Democrats were demanding for the memo to be released even before those papers were exposed to provide relief to 43 million federal student loan holders. Rep. Omar of Minnesota gave the Education Department two weeks to provide it in October, but the time passed without a response. Since assuming office in 2021, the Joe Biden administration has been able to cancel a total of $15 billion in student loan debt, as per Complex. More than 675,000 borrowers have benefited from his student debt forgiveness program, according to a news statement from the Department of Education. According to the report, President Biden has decided to extend the deadline for paying off student loan debt until May of this year. With the demand from legislators to wipe off student debts, a total of 80 members of the House and Senate wrote to President appealing for a memo affirming his power to do so. Read Also: Global Financial Crash Fears Drives Investors to China as a Better Option in the Impending UK, US Burst Biden hasn't had the answer yet President Biden, together with Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, wants to forgive each student loan recipient $50,000, a sum that would cost $1 trillion. An extra 36 million students will be able to get their debts forgiven if the measure is implemented. There are still many folks out there who are feeling the wrath of the expense of paying their school despite the announcement of the student loan relief. Even though President Biden has eliminated more student loan debt than any other president, according to the Education Data Initiative, over 43 million Americans still owe a total of $1.75 trillion in student loan debt, or almost $40,000 per student loan recipient, according to Business Insider. During the pandemic, Biden paused student loan repayments, but he has yet to fulfill his campaign vow to erase up to $10,000 in each of student debt. A bill presented by Congresswoman Deborah Ross (D-N.C.) and other lawmakers would provide more assistance to borrowers who have defaulted or missed payments on their student loans, making it easier for them to clear their credit history. She is also a proponent of making tuition more accessible by expanding Pell Grants. More than 36 million people in the United States currently hold federal student loans. About a third of borrowers are in default or delinquent, according to the Department of Education, as per WGN9. Related Article: Tax Refund Delay 2022: Don't Expect Payments Within 3 Weeks, Here's How to Track Your Money @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. MIDDLETOWN Legal measures for responding to the COVID pandemic are mutating at least as quickly as the virus itself. In the short time, since the calendar turned to 2022, there have been several changes in the law at the federal, state and local levels. Federally, the U.S. Supreme Court recently blocked a vaccination and testing mandate for large employers, but allowed one for health care workers. And just last Friday, a federal court in Texas issued a nationwide injunction blocking a requirement that all federal employees be vaccinated (although the Department of Justice is appealing the ruling). At the state level, Gov. Ned Lamont has already issued four new emergency executive orders related to COVID. And locally, Middletown Mayor Ben Florsheim issued a mask mandate in effect until Feb. 1, unless it is extended. With all of these developments, its easy to lose track of what the law can and cant require. Here is the latest on where we stand. What the law can do Require you to wear a mask indoors Require health care workers to get vaccinated if their employers serve patients who are on Medicare or Medicaid Require you to wear a mask at work if you choose not to get vaccinated Require you to test negative prior to returning to work if you have contracted COVID or been in close contact with someone who has Make you use your own time if you are out because you or a family member contracts COVID. (The federal law that required employers to provide paid sick leave expired in December 2020). What the law cant do Mandate that employers with 100 or more employees require their employees to be vaccinated Mandate that those employees be tested and wear a mask if they choose not to get vaccinated Require all federal employees to get vaccinated (although this issue is currently on appeal) Require you to wear a mask at work if you can demonstrate a recognized medical exception As if that werent enough to keep straight, the laws power to regulate varies if we are talking about the federal, state or local level. Many of the rules above apply only to federal powers, and even then, only to some of them. For instance, the Supreme Courts ruling on large employers addresses only federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements. Whether similar state OSHA requirements would also be illegal remains an open question. The Supreme Court blocked the large-employer mandate because OSHA lacked the power to issue one, but upheld the health care worker mandate, because it found that a different federal agency the U.S Department of Health and Human Service had that power. Why? Because, when it comes to COVID, the high court found that Congress gave HHS the authority to regulate health care workers if their patients receive federal benefits through Medicare or Medicaid, but it did not give OSHA the authority to regulate workers generally. If Congress wanted to grant that authority to OSHA, though, it could do so. What about the state level? As separate sovereigns, states possess their own broad and inherent police powers to regulate public health, safety and welfare. The U.S. Constitution reserves to the states and the people the powers it does not delegate to the federal government. State constitutions can provide different protections, prohibitions and punishments. While state constitutions cant go below the floor the U.S. Constitution sets, they can raise the ceiling. For instance, although both federal and state law have medical exemptions for vaccinations, there is no exemption under federal law for religion. Some states, though, do have a religious exemption. Indeed, until April 2021, Connecticut was one of them. Subject to these exemptions, federal and state law can generally mandate vaccinations. As a medical matter, the polio and COVID vaccines may be different. As a legal matter, they are the same. What about the local level? Local governments are creatures of the state and they can only exercise the powers the state gives them. For instance, in Middletowns case, Mayor Ben Florsheim can issue a mask mandate because one of Lamonts executive orders allows municipalities to do so. Where the COVID virus leads us and how federal, state and local law will respond are open questions. At least for legal questions, the answers are keeping up with the virus. And with each answer, the field of open questions narrows. Attorney Brig Smith is general counsel for the city of Middletown. ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images Donald Trump will be raking in some dough for his campaign before making an appearance at his "Save America" rally in Conroe Saturday with Gov. Greg Abbott and a host of other Texas officials. The former president is allegedly charging $100,000 per couple to attend a private luncheon where Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is listed as chairman at an undisclosed location prior to the event, according to Jeremy Wallace of the Houston Chronicle. One of the great myths of Texas politics is that the attorney general is the top law enforcement officer in the state. That bit of malarkey has been promoted for years by people who held the office and people who wanted to hold the office. The AG is a civil lawyer who is allowed to assist local prosecutors, at their request, in some criminal cases. Most of the work involves state tax, environmental and other regulatory fights, child support, open government laws and other civil matters. Crime? Some. Heres the language on the AGs own website: Under Texas law, the county or district attorney has primary jurisdiction to prosecute most criminal offenses. The Office of the Attorney General assists local prosecutors at their request. The law also authorizes this agency to proffer assistance to local prosecutors. Most OAG prosecutions are undertaken on referrals. That doesnt sound as rough and tumble as pretending to be at the top of the law enforcement pyramid, though. Politics begs for exaggeration. The state Constitution, however, does not. That issue was addressed last month by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which ruled 8-1 that the state Constitution leaves prosecution of election law violations to district and county attorneys, who are in the judicial branch of government, and not to the AG, whos in the executive branch. Ken Paxton, the states attorney general, didnt like that answer. As first reported by the Austin American-Statesman, he encouraged his supporters to grab their phones and laptops and get after the eight judges who sided against him, and with the Texas Constitution. Call them out by name, Paxton said on Lindell TV, an online outlet run by My Pillow CEO and prominent Donald Trump supporter Mike Lindell. I mean, you can look them up. Theres eight of them that voted the wrong way. Call them, send mail, send email. The AG is asking the court for a do-over, and has some of the states top elected officials on his side. Gov. Greg Abbott, who was AG before he became governor, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick are siding with Paxton and others who want the court to reconsider its opinion. They havent joined Paxton in encouraging a public torches-and-pitchforks protest the latest evidence of his variable regard for the law. Its odd for a top government lawyer to sic the public on one of the states two high courts: the Court of Criminal Appeals for criminal law and the Texas Supreme Court for civil law. Hes ignoring a local prosecutors demand that he release information related to his activities in Washington, D.C., on the day of last years Capitol insurrection. Paxtons office oversees open information laws; he contends hes already done what the law requires. Paxton, while pining for the power to prosecute election law, also busted the deadline for disclosing the names of the donors who contributed $2.8 million to his campaign last year. Some of the (now former) top lawyers in the AGs office accused him of using his state office to benefit a political donor, a bramble of whistleblowing allegations and repercussions still being argued in the courts. And theres that chronic securities fraud indictment alleging that Paxton, as a private lawyer, solicited investments without telling the potential buyers he was being compensated for doing so. That indictment, from July 2015, still hasnt gone to trial, lingering almost as long as Paxtons tenure as the state governments top civil lawyer. All of that figures into Paxtons biggest challenge of the moment, reelection challenges from fellow Republicans: U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman and Land Commissioner George P. Bush. This is when candidates for attorney general including the incumbents turn on the law enforcement hoopla. Their Twitter feeds are full of images and stories of police and of crime along the Texas-Mexico border. Bush contends Paxton has ignored more human trafficking cases than hes prosecuted. Guzman, whose husband is a retired police officer, peppers her messages with border security and back the blue. Gohmert, like Paxton, wants the office so he can prosecute election law violations. Its not an office for crime stoppers, exactly. But that line sells during election season. This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2022/01/28/texas-attorney-general-law-enforcement/. The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Post-Millennial university students produce first talk show in the Tibetan language People's Daily Online) 11:03, January 28, 2022 A group of university students from southwest Chinas Tibet Autonomous Region performed a talk show in the spoken language of Tibetan at a local restaurant in Lhasa during the evening of Jan. 22. Nyazin Drakpa performs during a talk show. (Photo/Gongkar Lesong) The talk show began at 7 p.m., focusing on personal topics related to the studies, school life, and love stories of the performers, as well as interesting things they heard about that had happened in Tibet. The show was supposed to end at 8:30 p.m., but in fact it didnt end until one hour later after it was scheduled to come to a close. A young woman named Penpa Yangjen explained that the talk show program had gained rapid popularity after its debut show in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, last summer. Previously, there was no talk show in Tibet, while there are many young Tibetans who need such a platform to express themselves, said Penpa Yangjen, who is a freshman from Jinan University in Guangzhou, south Chinas Guangdong Province. Performers perform during a talk show. (Photo/Gongkar Lesong) Another spectator said the talk show marks an innovative approach taken by the performers to promote the Tibetan language. This is the first Tibetan talk show team with members all born after 2000. Nyazin Drakpa, who initiated the talk show, is a student at the Communication University of China based in Beijing. In order to reduce risks associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the show only included 120 tickets, each priced at 69 yuan (about $10.9), said Nyazin Drakpa, adding that the tickets sold out within a few hours on the first day of their release, indicating young Tibetans strong eagerness to try new things. Nyazin Drakpa said he decided to produce his own talk show when he was watching a talk show in Beijing for the first time as a freshman. Since then, he began paying attention to stage decorations and lighting, among other skills necessary for producing a talk show. A performer performs during a talk show. (Photo/Gongkar Lesong) Nyazin Drakpas father, Dorje Drakpa, is a member of the China Quyi Artists Association and vice chairman of the Quyi Artists Association in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Quyi means folk arts. My father was very supportive when I told him about my ambitions for opening a talk show in the Tibetan language, having often joined us in producing the shows by putting forward suggestions,Nyazin Drakpa said. Tibet is a place filled with humor and optimism, said the young man. Tibetan talk shows have much potential, he added. A performer performs during a talk show. (Photo/Gongkar Lesong) (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) During a month of record-breaking launches, North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un visited a location that claimed to be producing "a big weapon." It was reported by the official Korean Central News Agency that the ruler was seen "inspecting a weapons plant manufacturing a large military system" at a secret location with an entourage, some of whose faces were obscured in the accompanying photographs, on Thursday (Friday local time). North Korea confirms barrage of missile tests The ruling Korean Workers' Party Central Committee Organizational Affairs Secretary Jo Yong Won, Central Committee Vice Department Directors Kim Jong Sik, Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong-Kim, and some top officials from the Academy of Defense Science were among those who were with him. "The factory holds a very important position and duty in modernizing the country's armed forces and realizing the national defense development strategy," Kim Jong Un was quoted as saying, as well as "indicated the tasks and ways of continuously developing the factory into an iconic one symbolic of the country's defense industry's modernity," according to Newsweek. North Korea's string of six missile tests in 2022, which included the most number of missile launches in a month, has been simmering in the background. The launches have sparked worldwide outrage and a renewed campaign by the U.S. to impose more penalties. On Tuesday, a long-range cruise missile system was updated; and on Thursday, a conventional warhead for a surface-to-surface tactical guided missile was tested, according to KCNA. The tests were not attended by Kim Jong Un, but a second dispatch reported that he commended rapid progress in developing big weapons to implement the governing Workers' Party's resolutions reached at a summit last month when visiting the munitions plant. North Korea announced last week that it will strengthen its defenses against the U.S. and will consider resuming "all temporarily paused activities," implying the country's self-imposed ban on testing nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) would be lifted. Read Also: China's Warplanes Around Taiwan Pose New Threat; US Military Aircraft Circles Island Following Alarm Pyongyang accuses Washington, Seoul of double-standard weapon tests As a sovereign right to self-defense, Pyongyang has justified missile launches, accusing Washington and Seoul of applying double standards to weapons testing. Since 2017, no ICBMs or nuclear weapons have been launched in North Korea; but after a failed summit with the United States in 2019, a series of shorter-range missile tests resumed amid delayed disarmament discussions, as per NBC News. After the Biden administration imposed more restrictions following this month's hypersonic tests, North Korea has framed its weapons tests as a lawful exercise of self-defense and vowed more aggressive action. During a governing party meeting hosted by Kim last week, senior party members voiced a veiled threat to restart testing of nuclear explosives and long-range missiles targeting the American heartland, which Kim postponed in 2018 while establishing diplomatic relations with the U.S. In 2019, Kim's meeting with then-President Donald Trump was wrecked after the Americans rejected North Korea's demands for a partial surrender of its nuclear weapons in exchange for massive sanctions relief. During a briefing, Cha Deok-cheol, a spokesman of South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said that the North's missile tests "turn the Korean Peninsula's clock back to the times of tensions and conflict" and the North should halt the launches and return to dialogue. Some experts say North Korea could dramatically escalate weapons demonstrations after the Winter Olympics, which will begin on February 4 in China, the North's main ally and economic lifeline, Market Watch via MSN reported. Related Article: North Korea Launches Cruise Missiles Days After Announcing Possible Lifting of Nuclear Moratorium @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Florida, US (34429) Today Rain showers early with clear skies overnight. Thunder possible. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Rain showers early with clear skies overnight. Thunder possible. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. Prince Andrew's claim that he was not good friends with Ghislaine Maxwell was "nonsense," according to a former Buckingham Palace protection officer. According to Paul Page, who worked at the palace for six years and told Insider he saw Prince Andrew and Maxwell at least a dozen times and heard of many more trips from colleagues who also monitored visitors to Prince Andrew's residence, he saw them together at least a dozen times. Prince Andrew denies close friendship with Ghislaine Maxwell Officers were directed to keep Maxwell's name out of official documents, he said; he also claimed she was given special treatment when she arrived. During an extensive 3 million ($4 million) swindle, Page was found guilty of fraud and sentenced to prison in 2009. His assertions regarding his stay there have already been questioned by Buckingham Palace. According to BuzzFeed, Page also emphasized the pair's closeness during his trial, citing internal Metropolitan Police records that describe the claims. On Thursday, Page told Insider via phone that he observed the two having a picnic on the grounds of Buckingham Palace in 2001. The area, he claimed, was unusual for people to assemble because it was near the Queen's chambers within the complex. This happened a day after Prince Andrew's attorneys formally replied to Virginia Giuffre's sexual assault complaint against Jeffrey Epstein. Prince Andrew was sued by Giuffre in August. When she was 17 years old, she stated she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew in Maxwell's London residence by Epstein, Maxwell, and Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew has disputed the claim. Prince Andrew "was a close friend" of Maxwell, according to Giuffre's attorneys in her case. On behalf of Epstein, Maxwell was found guilty of five counts of sex trafficking late last year. Prince Andrew denied being close to Maxwell just as he refuted Giuffre's claims. When he was working at Buckingham Palace's front gate and was in charge of admitting visitors in, Page claimed he first heard of Maxwell's trips in 2001. However, Page claims that, around midday then, an officer phoned him and told him that Prince Andrew had an appointment and that he should not enter the person's name in the book. Other ladies were let into the palace without their identities being registered, according to the court records quoted by BuzzFeed. Because she is the daughter of Robert Maxwell, a controversial British media mogul who died in 1991, Page told Insider it drew his eye when he learned Maxwell's identity. Maxwell walked for Andrew's private stairway after her car was waved through, as per Insider. Read Also: Prince Charles Reportedly Offers Prince Harry, Meghan Markle a Place To Stay in the UK; Future King Fears Son's Memoir Will Harm Camilla Duke of York's trial could damage the Royal Family The charges have been disputed by Prince Andrew, who has requested for a jury trial, but experts worry that a public trial may do irreversible damage. The royal rejects all of the allegations filed against him and now requests a jury trial on all of the claims contained in the lawsuit, according to court records from New York. A trial date has been scheduled for the end of 2022, which will take place this year between September and December. According to media lawyer Mark Stephens, the duke may still withdraw from a trial in order to prevent a legal drama that may jeopardize the monarchy's status in the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year. A motion to dismiss filed by his lawyers, claiming she had signed a non-suit agreement in 2009, was denied by Judge Lewis Kaplan. After Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that he must stand trial in the United States, Prince Andrew was previously thought to be seeking an out-of-court settlement with Roberts. The amount he will get from selling his chalet in Verbier, Switzerland, was estimated to be up to 10 million ($13 million), The Sun reported. Related Article: Prince Andrew Demands US Jury Trial in Virginia Giuffre's Sexual Abuse Case; Here Are Bombshell Details From Duke of York's Legal Papers @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Are you moving to Canada as an immigrant, international student, or work permit holder? Watch our webinar recording to learn how to find a job in Canada! WEBINAR: How to find a job as a newcomer to Canada Are you moving to Canada as an immigrant, international student, or work permit holder? Watch our webinar recording to learn how to find a job in Canada! WEBINAR: How to find a job as a newcomer to Canada Are you moving to Canada as an immigrant, international student, or work permit holder? Watch our webinar recording to learn how to find a job in Canada! WEBINAR: How to find a job as a newcomer to Canada Are you moving to Canada as an immigrant, international student, or work permit holder? Watch our webinar recording to learn how to find a job in Canada! Scotiabank CanadaVisa Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A CanadaVisa and Scotiabank were pleased to host a webinar called How to find a job as a newcomer to Canada. To watch the webinar, please sign up to Scotiabanks newsletter by click on the following red button: What will I learn? Perhaps your #1 priority after you move to Canada is finding a good job that aligns with your passions and skills. The good news is Canada offers many great job opportunities. Canada is currently experiencing the highest job vacancy rate on record and needs talented and motivated individuals like you to support its economic growth. Finding a job in Canada may be scary but it does not need to be. There is plenty of information and help available to help you navigate the process of landing your dream job. Remember that Canada wants you to succeed. Scotiabank is also here to help. Webinar overview How and where to conduct research on jobs in Canada Best practices to prepare your application and resume How you can apply for a job The importance of networking and how to do it Preparing for and succeeding in job interviews About CanadaVisa CanadaVisa.com was founded in 1994 as the online platform of the Cohen Immigration Law Firm. Since then, CanadaVisa has grown to be one of the worlds most trusted sources on how to move to Canada, and settle here. CanadaVisas web properties include cicnews.com and its weekly newsletter, the CanadaVisa Forum, and more. All the resources provided by CanadaVisa are meant to help people around the world access trusted, factual, and timely information to support their Canadian immigration journey. About Scotiabank Scotiabank is one of the top Canadian banks and a leading bank in the Americas. Guided by our purpose for every future, we help our customers, their families and their communities achieve success through a broad range of advice, products and services. Launched in 2008, the Scotiabank StartRight Program is designed to simplify banking for Canadian Permanent residents, International Students and Foreign Workers who have recently landed in Canada. We can help ease your transition to Canada by getting you started with a Scotiabank International Account that allows you to transfer up to $50,000 before you arrive to help you feel more prepared knowing you have proof of funds ready. We can even help fast track your study permit with the Scotiabank Student GIC Program. Our Scotiabank StartRight program can also help you start banking in Canada with 12 months of free banking, access to credit with no credit history, unlimited no-fee international money transfers, and expert help from Financial Advisors. We also launched ScotiaRISE our new, 10-year, $500 million community investment program designed to help promote economic resilience among disadvantaged people and communities. In particular, the program is centred on using funding and partnerships to increase graduation rates and postsecondary enrolment, help newcomers feel at home faster and secure meaningful employment and senior opportunities for underrepresented groups. Its all part of why Scotiabank is the bank for newcomers. Legal Disclaimer: This webinar is provided for information purposes only. It is not to be relied upon as financial, tax or investment advice or guarantees about the future, nor should it be considered a recommendation to buy or sell. Information contained in this webinar, including information relating to interest rates, market conditions, tax rules, and other investment factors are subject to change without notice and The Bank of Nova Scotia is not responsible to update this information. All third party sources are believed to be accurate and reliable as of the date of presentation and The Bank of Nova Scotia does not guarantee its accuracy or reliability. Webinar participants should consult their own professional advisor for specific financial, investment and/or tax advice tailored to their needs to ensure that individual circumstances are considered properly and action is taken based on the latest available information. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Wilkes Barre, PA (18701) Today Chance of a shower or two during the evening, followed by partly cloudy skies overnight. Low around 50F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Chance of a shower or two during the evening, followed by partly cloudy skies overnight. Low around 50F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Oklahoma City, OK (73106) Today Strong thunderstorms likely. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low near 60F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. 2 to 3 inches of rain expected.. Tonight Strong thunderstorms likely. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low near 60F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. 2 to 3 inches of rain expected. Seven countries will join Russia if it comes under fire from the Ukraine border from NATO; this conflict has made the west jittery. According to the Kremlin, the border conflict has loaded about 100,000 Russian troops as a defensive measure, but NATO and Joe Biden say it's aggressive. In the event of a war, the Kremlin will have the support of former Soviet block countries in the CSTO for backup. Russia-Ukraine tense border The US and NATO want Moscow to de-escalate at the border, but the alliance is guilty of provocations in the region. Leading the Kremlin to doubt the sincerity of the west, but several countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will be there, reported the Express UK. Despite caution advised by experts in declaring claims, Joe Biden is raising concerns that it will be the biggest invasion. Fear-mongering that Vladimir Putin wants to change the world. NATO claims it will stop a rollout of Russian forces, contrary to what the Kremlin declares. Lethal aid given by the US has landed in Ukraine about 90 tons of it, with the British giving the Ukrainians short-range anti-tank missiles for defensive purposes, citing the Independent UK. This means that if Russia does decide to take on Ukraine, it will have to have a firm band of allies behind it. The Collective Security Treaty Organization Like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is a group of former Soviet countries signatories to a security pact. Russia heads the CSTO with seven countries like Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan should an armed response be needed at the Ukraine border. Read Also: EU Needs to Develop Own Army After AUKUS Deal Casts Division With US Alliance Domestic disputes are not part of the responses of ex-Soviet bloc states, but there will be members who will side with Vladimir Putin. Should according to the claims of the west, Russia does enter Ukraine. During the Kazakh rebellion when Russia assisted the government in stopping what the current head of state calls unrest authored by elements that used corruption and high gas prices to cause chaos in the country, noted the BBC. These actions indicate a member of the CSTO will provide military support, added to the numbers of Russian troops. Moscow and Havana Cuba and Russia have been friends for a long time which shows even in current times. President Putin and President Miguel Diaz-Canel of Cuba have talked about improving the link between the two nations in the face of challenges from the west. Washington, with its trouble, Ukraine's response has been shaking by a possibility of team-up between them, using Cuba as a staging point for US retaliation. Sergei Ryabkov, Moscow's Deputy Foreign Minister, told state media that anything could happen and kept mum. Saying it's an option to deploy Russian arms to their ally should Joe Biden play tough guy. Until 1991, Kyiv was part of the Soviet Union when it became a free state from Russian control. Democracy is part of Ukraine, and Europe is its model, not Russia; both pro-EU and Russian groups left Soviet control. A good number of groups against the Kyiv government might prefer Moscow, like what happened to Crimea during 2014. For sure, seven countries of the CSTO will opt to join Moscow if the Ukraine border starts a shooting war which the Russians say is a defensive war against encroaching NATO and US. Related Article: China Joins Russian Naval Forces in the Arabian Sea Drills Causing Brussels and Washington Jitters Over the Show of Force @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Primeste notificari pe email Contractare si Achizitie Bunuri Anunturi de Angajare Granturi - Finantari Burse de studiu Stagii Profesionale Oportunitati de voluntariat Toate Articolele Typical disaster journalism follows a transactional track. Survivors give the press their stories to package and sell. In turn, the media validates the horror and solicits aid. But when Tonga faced a volcanic eruption and tsunami earlier this month, the island nation neither wanted nor needed Western coverage. In fact, our intrusion presented more of a threat than the crisis itself. On this weeks Kicker, Damien Cave, the New York Times bureau chief in Sydney, and Kyle Pope, editor and publisher of CJR, discuss the islands dismissal of the global press and the Western medias boundless assumption that we can help. SHOW NOTES Heard, Felt but Barely Seen: How a Volcano Severed Tonga from the World, Damien Cave, New York Times Sign up for CJR 's daily email Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Amanda Darrach is a contributor to CJR and a visiting scholar at the University of St Andrews School of International Relations. Follow her on Twitter @thedarrach. MAPUTO, Mozambique (AP)Mozambique, Madagascar and Malawi are counting the deaths and damage by tropical storm Ana and more than a week of heavy rains across southern Africa. In central and northern Mozambique at least 11 people have died, including children and elderly, and several bridges and roads have been washed away, according to a statement from Mozambiques disaster management authority. Among the dead is the administrator of the northwestern city of Tete whose vehicle was swept away on Tuesday by the surging waters of the Revuboe River as he was going to inspect a bridge that had been closed by the flooding. Minutes after his vehicle was taken, the middle section of the bridge was swept away, according to reports in local media. In all, five vehicles were carried away by the raging waters. Bridges were also damaged in Mozambiques Zambezia province where many residential areas are cut off by the high waters and there are reports of people on roofs calling for help. Electricity has also been cut off to large parts of Mozambique and Malawi as pylons have been knocked over by flooding waters and hydro turbines have been clogged by large piles of debris carried by the waters. Although Ana has weakened to become a moderate tropical depression, much of the southern African region continues to get torrential rains. Prolonged rains have increased the damage in Madagascar, where the death toll has risen to 39 and more than 101,000 people have been made homeless by the flooding, said officials. Malawis Shire River, which flows from Lake Malawi through Mozambique into the Zambezi River, has also reached the alert level and is causing flooding in low-lying areas. Malawis main highway has been cut off by the flooding and many people are feared trapped by the surging waters, according to Malawi government officials. Mercy Jailosi was traveling in a van that was carried away by the Shire Rivers waters in Malawis Chikwawa area. She said she managed to swim in the dark of night and then cling to a pile of washed-away garbage. I held on to it and slept there till early morning, a tearful Jailosi told The Associated Press. I could feel snakes were there too. Early in the morning, surging water pushed he further down the river, before an emergency crew rescued her. As this was happening, I kept singing for God, said Jailosi. About the photo: In this image made from video, people stand on an overturned vehicle swept by flooding waters in Chikwawa, Malawi, Tuesday Jan. 25, 2022. Mozambique, Madagascar and Malawi are counting the deaths and damage by tropical storm Ana and more than a week of heavy rains across southern Africa. (AP Photo) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Carla Denise Garrisons 8-year-old daughter picked up a used hypodermic needle from the parking lot outside a Target store and asked, Mommy, what is this? Garrison instinctively swatted the syringe away, poking her palm in the process. The puncture led Garrison to a years worth of periodic blood tests with constant worries about contracting hepatitis or AIDs. After Target refused to pay Garrisons medical bills, she sued and won a $4.6 million jury verdict that was upheld by the South Carolina Court of Appeals. The South Carolina Supreme Court may have taken most of that victory away in a ruling on Wednesday. In a 5-0 decision, the high court directed the trial court judge to reconsider his decision to throw out the punitive damages award, but also to take into account South Carolinas statutory cap on punitive damages. That would could limit the jurys award of $4.5 million in punitive damages to $300,000 or $400,000. The exact amount depends on facts that must be determined by the trial court judge. The ruling reverses a Court of Appeals finding that the statute that caps punitive damages does not apply unless the defendant argues that it should in pleadings. That is known as an affirmative defense. The Supreme Court said affirmative defenses are generally reserved for issues that a jury is required to resolve. The plain language of the statute does not impose a burden on the defendant to prove the cap applies, the courts unanimous opinion says. Rather, the legislature only directs trial courts to determine which level of the cap must be applied in a particular case. After she was poked, Garrison immediately rushed into the public restroom at Target to run water over her hand. She reported the incident to the store. A claims investigator asked her if she thought Target was responsible for the injury. She told him that the store was responsible for the parking lot and wanted Target to pay for her medical bills. An infectious disease specialist prescribed medications that she said left her in a zombie-like state and caused night terrors. She underwent blood tests every three months for a year to monitor for any emerging infections. Garrison asked Target to pay her $12,000. After Target refused, she and her husband, Clint, filed a lawsuit in Anderson County. A jury found in the couples favor and awarded $100,000 in compensatory damages plus $4.5 million in punitive damages. The jury also awarded Clint Garrison $8,500 for lost wages and loss of consortium. Circuit Court Judge R. Keith Kelly threw out the punitive damages award in a judgment notwithstanding the verdict. But Kelly allowed the compensatory damage awards to stand, finding that Target had constructive knowledge that the parking lot was hazardous. Both parties appealed. A three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals reinstated the punitive damages award, citing testimony from witnesses that Target did not regularly clean the parking lot and there was trash everywhere even though the stores managers said the lot was cleaned every Thursday night. Clint Garrison had even camped out in the Target parking lot on a Thursday night to show that it was not regularly cleaned. The appellate court also found that Target had waived its right to cap the award under the statutory cap laid out in section 15-32-530 because it did not mention the limit in its pleadings. Judge D. Garrison Hill dissented, stating that nothing in the statute states that the cap on punitive damages cannot be applied unless it is mentioned in pleadings. Likewise, the Supreme Court found that the appellate panel had read into the law a requirement that does not exist. But the high court the trial court to take another look at the jurys punitive damage award and to consider not only the harm that had come to Garrison, but also to the potential harm that could have been done to her and other customers because of Targets negligence. Although Denise did not ultimately contract a disease from the syringe, the trial court erred in failing to consider any potential harm in the ratio calculation, including the harm likely to result to other customers due to Targets failure to maintain the parking lot in a reasonably safe condition, the court said. Of course, Section 15-32-530 will limit any punitive damage award to three times the amount of compensatory damages unless one of three statutory exemptions apply: The wrongful conduct was motivated by unreasonable financial gain and the high likelihood of injury was know the defendant. The defendants action could subject the defendant to conviction of a felony. The defendant acted while intoxicated after intentional consuming alcohol or drugs. If the trial court determines one of those factors applies, punitive damages are limited to four times the amount of compensatory damages. Either way, the judgment appears to limit Garrisons potential award to $500,000. There is one consolation: The high court also reversed the Court of Appeals and ruled that Denise Garrison is entitled to 8 percent interest on her entire awardincluding any punitive damagesfrom the date Target rejected her settlement offer to the date of the verdict. Claremore, OK (74018) Today Thunderstorms likely. Rainfall will be locally heavy at times. A few storms may be severe. Low 61F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 5 to 8 inches of rain expected.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely. Rainfall will be locally heavy at times. A few storms may be severe. Low 61F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 5 to 8 inches of rain expected. If a visitor to Israel had the time to take a month to really get to know the country, I would recommend the period that has just concluded from Passover through Israeli Independence Day. Its Israel in a nutshell. And it also happens to be a time of year when most of the days are picture- Burkina Faso's new leader lays the blame for the country's recent violence and troubles to the ousted president's failure to contain the issues while he was in control and now promises a return to the normal constitutional order "when the conditions are right." The military leader, Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba was the one who spearheaded the ousting of President Roch Kabore on Monday. The official said the country's president failed to contain violence that was led by Islamist militants. Burkina Faso's New Leader Damiba wore a red beret and army fatigues during his first-ever speech on Thursday after ousting President Kabore. He addressed the country's citizens on national television after taking the power of the nation's government. In his remarks, Damiba said that the country will once again return to normal living when the conditions are right. He added that it was according to the deadline that the people will define all sovereignty. The 41-year-old military leader said that he was planning to meet with representatives of various sectors of society to discuss a roadmap for reform of the country. The country's military also announced that it seized power on state television on Monday. One officer cited the deteriorating security situation as the reason for the takeover, BBC reported. Damiba was promoted in December by Kabore as the commander of Burkina Faso's third military region. The move was something that some analysts viewed as an effort by the beleaguered president to shore up support within the army's ranks. Read Also: Saudi Arabia Gets More Military, Technological Assistance From China Due to Less US Influence in the Region The military leader's promotion to his position followed an attack conducted by fighters on a gendarmerie post in the northern town of Inata that resulted in the death of 49 military officers and four civilians. Reports at the time said that the troops had gone without food rations for two weeks. The situation sparked anti-government protests and calls for Kabore to step down as Burkina Faso's president. After his promotion, Damiba worked on reorganizing the military ranks by appointing new officers to key roles with the declared intent of battling the uprising, Aljazeera reported. Return of Order In his address, Damiba warned that the people who were guided by their selfish interests will receive his uncompromising side. The military leader spoke from the presidential palace and said that Burkina Faso was facing an unprecedented crisis. He noted that the junta's priority was to restore security by renewing the will to fight among its soldiers and listening to the public in forming a path forward. "In its history, our country has rarely been confronted with adversity. But more than six years now our people have been living under the yoke of an enemy that succeeded. The task before us is immense. Fortunately, it is not only mine, it is all of ours. It will require great individual and collective efforts and certainly sacrifices on our part," said Damiba, ABC News reported. The junta has spent the last few days trying to shore up support from religious and community leaders, security forces, and unions since taking over the government. The military met on Thursday with the labor union in the presidential palace and explained its motives for the coup. The secretary-general for the union, Moussa Diallo, said that the junta wanted to correct the previous regime's flaws. Related Article: Joe Biden Pushed To Cancel Erdogan's Request for F-16 Sale Causing Potential Trouble in US-Turkey Relations @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. About Richard Age: 67 Hometown: Pepper Pike Undergraduate school: Miami University Law school: Case Western Reserve University School of Law First paying job: Cleveland Press newspaper route How I relax: Reading, hiking, travel and fly fishing If I werent an attorney: Id be a mayor (or a grandpa) full time Best advice I ever received: As a lawyer, Bain, you didnt make the facts. Work with what you have. As a person, from my mother Be kind, and treat others as you would have them treat you. Next Cleveland sports championship: Guardians to the World Series Favorite Northeast Ohio restaurant: LAlbatross Turkey has successfully sent all ordered Bayraktar combat drones to buyers who opted for a cheaper system. Still, a new Mini-Submarine STM500 is in the works that should become a popular weapon system. An expert predicts that it will be a gamechanger for many buyers who don't want bigger or expensive subs at the mini-submarines cost. Sixteen countries that bought the Bayraktar might opt for the STM500 if it is affordable. Ankara's new defense combat weapon Turkish weapon makers are looking at a mini-submarine that can operate in 'Blue Homeland,' which are seas around the country, remarked an unidentified Turkish defense and maritime researcher who spoke to the Daily Sabah. Kozan Selcuk Erkan told the media that Turkey could build such armament with its process of envisioning the weapon system's final iteration. He added that Turkish defense firms learned how to build subs from programs still active from their beginnings in the 1980s, reported the Eurasian Times. Since then, the process has improved with new skills learned by those engaged in submarine production. Small but terrible vessels Last August, STM, a Turk defense firm, showed its concept for mini-sub, a small assault 540-tonner submersible. When its maker announced it, the mini-sub was the smallest one in Turkey, noted Defense World. In the 10th Naval Systems Seminar, the firm told the media that the sub would be built in 2022. By 2022 all the activities of the STM firm are how to get more support to start building the Mini-Submarine STM500-getting the project jumpstarted as well, just like the Bayraktar combat drones. Read Also: PLA Conducts Practice Assault Drills, Preparing for Possible Taiwan Invasion? Sources say that embargoes have affected the production of defense weapons which is unfortunate. STM said their defense offering would not be affected by sanctions on Ankara's defense industries. The approach will be similar to the uncrewed aerial vehicle 'Bayraktar.' Canada has sanctioned Turkey for such violations as Azerbaijan used the Canada drones in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict of 2020. In April 2021, it was decided to stop permits for military hardware and tech sold to Ankara. Sanctions for going ahead buying the S-400 SAM system of Russia were reported as well. The Bayraktar UAV was given to Ukraine used in Donbas, a key industrial and social infrastructure located in the eastern part of the country. Only a few were available, so they are sortied a lot, said Yan Leshchenko, militia leader of self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). Minsk accords say that flying over combat aircraft and UAVs is not allowed in Donbas, with the independent provinces of LPR and Donetsk People's Republic as part of it. Affordable Mini-submarines The STM500 is designed to work in shallow seas, an attack sub-powered by diesel-electric power that is advantageous for less moneyed nations. Inside the sub are 18-spec ops units with a crew of six that can stay submerged for a month at a depth of 250-meters. Its tubes are four and can fire all at once, arming with torpedoes or guided missiles as well. Best used for shallow seas even operated with underwater drones, which can be used for several types of operations. The development of the mini-submarine STM500 and Bayraktar combat drones are cheaper than those offered by the US and other nations. Emphasis on reasonable and operable is a force multiplier that costs less. Related Article: Are Small Submarines the Solution to the US Navy Problems @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The United States and Russia remain open for further dialogue on addressing the increasing tension on the Ukrainian border, but Britain warned of possible cyber-attacks from Moscow. Russia claimed on Thursday that the United States was unwilling to address its proposals for reshaping its post-Cold War security arrangements in Europe, according to Washington's written response submitted on Wednesday. Russia massed around 100,000 troops near the Ukraine border, prompting Western countries to be concerned about a possible invasion, while the U.S. pledges defense support to Kyiv. According to Russian spokesperson Dmitry Pescov, Moscow will further review the response of the US and NATO and "won't rush" with its conclusions, per CNN. The United States and NATO's statements labeling Russia's key demands as unacceptable did not encourage much optimism. However, the reaction of the Kremlin shows that it keeps the doors to diplomacy open, and it was not rejecting the answers of Washington and its European allies, per Reuters. Meanwhile, Washington hopes Moscow will review the responses and resume their negotiations. US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland said in a media briefing that the United States and its Western allies are "unified" in pursuing diplomacy to address the issues, and they are prepared to take necessary measures depending on Russia's actions. "But we are also unified in our resolve that if Moscow rejects our offer of dialogue, the costs must be swift and severe," Nuland said. Read Also: Russia Warns US Is Oblivious to Ukraine Issue as Officials Set To Discuss War Games, Missile Deployments Neither US or Russia Would Give In The easiest approach to de-escalate tensions, according to Russia's foreign ministry, is for NATO to withdraw its forces from eastern Europe, but it also sought to address concerns of an invasion. Officials from the United States said President Vladimir Putin has not yet chosen whether or not to invade. Russia stated its demands in December, which include halting further NATO expansion, rejecting Ukraine's membership, and withdrawing the alliance's military forces and hardware from member countries in eastern Europe. The U.S. and NATO both had already rejected those demands while expressing willingness to engage on issues such as arms control, confidence-building measures, and limits on the size and scope of military exercises. Britain Warns of Massive Cyberattacks Meanwhile, Britain issued a warning on Friday on possible cyberattacks from Russia as Western nations fear that Kremlin will move its forces to occupy a part of Ukraine, heightening tensions in the region. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in Britain warned major organizations in the United Kingdom to strengthen their cyber security capabilities following the malicious attacks in Ukraine, per Reuters. According to Paul Chichester, NCSC director of operations, their organization has noticed "a pattern of malicious Russian behavior on the internet for several years. Earlier this month, Ukraine suffered from a massive cyberattack that downed around 70 of its government websites. The attackers posted a message on the hacked sites that said Ukrainians should "be afraid and expect the worst." Authorities alleged that Moscow was behind the incident, according to a report by NBC News. British intelligence says that Russia remains the biggest immediate threat to the West. However, it also pointed out that the long-term dominance of China in terms of technology poses a much bigger threat. A study made by the Belfer Center at Harvard's Kennedy School in 2020 identified the nations of the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, and China as the world's top cyber offensive powers. Related Article: Vladimir Putin Says Russia Will Do Anything to Protect Itself Against NATO, Ukraine Aggression @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Clinton, IA (52732) Today Partly cloudy this evening followed by mostly cloudy skies and a few showers after midnight. Low near 45F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening followed by mostly cloudy skies and a few showers after midnight. Low near 45F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 28) Senator Panfilo Lacson promises a massive internal cleansing in the government during his first 100 days if elected president. "Nasa 1.4, 1.3 million ang empleyado ng gobyerno... Ako, I don't mind kung maiwanan lang sa gobyerno sa aking pamumuno 500,000. Basta yung 500,000 na yun, yun ang totoong nagta-trabaho, hindi nagnanakaw, hindi magpapahirap sa mga dumudulog sa tanggapan ng pamahalaan, kuntento na ako doon," Lacson said in an interview with DZRH. [Translation: The government has 1.4, 1.3 million employees. I won't mind if under my leadership I will be left with 500,000. As long as those 500,000 are true to their jobs, do not steal, do not give those seeking help from the government a hard time, then I'm content with that.] Lacson said half of the country's problems will be solved if corruption will be eliminated. Aside from filing charges against corrupt officials, among the specific strategies of the Partido Reporma standard bearer are digitalization and automation of government processes, and reforming the national budget. Lacson said he believes in leadership by example, so his first order of business if elected president will be waiving his rights under the bank secrecy law. He will also encourage members of his cabinet to follow suit. Pork barrel must not be abused Pork barrel - or government appropriation for local projects - is not illegal, according to Lacson. But the senator said the funds have been abused and misused. This is why he is pushing for budget reform, specifically zero budgeting strategy - or not imposing budget ceilings on government agencies. Through this, local government officials and district representatives may propose projects that they need in their respective jurisdictions through their local development councils, he explained. "Yan nga ang gusto nating i-correct sa budget process. Kasali na sila all the way. Hindi lang sa pagdating sa kongreso ng budget," Lacson said. [Translation: That is what we want to correct in the budget process. They are included all the way. Not only when the budget is in Congress.] Columbia, SC (29201) Today Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Penn State senior Alex Blomstrom channeled her passions into the start of her small business, Alex Blom Creates. Through ABC, Blomstrom (senior-finance) creates and sells clothing, scrunchies, stickers and planners. With kindness and positivity as Blomstroms core values, she looked to create a happy corner on the internet and a community where she could share some light during a rather dark time. I began to love the process of creating and spreading positivity through my art, and I started to work toward building a brand centered around these concepts and values, Blomstrom said. When her business began, it was only made-to-order items, and everything was done by hand with Blomstroms home Cricut cutting machine. Blomstrom said her brand has expanded greatly from her home to working with other businesses for manufacturing. I work with small embroidery and screen-printing companies, which I love because I can support another small business along the way, while also providing top quality products, Blomstrom said. With the transition to in-person classes at Penn State, Blomstrom had to move ABC to her apartment. She currently stocks inventory on shelves in a room attached to her bedroom. The room also serves as an office where she is dedicated day after day to building her page, designing products and creating content for marketing. Running a small business and being a full-time student can be difficult, but Blomstrom said she has devoted time to planning her day and setting aside time for herself. Part of this planning happens with her self-designed planner that she has available for her customers to try. I created a planner I use every day to help me with categorizing my tasks and reduce feelings of anxiety about a daunting to-do list, Blomstrom said. Balance is something I am constantly working toward, and I am still learning. MORE LIFESTYLE CONTENT +2 Calidore String Quartet delivers 'whimsical' performance at Penn States Recital Hall After canceling a Penn State show due to the coronavirus in 2020, Calidore String Quartet pl Blomstrom said shes grateful for all of the support her friends, family and customers have given ABC. For instance, Blomstroms roommates have helped her with packaging and photoshoots to promote her products. One of Blomstroms roommates, Mary Gautreau, said she has enjoyed helping with product launches. Everyone likes helping with folding and making content throughout the semester, especially during the holidays, Gautreau (senior-communication sciences and disorders) said. ABC has also seen support from its many customers and followers. Blomstrom said she has seen State College customers wearing her customized crewnecks and T-shirts around campus. The first time I saw someone at Penn State wearing something from my shop was in the beginning of the fall semester, and I started crying because I was so overwhelmed with joy, Blomstrom said. The most rewarding part about running my small business is seeing someone else excited to receive their order and wear it. One of Blomstroms local customers Aaliyah Liaci said she was satisfied with her State College crewneck she bought from ABCs website. I can tell she puts in a lot of time and effort to make sure her customers feel valued and get a great product, Liaci (freshman-biobehavioral health) said. Blomstrom described running her small business as the best experience of her life. My plan is to run my business full time after college, Blomstrom said. Im looking forward to being able to pour all of my energy into it. MORE LIFESTYLE CONTENT What do Penn State students wear to class in the winter? The past couple of months have had a lot of changes in the scenery around campus: the snow i Centre Volunteers in Medicine announced Thursday its new $10 million capital campaign, Building for a Healthier Future, for a new Centre County facility. Cheryl White, CVIM's executive director, was the keynote speaker for the media event, and Pennsylvania Senator Jake Corman and Rep. Kerry Benninghoff also spoke at the event. So far, the campaign has reached $6,082,000 of its $10 million goal, with Sept. 30, 2022 as the targeted completion date, CVIM said. The $10 million dollars will help meet the space needs of Centre County's uninsured population, according to the release. In addition, the funds will allow the new space to offer more than 11,000 square feet of exam and office space compared to CVIM's current 6,700 square-foot facility. White said CVIM hopes to move into the new space in late fall this year. MORE BOROUGH COVERAGE In this file photo, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, left, and state Sen. Brittany Pettersen, both Colorado Democrats, pose for a selfie at Denver's Martin Luther King Jr. Day Marade a combination march and parade on Jan. 21, 2019. On Jan. 28, 2022, Bennet endorsed Pettersen for the 7th Congressional District seat held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, who announced earlier that he isn't seeking a ninth term. Calls to lift mask mandates on children in schools rise amid the Biden administration's massive free-masks campaign to encourage the public to wear protective masks to manage the COVID-19 outbreak. As the Omicron outbreak begins to peak in some areas, some pediatricians, neuroscientists, teachers, and parents express concern about the possible harm of prolonged masking in children. Even proponents of mask regulations, who point to several studies linking mask mandates to reduced COVID rates in schools, recognize the challenges of masking kids, per NPR report. Data scientist Jeremy Howard thinks that schools should continue the mandate on maks, citing the studies on long COVID. But the problem he sees is the rarity of good quality masks for kids in the market. The standards for N95 masks were formulated for occupational and workplace safety. The Food and Drug Administration mentioned that N95 respirators "are not designed for children" and admitted that masks properly fit for kids "cannot be achieved." Howard also pointed out that despite the availability of high-quality child-size respirators, most have lower quality compared to adult versions. "So, yeah, it's a huge issue. Kids are being left unprotected," he said. He also believes that mandating respirators for children is impractical as some kids find it uncomfortable as they may not fit well on their small faces. Read Also: CDC Urges Americans To Wear Mask With Highest Protection as Biden Administration Set To Give Away Free Masks Restoring Normalcy in Children Early this week, a group of doctors and scientists declared a national initiative to "restore normalcy" in children's lives by prioritizing their removal of restrictions, such as mask mandates, once the Omicron wave had passed. The coalition includes Dr. Jeanne Noble, who directs COVID response for the UCSF Emergency Department at the University of California, San Francisco. She said that the mask mandate for kids is not practical. "Kids don't need to be masked since they have a minuscule risk of serious disease or death from COVID," she argued. Dr. Noble and her colleagues propose that extremely vulnerable kids continue to wear masks while other vaccinated children can go without. Currently, nearly two-thirds of big school districts in the United States require pupils to wear masks. The Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation's second-largest school district, revised its mask policy on Jan. 21 to prohibit cloth masks that provide less virus protection. Schools in California have received tens of millions of N95 masks and kid-sized KN95 masks. In Boston, Denver, and Round Rock, Texas districts, student activists have demanded respirators ensure health safety. Meanwhile, the newly elected Republican governor of Virginia issued a mandate by executive order that ended the state's school mask requirement, which met a flurry of opposition, per CNN. Since the pandemic's start, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics continue to require universal masking in schools as total cases, and pediatric hospitalizations remain high. Free N95 Masks Distribution Starts Last week, the Biden administration announced to distribute around 400 million high-quality N95 masks to Americans for free to help bring down the surge in COVID-19 cases in the country. Health authorities highly recommend the N95 masks as they can filter 95% of airborne particles, while cloth masks offer far less protection against COVID-19. On Friday, major pharmacy chains started giving away respirators. Each individual can get up to three, per CBS News. By the middle of this week, all 275 Hy-Vee pharmacies in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin were expected to have masks, according to the company's spokesperson. Related Article: Free N95 Masks Coming Soon in Groceries, Heath Centers; Here's How To Get Them . @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. As the Cubs were beating the Braves 6-3 Wednesday night Steve left to see the game with his mom and dad, Reva and Harold, brother Ron and baby niece Elizabeth Henney. He left behind to run the store his wife Kathleen (Knight), Amelia (27), Nathan (24) and his beloved cat Lewis Black. His sis 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. 01/28/2022 Photo (c) MF3d - Getty Images COVID-19 tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.) Total U.S. confirmed cases: 73,429,392 (72,912,405) Total U.S. deaths: 878,472 (876,078) Total global cases: 366,974,484 (363,316,221) Total global deaths: 5,639,818 (5,628,898) Booster reduces Omicron death risk by 95% Previous research has shown that there is a lower risk of death from the Omicron variant for most people. But a new study found that getting a vaccine booster reduced the risk even more. The study, which was conducted by scientists in the U.K., specifically looked at how older people fared against the Omicron variant. According to the findings, three shots of an mRNA vaccine in people aged 50 and older reduced the risk of death by 95%. The researchers say their findings are important because the Omicron variant tends to be less vulnerable to the immunity created by vaccines. But they say the booster restores enough of those defenses to cut the risk of serious illness, especially in the older population. Scientists identify new Omicron variant Can a COVID-19 variant have its own variant? Apparently so. Researchers have discovered a sub-variant of Omicron they call BA.2. "You could say they're like brothers in the same family," Duke University infectious diseases expert Cameron Wolfe told NBC News. "There are some subtle differences, but most of the genetics are the same in both." Scientists dont yet know much about BA.2 or how it behaves. So far, they say it has many of Omicrons characteristics, such as high transmission levels and milder symptoms. COVID-19 claims actor Vachik Mangassarian Vachik Mangassarian, a popular character actor in Hollywood, has died of COVID-19 complications, according to his manager. He was 78. Mangassarian, who was vaccinated, made regular appearances on N.C.I.S. Los Angeles, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Mentalist. He was currently working on a new movie with actresses Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda. Mangassarian joins a long list of celebrities who have died of COVID-19, including Cloris Leachman, Dawn Wells, Charlie Pride, Tom Seaver, and John Prine. Around the nation Corsicana, TX (75110) Today Isolated thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. Low 72F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Isolated thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. Low 72F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Japanese car manufacturer Toyota Motor Corp. announced on Friday that it sold over 10 million vehicles in 2021, making it the world's largest automaker for the second year in a row, amid the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Toyota said its vehicle sales increased by 10.1% last year, surpassing the performance of Volkswagen of Germany. In 2021, the automaker sold 10.5 million vehicles, including those produced by affiliates Daihatsu Motors and Hino Motors. While Volkswagen delivered 8.9 million vehicles in the same period, 5% lower than in 2020 and its lowest sales results in 10 years, per Reuters. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptions in supply chains and a shortage of semiconductors due to increased demand for the key component among manufacturers of electronic devices. The situation prompted automotive makers to cut production. However, amid the pandemic, the Japanese company has performed better than most other carmakers since its home market, Japan, and portions of Asia, have been less affected in comparison with Europe. Read Also: Car Prices Continue To Soar High With Average Cars At $29,000 Due to Shortage of Chinese Semiconductor Toyota's Future: Space Cars and Robots Per USA Today, Toyota has collaborated with Japan's space agency in developing a vehicle that will explore the moon, with dreams to help humans reside on Earth's natural satellite by 2040. Then dwell on Mars. According to company officials, the vehicle being developed in partnership with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is named Lunar Cruiser, which pays homage to Toyota's sport utility vehicle Land Cruiser. The spaceship is set to launch for the latter part of the decade, per ABC News. According to Takao Sato, head of the Lunar Cruiser project at Toyota Motor Corp, the Lunar Cruiser will have features that will enable humans to eat, work, sleep, and interact with each other safely in space, just like in cars. "We see space as an area for our once-in-a-century transformation. By going to space, we may be able to develop telecommunications and other technology that will prove valuable to human life," Sato said in an interview. Aside from the space exploration vehicle, Toyota has developed a robotic arm for the Lunar Cruiser in partnership with Gitai Japan Inc. The robotic arm is designed to perform inspection and maintenance tasks with its "grapple fixture," which allows its end to transform to work like various tools for sweeping, scooping, and lifting. Gitai Chief Executive Sho Nakanose said that blasting off into space is a challenge but working in space is another challenge that entails huge costs as well as hazards for astronauts. That's where robots could help a lot, he expressed. Toyota's Project to the Moon The lunar project, according to Toyota engineer Shinichiro Noda, is an extension of the automaker's long-standing goal to serve customers. The company believes that sending cars to the moon would be a breakthrough that could bring significant resources for life on Earth. "Toyota has vehicles almost everywhere. But this is about taking our cars to somewhere we have never been," Noda said. In its more than 80 years of operation, Toyota has been concerned about losing a core business due to changing times. It has ventured with real estate, boats, planes, and robots. Later this year, the Japanese car company is set to open the Woven City, its net-connected sustainable living quarters near Mount Fuji. Related Article: Cybersecurity, Space Race as Emerging Global Threats, World Economic Forum Warns @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit Community News Walking into CannaCon was like stepping in a time machine back to the year 2015. With blaring EDM, a smattering of attendees wearing brightly-colored snapbacks, and the soft scent of dab pen exhales filling the air, I felt a strong sense of deja vous. To my senses, and my senses alone, it felt as if I had been transported back to my college days, entering a dormitory bathroom to find my friends sitting on the floor below me, handing me a dab rig and blow torch with outstretched arms. In reality, however, I was in New York City's Javits Center a week after New Year's Day, surrounded by cannabis professionals striving for success in a rapidly budding industry. Self-described as "the nations leading business-to-business cannabis conference, CannaCon seemingly has everything cannabis growers needed to run a truly state-of-the-art operation, including advanced hydroponic systems, seeds for a variety of strains, and hell, special dispensary ATMs, which despite being peddled by a charismatic spokesman in a green, money-printed suit, are just regular old ATMs that just so happen to live in a dispensary. But of all the niche weed accessories and high-tech growing apparatus on display and available for purchase, one item was conspicuously absent from the CannaCon floor actual cannabis. Continue Reading Below Advertisement What appeared to be an edibles counter next to the concession stand? Fancily packaged hemp-infused soaps. Those beautifully rolled blunts sitting in a glass case? Nothing more than empty wraps and a stark reminder that I should probably visit my optometrist. The joints sitting next to the rolling machines? Filled with some seriously dank herbgarden basil, according to the man sitting behind the booth. On some level, the lack of actual cannabis at CannaCon seemed par for the course. With detailed displays on greenhouse lighting and jargon-heavy presentations about the future of indoor cannabis growing techniques, CannaCon isn't for the casual stoner, rather, the seasoned seller looking to up their legal game with the latest scientific innovations. At least ten persons were injured after a bridge in Pittsburgh collapsed on Friday, hours before the scheduled visit of United States President Joe Biden to highlight his push for infrastructure improvement in the country. The two-lane bridge collapsed early morning, requiring rescuers to rappel around 150 feet (46 meters). Bystanders reportedly formed a human chain to assist in rescuing passengers in a dangling bus, per Fox News. President Joe Biden was scheduled to visit the city to push his $1 trillion infrastructure program, including bridge maintenance. Read Also: Republicans Warn Of the Negative Effect of Biden's Proposed Infrastructure Plan Pittsburgh Bridge Collapse Under Investigation According to Sam Wasserman, a spokesperson for Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, city authorities evaluated the scene. A search and rescue team had been deployed to search the area for other potential collapse victims. He said the majority of the ten people treated for injuries were first responders checked for exhaustion or due to the cold and icy conditions. Three persons were brought to the hospital, but none of them were seriously hurt. Three of the reported injuries were brought to a hospital. Though their injuries were not fatal, they remained confined in the medical facility. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said in a tweet that his office is monitoring the situation and is prepared to provide support as needed. At the site of the collapse, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman described the site of the collapse as "an awful, surreal scene." "I hope it's a wake-up call to the nation that we need to make these infrastructure investments," Fetterman noted. The official said that the bridge collapse looks like a scene after an earthquake. There's a huge crack on the end where the bus was situated, with an upside-down car in front of it. Authorities advised motorists to refrain from the site. Biden's Visit Pushes Through The White House told the members of the press that President Biden's planned trip to Pittsburgh would proceed despite the incident. Washington previously announced that Biden would visit Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, per NPR. White House will coordinate with state and local officials on the details of the collapse and for any federal assistance needed to address the incident. "Our team is in touch with state and local officials on the ground as they continue to gather information about the cause of the collapse," the White House statement said. It added: "The President is grateful to the first responders who rushed to assist the drivers who were on the bridge at the time." According to an estimate in 2005, around 14,500 vehicles pass by the steel bridge every day. The most recent inspection, according to Wasserman, took place in September, although the report was readily available. Based on a September 2019 inspection of the US Department of Transportation's National Bridge Inventory, the city-owned bridge's superstructure was already in a poor state. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation website contains a spreadsheet with a piece of information on the bridge's overall status indicating that it was in dire condition due to the "advanced" deterioration of its primary structural elements, per The Associated Press. Related Article: 13 Republicans Support Infrastructure Bill, Receive Widespread Criticism From Other GOP Members, Donald Trump @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Throughout history, many incarcerated folks have published some of the writings they penned while doing time in the clink. St. Paul wrote four of the New Testaments Epistles, Don Quixote was written behind bars, and writers like Oscar Wilde and e.e. cummings spent their imprisoned years doing what they do best (besides offending someone, probably). And so it came to be that a significant contributor of the Oxford English Dictionary did so while incarcerated at the famous Broadmoor Criminal Asylum because of the unhinged murder he committed. Wikimedia Commons No, the victim was not of the middle of his beard. American doctor and army surgeon William Chester Minor had a bad case of paranoid schizophrenia. His mental health issues seemed to have stemmed from post-war PTSD and the traumatic incident in which he was forced to brand an Irish deserter in the American Civil War. Since then, he gradually started losing grip on reality, convincing himself that he was being stalked, poisoned, and sexually abused every single night by a band of Irishmen seeking revenge. Oh, and he struggled with a severe case of sex addiction, too, because some people just cant catch a break. Minor went on vacation to London after his discharge from the army to enjoy a bit of a break but schizophrenia doesnt take breaks, and his made-up band of Irish avengers followed him to the shores of England. Soon, Minor was sleeping with a gun under his pillow. The Center for Lifelong Learning offers a variety of classes, from learning new card games to history lessons, financial management, knitting and ways to get the most out of a smartphone. Some classes even try Maker Spaces high-tech machinery that includes 3D printing, laser cutting and engraving, fabric art and machine embroidery. Margaret Pearl Blaylock, age 85, of Crossville, TN, passed away at her home on May 3, 2022. She was born on November 18, 1936, in Crossville, TN, daughter of the late William Wyatt and Alice (Hale) Wyatt. Margaret was a homemaker and attended Stephen Gap Church of Christ. She is survived by I've already been to some live sporting events. Yes, I plan on attending several events. I may go to one or two. I like sports but I doubt it. I'm not into sports. Vote View Results iPhones might be getting an awesome update later this year. This is a feature that lets users accept payments directly to their smartphones without extra hardware. Note that wireless tap-to-pay systems might be critical for contactless payments. For reference, businesses today who want to accept payment via Apple Pay need to use external and third-party hardware like card readers or scanners. These payment terminals usually communicate to the iPhone via Bluetooth. In comparison, the incoming Apple update teases an iPhone to iPhone trade. This means merchants can skip buying the terminal and invest their money on much more meaningful purchases. Apple NFC Wireless Tap-To-Pay Technology Ideally, the update would only require two iPhones to be in close proximity to start their trade. At times, they might have to tap each other's back to receive the communication signals. 9to5Mac speculates the incoming Apple system would utilize near field communications (NFC) technology, which already exists for Apple Pay. This could also mean that Apple Pay will complement this new update. Bloomberg pointed out that Apple has already been working on this feature since 2020. This project is probably linked to Apple's acquisition of the Canadian startup Mobeewave, which happened in the same year. Before Mobeewave started working for Apple, it advertised its services as a way to "seamlessly accept credit card payments with a tap on your phone." Note that Mobeewave also utilizes NFC features. Read Also: [RUMOR] eSim-Only iPhone 14 Variant to Come? Apple Also Planning a Dual eSim/Physical Variant Apple Pay New Feature: iPhone Contactless Pay Bloomberg noted that this incoming Apple feature might impact its current economic markets. One heavily affected group will probably be payment providers that rely on Apple iPhones to facilitate their sales, like Block Inc's Square. If Apple opens this feature to all apps, Square could continue receiving payments via its system. However, if Apple integrates the incoming feature to Apple Pay, then they would directly compete with Square's services. In the long run, Apple Pay might eventually replace it. Bloomberg said Block representatives did not respond to their request for comment on the topic. The same situation also applies for the Apple representatives. How to Get The Apple New Feature The report from Bloomberg described the details for this incoming Apple project. Unfortunately, it failed to elaborate on the time frame. There is no release date for this Apple tap-to-pay update. However, many remain hopeful the feature might be released in an incoming software update. Some say it would be released in the "coming months," which implies the iOS 15.4 update. Notably, iOS 15.4 is still in its beta testing phase. Its final release might happen during the spring season. Be warned that Apple has yet to acknowledge this update officially. Until they have made their announcement, readers should take in this information with a pinch of salt and some skepticism. Hopefully, more details might be revealed in the coming weeks. Related Article: iOS 15.3 is Out Now, and Releases a Safari Patch! 3 iOS Browsing Tips To Be A Safari Master Fifteen Connecticut companies received 100 percent scores in the Human Rights Campaign Foundations 2022 Corporate Equality Index one of the leading measures of corporate support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees. AQR Capital Management, BlueTriton Brands, Boehringer Ingelheim USA, Bridgewater Associates, Cigna, Diageo North America, FactSet, Gartner, The Hartford, Otis Worldwide, Pitney Bowes, Stanley Black & Decker, Synchrony, Thomson Reuters and Xerox each received a score of 100, according to results released Thursday. This year, a record 842 businesses, employing a total of more than 14 million workers, earned a score of 100 and the designation of being a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality up from 13 in the CEIs first edition 20 years ago. The Connecticut-based companies that received 100 ratings cited the importance of the recognition from the HRC Foundation, which is the educational arm of the HRC, the countrys largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. Now more than ever, its critical that we continue to grow and sustain a culture that welcomes, values and celebrates all experiences and perspectives, Michael Matthews, chief diversity and corporate responsibility officer at Stamford-based Synchrony, the countrys largest provider of private-label and store-brand credit cards, said in a statement. Equity, diversity and inclusion is central to our culture and its how we operate. We are grateful to be recognized for our ongoing commitment as a best place to work for LGBTQ+ equality. Synchrony has earned a 100 score for seven consecutive years. Bloomfield-headquartered health insurance giant Cigna is another perennial honoree. It has garnered a 100 rating for the 10th-consecutive year. Our company is stronger when our employees bring their whole selves to work. This is why we are so intentional about cultivating a culture where we value and support each other for who we are, Susan Stith, Cignas vice president of diversity, equity, inclusion, and corporate and employee giving, said in a statement. This recognition is an important validation of our work so far, and it motivates us to continue pushing forward every day. The CEO and president of Pitney Bowes, which has earned top marks two years in a row, said the Stamford shipping-and-mailing firm believes diversity makes us better. Pitney Bowes strives to create an environment where each person is able to be themselves regardless of gender, gender identity, gender expression or sexuality. We firmly believe that diversity makes us better and inclusion is essential to drive engagement and deliver value to all our stakeholders, Pitney Bowes CEO and President Marc Lautenbach said. Our commitment to including the voices and value of our global workforce in its collective diversity is something we are proud of. It is part of our companys values of doing the right thing, the right way. Among other companies with headquarters or major offices in Connecticut that HRC evaluated, Henkel received a score of 95; Booking Holdings, Charter Communications and Linde each received a 90; XPO Logistics received an 85; and Ethan Allen received a 75. Amphenol, Frontier Communications and United Rentals received unofficial scores of 20 and W.R. Berkley was given an unofficial rating of 10 because the HRC Foundation said they were among the Fortune 500 companies that have not responded to repeated invitations to the CEI survey. These ratings are based on publicly available information as well as information submitted to HRC from unofficial LGBTQ employee groups or individual employees. United Rentals missed the CEI survey deadline, but subsequently reached out to the HRC Foundation to submit the survey so it can receive an accurate score, United Rentals spokesperson Ted Grace said. Frontier officials said the company received an unofficial score because the HRC Foundation had been contacting an employee who no longer works for the company. We are back in touch with HRC to update our score based on the work were doing on diversity, equity and inclusion, including our year-long celebration campaign, Frontier spokesperson Brigid Smith said. DE&I (diversity, equity and inclusion) is a priority for our new leadership team, and were looking forward to learning more about HRCs 2023 criteria when they unveil it in March. Messages left for Amphenol and W.R. Berkley were not immediately returned on Thursday. The CEI criteria focuses on four areas: non-discrimination policies across businesses; equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families; support of an inclusive culture; and corporate social responsibility. Companies rated in the CEI include the 500 publicly traded firms with the highest revenues, as ranked by Fortune magazine; American Lawyer magazines top 200 revenue-grossing law firms; and hundreds of publicly and privately held mid- to large-sized businesses. When the Human Rights Campaign Foundation created the Corporate Equality Index 20 years ago, we dreamed that LGBTQ+ workers from the factory floor to corporate headquarters, in big cities and small towns could have access to the policies and benefits needed to thrive and live life authentically, Jay Brown, Human Rights Campaigns senior vice president of programs, research and training, said in a statement. We are proud that the Corporate Equality Index paved the way to that reality for countless LGBTQ+ workers in America and abroad. The 2022 CEI includes 1,271 participants, compared with 319 in the CEIs first year. A record 1,268 businesses have non-discrimination protections specific to gender identity, up from 17 in 2002, the HRC Foundation found. These non-discrimination protections cover nearly 41 million employees in the U.S., and around the world, according to the HRC Foundation. There were 379 Fortune 500 businesses including Cigna, The Hartford, Synchrony, Stanley Black & Decker, Otis and Xerox that received official CEI ratings based on submitted surveys, compared with 366 last year. Actively participating Fortune 500 firms received an average score of 94 percent, up from 92 last year. At the same time, 56 percent of the Fortune 500 and 77 percent of all CEI-rated companies offer comprehensive domestic-partnership benefits, up from 69 percent of companies in 2002. The HRC Foundation also found that 71 percent of the Fortune 500 and 91 percent of all CEI-rated businesses offer transgender-inclusive health insurance, up from 0 in 2002. This recognition from the Human Rights Campaign reaffirms our leaders commitment to policies and actions that reflect our values, Alecia Smith, director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Farmington-based Otis, which has earned a 100 score for the second-consecutive year and operates as one of the largest manufacturers and servicers of elevators, escalators and moving walkways, said in a statement. While we still have work to do in the U.S., and around the world, this recognition inspires us to continue our efforts to create a work environment where all voices feel safe, welcomed and heard, because our diversity is our strength. pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; Twitter: @paulschott Through the height of the latest COVID-19 wave, more than a quarter-million Connecticut residents received a booster vaccination, but the state still lags behind others nationwide in getting those fully vaccinated another round of shots, data shows. The latest wave, driven by the omicron variant, appears to be waning, but the daily positive rate of COVID-19 tests and hospitalizations remain higher than previous peaks during the pandemic. Officials have responded by continuing to urge residents to get booster shots to address waning immunity from earlier doses of vaccine. In the states weekly COVID report released Thursday, all major metrics dropped. The daily positivity rate fell to 9.73 percent, the first time it was below 10 percent since Dec. 23. Hospitalizations fell by a net of 76 patients for a total of 1,210. The weekly deaths of 225 were 16 fewer than the 241 reported last Thursday. The state reported Thursday that 1.2 million residents have received boosters, just shy of 50 percent of all those who are fully vaccinated. Despite having one the nations highest fully vaccinated populations, Connecticut trails 12 other states, including several from New England, in percent of those individuals who have gotten a booster, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows. The CDC figures, which are updated daily, show the pace of boosters have mostly slowed, despite the persistent threat of COVID-19. The data shows new doses administered weekly have dropped from highs seen ahead of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. In the seven days leading up to Christmas, about 129,000 Connecticut residents received a booster, compared with about 83,000 who got a booster during some of the worst seven days of this recent wave between Jan. 3 and Jan. 10. The Connecticut Department of Public Health continues to recommend that all eligible Connecticut residents receive the COVID-19 booster. The number of doses administered has decreased since the peak of omicron, likely because many people were infected during this most recent wave, DPH spokesperson Christopher Boyle said Thursday in a statement. DPH stressed the CDC guidance, which states people do not need to wait after an infection to get a booster shot. DPH continues to stress that the best strategies to combat this virus are vaccination/boosters, masking and testing, Boyle said. Dr. Peter Hotez, a Connecticut native and director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Hospital, said it was disappointing to see low uptake of boosters not just in Connecticut, but across the country. I think part of that was self-inflicted," he said. "Clearly, part of it is from the anti-vaccine movement and the fake messages that they're putting out there. But part of it was self-inflicted I think there was a lot of confusion from the CDC, FDA and the federal advisory committees that kept on insisting that we call two doses fully vaccinated, Hotez said during a news conference Thursday with doctors from Hartford HealthCare. While there was growing pressure for state officials to take strict measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 during this latest wave, they opted instead to focus their message on encouraging residents to get a booster shot. Along with a spike in infections and positivity rate, hospitalizations jumped significantly during the latest wave, but doctors from the states major health networks said those with booster shots fared well against the delta and omicron variants. What weve learned and what we are learning, boosters do enhance that vaccine effectiveness, especially against omicron. I think what we saw during the surge being boosted really did decrease the risk of ending up in the hospital with COVID, said Dr. Asha Shah, director of infectious diseases of Stamford Health. During the latest wave, there has been an uptick in the number of breakthrough COVID-19 cases, which are those reported in individuals who have been fully vaccinated for more than two weeks. Over the past week, 9,547 new breakthrough cases were reported. Shah said booster coverage, while lagging in Connecticut, likely led to fewer severe cases amid the latest surge. The unvaccinated have reason to be scared. For people who are vaccinated, we are looking at a better future. ... People who have not been boosted are having more symptomatic disease, state DPH Commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani said during the height of this wave. With concern growing over waning immunity from the initial course of vaccine, Gov. Ned Lamont issued an executive order this month requiring those working in nursing homes to get a booster by the middle of February. The state worked with Connecticuts hospitals to ensure their staff, who were among the earliest eligible for vaccines in late 2020, were required to get boosters. Thats how we keep our hospitals safe, Lamont said at the time. Thats how we have the capacity to take care of each and every one of you. The executive order allowing for a statewide school mask mandate and 10 other orders that Gov. Ned Lamont says Connecticut needs to fight the pandemic is likely to be extended for at least 60 days by the General Assembly, top leaders said Wednesday. Both the Democratic and Republican leaders in the House agree the most likely scenario when lawmakers convene next month is that they will codify the 11 orders as a whole, at least temporarily. Under the arrangement, Lamont would not be able to issue any new executive orders, as he has throughout the coronavirus crisis. He could request new orders, but they would have to be approved by the legislature under a plan that he submitted to to lawmakers last Friday. Other orders on the list include measures laying out who can order mask mandates for the general population; requiring vaccinations of staff at long-term care facilities and booster shots by Feb. 11; establishing rules for emergency hospital staffing to ease shortages; easing state purchasing rules for essential items; and requiring insurers to reimburse providers for vaccinations at the Medicare rate. Lamont recommended that vaccine mandates for teachers and state employees, other than at state hospitals, not be extended beyond Feb. 15. We codify the 11 executive orders. The governor says he needs something else; he comes back to the legislature. We weigh the issue and if we so choose, we could pass a special act. Thats how I think were going to operate for the next couple of months, House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said Wednesday, explaining how the process would likely work. The controversial mask rule in schools is not an executive order, directly. The order, one of the 11 Lamont wants extended, gives state education and health officials the authority to require masks in schools but they could also end that mandate under the order, or modify it, or cede the authority to local school boards. Lawmakers will also need to decide how the pandemic will be handled when they are not in session. The General Assembly is expected to adjourn on May 4. A 60-day extension would keep Lamonts orders in effect until April 15. Options include special sessions, returning emergency powers to Lamont which he has not requested or some other shared authority. House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, in a separate interview Wednesday, agreed with Ritters assessment and said theres also consensus that it doesnt make sense to continue the governors emergency powers to issue new orders. It looks like the governors 11 orders are going to be extended, and it looks like House Democrats are agreeing that the powers do not need to be extended, Candelora said. In addition to extending the executive orders, Lamont has requested the states declarations of public health and civil emergencies be continued beyond when his executive power expires on Feb. 15 to ensure the state continues to receive federal funding. That appears to be a technical, legal question. Ritter and Candelora both said that if the legislature declares an emergency then the funding, which covers non-congregate housing and supplemental food benefits for low-income families, would not be disrupted. The issue of extending the orders has taken on political significance, as some critics of the administration believe Lamont has retained too much authority. Many on social media have incorrectly said the extension request would extend Lamonts emergency powers. Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly, R-Stratford, said after requesting an extension of his powers six times previously, Lamont is now coming to the General Assembly seeking our advice and counsel in an election year. Under a law passed by the General Assembly last year, top legislative leaders can reject any executive order issued by the governor. Kelly welcomed a vote on the orders but called for a public hearing before lawmakers make any final decisions. Any issues the majority wants to put on the calendar, and have a vote, were more than willing to do it, Kelly said to reporters Wednesday after a press conference on Senate Republicans proposals to address mental health needs. But what we need is, when we do a bill, we need to have the peoples voice included in the process. Senate President Pro Temp Martin Looney in a written statement said his caucus would meet Wednesday night to discuss the best way to move forward to preserve the federal funding and protect the safety of the residents of Connecticut. In the House, Ritter said hed prefer to vote on the orders as a group rather than individually, especially given theres limited time for debate with Lamonts powers expiring less than a week after lawmakers convene for the new legislative session on Feb. 9. Lawmakers could modify the orders before voting on them. House Democrats want to add no-excuse absentee voting to the list of orders under consideration, for example. Executive orders expanding absentee voting due to the pandemic expired last November. Ritter said if the legislature decides to codify the other orders, acknowledging were still in the midst of a public health emergency, then voters should also be able to declare risk of getting COVID as a reason to mail-in their ballots. But Candelora said lawmakers should focus on public health issues such as the school mask mandate, which many of his colleagues oppose. Thats where the conversation should be had, not a partisan fight over our own elections, he said. Candelora said he expects a debate on the booster mandate for nursing home workers and requiring nursing home visitors to provide proof of negative test or vaccination. Every visitor, regardless of vaccination status, should be tested given how contagious omicron and other COVID variants have been, he said. Some of the orders could receive Republican support, Candelora said, namely those that address health care worker shortages. julia.bergman@hearstmediact.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate KILLINGWORTH Calling the Boy Scout-owned Deer Lake Camp a magical place, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., promised to help get federal funds to head off private development of the 255-acre property, which is up for sale. The precious and pristine treasure that is Deer Lake ... must be preserved, Blumenthal told a group of three dozen people who gathered next to the frozen lake at the camp amid frigid temperatures Thursday. It really is a treasure for the whole state, and thats why I will be going to the Water and Conservation Fund of the Great Outdoors Act, seeking whatever resources we can do. He said he would press for funding in the range of $2 million to $3 million dollars, and maybe more. The press conference comes before a February meeting of the Scouts Connecticut Yankee Council, at which the group is to consider bids for the scenic property. One bid is from a developer, Boy Scout officials had confirmed. No date for the meeting has been announced at this time. However, representatives from the Connecticut Yankee Council were at the outdoor conference and said they were looking forward to meeting with the senator. We did have a brief but productive conversation after the conference, Bob Brown, a spokesman for the council, said. When the Boy Scouts announced in September plans to sell the camp, many expressed deep concern that the property might be sold to a private developer and would no longer to be accessible to the public. Area residents, local and state officials, and conservation and environmental groups were among those expressing concern over the propertys future. To allow it to go the way of development would be unconscionable, Blumenthal said. Not only because it has been such a wonderful resource for campers, but for all of us. It connects to the state forest nearby [Cockaponset State Forest] to Chatfield Hollow it is part of the ecological lifeblood of the region, he added. Open space is not something you can lose and recover. Once its lost, its gone, its gone forever, Blumenthal said. As far as raising the funds, The people who are going to make this happen are you, he told the group. Im going to go to the federal government and pound on doors and I going to make the case that this 255 acres is not just about Connecticut but about the ecological systems it supports and the wildlife, he said. Deer Lake Camp has been a beloved summer camp for decades, with generations of families attending the camp from the region, news conference participants said. This is the first time for so many campers, said state Sen. Christine Cohen, who represents the 12th District. This is the first sleepaway, the first time a Boy Scout hikes through the woods and identifies tree types, the first time they learn to build a friction fire. The land is also vital to the regions trail system, state and local officials said. The parcel is critical, said Killingworth First Selectman Nancy Gorski, because it is part of the Greenway trail that stretches from Middletown to the shore, and is part of the Blue Trail. The key here is that Deer Lake Scout Reservation is part of the state Greenway that runs through our town, Gorski said. Thats why we consider this a priority for preservation, she said. Also preserving the site as open space is in keeping with our Killingworth Plan of Conservation and Development. Gorski noted that development of the property would be challenging, as the property does not have enough frontage to connecting roads. Any required infrastructure would come at a significant cost for any developer, she said. It cannot be currently developed without additional property there is not enough frontage for a road to go through there, Gorski said. In a written statement, Board President of the Connecticut Yankee Council Rudy Escalante said, Connecticut Yankee Council is focused on creating the best experience for our Scouts. In 2021, our membership grew 3 percent, a sign our communities want Scouting more than ever. This growth is despite the challenges weve all faced in the past year, he said. Our volunteer board and staff are reviewing all our properties, facilities, and programs to ensure theyre supporting our mission of delivering the best youth development program possible to our kids. To keep this positive momentum going, we are making decisions based on whats best for our Scouting program, Escalante said. For more than 50 years, weve been stewards of Deer Lake Scout Reservation and are committed to finding the best solution possible, he said. The camp boasts a mile-long spring-fed lake, a swimming area in a kettle [a lake created by retreating flood waters or glaciers] named the lagoon, as well as manicured trails in pristine forest. Boy Scouts and day campers, as well as hikers and residents, enjoy the property. One of the most famous features is the unique glacier rock formation called Fat Mans Squeeze that children love to explore. The private Save Deer Lake Facebook group was created when the Connecticut Yankee Council Boy Scouts of America announced plans to sell the camp last fall. The two options for the sale, according to Connecticut Yankee Council CEO Mark Kraus, are selling to a private developer or a sale involving the Hamden-based Trust for Public Land. The public land trust does not buy the property outright, according to Ted Langevin, Scout leader, chairman of Pack 491 in Madison and member of the Quinnipiac committee. Instead, the trust purchases an option to buy the land and raises the money for its purchase. At the closing, the group signs over their option to the acquiring entity, such as a nonprofit organization or a town government, and uses the money raised to fund the purchase, Langevin had told Hearst Connecticut Media. Kraus has said Deer Lake is not being sold in connection with the Boy Scouts of Americas $850 million sex abuse settlement. The group is planning the sale as part of a plan to ensure fiscal responsibility. The unpredictability of this weekends noreaster with forecasters calling for anywhere from a few inches to more than a foot of snow has posed an added challenge for shorthanded state plow crews and Connecticut utility companies trying to predict potential outages. Connecticut can see between 5 and 15 inches of snow, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Services New York office. Southeastern Connecticut is expected to see the higher snow totals, ranging from 10 to 15 inches and possible blizzard-like conditions, the weather service said. In the southwestern part of the state, the weather service is predicting 5 to 10 inches of snow. The weather service has issued a winter storm watch for the entire state with snow expected to start Friday evening and continuing through the day Saturday. Tracking the storm has been challenging for forecasters and Connecticut utility companies, which have not yet been able to predict how many outages they expect. Steve Sullivan, Eversource Energys president of Connecticut electric operations, said the company has a dozen service centers strategically located across the state where repair crews will be based. An Eversource spokesperson said the company plans to have several hundred of its own two-person line repair crews ready and will supplement them with another 200 pairs of linemen brought in through partnerships with other utilities outside of Connecticut. Those workers coming from outside the state will be in place by the time the storm arrives Friday, Sullivan said. Each repair is different, he said. Some can be handled by only a single repair crew. Others require more than one. In addition, the company is hiring several hundred tree contractors to work during the storm, according to company officials. Sullivan said 90 percent of all power outages in winter storms like these are caused by trees or their limbs coming in contact with the companys electric distribution network. More for you Connecticut power outage tracker Equipment that may be needed to make repairs, like wires and utility poles, is being moved to the service center locations, Sullivan said. Theres a lot of logistical work being done in preparation for this, he said. As employers face COVID absences, Eversource said it does not have a staffing shortage heading into the storm. Were well prepared, said Mitch Gross, a spokesperson for Eversource. United Illuminating, which serves more than 342,000 customers in southern Connecticut, including Bridgeport, New Haven and Milford, is preparing for a storm regardless of what the forecast may bring, according to company spokesperson Gage Frank. UI has also activated its incident command team and has crews, some from outside the company, ready to respond. Additional mutual aid crews will arrive Friday, Frank added. We are prepared to adjust our response up or down as more information is made available, Frank said. Kafi Rouse, a spokesperson for the state Department of Transportation, said crews and vehicles are ready, but said the agency remains short-staffed due to a limited number of employees with commercial drivers licenses. As with every DOT across the country, we are suffering from a shortage of CDL drivers in the workforce, Rouse said. Rouse said the agency has 723 drivers, a 33 percent shortage due to 200 vacancies and 140 absences. Some of those absences are a result of COVID-positive test results or those awaiting test results due to close contacts, Rouse said. We have a large hole in our 1,600-person highway operations team. We are asking people to be patient as we work throughout the day, Rouse said. It is safest if people would please stay home and let our crews work. And as always, if you must be out, use extreme caution and do not pass the plow. Staff writer Peter Yankowski contributed to this report. A noreaster with the potential to produce a bomb cyclone and blizzard-like conditions could knock out power to more than 100,000 Connecticut customers this weekend, officials said Friday. As the storm approached on Friday, Gov. Ned Lamont announced a ban on all tractor-trailer trucks from limited access highways starting Saturday morning. Were ready for what could be a really rough storm, Lamont said, speaking at a state Department of Transportation maintenance garage. Dangerous travel, blowing snow and blizzard-like conditions are possible as the storm moves through the state. Eversource, the states largest electrical supplier, said it is preparing for a level 5 storm event, meaning up to 125,000 customers could lose power for one to three days. United Illuminating did not provide outage predictions as of Friday evening for its service area. The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for New London County and a winter storm warning for the rest of the state. The weather service said southeastern Connecticut, as well as eastern Long Island, could see winds gusting up to 60 mph, and 12 to 18 inches of powdery snow. Southwest Connecticut is expected to get 6 to 12 inches of powdery snow as well as near-blizzard conditions, the weather service said. After starting Friday night, the weather service said the snow is expected to continue through Saturday afternoon. The forecast shows the snow tapering off late Saturday afternoon or early evening. Strong winds will roll in with the snow, with gusts up to 60 mph possible in some parts of the southeastern corner of the state. Other areas are expected to see wind gusts in the 40- to 50-mph range. The strongest winds will hit Saturday morning into the evening. The storm is expected to form a bomb cyclone or bombogenesis, according to Gary Lessor, chief meteorologist at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. The powerful event is marked by the storms barometric pressure plummeting 24 millibars in 24 hours, he said. More for you Campbell (opinion): We owe a debt to generation drowning in them Its a rapidly strengthening storm, he said. Mark Wysocki, a senior lecturer at Cornell University and New York state climatologist, said the term originated from satellite imagery. As storms tend to move up along the East Coast during the wintertime, and they start mixing with the colder waters from the Labrador Current, what tends to happen is the storm intensifies, and when it intensifies, the cloud cover ... expands rapidly in all directions, he said. So actually from above on a satellite, it does look like a bomb goes off. During such an event, the storm will deepen meaning the pressure will drop rapidly, and wind speeds will increase rapidly along with precipitation. Thats what meteorologists think will happen with the weekends noreaster. At its height, the storm could produce up to 3 inches of snow per hour as well as thunder and lightning, Lessor said. It is quite possible with this storm being so intense, Lessor said, though he said the phenomenon is not unusual and occurs close to once every year. Wysocki said noreasters tend to follow one of three tracks westward, along the coast, or easterly. He said this storm is following the eastern track. That puts Connecticut in the most intense part of the snowfall, he said. It also could produce coastal flooding. But the good news is once the storm clears, no other major weather events are expected to affect the state in the next week, according to Wysocki. In the next week, were looking for a warm-up, he added. I think the ski resorts in the Northeast will be happy with this because it gives them a good snow base to work off, he added. Once the snow tapers off Saturday night, strong gusty winds will remain and additional Arctic air will flow into the region. The temperature will drop to the single digits and teens with wind chill values between negative-8 to negative-14 degrees across the region. Sunday brings sunny skies and high temperatures in the mid 20s. Wind gusts up to 25 to 30 mph are possible, mostly in the morning and will lessen during the afternoon. Sunday night will be partly cloudy with temperatures ranging from the single digits to the lower teens, with the higher temperatures near the shoreline. Staff writers Julia Bergman and Liz Hardaway contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A noreaster is expected to dump more than a foot of snow on parts of Connecticut this weekend, while strong wind gusts and blizzard-like conditions could bring down trees and knock out power, weather experts say. The storm is expected to start Friday night and continue through the day Saturday, bringing 5 to 15 inches of snow to Connecticut, the National Weather Service said. The states utility companies said they have been preparing this week, bringing in hundreds of line crews if the high winds cause widespread outages. Heres what you need to know to be prepared for the storm: If you lose power or other utilities Eversource customers can report outages online, or by texting OUT to 23129 More for you Campbell (opinion): We owe a debt to generation drowning in them United Illuminating customers should report a power outage online, on the UI mobile app or call 800-722-5584 or 911 in the event of an emergency, such as a downed electrical wire. Eversource and UI have interactive maps on their websites that show the latest outages. For apartments residents, state law requires apartments to be at least 65 degrees at all times during the year, unless a loss of heat is outside the landlords control. The state also has certain protections against utilities being cut off without notice, or for low-income or seriously sick residents. Parking bans, warnings Many cities and towns have seasonal bans on parking vehicles in the street that are already in effect, or may issue them as the storm approaches. Check this section often, as new parking bans will be added as theyre announced by municipal officials. Ansonia: No parking is allowed on city streets beginning at 6 p.m. Friday until 6 p.m. Sunday. Additional parking is available at Nolan Field, Ansonia Middle School on Howard Avenue, the Main Street municipal lot, the West Main Street municipal lot, the East Main Street municipal lot, the former Ansonia Police Department at 2 Elm Street, Ansonia High School on Pulaski Highway, Prendergast School on Finney Street and Mead School on Ford Street. Bridgeport : The city announced a snow emergency in effect as of 4 p.m. Friday and said residents must park on the even-numbered side of the street. Towing will begin at 6 p.m. Friday. Vehicles cannot be parked on snow emergency routes. The city urged residents to stay home for their own safety during the storm. Bristol : A parking ban is in effect all day Saturday until 10 a.m. Sunday. Derby : Parking limited to odd-numbered sides of streets only. East Hartford : A parking ban goes into effect at 6 p.m. Friday and remains in effect through 6 p.m. Sunday. East Haven : A parking ban will be in effect throughout the storm, with a $100 fee possible for cars that are left on the street after a snow emergency is declared. Officials said police officers will pass out flyers around town before the storm explaining the town ordinance of parking. Hamden : A parking ban goes into effect at 8 p.m. Friday and will remain in effect until further notice. Vehicles must be parked on the even-numbered side of the street. Hartford : A parking ban goes into effect at 8 p.m. Friday and continues through the storm. Residents can park at Blue Light Lots and city lots, which open at 2 p.m., and Hartford Public Schools lots except for Bulkeley, Burns and Milner. The school lots will open at 6 p.m. Manchester : A parking ban will go into effect at midnight Saturday and remains in effect through noon Sunday. New Haven : A parking ban and a stay home request will be in place throughout the storm citywide except for essential personnel or those traveling for an emergency. New London : The citys winter parking restrictions are in effect starting at midnight Friday night and until snow plows have swept through the area. There will be no parking in the downtown area. Downtown residents and visitors can park in the Water Street Parking Garage for free starting Friday morning. People living in the area of Michael and Anthony roads can park in Bates Woods during the storm. There will be no parking on narrow street. Residents should follow posted regulations for street parking. For streets with parking allowed on both sides, residents can only park on the odd side of the street. Norwalk : A snow emergency goes into effect for the city at 3 p.m. Friday. South Windsor : Police reminded residents that vehicles cannot be parked on a public road in town once a storm has been ni progress for an hour, and for 24 hours after the storm has ended. Vehicles also cannot be parked on a public road overnight, between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., from Nov. 15 through April 15. Wallingford : A parking ban will began at midnight Saturday and continue through midnight Sunday. Cancellations Stamford: The city announced the COVID-19 vaccination site at the community health center and the testing sites at Cove Island Park at 689 Canal St. are canceled for Saturday. Other operators are expected to close as well due to weather, the city said. Amtrak bridges Amtrak announced it will close the following bridges due to extremely cold weather from midnight Saturday to noon Sunday: -Mystic River Bridge -Shaws Cove Railroad Bridge -Niantic River Bridge -Thames River Bridge Amtrak said boaters must give a two-hour notice for emergency openings. Bridge tenders can be contacted by radio for emergency openings. If you need shelter The states severe cold weather protocol is in effect through Feb. 3. Anyone in need of emergency shelter or a place to stay warm should call 211 to be connected with a shelter. Lists of warming centers and homeless shelters can also be found online. How to prep for the storm The Red Cross has offered tips on how to prepare for the storm. The Red Cross says its a good idea to stock up on essentials ahead of major winter weather events, including any medications, canned food, bottled water, flashlights and a battery-powered radio. Before the storm hits, the Red Cross says to make sure your car is fully-fueled, and set aside blankets and warm clothing for each member of your family. Sand or non-clumping cat litter is good to have on hand to help make walkways or steps less slippery, the Red Cross said. Besides keeping yourself warm, its a good idea to make sure your home is insulated, the Red Cross said. With temperatures hovering in the 20s this week and even colder wind chill values sealing any drafty areas of your home should help keep the frigid air out, the Red Cross advised. Caulk and weather-strip doors and windowsills to keep cold air out, the Red Cross said. Install storm windows or cover windows with plastic from the inside to provide an extra layer of insulation to keep cold air out. Now is also a good time to make sure your home has enough heating oil or fuel on hand, the Red Cross said. UI is also encouraging customers to charge their electronic devices and get their get generators ready before the storm. Driving in the snow Try to avoid driving unless necessary to allow crews to plow and repair any storm damage. If thats not possible, be sure to leave plenty of driving distance between other vehicles, and dont crowd snow plows at work, experts said. Its also a good idea to pack an emergency kit in your vehicle with blankets, flashlight, tools for clearing snow. If you must go out during a winter storm, use public transportation if possible, the Red Cross said. About 70 percent of winter deaths related to ice and snow occur in automobiles. 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. Chinese mainland reports 39 new local COVID-19 cases Xinhua) 13:37, January 28, 2022 A staff member registers information of a resident at a COVID-19 testing site in Xicheng District in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) BEIJING, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland on Thursday recorded 39 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, the National Health Commission said on Friday. Of the new local infections, 16 were reported in Zhejiang, nine in Heilongjiang, eight in Beijing, four in Tianjin, and one each in Guizhou and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, according to the commission. Thursday also saw reports of 25 imported COVID-19 cases across the mainland. Three new suspected cases arriving from outside the mainland were reported in Shanghai, and no new deaths from COVID-19 were reported on the day, it added. A total of 54 asymptomatic cases were newly reported Thursday, 42 of whom arrived from outside the mainland, according to the commission. As of Thursday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, both local and imported, reported on the Chinese mainland had reached 105,875. There were 2,268 patients still under treatment on Thursday, of whom nine were in severe condition. A total of 4,636 patients had died of the virus on the Chinese mainland since the outbreak of the pandemic. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Samsung Life Insurance's headquarters in southern Seoul / Yonhap By Kim Bo-eun Samsung Life Insurance appears to be mulling its next steps after financial authorities slapped 155 million won ($128,655) in fines and an "institutional warning" on the insurer earlier, for violating regulations in refusing to cover costs for cancer policyholders. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) gave notice of a punitive measure to be taken against the insurer, Jan. 26, in the form of an institutional warning which prevents the company and affiliates from launching new businesses over the next year that need approval from authorities. Policyholders of Samsung's cancer insurance earlier called for the insurer to cover costs of being treated at nursing homes, after being treated at hospital, but Samsung had refused, stating these expenses are not covered under the policy. Yet the FSC concluded that 496 out of 519 cases that Samsung refused to pay for, affected policyholders who had been admitted to nursing homes for cancer treatment. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) will forward the final conclusion to Samsung Life by February. The FSS, as the regulator that inspects financial firms, will notify the insurer of the final punitive measures. The agency conducted a comprehensive audit on Samsung Life in 2019. The Samsung affiliate could take steps to object to its penalty or file an administrative suit. Suits against punitive measures should be filed within 90 days of notification of the penalty. The insurer has appealed against a court ruling last year that ordered the company to pay holders of its immediate annuity contract. In the case where the institutional warning is finalized, Samsung Life could refute the penalty, given this would bar the insurer as well as its affiliate, Samsung Card, from launching new businesses. "We have not been notified by the FSC of what was discussed at the last committee meeting," a Samsung Life official said Friday. "We are unable to comment as of now on how we will deal with the situation." Meanwhile, the FSC stated Samsung Life should take corrective measures for not seeking 15 billion won in indemnities from IT service provider Samsung SDS for failing to complete a 156 billion won project on time. CT State Police / Contributed SHELTON Connecticut State Police are investigating the circumstances that led to a double-fatal rollover crash off Route 8 that officials say is connected to a Bridgeport police investigation. There exists the possibility that this incident is connected to a police investigation in Bridgeport, said Brian Foley, aide to the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner James Rovella. Once we determined that, we immediately contacted the States Attorneys office. We also are in contact with the Bridgeport Police Department and they are fully cooperating with the investigation. Kyobo Life Chairman Shin Chang-jae. By Lee Kyung-min Kyobo Life Insurance said Friday that it has filed a petition with a U.S. non-profit audit organization, seeking sanctions against Deloitte Anjin over the accounting firm's suspected irregularities in the calculation of the life insurer's total share value in 2018. This is the latest development in a protracted dispute between Kyobo and a consortium of its financial investors led by Affinity Equity Partners, a Hong Kong-based private equity firm, over a 2 trillion won ($1.6 billion) put option. Among the investors are IMM Private Equity, Baring Private Equity and GIC, the Singaporean sovereign wealth fund. The Life insurer says Deloitte Anjin accountants are under suspicion of accounting law and ethics violations in 2018, in the midst of a put option being exercised by the investors on Kyobo Life Chairman Shin Chang-jae. Shin signed a contract with the consortium in 2012, which included a put option. The contract stated that the consortium of investors could exercise the put option if Kyobo Life failed to go public within three years. Kyobo failed to carry out an IPO within the specified time frame and the investors exercised the put option on Oct. 23, 2018. The consortium presented a value of 409,912 won for Kyobo's stock at the time, but Shin refused to honor the put option, taking issue with the contract. The overvaluation, Kyobo says, was the key point of contention in the drawn-out dispute with the investors, saying a judgment by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) will help clarify the issues. "We plan to put an end to the years-long feud once and for all," a Kyobo official said. "The U.S. organization is known for the highest, the most stringent standards of ethics and morals of accountants. We understand ethics violations are met with severe disciplinary actions in the U.S." Meanwhile, a trial is ongoing at the Seoul Central District Court on the indictment of three Deloitte Anjin officials and two Affinity consortium officials on charges of collusion and violating laws governing certified public accountants. Prosecutors sought between one-year and 18-month prison terms for each of the five, claiming that they orchestrated a plan whereby Deloitte Anjin officials wrote a put option-related stock valuation report in a way that strengthened the case for Affinity at the request of the private equity firm's officials. A ruling is expected in February. GREENWICH What was that jolt early Thursday afternoon? Numerous residents reported what felt like some kind of tremor around 1 p.m. in various neighborhoods around Greenwich. Local authorities were unsure what the cause was, but the U.S. Geological Survey later reported a 1.4 magnitude earthquake had occurred two kilometers north-northwest of Cos Cob at 12:38 p.m. USGS reported the quake was felt in Cos Cob, Greenwich, Old Greenwich and Riverside. Social media detectives were on the case shortly after the rumbling, which some local residents also described as being accompanied by a loud noise. Here in Cos Cob it was so loud the house shook, one local resident reported on Twitter. I ran out assuming a huge old oak tree had fallen over! another responded. A Port Chester, N.Y., resident also described the phenomenon just over the state line from Greenwich. A Glenville resident chimed in that the mystery boom was felt in her neighborhood. One North Mianus resident initially thought something had fallen on his house. Another commenter on Twitter wondered jokingly whether a science project had gone horribly wrong at Greenwich High School, but as of Thursday afternoon, the high school was perfectly intact. Police Capt. Mark Zuccerella said the department had received some calls from residents in the afternoon, but he had no immediate answers to provide. There did not appear to be a public health threat, police said. At fire headquarters, there was no indication of what might have caused rumblings. We did not respond to anything like that, said Deputy Fire Chief Shawn Morris. A small tremor was detected in Greenwich in 2016, as southern New England has been rocked by a few minor quakes in recent decades. Staff writer Ken Borsuk contributed to this report. Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media BRIDGEPORT A person was shot in the leg in the city Thursday night, according to police. Around 9 p.m., officers responded to the area of Bryant Street for a reported gunshot wound victim. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SHELTON The Public Works Department and Shelton police are implementing the citys snow/winter storm emergency parking ban this weekend. The parking ban will begin Friday at 6 p.m. and run through Monday at 6 a.m. The move comes as the state prepares for a major noreaster, which could bring a foot of snow and gusty winds throughout the day Saturday. The storm track remains in question, but forecasters agree that there will be plowable snow. On odd-numbered days, parking shall be permitted during the aforementioned hours, only on the odd-numbered side of the street, DPW Superintendent Brian Roach said. On even-numbered days, parking shall be permitted during the aforementioned hours only on the even-numbered side of the street. Any vehicles towed shall be stored at the police-authorized towing company address, Roach added. The fees for towing are regulated by the State of Connecticut. The city will also be closing the Shelton Transfer Station on Saturday and reopening on Monday. brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com STRATFORD How many families can a neighborhood hold? According to Gold Coast Properties, LLC, a Stratford-based developer, its more than what the town says. And now the developer is seeking a repeal of the towns apartment regulations to pave the way toward building multifamily apartment units on Broadbridge Ave. However, the mayor and some residents oppose the push for more multifamily units, saying increased density in the area between Barnum Ave. and Emerald Place would alter the character of the neighborhood and worsen quality of life. Hoydick told the Planning Commission at its Jan. 26 meeting that the majority of residents, when asked about changes to multifamily housing, werent thrilled about the idea. As a community we have spent significant time, money and resources outlining our housing issues and setting a process to improve these issues, she said. When the Housing Partnership surveyed Stratford residents about revising housing for multi-families criteria, the townwide results showed 41 percent were in agreement. This is hardly a sentiment of rousing support. The commission held a public hearing at its Jan. 26 meeting where Hoydick, council member Laura Dancho and a group of residents voiced their opposition to a push by the developer to repeal section 5.3 of the towns zoning code. The section limits the number of units according to its zoning district. In this case, Broadbridge Ave. is zoned as RM-1 single-family sized lots, and RS-3 or RS-4, which allow six units per 40,000 square feet of lot area. But Gold Coast is seeking a zone change to a Planned Residential District that would allow up to 35 units per acre along both sides of the road between Barnum Ave. and Emerald Place. And according to Dancho, such a proposal wont work. Specifically, she cited traffic concerns. Adding multifamily housing into an area, particularly an area that is not TOD (Transit Oriented Development) will bring in additional vehicles, she said. This will only add to the already overloaded traffic and documented speeding on Broadbridge Avenue that will contribute to unsafe conditions. Dancho said speeding isnt the only concern. There isnt much in the way of sidewalks or crosswalks, making the location particularly dangerous to pedestrians. But she also said if these apartments are built, it would hurt homeowners. You on this commission are all homeowners. So you recognize that this is usually a residents largest investment, she said. When a home is purchased in an area, buyers consider the current zoning and trust that the regulations of that zone is one way to protect that investment and retain the parameters of a chosen lifestyle. To make a sweeping change from single family to multifamily is drastic. Another resident, Kathy Lombard said the area where the developer wants to build already suffers from traffic and she feared more residents would overburden the neighborhood. We have accidents constantly on Broadbridge Avenue in front of our home down the block. Its just devastating, she said. I mean, weve helped people out of the car in the middle of the night. Its horrible, so the volume of traffic is my biggest concern of having all of those apartments or housing, near me. However, according to a Planning Commission report from November 2021, the town lacks affordable housing. The same report stated 60 percent of renters in town struggle to make the rent. One solution to the affordable housing shortage is to create more housing to alleviate the burden, specifically a Planned Residential District. The proposed PRD would benefit the town in developing the missing middle housing, identified as currently lacking within the Housing Strategies of Stratford document, the report stated. Barry Knott, the attorney representing the developer, pointed out the planning and zoning commissions had worked with him on the language. He also said the application proposed a maximum number of units with the understanding the maximum might not be built. But he asked the commission to work with him on a mutually agreeable building plan. All Im asking for is enough units to provide us with flexibility in order to be able to design something that works, Knott said. BRIDGEPORT Teachers and students at Columbus School this week had to keep their coats on and hoods up on Monday, even once inside the building, as teachers reported classroom temperatures of about 50 to 60 degrees. The low temperatures are a recurring problem at the school, said the elementary school teachers, who asked not to be named for fear of retribution. They shared photos of thermometers that showed working conditions below room temperature and deep concern for their students learning and well-being. To have them come in and try to learn in coats and hats, its not productive, said one of the teachers. Its not a good day. Columbus School is not unique in its HVAC problems. Nearly a third of Connecticut school districts report not having the funds to upgrade the air quality, according to Connecticut Publics Accountability Project. One in five schools does not have a program to evaluate indoor air. Local educators have long pointed to outdated HVAC systems in older schools, particularly hot temperatures during the summer months. One Columbus teacher added that children in the high-poverty school are already dealing with a stressful school year. Our students are already coming to school without their basic needs met, without having been fed, having issues at home. Were already trying to bring them up to a level playing field, said the teacher. And were expecting them to pay attention (in cold classrooms). Its next to impossible, she said. Teachers alerted their union, including Jeff Morrissey, who oversees facilities grievances for the Bridgeport Education Association. Morrissey said the system went down over the weekend, so by Monday morning, temperatures had significantly decreased. It took a while for the building to heat back up again, Morrissey said. The union leader said they have good communication with the facilities department when problems arise. Sometimes we hear about it, and theyre there already, he said. But there are other times we reach out with a problem in a particular building, especially when something is as important as heat in the cold-air months. Superintendent Michael Testani said he was aware of a similar problem last year and is taking steps to assure temperatures are steady. We have facilities personnel coming in over the next couple weeks as the weather is colder early to address any issues that could potentially arise, Testani said. The school district has plans to address the buildings air conditioners with federal funds, but not its boiler at this time. If this becomes an issue, we will repair it, Testani said. Every district has older buildings, newer buildings, he said. These are not isolated concerns here in Bridgeport. They do occur in suburban towns as well. One teacher called the building notorious for being cold, while a third explained the problem repeats itself every week. Long-term solutions have been hard to come by. Custodians will call in the problem, the three Columbus teachers said, and workers have come to look at the units. Sometimes I teach with my coat on all day, said one of the educators, who keeps a space heater under her desk and a shawl in the classroom for when she needs an extra layer. Those students, the Columbus teachers said, struggle to concentrate, wear gloves that make it hard to hold a pencil or use a Chromebook, or wear hoods against school district policy. That creates an extra responsibility for the teachers who need to enforce the rules. Im lucky Im on the side of the building that gets the sun during the day, a teacher said. That sounds ridiculous that I would even need to do that, and on a cloudy day, were out of luck. gettyimagesbank With gathering restrictions and business curfews in place nationwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the alcoholic beverage industry, among other hospitality-related sectors, has faced setbacks. But on the back of the shifting drinking culture, such as the growing trend of at-home solo drinking and home parties, and changing demand, the industry is learning to navigate through the pandemic by adapting to new consumer needs. Within the industry, the wine market has outshone others during the crisis, with imports reaching an impressive $506.2 million in the January-November period of 2021, up 76 percent from a year earlier, according to the Korea Customs Service. This was the first time for the country's wine imports to surpass the $500 million level. South Korea's imports had been on a steady rise amounting to $244 million in 2018 before rising to $259.3 million in 2019 and $332 million in 2020. Industry watchers attribute the growth to the increase in the number of stay-at-home drinkers, such as parents with young children, drinking by themselves or with family members at home instead of going to bars amid the pandemic. Lee Myung-jin, a working mother of two children living in Mapo, western Seoul, told Yonhap News Agency that she often enjoyed having wine with her husband as a stress reliever recently at home after putting their children to sleep. "I've rarely met with coworkers at restaurants or bars after work due to concerns about infection," Lee said. "Fortunately, I've been enjoying having wine in the comfort of my home, especially as wine has become more common and affordable nowadays," she added. Whiskey was also in high demand, with imports hitting a five-year high of $154.3 million in the 11-month period, up 37.4 percent from a year earlier and marking the first year-on-year rise in three years, amid an increase in demand among young drinkers. "The growth in demand for wine and whiskey is a reflection of home drinkers wanting to have something that is supposedly higher grade than the common soju or beer," an industry insider said. A representative at retail giant Emart agreed, saying, "Sales of whiskey have increased dramatically, as it has grown popular among young consumers." "Whiskey products normally don't display dramatic changes in sales due to higher price tags and strong alcohol levels, but we've seen a growing trend of young people sharing images of their highball drinks on Instagram," he added. To meet demand for more diversity in alcohol strength levels, companies have released new products with weaker alcohol percentages to cater to women and younger consumers who prefer smoothness in their drinks. The South Korean unit of London-based Diagio PLC, which owns the Johnnie Walker and Windsor whisky brands, has released W 19 and W Honey spirit products, both with a lowered alcohol percentage of 32.5 percent. The South Korean subsidiary of France-based Pernod Ricard, which owns the Ballantine and Chivas Regal spirit brands, also reported sales growth of 31.6 percent in 2020 and is also largely expected to see increased earnings for 2021. Local beer and soju makers, which rely heavily on supplies to restaurants and bars, are still struggling from the fallout of business curfews. Hite Jinro Co., maker of the lager beer Terra, for example, suffered a 30.31 percent loss in operating profit in the third quarter of last year. Hence they are trying to offset further risks by now focusing their business more toward the consumer retail market and also tapping the growing craft beer market to deliver more diverse and unique tasting products. Market leader Oriental Brewery Co., for example, launched the Korea Brewers Collective, a sub-brand dedicated to craft beers. Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co. also started producing craft beers though an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) contract last year. With the fast spread of the Omicron variant, industry watchers also expect companies this year to adapt to changing market conditions by presenting more choice in terms of packaging sizes and variety in alcohol level strengths of new and existing products. (Yonhap) As a previous public administrator for the Bridgeport City Council, I know the importance of competence on the local level in governance in the best of times and during times of crisis, as we all have experienced in recent years. Thats why Im sending a letter to the chief elected leaders in the 22 towns of Fairfield County requesting they contribute $10,000 each for the establishment of an office that would work to create organic county government not seen in Connecticut since 1959. These funds would pay my salary and the activities that would ensure enactment by the state legislature and establishment of county offices. In 1785, the eight counties of Connecticut were created not by the people but under the guidelines of the colonial governor. We seek to establish the county governance we know possible, as advocates and allies of municipal effectiveness. We will be agents of the people of Fairfield County, not the predators who seek to encumber them further with tolls on their highways, and by keeping our local areas special and unique. At long last, Connecticut workers no longer must choose between buying groceries and caring for a loved one. Thanks to the advocacy of Gov. Lamont and a coalition of over 100 small businesses and 70 organizations, the legislature established the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority, or CTPL, to administer the states first paid leave program. Support was robust 88 percent of Connecticut registered voters, including 78 percent of Republicans, welcomed the concept of paid leave. One of seven states and the District of Columbia leading the way for workers and their families, Connecticuts program is making the state a destination for workers. The need is immediately evident as more than 11,800 people have applied for the benefit. Of those, 5,700 of the applications were for people with individual health conditions; 4,600 people applied for pregnancy, childbirth and bonding leave; and 30 individuals applied for leave for adoption and foster care, or for family violence. Seven leaves were requested for organ donations, one for bone marrow donations and three for military leave. In only one year, Connecticut established and implemented one of the most robust paid leave programs in the country. Thats something to be celebrated. As the CEO of The Womens Business Development Council and the employer of 23 full-time employees, I am familiar with the needs of small businesses. I am very aware that there is a misconception among some members of the business community who believe the program is a burden on small businesses even though the data states otherwise, and the program is completely funded by workers. The program does create a new environment for small businesses and understanding how it works requires some knowledge of the program. Thats why the CT Paid Leave Authority prioritizes responsiveness to the small business communitys needs. CT Paid Leave established a pilot program specifically for business organizations and their constituents throughout the state to help small businesses understand the states paid family and medical leave mandate and simplify its administrative impact. CTPL continues to work extensively with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, Chambers of Commerce, BNI, the Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), WBDC, and Service Core of Retired Executives (SCORE) to help educate their constituencies, and developed a webpage for small businesses where information can be found quickly and easily. CTPL has held 215 webinars, 16 specifically for the small business community scheduled over the next two months, created a toolkit in plain language to help them understand how it works, and has a team of four staff dedicated to answering questions and helping small businesses navigate the system. The CTPL is committed to make this transition as easy as possible for the states small businesses. Claims have been made as to CTPLs long-term viability being at risk, but the data and actuaries reflect a different picture. From the revenue side, CTPL anticipates receiving between $400 million and $425 million in contributions for the calendar year 2021 reporting period. The agency is on pace to achieve this number having received over $309 million to date, not including the fourth-quarter contributions for 2021. Current revenues are exceeding total spending and the projections show a stable, growing balance by the fifth year. Even under high utilization scenarios, the fund is solvent for at least the next five years. Finally, Connecticuts paid leave program has checks and balances to ensure that workers cannot abuse the system. CTPLs claims partner AFLAC utilizes a combination of proprietary digital and identity verification antifraud tools and has a dedicated team of staff for fraud prevention. The AFLAC process also relies on required employer verification, which includes dates of leave, income during the leave duration and leave schedule as discussed with the employer. CTPL is working with multiple state agencies to conduct and expand its secondary verification to fight fraud. The facts speak for themselves. Data from other states where paid leave exists have shown that morale is boosted, and workers do not overuse the benefits. In New Jersey, a study conducted three years after the implementation of paid leave found that businesses overall experienced no effects on profitability, performance or employee productivity, regardless of employer size. In a study of the New York program, it revealed that costs to businesses were minimal and in fact, they found it easier to manage employees longer absences. Most importantly, these facts demonstrate the real need for paid leave benefits. In addition to my role as CEO and founder of the Womens Business Development Council I also serve as vice chair of the Connecticut Paid Leave Authoritys board, so I know how important this benefit is to the new parent, the spouse of someone in active duty in the military or the child taking care of an ill parent. In a state where 40 percent of households cant afford basic needs such as housing, child care, food, transportation or health care, Connecticut workers can now rest assured they can care for their loved ones without having to worry about making ends meet. Fran Pastore is CEO and founder of the Womens Business Development Council and board vice chair of the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority. Weve all seen the Big Check photos. Credit unions commonly post them to their websites and social media accounts to demonstrate their commitment to the community. While these photos are a nice way to show your members that youre supporting great causes and local nonprofits, are there more engaging and creative ways to highlight your community partnerships? Ashira Quabili, Marketing Communications & PR Coordinator for Freedom FCU (a PixelSpoke client), joins our podcast this month to talk about the credit unions award-winning #FreedomToHelpChallenge. This annual social media campaign lifts up local nonprofits, actively engages current members, and helps bring new members into the fold. Our latest episode of The Remarkable Credit Union tackles this months BIG question: What are the biggest opportunities and challenges for credit unions when it comes to engaging members around their community giving efforts? Local Hanig: Construction to start on long-delayed Mid-Currituck Bridge in 2023 jeure / Photo courtesy Bobby Hanig Hanig jeure / NC DOT This map shows the future location of the $500 million, 7.4-mile Mid-Currituck Bridge. All work on the project is on hold while the bridge continues to be the subject of a legal challenge, the N.C. Department of Transportations website shows. CURRITUCK State transportation officials have restarted work on the long-delayed Mid-Currituck Bridge project and construction will now begin early next year, state Rep. Bobby Hanig, R-Currituck, told Currituck County commissioners Thursday. Talked about for decades, plans for the $500 million toll bridge linking the Currituck mainland to Corolla have been in the works for over a decade. However, the bridge was put on hold after the Southern Environmental Law Center, citing environmental concerns, filed suit nearly three years ago to stop its construction. But in December, U.S. District Judge Louise Wood Flanagan ruled in favor of the N.C. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Commission, clearing the way for the bridges construction. Hanig told Currituck commissioners during their annual retreat Thursday that NCDOT suspended movement on the bridge several weeks before the courts ruling in December. But NCDOT is moving forward again, he said. They have commenced to doing everything again, their (land) acquisitions, they are moving forward, Hanig said. They are building the bridge. It is going to happen. A spokesman for the N.C. Turnpike Authority, which is in charge of the Mid-Currituck Bridge project, did not immediately return an email seeking comment. Kathleen Sullivan, the SELCs senior communications manager for North Carolina, said Thursday the SELC has not appealed the federal courts decision in December. Hanig said the funding is in place for what will be the longest bridge in the state at 7.4 miles. The estimated cost for bridge construction will be around $464 million while purchasing rights-of-way will cost an estimated $14 million. Utilities for the bridge will cost around $11 million. The bridge is funded, Hanig said. The bridge has never not been funded. Commissioner Paul Beaumont said he had heard that Gov. Roy Cooper was trying stop funding for the bridge because (Cooper) hates Currituck. He asked Hanig if funding for the bridge was in jeopardy. (Cooper) would have to go to the federal government to stop it at this point because it is primarily federal money, Hanig said. That funding isnt coming out of there. Asked about Beaumonts comments, Jordan Monaghan, Coopers press secretary, said DOT is following state law on the bridge project. The Governors Department of Transportation supports this project and is following state law under the formula set by statute, he said in an email. The Governor believes projects should follow the process under the law in all communities across our state and I have cced Jamie Kritzer at DOT for more information. Kritzer is deputy secretary for communications, community outreach & public engagement with NCDOT. Commissioners agreed to a suggestion by Commissioner Owen Etheridge that the county look at a small area plan for the expected economic development thats expected to accompany the bridge on the mainland side. The mainland side of the proposed toll bridge will be near Maple Swamp just off U.S. Highway 158. There will be an interchange at U.S. 158 and then a 1.5-mile bridge over the swamp before the main bridge starts in Aydlett. We have the opportunity for economic development on this side, Etheridge said. There is a proposed roundabout where the bridge reaches the Outer Banks. The state acquired the property on the Outer Banks side of the bridge several years ago in anticipation of the project. The travel lanes on the proposed two-lane bridge will be 12 feet in width with 6-foot shoulders on both sides. The speed limit on the bridge will be 60 mph. The toll booth will have six lanes with three on each side. State officials have not yet said how much it will cost to use the bridge. Two national treasures, Gilt-bronze Standing Buddha Triad with Inscription of Gyemi Year, left, and Portable Shrine of Gilt-bronze Buddha Triad, were put up for auction but failed to find new homes, Thursday. Courtesy of K Auction By Park Han-sol Two state-designated national treasures from the collection of the Kansong Art Museum have been put up for auction but failed to find new homes, stirring controversy over the implications of the museum's decision to commercially trade in artifacts of significant cultural and historical value. The sixth-century Gilt-bronze Standing Buddha Triad with Inscription of Gyemi Year and the 11th- or 12th-century Portable Shrine of Gilt-bronze Buddha Triad marked the grand finale of K Auction in southern Seoul, Thursday evening, as the first-ever national treasures to be brought under the gavel in the country. "It is an honor to just call out the name of the national treasure at this podium as an auctioneer," said Kwak Jong-woo as he started the bidding of the standing Buddha triad at the price of 3.1 billion won ($2.57 million). But its fate was quickly sealed, along with the portable shrine of the Buddha triad that started at 2.7 billion won, as no bids were made for either of the articles. Prior to the auction, many predicted the National Museum of Korea (NMK) would be the high-profile prospective buyer of the two Buddhist statues, as it purchased two of Kansong's rare treasures a rank lower than the national treasure status for nearly 3 billion won when they similarly failed to find new owners at an auction in 2020. In Korea, all state-designated cultural artifacts are banned from being shipped or sold overseas, with only domestic transactions authorized provided that the items are reported in advance to the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA). Although the national museum expressed its interest in the artifacts in consideration of their evident historical values, the starting price of the two items far exceeded its annual budget of 4 billion won, which likely prevented it from making a bid in the auction. Another factor of consideration for the NMK was the fact that if the state-run institution declares its intent to commercially bid for a relic as rare as a national treasure, such an announcement itself could set the unexpected precedent by affecting the pricing of the artifact, one museum official told the local daily Dong-A Ilbo. The auction of the Gilt-bronze Standing Buddha Triad with Inscription of Gyemi Year begins, with the starting price of 3.1 billion won, at K Auction in southern Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of K Auction Dalton, GA (30720) Today Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 57F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 57F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Local Starbucks workers held a rally today to support their fight to unionize. Union members, local politicians and people from the Eugene community showed up to support those efforts. Employees at the East 29th and Willamette Starbucks have been discussing unionizing since December 2021, when a store in Buffalo, New York became the first Starbucks to unionize. A crowd of people gathered in front of the East 29th and Willamette store, holding signs with messages including Eugene is a union town and Solidarity workers unite. I just want to say how proud I am in my store, Rez Alexander, a supervisor at that Starbucks, said. Just how much pride I have in my community for showing up and supporting us and how thankful I am to have such a great team at the store. Bex Littleton, an employee at the store, said the unionization effort has brought the locations workers closer together. We feel like were working toward something important, they said. And the whole city has been pretty supportive. Mel Keller, the president of the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation at the University of Oregon, was among those in the crowd. She estimated that 15 GTFF members made it out to the rally. I think it's so important to show labor solidarity across industries, Keller said. Oftentimes we're siloed into where we work. Employees are considered different, whether they're in different workplaces, but we're all workers, and we're all being oppressed by the system. And it's important for us to have that solidarity. GTFF held two rallies of its own last week one to support its COVID-19 demands and one to allow the broader UO community to speak about COVID-19 concerns. The pandemic has really opened a lot of people's eyes to the ways that they are being hurt and harmed by their workspace, Keller said. She said GTFF is pushing for safe working conditions for its members. And we understand that the things that we're facing are not specific to higher education or to education in general, she said. They're things that are impacting workspaces across the country, including Starbucks. Employees will participate in a legal hearing regarding unionization on Jan. 28 at 9 a.m. The four-day work week represents the next great leap for workers to win more equitable hours and just compensation for their labor. As the pandemic sows financial and health dangers among Oregons working class, we should pursue relief for our workers, not elect CEOs. Earlier this month, gubernatorial candidate and tech CEO Jessica Gomez wrote an op-ed in The Oregonian attacking a Portland teachers unions proposal in favor of four-day weeks with asynchronous Fridays. She used this request to decry a potential four-day week for students and workers. This is the most recent attempt to differentiate herself as a pro-business Republican in a state that has had Democrat governors since 1987. While it's unlikely Gomez will win, her rhetoric is still harmful to Oregon workers. In the op-ed, Gomez wrote, Public education, our students, working parents and businesses, will all be casualties in the battle over the four-day work week. Instead, Oregonians should expect results from the CEO of this state, not unworkable experiments. When Gomez tells you shell be the CEO of this state, listen to her. Shell legislate in favor of elite interests and stamp out workers rights. Gomez represents the contemporary pro-business political position that is actually just pro-boss and anti-worker. Who among us would elect our boss as governor? Gomezs comments come at a time when Oregon educators and students are overwhelmed by trying to adapt to COVID-19. According to the teacher unions proposal, 25% of educators have averaged 60-hour weeks, and 50% have considered quitting. Providing a weekday without structured classes would allow teachers more time to develop lesson plans and work with individual students. No matter how you feel about a four-day week for students, know that the status quo is unsustainable. A status quo that Gomez has no response for. All Gomez can do is pander to parents and obfuscate genuine labor concerns as the ideology of the far left. However, you cant obfuscate the benefits of working families receiving close to the full value of their labor and having more time to spend together. Dont let self-proclaimed pro-business types cheat you out of the fruits of your labor; since 1979, productivity has increased by 61.8%, but hourly pay only increased by 17.5%. If this was a just society, we would work less and get paid more. It is clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that Gomezs dismay at the four-day week is on behalf of bosses, not workers. She tries to belittle the four-day week as unworkable in Oregon, ignoring the successes in Spain and Iceland, and how just this month 30 UK companies switched to a shorter week. In any case, understand that the current organization of work is not natural. We've had this same debate when the financial barons condemned the struggle for five-day weeks under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. A four-day week would make Oregon workers happier, less stressed and healthier. Plus, if Gomez even cared to look at the leading data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, she would find that productivity actually increases with fewer hours worked. When asked in a phone interview of the possibility that a four-day week could actually benefit Oregon families, Gomez defaulted to the claim it would be harmful for the economy. This is an argument that is never made in good faith, but as a rhetorical backstop to protect the profit margins of the current holders of capital. If the economy is going to have a disaster, it is not because the working class did not toil enough, but because the financial barons are unrelenting in their quest to extract value. No amount of evidence could convince Gomez, not because shes ignorant, but because her success as a CEO depends on her not understanding. She resists the four-day week, not because she believes it's bad for Oregon families, but because she knows it has the potential to redistribute power away from executives. Which, yknow, she may be right. On one hand, it would be good for everyone physically and emotionally as we would have more time with our families away from work. Yet, on the other hand, it may slightly inconvenience some rich assholes. If that meeting could be an email, why couldnt Friday? Barbara Faye Boyles, 75, of Raceland, Kentucky passed away Tuesday, May 3, 2022, at her residence. Barbara was born August 1, 1946, in Load, Kentucky a daughter of the late Homer and Gladys Johnson Boyles. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by one nephew Robert Boyles. Bar North Korea's military test-fires a surface-to-surface tactical guided missile from an unknown location in North Korea, Jan. 27, the North's Korean Central News Agency reported Jan. 28. Yonhap North Korea confirmed Friday this week's two weapons tests involving long-range cruise, and surface-to-surface tactical guided missiles, and vowed to "keep developing powerful warheads." On Thursday, South Korea's military said the North fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, marking its sixth such launch this month. This latest saber-rattling came just two days after Pyongyang launched two apparent cruise missiles from an inland area. "The Academy of Defense Science of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea conducted the test-fire for updating long-range cruise missile system and the test-fire for confirming the power of conventional warhead for surface-to-surface tactical guided missile on Tuesday and Thursday respectively," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, referring to the North by its official name. Leader Kim Jong-un did not attend the latest launches. Kim instead was at a munitions factory "producing a major weapons system," accompanied by his influential sister, Kim Yo-jong, and senior party official, Jo Yong-won. "He highly appreciated the factory effecting collective innovation and leaping progress in producing major weapons to implement the Party's decisions," the KCNA said in a separate report. Officials at the factory cherished "the unwavering will" of the North Korean leader "who smashes with his bold pluck the challenges of the U.S. imperialists and their vassal forces that try to violate in every direction our Republic's right to self-defense." Ask a politician about their favourite subject and you'll be lucky to be home before the sparrows start chirping. With Gordon Brown it was economics. Aides could be detained for hours while the former prime minister riffed on the soggier points of fiscal theory. Pity the poor journalist tasked with calling eurosceptic drag Sir William Cash for his views on the latest happenings in Brussels. Pub bores on their fifth pint deliver more succinct arguments. Discussions with Jacob Rees-Mogg (Con, NE Somerset) on the British constitution are similarly best avoided, as MPs yesterday discovered. The Leader of the House was taking business questions when Pete Wishart (SNP, Perth and N Perthshire) decided, not unusually, to goad him over his recent appearance on Newsnight. Discussions with Jacob Rees-Mogg, pictured, (Con, NE Somerset) on the British constitution are similarly best avoided, as MPs yesterday discovered This time, it was over his announcement that any change of prime minister would almost certainly result in a general election, as the UK is now effectively a 'presidential system'. Mr Wishart hailed this as evidence that the magisterial Rees-Mogg had turned republican. 'Perhaps somebody should notify the Queen,' he chuckled. 'Last week, he was flattering the precious Union, this week he is reinventing the republic of the UK!' Naturally, Wishart thought he was being frightfully clever. Again, nothing new there. Each week he treats us to a weekly cabaret, the chamber reverberating with the sound of his own laughter. The mere mention of constitutional matters prompted Jacob's ears to prickle. He unfurled his legs, rose to the dispatch box and purposefully corrected his spectacles. In Mogg-land, these carefully choreographed shimmies are the equivalent of the first shake of the matador's muleta. Turned out Jacob had been fulminating over this issue for some time. Ever since the second reading of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 on September 13, 2010, in fact, when he had spoken on the matter. The date of that debate, by the way, tripped off his tongue like a boyish history pupil recalling the signing of Magna Carta. At Casa Mogg, one would not be surprised if copies of his Parliamentary speeches are framed and hung in the downstairs lav. The Leader of the House was taking questions when Pete Wishart, pictured, (SNP, Perth and N Perthshire) decided, not unusually, to goad him over his recent appearance on Newsnight For the next few minutes, Jacob delivered a miniature masterclass on how our Parliamentary system has evolved down the years, discombobulating members with his meandering, discursive prose. It was like being gently slapped across the cheeks with a copy of Erskine May. Wishart folded his arms exasperatedly as if to say, 'Gawd, wish I'd never even raised the subject.' Rees-Mogg's mouth moved with such a pace, it was a struggle to keep up with what he was saying. Something about the PM's powers being 'de facto if not de jure'. His colleagues too seemed to be struggling. Around the House, eyeballs bobbled. Wishart suddenly let out a long exasperated laugh before eventually, Rees-Mogg resumed his seat. 'More!' came the cry from the Tory backbenches. Hansard's stenographers will record Rees-Mogg's ad-libbed oration went on for several minutes. Not once did he hesitate, deviate or repeat himself. The luvvies on Just a Minute would have swooned. It was a quiet and uneventful day in the Commons otherwise. An afternoon debate to mark Holocaust Memorial Day meant members were expected not to table any urgent questions. Publicity-prone Tobias Ellwood (Con, Bournemouth E) hadn't got the memo. Earlier he'd informed Sky News he had asked for an urgent question on the Afghanistan evacuation. The Speaker wasn't happy. Naughty Tobias. Perhaps he should turn down TV interviews for a week as penance if he could possibly manage it. The only other thing to report was a rare sighting of former attorney general Geoffrey Cox (Con, Torridge and the Cayman Islands) who took time out from billing clients to attend environment questions. Been a while since we've seen Coxy's magnificent form sprawled across the backbenches. Too busy with those tax returns, perhaps. He was not called to speak, however. It's possible Sir Lindsay reserves preference for MPS who bother to turn up on occasion. As for Sue Gray's report into Partygate, there was still no sign of it. At this rate it'll be time to put the tinsel up again before the thing lands. Products featured in this Mail Best article are independently selected by our shopping writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, DailyMail.com may earn an affiliate commission. Would you like to improve your living space and create a peaceful living area with a separate productive working environment? It doesnt matter how big your apartment or house is, as design brand FRAMA are proving you can make better use of your rooms with well-chosen mirrors, stools and shelving units rather than spending a fortune on home renovations. To help us bring some Scandi chic into our homes, the brand that originated in Copenhagen, Denmark offer everything from sleek lighting to statement seating to contemporary storage solutions to help us organize the space we have and create a peaceful vibe from the moment we walk in. Danish interiors brand FRAMA offer us chic ways to store our belongings and elevate them from sight so we can use the floor area for pure relaxation The shelf libraries offer a practical way to keep your books, files and laptop up high and out of your living space, with the FRAMA Shelf Library Desk providing a compact home office to contain everything you need for working from home in less than a meter of width. This means all you need to create an office is a corner of well from which to affix the shelf library. The FRAMA shelf library desk measures just 80cm in width and the bottom unit is wide enough for a laptop or PC, plus you can store books and stationery above Google searches for Home Improvement doubled during the pandemic as spending more time in their homes during the pandemic led many Americans to question whether they were optimizing their space. And if you cant afford major works, adopting a Scandinavian design ethos which emphasizes clean lines, utility and and simple furnishings that are functional, beautiful, and cozy can drastically change your living environment and make your living space warmer and your work area more productive. For the living space, one of the brands most popular items is the FRAMA daybed, as the sleek lines make it multi-purpose as a seat, a coffee table or a bed for overnight guests. If you'd like something to sit on and lounge on that doesn' take up lots of space, the FRAMA day bed is comfortable but streamline to help you avoid clutter To make it warmer and more comfortable, your living area can then be accessorized with soft furnishings and intoxicating scents to make the area even more inviting. FRAMA offer an array of home fragrance options alongside traditional candles. To make a scent last for ages, their From Soil to Form bestseller is a natural room diffuser containing nine red spheres made from Korean soil. FRAMA offer scent spheres as an extra way to fragrance your home. These release fragrance slowly, 24 hours a day and are more powerful than candles and reid diffusers Encased in a pinewood box, the spheres softly diffuse the applied oil's fragrance while helping to purify the air and balance the room's humidity. And if the pandemic also forced you to work on your cooking, then FRAMA can help us create the perfect way to host guests for dinner parties in a modern, communal way. The FRAMA farmhouse table is solid and inviting to help you create dinner parties that everyone wants to be at The FRAMA farmhouse table is an investment piece, composed of two trestles used in conjunction and a two-panel plank tabletop. The visible trestles resemble the exposed beams apparent at traditional farmhouses and you can add some benches to make the experience more cozy and intimate than individual chairs. All of FRAMA's pieces are produced in Europe, and using high quality materials, they are designed to endure both in form and function. Julia Haart is the star of the Netflix hit series My Unorthodox Life shes also the CEO of Elite World Group and a modern day boss babe. While filming a reality show that chronicles her journey from a member of an ultra-conservative Jewish community to the toast of New Yorks fashion elite, the fearless pint-size entrepreneur launched a line of shapewear that fuses fashion and technology. 'The +Body by Julia Haart line defies the outdated, oppressive concept of modesty its shapewear thats meant to be seen, for bodies that are meant to be celebrated,' said Julia. Here, get to know her sexy new shapewear line just ahead of Valentine's Day! While filming a reality show that chronicles her journey from a member of an ultra-conservative Jewish community to the toast of New Yorks fashion elite, Julia Haart launched a line of shapewear that fuses fashion and technology Julia Haart is the star of the NETFLIX hit series My Unorthodox Life shes also the CEO of Elite World Group, and a modern day boss babe 'The +Body by Julia Haart line defies the outdated, oppressive concept of modesty its shapewear thats meant to be seen, for bodies that are meant to be celebrated,' said Julia 'Since I left the ultra-Orthodox community, my mission to liberate women has been at the heart of every business move Ive made and every product Ive brought to market,' said Julia. Available in size XS to XXX, Julia's line was designed to celebrate women of all shapes, sizes and colors. It's also the first-ever luxury shapewear brand to fuse fashion and technology in a way that offers women an unprecedented solution, melding comfort and utility to make a woman not only look gorgeous, but feel confident and beautiful as well. 'No woman deserves to suffer for beauty,' declares the New Yorker. 'Through our proprietary PowerBond technology, we bond three layers of performance quality, double-stretch fabric, constructed of color-infused threads that will never distort or fade. 'This technology also eliminates unsightly seam lines that detract from shapewears smoothing effect, while offering our customers an unrivalled range of colors and prints to reflect their individual style.' 'I was inspired by that iconic scene in Bridget Joness Diary' Her fashion muse? Bridget Jones. 'I was inspired by that iconic scene in Bridget Joness Diary: Bridget is about to go out with Hugh Grants character for the first time, so she puts on shapewear to feel more confident, but then she frets about bringing him home because her granny panties are too embarrassing. 'Every woman has experienced this conundrum at some point in her life! You want to wear the shapewear, but you don't want anyone to see that youre wearing shapewear because, frankly, it's ugly.' +Body by Julia Haart looks like lingerie that you want to show off, rather than hide. 'Shapewear is not about achieving an aesthetic ideal that someone else has prescribed, its about embracing your own body, maximizing your confidence, and letting that self-love shine through' 'Since I left the ultra-Orthodox community, my mission to liberate women has been at the heart of every business move Ive made and every product Ive brought to market,' said Julia. Available in size XS to XXX, Julia's line was designed to celebrate women of all shapes, sizes and colors Julia says her daughters Batsheva, 28, and Miriam, 21, played a vital role in showing the world how +Body can seamlessly fit into any wardrobe and individual sense of style +Body by Julia Haart was not designed to hide insecurities or compress a woman's curves into what society deems the "perfect" silhouette. 'I believe that for women to truly be free, they must be empowered to embrace their physicality and celebrate their bodies,' said the star. 'Shapewear is not about achieving an aesthetic ideal that someone else has prescribed, its about embracing your own body, maximizing your confidence, and letting that self-love shine through.' Nothing - not even the strict Orthodox Jewish community - will stop Julia from inspiring women to live their best, boldest and most unapologetic lives. 'No criticism from a religious sect that actively undermines this mission will keep me from working to enable a free, fearless existence for women around the world.' But the +Body by Julia Haart collection features fashion-forward pieces that make it easy to wear under clothes or as clothes. Smoothing bodysuits, shaping shorts and supportive slips aren't usually pretty enough on their own to wear alone. But the +Body by Julia Haart collection features fashion-forward pieces that make it easy to wear under clothes or as clothes. Julia says her daughters Batsheva, 28, and Miriam, 21, played a vital role in showing the world how +Body can seamlessly fit into any wardrobe and individual sense of style. Team the "Powersuit" bodysuit with a pair of blue jeans and you're good to go! Top the "Smooth Operator Dress" with a structured blazer for the perfect date night look. It's underwear as outerwear at its finest! The very glamorous niece of King Felipe of Spain has been dubbed the latest 'It girl' by society bible Tatler after making a name for herself on the European social scene. Victoria de Marichalar y Borbon, 21, has taken Instagram by storm as she documents her stylish lifestyle - including trips to Greece, Italy's Florence, and France's capital for Paris Fashion Week. The jet-setter, who is fifth in line to the Spanish throne, is the younger child and only daughter of King Felipe's older sister, Infanta Elena, 58 and her ex-husband Jaime de Marichalar, 58. She reportedly went to a boarding school in Sussex during her teenage years before enrolling at the College for International Studies (CIS), in Madrid, to study business administration and management. Victoria has been dating DJ Jorge Barcenas since 2019, after meeting at the Starlite festival in Marbella, and the pair live togethe rin an apartment on Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid. The very glamorous niece (pictured) of King Felipe of Spain has been dubbed the latest 'It girl' after making a name for herself on the European social scene Victoria de Marichalar y Borbon (pictured), 21, has taken Instagram by storm as she documents her stylish lifestyle - including trips to Greece, Italy's Florence, and France's capital for Paris Fashion Week The jet-setter (pictured), who is fifth in line to the Spanish throne, is the younger child and only daughter of King Felipe's older sister, Infanta Elena, 58 and her ex-husband Jaime de Marichalar, 58 Victoria went public on Instagram in 2019, aged 18, and has since amassed 113,000 followers thanks to the glimpses she gives of her glamorous life. The royal, who was is known to be a fan of bull-fighting, often spotted attending shows at the Las Ventas bullring in Spain's capital city, made her first red carpet appearance at the ELLE Style Awards in October last year. Since then, fans have been eager to note the similarities between Victoria and her fashionable aunt Queen Letizia. For her first red carpet appearance, she sported a blue floor-length gown with a cut-out back by Spanish designer Lorenzo Caprile, a favourite of Letizias. She teamed the eye-catching ensemble with Manolo Blahnik heels, according to Tatler, while opting to style her hair in a high ponytail. And her glamorous displays havent stopped there. In December, she attended the Moet & Chandon party at the royal theatre in Madrid. Victoria has been dating DJ Jorge Barcenas since 2019, after meeting at the Starlite festival in Marbella, Victoria (pictured in November 2021) reportedly went to a boarding school in Sussex during her teenage years before enrolling at the College for International Studies (CIS), in Madrid, to study business administration and management Victoria (second left) seen during the performance of the bullfighter Gonzalo Caballero (right) during Chinchon Bullfighting Festival on October 20, 2018 in Chinchon, is known to be a fan of the traditional blood sport She sported a silver metallic dress for the occasion, featuring a cape detail and teamed with dazzling drop earrings. At the time of her birth in 2000, Victoria was third in the line of succession, after her mother and Felipe. However, since the birth of her cousins Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia, she is now fifth in line to the throne followed by her aunt, Infanta Cristina. Infanta Cristina announced this week that she and her husband Inaki Urdangarin are splitting up, days after he was caught with another woman. The couple shared the news in a statement to Spain's State News Agency, asking the public to respect their privacy and stating they would always be there to support their four children: Juan, 22, Pablo, 21, Miguel, 19 and Irene, 16. The news comes less than a week after businessman Urdangarin, 54, was pictured holding hands with another woman, allegedly an unnamed co-worker at the Imaz & Asociados law firm, in a photo published by the Spanish magazine Lecturas. Royal role: Whie the fifth in line to the throne does not have official duties, she occasionally takes part in engagements, such as acting as patroness of an equestrian exhibition in Sevilla's bullring La Maestranza The royal (pictured), who was is known to be a fan of bull-fighting, often spotted attending shows at the Las Ventas bullring in Spain's capital city, made her first red carpet appearance at the ELLE Style Awards in October last year Urdangarin married Infanta Cristina in 1997. In 2018, he was sentenced to five years in prison for embezzlement and money laundering in excess of 4. million through his non-profit organisation, the Noos Institute. Last year, he was granted permission to move to the Grade 3 Spanish prison regime, which means he only needs to report to prison once a week. In their statement to EFE, the couple asked for 'respect' for a private decision 'to end our marriage relationship by mutual agreement.' They added that their commitment to their four children remains 'intact'. Meanwhile, earlier this month, an expert claimed Victoria's maternal grandfather the former King of Spain Juan Carlos wants to return home and does not care about possibly damaging the Royal Family's reputation by doing so. At the time of her birth in 2000, Victoria (pictured in 2020) was third in the line of succession, after her mother and Felipe Juan Carlos, 83, who abdicated in 2014 in favour of his son Felipe VI, 53, has been living in Abu Dhabi since summer 2020 after becoming the target of several probes in Spain over his financial dealings. However, the elderly royal is reportedly hoping to see out his final years at home, despite a majority of the Spanish public opposing his return. Speaking to The Times, Pablo Simon, a professor of political science at Carlos III University in Madrid, explained Juan Carlos 'does not care' whether his actions damage his son and his family. He added the monarch believes he has 'done his part' for Spain by playing an instrumental role in re-establishing democracy after the death of General Franco in 1975. While you might rely on your friends and loved ones to provide you with a daily dose of laughter, sometimes it's a communication from a co-worker, a neighbor, or even a stranger that can really bring a smile to your face. People from around the world have shared snaps of witty notes that they couldn't help laughing at with the trivia website The Daily Stuff. The eyebrow-raising letters included one man apologizing after his horse urinated on a car, and a husband admitting he put a love note for his wife on the wrong vehicle. Elsewhere, a Costa customer wrote a note to their barista to complain that the coffee is the worst that they've ever tasted and that they would rather drink instant made with sour milk. People from around the world have shared snaps of witty notes that they couldn't help laughing at with the trivia website The Daily Stuff, including one office worker who was mocked by colleagues for being precious about their reindeer mug That's a bit rich! One sorry driver left this note of apology after hitting someone else's car. However, they did not feel sorry enough to leave their number, because they thought the person looked wealthy That's awkward! One husband from Ohio had to admit to the neighborhood that he left a love note for his wife on the wrong car Not doing it by the book! After a woman in a gold sedan from Georgia was shamed for raiding a free library and not bringing the novels back Bad barista: Customers sometimes feel compelled to share their praise with staff they like. But one person from the UK made sure that this Costa employee knew how bad they are Not horsing around: An American man named Stan left $50 and this note of apology after his steed, dubbed Tic Tac, peed on a stranger's car A sorry husband left a letter of apology after his wife hit someone's car while trying to avoid a squirrel - but at least the little critter is OK A resilient neighbor left this funny letter after someone stole a parcel that was meant to be delivered for them Not resigned to it! This restaurant employee was not content with quietly handing in their notice in the usual fashion, and wrote a proud note to declare: 'I'm a quitter' That's one way of avoiding jury duty. One man's very enthusiastic jury duty questionnaire where he promised to dress up for the trial did not land well with the Kansas city circuit court One neighbor left a very passive aggressive note to another, promising repercussion if the person parked in their spot again Someone went through the trouble of writing this note from the point of view of an aging printer to inform coworker there was another they could use A cheeky employee used a condolences card in order to notify his boss of his two-week notice in 2016 Dish wars! After someone they lived with left one too many dish out without cleaning them, one person got creative with their use of post-its One neighbor left this strange letter and had to return a doorknob after stealing it when returning home on Saturday night after indulging a little too much A presenter who was taken into care at the age of two was has revealed his shock at discovering he has four long lost siblings after 20 years of thinking he was an only child. Ashley John-Baptiste, 32, from London, was in his mid-twenties when he learned he had four siblings, after a man claiming to be his brother reached out to him on social media. The former X-Factor star, now a journalist for the BBC, opened up about his experience in his new documentary, Split Up In Care, exploring family separation in the care system. Ashley, who has only met his brother once, discovered that even his social worker Roselyn, who looked after him from the ages of 15 to 18, had no idea that he had a brother. Ashley John-Baptiste, 32, from London, was taken into care at the age of two. He grew up in different South London foster homes, leaving the care system when he was 18. The former X-Factor star, now a journalist for the BBC, opened up about his experience in his new documentary, Split Up In Care, exploring family separation in the care system 'As i'm still coming to terms with my own childhood, I get a message from a man on Facebook. He tells me he's my brother. 'It was completely crazy, because for a long time I thought I was totally isolated in terms of family, that I didn't have anyone. But sh*t I have a brother, that's life changing.' Ashley, who appeared on ITV talent show the X-Factor as part of boyband The Risk in 2011, grew up in different South London foster homes, leaving the care system when he was 18. 'I can't even remember the first foster home I lived in because I was so young', said Ashley. It wasn't until early 2020 Ashley would meet his brother, in a chance meeting outside a South London hospital where Ashley and his partner were taking their newborn baby girl for a check up 'It's really hard to describe what it felt like being shunted between five different homes before the age of 18. It felt like being under a could of rejection no sense of family no sense of belonging.' After leaving the care system, Ashley won a place to study history at Cambridge University - where he graduated with a 2.1 - and forged his career as a successful BBC journalist. It wasn't until early 2020 Ashley would meet his brother, in a chance meeting outside a South London hospital where Ashley and his partner were taking their newborn baby girl for a check up. While filming the documentary Ashley paid his old social worker Roselyn a visit to tell her he had been in contact with his brother, who had got in touch after seeing the presenter on television. 'I few years ago I had a brother get in touch with me', he told Roselyn. 'He just spoke to me on Facebook. I don't know why I feel emotional. 'On my dad's side I have at least four siblings who are all older than me. Was there any information in my file about me having siblings?' Ashley, pictured as a child, revealed his shock at discovering he has four long lost siblings after 20 years of thinking he was an only child After leaving the care system, Ashley won a place to study history at Cambridge University - where he graduated with a 2.1 - and forged his career as a successful BBC journalist 'No, not to my knowledge', the social worker responded. 'Files and information gathering has come a long way. 'Back in the day we had paper files now we have electric files and I think families don't always tell us what we want to know at the time'. As well as information about his siblings, Ashley was never told whether he had been considered for adoption as a young child and decided to see whether Roselyn had any more information. 'I think you were, from what I can remember you were but I think they fell pregnant and they pulled out', she said. A stunned Ashley responded: 'Oh my god. I didn't know that. The thing is you feel like your narrative and life and identity doesn't belong to you. 'The fact you could have been adopted, you could have siblings, but nobody necessarily tells you that they're there. I just feel like everybody wants to know who they are everybody wants to know who they're connected to.' While filming the documentary Ashley paid his old social worker Roselyn a visit to tell her he had been in contact with his brother, who had got in touch after seeing the presenter on television Ashley, who has only met his brother once, discovered that even his social worker Roselyn, who looked after him from the ages of 15 to 18, had no idea that he had a brother According to the BBC's research, around half of sibling groups in care are split up - meaning more than 12,000 kids in care who are not living with at least one of their brothers or sisters. To discover how local authorities are coping with rising demand for accommodation and carers for vulnerable young people, Ashley met up with Suanne Lim, Early Help and Children's Social Care for Derby City Council. When asked whether the council had adequate resources to help children in care, she said: 'No. We don't, we are very stretched as a local authority. There has been year on year cuts to services that we're delivering and yet demand is rising. 'We won't compromise in terms of safeguarding standards, but it will mean other parts of the council and further local authorities will have to make some very tough decisions.' When asked what this could mean for siblings in the care system she went on: 'I think that's what keeps me awake at night. In terms of what happens when the money runs out. Local authorities are close to the bone'. To discover how local authorities are coping with rising demand for accommodation and carers for vulnerable young people, Ashley met up with Suanne Lim, Early Help and Children's Social Care for Derby City Council Reflecting on his discovery, Ashley said that making the documentary had given him a new found perspective and level of sympathy for social workers, who he described as 'so overworked'. 'Even though I grew up not knowing my siblings, I now have a chance to rebuild my family', he said. 'I have chance to move forward with who I am, with the people I want. 'Sometimes it will be blood sometimes it won't, it doesn't actually matter as long as you have people you love and who love you back. I think that's enough.' A Department for Education spokesperson said: 'The law is clear that whenever it is in the best interests of each individual child, siblings should be placed together, Where this is not possible, contact between siblings should be prioritised when it is right for each child. 'Every child deserves to grow up in a stable, loving family, which is why we commissioned an independent and broad review of the whole care system to improve outcomes. 'We are also recruiting more adopters for children in care with a specific priority on sibling groups so they can stay together'. Split Up In Care: Life Without Siblings is available on BBCiPlayer now A group of defectors fly balloons containing anti-North Korean regime leaflets into the North from the border village of Paju, Gyeonggi Province, in this April 2016 file photo. Yonhap Prosecutors have indicted a vocal North Korean defector and activist known for anti-Pyongyang leafleting on charges of attempting to send propaganda leaflets and other items by balloon into the North last year, sources said Friday. Park Sang-hak, the head of Fighters for a Free North Korea, a North Korean defectors' group, is accused of having sent 10 balloons carrying propaganda leaflets and booklets as well as US$1 bills toward the North from the border provinces of Gyeonggi and Gangwon on two occasions in April. Prosecutors are said to have indicted Park on charges of an attempted violation of the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act as they could not confirm whether the balloons actually arrived in North Korea. Under the revised law, which took effect in March, the act of sending propaganda leaflets across the border is banned and violators can face up to three years in prison or a maximum fine of 30 million won ($25,000). Park has also been investigated on allegations that he the leaflets back in 2020, but was not indicted on the case as it was before the revised law went into effect. He currently faces a separate indictment on charges of receiving illicit donations from 2015 to 2019. (Yonhap) A plus-size model has slammed Australia for being 'fatphobic' after struggling to find clothing that fits her. Imogen Ivy, from Sydney but now resides in London, wears a size 14 to 16 in the UK and US, but in Australia she's a size 18. The 24-year-old vented her frustrations in a video posted online after realising Aussie size guides differ from those overseas - and many brands are non-inclusive of sizes 14 and above. 'If you are size 14 in Australia there is a slim chance you can walk into any store and buy clothes, let alone clothes you want. Size 16+ even smaller chance. Size 18+ don't even bother,' she wrote on Instagram. This harsh reality excludes thousands of women from purchasing clothes from desired brands, making shopping frustrating and potentially damaging to someone's mindset and confidence. Scroll down for video Model Imogen Ivy (pictured) has slammed Australia for being non-inclusive of plus sizes In the video shared on Instagram, Imogen attempts to shop for clothes online from well-known designer brands like SIR and Zimmermann but they don't stock her size or measurements in some outfits. While Zimmermann and Bec + Bridge do go up to a size 16, they don't stock clothing for her size 18 frame. 'Why can the UK, US and EU accommodate for larger sizing and correct sizing in store but Australia cannot? A size 10 in Australia is a size 6 in the US,' Imogen told FEMAIL. The 24-year-old vented her frustrations online after realising Aussie size guides differ from those overseas - and many brands are non-inclusive of sizes 14 and above Continuing to point out the differences, she goes on to question why the 'biggest' size in Australia is usually considered to be a size 12 when the average size among women is 10. Not only are certain brands non-inclusive, sizes vary among different brands - making it difficult to shop online with confidence. In another Instagram video, Imogen explained brands being not size-inclusive sparks a string of social and cultural issues - from 'fatphobic' dating culture to bikini culture and notions around being 'fat' Continuing to point out the differences, she goes on to question why the 'biggest' size in Australia is usually considered to be a size 12 when the average size among women is 10 'The immediate jerk when you hear the word "fat" as well is something I believe the bikini culture of Australian needs to dismantle. Fat is not a negative word. You were taught it was. Fat is just a describing word,' Imogen told FEMAIL. After speaking broadly of the topic on Instagram, Imogen was supported by hundreds of others . 'The largest sizes are usually 12, maybe 14 but the fit and sizing mainly comes up small too. And of course lack of any other representation!' one person commented. 'So true! These labels cut their profits to a quarter of what they could by not catering to the majority of the market here,' another wrote. She showed sizing guides that showed a size 10 in the US is actually a size 14 in Australia and there is no 18 on offer at all 'I'm currently trying to choose bridesmaid dresses and can't find anything I like because nothings inclusive!!' a third added. Imogen said she grew up on Sydney's northern beaches not being able to find clothes that fit, making her feel 'isolated'. 'I am an Australian curve model in London and almost daily I am asked by bookers, agents and brands, "What's the plus/curve/fat representation like in Australia?" I am always quickly reminded there is minimal representation or exposure in comparison to the UK, US and Europe,' Imogen told Mamamia. But when she moved to the UK two years ago she was 'baffled' to find clothing that fit. 'I felt so included and it was so simple. You go through magazines here (in London) and I see people that look like me,' she said. A popular foodie has shared his experience at a barbecue restaurant that's taken the nation by storm with tasty skewers and automatic grills. Melbourne foodie 'Eat With Hendri' describes 'Grill King' as a next level barbecue restaurant and says you can grill as many skewers as you want. The Melbourne CBD-based restaurant has diners coming from near and far just to try out the $2.50 freshly grilled menu items. Scroll down for video A popular foodie has shared his experience at a barbecue restaurant that's taken the nation by storm with tasty skewers and automatic grills The restaurant features authentic Asian flavours throughout its skewers, soups, noodle dishes and more. Grill King also features tall drink towers for tables to fill up as they dine and the conveyor belt-styled grill allows numerous skewers to be cooked at once. Skewers start from as little as $2.50 each and come in a variety of flavours including meat, seafood, tofu and mushroom. Popular foodie, Hendri, says his top menu suggestions from his visit are the yabby tail chilli oil noodle, the Enoki rice noodle and the plum juice Grill King is suitable for all, especially families as the automatic grill system allows for interaction and provides a theatrical element to a night out. Popular foodie, Hendri, says his top menu suggestions from his visit are the yabby tail chilli oil noodle, the Enoki rice noodle and the plum juice. Hendri shared his Grill King experience on TikTok and his video has since been viewed more than 280,000 times and received hundreds of comments. 'Yum! This place looks so good, will definitely be giving it a try when in Melbourne,' a foodie commented 'Yum! This place looks so good, will definitely be giving it a try when in Melbourne,' a foodie commented. 'Omg I am drooling over those grilled skewers they look so tasty,' a woman wrote. 'Wow my mouth is watering from this food... YUM,' another wrote. Two young Australian mates have taken their passion for colour and turned it into a $5million-per-year business - shaking up the 'out-of-touch' paint industry. Melbourne's DJ Dikic, 33, and Rocky Liang, 35, believe colour should be fun and loathe the idea of people wasting hours staring at tiny, uninspiring paint swatches for weeks and putting renovation plans on hold. Speaking to FEMAIL, the pair explained how their business, Tint, helps you figure out the colour you need in seconds, see what your room will look like using augmented reality and get it delivered within the hour. DJ Dikic, 33, and Rocky Liang, 35, believe colour should be fun They launched a paint company in 2020 which is turning over $5million-per-year and offering people the confidence they need to embrace colour 'We wanted to make picking a colour easy, to take away people's concerns and frustrations,' DJ said. They developed a tool to help people turn any colour in their environment into a paint colour, and it takes a matter of seconds. 'We have found it has given people confidence to play with colour more - the combinations some people have come up with is incredible.' 'There are some colours, mostly deep blues we can't quite make yet - because of the way colour is mixed but we are working on it,' he said. Their augmented reality tool lets you see what your home will look like in your chosen shade - taking the pressure out of creativity. 'It is about making the experience easy.' People are developing a taste for colour, the businessmen said, with Instagram playing a huge role in the way people decorate. People can match paint to anything in their environment - like this woman and her favourite dress - which means their home can really represent them Rocky Liang spoke to Femail about the business which he started with his friend after coming up with a colour-matching tool for a project at university 'People have a good eye for colours and everyone can play interior designer because they have been shown how to create beautiful spaces online.' Tint has a limited range of 72 core colours - with 20cm by 20cm paint swatches so people can really visualise their space. 'I think people go to these paint shops and they are overwhelmed by the options, there are too many colours, the swatches are tiny and that's before you even start looking at the type of paint you should use. 'We make it easy, the one called wall is for your wall, ceiling is for the ceiling.' The business has grown significantly faster than DJ and Rocky had expected, but they had created every concept with the ability to upscale - so it hasn't meant too many logistical problems. The friends say they are inundated with photos from happy customers who are happy with the colour match from the online paint service And while white and 'like-whites' aren't as popular as they once were they haven't been abandoned altogether They plan to have a physical presence in Sydney and Brisbane soon so people can visit the team in store or get their deliveries within the hour like in Melbourne. The friends first came up with part one of their business at university, a way to perfectly match colours, they won a few awards but went their separate ways after graduating with electrical engineering degrees. But after coming up with their own, great idea, they found working for someone else unfulfilling - so came together again. This woman chose her wall colour using one of the giant paint swatches which are stick-on and available in 72 colours The started by working for Dulux, helping them improve their paint matching and colour tinting processes. They were frustrated by the industry which they believed was too firmly stuck in old ways, they wanted to change the way the industry worked - make it more sophisticated. 'People in the industry were very skeptical, especially when we explained we wanted to sell paint online,' he said. 'They were stuck in the thinking people want to shop for paint in person, not online. so our success is kind of vindicating to some degree,' he said, adding that some laughed at the concept. Customers can get everything they need delivered to their door in under an hour after ordering online with Tint using Uber to deliver across Melbourne The friends did a soft launch in 2019 - they launched in 2020 just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Most people who colour match do it from paint they see when they are out and about or match to accessories like curtains or pendants. Tint now have the equivalent of 15 full-time employees and is looking forward to growing steadily in 2022 as they offer faster turn arounds across the country. A Italian security firm has been slammed on social media after posting a job advert for a receptionist, saying that applicants should be women aged 30 or under, good looking, and should send a photo of themselves wearing a bathing suit 'or similar'. Medial Service S.r.l., based in Naples business district, also said candidates for the part-time, 24-hour per week, 500-a-month job should speak English, own a car, and have a 'sunny character'. According to reports, labour minister Andrea Orlando has now asked inspectors to investigate the company as a result of the ad, which has been branded 'scandalous' by Labour councillor for Naples, Chiara Marciani. 'They want a photo in a bathing suit? What an absurd advert,' the Guardian reported her saying. Naples-based security firm Medial Services S.r.l. prompted a fierce backlash after posting a job advertisement looking for a receptionist who is under 30 and attractive Twitter users were unimpressed with the posting, branding it 'unethical' for asking women to send in photos of themselves in a bathing suit 'It is scandalous, and for several reasons beginning with the search for a woman under the age of 30 and a salary that is absurdly inadequate for the commitment and tasks the job requires. 'The problem of sexism persists there needs to be much more work done on gender equality. 'There are so many issues that need to be addressed, especially in a city like Naples, which has a very low rate of women in employment.' The job posting, which was shared across social media before the company removed it, also received criticism from Twitter users. One said: 'The photo request is unethical but alas not yet illegal. I hope that no one is applying in light of the request.' Another worried about what the bathing suit photo request might indicate about the company's intentions, writing: 'The request for photos in costume is not a small one. 'Which will be followed during the interview: do you have children? Are you planning to have children?' The original advert (which has now been deleted) says candidates should be aged 30 and under, have a car, a sunny character, and send a photo in a swimming costume 'or similar' Some posters seemed shocked by the adverts requests - with one reasonably asking what the company meant when it said applicants should send bathing suit 'or similar' photos And another pointed out: 'It is also not legal to advertise for women only.' One suggested that despite the unreasonable requests, the company may find staff, writing: 'The problem is that they will find someone so desperate to accept or at least evaluate an offer like that. We have come to the point of having to sell our dignity (not just as workers) and having to say thank you too.' A further poster revealed that they too had experienced similar requests when applying for a job, writing: 'Once they asked me for photos in a bathing suit to work in a furniture shop, plus if I was free from family commitments and willing to go long trips alone with my boss.' In response to the furore, Medial Service S.r.l told Italian media the posting was 'a mistake by an inexperienced employee who did not know the company policies on gender equality'. It has now published a new advert with all references to appearance, age, and disposition removed. Confectionery heiress Jemima Cadbury and Lady Tatiana Mountbatten lead the well-heeled partygoers attending a swanky event at Annabel's last night which celebrated its committee of under 35-year-olds. Jemima, the great-great-great-granddaughter of confectioner John Cadbury, commanded attention in a sleeveless black ensemble with a plunging neckline, teamed with eye-catching diamond earrings when at the private member's club in Mayfair. Looking as equally stunning, Lady Tatiana, 31, the daughter of the Marquess of Milford Haven, a first cousin of the Queen, appeared radiant in a shimmering sliver frock, cinched at the waist with a black belt and paired with a matching blazer. Joining the dazzling duo at the glitzy inaugural Under 35s Committee Dinner and After Party in The Jungle Bar was Jacobi Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, who went to prep school with Prince William and spent a lot of his twenties going to nightclubs with Prince Harry. TikTok star Francis Bourgeois, who won a legion of fans thanks to his trainspotting videos and was unveiled as the face of the new Gucci and North Face campaign earlier this month, was also in attendance. Confectionery heiress Jemima Cadbury and Lady Tatiana Mountbatten (pictured together) have lead the well-heeled partygoers attending a swanky event at Annabel's last night Joining the dazzling duo at the glitzy inaugural Under 35s Committee Dinner and After Party in The Jungle Bar was Jacobi Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe (pictured centre), who went to prep school with Prince William and spent a lot of his twenties going to nightclubs with Prince Harry TikTok star Francis Bourgeois (pictured left), who won a legion of fans thanks to his trainspotting videos and was unveiled as the face of the new Gucci and North Face campaign earlier this month, was also in attendance Elsewhere, party planner Victoria Dashwood (pictured left), whose ancestor, Sir Francis Dashwood, founded the 18th Century Hellfire Club scandalous soirees for politicians and persons of quality, stunned in a cream outfit when arriving at the event Elsewhere, party planner Victoria Dashwood, whose ancestor, Sir Francis Dashwood, founded the 18th Century Hellfire Club scandalous soirees for politicians and persons of quality, stunned in a cream outfit when arriving at the event. Other guests included boutique owner Annie Doble - who counts Kate Moss as a client, US property developer Taylor McWilliams amd Natalie Salmon, the digital editor of Vogue Scandinavia. Appearing picture perfect, Jemima's jumpsuit accentuated her svelte figure, while the heiress opted to keep her locks down and opt for a smattering of glamorous makeup. In her spare time, Jemima, who works for the highly selective Annabel's, liked to write about the chicest events around the capital on her blog Bee's Bazaar. The socialite and chocolate dynasty scion was dubbed one of the new 'movers and shakers' among London socialites by Tatler Magazine. In March 2021, Jemima announced her engagement to boyfriend David Tollemache, the nephew of Lord Tollemache. Looking as equally stunning, Lady Tatiana (pictured), 31, the daughter of the Marquess of Milford Haven, a first cousin of the Queen, appeared radiant in a shimmering sliver frock, cinched at the waist with a black belt and paired with a matching blazer Jemima (pictured with Annie Doble), the great-great-great-granddaughter of confectioner John Cadbury, commanded attention in a sleeveless black ensemble with a plunging neckline, teamed with eye-catching diamond earrings when at the private member's club in Mayfair Other guests included boutique owner Annie Doble (pictured left) - who counts Kate Moss as a client Timothy Tollemache, who is 81, has had a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order since 2015, and the Tollemache family are also patrons and presidents of several organisations. Meanwhile, Equestrian Lady Tatiana added a touch of glitz to her ensemble last night by opting for a dazzling set of earrings and a dainty necklace. She is the eldest child of George Mountbatten - whose brother Lord Ivar Mountbatten is the first openly gay member of the Royal Family - and his first wife Sarah Georgina Walker. He is now married to Clare. Her younger brother Henry, 30, is Earl of Medina. Tatiana, who trained under Olympian Charlotte Dujardin, was educated at the elite 12,000-a year Millfield private school in Street, Somerset. Horse-mad Lady Tatiana once wanted to be a ski instructor, but now works training dressage horses. US property developer Taylor McWilliams amd Natalie Salmon (pictured right with Victoria Dashwood and Jemima Cadbury), the digital editor of Vogue Scandinavia, also attended the event Artist Joseph Klibanksy, David Tollemache, Oliver Renwick and Louis Klibanksy attend Annabel's In March 2021, Jemima announced her engagement to boyfriend David Tollemache (pictured right), the nephew of Lord Tollemache Her polo-playing father George swelled his fortune by founding and selling price-comparison company uSwitch, and is thought to live in Switzerland. After stints in Denmark and Germany, 'Tatty' has settled in Windsor, where she runs a very smart horse yard. Tatiana is also training to be a psychotherapist. Earlier this month, she announced her engagement to startup founder boyfriend Alexander 'Alick' Dru. Also in attendance at yesterday's event was Jacobi, who came close to being related to the royals by marriage. One of his sisters, actress Cressida Bonas (they share the same mother, former 60s IT Girl Lady Mary-Gaye Curzon), is well-known for having dated Harry for two years. She tied the knot in July 2020 with her old university sweetheart Harry Wentworth-Stanley, the son of the Marchioness of Milford Haven, in a small ceremony at Cowdray Park in West Sussex. Jacobi posted an image on Instagram of them riding into the sunset on horseback. Another of his sisters, Isabella, is married to Sam Branson, Richard's son. Artist Faye Wei Wei attends Annabel's inaugural Under 35s Committee Dinner and After Party in The Jungle Bar Nina Darzi and guest partying at Annabel's inaugural Under 35s Committee Dinner and After Party in The Jungle Bar The former city worker has previously spoken openly about how tough being in the public eye is for his beloved sister, and how she coped with the attention while dating Prince Harry. He told Evening Standard: 'She's not a tough cookie at all. She's a very sensitive, sweet girl, all my family are they're incredible. 'It's challenging, you can't deny it. It's not something that is easy for anyone dating a royal or marrying into the family or anyone in the royal family themselves. I think on some level it is different to any other type of fame.' Jacobi, who is the only male among Cresida's siblings, previously worked as a DJ and club organiser following a career as a financier, before moving into the world of sound technology - having founded an 'audio advance' called IRIS in 2018. Meanwhile fellow Annabel's guest Francis Bourgeois, a Mechanical Engineering student at Nottingham University, went viral last year with his trainspotting clips, with 11.3million likes and his most popular effort notching up 6.8million views. Advertisement A playground being built in Prince Charles' 'designer village' of Poundbury has been welcomed with open arms by residents - as they hope the 'much-needed' feature will inject a little life into the 'soulless and sanitised' area. Poundbury, in Dorset, which mixes private and affordable housing side-by-side, is owned by Charles' Duchy of Cornwall estate, which covers more than 130,000 acres across 23 counties. The royal used Duchy farmland to start building the project in 1993 to demonstrate his own vision of Britain, where he aimed to give everyone a job and have a walkable community - giving priority to people rather than to cars. And now a playground 'fit for a future king' is now being built in the village across the Great Field - and pictures of the building work shows 15ft high towers, suspended bridges and walkways, and an enormous medieval-styled playhouse. A playground (pictured) being built in Prince Charles' 'designer village' of Poundbury has been welcomed with open arms by residents - as they hope the 'much-needed' feature will inject a little life into the 'soulless and sanitised' area As well as tubular slides, swings, a climbing wall, horizontal bars and balancing beams, the grand park will also feature parkour facilities for people wanting to practise stunts. The park, which opens in the spring, covers 2,050 square metres and has been designed to blend in with the pristine regal architecture which surrounds it. Poundbury, in Dorset, which mixes private and affordable housing side-by-side, is owned by Charles' (pictured) Duchy of Cornwall estate, which covers more than 130,000 acres across 23 counties Timber structures inspired by iconic local buildings include the Whistling Witch and Brownsword Hall have already been erected. Hundreds of local residents have expressed their support for the playground. Around 300 people wrote to the local planning authority to back the construction of the facility with only 20 objecting. Gary Spracklen, head teacher of the nearby Prince of Wales primary and pre-school, added: 'It looks absolutely awesome and our children are so excited. It really is (fit for a prince). I can't think of a better investment for our young people. 'The parkour facilities will also be attractive to older children. Poundbury points the way for other future housing developments and this is just another example of that. 'It is very well-timed considering the isolation children have experienced throughout the pandemic. Opportunities for them to socialise have never been more important than they are now.' One local parent commented: 'I fully support this application for the children of Poundbury and surrounding areas to have somewhere safe and fun to play. My own children will love this when it opens. 'As a resident of Poundbury, I can honestly say that it comes across as a rather soulless and sanitised place with no children playing. The ageing population really shows and this play area would inject some much needed life into the area. The royal used Duchy farmland to start building the project in 1993 to demonstrate his own vision of Britain, where he aimed to give everyone a job and have a walkable community - giving priority to people rather than to cars. Pictured, the park being built And now a playground (pictured) 'fit for a future king' is now being built in the village across the Great Field - and pictures of the building work shows 15ft high towers, suspended bridges and walkways, and an enormous medieval-styled playhouse As well as tubular slides, swings, a climbing wall, horizontal bars and balancing beams, the grand park (pictured) will also feature parkour facilities for people wanting to practise stunts 'What could be more aesthetically pleasing than children playing, enjoying themselves and the sound of childhood laughter?' James Lytton-Trevers said he 'fully supported the amazing park.' He said: 'There are so many children who love to have an amazing park right near their school. 'With the hard times everyone has been through over the past few years, having such an amazing location for children now and in the future would be an absolute blessing.' Others were less flattering, however. One resident on Duke's Parade, which overlooks the park, said: 'The equipment and its position will be a magnet for those who become disruptive, leading to abuse of the equipment.' The Duchy of Cornwall, the royal estate which owns the town of Poundbury, first applied for planning permission for the playground in October 2020. The park (pictured), which opens in the spring, covers 2,050 square metres and has been designed to blend in with the pristine regal architecture which surrounds it The Duchy of Cornwall, the royal estate which owns the town of Poundbury, first applied for planning permission for the playground in October 2020 Hundreds of local residents have expressed their support for the playground. Around 300 people wrote to the local planning authority to back the construction of the facility with only 20 objecting. Pictured: An aerial view of Poundbury in Dorset. A spokesman for the Duchy said: 'A well attended public consultation exercise with the local community was undertaken in November 2017. The Duchy of Cornwall received nearly 400 responses from residents, businesses, community groups and local schools. 'Respondents welcomed the establishment of significant play equipment in keeping with the surrounding area which included natural elements such as boulders for climbing and parkour equipment. 'The design has been led by the principles of the Poundbury development - natural materials and bespoke architectural designs inspired by the local vernacular, brought together to produce an inclusive local amenity of the highest quality. 'Significant care has been taken to identify suitable equipment for a wide range of users to encourage participation by varying ages. 'The plan includes a 1.2 metre hedge surrounding the play area, together with the planting of some 54 trees, 5,000 shrubs and 5,980 grasses.' A police officer and the man who shot him revealed on This Morning how they ended up striking an unlikely friendship. Leroy Smith, a former drug dealer, shot two constables when they asked to search him near The Atlantic pub in Brixton, south London, in March 1994. Firing three shots, he shot James Seymour in the back and his colleague, Simon Carroll, in the leg. Leroy was sentenced to 25 years behind bars for the crime, and encouraged by his partner at the time, he decided to pen a book relating the lead up to the incident. Seymour decided to read the book, and told hosts Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond it led him to contact Leroy and the two men to become friends. He added he never hated Leroy for shooting him and did not want to spend his life in anger and resentment. Viewers were touched by the moving story uniting the two men and praised Leroy for turning away from crime and starting a new life. Former drug dealer Leroy Smith, left and police officer James Seymour revealed how they became friends after Leroy was sentenced to 25 in jail for shooting the cop and his partner in 1994 Viewers were moved by the amazing story of redemption of forgiveness united Leroy and James 'James contacted my IT person,' Leroy said. 'At first I was nervous and anxious, but we agreed to meet at a train station. I apologised. 'And from there we built up a friendship and it's led on to do talk on LBC radio, working with some gang kids in LA, California, TV, BBC interviews and all of this is building up momentum and helping us push the word out. 'It's a story of redemption that's second to none,' he added. James said he forgave Leroy for both their sakes. Leroy said he was nervous about meeting James after being released from prison and wiritng a book about his life of crimes 'I looked at it first and Leroy served 87 per cent of his sentence, which is a lot,' he said. Reflecting on the time he was shot, he said: 'Leroy could have easily killed us both. He had more than enough time and the means to do it. He shot us to stop us and that's what he's achieved, 'I just thought that after 20 odd years, bitterness and anger, it's not doing you any good. 'I never hated Leroy because it wasn't personal, but I took the positive out of it rather than the negatives.' Leroy also opened up about how his prison sentence and friendship with James changed his perception of the police. 'When I was younger, I used to hate police, I was conditioned in my environment to think that way around and now I have no issue with police whatsoever, I don't get stopped or harassed or anything,' he said. James said he did not want the rest of his life to be filled with anger and bitterness and could tell Leroy was genuine 'If you concern yourself with your own life, the chance of having negative a experience with the police is going to go down to nearly zero if you lead you life in a positive manner.' Viewers were touched by the pair's unlikely friendship. 'What a story! This shows the strength of human forgiveness. We need more stories like this on the show. Real stories of violence and forgiveness,' one said. 'That was so wholesome, Leroy is a great example to all young people that its never too late to make a positive change in your life,' said another. 'Cant say I was impressed with Leroys previous way of life. But always admire anyone that can turn it around & use it help others. Well done to the police man for his mindset & contribution too,' another wrote. Viewers were impressed with Leroy and James' story and priased the former drug dealer for turning his life around Leroy and James now work together to influence younger generations of Londoners at risk of being involved in the violence which had such a devastating impact on both of their lives. Leroy said of his 25-year sentence for the crime: 'High-security prison is very violent, everybody's still on 'gangster mode'. 'When I came out the second time, my ex-partner really got my mind opened and thinking, it's because of her that I made it. 'She was challenging me about some things and making me look at [others] differently.' The book was what led to the unlikely friendship between the two men starting up. James said: 'I decided, what have I got to lose? And I just read it. 'I found out about his life, his mum getting murdered, where he was brought up [and] the temptation of dealing drugs. 'And I don't care what anyone says, a lot of black people have been discriminated against because of their colour and it still goes on. 'I thought, for people to go and get educated, get a real decent job and earn the same sort of money it takes years and you're facing prejudice as well. 'I can see why young kids get involved in crime and I understood that with Leroy. 'That was the challenge for me understanding what happened.' With that James decided to take the next step and actually meet him. Leroy chose a train station for the pair to meet, as he feared the whole thing might be a ruse to get revenge. He said: 'I was very scared. I picked the train station because it's quite public and busy, so it's hard for anyone to do anything to me there.' The feelings of trepidation were shared by Mr Seymour, although he was not concerned for his safety. James said: 'I was nervous. [I thought] was I doing the right thing? Did he genuinely want to redeem himself? And was he genuine?' But from the moment they met both were assured of the other's intentions, James said he could tell straight away that Leroy regretted what he did. Princess Charlene of Monaco's treatment and recovery 'will still take several weeks' but it is 'continuing in a satisfying and very encouraging way', the principality's palace has announced. The mother-of-two, who turned 44 on Tuesday, missed out on St Devote Day events this week with her husband Prince Albert, 63, and their seven-year-old twins Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques - who were instead supported by Albert's sister Princess Caroline. The former Olympic swimmer was admitted to an undisclosed treatment facility outside of Monaco in November, within days of her return to the principality following a 10-month absence in her native South Africa. Albert has remained vague as to the exact cause of Charlene's illness, although he has said she is suffering from 'emotional and physical exhaustion'. The palace's recent statement mentioned Charlene is receiving 'follow-up dental care'. In her hometown, she was treated for an ear and throat infection she contracted in May, following a sinus lift and bone graft procedure she'd undergone prior to her arrival in preparation for dental implants. Princess Charlene of Monaco's (pictured) treatment and recovery 'will still take several weeks' but it is 'continuing in a satisfying and very encouraging way', the principality's palace has announced The mother-of-two, who turned 44 on Tuesday, missed out on St Devote Day events this week with her husband Prince Albert, 63, and their seven-year-old twins Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques - who were instead supported by Albert's sister Princess Caroline (pictured together) Charlene's recuperation was 'currently progressing satisfactorily and very encouragingly', the palace said in a statement on Thursday. But 'her recovery and follow-up dental care are expected to take several more weeks', it added. She is being cared for at a confidential location outside Monaco. Charlene was unable to take part in two days of festivities in honour of the patron saint of Monaco, Saint Devota, that kicked off on Wednesday. Last month, the palace said the princess's full recovery could still take months. Yesterday, Prince Albert of Monaco attended the St Devote Day cathedral service without his wife - and instead appeared alongside his twins Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques and his sister Princess Caroline. The royal's former mistress and mother of his love child, Nicole Coste, 50, was also spotted at the principality's traditional ceremony - which marks the national holiday in remembrance of Monaco's patron saint, a Christian martyr who was killed and tortured for her faith in the 4th century. Nicole's attendance at the event comes after she joined Prince Albert, 63, and their love child Alexandre Grimladi-Coste, 18, at Monaco's the Red Cross Ball in July 2021, during Princess Charlene's 10-month absence. It's unclear if Nicole has attended the annual St Devote Day occasion before. Prince Albert's (right) former mistress and mother of his love child, Nicole Coste (left), 50, was also spotted at the principality's traditional ceremony - which marks the national holiday in remembrance of Monaco's patron saint, a Christian martyr who was killed and tortured for her faith in the 4th century Princess Charlene returned to Monaco in November, following a 10-month absence in her native South Africa. This photo was released to mark the reunion Nicole previously said that after Albert married Charlene, the royal distanced himself from their son. She told the Mail On Sunday in 2014: The truth is that, Im sorry to say, Albert hasnt seen Alexandre since a brief visit last September. It has become impossible since he married that girl. I suppose as a new wife, how would one feel? But she should think about my innocent child. 'I dont want to attack her but I think it is just jealousy and I dont know why. I have been through hell in my fight for my sons name and future. Shortly before Christmas it was revealed Princess Charlene is still several months away from making a full recovery. In November, Charlene was admitted to a treatment facility in an undisclosed location within days of her return to Monaco following a 10-month absence in her native South Africa. Princess Charlene pictured with her husband in South Africa. Last month, the palace said the princess's full recovery could still take months Her husband spoke out to say she is suffering from 'exhaustion, both emotional and physical', while friends told Page Six that the mother-of-two 'almost died' while she was in her hometown of Cape Town. A palace statement released on December 23 revealed Albert and the couple's children were planning to visit Charlene during the Christmas holidays, as well as asking for the family's privacy to be respected. Timeline: Prince Albert and Princess Charlene's 12 months apart January 27 - Charlene is pictured with Albert for the Sainte Devote Ceremony in Monaco. March 18 - Charlene is pictured at the memorial for the late Zulu monarch, King Goodwill Zwelithini at the KwaKhethomthandayo Royal Palace in Nongoma, South Africa April 2 - Charlene posts an Instagram picture of herself, Albert and their twins Jacques and Gabriella for Easter. It is unknown where the image was taken. May 8 - Albert, Jacques and Gabriella attend a Grand Prix event in Monaco without Charlene May 10 - Albert attends Monaco Gala Awards in Monaco without Charlene May 18 - Charlene shares her first picture from her conservation trip in South Africa June 1 - Prince Albert II, Jacques and Gabriella attend event at Oceanic Museum in Monaco June 3 - New photos emerge of Charlene on her conservation trip June 5- Charlene puts on a united front as she shares a photo with her family to mark her niece's fifth birthday with her brother's family and Albert and the twins in South Africa June 7 - Albert and the twins attend the World Rugby Sevens without Charlene June 17 - Prince Albert attends Red Cross Summer concert in Monte Carlo with his sister Princess Caroline of Hanover June 18 - Prince Albert appears alone Monte Carlo TV Festival June 24 - Charlene's foundation releases a statement saying the royal is unable to travel and is undergoing procedures for an ear, nose and throat infection July 2 - Charlene and Albert mark their 10th anniversary separately. 'This year will be the first time that I'm not with my husband on our anniversary in July, which is difficult, and it saddens me,' Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene said in a statement. July 3 - Albert appears with glamorous niece Charlotte Casiraghi at the 15th international Monte-Carlo Jumping event, which is part of the Longines Global Champions Tour of Monaco, July 27 - Prince Albert attends Olympics alone in Tokyo August 13 - Charlene undergoes a four-hour operation. The reason is not announced August 25 - Charlene shares photos of Prince Albert, Gabriella and Jacques visiting her in South Africa September 1 - Charlene is admitted under an alias to the Netcare Alberlito Hospital after suddenly 'collapsing' September 2 - She is discharged, with a statement from the Palais Princier reading: 'Her Highness is closely monitored by Her medical team who said that Her condition was not worrying' September 23 - Prince Albert attends the 2021 Monte Carlo Gala for Planetary Health September 29 - Prince Albert is joined on the red carpet by actress Sharon Stone for a first look at the eagerly anticipated James Bond release September 30 - Charlene releases a stylish video promoting her anti-poaching campaign from her South African bolthole October 3 - Princess Charlene shares a photograph of herself smiling in front of a bible in her first snap since being discharged from hospital following her health scare October 5 - Prince Albert attends Sportel Awards Ceremony in Monte Carlo with nephew Louis Ducruet October 6 - Albert tells RMC radio Charlene is 'ready to come home' October 8 - Princess undergoes surgery in South Africa November 8 - Charlene arrives back in Monaco. Prince Albert said within hours it became clear she was 'unwell' November 13 - Prince Albert attends Expo 2020 in Dubai without Princess Charlene Following his return from the trip, Prince Albert holds an intervention with Charlene's brothers and a sister-in-law in which Charlene 'confirmed' she would seek 'real medically framed treatment' outside of Monaco November 16 - Royal household confirms Princess Charlene will not attend National Day celebrations on November 19 - Prince Albert attends a Monaco Red Cross event without Princess Charlene November 17 - Prince Albert reveals Princess Charlene has left Monaco and is recovering in a secret location November 19 - Prince Albert reveals Charlene is in a treatment facility 'elsewhere in Europe' after a family intervention January 25 - Charlene celebrates her birthday alone outside of Monaco January 26 - Prince Albert is joined by his children and sister without Charlene at St Devote's Day Advertisement It added that the princess 'is recuperating in a satisfactory and reassuring manner, although it may take a few more months before her health has reached a full recovery.' Princess Charlene met Prince Albert in 2000 during a swimming competition in Monaco and the pair married in 2011, before welcoming twins Gabriella and Jacques in 2014. Charlene returned to her husband and twins Jacques and Gabriella in November following almost a year in South Africa. While on a solo charity trip to the country, she contracted a severe sinus infection which prevented her from travelling. She subsequently needed surgery to treat the medical condition, which again delayed her return to Monaco. In the weeks after her arrival, Charlene remained absent from public duties. Albert later revealed the family reunion had gone 'pretty well' in the first few hours, but it then became 'pretty evident' that Charlene was 'unwell.' He said the former Olympian 'realised she needed help', adding: 'She was overwhelmed and couldn't face official duties, life in general or even family life.' Albert explained: 'I'm probably going to say this several times, but this has nothing to do with our relationship. I want to make that very clear. These are not problems within our relationship; not with the relationship between a husband and wife. It's of a different nature.' He went on to tell a magazine her current state was a result of 'several factors which are private'. Albert continued: 'She hadn't slept well in a number of days and she wasn't eating at all well. She has lost a lot of weight, which made her vulnerable to other potential ailments. A cold or the flu or God help us, COVID.' He said it is 'not cancer-related or personal relationship issue' and later said she is suffering from 'exhaustion, both emotional and physical'. He later confirmed Charlene has been admitted to a treatment facility for undisclosed medical issues, as she works through a period of ill health. The location of the facility was not confirmed, though several sources claim it is in Switzerland. However friends of the princess spoke out to suggest the issues were more physical than Albert appeared to suggest. Speaking to Page Six, a source described as the royal's friend said: 'It is unfair that she is being portrayed as having some kind of mental or emotional issue. 'We don't know why the palace is downplaying that she almost died in South Africa.' The source explained the royal had a severe ear, nose and throat infection, which resulted in 'severe sinus and swallowing issues stemming from an earlier surgery'. Elsewhere friends of Princess Charlene gave Tatler a rare insight into what the royal is really like, insisting that the former swimmer is a force to be reckoned with. One source rubbished any public perception that Charlene is 'naive' and trapped in an unhappy marriage with Albert, saying: 'I don't for one second think she did not know what she was doing when she married him.' But one warned the mother of Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, seven, is not the type to be blindly controlled by the Monaco royal household. 'Charlene is no Princess Di.' one said. 'She may come across as being extremely naive, but nothing could be further from the truth. She is very good at keeping her smarts under wraps.' Doubts about the central relationship of Monaco's royal family are not new. Several residents living in the narrow medieval alleys of Monaco Ville confirmed to MailOnline that before she left for South Africa Charlene was spending most of her time outside the Palace, living in a modest two-bedroom apartment above an old chocolate factory about 300m away, rather than in the 12th Century Palace itself. 'We often saw her outside the Palace and she would usually be alone or with a bodyguard,' said one source, 'but she was never with Albert - it was obvious she chose to spend most of her time in the apartment rather than the palace.' Princess Charlene met Prince Albert in 2000 during a swimming competition in Monaco and the pair married in 2011, before welcoming twins Gabriella and Jacques in 2014. Born in Rhodesia- a previously unrecongised state in Southern Africa colonised by the British, she relocated to South Africa aged 11. She had a successful swimming career and went on to win three gold medals and a silver medal at the 1999 All Africa Games in Johannesburg, as well as representing South Africa at the 1998 and 2002 Commonwealth Games and winning a silver medal in the 4 100 m medley relay in the latter competition. However the pair's marriage has made numerous headlines over the years, with a third paternity suit emerging in December 2020. Soon afterwards Charlene infamously shaved half her head in the style of a punk rocker. Months later she left for South Africa. The allegations in December 2020 claimed that Albert had fathered a love-child (which would be his third, if proven) with an unnamed Brazilian woman during the time when he and Charlene were already in a relationship. He has also fathered two other children outside of wedlock. Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, who is now 29 and the result of Albert's affair with an American estate agent, and Alexandre Coste, 18, whose mother is a former Togolese air hostess. Both children were struck off Monaco's line of succession in return for vast financial settlements. Idinia Menzel is known for many roles she's played over the years, including Frozen's Elsa, Wicked's Elphaba... and John Travolta's Adele Dazeem. The 50-year-old Tony winner famously had her name flubbed by Travolta, 67, at the 2014 Oscars, when he introduced her performance with a name unrecognizable from her own. In a funny new TikTok video which has earned over a million likes in less than a day Menzel pokes fun at the Grease star for his mangled pronunciation of her name. Idinia Menzel is known for many roles she's played over the years, including Frozen's Elsa, Wicked's Elphaba... and John Travolta's Adele Dazeem In a funny new TikTok video, she shows all the names she's known by, showing clips from her biggest roles like Wicked and Rent The actress hopped on a popular TikTok trend using the song 'That's Not My Name' by The Ting Tings, which is being embraced by Hollywood. In the trend, stars play the song's chorus: 'They call me hell / They call me Stace / They call me He / They call me Jane / That's not my name / That's not my name / That's not my name / That's not my name.' Meanwhile, they flash clips of some of their most beloved roles with their characters' names written on the screen. Menzel had plenty to choose from, showing Elphaba from Wicked, Maureen from Rent, Rachel's Mom from Glee, Nancy from Enchanted, Elsa from Frozen, Vivian from the new Cinderella, and Dinah from Uncut Gems. But she ends on a role that she never intended to play, showing a clip of Travolta calling her Adele Dazeem and captioning it with a string of question marks. The actress hopped on a popular TikTok trend using the song 'That's Not My Name' by The Ting Tings, which is being embraced by Hollywood The screen flashes clips of some of her most beloved roles with her characters' names written on the screen She included Rachel's Mom from Glee, Nancy from Enchanted, Elsa from Frozen, Vivian from the new Cinderella, and Dinah from Uncut Gems Years on from the must-see-TV incident, Menzel clearly has a sense of humor about the mistake. In 2014, Travolta was introducing her performance at the Oscars and said: 'Please welcome the wickedly talented, one and only Adele Dazeem.' The bit was immediately buzzed about on social media, with viewers rewatching it on repeat in the days after, wondering just how he got her name so terribly wrong. Speaking to Jimmy Kimmel in 2015, Travolta blamed being 'starstruck' and a last-minute teleprompter change for the embarrassing mistake. He said he was rushed backstage to do the segment at the last minute due to a miscommunication, and things went wrong from there. 'As I get backstage, I ran into Goldie Hawn. Now Goldie Hawn is sexy, charismatic, beautiful. And I got starstruck! I'm starstruck hugging and loving her up and forgetting that I have to go and to this bit,' he said. But she ends on a clip of Travolta calling her Adele Dazeem at the 2014 Oscars (pictured) and captioning it with a string of question marks Then, he said, just as they grabbed him and pushed him on stage, someone told him that they'd 'changed Idina's name to phonetic spelling' on the teleprompter. 'But I didn't rehearse it that way,' he said. It's unclear how her name would have been spelled phonetically . Menzel, though, doesn't hold a grudge, though she has said that immediately after it happened, she was unhappy. 'Right when it was happening, I was like, "What the f***k did he just say?"' she said at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2016. But then, she thought, '"Get over yourself. Youre so vain and conceited. Just go. Sing. Like, Meryl Streep is there." Thats the whole thing that went on, about eight seconds to get myself back in the zone. Travolta later apologized and the pair reunited at the 2015 Oscars. Menzel said she was upset at first but now considers it 'the greatest thing that ever happened' On The Late Late Show with James Corden last year, she also admitted that at first, 'I felt really sorry for myself. 'Like Meryl Streeps out there, this is my big break and he just f**ked up my name,' she said. 'I was so nervous, I had meditated on this moment, I was going to sing to my son to really bring perspective to everything and then that happened,' she said. But ultimately, it turned out not to be so bad, and people were buzzing about her for weeks. 'It was the greatest thing that ever happened,' she said. 'Hes written so many nice, apologetic emails. Hes so kind,' she added. They even made fun of the moment at the Oscars the following year, with Menzel joining Travolta on stage. A 'pregnant' pro-choice activist left a pro-life campaigner 'in tears' after taking an abortion pill to 'end a pregnancy' during a shocking live TV interview. Jex Blackmore appeared on Fox 2 News Detroit's 'Let It Rip' segment on Sunday to discuss the Food and Drug Administration's decision last month to allow abortion pills to be prescribed via telehealth and mailed to patients. Host Charlie Langton, 61, moderated the debate between Blackmore and Rebecca Kiessling, 52, a pro-life campaigner and lawyer. 'They're incredibly safe,' Blackmore said of the pills, while explaining how the mail-order system works. 'It is extremely easy and private and allows you to really self-manage your abortion.' The activist then held up a white pill, claiming it was mifepristone, a progesterone blocker that stops the growth of a pregnancy that is less than 10 weeks along. Pro-choice activist Jex Blackmore (left) took an abortion pill during a live television debate with pro-life campaigner Rebecca Kiessling (right) Blackmore appeared on Fox 2 News Detroit on Sunday to discuss the Food and Drug Administration's decision to allow abortion pills to be mailed to patients Blackmore explained mifepristone was the first of two pills that a person would take to terminate a pregnancy. The second, misoprostol, causes cramping and bleeding to empty the uterus. 'I want to show you how easy it is, and safe it is, by taking it myself,' she said before putting it in her mouth, washing it down with a sip of water, and smiling at the camera. A stunned Langton could barely get his words out when he asked: 'You're not pregnant, are you?' 'I would say that this is going to end a pregnancy,' Blackmore replied. 'This would be my third abortion.' Kiessling closed her eyes and shook her head in response before arguing against the pill, saying there is 'no dignitary in it.' She also said the abortion pill is reversible using certain hormones a claim the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says is 'not based on science' and one that does 'not meet clinical standards.' Blackmore said she 'wanted to show how easy and safe it is by taking it.' She put a white pill into her mouth and swallowed it, leaving host Charlies Langton (left) open-mouthed in shock Blackmore claimed the pill was mifepristone, a progesterone blocker that stops the growth of a pregnancy. It is the first of two pills a person would take to terminate a pregnancy The second abortion pill, misoprostol, causes cramping and bleeding to empty the uterus Kiessling later wrote a lengthy Facebook slamming Blackmore for 'callously' [beginning] the process of killing her baby on TV.' 'After the segment ended, I just broke down in tears,' she said. 'It's like someone pushing a button for a drone strike on innocent victims like it's nothing because they don't see them, while the rest of us are fully aware of the carnage to ensue, the shocking loss of life.' Pro-life commenters responded to Kiessling's posts about the television interview with shock and outrage, with some accusing Blackburn of faking a pregnancy. 'Just watched this and am shaking. So insane,' one person wrote, while another added: 'I'm so sorry you had to witness that. Prayers for you.' 'She probably isn't pregnant, and it was probably an aspirin,' someone else claimed. 'Pure evil.' Others called out Kiessling for spreading misinformation about the abortion pill, which the FDA has determined is safe and effective. 'The pill effects are not reversible in any way shape or form, the fact you don't know this is just wild,' one critic wrote. 'It's totally safe and should be widely available to all women who do not want religious nutcases ruining their lives,' someone else argued. Kiessling closed her eyes and shook her head in response before arguing against the pill, saying there is 'no dignitary in it' Blackmore tweeted about taking an abortion pill on live TV after the segment. In an email to The Washington Post, she said it was 'no charade' After the show, Kiessling slammed Blackmore's actions, accusing her of 'killing her child on TV,' adding that she 'broke down in tears' when the broadcast ended Blackmore tweeted about taking the abortion pill life on air and was met with support from other pro-choice activists. 'Ive never needed to use this, but I absolutely would have if I had needed it,' one woman wrote. 'Well done to you for trying to end the stigma of termination. #prochoice #MyBodyMyChoice its nobody elses business what you do with your body.' 'Good! WE need to be the ones in control of our own uterus,' someone else shared, while another added: 'Thank you for doing that. We need to end the stigma and lies associated with abortion.' Like Kiessling, Blackmore also faced backlash from opponents. 'I'm pro choice, but to be so flippant about it and to seek attention for it is disturbing,' one critic tweeted. 'Why would you want the ending of life to be so trivial and unimportant?!?!' another asked. 'If you dont want a baby then take birth control!! Murder is murder.' In an email to The Washington Post, Blackmore said her claim that she took mifepristone on live TV was 'no charade.' 'Abortion is a common and safe medical procedure surrounded by stigma,' she wrote. 'Stigma keeps people silent about their personal experiences and creates space for harmful, inaccurate narratives. My action was intended to dispel some of those myths, misinformation, and stigma.' During her appearance on the show, Kiessling touted misinformation about the abortion pill being reversible using certain hormones The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says the claim is 'not based on science' and one that does 'not meet clinical standards' Blackmore, who is known for courting controversy, was the founder of the Detroit chapter of The Satanic Temple (TST), a nontheistic human rights organization that promotes egalitarianism, social justice, and the separation of religion and state. She was later expelled from the group for espousing views that were not in line with the larger TST ethos. In December, the FDA permanently lifted a restriction on an abortion pill that prevented prescribers from sending it through the mail. Under prior U.S. regulations, the pill had to be dispensed in clinics or hospitals by specially-certified providers who had to sign an agreement and obtain the patient's signature to acknowledge the provider informed them about the drug. The new ruling allows patients to have a telemedicine appointment with a provider who can prescribe abortion pills and send them by mail. However, it did not override the regulations in 19 states mainly in the south and the Midwest where telemedicine visits for the pills are banned. Women who live in states that do not allow telemedicine for abortion pills must travel to a state that does, but they may be in any location within the state for the telehealth visit and can receive the pills at any address in the state. Blackmore founded the Detroit chapter of The Satanic Temple (TST), a nontheistic human rights organization that promotes egalitarianism, social justice, and the separation of religion and state However, she was later expelled from the group for espousing views that were not in line with the larger TST ethos Blackmore and Kiessling's appearance on 'Let It Rip' aired during the weekend of the 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that guarantees a woman's constitutional right to an abortion. Laws severely restricting abortion have been passed in multiple Republican-led states, but have been struck down by the courts for violating Roe v. Wade. In December, the conservative-led Supreme Court heard arguments on a Mississippi law that prohibits abortions after 15 weeks about two months earlier than Roe v. Wade allows. The decision, which could overturn or uphold Roe v. Wade, won't come until late spring or early summer 2022. Another law in Texas bans abortion after six weeks, when some say a heartbeat in the womb can be detected but before many women even know they are pregnant. It is the most restrictive abortion law passed in the U.S. since the procedure was guaranteed as a constitutional right nearly five decades ago. Texas Senate Bill 8, which went into force in September, differs from other efforts in that it attempts to insulate the state from claims of rights violations by giving members of the public the ability to sue doctors who perform abortions or anyone who helps facilitate them once a heartbeat in the womb is detected. They can be rewarded with $10,000 for initiating civil suits that land in court, prompting criticism that the state is encouraging people to take the law into their own hands. Earlier this month, U.S. Supreme Court dealt another blow to opponents of a Texas law that bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. In a 6-3 decision, the court rejected a request by abortion providers to have the case sent to a district judge who had previously moved to block the law Abortion supporters and protestors gathered outside the U.S. Supreme Court in November as the high court heard arguments in two challenges to the Texas law Earlier this month, the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, rejected a request by abortion providers to have the case sent to a district judge who had previously moved to block the Texas law. Instead, the case will remain with the conservative 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. The majority did not provide any comment on their decision, but the three liberal justices on the nation's highest court penned a scathing dissent. 'Today, for the fourth time, this Court declines to protect pregnant Texans from egregious violations of their constitutional rights,' Justice Sonia Sotomayor said. 'This case is a disaster for the rule of law and a grave disservice to women in Texas, who have a right to control their own bodies,' Sotomayor said. 'I will not stand by silently as a State continues to nullify this constitutional guarantee.' Public opinion polls have found most Americans believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. But a segment of the population, particularly on the religious right, has never accepted the Roe v. Wade ruling and has campaigned to have it overturned. While weighing in on the Supreme Court's response to the Texas law and the possible upholding of the Mississippi law, Blackmore told The Post that the 'anti-abortion movement has been celebrating what looks like a victory to them, but this victory is largely symbolic.' 'With medical mail-order abortion, weve actually expanded access more than ever before,' she added. President Moon Jae-in attends a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Jan. 26. Some members of Moon's entourage on a visit to the Middle East tested positive for COVID-19 after returning home, an official at the presidential office revealed Friday, following media speculation. Yonhap Some members of President Moon Jae-in's entourage on a visit to the Middle East have tested positive for COVID-19 after returning home, an official at the presidential office said Friday. Moon, who returned home last Saturday from an eight-day trip to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, worked from home for three days until Tuesday in line with the government's containment guidelines. "After returning home and taking PCR tests, a small number of accompanying personnel tested positive," the official said on the condition of anonymity. Moon didn't come into close contact with those infected during the Middle East visit, the official said, without specifying the exact number of cases. After the members tested positive, the presidential office took relevant measures in accordance with containment guidelines and no additional cases of infection have been reported since then, the official said. The official said he was unable to reveal details of the confirmed patients. Some have raised speculation that the infections could have affected Moon's decision not to hold a New Year's press conference, but his office said the two have nothing to do with each other and the President decided to skip the conference to focus on his response to the Omicron variant. (Yonhap) Daisy Edgar Jones has revealed she carries a moustache trimmer in her handbag because in her line of work its 'handy to have around'. The London-born Normal People star, 23, revealed the contents of her handbag for Vogue's In The Bag YouTube series where she shared that she also carries coffee and an Aeropress coffee maker with her at all times. 'This is not what you think it is,' she explains while taking out the small metal device out of her bag. 'It's a moustache shaver, which is very handy to have round especially because in my line of work sometimes the camera is very close to your face.' she explains. Daisy Edgar Jones has revealed she carried a moustache trimmer in her handbag because in her line of work its 'handy to have around'. The London-born Normal People star, 23, revealed the contents of her handbag for Vogue's In The Bag YouTube series where she shared that she also carries coffee and an Aeropress with her at all times. 'And look we all have a moustache and sometimes we have to remove it for certain occasions. 'And that comes in very handy if that's needed'. The actress, who has gone from strength-to-strength since starring in Normal People in 2020, also shared how she keeps Elizabeth Arden 8-hour cream and Chanel perfume in her bag - also by Chanel. She also revealed in the video how ha been using Elizabeth Arden 8-hour cream while is filming in Canada because it's 'very dry' while she also has handwarmers because its 'very cold'. The star also said that she is currently reading Please Yourself: How to Stop People-Pleasing and Transform the Way You Live by Emma Reed Turrell - and that she has discovered she is a 'passive people pleaser'. 'This means that my people pleasing can sometimes be more about fear of getting it wrong than a desire to get it right, which I definitely relate to,' she explained. Daisy is set to star in upcoming big screen titles: Where the Crawdads Sing and Fresh. Pictured in a recent video for Vogue Despite the quilted Chanel - which sell for up to 7,000 - being seemingly small, it appeared to have Mary Poppins effect with Daisy pulling out a diary, a notebook a bag of coffee and even an Aeropress coffeemaker among the good. What does Daisy keep in her bag? Her phone Hey keys (with a bottle opener and Cath Kidston keyring) Ibuprofen Bottle opener Hygiene key Glasses (and case) Avocado hand warmer Moustache shaver Wallet Yaschica T4 camera Tiny speaker Book - Please Yourself: How to Stop People-Pleasing and Transform the Way You Live One line a day diary Chance by Chanel perfume Planner Pair of headphones Spot patches Mascara Memory stick with house music on it Aeropress W Martyn coffee Advertisement She said that if her bag were a character it would be Q from James Bond because it is 'quite organised and a wee bit chaotic' but also has lots of gadgets. Recently, the actress described how finding fame during the first lockdown in April 2020 was an 'isolating experience'. The 23-year-old actress disclosed how the 'out of body' situation left her feeling a 'wee bit lonely' to Wonderland, as she pulled off a series of stunning looks for a new shoot. Admitting she is still trying to 'unpick' the unprecedented time when Normal People soared to its acclaim, she said: 'It was quite out of body. When you're experiencing that level of a show's popularity, but you're only able to leave your house for a 20-minute walk every day, it's a very hard thing to connect to.' Daisy added that it was a far cry from the 'shared experience' between her, Paul Mescal (her love interest Connell Waldron in the BBC3 series) and the filmmakers when shooting scenes. 'I feel like in some ways the pandemic helped our show to reach even further than it may have, but it was also surreal and at times a wee bit lonely.' Her upcoming project, Where The Crawdads sing, which is based on Delia Owens' New York Times Bestseller, Daisy plays Kya, a woman who was abandoned by her parents at a young age in the coastal marshlands of North Carolina. The hailed novel was selected for Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine Book Club in September 2018 and the actress, 45, proceeded to produce the film via her Hello Sunshine production company. 'I've been a big fan of Reese since I was very wee. It was wonderful to meet her and she's such an intelligent collaborator - it was great when she came to visit,' Daisy regaled of the entrepreneur's visit to the set. Filming scenes in Vancouver for upcoming thriller Fresh was the first time Daisy worked properly from home which, along with other filming commitments in the US and Canada, made her come to a realisation. Life-changing: It is fast-approaching two years since her role as Marianne Sheridan in BAFTA winning series Normal People launched her to mainstream fame (pictured with Paul Mescal - her love interest Connell Waldron in the BBC3 series, 2020) 'When I was away I was getting very homesick, so I watched the entire two seasons of Ted Lasso and I actually shed a tear when he ate a Hula Hoop. 'I realised, whenever I go away for work and come home to London, that I just know I could never really live anywhere else - especially because I love theatre. 'I don't know, there's something about all theatre here and all our pubs - and the love of a Sunday roast that just makes me feel like I can never not be in London,' she admitted. Watch the series, Normal People only on Stan in Australia. Late 16 & Pregnant star Jordan Cashmyer's family has shared her cause of death, revealing that she passed away at the age of 26 after losing her battle with 'addiction' - just four months after her fiance and the father of her six-month-old daughter died. Cashmyer, who struggled with addiction and had previously attempted suicide, died on January 15, leaving behind an orphaned baby daughter, Lyla, and her first child, Genevieve, whose birth she documented on the MTV reality series in 2014. Now, her family has spoken out about the mother-of-two's death, describing her struggles with addiction as a 'plague', while pleading for donations to help fund her funeral expenses and to help with the care of her now-orphaned baby daughter. Cashmyer, from Baltimore, Maryland, welcomed Lyla, her second daughter and her first child with late fiance Michael Schaffer, in June 2021. On a GoFundMe page set up by Cashmyer's grieving father Dennis, the family paid tribute to the late reality star, writing: 'Jordan was always so full of life and full of personality. She had a way of always making those around her laugh and smile, and her smile was truly contagious.' Speaking about her cause of death, the family wrote: 'Addiction plagues many families, and our family was not immune to it... Lyla lost her father to addiction at two months [and] now her mother at six months.' Late 16 & Pregnant star Jordan Cashmyer's family has shared her cause of death, revealing that she passed away on January 15 at the age of 26 after losing her battle with 'addiction' Cashmyer's death came six months after the birth of her daughter, Lyla, and just four months after her fiance, Lyla's father, Michael Schaffer, who also battled addiction The mother-of-two was engaged to be married to Schaffer, with whom she shared daughter Lyla (pictured together), when he died at the age of 30 On a GoFundMe page set up by Cashmyer's family, they asked for donations to help fund her funeral and to provide for Lyla's future; the baby is currently in the care of her grandparents The family then spoke out about their grief over the 'grim outcome' that Lyla will 'never get to make memories with her mother or father', adding that the infant is now in the care of Cashmyer's parents - who are asking for donations to help provide for the little girl's future. 'Our family has to now not only put our daughter to rest but navigate through starting over with an infant who has lost both her parents in her six months of life,' the family continued. 'Please help our family cover the costs of Jordan's memorial and start a fund for Lyla's future. We did not foresee starting back over, and all that comes along with that.' In a Facebook post shared on January 24, Dennis revealed that his daughter's body had been lying at the State Medical Examiners for nine days in the wake of her death because they had not been able to organize the funeral, writing: 'I am asking for the community that has surrounded myself, Jordan and my family to help us through this horrific chapter in our lives. 'Please if you are able to help, we would forever be grateful. If you are unable to donate, I would ask of you just to share this and how Jordan, Lyla, or myself have touched your individual lives, I would greatly appreciate it. 'We are navigating uncharted territory, and each step has been extremely challenging and painful. Our daughter is still being held at the State Medical Examiners. It's been nine days now, so we have not been able to finalize her final resting, and let her go In peace. Cashmyer rose to prominence in 2014 when she appeared on the MTV reality series alongside her then-boyfriend Derek Taylor, with whom she shared her first-born child The couple split up shortly after Genevieve's birth on March 7, 2014. It is thought that their daughter is currently in the care of her father Following the birth of her first daughter, Cashmyer struggled with postpartum depression and she later revealed that she had attempted suicide 'We pray that we soon will be able to do so and finally properly mourn the loss of our daughter. Rest In Peace my baby girl. On the GoFundMe, the Cashmyers also paid tribute to Lyla, describing her as their 'greatest joy and addition' and their 'saving grace during this difficult time'. It is thought that Cashmyer's older daughter, Evie, is in the care of her ex-boyfriend Derek. Cashmyer's family first shared the news of her death on January 16, with dad Dennis confirming on Facebook that his daughter had died on the previous day. 'Last night I received a call no parent ever wants,' he wrote. 'Our hearts are truly broken. No parent should ever have to go through losing a child, EVER.' Cashmyer's death came almost eight years after she rose to prominence while featuring on the MTV reality series 16 & Pregnant alongside her then-boyfriend Derek Taylor and their daughter Genevieve 'Evie' Shae Taylor. The reality star's life was troubled; she admitted herself to a rehab facility in June 2016 at age 21 after she injured herself in a drunken stupor, TMZ reported at the time. An insider for the gossip site claimed that the incident - which left her with a concussion and black eye -made the reality star realize it was time to 'get her life together.' During her time on the hit show, crews documented the Baltimore, Maryland native's struggles after she became pregnant while dating Taylor. The couple became homeless during the pregnancy after Cashmyer's parents kicked her out of the family home and Taylor refused to get a job. The couple split following their baby's March 7, 2014 birth, and Cashmyer later revealed that she suffered from postpartum depression and attempted suicide. Cashymer's father Dennis shared the news of her death on Facebook in an emotional January 16 post, one day after she passed away Dennis revealed that his granddaughter Lyla is now being cared for by himself and his wife (pictured) She shared in a post to her official Facebook page in November of that year that 'there wasn't much of a reason to live anymore,' Radar.com reported. 'I have been struggling with a lot of different things emotionally since I had Genevieve,' she wrote. 'I was diagnosed with post partum depression and was on medication for a little while for it, but I never followed up with my appointment My mood wouldn't stay stable for very long, I was extremely impulsive, couldn't focus, the smallest things would set me off, and my anxiety got worse, as did my depression and OCD.' She added that she was given new medication that helped turn her mood around. 'I feel like my normal self; happy, smiling, talkative and thinking clearly Things really are looking up and I am set on having the best possible future for my daughter and I.' Years later, she walked back the ordeal and claimed she was actually hospitalized for an accidental overdose. 'I was depressed due to the issues that were going on in my life at the time and was using drugs and drinking,' she tweeted. 'A family member decided to tell the hospital that I attempted an overdose because they believed that would get the proper treatment I needed.' A person who answered her father's business phone Sunday said he was not ready to openly speak about his daughter. Cashmyer celebrated one-year of sobriety last January, and welcomed her second daughter Lyla with Schaffer last June. But her attempts at getting her life back on track hit a bump last September 9, when Shaffer died. Disney sparked outrage this week when it announced that it is 'taking a new approach' to Snow White's seven dwarves - the latest in a long line of controversial woke moves made by the studio in an attempt to put forward an ultra-progressive new image. The company found itself at the center of furious uproar over its alternative take on the dwarves in its upcoming live-action remake of the classic Snow White cartoon, which came after Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage blasted Disney for remaking the 1937 film, branding the story line 'backward'. In an apparent effort to quiet the uproar Disney quickly stated that it will not be portraying Snow White's seven sidekicks as seven dwarves, insisting that it has been 'working with members of the dwarfism community' to come up with an alternative 'approach'. The controversy that erupted as a result is just the latest blowback that Disney has had to face over its haphazard attempts to present a more politically-correct image - and yet the studio is showing no signs of halting its ultra-woke policies, prompting the question: Which other beloved characters could be next up on the progressive chopping block? As Disney announced a 'new approach' to Snow White's seven dwarves for their live-action remake, Femail uncovered the other characters that could be cut as part of their 'woke' revamp Following criticism from actor Peter Dinklage, the company announced that the new movie will not feature the classic depiction of the central character's seven companions as dwarves In the wake of the company's Snow White announcement, Femail is revealing the other Disney characters that have been considered problematic and offensive to some viewers In the past two years, Disney has implemented several progressive changes across its entire company, from adding racism warnings to several of its classic movies - including Peter Pan and The Jungle Book - to encouraging white staff members to 'decolonize their bookshelves' as part of anti-racism training. One of the moves that prompted the most fury was Disney's announcement in October 2020 that it would be slapping racism warnings on a number of decades-old movies as they were released on its streaming service Disney+. Movies that now come complete with an anti-racism warning include 1970 musical comedy The Aristocats, 1955 canine love story Lady and the Tramp, and 1960 adventure Swiss Family Robinson. The disclaimer added to these movies and others like Peter Pan and The Jungle Book, appears at the start of the movie and reads: 'This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. 'These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.' So are the characters from these much-loved movies set to be revamped in the future? Or cut from their movies altogether? Here, FEMAIL reveals the other roles that have faced 'racism' backlash over the years. Peter Pan's 'Indian Tribe' Many people were offended by the portrayal of the indigenous people on the island of Neverland in Peter Pan The characters referred to them as 'redskins' throughout the movie. They are also seen speaking in an 'unintelligible language' Back in October 2020, Disney announced that it would be slapping racism warnings on a number of decades-old movies on its streaming service Disney+ - including Peter Pan During one scene of the 1953 flick, Peter wore a headdress, which the company described as a 'form of mockery and appropriation of Native peoples' culture and imagery' on its website Peter Pan was about a boy who lives in the magical far-off island of Neverland, where and he and his friends - called the Lost Boys - never grew up. But many people were offended when the indigenous people of the island were referred to as 'redskins.' Throughout the movie, they are also seen speaking in an 'unintelligible language.' During one particular scene of the 1953 flick, Peter and the Lost Boys are seen playing a game called Pirates verse Indians - and they are pictured wearing headdresses and other exaggerated tropes, which the company described as a 'form of mockery and appropriation of Native peoples' culture and imagery' on its website. Many people slammed the movie on Twitter, with one calling it 'racist as hell' 'The film portrays Native people in a stereotypical manner that reflects neither the diversity of Native peoples nor their authentic cultural traditions,' it wrote. 'Im watching the original Disney animated Peter Pan... Im actually cringing at how inappropriate, sexist and racist it is,' one person wrote on Twitter. 'OK the actual Peter Pan movie is so racist. Indians with red skin? Really?' another added. Someone else said: 'I'm usually all about keeping originals the way they are, but I would really appreciate an edition of Peter Pan [without] the word "redskin."' The Aristocats' Shun Gon The Aristocats had a character named Shun Gon (voiced by Paul Winchell) - who is seen with 'exaggerated East Asian stereotypical traits such as slanted eyes and buck teeth' He sings in 'poorly accented English voiced by a white actor' and plays the piano with chopsticks - which 'reinforces the "perpetual foreigner" stereotype,' according to Disney The Aristocats followed a stuck-up cat and her kittens, who are forced to say goodbye to their rich city life in Paris in exchange for an adventure in the countryside - after they are dropped far from home in a ploy to steal their fortunes. While finding their way back, the cats came across another feline named Shun Gon (voiced by Paul Winchell) - who is seen with 'exaggerated East Asian stereotypical traits such as slanted eyes and buck teeth,' Disney states. 'He sings in poorly accented English voiced by a white actor and plays the piano with chopsticks. 'This portrayal reinforces the "perpetual foreigner" stereotype, while the film also features lyrics that mock the Chinese language and culture such as "Shanghai, Hong Kong, Egg Foo Young. Fortune cookie always wrong."' It was announced earlier this year that Disney was making a live-action version of the 1970 film, and many people stated online that they wanted Shun Gon removed from the story It was announced earlier this year that Disney was making a live-action version of the 1970 film, and many people stated online that they would not support it if Shun Gon was not removed from the story. 'The very idea of seeing racist siamese cat in live action Aristocats is too much to bear,' one user tweeted. 'I am crying so bad and the thought of them keeping this scene in the new Aristocats movie,' another wrote, alongside a clip from the original scene. 'Aristocats was some of racist Disney's most unhinged work,' a third person agreed. Lady and the Tramp's Siamese cats In Lady and the Tramp, there's a scene with two Siamese cats, named Si and Am - who were depicted with many anti-Asian stereotypes Lady and the Tramp was a love story about a pampered cocker spaniel named Lady who fell for a a stray mutt named Tramp. Together, they embarked on a series of adventures. Along the way, the animals met two Siamese cats, named Si and Am, who trashed Lady's home and framed her for the entire thing. The cats, both played by Peggy Lee, sang a song called The Siamese Cat Song, and were depicted with many anti-Asian stereotypes. There was also a scene during the 1955 cartoon, which took place at a dog pound and was considered racist by viewers. In it, heavily-accented dogs portrayed the different countries that their breeds were from - such as Pedro the Mexican Chihuahua, and Boris the Russian Borzoi. One person claimed that the scene made them 'so uncomfortable.' The characters were removed when the movie was remade into a live-action flick in 2019 Both Si and Am, as well as the dogs with the exaggerated accents, were removed when the movie was remade into a live-action flick in 2019. 'The part with the siamese cats in Lady and the Tramp makes me so uncomfortable,' one viewer said on Twitter. Another asked: 'Why did Lady and the Tramp use every excuse to be racist? Like every dog is a different racial stereotype.' 'Lady and the Tramp has racist and classist s**t all over it,' a third person said. The Jungle Book's King Louie Many people claimed that the jazz singing ape King Louie (voiced by Black actor Louis Prima) in The Jungle Book, depicted negative qualities of African Americans He speaks more poorly than the other animals and appeared to be lazy, foolish, and even criminal The animated movie was turned into a live-action film in 2016, and King Louie was played by Caucasian actor Christopher Walken, but not many changes were made to the character The 1967 movie The Jungle Book was about a boy named Mowgli who was raised by wolves. The little boy set out on an adventure after he was forced to leave home, and he became friends with an array of animals as he found his way back. However, many people accused the jazz singing ape King Louie (voiced by Black star Louis Prima), of depicting negative qualities of African Americans. He spoke more poorly than the other animals and appeared to be lazy, foolish, and even criminal. The animated movie was turned into a live-action film in 2016, and King Louie was played by Caucasian actor Christopher Walken, but not many changes were made to the character. Viewers have continuously called the character 'racist' 'The Jungle Book is on TV tonight and Im watching the King Louie scene for the first time as an adult and realizing how racist this s**t is,' someone wrote on Twitter. 'Come to think of it King Louie in The Jungle Book was so d**n racist,' another added. 'I shouldve known the animated Jungle Book was made in the '60s - the scene with King Louie was racist as Hell,' a different user agreed. Dumbo's Jim Crow Dumbo has come under fire for a musical number sung by a group of crows, whose leader was named Jim Crow - a reference to the segregation laws in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries Jim Crow was voiced by white actor Cliff Edwards, but he appeared to purposely try to speak in an African-American-sounding voice Disney later admitted that the animals were inspired by minstrel shows, which was a popular form of theater in the 19th and 20th centuries and showed re-enactments of racial stereotypes Dumbo, which came out in 1941, showed the story of a baby elephant who had abnormally big ears - which gave him the ability to fly but resulted in him being taunted by his peers. It came under fire for a musical number sung by a group of crows, whose leader was named Jim Crow - a reference to the segregation laws in late 19th and early 20th Century America. Jim Crow was voiced by white actor Cliff Edwards, but he appeared to purposely try to speak in an African-American-sounding voice. Disney later admitted that the animals were inspired by minstrel shows, which was a popular form of theater in the 19th and 20th centuries and showed re-enactments of racial stereotypes. Many people were offended by the crows, and one person even said the ride inspired by the movie should be removed from Disney theme parks 'The crows and musical number pay homage to racist minstrel shows, where white performers with blackened faces and tattered clothing imitated and ridiculed enslaved Africans on Southern plantations,' Disney wrote in an explanation posted to its website. 'The leader of the group in Dumbo is Jim Crow, which shares the name of laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States. 'In The Song of the Roustabouts, faceless Black workers toil away to offensive lyrics like "When we get our pay, we throw our money all away."' 'The crows in dumbo didnt need to be racist but for some reason they decided the movie needed some racism,' someone said on Twitter about the movie. 'Have you seen the crows in the Dumbo movie? Racist AF,' another wrote. 'Am I the only one that thought the li'l crows in Dumbo was racist?' a different tweet read. 'Was one of they named Jim? I saw it like twice and didnt want to watch it again so I dont remember.' Swiss Family Robinson's pirates When a group of pirates attacked during one scene of Swiss Family Robinson, the portrayal of the robbers - who all appeared to be of Asian descent - was considered racist 'The pirates who antagonize the Robinson family are portrayed as a stereotypical foreign menace,' Disney said on its website People were not here for the scene and took to Twitter to bash it Swiss Family Robinson was a 1960 movie about a family who got stranded on a deserted island. When a group of pirates attacked the family during one scene, the portrayal of the robbers - who all appeared to be of Asian descent - was considered racist. 'The pirates who antagonize the Robinson family are portrayed as a stereotypical foreign menace,' Disney said. 'Many appear in "yellow face" or "brown face" and are costumed in an exaggerated and inaccurate manner with top knot hairstyles, queues, robes, and overdone facial make-up and jewelry, reinforcing their barbarism and "otherness." 'They speak in an indecipherable language, presenting a singular and racist representation of Asian and Middle Eastern peoples.' 'Watched Swiss Family Robinson last night to relive my childhood,' a person wrote on Twitter. 'Had no idea how massively sexist and racist it is! Way to go, Disney.' Another added: 'Wow. Swiss Family Robinson is waaaay more racist than I remember...' Aladdin's Jafar and Arabian Night Aline from the opening song of the 1992 movie Aladdin, called Arabian Night, was considered to be racist against Arabs by many people Some people were also unhappy that Jafar (left) - who is the villain - was portrayed with dark skin, while Aladdin (right) - who is the good guy - had much lighter-skin and no accent Aladdin told the story of a local street urchin who was determined to marry a Princess. Unfortunately, she was only allowed to wed a prince - but Aladdin made his dream come true after he found a magic lamp with a Genie inside and was granted three wishes. It took place in an Arabian desert kingdom called Agrabah. However, a line from the opening song of the 1992 movie, called Arabian Night, was considered to be racist against Arabs by many people. 'Oh, I come from a land / From a faraway place / Where the caravan camels roam,' the lyrics read. 'Where they cut off your ear / If they dont like your face / Its barbaric, but hey, its home.' When the released a new, live-action version of the movie in 2019, they changed the line to: 'Oh, I come from a land / From a faraway place / Where the caravan camels roam. Someone called the flick 'the most racist Disney movie of all time' on Twitter 'Where its flat and immense / And the heat is intense / Its barbaric, but hey, its home.' Some people were also unhappy that Jafar (who is the villain in the flick) was portrayed with dark skin and a thick accent in the original cartoon, while Aladdin (who is the good guy) had much lighter-skin and no accent. 'Disney's Aladdin is racist as s**t and it's also one of my favorite Disney movies,' one Twitter user claimed. A second wrote: 'Aladdin is one of the most racist Disney movies of all time, how did Disney get away with it?' The Lion King's hyenas Some people felt that Lion King had racist undertones due to its overwhelmingly white voice cast. However, the hyenas - portrayed as low-life gangsters - were voiced by people of color The Lion King was about a lion named Simba who was forced to run away after his dad, Mufasa - who is also the king - got killed by his brother Scar. Some people felt that the 1994 movie had racist undertones due to its overwhelmingly white voice cast. However, the hyenas - portrayed as low-life gangsters who are outcast from the rest of the community - were voiced by people of color. Whoopi Goldberg and Cheech Marin famously played the animals. Some people even pointed out that the characters were 'segregated from everyone else' 'The whole Lion King was racist. The two evil hyenas had a Black voice and a Latino voice. Everyone else...' a tweet about the movie read. 'Lion King = secretly racist. Why the hyenas gotta be segregated from everyone else' another person asked. 'Woke up with the sudden realization of how racist the Lion King was... Why the hyenas had to be Black? And poor?' someone else said. A live-action version of the movie came out in 2019 and featured a much-more prominently-Black cast. The Little Mermaid's Sebastian Viewers have slammed Ariel's famous side-kick Sebastian in the Little Mermaid for years - a crab with a thick Jamaican accent Some claim that the character is a bad depiction of people from Jamaica, since he sang about wanting to say underwater so he didn't have to work in the song Under the Sea Others have problems with the drawings of two other fish which are seemingly supposed to be African American - particularly, one who is called 'The Duke of Soul' and has huge lips (right) 1989's The Little Mermaid followed a young mermaid who wanted more than anything to go on shore. She traded her voice with an evil sea witch in exchange for a pair of legs, and once on land, she fell in love with a Prince named Eric. Viewers have slammed Ariel's side-kick Sebastian for years - a crab with a thick Jamaican accent. Some claimed that the character is a bad depiction of people from Jamaica, since he sang about wanting to say underwater so he didn't have to work in the song Under the Sea. Others have problems with the drawings of two other fish which are seemingly supposed to be of African American descent - particularly, one who is called 'The Duke of Soul' and has huge lips. The company is currently working on revamping the movie into a live-action flick, but it's still unclear whether or not they are going to remove the offensive characters The company is currently working on revamping the movie into a live-action flick, but it's still unclear whether or not they are going to remove the offensive characters. They made headlines back in 2019, when it was announced that African American actress Halle Bailey would be playing the mermaid. One person pointed out, 'The little mermaid is racist. Sebastian is the king's servant and just so happens to be the only Black character. I never noticed it before.' 'Little Mermaid is racist... The blackfish in the beginning and the Duke of Soul - SMH,' another said. The Princess and the Frog's Prince Naveen Despite breaking boundaries with the movie The Princess and the Frog, some people were unhappy that Prince Naveen was not Black Princess and the Frog came out in 2009 and made history for having the first Black Disney princess - Tiana. The movie followed Tiana and Prince Naveen - who got turned into frogs by an evil scientist - as they sought out a powerful voodoo priestess who knew how to change them back. Despite breaking boundaries with the movie, some people were unhappy that Prince Naveen was not Black. His ethnicity is unclear, since he is from a made-up country, but journalist Angela Bronner Helm previously called Disney out for not making him African American. Others were unhappy that the movie turned the characters - who are transformed into frogs - into animals for most of the story 'Disney obviously doesn't think a Black man is worthy of the title of prince,' she wrote. 'His hair and features are decidedly non-Black.' Others were unhappy that the movie turned the characters into animals for most of the story. 'It's so f**king unfair that Prince Naveen and Princess Tiana are frogs for the majority of the movie like?' one person wrote. 'They're both so attractive and they're making me see them as frogs the majority of the time? That's racist bye.' Another agreed: 'It was so f**king racist that they made Tiana and Naveen frogs for 90 per cent of the movie.' Vitamin D supplements won't be dished out to millions of vulnerable Britons for free this year. Last winter nearly 3million clinically extremely vulnerable people including cancer and severe kidney disease patients were offered a four-month course of the 'sunshine vitamin'. Health officials were concerned the group had low levels of the nutrient because of how long they'd been stuck inside under the shielding guidance. They also hoped vitamin D could protect them against Covid after a series of studies suggested people with a deficiency were more likely to catch the virus and become seriously unwell. But the same scheme has been scrapped this winter because shielding guidance was ditched earlier in 2021 meaning those vulnerable did not have to be stuck inside. And studies haven't provided strong enough evidence that the nutrient can protect against Covid. However, experts told MailOnline the vitamin which capsules of can cost less than 3p should be dished out again, arguing the Government's decision not to offer it this winter was 'short-sighted' because it is cheap and safe. One scientist said vitamin D could have health benefits beyond Covid. During the winter months, Britons cannot get their required intake 10 micrograms per day for everyone aged one and older from being outdoors, so are advised to take a supplement The graph from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), No10's advisors, shows the amount of vitamin D Britons get from sunlight drops during the winter months From early April to the end of September, most people in the UK get all the vitamin D needed from sunlight. During the autumn and winter, however, Britons can't get their required intake 10 micrograms per day from being outdoors, so are advised to take a supplement. The vitamin, also abundant in oily fish, red meat, liver and egg yolks, boosts general health and fortifies bones and muscles. Department of Health bosses announced in November 2020 that 2.7million people in England could opt-in to get vitamin D supplements. The scheme ran until last April. Clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) people were likely to have been indoors more than usual this spring and summer, the agency said. WHAT DOES VITAMIN D DO? Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults. Government advice is that everyone should consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement during the autumn and winter. People at high risk of not getting enough vitamin D, all children aged 1 to 4, and all babies (unless they're having more than 500ml of infant formula a day) should take a daily supplement throughout the year. There have been some reports about vitamin D reducing the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19). But there is currently not enough evidence to support taking vitamin D solely to prevent or treat COVID-19. Source: NHS Advertisement This meant they 'may not have been able to obtain enough vitamin D from sunlight'. And it was reviewing evidence on the link between the supplement and Covid 'to ensure we explore every potential opportunity to beat this virus'. But shielding guidance was paused this April and officially ended in September due to the success of the vaccine rollout. As a result, health bosses scrapped the scheme for the coming winter. But data from the Office for National Statistics shows a fifth of people in the group were still shielding at the end of last year. Experts told MailOnline that rolling out the vitamin despite a lack of strong evidence that it works could boost protection against the virus over the winter. Professor David Armstrong, an expert in medicine and sociology from King's College London, admitted studies on Covid and vitamin D have been 'mixed', so there is 'no clear mandate for wide adoption of supplementation'. But he added: 'Is there an argument for supplementary vitamin D, just in case? Yes, this position can be argued as it is a relatively safe (and cheap) intervention.' Professor Armstrong also said that too much vitamin D can harm health, so it is not 'completely safe' to rollout across the country. And if people perceived they were at less risk from Covid because they were taking vitamin D, it could make them less cautious with other measures, he said. 'When you reduce one risk people tend to increase other, such as faster driving when wearing a seat belt,' Professor Armstrong said. Professor Adrian Martineau, an expert in respiratory infection and immunity based at Queen Mary University London, told MailOnline that 'the jury is still out' on whether vitamin D protects against the virus. It 'has a small protective effect against other acute respiratory infections', which has been acknowledged by Government scientists, he said. But last year's offer of free vitamin D was hampered by low uptake, added Professor Martineau, who led the CORONAVIT study examining the effects of the nutrient on Covid. This was especially noted among those living in the most deprived areas and older people, which are the groups that stand to benefit most from the offer. Professor Martin Hewison, an expert in molecular endocrinology at the University of Birmingham, told MailOnline the Government decision to cease the free vitamin D programme is disregarding a precaution that could boost Covid protection. 'Perhaps there is a fear vitamin D supplementation is a distraction from vaccination,' he said. But there is still a 'strong case' for rolling out the tablets because it is 'not expensive and what have we got to lose?'. Professor Hewison added: 'Every winter people in the UK are at risk of vitamin D deficiency. 'Over the last year there have been many published studies showing that vitamin D deficiency is common in people with Covid infection or more severe Covid disease. 'Does this mean that vitamin D deficiency leads to worse Covid outcomes? The simple answer is that we do not know.' Supplementation of those with higher risk of vitamin D deficiency 'is cheap, safe and may have general health effects beyond Covid', Professor Hewison said. He added: 'We have a successful vaccination programme in the UK but there is still concern over infection and hospitalisation. 'We are encouraged to take every precaution to help promote our best health and protect family, friends, and our health service masks and testing are good examples. 'It therefore seems very short-sighted that DHSC are prepared to ignore something as simple, cheap, and safe as supplementation with vitamin D at least during the winter when we will all be a risk of vitamin D deficiency.' But Professor Vimal, an expert in nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics at the University of Reading, told MailOnline respiratory tract infections are just one Covid symptom 'and there is no convincing evidence to support' whether vitamin D will prevent or treat the infection. He said vitamin D 'cannot be considered as a silver bullet against Covid', but given the ongoing risk of infection and long-term effects of Covid, vulnerable people should continue to have access to the free NHS service supplying the vitamin. Professor Naveed Sattar, an expert in metabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow, told MailOnline he is 'not surprised' by the Government's decision, because there is a lack of evidence that the vitamin works against Covid. He said: 'Their provision could even be harmful by providing people with false reassurance. 'Rather, it would be far better if people are encouraged to walk a little more and eat better (or drink less alcohol) over the winter months to help prevent weight gain or lose weight since the link between excess weight and more severe Covid is solid.' One study of 550 people in Barcelona found a vitamin D treatment reduces Covid deaths by 60 per cent. And a study of 4,600 Americans found people with higher vitamin D levels were seven per cent less likely to catch the virus. The findings from the study in Spain led former Brexit Secretary David Davis to call for the treatment to be rolled out to every hospitalised Covid patient. But experts poked holes in the research and subsequent a study by researchers in Canada of 1.2million people found the nutrient does not affect the risk of catching or being hospitalised from Covid. Covid vaccines have been available for children as young as five in the U.S. since late-October, though some experts are still unsure whether the shots are needed, and some countries abroad have bucked the growing trend of recommending the shots to all young children. This week, Swedish health officials declined to open vaccine eligibility for all children five or older, deciding to instead only allow the shots to children under 11 who have a serious medical condition. The UK has a similar policy to their Nordic peer, allowing for all children 12 and older to get the shot, but only allowing children five to 11 to get the jab if they have a pre-existing health issue that puts them at serious risk. In the wake of the Omicron variant's rise through out the world, many European countries opted to expand vaccine eligibility in an effort to control the variant. Many health officials disagree with the decision, though, and debate has opened as to whether the shots are necessary. Still, though, in places like New York City, children must be jabbed to take part in some activities at school and to do things like go to restaurants or movie theatres. Covid vaccines are being rolled out to children as young as five years old throughout the world, though many experts doubt that the shots are necessary for people that young. Pictured: A young child in New York City, New York, receives a shot of a COVID-19 vaccine on November 3 'With the knowledge we have today, with a low risk for serious disease for kids, we don't see any clear benefit with vaccinating them,' Britta Bjorkholm, a Swedish Health Agency official, said at a news conference Friday. Covid has shown little ability to cause much harm to healthy, young, children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that deaths among children younger than 12 make up a fraction of a percentage of those that have died from the virus in the U.S. A study performed by researchers at the University of Utah last year found that 50 percent of cases among children are asymptomatic - and the study was performed during the Delta surge, before the more mild Omicron wave took over. There figures have spurred some to questions why children have to receive the Covid vaccines. Dr Michael Kurilla (pictured), of the NIH's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, was the only member to abstain in the FDA's advisory committee vote of 17-0-1 to recommend approval of COVID-19 vaccines in children ages five to 11 Dr Michael Kurilla, the director of the Division of Clinical Innovation, at the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences and member of the Food and Drug Administration's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), was the lone member to abstain from approving the shot for kids aged five to 11 in October. At the time, he told DailyMail.com that while he thinks children with certain conditions that put them at a high risk should receive the shot, he is not sure if healthy children need it as well. He also worried that the protection provided to children by the jab would quickly wane, and noted that previously infected children should already be protected enough - even without the shot. Kurilla had some concerns about the study Pfizer performed as well. He said the follow up period of only two to three months, potentially missing some longer term side-effects. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI), and independent advisory committee in the UK, believes the shots are only necessary to certain young children. 'When formulating advice in relation to childhood immunizations, JCVI has consistently held that the main focus of its considerations should be the potential benefits and harms of vaccination to children and young people themselves,' the JCVI wrote last month. 'The benefits and risks from Covid-19 vaccination in children and young people are finely balanced largely because the risks associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection are very low. 'Of all age groups, children aged five to 11 years are those at lowest risks of serious COVID-19.' There is also the risk of myocarditis, as the CDC warns that young men in particular are at risk of developing the condition after receiving the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Covid booster shots are starting to have their eligibility expanded among minors as well. In the U.S., and some European countries, children as young as 12 can receive a Covid booster shot five months after receiving the second shot of the initial vaccine regimen. Some health experts disagree with the prospect of giving the additional shot to their children, though. Dr Monica Gandhi, an infectious-disease specialist at the University of California told Common Sense that she does not plan to get her two sons, aged 12 and 14, the booster shot as the potential risks do not outweigh the benefits. Dr Paul Offit is the director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, a member of the FDA's vaccine advisory committee also said that he advised his son - who is in his 20s - not to get the third shot. He also said he would recommend against a healthy 17 year old getting it. Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious-disease specialist at the University of California, and Dr. Paul Offit, a member of the FDA's vaccine advisory committee, said the benefits of a booster shot for teen boys was outweighed by its possible side effects The World Health Organization's Chief Scientist, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, warned against boosting children as well. 'There is no evidence that healthy children or healthy adolescents need boosters. No evidence at all,' she said. Despite this, children in the U.S. could eventually need to be vaccinated to take part in some activities. In New York City, for example, a child as young as 12 must be fully vaccinated to take part in school activities, and children as young as five need to show proof of vaccination to enter dining and fitness facilities that do not have a mask mandate. Health officials have hinted that the definition of 'fully vaccinated' could soon change to include booster shots as well, and it is undetermined how this would effect these types of mandates. Dr Pavitra Roychoudhury (pictured), a bioinformatics expert at the University of Washington, told DailyMail.com that while the 'stealth' moniker given the BA.2 sounds scary, lineages of Covid variants emerging is not anything new The Omicron BA.2 lineage, or the 'stealth' variant as it has been dubbed, has captured headlines in recent days and is feared to be the next major threat of the pandemic. It has earned the 'stealth' moniker due to its ability to evade some types of detection. In order to confirm a case of the BA.2 lineage, cases must be genetically sequenced, a more arduous process that some other methods experts use to determine the circulation of variants. Dr Pavitra Roychoudhury is a bioinformatics expert at the University of Washington in Seattle. She told DailyMail.com sub-lineages of variants emerging has been common during the pandemic. While this lineage being more difficult to detect can be worrying, it is nothing to be alarmed about. She also said that this spring could be similar to last spring, where cases trended downwards and remained low for months before the Delta surge erupted over summer. The 'stealth' Omicron variant, or BA.2, does not have the same indicators that the original BA.1 Omicron strain has, which allows it to evade sequencing methods. Pictured: A man receives a Covid test at Los Angeles International Airport in California on December 22 Roychoudhury and her team specialize in spike gene target failure (SGTF) sequencing. The practice gathers a large amount of positive Covid samples, and tests en masse to look for certain indicators that tell what variant infected the person. Using this method, her team detected that around 20 percent of Covid cases in Seattle in mid-December were of the Omicron variant - catching the growth of the variant's prevalence before official figures were released days later. BA.2 lacks the indicator SGTF uses to make a determination, Roychoudhury explained. 'Unfortunately, [the lack of detection] has been leading to some people referring to this as a stealth variant, which sounds kind of a little bit scary, but really all it is is that it doesn't have that particular deletion that we were using as a signature or a marker for Omicron,' she explained. 'When we interpret SGTF data, we just have to remember that if we see ... failure rates drop it could indicate that this it might be BA.2 or it might be delta or it might be something else.' She said that the solution to this issue is to just keep sequencing, and build as large a picture as possible to determine what variants and lineages of the virus are spreading. At the moment, she says that five percent of positive tests are sequenced, which she describes as an 'adequate' total. A lineage having mutations that makes it harder to detect is not a 'unique' trait, Roychoudhury says, it can open a blind spot in sequencing. 'A lack of genomic surveillance is always going to be a problem,' she said, adding that there are already many blind spots outside of western nations like the U.S. and much of Europe, since many other do not have the resources to partake in robust sequencing efforts. 'In general, there are parts of the globe that we're not sampling, then we're essentially blind to variants that can arise in those populations... there are still parts of the world where we don't know as much about what is circulating ... that's a danger anywhere and regardless of any mutation.' It is hard to predict what the stealth variant means for the pandemic going forward. Early data from Denmark and Sweden shows that the lineage is more infectious than BA.1, but not more deadly. Covid cases in the U.S. are declining, down 20 percent over the past week to 589,222 cases per day. Nearly two weeks ago, Covid cases in America seem to have peaked at around 800,000 cases per day before sharply declining. These declines are being attributed to the Omicron variant burning out. After surging in December, Omicron infected so many people so quickly that it ran out of steam. BA.2 could pose a new threat, though. Every time the virus mutates, there is a chance it picks up traits that allow it to evade immunity - like what happened with Omicron. Not much is know about BA.2 and its interaction with BA.1 survivors, and whether it can re-infect people - and potentially cause the surge to start over again. 'I think it's just still early to tell,' Roychoudhury said. She also said it may be some time until that determination can be made. 'Like previous variants, you gather the data, you go and look back at the metadata for the people who are getting infected, you can look at their vaccination status, whether they got sick, whether they died and so on, and then correlate the lineage that they were infected with against what that outcome was. And that will tell us over time, what is happening in the real world with regards to this variant.' Despite this new threat, she is still hopeful that the Omicron surge will continue to recede, and this spring season could be the same as last year - where it looked like the pandemic was going to end all together. There have been a lot of false dawns in our long and deadly battle with Covid-19, but I am confident that we are, finally, coming out on top. At least for the we who live in the UK, there are several reasons to be cheerful: the rates of infection are starting to fall; restrictions are being eased; we have new anti-Covid drugs such as Paxlovid; which has been shown in recent trials to cut death rates by 89 per cent; and, thanks to the vaccines, hospital beds are no longer crammed with Covid patients. This is a cause for both celebration and sighs of relief because this new variant could have been so much worse. We are lucky that Omicron, although incredibly infectious, is far less deadly than previous variants or at least it is if you are fully immunised, with a booster. A new study by Imperial College London suggests the vaccine effectiveness against Omicron symptoms is between 55 and 80 per cent. And though it is still possible to get infected if you are fully vaccinated, it will be less severe. A man is pictured being vaccinated in Stockton on Tees The picture is different if you havent been vaccinated. According to recent studies in the U.S. and Switzerland, if youre unvaccinated and catch Covid, youre at least 60 times more likely to get sick and die than if youre triple jabbed. The vaccinated are also far less likely to get symptoms of long Covid, such as loss of taste and smell, or prolonged periods of tiredness, research shows. Another reason to be cheerful if youve already had Covid, your chances of re-infection drop dramatically if youve had the booster. A new study by Imperial College London suggests the vaccine effectiveness against Omicron symptoms is between 55 and 80 per cent. And though it is still possible to get infected if you are fully vaccinated, it will be less severe. Quite a few of my friends whove had Omicron, despite being triple jabbed, say that this time round it really was no worse than a cold. Richard, a teacher, told me that last time he got Covid he was laid out for ten days with taste and smell messed up, lethargy and terrible headaches, but this time hes had a runny nose, sneezing and a slightly sore throat. He is almost embarrassed to be stuck at home. In the UK, we are fortunate that most people are happy to be vaccinated and our vaccine programme has been rolled out so efficiently. In the U.S., where rates of vaccination are much lower, and where so many people are overweight, with high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels, there has not only been a tsunami of infections caused by Omicron, but record levels of hospitalisations. Death rates in the U.S. are currently averaging around 2,300 people a day and in 2020, before we had the vaccine, so many Americans died that there was a record drop in life expectancy, down by more than two years. There have been a lot of false dawns in our long and deadly battle with Covid-19, but I am confident that we are, finally, coming out on top In the UK, the drop in life expectancy was half that, one year (down to 78 years for men, and 82 years for women), but it still marks the biggest drop since World War II. Thats why, despite all the good news, there is a cloud on the horizon some people, such as those being treated for cancer or who have immunity problems, are still vulnerable to Covid. And yet despite all the evidence that vaccines are safe and effective, there are still lots of people who have chosen not to have them, including tens of thousands of frontline NHS staff who have until next Wednesday to get their first jab or face losing their jobs. I strongly believe that frontline NHS staff should get vaccinated, to protect their patients if not themselves. A close friend of mines father recently died after getting Covid while in hospital being treated for heart failure and though I cant prove it, odds are high he got it from an unvaccinated patient or member of staff. You would feel pretty angry if you, or someone you love, got an infectious disease, such as hepatitis, from an unvaccinated doctor. But that used to happen in the days before frontline medical staff were obliged to have a hepatitis B jab. I can remember, back in the 1990s, a London surgeon being jailed for lying about his hepatitis status. The judge told the surgeon that he had done a terrible thing by putting his own interests before those of his patients. B ut the few people who I know are anti-vaccine seem reluctant to change their minds, even when they get ill (which most of them have) and I fear that things could turn really ugly. On a more cheerful note, although the emergence of new variants is not only possible, but highly likely, there are plenty of labs around the world busy working on so-called universal vaccines, designed to protect us against future threats. Researchers from the University of Cambridge began safety trials last month of a vaccine booster that targets not only the spike protein, but other bits of the virus that are vitally important for its life cycle, which means it is unlikely to be able to evade our immune defences by changing that bit of its anatomy. Trypanophobes (people who are afraid of needles) will also be delighted to hear that this particular vaccine is delivered by a blast of air, into the skin, and there is not a needle in sight. All in all, I am feeling quietly confident about the future but in the meantime, while Covid rates remain high, I will continue to wear a mask in crowded, public places and avoid handshakes. The best time to exercise is... I often get asked what is the best time of day to do exercise. The glib answer is: Whenever you can fit it in. A less glib answer is: It depends what you want to achieve. Are you mainly looking to burn through fat, or are you looking to improve your metabolic health (in other words, things such as your blood sugar levels)? One study published in the International Journal of Obesity in 2019 found that a group of volunteers who mainly exercised in the morning (between 7am and 11.59am) lost more weight than those who did their workouts later in the day (between 3pm and 7pm), despite minimal differences in the amount of effort they put in. The researchers suggested that one reason for the extra weight loss is because the people exercising in the mornings burnt more calories across the day than those exercising in the afternoon. But before you abandon your afternoon workout, there are advantages to getting active later on. In another study, published in 2020, researchers from Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands discovered that middle-aged men with raised blood sugar levels who exercised in the afternoon (3pm to 6pm) got the most benefit, in terms of their blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity, compared with those who exercised in the morning (8am to 10am). So why do you get these different effects at different times of day? No one really knows, but it is almost certainly tied in with your body clock rhythms. Whatever the explanation, if you have the time, do try to do a bit of both. Poison that could ease pain Chronic pain affects between a third and a half of all British adults, and strong pain-killing medication such as opioids can have downsides. But, even so, would you be happy to be injected with a drug derived from a bacterial toxin so deadly its been used as a bioweapon? Yet this could be on the cards, following recent studies showing that a toxin produced by bacteria that cause anthrax a nasty disease can target pain-sensing fibres, holding out hope for a new form of painkiller. There is, of course, nothing new about developing drugs from poisonous bugs. Botulinum toxin (or Botox) is the most poisonous substance known to man, yet people pay a lot to have it injected. Then there is captopril, used for high blood pressure, which is derived from snake venom; and exenatide, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes, based on chemicals in the saliva of the Gila monster, a large lizard. Researchers from Harvard Medical School have shown that injecting the anthrax-causing toxin into mice blocks pain signals and because it specifically targets nerves that cause pain, they should result in fewer side-effects than common painkillers. London has left its European rivals trailing behind by being crowned the worlds leading financial district for the second year in a row. The UK capital scored higher than any other city including New York and Singapore, which followed second and third in terms of its attractiveness to the lucrative industry. The figures, published by the City of London Corporation, were another snub to those who claimed Brexit would decimate Britains financial services sector. Open for business: London scored higher than any other city including New York and Singapore, which followed second and third in terms of its attractiveness to the industry And they came just a day after US banking giant Citigroup announced it was planning a 100million three-year revamp of its head office in Londons Canary Wharf. The plans to overhaul the skyscraper were seen as a vote of confidence in London, where Citi employs around 9,000 staff. Douglas McWilliams, founder of the Centre for Economics and Business Research, said: Some of the Brexit doom-mongers were fairly extreme, predicting job losses in the City of up to 40 per cent. It looks now like there havent been any those which have been transferred to the continent have been replaced by new jobs created in London. With a score of 61 in the City of London Corporations rankings, London was far ahead of European rivals Frankfurt and Paris which scored 45 and 41 respectively. The cities were judged on metrics such as how easy it was for businesses to access technology, how active they were in green and sustainable finance, how many firms had attracted investment, and how easy it was for employers to access skilled workers. But the corporation pushed the Government to keep taxes competitive. It said the UKs tax burden on financial services firms was relatively high and corporation tax is set to rise again next year from 19 per cent to 25 per cent. British sports car company Lotus has struck a deal with a pioneering British battery manufacturer to build its first electric car in the UK. Britishvolt, which is setting up a gigafactory in Northumberland, will design and tailor-make the batteries used in the Norfolk brand's debut electric performance model, which is due to launch in 2026. The two-seat sports car, currently dubbed the Type 135, has been teased in a new sketch that hints a design that will hark back to the legendary seventies Esprit famed for its appearance in The Spy Who Loved Me. The two-seat sports car, currently dubbed the Type 135, has been teased in a new sketch that hints a design that will hark back to the legendary seventies Esprit The sketch shows the EV's silhouette closely mimicking that of the Esprit, which famously appearance in Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me where it turned into a submarine The drawing hints at an electric car design that's low-slung with prominent front wings and a flat rear panel and tipped wing - very much in the ilk of its iconic sports car that's fondly remembered for turning into a submarine in the hands of Bond. The new collaboration with Britishvolt means direct and localised development of batteries for the Norfolk car maker's upcoming family of electric sports cars. The partnership is the latest in a series of recent EV-related announcements that have boosted Britains car industry. This week Bentley pledged to plough 2.5billion into its plant in Crewe to turn it into a 'dream factory' for building electric luxury models. And it comes days after Britishvolt clinched 100million in Government funding and another 1.7billion from major companies Abrdn and Tritax to set up its Northumberland plant. Nissan has also made a major commitment to its factory in Sunderland with its own battery-producing gigafactory linked to the car production site. Battery deal: Britishvolt, which is setting up a gigafactory in Northumberland, will design and tailor-make the batteries used in Lotus' first electric vehicle Lotus, which previously had its own Formula One team, is owned by Chinas Geely and Malaysian conglomerate Etika Automotive. But it is based in Hethel in Norfolk, where it has a 2.2-mile test track. Car makers are racing to build electric replacements to their petrol and diesel vehicles, which will be outlawed in the UK in 2030. Britishvolt is building a 3.8billion gigafactory that will make enough cells every year for more than 300,000 electric vehicle battery packs. It is due to open in 2024 and will be the fourth-biggest building in the UK. Oliver Jones, chief commercial officer at Britishvolt, said the agreement demonstrates that the legacy one-size-fits-all cell strategy is no longer valid in the rapidly scaling electric car market. Legal showdown: Private equity baron Guy Hands The Ministry of Defence is gearing up for a legal battle with private equity baron Guy Hands over a property deal which has cost the taxpayer up to 4.2billion. John Majors government sold 55,000 homes designed for military personnel and their families to Hands Annington Property in 1996. Under the agreement, the MoD then leased the homes back for 200 years. But the National Audit Office has estimated the taxpayer is between 2.2billion and 4.2billion worse off because of the deal. In a written statement tabled in the House of Commons, Defence Procurement Minister Jeremy Quin outlined plans to ditch the agreement and take back the properties. He said: Given our obligations to secure value for money, we have reviewed MoDs current arrangements with Annington and now set out the steps that MoD is taking to deliver greater value for money for the taxpayer in relation to service family accommodation. These steps included exploring its rights to buy back the properties, which the MoD thinks could be cheaper than continuing to rent them from Annington. The MoD said it would start with one home, in the Lincolnshire village of Cranwell, as a test and make claims for further houses if that goes well. But the spat is likely to end up with the MoD going head-to-head with Hands in court. Annington which Hands owns through his private equity group Terra Firma said the MoD has no legal right to take control of the Cranwell house or any others. It added: Annington will be taking all legal steps available to it to resist the MoDs claim on this single house and any other enfranchisement rights claims brought by the MoD, should they be forthcoming. The battle could hit Hands plans to sell Annington. He began scouting for buyers earlier this year, after Annington and the MoD settled how much the Government should be paying in rent in late 2021. Hands became notorious in the music industry after Terra Firma bought record label EMI. Several major artists left. Citigroup, the companys largest lender, ended up taking control of EMI. Terra Firma lost 1.5billion and Hands personally lost 200million. Heavy traffic clogs the southbound lanes of the Gyeongbu Expressway, which links Seoul to Busan, Jan. 28, as many people traveled home on the eve of a five-day break for Lunar New Year's Day, which falls Feb. 1 this year. Yonhap Despite a record surge of COVID-19 infections, the annual exodus for the Lunar New Year holiday began Friday, as South Koreans headed to their hometowns for family reunions or off on trips during the extended holiday. This year's three-day holiday runs from Monday to Wednesday and is extended by an extra two days due to the preceding weekend. Traditionally, Koreans head to their hometowns to be with their family members and visit their relatives. As the nation posted five-digit daily tallies of COVID-19 this week, the government is urging the public to refrain from traveling during the holiday, fearing gatherings of people will further heighten the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. Some people have given up on visiting their hometowns in accordance with the government's recommendations, while others are determined to push ahead with their plans to see their parents and relatives. The nationwide exodus is expected to create traffic congestion on major roads and expressways, and at railroad stations and airports throughout the extended holiday. Older customers are cautious over returning to bingo halls, Meccas owner said. The boss of Mecca Bingos parent company Rank has said it must be patient over the recovery of its venues amid continued caution among its older people, despite the easing of Covid restrictions. John OReilly said sales are taking longer to rebound across the bingo arm than its Grosvenor Casinos business due to the higher age of its customer base. Rank boss John O'Reilly said sales are 'taking longer' to rebound across the bingo arm than its Grosvenor Casinos business due to the higher age of its customer base He said: Bingo is a core part of these peoples weekly routines, but, for many, they have been understandably concerned about Covid and protecting themselves so we realise it will take longer for them to have that confidence coming back. Rank said net gaming revenue jumped by 88 per cent to 333.7million for the six months to the end of December, compared with the same period last year. Sales across Grosvenor Casinos steadily grew during the half-year but stalled in December due to Omicron. OReilly said he is optimistic now that Plan B restrictions have been eased in England, and there has been some easing of measures across Scotland and Wales. Financial abuse survivors are left with average 'coerced' debt of 4,600 and need help relearning basic money skills like using a bank card, according to a charity. Some 83 per cent of those affected have low financial knowledge and confidence, because a common tactic of abusers is to 'de-skill' a victim so they are unable to make independent financial decisions, its research shows. The organisation Surviving Economic Abuse says victims and survivors are left with long-lasting harm. It called on the Government to prioritise economic safety and place it at the heart of a new domestic abuse strategy due to be published soon. Long-lasting harm: Forcing or coercing someone into debt is a common and destructive form of economic abuse, according to a specialist charity The charity says one of its banking partners found that in cases of domestic abuse, by far the largest area of need is dealing with financial matters independently, such as help using an ATM card for the first time in years. The firm involved supported 1,836 people via its specialist domestic abuse team over a 10-month period in 2021. During the same period last year, a separate national service run by SEA and the charity Money Advice Plus found that 83 per cent of victims and survivors with a bank debt showed low levels of money knowledge. When first accessing the service, 51 per cent with problems linked to banking products gave themselves a money confidence score of 5 or less on a scale of 1 to 10. What is economic abuse? Domestic abusers use coercive tactics of many kinds, and one is to use money to control their partner. Both women and men might suffer from this form of controlling behaviour, although women are more likely to be affected. Read more here on how to spot it happening, ways to break away from an abusive partner, and what resources are available to get your finances sorted again. Surviving Economic Abuse has further advice here, and information on how to support and help someone else here. SEA says forcing or coercing someone into debt is a common and destructive form of economic abuse, and in its casework seven in ten of those it supported had a bank debt. A total of 193 bank debts it identified had a combined value of 889,000, making the average debt 4,607. The research above was carried out with support from the Aviva Foundation, a charitable arm of the insurance firm. Meanwhile, SEA says a previous study revealed: - Three quarters of abuse victims and survivors report that their partner kept important financial information from them - Six in ten report that their partner told them how they must spend money, rather than letting them make their own decisions - Three in ten report being stopped from having or accessing a personal or joint bank account. Ahead of the Government's publication of a new domestic abuse strategy, SEA called for it to recognise how economic abuse makes it hard for victims to escape and rebuild their lives afterwards. It says 95 per cent of those accessing specialist domestic abuse services have experienced economic abuse, and it was officially included within the definition of domestic abuse in legislation last year. He controlled what I wore, what I ate and drank, who I saw, who I spoke to, my social media, my telephone, our bank accounts, my credit card. He controlled how much sleep I had... Survivor of economic abuse, speaking to the charity SEA Dr Nicola Sharp-Jeffs, founder and boss of SEA, says: 'Economic abuse is an insidious and often invisible form of control, one which can trap a victim in a relationship with an abuser and leave them feeling like there is no escape. 'Even when someone manages to leave, the harm caused by the abuser the debt, the bad credit, the financial insecurity, lack of financial independence, knowledge and confidence - follows them around for the rest of their lives, preventing them from moving on safely. 'We need the Government to follow up on their recognition of economic abuse within the Domestic Abuse Act passed last year by taking urgent action to tackle this important problem and put economic safety front and centre of the new Domestic Abuse Strategy.' A Government spokesperson said: 'Economic abuse can have a devastating impact on victims' lives, that can limit their options to escape and access safety. Help! I'm divorcing my abusive husband 'He's left my daughter and I with little to live on and I fear fighting him in court...' Nicola Sharp-Jeffs of Surviving Economic Abuse and divorce lawyer Fiona Wood, partner at McAlister Family Law, answer a reader question here. 'That is why under the landmark Domestic Abuse Act, for the first time in history, economic abuse is now recognised in law as part of the statutory definition of domestic abuse. 'We will go even further in our forthcoming Domestic Abuse Strategy, which will seek to strengthen the systems in place to transform the whole of society's response to these abhorrent crimes.' The strategy is intended to prevent offending, support victims, pursue perpetrators, and strengthen systems to deliver these goals. In the Domestic Abuse Act last year, the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities introduced a new legal duty on local authorities to provide support for victims of domestic abuse and their children within safe accommodation, plus 125 million of Government funding. In 2020-21 the Government provided more than 28million to support domestic abuse organisations to deal with the effects of the pandemic, including up to 1,890 bedspaces for those seeking refuge. Ministers paid a consultancy firm 10million for advice on dealing with dangerous cladding even though it was being sued for approving the use of combustible materials on a London estate, MailOnline can reveal. Faithful & Gould received 80 per cent of the overall fees paid to consultants for help reviewing remediation work, with the remaining 20 per cent split between five other companies - according to data released through Freedom of Information requests. Just five months before their appointment in March 2020, the company was sued for 130million by Camden Council in London for its role overseeing the installation of dangerous cladding at the Chalcots estate. After this dangerous material was identified, thousands of residents had to be evacuated from five blocks while it was replaced with a safer alternative. Ritu Saha, co-founder of the UK Cladding Action Group, slammed the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for its decision to employ Faithful & Gould. 'It's not like Faithful & Gould is the only consultant in the country who can do this role,' she told MailOnline. Faithful & Gould is being sued by Camden Council in London for its role overseeing the installation of dangerous cladding at the Chalcots estate (pictured) Faithful & Gould disclosed details of the live case - which it is contesting - while bidding for the contract, which involves reviewing all grant applications for government funding to remove and replace dangerous cladding in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire. Miss Saha questioned why the government still decided to hand Faithful & Gould the major contract despite other firms also bidding for it. And she suggested the decision to give them the vast majority of the work rather than splitting it with several other companies could have fuelled delays that have left thousands of leaseholders stuck in fire-trap homes. 'There are plenty of firms who could have worked together on this and helped leaseholders receive their grants quicker,' she said. 'So I don't understand why the government would delay that and force people to live in unsellable death traps for longer than necessary.' The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said it was satisfied that the government's choice of consultant was 'sound'. Ministers have been criticised for the slow pace at which applications are being reviewed, with leaseholders forced to wait an average of 12 to 16 months for their grants to be approved. These delays have added thousands to insurance bills, as well as caused additional service costs including waking watches. Michael Gove, Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Moreover, the prolonged threat of financial ruin has hit residents' mental health, with a study by Sheffield University finding that many reported feeling depressed, anxious and suicidal, with some even making suicide attempts. Earlier this month, Housing Secretary Michael Gove said 'innocent leaseholders should not have to shoulder the burden' of cladding costs. Instead, developers and manufacturers will have to contribute to a 4billion fund, or face 'commercial consequences'. On January 10, Mr Gove told MPs: 'Those who knowingly put lives at risk should be held to account for their crimes, and those who are seeking to profit from the crisis by making it worse should be stopped from doing so. 'Today is a notice... we are coming for you.' However, there was widespread anger when it emerged that residents who have already spent money on service costs or on remediation, which is underway or completed, will not be reimbursed. This is the case for leaseholders at a Skyline tower block in Manchester. 'I'm glad people are getting help but it's painful to see we are being ignored again,' said 45-year-old Nathan Prescott. He added: 'When you hear that the government is willing to splash out millions on a company who is being sued in an active cladding case, but won't spare a penny for victims like us... I can't even explain the anger and hopelessness I feel.' In late 2019, Nathan's freeholder insisted they start work on the remediation. Residents at Skyline Central 1 were coerced to take out life-changing loans to cover the cost, ranging from 16,000 for a tiny studio flat to 30,000 for a larger property. By the time the 1billion Building Safety Fund rolled around in March 2020, it was too late. Faithful & Gould received 80 per cent of the overall fees paid to consultants for help reviewing remediation work, with the remaining 20 per cent split between five other companies The leaseholders were not eligible for funding, because despite fitting the requirement of 18 metres, work was already underway on their building. Mr Prescott has since moved into his partner's flat where he is still experiencing sleepless nights. He said his already poor mental health has been worsened by Gove's latest blow. 'There are people in my block who have come close to killing themselves over this and I dread to think what will happen if the government does not change their criteria,' he said. 'We didn't build this property. We never asked for our free holder to act so quickly. 'It's not our fault the government was slow to introduce funding and slow to wake up to how many leaseholders needed it. So why should we have to spend years in debt for something we never caused?' The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities refused to answer whether Mr Gove will review the eligibility criteria. However, they said the fees given to Faithful & Gould was money well spent. 'Contracting specialist services where needed to speed up remediation is a key part of our work to fix the cladding crisis- and we regularly review performance to ensure good value for money,' a spokesperson said. They added that 'building owners are responsible for the safety of their buildings and it is unacceptable that some are yet to start work on fixing these dangerous defects'. Faithful & Gould declined to comment. Advertisement Prepare for war: That is the message Joe Biden is thought to have delivered to Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky when the two spoke this week, after the US rejected Russia's security demands in eastern Europe. US intelligence believes the invasion will likely come in February, when colder temperature will have frozen the ground solid - allowing Putin's tanks and artillery to roll in without getting bogged down in mud. If they're right, that gives Zelensky and his generals just a few weeks to prepare their defences. No doubt the question being asked in Kiev right now is: Where will Putin attack, and what are his aims? Pulling together expert analysis and open source information, MailOnline examines the Russian strongman's likely options and targets, from cyberattacks and sabotage, to seizing ports and nuclear plants, up to a siege of Kiev and all-out Blitzkrieg across the country. A map showing where Putin's forces have assembled on Ukraine's borders, the military options Putin might be considering, and key targets he would likely go after in the event he chooses to invade - something the US continues to war could be just weeks away from happening Any Russian attack, whether a limited incursion or all-out assault, is likely to be preceded by cyberattacks and sabotage attacks targeting Ukraine's febrile border regions and key infrastructure. The aim would be two-fold. Firstly, to provide a pretext for Vladimir Putin to attack - possibly by staging false flag attacks against Russian civilians or rebel forces located in the east of the country, which the Pentagon has warned about in recent weeks. Putin and his inner-circle have repeatedly denied plans to 'invade', but in 2014 when Russia seized Crimea, the strongman played it off as a defensive mission to protect Russian speakers in the region who he claimed were under threat from violent Ukrainian nationalists. There are fears he will do the same again now. The second purpose of the attacks would be to sow chaos by bringing down power grids, communications networks, public transport networks, banks, and other public utilities. The aim would be to spark panic among the population which could trigger people to stockpile and create food shortages, withdraw money en masse and tank the economy, or flee vulnerable regions - snarling up roads and train networks, causing widespread disruption. Zelensky and his top advisers are clearly worried about this, because they have been keen to talk down the threat in recent days while urging everyone to remain calm. Depending on the success of the first phase of the operation, Putin could then consider military options - ranging from minor incursions in the country's east, all the way up to a full-scale invasion. Perhaps the biggest concern to Zelensky will be the possibility of an assault from Belarus, where Russia is currently moving forces on the pretense of staging training exercises next week. Ukrainian think-tank Center for Defense Strategies warned in a recent paper that such an attack would pose a huge risk to the country's ability to fight any kind of engagement elsewhere, since the capital contains important military infrastructure, command posts, and the seat of government. Russian forces are seen in a camp in Yelnya, around 80 miles from the Ukraine border, amid fears they could be about to roll across in an attack aimed at toppling the government David Shlapak, an analyst at the RAND Corporation, told the Economist that a siege of Kiev could be initiated to topple Zelensky's government and install a Russian puppet regime, without Putin having to seize or occupy more territory. Spies, special forces, and disinformation campaigns could be used to hasten the government's fall. A British intelligence source told The Times that an attack on Kiev could be coupled with an amphibious assault from Crimea on Odessa and Mykolaiv, where Ukraine's only two naval bases are located. This would give Russia control over two of Ukraine's largest ports, cutting off an economic resource, and hand Putin full control over the Black Sea and Sea of Azov. That would pave the way for attacks all along Ukraine's southern coast, possibly linked to an assault from rebel-held areas in the east. Likely targets would include Mariupol and Berdyansk, both major port cities, along with Kherson which contains a large military base and a key bridge across the Dnieper River. Ground forces may then try to seize a strip of land to connect rebel-held areas around Donetsk to occupied Crimea, creating a 'land bridge' that would allow Russia to freely reinforce its military bases on the peninsula. Russian forces would also be likely to seize a canal that supplies Crimea and which was shut by Ukraine after the 2014 invasion, causing shortages. Slightly further afield, a high-value target would be the city of Zaporizhzhia, which contains one of the country's largest coal power plants and Europe's largest nuclear plant. The final option available to Putin would be an all-out assault across eastern Ukraine to the Dnieper, seizing all targets of opportunity along the way. These include dozens of coal power plants located in the east, Mirgorod air base, military headquarters at Chenihiv and Dnipro and bridges cross the Dnieper at Kiev, Cherkasy, Kremenchuk and Nova Kakhovka. While Ukraine's government has been keen to play down this option, and other experts caution that Putin does not yet have enough forces in place to pull it off, Mr Shlapak believes it is possible. 'I don't see a lot between them and Kyiv that could stop them,' he said. Here is a look at each option in more detail... Option 1 - Cyberattacks and sabotage The softest option available to Putin includes cyberattacks and sabotage operations of the kind he has used in the past. This would likely be used as a precursor to a ground invasion The lightest-touch option available to Putin, this route would see him intensify the tactics he is already accused of using against Ukraine in a so-called 'hybrid war' that mixes both conventional attacks and novel forms of warfare. Rebel groups already operating in Ukraine's east could be given additional funding, weapons, and covert support by the regular Russian army to step up their attacks on government forces. While this would not dramatically shift the balance of power in the region, it has the benefit of giving Russia a low-cost way of putting pressure on President Zelenskyy's government via a war of attrition that has already seen more than 10,000 people killed and 24,000 wounded since fighting began in 2014. This would be coupled with psychological warfare aimed at destabilising the rest of the country, fomenting unrest, and making the government unpopular - perhaps with the hope of unseating Zelenskyy so he can be replaced with a leader more friendly to Moscow. Cyberattacks of the kind seen in recent years and weeks would be used to disrupt everyday life, for example by bringing down power networks, shutting down banks and ATMs, messing with traffic signals or public transport, or forcing businesses to pay ransoms which hurt the economy. Ukraine suffered an attack on Thursday when a member of the national guard opened fire and killed five inside a military factory. His motivation is unknown, but it is likely Russia would try to emulate these attacks if it invades As outlined in a recent paper by Ukrainian think-tank Center for Defense Strategies, this would likely be coupled with hoax bomb threats aimed at schools or other public institutions, along with the spread of disinformation to create mistrust in public bodies and the government. Other options include funding criminal networks within Ukraine to increase social unrest, or co-opting them into performing sabotage attacks in vulnerable or volatile areas - either to destabilise them or provide Putin with a pre-text for invasion, based on the claim that Russian citizens in those areas are at risk. Russia could also look to fund and arm domestic terror groups with the aim of attacking critical infrastructure, As outlined by the Center for Defense Strategies, the aim of such attacks is the 'destabilization and demoralization of the population' including to 'psychologically exhaust members of law enforcement, military, and the population as a whole due to the constant high threat level and periodic exacerbations. 'This can be both a basic form of hybrid warfare and a preparation for even more active hostilities.' Option 2 - Reinforce and expand If Putin opts for a limited military intervention, then he could deploy his forces openly in the Donbass, launch missile, rocket and jet attacks on the frontlines, and attempt to inch them forward - capturing nearby cities and power stations Moving up the ladder of escalation, Putin could seek to expand gains he already made in 2014 when he seized Crimea and the cities of Luhansk and Donetsk which sit close to the Russian border. This option, outlined by four-star US General Philip Breedlove to NBC News, would involve rolling Russian troops and armor into areas already occupied by Moscow-backed rebel groups in a visible way. Most analysts believe Putin's forces are already operating in these regions, but this is not acknowledged by the Kremlin. Openly declaring Russia's presence in the region, and possibly declaring Luhansk and Donetsk to be independent republics, would provide Putin with a way to step up pressure on Ukraine without a dramatic escalation in fighting. If Putin does choose to escalate the conflict, this could involve shelling towns and cities around the rebel-held regions, along with bombing runs targeting the Ukrainian front line with the aim of breaching it, as outlined by the Center for Defense Strategies which called the scenario 'very real'. Ukrainian service members operate 2A65 Msta-B howitzers during artillery and anti-aircraft drills near the border with Russian-annexed Crimea A Ukrainian Military Forces serviceman shots with a Next generation Light Anti-tank Weapon (NLAW) Swedish-British anti-aircraft missile launcher during a drill Should the frontline breach, Russian troops could then manoeuvre through the gaps with the aim of expanding the rebel-held zone and seizing tactical assets such as power stations and communication networks that would make the regions more-viable as independent states. Several of Ukraine's largest coal-fired power stations are located in this region, at Such an approach would be similar to Russia's 2008 war in Georgia, when the Kremlin moved forces into Abkhazia and South Ossetia, declared both to be independent of Georgia, then went to to occupy territory beyond both regions before later pulling back. Alternatively, artillery and rocket bombardments could be used without the intention of seizing territory, and simply as a way to cause further disruption and create panic. Option 3 - Outflank and isolate A larger-scale Russian operation could include opening up a land bridge between eastern areas and occupied Crimea, as well as attack in the Black Sea to cut off key ports such as Odessa Given the number of Russian troops present at the border - much larger than the force that seized Crimea in 2014 - Putin has a number of options that would dramatically shift the balance of power in the region. One, outlined by defense analysts Scott Boston of the RAND Corporation, would be to attack west of the current frontline between Ukraine and rebel groups, using fast-moving armour units to outflank government troops. If such an assault could be completed quickly enough, it would leave government units surrounded, Boston told NBC. It could force them to surrender to the Russians, which would be both a powerful propaganda moment for the Kremlin, whilst also knocking out a significant portion of Ukraine's defensive forces. Another option would be to launch naval attacks in the Sea of Azov and Black Sea, where the Ukrainian navy is badly outgunned by Russia's huge Black Sea Fleet. 'The sea is Ukraine's weakest spot,' as Taras Chmut, a Ukrainian military expert in Kyiv, recently pointed out. Russian T-72B3 main battle tanks drive during drills held by the armed forces of the Southern Military District at the Kadamovsky range in the Rostov region A view shows Russian BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles during drills held by the armed forces of the Southern Military District Goals would likely include seizing strategically-important Zmiinyi or 'Snake Island' - located near Ukraine's border with Romania - which allows the country to claim territorial waters stretching 12 nautical miles out to sea, covering important shipping channels to the port cities of Odessa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson. If the island is claimed by Russia, those shipping channels could be cut off - isolating Ukraine from international markets and depriving its economy of vital trade revenues. Russia's navy could also blockade the Kerch Strait which leads from the nearby Sea of Azov into the Black Sea, cutting off the port cities of Berdyansk and Mariupol. Such scenarios are 'likely', according to the Center for Defense Studies. Given Moscow's naval dominance in the Azov Sea, it could also look to seize Mariupol and Berdyansk outright - opening up the possibility of ground troops moving through both to create a 'land bridge' extending from rebel-held areas in the east all the way to Crimea. Taking this territory would not only allow Russia to more-easily move forces to its bases in Crimea and supply its Black Sea Fleet, but would also give it control over a canal that supplies water to the peninsula. Ukraine shut down the canal following the 2014 invasion, and it has caused shortages in the region ever since. 'The idea of building that land bridge and seizing that water supply area, I think that's very much on the table,' Breedlove said. Option 4 - Blitzkrieg If Putin decides to attack all-out, likely targets include the capital Kiev which could be surrounded by forces stationed in Belarus, as well as assaults along the Black and Azov seas, in combination with a mass assault from the east Many analysts, including the Center for Defense Studies and the Ukrainian government, believe this scenario is unlikely given the number of troops Russia currently has at the border, the size of Ukraine, and the fact that it has a sizable army and population that is likely to resist occupation. But some believe a lighting-fast assault aimed at seizing huge swathes of Ukrainian territory is both possible and would provide the greatest benefit to Putin, depending on how it is carried out. As Russia moves more troops to border regions, including into Belarus, such a scenario appears increasingly likely. While there are many ways this could take place, the overarching theme would be a shock assault with large numbers of troops spread over multiple fronts - perhaps from Russia, Crimea, rebel-held areas of Ukraine, and Belarus simultaneously. There is even an option for Russia to attack from occupied Moldova, to the west. The aim would be to inflict maximum damage on Ukraine in the shortest space of time, throwing the government and its allies on to the back foot and significantly shifting the balance of regional power - likely as a precursor to reopening negotiations with increased demands from the Kremlin. David Shlapak, another analyst at the RAND Corporation, told the Economist that a so-called 'thunder run' deep into Ukrainian territory is not as far-fetched as it might sound. 'I don't see a lot between them and Kyiv that could stop them,' he said. This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows battle group deployments at the Pogonovo training area in Voronezh, Russia A Russian navy ship preparing to take part in exercises in the Black Sea, in Sevastopol, Crimea An attack from Belarus could be particularly devastating because it provides the shortest route for Russian troops to reach the capital Kiev - just over 100 miles. If Putin's troops can get there, the aim would be to encircle the capital and place it under siege. 'Kiev is critical as a center of governance, a concentration point of a large number of critical infrastructures, as well as Ukraines financial, economic and political center,' the Center for Defense Strategies notes. 'The advantages of a blockade of Kiev can significantly outweigh the cost of losses in personnel in the eyes of Russia. This means we have to give the highest priority to the defense of the capital.' A blockade of Kiev would not only do huge psychological damage to Ukraine's armed forces and population, it could also collapse the government and result in enforced regime change. 'Once theyre within rocket range of downtown Kyiv,' Mr Shlapak added, 'is that a situation the Ukrainians want to live with?' Michael Kofman, the research program director in the Russia Studies Program at think-tank CNA, added that Russia need not try to occupy territory seized from Ukraine in such an assault - a goal that most agree would be hugely costly, bloody, and unlikely to succeed. Having inflicted maximum damage, it could simply retreat before reengaging in diplomacy with a strengthened hand. This might appeal to Putin since limited attacks in the past have failed to achieve his goals. 'If [Russia] wasn't able to compel Ukraine towards a desirable outcome by taking half of the Donbass, what would another limited incursion achieve exactly?' Kofman added. Since the end of last year, an astonishing 37 million people in the UK have had their Covid booster to protect them against the Omicron variant that has been sweeping the country. But some people have yet to come forward because they either have concerns about the jab or are convinced they don't need it. So we asked experts, including GPs, pharmacists and immunologists, to address their concerns and explain why it's vital to be vaccinated for a third time. It's easy to get the free jab - book a time slot online and the jab itself takes just a moment Here's what they said about some of the common myths surrounding the booster: 'I've already had two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine am I not protected enough already?' GP Dr Farzana Hussain says booster jabs are a good idea because immunity from earlier vaaccines starts to wane from month four Sadly not. The new Omicron variant is highly infectious and spreading fast and two jabs are not enough. Having the booster brings your protection against falling ill with Covid back up to above 88 per cent. Dr Farzana Hussain, a GP in east London, explains: 'We know that, with vaccines, their ability to fight infections goes down over time, and the booster vaccine gives us a really good top-up. 'After the first two Covid injections, your immunity starts going down from about month four, by month six it does go down quite a lot more. That's why the gap [between the second and third jabs] is only three months.' She advises that anyone who has already had Omicron to still get the booster jab: 'It would be wrong to say having Covid doesn't give you any immunity, but the booster will definitely top it up for you.' 'I had my second dose of the vaccine not that long ago. When can I get the booster shot?' You can get a booster vaccine three months after your second dose. If you fall ill with Covid around the time of your booster, wait until 28 days after the positive test before having the jab. It's also not too late to get the first or second dose. 'Getting the vaccine has never been easier,' says Professor Mahendra G Patel of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. 'If you have not yet had a Covid-19 vaccine, it's not too late. Appointments for first doses are still available for anyone who is unvaccinated.' Professor Mahendra G Patel says if you haven't had your first or second jabs, you can get them 'I have a condition that leaves me immunosuppressed and vulnerable to infection. Should I still be having the jab?' If you are immunosuppressed, it's more important to make sure you're protected against Covid, and you may be eligible to receive a booster jab sooner than normal. If you haven't had yours, go to the NHS website to book an appointment or to find your nearest walk-in centre. 'I'm worried about the side effects of the vaccine. Is the booster safe?' Absolutely. It's been approved for use by the MHRA, an independent UK body which decides whether or not new treatments are safe for us to use. Millions of people have now been protected from serious illness by three doses, and most of those who have experienced side effects say they are mild and last less than a day unlike Covid, which can keep you off work for weeks. 'The common side effects are a slightly sore arm, maybe a little bit of a fever for which you can take paracetamol and you might feel a little bit achy and fluey,' says Dr Hussain. 'These are side effects we'd expect with most vaccines you might not even get them.' 'Why should I get the booster vaccine? I'm not clinically vulnerable' Covid doesn't work like that: many people in their nineties survive the infection, while younger people can end up in hospital, fighting for their lives. Then there is long Covid to consider. Around one in 20 people with the infection end up developing this serious and debilitating condition which can prevent them socialising, working and exercising for months, not to mention the strain it can put on relationships. GP Dr Sophie Newton says even young, healthy people should get the booster jab GP Dr Sophie Newton explains: 'Even healthy, fit people can suffer a multitude of short- and long-term effects from catching Covid-19, and they can pass it on to people who are clinically vulnerable. So it's definitely worth getting the booster.' Not only should it stop you getting seriously ill or even dying from the infection, it could also stop you passing it on to others who are clinically vulnerable. In fact, the unvaccinated are eight times more likely to be hospitalised than those who have had two doses of the vaccine and a booster. Prof Patel explains: 'Vaccines are the way out of this pandemic. They are the best way to protect people from coronavirus and have saved countless lives in the UK. 'Boosters give you the best possible protection against the virus and should significantly reduce your risk of serious illness and hospitalisation.' 'I wash my hands regularly and wear a face covering in public I'm already doing enough to protect myself' While they are both important tools in the fight against Covid, nothing beats being fully vaccinated. 'Those precautions are great,' says Dr Hussain, 'but if I was being attacked by someone outside my door, I would want to lock my door and also call the police I wouldn't sit there waiting for them to bang my door down. This is another tool.' 'I'm pregnant and concerned about the efficacy of the vaccine. Why should I get a booster?' Unfortunately, being pregnant can put you at greater risk of getting seriously ill with Covid and this brings extra risks to your child and increases the chances of your baby being stillborn or premature. The vaccine can help. Almost all pregnant women (96.3 per cent) admitted to hospital between May and October last year with Covid symptoms were unvaccinated. Dr Jen Jardine, of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, is pregnant and has had her covid booster jab Of these, a third needed respiratory support and one in five of their babies needed to be delivered preterm to help them recover. Many newborns needed neonatal care. Dr Jen Jardine, of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, is seven months pregnant, and has had her booster jab to keep both her and her baby safe. She says: 'Both as a doctor and pregnant woman myself, we can now be very confident that the Covid-19 vaccinations provide the best possible protection for you and your unborn child against this virus. 'I would strongly urge pregnant women like me, if you have not had the vaccine yet, to either speak to your GP or midwife if you still have questions and then book right away, today.' Research has proved the jab is perfectly safe for mums-to-be. 'Safety studies looking at more than 100,000 people who received doses one and two during pregnancy have shown that there's no increased risk of pregnancy complications with the vaccines,' says Dr Viki Male, a reproductive immunologist at Imperial College London. 'Is the booster jab actually effective against the Omicron variant?' Very much so in fact having the booster makes the vaccine much more effective against this new variant than having just two jabs. 'Two doses of the vaccine are very good at protecting against the Delta variant, but, as we know, the dominant variant now is Omicron,' says Dr Male. 'With Omicron, two doses of the vaccine are only 50 per cent protective against hospitalisation, and a third dose boosts that protection up to almost 90 per cent.' 'I'm too busy to get my booster' GP Dr Amir Khan says the NHS is trying to make it as easy as possible to get jabbed It's never been easier or quicker to get the free jab. Book a specific date and time online, and it will take just a few minutes to receive the jab itself. f you're never sure where you'll be on a certain date, wait until you're free and visit a walk-in clinic they're even open at weekends. Dr Amir Khan, a GP in Bradford, says: 'We know many people are juggling busy lives, which is exactly why the NHS is making it as easy as possible for you to get your booster. 'New vaccination sites have been set up across the country, and existing sites have extended their opening hours so that as many people as possible can get jabbed, as soon as possible.' FACT BOX TITLE Get your booster now by visiting nhs.uk/covidvaccination. If you live in Scotland visit nhsinform.scot/covid-19-vaccine. For Wales, visit gov.wales/get-your-covid-19-vaccination. For Northern Ireland, visit covid-19.hscni.net/get-vaccinated This article is part of a paid-for partnership with the UK Government A Georgia sheriff who last year reopened an investigation into the 2013 death of a teenager found inside a rolled-up gym mat at school concluded there was no evidence of foul play after reviewing voluminous evidence collected by federal investigators. Classmates at Lowndes High School in Valdosta found 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson's body on Jan. 11, 2013. Sheriff's investigators decided soon after that Johnson died in a freak accident, stuck upside down and unable to breathe while trying to retrieve a shoe that fell inside the upright mat. Johnson's parents have long insisted that someone killed him, and that school officials and law enforcement covered up the crime. Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk, who wasn't in office when Johnson's death was first investigated, agreed to take a new look last March after the teenager's parents helped him obtain the Department of Justice's case file on the death. Evidence in the file filled 17 boxes. In a written report released Wednesday, Paulk said all of the physical evidence, interviews and grand jury testimony 'does not produce anything to prove any criminal act by anyone that would have resulted in the death of Kendrick Johnson.' Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk said that the sheriff's office found no foul play after a second investigation into the death of Kendrick Johnson (pictured) Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson stand next to a banner on their SUV showing their late son, Kendrick Johnson, on Dec. 13, 2013, in Valdosta, Ga. A Georgia sheriff who last year reopened an investigation into the 2013 death of Kendrick Johnson, a teenager found inside a rolled up gym mat at school, concluded, Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022, there was no evidence of foul play after reviewing voluminous evidence collected by federal investigators Kendrick's body was discovered in a rolled-up gym mat at Lowndes High School, where he was a sophomore, on January 11, 2013 In a written report released Wednesday, Paulk (pictured) said all of the physical evidence, interviews and grand jury testimony 'does not produce anything to prove any criminal act by anyone that would have resulted in the death of Kendrick Johnson.' The Johnson family and their friends sit outside of the Valdosta, Ga county court house in protest for justice after Kendrick Johnson's death The sheriff also bluntly dismissed allegations of a cover-up, saying: 'Any person who looks at this case objectively would know that it would be impossible to conceal any evidence due to the involvement of so many agencies and investigators.' Federal authorities revealed little information on their findings in 2016 when they closed their investigation into Johnson's death. The Justice Department released a statement at the time saying investigators 'found insufficient evidence to support federal criminal charges.' Johnson's mother, Jaqueline Johnson, said she doesnt trust the sheriffs findings. 'You didnt find nothing in 17 boxes? Thats the craziest lie you could have told,' she told WSB-TV. 'We already knew what team you were on. You are not on the team of righteousness.' In 2016, the Justice Department stated that there was 'insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that someone or some group of people willfully violated Kendrick Johnson's civil rights or committed any other prosecutable federal crime.' Johnson was last spotted in Lowndes County High School just prior to his death Kendrick pictured with his mother. The family was cautiously optimistic about the reopening of the case Jacquelyn Johnson holds up a poster board in order to bring light to her family's desire for justice in the case of Kendrick Johnson's death The family has filed multiple lawsuits alleging that the school district's superintendent, an FBI agent and a former sheriff conspired to cover-up Kendrick's death. Jackie and Kenneth also accused two students at Lowndes High School, brothers Brian and Brandon Bell, of murdering Kendrick. Video evidence showed the boys were not near the gymnasium when Kendrick was last seen and a judge in the case accused Jackie and Kenneth of fabricating evidence to support their claims. The Johnsons were ordered to pay $300,000 in attorney fees to those they accused of killing their son and the parties they alleged covered up the crime. The high school is located in Valdosta, just 15 miles from the border of Florida. Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley is set to pursue an insanity defense after he plead not guilty killing four students and injuring dozens of other during the massacre. Crumbley, 15, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, assault with intent to murder, terrorism and gun charges earlier this month. His attorney filed a notice on Thursday which will be used to perform a psychiatric evaluation on Crumbley where experts will consider whether the teen understood the wrongfulness of his conduct on the day of the shooting. 'Please take notice that... Ethan Crumbley intends to assert the defense of insanity at the time of the alleged offense,' the teen's lawyers Paulette Loftin and Amy Hopp wrote in a filing to the Oakland County Circuit Court. Under Michigan law, if someone is found not guilty by reason of insanity, they don't walk free. They must be referred to a state psychiatric center for custody and further evaluation. Someone who is found guilty but mentally ill still would be sentenced to prison but with recommendations that they get treatment. Prosecutors have previously noted 'red flags' in Crumbley's mental health based on previous behaviors which included allegedly torturing animals, bringing bullets to class and drawing depictions of guns on his schoolwork. Crumbley is charged as an adult in the November 30 shooting at Oxford High School. The teen is accused of killing four people Hana St. Juliana, 14; Tate Myre, 16; Madisyn Baldwin, 17; and Justin Shilling, 17 and injuring seven others, including a teacher. A lawsuit has since been filed over the massacre which claimed that school officials James and Jennifer Crumbley were negligent in addressing the teen's 'disturbing' behavior.' Ethan Crumbley, 15, will use 'insanity' as a defense after he previously plead not guilty for his alleged involvement in a school shooting massacre Crumbley allegedly opened fire at Oxford High School in Michigan on November 30 where four people were killed and several others were injured Justin Shilling, 17, (left) died in the hospital after the shooting and Tate Myre (right) died in the school on November 30 Madisyn Baldwin, 17, (left) and Hana St Juliana, 14, (right) died in the shooting rampage at Oxford High School in suburban Detroit A prominent Detroit defense attorney Mike Rataj, who is not connected with the case, said that the move for Crumbley was expected from his lawyers based on his past experiences with insanity defense cases. 'I dont have all the facts. I dont have contact with the client. But from a distance, it seems to me that this is the most prudent form of action,' Rataj said, according to the Detroit Free Press. 'Sometimes it flies, sometimes it doesn't.' 'It's going to come down to a battle of the experts and whether the jury is going to believe that the kid cannot formulate the necessary intent because hes insane.' However, Rataj noted that 'people who are schizophrenic that doesn't necessarily mean that they're not guilty by reason of insanity.' Cornell University psychiatrist Dr Ziv Cohen noted that in order for the insanity plea to work, Crumbley would have to be considered to be completely out of touch with reality in order for it to possibly be effective. However, Cohen noted that Crumbley's young age may provide him an advantage for him which could even result in a lowered sentence. School officials became concerned about Ethan Crumbley a day before the shooting, when a teacher saw him searching for ammunition on his phone. Jennifer Crumbley was contacted and subsequently told her son in a text message: 'Lol. Im not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught,' according to Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald. If Crumbley is found not guilty of the charges, he will be referred to a state psychiatric facility for further evaluation Crumbley's parents have Jennifer (left) and James Crumbley (right) have also been charged for involuntary manslaughter after they allegedly gave their son the gun he used in the shooting as a Christmas present The day of the shooting, a teacher found a note on Ethans desk and took a photo. It was a drawing of a gun pointing at the words, 'The thoughts wont stop. Help me,' McDonald said in December. The drawing also featured a person who appeared to have been shot twice and is bleeding with the words 'My life is useless' and 'The world is dead' written. The gun used in the shooting was bought days before by James Crumbley and their son had full access to it, according to authorities. McDonald has said that James and Jennifer Crumbley committed 'egregious' acts by buying a gun on Black Friday and making it available to Ethan Crumbley to resisting his removal from school when they were summoned a few hours before the shooting. James and Jennifer Crumbley, later were charged with involuntary manslaughter. The lawsuit, meanwhile, was announced on behalf of the parents of Tate Myre, who was slain November 30, and other students who witnessed the shootings. It alleges negligence by school officials and Crumbley's parents over the attack. 'We're sad and heartbroken - our lives forever changed,' William Myre said at a news conference. 'Our family will never be the same. We're not doing good. All we do is walk around the house and think about Tate. We think about him every day. We sit in his room. We listen to his playlist off Spotify. Were not doing good, but were going to find a way to get through it together.' Victim Tate Myre's father Willam (left) and mother Sheri (right) appear for a conference in Southfield on Thursday after they filed a new lawsuit alleging that school officials and Crumbley's parents were negligent prior to the Oxford High School shooting Student Keegan Gregory's parents Meghan (left) and Chad (right) appear at the conference after their son witnessed the shooting of Justin Shilling in the school bathroom Attorney Ven Johnson shows a social media post that he says is from Jennifer Crumbley, mother of Ethan Crumbley, showing a gun during a news conference Attorney Ven Johnson shows a blowup of Ethan Crumbley's test review paper with notes and drawings The lawsuit, which seeks at least $25,000, names Oxford High School's dean of students, two counselors and three teachers as defendants. Crumbley and his parents also are named as defendants. The suspect's parents are accused of intentional, reckless and negligent conduct that led to the mass shooting. The Oxford High School staff and teachers are accused of gross negligence that led to the shooting by not removing the shooter from the school building earlier. The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Oakland County Circuit Court on behalf of Tate Myre's parents, William and Sheri. Also named as plaintiffs are Chad and Meghan Gregory, whose son, Keegan, was hiding in a school bathroom with Justin Shilling when Shilling was fatally shot. The lawsuit also was filed on behalf of Lauren Aliano, whose daughters, Sophia Kempen and Grace Kempen, were hiding in classrooms during the shooting. A memorial was set up outside of Oxford High School in remembrance of the victims Flowers, candles and stuffed animals lined around the memorial in front of the school Detroit-area attorney Ven Johnson, who is representing parents in the lawsuit filed Thursday, said Ethan Crumbley knew what he was doing and 'clearly he was disturbed,' but his parents did nothing. Chad Gregory recounted during Thursday's news conference what his son witnessed during the shooting. Keegan Gregory was texting his family from a bathroom stall where he and Shilling were hiding. 'He was in that bathroom for five minutes,' Chad Gregory said. 'He was in there with a shooter who had just killed, wounded, injured. Justin gave him a plan that "if we get a chance, we will run."' 'He called them out one-by-one and Justin happened to be the first,' said Chad Gregory, adding that after Shilling was shot, Keegan was able to flee the bathroom. Two months later, Keegan remains traumatized, Meghan Gregory said. 'He's nowhere near going back to class, let alone functioning like a normal 15-year-old child,' she said. 'We have to check doors. We have to check under beds.' In December, Jeffrey and Brandi Franz filed a pair of lawsuits in federal court and county circuit court seeking $100 million each against the district. Their 17-year-old daughter Riley was shot in the neck and her 14-year-old sister Bella was next to her at the time she was shot. Their lawsuit says school officials and high school staff didn't do enough to prevent the shooting and protect students. A convicted murderer has been told by a federal judge that he can sue Amazon and its Whole Foods unit for refusing to hire him because he claimed to be rehabilitated after nearly 23 years in prison - despite lying about his criminal record on his job application. In a Wednesday night decision, U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan said Henry Franklin, who was convicted of second-degree murder in June 1995, could pursue a proposed class action lawsuit after being turned down for a grocery delivery job at Cornucopia Logistics, which serves Amazon and Whole Foods. Franklin, of Staten Island, who was paroled in June 2018, sued the companies on behalf of himself and other ex-cons who were denied jobs with Amazon. Amazon had determined through a background check that Franklin had lied on his April 2019 job application by answering 'no' when asked if he had a criminal record. Henry Franklin, who was convicted of second-degree murder in June 1995, was turned down for a grocery delivery job at Cornucopia Logistics, pictured, which serves Amazon and Whole Foods. The companies said Franklin had lied on his job application about his criminal past U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni, pictured in June, said Franklin could pursue a class action lawsuit against the companies after he argued that he was rehabilitated and no longer posed a threat to the general public Franklin's lawyers alleged he was rejected based on his criminal history, which would violate New York City law. New York law bars employers from rejecting job applicants based on their criminal histories unless the crimes relate directly to the jobs sought, or hirings would pose an unreasonable risk to the public. Without ruling on the merits, Caproni said the defendants failed to show that either exception applied, adding that Franklin 'has adequately alleged that he is rehabilitated and no longer poses a threat to the public.' She added that Franklin's crime had no bearing on whether he could deliver groceries since 'He was never convicted of a vehicular offense.' However, Caproni said she was 'sympathetic to defendants' likely position that they do not want a convicted murderer delivering groceries to their customers' homes.' The defendants and their lawyers did not immediately respond on Thursday to requests for comment. Franklin's lawyers did not immediately respond to similar requests. Amazon and Whole Foods had argued that Franklin's lie was reason enough turn him down, and he lacked standing to sue them because neither was his 'prospective' employer. Caproni called Franklin's pleading on the latter issue 'barely' sufficient, and said his rejection for lying could be justified, but said it was too early in litigation for Amazon to raise that issue. The lawsuit was brought on behalf of Amazon and Whole Foods job applicants in New York state and New York City with criminal records. The case is Franklin v Whole Foods Market Group Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York. A US appeals court threw out the conviction of Matthew Connolly, a former Deutsche Bank AG trader, for allegedly rigging the Libor rate, once among the world's most important financial benchmarks, and ordered acquittals for both him and a London counterpart. The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan on Thursday found a lack of evidence that Matthew Connolly and Gavin Black caused Deutsche Bank to make false Libor submissions. Connolly, from Basking Ridge, New Jersey, had led Deutsche Bank's pool trading desk in New York. Connolly and Black, who worked on the bank's money market and derivatives desk in London, were convicted of wire fraud and conspiracy in October 2018. The pair were found guilty two years later of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. Last night, Connolly said he was 'speechless' to have won in court for the first time, having angrily said he was convicted and had his reputation ruined because of four emails. 'My family and I are very thankful this ordeal is finally ending, and that the courts have finally recognized once and for all my innocence,' Connolly told the BBC. Matt Connolly, pictured left, said he was wrongly convicted on the basis of four emails that showed he had done nothing wrong Connolly, a former Deutsche Bank director, exits the Manhattan federal courthouse in New York City on September 28, 2016 Pictured: Connolly, from Basking Ridge, New Jersey, had led Deutsche Bank's pool trading desk in New York British trader Gavin Black, pictured, former director at Deutsche Bank, at court when he was convicted of fixing Libor in 2018 'I am hoping the rest of the story emerges so others that have been denied justice get their peace as well.' Connolly was sentenced to six months of home confinement and ordered to pay a $100,000 fine, while Black received nine months of home confinement and a $300,000 fine. They had appealed on the basis the prosecution had not demonstrated they had violated the law. Connolly, former trader at Deutsche Bank AG, exits Federal Court in New York on October 17, 2018 The Thurgood Marshall federal courthouse in New York, where Connolly's convictions were thrown out on Thursday What are Libor interest rates and how were they fixed? The London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor) is used as the basis for hundreds of trillions of dollars of loans and transactions around the world, from complex derivatives to household mortgages. It is a benchmark that indicates the interest rate that banks charge when lending to each other and is seen as fundamental to the operation of UK and world markets. Interbank rates were first thrust into the spotlight during the 2007 and 2008 credit crunch when rates shot up as nervous lenders stopped lending to each other. The rigging is said to have involved the submission of false figures in order either to make more money for traders or to paint a false picture of a bank's health. The scandal, which allegedly meant consumers faced higher interest charges, saw eight banks and brokerages fined billions by regulators in the US and the UK. Advertisement The appeals court agreed in its opinion published on Thursday, stating the 'evidence was insufficient to prove that defendants caused (Deutsche Bank) to make Libor submissions that were false or deceptive.' 'The nine trials on both sides of the Atlantic have been a whole series of miscarriages of justice where innocent people were jailed who had done nothing wrong. 'The only Libor 'rigging' that was really bad was the lowballing. That was ordered from the top - from central banks and governments. And neither the Department of Justice nor the Serious Fraud Office has ever brought that to trial.' Federal prosecutors had sought 'substantial' prison time for both. The US Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 'We are elated that Matt Connolly has been fully exonerated in this contrived case,' said Kenneth Breen, a partner at Paul Hastings. Black's lawyer Seth Levine, a partner at Levine Lee, was 'deeply appreciative' of the outcome. 'Mr. Black did his job, as he has lived his life, with honor and honesty,' Levine said. Before being phased out this month, Libor, or the London interbank offered rate, had underpinned hundreds of trillions of dollars of financial products including credit cards, mortgages and other loans. Libor had once been calculated based on submissions from 18 large banks, including Deutsche Bank. Prosecutors said Connolly directed subordinates to arrange false submissions consistent with his traders' interests, while Black encouraged false submissions to benefit his own derivative trading. The alleged conspiracy ran from 2004 to 2011. Libor-rigging investigations resulted in about $9 billion of fines worldwide for banks, including $2.5 billion for Deutsche Bank in 2015. Connolly and Black's trial was the second in the United States of traders accused of rigging Libor for their own benefit. The convictions in 2015 of two former London-based Rabobank traders were also thrown out on appeal. Bassam Hamzy, the alleged kingpin of one of the notorious crime family, has clashed with a young member of a bitter enemy clan after the two came into proximity inside prison. Hamzy, 43, was being escorted by guards inside Sydney's Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre on Tuesday when he came across Bilal Mahfoud, a 20-year-old associate of the Alameddine clan, who was using a phone at the time. It is understood Mahfoud, known as 'a mouthy' inmate, 'spouted off' at Hamzy as the older man was being moved by the four specially-trained prison guards who are with him every time he's outside his cell, a source told Daily Mail Australia. The much-feared alleged kingpin of one of Australia's most notorious crime families, Bassam Hamzy, has targeted a member of a rival clan while on temporary release from the country's highest security prison. Hamzy immediately lunged at the younger man and spat at him before being restrained. The incident shows the bloody and high profile feud between the Alameddines and the Hamzys - which has led to eight shootings and several murders on Sydney streets in recent years - is being carried on behind bars too. While there was no physical contact between the men, Mahfoud 'insisted' assault charges be laid against Hamzy. Bassam Hamzy faces charges in May of running a large-scale meth operation from his jail cell As Hamzy, 43, was being escorted by prison guards at Sydney's Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre, he spat at Alameddine associate Bilal Mahfoud, who was using a phone (pictured, inmates at Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre at Silverwater) The source said the 'threshold' for assault is whether the spit landed on Mahfoud, suggesting Hamzy's aim was on target. 'About 8.15am on Tuesday, January 25, a 43-year-old inmate allegedly spat at a 20-year-old inmate at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre at Silverwater, a NSW Corrective Services spokeswoman told Daily Mail in a statement. After Mahfoud said he wanted to press charges, NSW Police were notified and officers from the Auburn area command are investigating. Mahfoud is believed to have been the target of an attempted assassination last November when a drive-by shooting sprayed bullets at his home in Guildford in western Sydney. He was forced to duck for cover to save his life from the late-night attack. Police later charged Mahfoud with acquiring a gun and ammunition while subject to a firearms prohibition order. He was refused bail and sent to MRRC - at the same time Hamzy was moved there. Mahfoud was jailed for breaching a firearms prohibition order in December and was sent to MRRC - at the same time Hamzy was moved there A young Bassam Hamzy (right) sits on a couch with one of his uncles, years before he wound up in Goulburn Supermax Who is Bassam Hamzy? Bassam Hamzy, 43, is the son of Lebanese immigrants Khaled and Lola Hamzy, who moved their family to Australian during the Lebanese civil war in the 1970s. In 1999 Bassam shot dead a teenager during a night out in Sydney and was jailed for 21 years. Hamzy was just 18. But while life behind bars is intended to be a deterrent for reoffending, it was where Hamzy thrived. He set up the gang Brothers 4 Life, and with a bevvy of mobile phones hidden in his cell, allegedly an a sophisticated drug and crime ring. He is understood to be a compelling talker, with an interest in legal matters who is also a devout Muslim and bonds with other inmates over Islam. Court documents in the trial over the murder of Brayden Dillon, 15, in 2017 stated Hamzy typically recruited vulnerable 'young Aboriginal men with substance addictions'. But his network is allegedly much wider, notably including active gang members in Sydney and some unlikely figures too. In December 2020 Wagga Wagga grandmother Bronwyn Anne Brown was jailed for a maximum three years and four months for supplying prohibited drugs for Hamzy. Hamzy allegedly communicated with his former solicitor Martin Churchill using client privilege rules. He is due to face court in May over charges of supplying a commercial quantity of prohibited drugs. At one point during the case Hamzy represented himself. Advertisement Hamzy, who was jailed for life in 1999, was moved from Goulburn Supermax jail to the MRRC recently. The move is not believed to be connected to Hamzy's upcoming NSW District Court trial on drugs charges, but is instead related to an internal grievance he has raised about his treatment in the prison system. Hamzy is set to face charges in May of running a large-scale methamphetamine operation from his jail cell. Hamzy has been behind bars since early 1999 for a string of serious crimes including drug supply, murder and conspiracy to murder. He will not be eligible for parole until at least 2035. This week it was reported that NSW police believe the Hamzy family has been 'crushed' with at least ten members in jail or dead. Since the family's bloody feud with the Alameddines kicked off 18 months ago several Hamzy clan members have been gunned down, including Mejid, Bilal Hamzy, Salem and Toufik Hamze and Ghassan Amoun. It is understood NSW police, via its 115-strong Raptor Squad which targets bikie gangs, intend to make inroads into the Alameddine clan. A police source also vowed there was 'trouble ahead' for the Alameddine family, believed to be connected to several fatal shootings of Hamzy family members. Bassam Hamzy is the former founder of the notorious Brothers 4 Life Lebanese gang and was jailed in 1999. He was charged in 2019 over the alleged supply of a commercial quantity of methylamphetamine between October 2017 and February 2018 across the Riverina and Illawarra. He allegedly operated the drug operation from his Goulburn supermax cell and communicated with his former solicitor Martin Churchill under the veil of client privilege. In 2009 Bassam Hamzy offered to surrender five rocket launchers, guns, grenades and ecstasy pills to police in a desperate letter as part of a failed plea deal on behalf of his father, Khaled. The Hamzy family name first came onto the radar of police in the mid-1990s, when Khaled was jailed for his role in a drug ring. Health worker organizes boxes containing COVID-19 self-test kits at a public health center in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap By Bahk Eun-ji Demand for at-home test kits has been soaring following the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in Korea, spawning fears that the country may face an acute shortage of the diagnostic kits. Fears are mounting as the government has shifted to a new medical response focusing on the early diagnosis and treatment of high-risk groups, with the country reporting an all-time high of 16,096 new COVID-19 infections for Thursday, including 15,894 local cases. Health authorities expect the daily infection tally to rise up to 100,000 in the weeks to come. In order to deal with a spike in the number of daily infections, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said that from Feb. 3, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests will be administered only on those in high-risk groups such as the elderly aged 60 or older, and those who have had close contact with confirmed patients. Low-risk groups showing suspected symptoms will undergo PCR tests only after rapid antigen tests or self-test kits show positive results. In accordance with the government's transition to the new COVID-19 testing system, pharmacists, as well as citizens, have begun to voice concerns that the shortage of self-testing kits could trigger another crisis as seen in the facemask crisis at the onset of the pandemic. Baek Hye-seon, a pharmacist in northern Seoul's Nowon District, said her drugstore saw an increase in the number of customers who purchased at-home test kits after the government announced that PCR tests will only be available for high-risk groups. "Customers usually buy 30 to 40 kits at once," she said. Some pharmacists complained about a shortage of supplies. Korea's daily COVID-19 cases reach yet another record high Korea's daily COVID-19 cases hit new high Lunar New Year exodus begins amid jitters over Omicron variant Choi, who runs a pharmacy in Mapo District, Seoul, said that people are stocking up on at-home test kits just like the stockpiling of face masks in the early stage of the pandemic. Panic buying occurs as a consequence of the surge of the Omicron variant which has brought new all-time highs in additional cases of COVID-19 infections day after day. Lee Sun-sook, 55, who lives in Seongbuk District, Seoul, said, "I bought them in a hurry this morning when I saw a newspaper article that said it may become difficult to buy self-testing kits as the Omicron variant cases surge with new record highs with every passing every day." "I know such at-home testing kits are not 100 percent accurate, but I bought them anyway because they will be much needed," Lee said. Kim Jung-hwa, a mother of two elementary school children in southern Seoul's Seocho District, said, "I bought a dozen of the kits in advance because I am afraid to go to a public health center to get tested where there will be crowds of people." "I feel more comfortable checking them at home in advance," Kim said. Some citizens said they joined the buying spree because they were anxious about the spread of the Omicron variant. Rho Hyun-mi, 28, an office worker in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, said, "I bought it because I was nervous about going down to my hometown in Daegu during the Lunar New Year holiday." "My parents are older so I thought I should check myself before I meet them for their safety," Rho said. Experts said that it is possible to detect cluster infections by using such at-home test kits, but the accuracy will be low if they are not used correctly. Kim Shin-woo, a professor at the infectious diseases department of Kyungpook National University Hospital, advised the proper use of the at-home test kits. "In the case of medical institutions, samples are collected by poking at the nasopharynx, but if you do it alone, you often cannot reach the point," Kim said. There are a total of 74 COVID-19 diagnostic reagents officially approved in Korea. Among them, the self-diagnostic test kits that can be purchased by individuals at pharmacies are three products manufactured by Humasis, SD BioSensor, and Rapigen. The rest are for professionals. NYC's Conflict of Interest Board ruled that Mayor Eric Adams can hire his brother for the role of senior security adviser but only for $1 a year as compensation. The ruling by the ethics committee was made on Thursday in a public announcement after Adams, 61, had initially sought to hire his younger brother Bernard as a deputy police commissioner for an annual salary of $240,000. This decision drew backlash and accused Adams of nepotism for putting his brother in a highly-regarded role within his own administration. The mayor first responded by reassigning Bernard Adams, 51, to be security adviser, earning $210,000 yearly and said he would seek guidance from the ethics board. The panel said that while a city charter prohibits public servants from seeking advantages for members of their family, it would grant Adams a waiver to hire his brother because the job of 'senior security adviser' would be essentially unpaid and carry no authority within the New York City Police Department. Eric Adams' younger brother Bernard, 51, can now be appointed as the city's senior security adviser on the basis of an annual $1 salary Eric Adams, 61, previously received backlash for nepotism after he initially wanted to appoint his brother in the position of deputy police commissioner on a salary of $240,000. He was later demoted to senior security adviser with an initial planned yearly salary of $210,000 In light of the inexpensive salary, Adams has stated that he will continue receiving his city pension of $64,000 after he worked as an NYC police officer for two decades before retiring in 2006. 'Bernard Adams is uniquely qualified for this job, and in order to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest, he offered to serve for the nominal salary of $1,' spokesman Maxwell Young said, according to the New York Times. 'We made this proposal to the Conflicts of Interest Board and they've agreed, and we're grateful to Bernard for being willing to serve the city for no salary.' According to a determination letter, no city personnel will be allowed to report to Bernard Adams and he will have no command of authority with the NYPD. 'It's face saving,' former Conflicts of Interest Board chair Richard Briffault told the Times. 'He's allowed to make the appointment, but he's uncompensated and he has no role in supervising anybody else.' Adams previously defended his decision for his brother's appointment in wake of the accusations made against him of nepotism. 'My brother is qualified for the position,' Adams said in an interview with CNN host Jake Tapper. 'Number one, he will be in charge of my security, which is extremely important to me at a time when we see an increase in white supremacy and hate crimes.' NYC's Conflict of Interest Board later granted Eric Adams (in white) to hire his brother Bernard (seen at the podium) on the condition of little compensation and no real authority in the position Adams argued that his brother understands that as mayor of New York City, he must strike the right balance between being protected from possible threats and being approachable to his constituents. 'He understands law enforcement,' Adams said. 'He's a 20-year retired veteran from the police department, and I need someone that I trust around me during these times for my security, and I trust my brother deeply.' Bernard Adams started his career in the 7th Precinct on the Lower East Side which was a rough, heroin-infested neighborhood at the time, before moving on to Brooklyn's 88th Precinct. Eventually, he was assigned to the NYPD's Queens headquarters. Bernard Adams retired with the rank of sergeant after 20 years of service in 2006. The mayor retired from the NYPD as a captain. He is one of the few members who appeared with Eric on the campaign trail last year. Adams also worked phone banks and handed out flyers for his brother's campaign. Bernard described his older brother as his role model when he introduced him during an election night party last November. This is also not the first time a city official to meet with board to put a relative in a government role. Michael Bloomberg brought his daughter Emma, left, and sister, Marjorie Tiven, right, into his administration, although they did not take a salary or were bestowed any prestigious titles Bill de Blasio's wife Chirlane McCray was the city's First Lady and headed a failed $1.3 billion mental health initiative ThriveNYC. City nepotism rules meant she was unable to draw a salary Former Mayor Bill de Blasio used his position to appoint his wife Chirlane McCray as the chair for a nonprofit organization called the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City and also heading the failed $1.3 billion mental health initiative ThriveNYC. In addition, Michael Bloomberg also granted a waiver for his daughter Emma to serve as a research and administrative assistant in the mayor's office. Bloomberg also got permission for his sister Marjorie Tivens to be the commissioner of the United Nations Consular Corps and Protocols. Adams, a Democrat, was elected in November after pledging to tackle violent crime. New York City has faced an increase in crime recently, as have most cities across America. Through January 23, overall crimes are up 38 percent across the city. While murders are down, felony assaults, shootings, rapes and robberies have all seen double digit percentage increases. President Joe Biden will visit New York City next week to discuss combating gun crime with Mayor Eric Adams, a meeting that will follow the recent fatal shooting of two city police officers. The White House said Biden planned during the Feb. 3 meeting to discuss his administration's 'comprehensive strategy' to combat gun crime, including increased funding for cities and states to hire more police officers and pay for community violence prevention and intervention programs. The strategy also includes beefing up federal law enforcement efforts against gun traffickers, the White House said. Biden spoke with Adams by telephone on Monday night to offer his condolences over last Friday's shooting of two New York Police Department officers, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said this week. Officer Jason Rivera, 22, died the night of the shooting. His partner, Wilbert Mora, 27, was removed from life support on Tuesday, four days after the officers were fatally wounded after they were called to a Harlem apartment by a woman who said she needed help with her adult son. Authorities said the man, Lashawn J. McNeil, 47, opened a bedroom door and shot the officers as they walked down a narrow hall. A third officer shot McNeil as he tried to flee. McNeil died Monday. President Joe Biden will travel to New York City next week to discuss gun crime with the city's new mayor, Eric Adams, in the aftermath of a fatal shooting of two NYPD officers Authorities say Lashawn McNeil opened a bedroom door and shot NYPD officers Jason Rivera (left) and Wilbert Mora (right). Rivera died the night of the shooting, while Mora was removed from life support Tuesday Gun crime isn't the only problem, as subway attacks and some of the thefts that cities on the west coast have faced have also plagued New York. NYPD arrested a homeless man accused of shoving an Asian woman to her death in front an oncoming subway train in Times Square on January 15. Simon Martial, 61, is charged with second-degree murder after the incident in Manhattan when a woman was killed at the southbound N, Q, R and W platform at West 42nd Street and Broadway. Police have identified the woman as Michelle Alyssa Go, 40, who lived on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Meanwhile, brazen thieves have been hitting the same Upper East Side Rite Aid for months, forcing it to close - and now, numerous small businesses in the upscale Manhattan neighborhood, where residents say they are on high alert because of rising crime, are worried they will soon suffer the same fate after a string of thefts. Shelves are already bare in the Rite Aid store, located at the corner of 80th Street and 2nd Avenue because it will shut its doors for good on February 15, the manager told DailyMail.com, a day after a thief was caught on video boldly sauntering out with shopping bags full of stolen goods Robbery in New York City has spiked by about 33 percent in the week ending on January 23, according to the NYPD's most recent data, with 944 incidents compared to 709 incidents reported during the same timeframe last year. Overall crime has gone up by nearly 39 percent, with 7,230 incidents this year as compared to last year's 5,211 Empty shelves are seen at Rite Aid on the Upper East Side just three weeks before they're set to close. The store's closure is just one of many in the city. On February 8, a Hell's Kitchen store which has been rife with robberies in recent months will close, and on the Upper West Side, another store which experienced daily thefts shut down in November Shelves are already bare in the Rite Aid store, located at the corner of 80th Street and 2nd Avenue because it will shut its doors for good on February 15, the manager told DailyMail.com, a day after a thief was caught on video boldly sauntering out with shopping bags full of stolen goods. The brazen incident in one of New York City's wealthiest neighborhoods was only captured on camera because actor and comedian Michael Rapaport had stopped by to pick up his prescription mood stabilizers. He said it was 'pathetic' that brazen crime continues to spiral in the Big Apple because of soft-on-crime policies. 'These criminals know there are no ramifications. We have to put more of these mfers in jail,' he fumed to DailyMail.com. The Rite Aid's closure is just one of many in the city. On February 8, a Hell's Kitchen store which has been rife with robberies in recent months will close, and on the Upper West Side, another store which experienced daily thefts shut down in November. Just this week, there was news that a Rite Aid located at Clinton Joralemon Streets in the Brooklyn Heights is also set to close next month. The chain announced last year that it was shutting down about 63 stores across the US in the next few years, citing cost-cutting measures to save $25 million a year - but workers say that the thefts are part of the reason for the closures as inventory dwindles. Broadcaster Ray Hadley has slammed troubled television host Andrew O'Keefe as a 'low-life grub' while recalling how O'Keefe had criticised him over his own restraining order. Ahead of his morning show on 2GB on Friday, Hadley told the station's breakfast host Ben Fordham that O'Keefe had 'taken a big stick' to him when the radio veteran was the subject of an apprehended violence order (AVO) after his marriage break-up eight years ago. 'That low-life grub attacked me on social media because an AVO was taken against me, not for physical abuse, allegedly verbal abuse... and was then withdrawn within 12 hours because it could not be substantiated,' Hadley said. The former Deal or No Deal star was charged on Thursday over allegations he choked, punched and kicked a woman at his Sydney CBD bachelor pad. During his spray, Hadley added he doesn't delight in anyone's misfortune, but noted the charges against O'Keefe, which he has not entered any pleas to and are before the courts. Former Deal or No Deal star Andrew O'Keefe was charged on Thursday over allegations he choked, punched and kicked a woman at his Sydney CBD bachelor pad - and has since come under attack by 2GB radio host Ray Hadley 'That low-life grub attacked me on social media because an AVO was taken against me...' 2GB Mornings host Ray Hadley said of O'Keefe on Friday, in reference to a restraining order that was briefly taken out against him in 2014 by police on behalf of then-wife Suzanne (together, above) NSW Police allege O'Keefe assaulted a 38-year-old woman - apparently a potential 'business partner' of the one-time TV personality - after meeting her to discuss working together at his unit on Kent Street in the Sydney CBD on Tuesday. O'Keefe was charged with offences including assault occasioning bodily harm and intentionally choking a person without consent on Thursday. He was refused bail and taken away to a police cell that evening, with Daily Mail Australia capturing confronting footage of the handcuffed star shouting obscenities and kicking the walls of a police van, telling officers to 'get rid of the journalists'. 'F*** you, I'm a victim of crime. I'm a victim of crime you f***wits. F*** off,' he screamed as he repeatedly kicked the windows of the vehicle's cell. 'Get rid of these journalists you stupid c***s. F*** you.' Police have applied for a provisional apprehended violence order on the woman's behalf. The order would see him barred from approaching, assaulting, threatening, stalking, harassing or intimidating the woman in any way. O'Keefe is expected to front Sydney's Central Local Court on Friday after he is inspected by a court clinician. The identity of the woman he is accused of assaulting has been suppressed. O'Keefe was refused bail on Thursday afternoon and taken away to a police cell, with Daily Mail Australia capturing confronting footage of the handcuffed star shouting obscenities and kicking the walls of a police van (pictured) O'Keefe was held at Day St Police station (pictured) awaiting interview after his arrest on Thursday Hadley was referring to NSW police briefly applying for an AVO against Hadley in 2014, after the radio star's former wife Suzanne had visited Hornsby police station. Hadley did not report to work that day. Soon after she asked for the application to be withdrawn. A police statement said at the time: 'Late this afternoon, police had further contact with the woman and as a result NSW Police will no longer be pursuing the application for an AVO'. Just what O'Keefe said that irritated Hadley at the time is unclear, with several of his social media profiles taken down in the following years. Hadley has recently caused controversy recently for his hardline 'Covid-Zero' views and constant criticism of NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet's attempts to re-open Australia's biggest state. Hadley claimed Mr Perrottet had referred to he and others as 'bedwetters' over their criticism of the NSW government for rolling back Covid restrictions as the Omicron variant reached Australia in mid-December. In an interview with Mr Perrottet on January 17, he also claimed former premier Gladys Berejiklian and other government members had leaked information to him about NSW cabinet decisions because they were unhappy with Mr Perrottet. O'Keefe's AVO hearing will will be heard at Downing Centre Local Court on February 2. Video footage captured the terrifying moment a man's high-end watch was snatched by a gun-toting duo during a terrifying broad daylight robbery in Los Angeles that started when the bad guys rear-ended the victim's vehicle. A nurse identifying himself only as Pavlo said the trouble began when he was driving through the Sherman Oaks neighborhood Monday with his arm hanging out the window. His exposed limb gave others a view of the Rolex on his left wrist, and he believes that made him a marked target for a trio of thieves who crossed his path. While stopped at a traffic light, he said a white Mercedes sedan bumped into his car, prompting him to shift his car into park and get out to inspect the damage. At that moment, his cellphone caught on camera two men ambushing him and demanding the watch. After snatching it away, they made off. 'It's become very dangerous to live right now in Los Angeles,' Pavlo told KTLA. A nurse, who identified himself only as Pavlo, said he was held up at gunpoint in Los Angeles after his car was rear-ended in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood He emerged from his car following the fender bender to inspect the damage, but was instead ambushed by the man above, who were caught on his cellphone video camera Both gunmen concealed their faces with masks as they repeatedly demanded their victim to voluntarily remove his Rolex Both of the robbers were wearing face masks and hoodies during the hold-up, during which they repeatedly ordered their victim to hand over his Rolex, a luxury brand that sells new for about $5,000 and up. 'Take it off,' one gunman said, repeating frantically: 'Take it off. Take it off. Take it off.' Pavlo said he was held up at gunpoint by one man as the other thief held up his arm and removed the watch. Pavlo said though he considered fighting back, he thought better of the idea. 'When you're held at gunpoint, you feel terrible,' he said. 'You understand that if you stand up or move, you're gonna get a bullet and your life probably will be done.' Los Angeles Police Department Officer Mike Lopez confirmed the incident to DailyMail.com, and said it happened about 1:30 pm at the intersection of Van Nuys Boulevard and Huston Street. He said the culprits remained on the loose as of Thursday afternoon. Pictured: the Mercedes that rear-ended the victim in broad daylight Monday afternoon. Police did not say whether the car was stolen Violent crime in Los Angeles has been increasing in Los Angeles, where a gang of thieves was caught on camera raiding an Ulta Beauty store last week. Homicides in the City of Angels rose 52 percent last year from 2019, while shootings increased 59 percent, according to LAPD data. The city has also suffered a shocking wave of follow-home robberies and organized smash-and-grab attacks on retailers, as the statistic went up 41.6 percent in 2021. Last month, Beverly Hills residents were stunned by the home invasion murder of Jacqueline Avant, who was gunned down in front of her husband, famed music producer Clarence Avant. They are on opposite sides of one of the most harrowing chapters in human history. Former GP Noemie Lopian is the daughter of two Holocaust survivors. Writer and teacher Derek Niemann is the grandson of a Nazi war criminal and SS officer. Yet the two have forged an unlikely friendship and now travel the country (and abroad) together to tell their stories and remind people of the horrors of Nazi genocide and the dangers of racial hatred. Remarkably, given her painful family background, it was Noemie, 55, who initiated the first meeting which would lead to their partnership, feeling compelled to meet the man whose grandfather had played a role in the suffering and murder of millions of Jewish people during the Holocaust. 'Sometimes I can't believe I did it,' says Noemie, a mother-of-four, who lives in Manchester with her husband, Dani, a businessman. Noemie Lopian is the daughter of two Holocaust survivors. Writer and teacher Derek Niemann (both pictured) is the grandson of a Nazi war criminal. The pair have formed a friendship 'Why would I want to? But it came down to something deep within me. A need to be proactive about my past and find a way to use it for the good. 'And when we met, Derek so readily agreed that we had to do something together.' Noemie's mother, Renee Bornstein was just 10 when she was imprisoned by the Gestapo after trying to flee her native France. Noemie's late father, Ernst, endured incalculable suffering in labour and concentration camps during the war including the notorious Dachau concentration camp near Munich. His own parents and two of his siblings perished in Auschwitz. During the same period Derek's grandfather, Karl Niemann, who had voluntarily joined the Nazi party, had been recruited by the SS as an accountant and administrator. Rising to the equivalent rank of an SS captain, he organised slave labour in concentration camps such as Auschwitz, Dachau, Buchenwald and Sachsenhausen. Karl died before his grandson was born. Derek, now 60, only learned the chilling family secret a decade ago, since his own father, Rudi, had never disclosed the truth of his background. Instead Rudi had described Karl as a lowly bank clerk leading an ordinary life in Berlin. Noemie's mother, Renee Bornstein was 10 when she was imprisoned by the Gestapo. Noemie's late father, Ernst, suffered in concentration camps. Pictured: Noemie, left, with her parents, brother Alain and sister Muriel) During the same period Derek's grandfather, Karl Niemann (pictured), who had voluntarily joined the Nazi party, had been recruited by the SS as an accountant and administrator And so, on a trip to Berlin 10 years ago, Derek decided look up to the house where his father had grown up. Cross referencing the name and address online, horrifying words filled the screen. 'Home of SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Karl Niemann crimes against humanity use of slave labour.' Derek said: 'I was completely shocked. There hadn't been a single clue. My father always said his father was a pen pusher. It was unbelievable.' Pledging to find out more, Derek began to probe his father and her sister, going on to write a book, A Nazi in the Family, about his family it was published three years ago. His father died in 2017. Meanwhile Noemie had given up her work as a GP to raise her children and work in Holocaust education. When she heard about Derek's book via a Facebook contact she felt compelled to meet him, introducing herself after discovering he was giving a talk in London. The two immediately connected, pledging to tell their stories to fight Holocaust denial and rising antisemitism. Not least on Holocaust Memorial Day, which takes place every year on January 27th. Yet however many times Noemie hears Derek`s words she always endures his story with stirring unease. Not least when he talks of one of his father`s particular memories: how the family had stayed in the SS barracks at Dachau. Rudi, then a child, remembered his parents standing at the window looking out at a low building with smoke rising from a chimney. Rudi's mother said to her husband - 'You know what they're doing there? They're burning the Jews. They're killing them, and then burning the bodies.' Noemie's own father, Ernst, spent part of his harrowing internment in Dachau. Ernst remained in Germany after the war, qualifying as both a dentist and a doctor. He died of a heart attack when he was just 55 and Noemie was 12 after which the family moved to the UK. But her mother, Renee is profoundly supportive of her daughter's friendship with Derek and his family and gave it her blessing. Seeing it as a need to show the world what, in Karl Niemann, ordinary people are capable of. Derek (pictured with Noemie), now 60, only learned the chilling family secret a decade ago, since his own father, Rudi, had never disclosed the truth of his background It was Noemie, 55, who initiated the first meeting with Derek and now they travel to tell their stories and remind people of the horrors of Nazi genocide and the dangers of racial hatred Noemie said: 'My father was such a humane man. As a doctor after the war, he treated everyone including Germans. He wouldn't allow himself to hate. He said hatred eats up the person who hates.' Ernst did write a book, The Long Night, chronicling his terrible experiences. Published only in German in 1967, Noemie could only bring herself to read it nearly 30 years later after which she had it translated into English. She is now working on an animated version of The Long Night as well as a narrative computer game to help educate young people about the Holocaust. Karl Niemann was interned in prison camps for about three years after the end of the war, and was sent to the denazification commission and charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, clearly this failed to have a sobering effect on his son, Rudi who remained openly antisemitic. 'My father had Jewish friends yet made disparaging remarks about 'those Jews'. I remember my mum once wanted to buy a menorah, and he said: 'I'm not having that Jewish thing in the house.' Little wonder Noemie and Derek continue their quest to spread their message to anyone who will listen 'Derek and I want to inspire people to have the courage to speak out. And to realise that people can be united even from different backgrounds in a common cause of humanity.' Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced 18 Covid-related deaths in the state, including an unvaccinated person aged in their 30s. New Covid cases in Queensland fell to 9,974 and hospitalisations were down to 818 people, with 54 people now in ICU. Ms Palaszczuk said the state appeared to have avoided the worst of the health department's earlier modelling, including more than 500 people in ICU units 'We were planning for the worst case scenario,' she said. 'It's absolutely heartening to date that the modelling is below our worst case scenario. 'The [Omicron] peak is on us now in the south-east [of Queensland].' Ms Palaszczuk said modelling from earlier this month had suggested the state would need 5,000 beds and around 500 ICU places for Covid patients. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the state had planned for a worst-case scenario that had not yet eventuated Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard said the deaths included one person in their 30s, four in their 60s, four in their 70s, seven in their 80s and two in their 90s. Six people were unvaccinated, two had received two doses of a vaccine and three had also received a booster. Dr Gerrard said evidence suggested the Omicron peak had passed on the Gold Coast as the hospitalisation rate continued to fall. Ms Palaszczuk said 1.3million Queenslanders had now been jabbed with a booster. Health workers attend a Covid-19 testing site in Brisbane as Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard said the peak of the current Omicron was approaching in south-east Queensland The state's vaccination rate was now at 91.9 per cent for a first dose of vaccine and 89.33 per cent double dosed. Dr Gerrard warned Queenslanders against going out and celebrating the end of the pandemic too soon. 'This is not over.. The news is good so far but dont go out and celebrate just yet,' he cautioned. 'We are doing way better than expected but we dont want complacency.' The premier said the state's back-to-schools plan was being finalised as education minister Grace Grace continued to battle her own Covid infection. 'Parents will have a full week before February 7 to see our plan,' she said. She said 30 per cent of 5-11-year-olds had now received a first dose of a Covid vaccine. After almost two years fighting Covid, the NHS is under pressure as never before. There are almost six million on its waiting list for routine treatments 300,000 of whom have been waiting for more than a year, compared with just 1,600 before the pandemic. Worse, thanks to a shortfall of 93,000 staff, it has rarely been less well equipped to deal with a huge backlog. The Government's response has been to promise the Health Service an extra 12 billion a year funded by a 1.25 per cent increase in National Insurance. Given that households are already suffering from a sharp rise in the cost of living, this tax rise couldn't be coming at a worse time. So is there really no other way that we can help the NHS? The truth is, like many large organisations, it could free up billions if it curbed inefficiency and made savings. Here are a few suggestions of how to raise that 12 billion without hiking taxes . . . DON'T KEEP PATIENTS IN HOSPITAL SO LONG Saving: 2bn Out of 142 NHS trusts, one in six hospitals recorded length of stays 20 per cent above average. (Stock image) British patients spend significantly longer in hospital for the same operations and procedures compared with other countries, according to a study by the healthcare think-tank the King's Fund in 2015. It found that patients in Sweden spent 15 per cent less time in hospital, while in Australia it was 18 per cent, in France 20 per cent and in Norway 36 per cent. Out of 142 NHS trusts, one in six hospitals recorded length of stays 20 per cent above average. Cut these, calculated the King's Fund, and the NHS could treat 18 per cent more acute patients or alternatively save taxpayers some money. With a stay in an NHS acute bed costed at 400 a day, reducing the length of time that patients have to spend in hospital by just 10 per cent would save 2 billion a year. END THE DISEASE OF BED-BLOCKING Saving: 546m Prior to the pandemic, the NHS itself calculated that 2,500 beds were occupied because of delays in discharging people to care homes. (Stock image) As well as some patients spending more time in hospital than they really need to for routine operations, many beds are occupied by people who don't need to be in hospital at all. Prior to the pandemic, the NHS itself calculated that 2,500 beds were occupied because of delays in discharging people to care homes, and a further 2,500 beds were blocked because of delays in arranging community health services where people are looked after at home with the aid of carers. If these delays were eradicated, it could free up 5,000 beds about one in 28 beds in NHS hospitals in England. Obviously, discharging people into the care sector requires money to be spent there, but it costs a lot less to look after people in a care home than it does in an NHS acute bed. While the Health Service claims that each blocked bed costs it 400 a day, the average care home costs, according to Care UK, are 704 per week or just over 100 a day. Discharging all 5,000 patients into care homes could save 10.5 million per week or 546 million a year. STOP RELYING ON SO MANY AGENCY STAFF Saving: 360m If the NHS could trim just 15 per cent from the remaining spend on agency staff it would save 360 million a year. (Stock image) Prior to the pandemic, the NHS recognised that it was employing too many agency staff at inflated prices, and had reduced the annual bill from 3.7 billion in 2015/16 to 2.4 billion in 2019/20. In one case, in 2017, just five agency staff were found to have billed 2 million between them an average of 400,000 each. If the NHS could trim just 15 per cent from the remaining spend on agency staff it would save 360 million a year. PUT TEST AND TRACE OUT OF ITS MISERY Saving: 7bn Launched towards the end of the first lockdown in 2020, Test And Trace was supposed to help us return us to normal life by swiftly detecting people infected with coronavirus either by app or by a separate, telephone-based tracing system and alerting them to self-isolate. In 2020/21, 13.5 billion ended up being spent on the service but, on some days, as few as 11 per cent of staff were actually being utilised. (Stock image) Such were the claims made for the system that the Government allocated it a massive budget of 37 billion. Yet by September 2020 Sage scientists were saying that it was only making a 'marginal' difference and we ended up going into two more lockdowns. In 2020/21, 13.5 billion ended up being spent on the service but, on some days, as few as 11 per cent of staff were actually being utilised. A study found that as few as 18 per cent of people experiencing symptoms got a test and only 43 per cent fully complied with the requirement to self-isolate, though the figure was higher for those who had received a positive test. Those testing positive were supposed to give details of all their contacts but how could they possibly know the identity of people, say, whom they had sat next to on a train or bus? Test And Trace has now been subsumed into the new UK Health Security Agency, but it is still consuming public money which could be better used on NHS treatment. Of the 13.5 billion spent on Test And Trace last year, 1.8 billion was spent on tracing contacts. A further 10.4 billion was spent on testing including handing out 691 million free lateral flow tests. There is no data on how many of these are actually used other than that only 96 million test results were reported to the NHS. For all we know, some of these tests may be being collected for free from the NHS and fraudulently sold abroad. How about eliminating the tracing element of Test And Trace and cutting in half the money spent on tests? That would save an astonishing 7 billion a year. STOP WASTING MONEY ON HEAD-HUNTERS Saving: 2.5m In his report on NHS efficiency in 2016, Lord Carter of Coles found that NHS trusts spent 50,000 on recruitment agencies every time they recruited a chief executive yet most of the successful candidates were already working for the NHS at other trusts. Worse, chief executives were only staying in their posts for an average of two and a half years, with one in five spending less than a year in the job. It was creating a merry-go-round of executives hugely profitable for corporate recruitment companies, but costing the taxpayer 2.5 million a year. INCREASE STAFF PRODUCTIVITY Saving: 280m In 2019/20, the NHS spent 56.1 billion on staffing costs and only last week figures published by the Office for National Statistics showed that healthcare productivity decreased by 1.9 per cent in the financial year ending April 2020, following a drop of 0.4 per cent in the previous year. If the NHS could reverse this dismal trend, and productivity was to rise by just an extra 0.5 per cent, it would save 280 million a year. SPEND MORE WISELY ON MEDICAL SUPPLIES Saving: 400m The NHS necessarily spends a great deal of money on supplies, from medicines to bed sheets. Yet in many cases it is needlessly overpaying for them. The costs of drugs is by far the biggest bill incurred by the trusts, accounting for 16 billion of the 24billion they spend on supplies. The costs of drugs is by far the biggest bill incurred by the trusts, accounting for 16 billion of the 24billion they spend on supplies. (Stock image) But Lord Carter's 2016 report found that some trusts were spending 2.5 times as much on the same drugs as other trusts. It was the same story when it came to devices such as hip replacements. A study of 15 trusts found that the most profligate was spending more than twice as much for artificial hip joints as the most economical. It wasn't that the bigger spenders were getting a better class of device and nor was it a matter of economies of scale (some larger trusts were paying more than smaller ones). Lord Carter put the value of potential savings from procurement at 800 million a year. Some of these savings may have been made since he wrote his report, but if we assume, for the sake of argument, that half the them have yet to be made, there would still be scope to make economies of 400 million a year. STOP OVERPAYING FOR ESSENTIALS Saving: 350m NHS profligacy is not limited to medical equipment. NHS trusts have been found to be overpaying for the most basic supplies. An investigation into the issue found that one hospital trust, in Sunderland, was paying 66p for each toilet roll while another trust was procuring them for 34p each. But even that is more than anyone need pay. This week Aldi is selling packs of 16 working out at just 23p a roll. Lord Carter estimated the savings to be made from general procurement at 700 million. Again, let's be charitable and assume that half these costs have been made. That would still leave 350 million to be saved. CUT ADMIN COSTS Saving: 150m Lord Carter's NHS efficiency report also found an inexplicable variation in administration costs between NHS trusts with some spending 11 per cent of their budgets on it and others 6 per cent. If the worst offenders could cut their costs in line with the most efficient trusts, he estimated that it would save 300 million a year. Even if half of these costs have since been saved, the NHS could still save 150 million a year. MAKER BETTER USE OF BUILDINGS Saving: 1bn We are still paying through the nose for Tony Blair's hospital-building programme funded by the Private Finance Initiative (PFI), under which the design, build and operation of hospitals was farmed out to private companies. A report by the think-tank IPPR in 2019 found that by the time the last contract expires in 2050, taxpayers will have paid 80 billion for 13 billion worth of new hospitals. There isn't much the current Government can do about that, yet some hospitals still seem to have a lot of under-used space. A report by the think-tank IPPR in 2019 found that by the time the last contract expires in 2050, taxpayers will have paid 80 billion for 13 billion worth of new hospitals. (Stock image) Lord Carter's report found that while some hospitals had 'non-clinical space' amounting to 12 per cent of their total floor area, in one trust 69 per cent was not being used for clinical purposes. There was also a huge variation in the amount hospitals are spending on cleaning with some trusts spending 2.3 times as much per square metre as others. According to Lord Carter, better management of the NHS estate could save 1 billion a year. STOP PRESCRIBING ART AND DANCE CLASSES Saving: 90m 'Social prescribing', a policy based on prevention rather than cure, is a big part of the NHS's current plans. People with existing health conditions, mental health issues and other problems are all eligible to be referred to a 'link worker', whose job it is to find ways of keeping them healthy, by encouraging them to join a walking group or painting class, for example. By 2023/24 the NHS plans to have 900,000 patients receiving such help. Clearly, if people can be helped by enlivening their private lives, that is a good thing. But should the taxpayer really be paying for art classes when many people could surely pay their own way? Moreover, does social prescribing actually work? A report by the Universities of Manchester, Leeds and York reviewed academic work in the area and found 'little convincing evidence for either effectiveness or value for money'. Assuming the 900,000 people the NHS seeks to help with social prescribing by 2023/24 were each asked to pay 100 towards a term's worth of dance classes, it would save 90 million. Total savings: 12.2bn It is bad news for those who enjoy a swift pint or the occasional gin and tonic. But even fewer than the NHS recommended 14 units of alcohol a week could increase the risk of heart problems, if your tipple of choice is beer, cider or spirits. A study of more than 300,000 people found drinking wine appears to slightly reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death from a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack. Drinking less than the NHS recommended 14 units of alcohol a week could increase the risk of heart problems, if your tipple of choice is beer, cider or spirits The authors of the study say each additional pint-and-a-half of beer, at 4 per cent strength, is linked to a 23 per cent increased risk of suffering a cardiovascular event in drinkers who stay below the guideline limit But beer, cider and spirits increase the risk, especially of a stroke. Even moderate drinkers consuming these drinks, who keep below the recommended 14 units a week or six pints of average-strength beer do not appear to get away with it. The authors of the study say each additional pint-and-a-half of beer, at 4 per cent strength, is linked to a 23 per cent increased risk of suffering a cardiovascular event in drinkers who stay below the guideline limit. Dr Rudolph Schutte, who led the research from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, said: The idea of a health benefit from low to moderate alcohol consumption is the biggest myth since we were told smoking was good for us. Many studies have suggested alcohol drinkers have a lower risk of heart problems than those who do not consume it at all. But critics say this is because people often give up booze because of health issues, making them more likely to suffer such complications. The new research, looking at 333,259 drinkers from the UK Biobank study, got around this by analysing the participants without comparing them to non-drinkers. Every additional pint-and-a-half of beer in a week, or the equivalent increase in alcohol for cider, or one-and-a-half measures of spirits, was linked to a 24 per cent increased risk of a cardiovascular event. The risk was higher, at 23 per cent, even for people who stayed below 14 units a week of these drinks. But an extra 175ml glass of red, white or sparkling wine, at 13 per cent strength, was linked to an 8 per cent reduction in the risk of suffering a cardiovascular event leading to hospitalisation or an early death. Alcohol is known to increase the risk of heart problems, but the polyphenols in the grapes used to make wine may have some protective effects. The study, published in the Clinical Nutrition journal and looking only at those aged 40 to 69, found an increase in the wine people drank was not linked to a higher risk of having a stroke. But each rise in the amount of beer, cider and spirits someone had was linked to a 30 per cent greater risk of stroke. Tracy Parker, of the British Heart Foundation, said 14 units a week should not be seen as a target to aim for. She added: Drinking too much can also contribute to weight gain, which is a risk factor for high blood pressure and other circulatory diseases. This month the World Heart Federation said any level of drinking can lead to loss of healthy life in a bid to dispel the idea that a daily glass of wine may be good for you. A 17-year-old Philadelphia teenager was shot and killed on Wednesday afternoon as he was walking out of his high school. Student Christopher Braxton, 17, was near Bartram High School at the 2300 block of South 66th Street at around 3pm when an unidentified gunman opened fire and shot him twice. Braxton was taken to a local hospital after being struck in the chest where he was later pronounced dead. He had been a senior in high school and only lived a few blocks away from the scene of the shooting. Police have yet to identify the suspects involved and the motive for the incident. Bartram High School went into lockdown after shots had been fired in the area. 17-year-old high school senior Christopher Braxton was shot and killed on Wednesday after an unidentified gunman opened fire and shot him twice Braxton had been walking on the 2300 block of South 66th Street in Philadelphia at around 3pm on Wednesday at the time of the shooting Braxton had been a student at Bartram High School where he was walking from before the shooting The incident has since left the community shaken as students and residents now fear to walk outside their homes. 'People can't even go to school or go home without being shot at and it's very scary,' student Malika Hill told Fox 29 Philadelphia. Hill said she is 'upset' over Braxton's death as he had been one of her classmates. 'I know he was a good student...he was a very nice boy,' Hill continued. 'I had classes with him so once I heard about it I was very upset.' Bartram High School principal Brian Johnson has since announced that the institution will offer mental health counseling for both students and staff. Other residents have also spoke out as this killing marks the city's 39th homicide so far this year. 'Its crazy. Its crazy, something has to be done,' resident Raymond Howard also told the network. 'Its dangerous. Im scared to come home from work at night. I gotta look both ways, around.' Police have not identified any suspects or a motive for the incident as of yet Braxton was brought to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead after being shot in the chest Efforts have continued to stop gun violence on Philadelphia streets after 2021 saw a particularly violent year which saw 562 residents killed. A $1 billion federal proposal called the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods (VICTIM) Act was organized by a bipartisan group of four Congress members and Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw to help reduce gun violence in the city, according to NBC. The new proposal would help police raise their clearance rates for both fatal and non-fatal shootings over the course of the next decade as well as provide resources for victims and their families. In addition, the city also allocated $155 million in anti-violence spending in the last budget. However, State Senator Vincent Hughes believes that the city is not doing enough to stop the violence on Philadelphia streets. 'The city of Philadelphia is paying the cost for state gun laws that are not relevant to the reality that exists in Philadelphia.' Mayor Jim Kenney has twice denied to issue an emergency declaration for gun violence despite the city's rising homicide rate. Hughes teamed up with Governor Tom Wolf to increase state funding by $15 million for gun violence prevention programs but still claims more need to be done. 'That money deserves to be in communities and neighborhoods to invest in these neighborhood-based organizations, to give the commissioner what she needs to give the D.A. what he needs to give the public defenders,' he added. District Attorney Larry Krasner also said there needs to be investments for neighborhoods that have experienced a traumatic level of crime. 'This city was pretty good at taking resources out of those places, destabilizing them and getting them to the point where we have so much harm, 'Krasner said. 'We should all be pretty good at putting resources back.' As of Sunday, there has been a reported 4.3 percent decrease in overall crime with a 24.3 percent decline in homicides. More than 200,000 people have signed a petition to demand that two brothers are freed after they were charged with murder and had their bond set at $1million for reportedly killing their stepfather when they found out he was raping their nine-year-old half-sister. In just two days, 204,000 signatures were collected to call for the release of Christian and Alejandro Trevino, 17 and 18, and their friend and alleged accomplice Juan Eduardo Melendez, 18, from the Hidalgo County Jail. Christian, Alejandro and Juan were arrested by the Pharr Police Department in Pharr on Saturday for the brutal killing of Gabriel Quintanilla, 42, last Thursday. The Trevino brothers are said to be half-brothers from the same father. 'We ask that the state of Texas to release these teenagers, who could possibly spend the rest of their life in prison for protecting their sister,' Carlos Eduardo Espina, who started the petition, wrote on Change.org. 'The three teenagers are currently in custody and have their bonds set at over 1 million dollars each. If convicted of capital murder, they face a minimum sentence of life imprisonment without parole.' More than 200,000 have signed a petition calling for Alejandro and Christian Trevino and Juan Eduardo Melendez to be released from the Hidalgo County Jail. Christian Trevino (left) and Alejandro Trevino, 17 and 18, (right) were taking into custody on Saturday for the deadly beating of their stepfather, who had been accused of sexually assaulting their nine-year-old half-sister last Thursday. Christian Trevino faces capital murder, aggravated assault and engaging in organized criminal activity. His brother was charged with aggravated assault and engaging in organized criminal activity Juan Melendez aided the Trevino brothers in the savage beating of the boys' stepfather, Gabriel Quintanilla, who was accused of sexually assaulting their nine-year-old half-sister. Melendez was charged charged with capital murder, aggravated assault and engaging in organized criminal activity The Pharr Police Department said Quintanilla was beaten with brass knuckles and thrown into the flatbed of a pickup truck before the defendants abandoned his body in a McAllen field. Quintanilla suffered head trauma and police say he may have been alive when the brothers and their pal dumped his body. The incident unfolded when the Trevino brothers went looking for Quintanilla at a RV park residence after they had learned that he had allegedly inappropriately touched their sibling. The Pharr police said a fight ensued between the three men before Quintanilla took off running. Authorities say Christian Trevino ran after Quintanilla and cornered him in an apartment complex. Alejandro Trevino was joined by Melendez in the second beating of Quintanilla. The three teenagers left the scene of the assault to changed their vehicles and later went back to look for Quintanilla, who was spotted walking down a road. The Trevino brothers and Melendez then attacked Quintanilla for a third time and placed his body in the pickup truck. Both Christian Trevino and Melendez have been charged with capital murder, aggravated assault and engaging in organized criminal activity. Christian Trevino (left) Juan Eduardo Melendez (center) and Alejandro Trevino (right) were arrested Saturday. They remain in prison on $1million bonds Christian Trevino (left) and Juan Eduardo Melendez (standing at the door entrance) were both charged with capital murder, aggravated assault and engaging in organized criminal activity Christian Trevino (second from left to right in bottom left), Juan Eduardo Melendez (center) and Alejandro Trevino (third from the right) were arrested Saturday Alejandro Trevino was charged with aggravated assault and engaging in organized criminal activity. Pharr deputy police chief Juan Gonzalez said capital murder charges were not filed against Alejandro Trevino because Christian Trevino and Melendez were the ones who delivered the blows that eventually killed Quintanilla. Pharr police chief Andy Harvey revealed during a press conference Tuesday that Quintanilla had a 2019 arrest warrant for allegedly sexually abusing another minor. Quintanilla had sexually assaulted the girl between 2014 and 2016. 'He was being elusive, obviously hiding from us,' Harvey said. DailyMail.com contacted Carlos Eduardo Espina for comment. A resident has recalled the distressing moment she heard Kallista Mutten screaming and crying in the corridor of a western Sydney unit block after discovering the shocking details of how her nine-year-old daughter died. The woman, who asked not to be named, was at home on Tuesday when she heard a neighbour crying out in distress. 'I heard her yelling and crying...she was saying "I just found out my daughter was killed by a gun shot",' the neighbour said. The neighbour said she looked out her front door and saw a 'larger woman with pink hair', who matched the pictures she had seen in the media of schoolgirl Charlise Mutten's mother. Charlise's body was found stuffed in a barrel and dumped near the Colo River, in the Hawkesbury region, on January 18, five days after she was reported missing. Ms Mutten's fiance Justin Stein has been charged with murder. Mutten was consoled by another resident in the flat - which is owned and operated by a charity - as she tearfully revealed she was expecting a child with Stein But it was on Tuesday that police announced the findings of a post-mortem and that the little girl died from a gunshot wound. 'She was saying police never told her how her daughter actually died...until it was on the news,' the neighbour said. Ms Mutten only moved into the building this week following a lengthy stint in hospital under medical supervision after she suffered an 'episode' in the hours after reporting Charlise missing. The charity-run building houses single parents, pregnant women and vulnerable people needing urgent temporary accommodation. The neighbour said she then heard another woman in the building comfort Ms Mutten, who then tearfully revealed she was pregnant. 'I heard her say she's pregnant,' the neighbour said. Nine-year-old Charlise was allegedly shot once before her body was stuffed into a barrel and dumped in scrub near the Colo River Charlise was visiting her mother for the summer holidays when she was allegedly murdered by her mother's fiance Mutten's fiance Justin Stein remains in Silverwater Correctional Facility accused of her murder Mutten only moved into the building this week following a lengthy stint in hospital under medical supervision after she suffered an 'episode' in the hours after reporting Charlise missing Kallista Mutten (above) seen at Wildenstein after having a 'medical episode' which resulted in her being taken to Katoomba Hopsital for a week Daily Mail Australia can reveal Mutten started 'yelling and crying' in the corridors of the western Sydney unit where she's staying after police said in a press conference that Charlise died by bullet wound Ms Mutten was then spoken to by caretakers in the building, before going back inside her unit. Residents said they had not seen Ms Mutten in the days afterwards, but that it wasn't uncommon not to see people coming and going with so many entrances and exits. Detectives confirmed Ms Mutten is being treated as a witness in her daughter's tragic death, and had provided a lengthy statement. Charlise was allegedly murdered while holidaying with her mother in the NSW Blue Mountains. The mother and daughter had been staying with Stein at his family's estate Wildenstein in Mount Wilson, and partly at a caravan 50 minutes away. Mutten was unavailable to be interviewed in the early stages of the murder investigation because she was too traumatised and 'difficult to reach'. Her fiance, Stein (pictured together) was charged with murder Charlise usually resided with her doting grandmother (pictured together) in Coolangatta but was visiting her mother for the summer holidays Police said Charlise was alone in the care of Stein on the night of January 11 when she was allegedly murdered, and her body dumped in a blue barrel. Stein was arrested in the hours after the young girl's body was discovered, where he was staying with a mate in a block of 20 flats in Sydney's Surry Hills. The complex is strewn with furniture - and a series of bizarre handwritten notes are displayed on residents' front doors. Jason Tucker said Stein had not seemed stressed when he arrived at his home after Charlise's death, but told him he wanted to stay for a few days. 'Justin's never got a bad thing to say, he hasn't got a bad bone in his body,' Mr Tucker said. Justin Stein's friend Jason Tucker (pictured) who housed the alleged murderer for days said the accused killer was 'relaxed' and 'unconcerned' in the days leading to his arrest He said Stein's stay at the housing block, w was uneventful until police arrived to arrest him last Tuesday night. When officers stormed through Mr Tucker's front door to arrest Stein, it was 'scary' and 'alarming', he said. But the drama was quickly over. Stein was placed in handcuffs without commotion before asking his friend to call his mother to tell her to arrange a lawyer. Jason Tucker said Justin Stein just 'basically ate and slept' in the days after he left Mount Wilson. Above is the complex Mr Tucker lives in - and where Stein stayed in the days before Charlise's body was found The housing block in Surry Hills where Justin Stein stayed in the days before his arrest has forbidding signs and rubbish littering the halls of the 20 unit block When police arrived and stormed through the front door to come up to his flat (pictured) to arrest Stein, it had been 'scary' and 'alarming', Mr Tucker said South Korea on Friday expressed "deep regret" over Japan's push to nominate a former gold mine associated with wartime forced labor as a candidate for a UNESCO World Heritage site and called for its retraction. The foreign ministry lodged a protest after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced plans to nominate the controversial mine on Sado Island for the 2023 UNESCO heritage list. The decision is expected to be confirmed in a Cabinet meeting slated for Feb. 1, the application deadline. "Our government expresses deep regret over the Japanese government's decision to push for the Sado mine, where Koreans were forced to labor during World War II, despite our repeated warnings, and urged it to stop such attempts," ministry spokesperson Choi Young-sam said in a statement. (Yonhap) A woman convicted three times for homicide is back behind bars after being arrested for an alleged sexual crime. Regina Kaye Arthurell, 75, was arrested on Friday by police in Campbelltown, Sydney after a man, 55, reported several incidents of sexual touching last week. The pair know each other. Arthurell has been taken to Campbelltown Police Station and is expected to be charged. The woman is subject to a two-year extended supervision order after her prison term for the 1995 murder of former partner Venet Mulhall expired in May 2021. The convicted killer was released from Sydney's Long Bay jail in November last year, where she came out as transgender and changed her name from Reginald to Regina The ESO has more than 40 conditions, including requiring her to be subject to electronic monitoring despite her lawyers contending it was unnecessary and oppressive. Arthurell first killed in 1974, having committed the manslaughter of her stepfather Thomas Thornton who was said to have been very abusive. In 1981, she committed the manslaughter of naval officer Ross Browning in a Northern Territory robbery. Arthurell (above) was taken to Campbelltown police station in Sydney's south-west and is expected to be charged A few years after being released, she murdered Ms Mulhall by bludgeoning her to death with a piece of wood at her Coonabarabran home in central NSW. Alcohol was implicated in all of the killings, which were committed under her birth name Reginald Kenneth Arthurell before she came out as transgender in custody. Ms Mulhall's brother has long-held fears she will kill again. Arthurell is now blind in one eye and her other health problems include significant hand tremors. The mayor of New York, Eric Adams, is encouraging anyone who has crossed paths with Sarah Palin in the last couple of days to get tested for covid after the former Governor of Alaska tested positive for the virus, yet refused to quarantine. Palin, 57, was seen dining at two restaurants in Manhattan restaurants as well as walking along busy city streets. It forced the city's new mayor to urge New Yorkers who came into contact with her to get tested for the coronavirus. 'We encourage any New Yorker who came into contact with Sarah Palin to get tested, just as we encourage all New Yorkers to get tested regularly, especially those who believe they may have been exposed to COVID-19,' Adams said through spokesman Jonah Allon said. Palin was seen on Wednesday night with a group of friends, eating at around 10pm on the patio 'By repeatedly flouting CDC guidelines, Ms. Palin has shown a complete disregard for the health and safety of small business workers and her fellow patrons,' a spokesman for New York City Mayor, Eric Adams, said Palin ate at two Upper East Side restaurants on subsequent days despite being Covid positive 'By repeatedly flouting CDC guidelines, Ms. Palin has shown a complete disregard for the health and safety of small business workers and her fellow patrons,' Allon said. 'The city offers multiple resources to support isolation for those who test positive for COVID-19, and we encourage Ms. Palin to join the 98 percent of New Yorkers who report they have followed guidance on isolation and have helped New York City stop the spread.' Palin, who is a well-known anti-vaxxer, was seen on Wednesday night on the Upper East Side at Elio's Italian. She was joined by Ron Duguay, former New York Rangers player, 64, who shielded her from reporters on the sidewalk. She was eating her meal outside in an outdoor dining shelter however on her first visit to the same restaurant, on Saturday, she was seated inside. During her visit she is said to have failed to show any proof of vaccination despite such a document being mandated by the city in order to sit indoors. It was the second time in four days Palin ate at the Italian restaurant The former Alaska governor told a reporter that she was feeling fine on Wednesday night Sarah Palin is seen as she walks to the Upper East Side eatery, Elio's Palin is seen leaving the restaurant after her Wednesday night meal Had city inspectors visited the the venue at the time of Palin's visit, the restaurant could have been slapped with a $1,000 fine. Elio's, which opened in 1981 on Second Avenue at East 84th Street, is known for its famous clientele, which has included Tom Hanks, Joan Didion and Mick Jagger. New York City law bans anyone over the age of 12 from eating or drinking indoors at a restaurant if they are unvaccinated. The manager of Elio's, Luca Guaitolini, says staff 'made a mistake' by letting her dine inside on Saturday and that he is now looking in to what happened. Manager of the restaurant, Luca Guaitolini, said workers are attempting to move past the visit. 'It's unfortunate but we've moved on,' Guaitolini said to the Daily News. 'We've been answering all the questions since Wednesday.' Palin sat outside on Wednesday night, at Elio's semi-enclosed dining shed on the sidewalk 'We are taking this isolated incident - an unfortunate oversight - very seriously,' he said. 'Elio's adheres to and believes in the vaccine mandate, and all it is doing to protect our staff, regulars, and the dining public. 'Our focus right now is on the safety of our staff who worked the floor that night, and on our guests.' Palin also dined at nearby Campignola just blocks away from Elio's on Tuesday night. On that occasion, Palin also ate outside but she was spotted without any face covering on both occasions. She was also seen seen getting into a crowded SUV with other passengers without a face mask. It's not the first time Palin has contracted the disease. In the past she has vowed that any vaccine she would receive would be 'over my dead body.' On this occasion, Palin tested positive for COVID on Monday after being required to take a test in advance of her giving evidence at a trial for a defamation lawsuit she has against The New York Times. The trial has now been delayed until February 3. Sarah Palin is pictured at a December 2021 conference, where she said she would be vaccinated 'over my dead body' Last March, Palin told PEOPLE magazine that she and some of her family members tested positive for COVID-19, including her 12-year-old son Trig, who has Down's syndrome. Palin and her son 'buckled down in isolated quarantine' but then 'symptoms started overnight with a slight fever and sore muscles,' she said. 'As confident as I'd like to be about my own health, and despite my joking that I'm blessed to constantly breathe in the most sterile air, my case is perhaps one of those that proves anyone can catch this,' she said. The virus worked its way through her household, with her daughter first exhibiting symptoms, Palin said. The former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee tested positive for COVID-19 in March, as did members of her family. After her diagnosis, she encouraged the public to wear masks and take the pandemic seriously, but remained adamantly anti-vaccine 'One of my daughters awoke to having lost her sense of taste and smell [and] immediately had a positive COVID test, then was quarantined in isolation,' she said. After initially testing negative, Palin said she developed coronavirus symptoms 'overnight' and suffered a fever, muscle soreness and loss of taste and smell. It was unmistakable that 'COVID caught me,' she said. 'That day I finally tested positive like millions of other Americans,' she said. Palin then observed symptoms in son Trig. American diplomats have expressed fears that any sanctions imposed on Russia over potential conflict in Ukraine would ultimately be ineffective due to the amount of Russian wealth in London. The US, UK and a host of other NATO countries have promised to impose harsh sanctions on Russia should President Vladimir Putin proceed with an invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, and have delivered arms shipments to bolster Ukrainian forces. But US authorities are now concerned that Britain's threats to levy tough economic penalties against Putin are empty after years of allowing Russian kleptocrats to funnel what sources described as 'a hell of a lot of money' into 'Londongrad'. 'The fear is that Russian money is so entrenched in London now that the opportunity to use it as leverage against Putin could be lost,' a source in Washington told The Times. 'Biden is talking about sanctioning Putin himself but that can only be symbolic', the source asserted, claiming that billions in Russian cash is 'sitting in houses in Knightsbridge and Belgravia right under your government's noses.' It comes after a report by the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) in 2020 made damning claims that the capital was being used as a 'laundromat' for oligarchs' money which had bought a 'new normal' of Russian influence in the UK. A source in Washington told The Times that US diplomatic fear sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured) over a potential invasion of Ukraine would be ineffective because so much money from Russian elites has been allowed into the UK But US authorities are now concerned that Britain's threats to levy tough economic penalties against Putin are empty after years of allowing Russian kleptocrats to funnel what sources described as 'a hell of a lot of money' into 'Londongrad' (pictured: US President Joe Biden and Boris Johnson, Oct 2021) It comes after a report by the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) in 2020 made damning claims that the capital was being used as a 'laundromat' for oligarchs' money which had bought a 'new normal' of Russian influence in the UK Establishing an accurate estimate for the amount of Russian money in London is extremely difficult, as the overwhelming majority of Russian funds invested in Britain enter the country via offshore accounts in various other countries. But the ISC report found that Russian money has been flowing into the UK since the 90s, with investor schemes and relaxed regulations providing ideal conditions for kleptocrats to funnel tens if not hundreds of billions of pounds into the economy in return for a great deal of influence. The committee said 'few questions if any were asked about the provenance of this considerable wealth', and that 'several members of the Russian elite are identified as being involved with charitable and/or political organisations in the UK, having donated to political parties, which positions them to assist Russian influence operations.' There are now fears that the Government has left it too late to act, and are now unable - or perhaps even unwilling - to separate legitimate Russian investments from financial ploys for influence, despite Boris Johnson's claims his government will 'go after illicit finance and criminals who abuse our corporate structures' 'Biden is talking about sanctioning Putin himself but that can only be symbolic', the source asserted, claiming that billions in Russian cash is 'sitting in houses in Knightsbridge and Belgravia right under your government's noses,' a Washington source told the Times (President Biden pictured) There are now fears that the Government has left it too late to act, and are now unable - or perhaps even unwilling - to separate legitimate Russian investments from financial ploys for influence. Boris Johnson declared as recently as last month that his government would go after 'illicit finance that undermines democracy everywhere' and 'criminals who abuse our corporate structures'. But the unsettling statement from the Washington diplomatic source comes after Tory party anti-corruption head John Penrose on Tuesday said the Government had delayed an economic crime bill which would have prevented Russian elites from buying up property and making investments in London via offshore accounts. Penrose's accusations followed a day after junior minister Lord Agnew resigned due to the Government's 'foolish' decision to push the bill back until the next parliamentary year. Chair of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs committee Tom Tugendhat also expressed concern, declaring that 'protecting Britain means protecting us from foreign corruptions. 'We shouldn't need the US to call it out.' Though the US is concerned about the efficacy of any sanctions brought against Russia by the UK, the Government has appeared willing to offer military support to Ukraine. UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is understood to have requested a range of options from military chiefs in a bid to match the build-up of Moscows forces along the Ukrainian border. Following NATO talks yesterday, thousands of US troops are set to be deployed to Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. Washington has asked its allies, including Britain, to help provide additional manpower. The UK has already sent several shipments of arms to Ukraine, including a batch of NLAW anti-tank rockets, and has dispatched British military personnel to help train Ukrainian forces. Millions of students face more misery next month after 50,000 lecturers vowed to walk out again across 68 universities. Lectures will be cancelled and access to libraries potentially limited in the latest round of strikes, which will start on February 14 and end on March 2. The strikes which are being organised in a row over pensions, pay and working conditions come just a month after staff last launched industrial action. The University and College Union (UCU), which represents lecturers, said the strikes will be stopped if universities agree to a sector pay rise and to reverse pension scheme cuts. Millions of students face more misery next month after 50,000 lecturers vowed to walk out again across 68 universities UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: 'It is a damning indictment of the way our universities are managed that staff are being left with no option but to walk out again' UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: 'It is a damning indictment of the way our universities are managed that staff are being left with no option but to walk out again.' But Universities UK, which represents university employers, said the strikes were not having 'the desired effect'. The UCU said further strikes are 'on the cards', including a UK-wide strike on pay and working conditions as well as plans for a nationwide boycott of marking and assessment. 'The NUS is calling for higher and further education to be free at the point of use for students and for staff to get better working conditions, pay and pensions,' the UCU said. On Wednesday, the UCU announced if its proposals on pensions were heard, this offered a 'way out' of imminent strike action. It called for new pension proposals to be formally tabled and voted on and for the financial health of the USS pension scheme to be evaluated, as well as for employers to pay more towards the scheme from April 2023. Raj Jethwa, chief executive of UCEA, which represents employers in the pay dispute, said: 'It is disappointing for UCU to try to ask a minority of its members to take action again over the pay uplift from last August. 'It is important to remember that only a quarter of branches reached the legal threshold for industrial action in UCU's most recent ballot. In terms of staff participation and teaching lost, the impact of industrial action so far has been fairly low in most higher education institutions, and even below the levels seen in the 2019 dispute. 'Rather than continuing this disruption, UCU should engage constructively in this year's (2022-23) multi-employer negotiating round which is planned to begin at the end of March.' Citizens Advice have warned that it will leave vulnerable people without access to vital services like paying their utility bills by mail Two post offices a week have been closed during the past two years Post offices are at breaking point after two a week were closed in the past two years, according to Citizens Advice. The consumer watchdog said one woman who relied on post offices to pay bills and top up her energy meter was reported to have moved house following the closure of her local office. Citizens Advice was also contacted by a man whose 90-minute journey to a post office left him facing fines by his utility companies for overdue bills, because he could travel only once a week. More than 200 Post Offices have closed in the last two years, the equivalent of two a week, according to new research Citizens Advice chief executive Dame Clare Moriarty said: Were losing two post offices a week, and outreach services often arent an adequate replacement. The Post Office said it did not accept that the Citizens Advice comments accurately reflect our network of 11,500 post offices. The study found that 1,291 Post Offices are temporarily closed despite more than half of these being shut for more than two years. And one in three rural Post Offices is now offered as a part-time outreach service and open on average for just five-and-a-half hours a week. People have reported spending more time and money accessing Post Office services but also felt more isolated since their local office was shut, according to Citizens Advice. Dame Clare added: Post Offices sit at the centre of our communities. They help many small businesses thrive, stop already isolated communities being cut off entirely, and enable people to carry out essential tasks, like paying bills, but theyre at breaking point. Millions of parents dread helping their children with maths homework because they struggle with the subject themselves, a survey found. Some 47 per cent of parents find maths the toughest subject when assisting children under 16. Just one in four can answer questions about algebra confidently, while equations leave 35 per cent stumped. Even times tables flummox 14 per cent. Just one in four can answer questions about algebra confidently, while equations leave 35 per cent stumped The poll found maths the subject which made parents most anxious followed by science, languages, English and history. The average parent spends 37 minutes a week helping their child with homework with 61 per cent relying on the internet for answers. However, the survey showed youngsters lose interest after just 23 minutes of home study. Education expert Dr Laura Outhwaite, of University College London, said research showed that parental anxiety can hinder childrens progress in maths and may make them feel anxious about maths too. The survey by OnePoll for Akribian, creators of a new maths app called Count on me!, also found that four in five parents think it is equally important to make sure their children are good at both reading and maths. Just over a third (34 per cent) of parents said their English literacy skills at school were excellent, but out of all the subjects, 42 per cent find maths the most difficult. Some 68 per cent of parents are worried helping their child with their homework might leave them more confused. Half of those polled admitted to having maths anxiety, with 40 per cent feeling the same about reading. They survey also found that 52 per cent of parents believe children are expected to learn too much these days. Dr Laura Outhwaite, from University College London, said: There are many challenges for successfully supporting childrens mathematical learning and development, and parents anxieties around their own maths abilities is one of them. This may lead to parents feeling worried or nervous when helping children with their homework. Research shows this can hinder childrens progress in maths and may make them feel anxious about maths too. A powerful nor'easter that could to turn into a bomb cyclone threatens to put parts of New England under two to three feet of snow, while burying New York City with up to a foot this weekend. Officials along the East Coast begged drivers to stay off the roads in hopes of avoiding the traffic nightmare that befell motorists in Virginia after extreme weather hit earlier this month. The latest major winter storm, which will develop off the Carolina coast late this week, could potentially strengthen as it moves along the East Coast into a bomb cyclone, which occurs when the central pressure of a storm crashes by 0.71 of an inch or more within 24 hours, Accuweather.com reported. The storm has yet to form and won't until Friday, but still 'confidence is increasing that a significant winter storm will create considerable impacts Friday through the weekend from the Mid-Atlantic through the Northeast,' the Weather Prediction Center said on Tuesday. Regardless, the heaviest snowfall is expected farther up north in Boston and New England, which will be 'clobbered' with as much as two feet of snow, according to Accuweather. There is a chance the storm could be the biggest January snowfall ever in Boston and a top five all-time storm for the area. The heaviest snowfall is expected farther up north in Boston and New England, which could come close to 18 inches and as much as two feet of snow Wind gusts are likely to reach 30-50 mph, with peak winds nearing 50-70 mph in the Boston-area People from Providence, Rhode Island, to Portsmouth, New Hampshire to Portland, Maine could be faced with up to three feet of the white stuff. 'Boston is within the bull's-eye of some of the worst conditions expected, and into Maine,' meteorologist Mary Gilbert told the New York Post. 'They're going to have very strong winds as well, so travel is going to be very difficult.' The first winter storm watches were issued for parts of eastern Massachusetts on Wednesday at 3 p.m. -- some 57 hours before they were set to go into effect at 12 a.m. on Saturday. New York City could get anywhere between 8 and 12 inches of snow, and parts of eastern Long Island may see up to 18 inches before the 'quick-hitting' storm leaves the region. But forecasters remain cautious and said any small shift in the storm's track to the east or west could mean the difference between manageable snowfall or a blizzard in the Big Apple, Accuweather reported. Snowfall is expected to reach the New York area between midnight Friday and 2 a.m. Saturday, with wind gusts up to 45 mph, according to AccuWeather. New York City's Office of Emergency Management told residents to start planning for the storm Thursday. 'Make sure your household disaster plan is ready and all members of your household are familiar with how to contact one another in an emergency,' the department wrote on Twitter. 'Winterize your Go Bag by adding a blanket, warm socks and gloves.' Winter storm watches have been issued from the mid-Atlantic to southeastern New England in advance of a nor'easter that is set to charge up the East Coast Friday night into Sunday. As it chugs along, the storm will strengthen into a bomb cyclone and a full-blown blizzard will ensue in eastern New England As of Wednesday forecasters are confident that southern New England will face the most significant impacts As of Thursday, forecasters were confident that southern New England will face the most significant impacts. 'This is going to be an intensifying storm that will produce a lot of wind, which raises concerns for blowing and drifting snow, power outages and blizzard conditions in some areas,' AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said. 'There is also a serious coastal flooding and beach erosion threat, especially in eastern Massachusetts. The heavy snow will potentially hit the Interstate-95 corridor from Virginia to NYC, possibly affecting travel with the risk of accidents and traffic along the highway. Friday night through the early part of Saturday should see the heaviest travel delays. Boston, JFK, Newark, LaGuardia and Philadelphia airports stand the highest risk for delays and cancelations, according to the Weather Channel All airports should be in the clear by early Sunday morning. New Yorkers are no stranger to snowfall, as Times Square in January of 2014 shows New Yorkers remember not so fondly the 'bomb cyclone' that walloped the east coast in January of 2018 'It is becoming more likely that it will bring significant snow, sleet and freezing rain to the region, including the I-95 metropolitan areas,' the Weather Prediction Center added. Accuweather forecasters recommend avoiding travel across New England during the storm on Saturday and Sunday night as the storm is likely to maintain its intensity for about eight to 12 hours. The last notable nor'easter to hit the Northeast came in October, and hammered the area with powerful winds and heavy rains that left more than 600,000 homes and businesses without power at one point, USA Today reported. Earlier, this month hundreds of motorists were stranded 27 hours on I-95 without food or water after a 50-mile stretch of the highway south of DC was blanketed in nearly a foot of snow and ice as temperatures dipped to the teens. A man wrongly convicted of murder has been released from jail after 20 years, after his twin brother confessed to the crime. Kevin Dugar, 44, was finally released from Cook County Jail, in Chicago, on Wednesday - nine years after his twin brother Karl Smith, also 44, confessed to the gang-related 2003 slaying in a letter to Dugar in 2013. 'I have to get it off my chest before it kills me,' Smith wrote in 2013. 'So I'll just come clean and pray you can forgive me.' Despite the confession, a judge denied Dugar a retrial in 2018 as Smith admitted to the murder while serving a 99-year sentence for a 2008 home invasion that left a six-year-old child with a gunshot wound to the head. Scroll down for video Kevin Dugar, 44, (left) spent 20 years in jail for a 2003 gang-related murder he didn't commit. His twin brother Karl Smith, also 44, (right) admitted to the murder in a letter to his brother in 2013 Dugar, 44, was released from Cook County Jail, in Chicago, on Wednesday Smith even signed a sworn statement and contacted Dugar's lawyers, per his brother's request, but Dugar was still denied a retrial or release. He testified that he left a party and went to buy weed when the shooting happened and he and his friend drove off to a liquor store before returning home. He would later change and then go out clubbing with his brother. He later confessed he didn't come forward during his brother's trial because he didn't think he'd be convicted. Dugar's lawyer Rob Safer (right) said they hope they don't retrial his clients case He was released from Cook County Jail on Wednesday evening After being convicted for the home invasion, he claimed he found God in prison and had to make things right. Nevertheless, the judge found Smith's confessional 'completely unreliable,' as the two reportedly used to pretend to be each other and said there was 'a pattern of misdirection and deceit.' Up until eighth grade, the twins dress alike and shared socks, shoes and even sandwiches, their mother said in 2016, and were often viewed as 'one person.' Smith even had trouble identifying himself in photos presented at the testimony in 2016. Their mother Judy Dugar, whose maiden name is Smith, was at the Smith's testimony that year and was reportedly hurt by the prosecution not believing her son's confession. 'He wouldn't lie about that,' she said. However, the ruling was later overturned by the Court of Appeals after the Center on Wrongful Convictions appealed the case. A new judge said a jury would more than likely change the verdict upon hearing new evidence, the Chicago Tribune reported. Smith testified in 2016 to the murder, stating: 'I'm here to confess to a crime I committed that he was wrongly accused of.' Dugar lawyer Ron Safer has since said they do not want Dugar's case retried, according to ABC 7. 'This case is in a very different situation than it was 20 years ago,' Safer said at a press conference. 'Everybody knows much more about it.' Dugar will be staying at a residential transitional facility for 90 days, per the conditions of his release and was met with family outside of the jail. A 15-year-old teenager known as 'the boy in the skirt' will not have to register as a sex offender after he was convicted of two sexual assaults at separate high schools in Loudoun County, Virginia. The unidentified male student previously pled 'no contest' after he was found guilty on two counts of sodomy for an assault in May at Stone Bridge High School and another in October at Broad Run High School. He was placed on probation by Judge Pamela Brooks on January 12 and has since remained in custody at the juvenile rehabilitation center. The boy was initially meant to be placed on the adult sex offender registry before his attorney intervened claiming that prosecution did not submit a motion requesting it. Following the hearing, Brooks agreed to drop the registration request on the grounds that her ruling could change depending on if any major developments happen prior to the boy's release. Judge Pamela Brooks ruled that the 'boy in the skirt' will not be placed on the sex offender registry after he was previously found guilty of sexually assaulting two girls in separate incidents at high schools in Loudoun County, Virginia The two sexual incidents caused outrage in the community and controversy over transgender bathroom policies The boy had sexually assaulted the first victim in a bathroom at Stone Bridge High School (left) on May 28 before being transferred to Broad High School (right) following the incident where he inappropriately touched another girl in a classroom on October 6 Over the course of the ruling, Loudoun County Commonwealth Attorney Buta Biberaj had argued that putting the boy on the sex offender registry list 'would keep him safe hed know where he can go and cannot go, and also keep the community safe.' She also argued that despite the boy's age she could now rest the decision based on mental 'immaturity.' In response, the defense argued that the prosecution did not file a motion for the boy to be placed on the registry list prior to the former ruling. Brooks agreed but offered the prosecution to file their own written motion to continue arguing for the sex offender registration. The boy's lawyers and probation officer opposed the registration as they believed he was still considered to be too young. Jason Bickmore, the probation officer, said that registering the boy would only provide a higher risk of him committing similar offenses down the line as evidence with past cases. However, Biberaj said she understood that putting the boy's name on the registration list could affect his future and would only require him to be placed on it until he turned 30. Loudoun County Commonwealth Attorney Buta Biraj argued that putting the boy on the sex offender registry would keep himself and the community safe The boy previously plead 'no contest' after he was found guilty on two counts of sodomy for the sexual assaults One of the boy's lawyers Caleb Kershner said that his client had already received significant media attention. He also questioned the county's method of handling the case as the boy had been transferred from Stone Bridge to Broad Run after information about the first incident got out. It was later revealed the decision to transfer the boy was based on a decision by the school system's Title IX officer following an investigation. Prosecution argued that he was transferred due to the evidence still being processed for the first assault. Kershner ended his argument saying that his client was remorseful over the situation and shaken over the media attention the case received over the course of the past few months. 'We are setting him up for failure,' he said. 'Weve never concentrated on (the boy) were not even giving this young man a chance.' Brooks then made her decision and said that the court had made a previous error with the ruling therefore declining the motion to have the boy register on the sex offender list. The decision was later met with scrutiny from the father of the Stone Bridge victim Scott Smith as he reportedly swore at the boy's parents and the attorneys. The father of the Stone Bridge victim Scott Smith was detained by police after he was involved in a fight over transgender bathroom policies at a Loudoun County Board Meeting The first victim's parents Scott and Jeff Smith (pictured together) Smith had previously criticized the district for their handling of his daughter's sexual assault case and have even threatened to file a lawsuit. On behalf of the family, Smith released a statement to DailyMail.com in response to the ruling. 'My wife and I are not just heartbroken about today's ruling, we are quite frankly mad at how the justice system and the Loudoun Commonwealth's attorney have let down both our daughter, as well as the other victims of his predatory actions,' Smith stated. 'The person who committed these horrible crimes against these young women will now, due to the errors of the county prosecutor, not have to bear the permanent shame at being known as a lifetime registered sex offender, as he had been originally sentenced. 'We are now concerned, more than ever, that this change in his legal status may put other parents daughters at risk of physical harm in the future. 'Despite todays ruling, we continue to be committed to making sure that justice prevails in our daughters case, both now and in the future.' The case had sparked national attention after he publicly lashed out following the rape of his daughter. Smith was even dragged out of a school board meeting after he lashed out at the board for their 'woke' transgender bathroom policies. After attacking Smith's daughter, the boy was transferred to another school where, in October, he dragged another girl into an empty classroom and touched her breasts. On October 25, the teen was found guilty for the May 28 sexual assault at Stone Bridge High School. The judge 'substantiated' charges of forcible sodomy and forcible fellatio, the juvenile equivalent of a conviction. He was sent back to juvenile detention, pending a hearing November 15 on the second case which occurred at Broad Run High School. In October, the mother of the convicted boy revealed her son doesn't identify as a female, and that his skirt was a disguise to slip into the girl's bathroom. Speaking exclusively with DailyMail.com, the mom, who asked not to be identified for the sake of her underage son, defended his actions as that of a heterosexual, hormonal teen who, in the case of the rape, had consensual sex with the girl twice before. 'He's a 15-year-old boy that wanted to have sex in the bathroom, with somebody that was willing,' she declared, sitting in an empty kitchen in her townhouse in Loudoun County, Virginia. 'And they're twisting this just enough to make it a political hot button issue.' The case became the searing tip of a raging debate in Loudoun County over transgender students' rights and parents' freedom of speech Outraged parents are pictured at the meeting where the victim's father was dragged out and arrested. His mother said his actions were that of a heterosexual, hormonal teen, who had consensual sex with the girl twice before The school board has been routinely accused of pushing an ultra-liberal agenda on kids and parents and silencing those who disagree with them. The scandal even entered Virginia's race for governor, giving life to the campaign of Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin who accused the Loudon school board of a coverup while warning, 'What tragedy next awaits our children?' Despite his androgynous style and declaration that he's 'pansexual,' the boy's mother insisted he isn't the gender fluid boogeyman in a culture war about transgender policies. 'He would wear a skirt one day and then the next day, he would wear jeans and a t-shirt, a Polo or hoodie,' she explained. 'He was trying to find himself and that involved all kinds of styles. I believe he was doing it because it gave him attention he desperately needed and sought.' At the same time, she concedes her son is deeply troubled, acknowledging his extensive history of misbehavior that included sending nude photos of himself to a girl in fifth grade. She reached her own breaking point with the him in early October when he phoned her from the juvenile detention center following his second arrest. 'He asked me how I was doing, and I said, ''I'm broken, I'm shattered, you shattered me,'' the mom recalled. ''Do you have any idea what you've done to me, what you've done to your family? 'And his response was, ''No, what did I do?'' she said. A walkout was staged at the Loudoun County High School to protest sexual assault She had been his primary point of contact, with his dad living in New Jersey. 'At that point, I was like, 'You know what? I love you, I always will, I will do everything I can to always be there for you in any capacity possible,' she said. 'But I told him - 'You need to call your father for now on. Do not call me. I need to heal, and I need you to figure this out for yourself.' She said the politics surrounding the case has gotten out of hand. 'What are they trying to do?' she asked. 'Did they hire an investigator to dig up everything and ruin him for the rest of his life?' The mother made no secret of the fact her son had been repeatedly suspended for misbehavior, including fist fights with classmates. 'He's been a challenging child his whole life, which I've dealt with myself,' the mother said. 'My son's gone through multiple forms of counseling and therapy, resources here, at school, friends, family. It's been 15 years of hell trying to get him to do better and be better.' Boris Johnson was nicknamed the 'greased piglet' by David Cameron for his ability to slip out of the trickiest corners. Now mired in the Partygate controversy a calamitous mess of his own making and facing a police investigation, would many bet against him pulling off another incredible act of political escapology? The Daily Mail certainly hopes he succeeds. Of course, the lockdown-busting soirees at No10 shouldn't have happened and he bears ultimate responsibility. But the Prime Minister has shown sincere regret. And surely his stellar achievements vanquishing Jeremy Corbyn, getting Brexit done, delivering the vaccine and ensuring the UK is the first major country to regain our freedoms have more than earned him a second chance. Would many bet against Boris Johnson pulling off another incredible act of political escapology? To survive, he must refocus and redirect all his efforts to rebuilding public trust. Top of the list should be the symbolic spiking of the ill-conceived national insurance hike. That would generate huge goodwill while easing the punishing financial toll on families and business. The 13billion saved from lower borrowing could fund social care and cutting the NHS backlog. Mr Johnson should also heed ally Lord Frost, the former-Brexit minister, and clear out the neo-socialists, green fanatics and pro-woke advisers from Downing Street. Tougher policies to tackle Channel migrants, the flawed Northern Ireland protocol and energy self-sufficiency will reconnect him with millions of voters. With London crowned the world's leading financial centre, the economy booming and Plan B curbs finally axed, the country is on a glorious trajectory out of the pandemic. But only if Boris lets his inner Tory flourish can Britain truly prosper and his ailing leadership and popularity recover. Mrs Peloton's perks The Civil Service prides itself on being a bureaucratic Rolls-Royce. The truth is, all too often it performs like an obstinate old banger for its elected Tory drivers stalling radical reform. But it's still eye-wateringly expensive to maintain. Today, we reveal how a staggering 600 Whitehall mandarins and quango fat cats earn more than 150,000, with gold-plated pensions to match. Whatever happened to the time when Sir Humphrey lived modestly and conscientiously in the selfless service of Her Majesty's Government? Sarah Healey, permanent secretary at the Department for Culture, epitomises their enviable lifestyles. Reluctant to give up working from home full-time (boasting of hopping on her Peloton exercise bike in spare moments), she still enthusiastically accepts freebies: VIP tickets to the Brits and Euro 2020. She would doubtless argue that these were important opportunities for making and maintaining contacts. At a time when many in the private sector (which creates the wealth to pay lavish public sector salaries) are seeing shrinking living standards, it is outrageous that mandarins are living so high on the hog. Charter for crime Crime, we are told, doesn't pay. But damning figures explain why countless offenders treat the warning with contempt. Despite a frightening rise in crime in 'Wild West Britain', only a pathetic one in 16 ever ends in a charge or summons. Is it any wonder criminals are emboldened? Like a cracked record, the police blame cuts for feeble detection rates. Yet they have shown a dangerously questionable attitude to their job of protecting the public. While teenagers are murdered in the streets and record numbers of women raped, can Scotland Yard really justify wasting time and money investigating whether officials enjoyed a slice of birthday cake in Downing Street during lockdown? China to explore more in space science next five years: white paper Xinhua) 13:51, January 28, 2022 BEIJING, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- China will carry out more space science exploration in the next five years, according to a white paper on the country's space activities released Friday. The white paper, titled "China's Space Program: A 2021 Perspective," was released by the State Council Information Office. It says that China will continue with the research and development of programs such as the satellite for space gravitational wave detection, the Einstein probe satellite, and the advanced space-based solar observatory, among others, focusing on the subjects of the extreme universe, ripples in time and space, the panoramic view of the sun and the earth, and the search for habitable planets. It also says that China will continue to explore frontier areas and research into space astronomy, heliospheric physics, lunar and planetary science, space-Earth sciences, and space physics, to generate more original scientific findings. China will also make use of space experiment platforms such as the Tiangong space station, the Chang'e lunar probe series, and the Tianwen-1 Mars probe to conduct experiments and research on biology, life, medicine, and materials, to expand humanity's understanding of basic science, according to the white paper. Focusing on scientific questions such as the origin and evolution of the universe, and the relationship between the solar system and humanity, China has launched multiple programs to explore space and conduct experiments, advanced research on basic theories, and incubated major research findings. The Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) Satellite obtained the precise measurements of the energy spectrums of cosmic ray electrons, protons and the GCR helium. The Huiyan (Insight) Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope was successfully launched. Led by its lunar exploration program, China has achieved significant advances in the comprehensive surveying of the moon's geology and subsurface structure. In planetary exploration, China has built a deeper understanding of the geological evolution of Mars by conducting analysis of its surface structure and soil and the composition of its rocks, said the white paper. With the help of the Shenzhou spacecraft series, the Tiangong-2 space laboratory, and the Shijian-10 satellite, China has achieved mammalian embryonic development in space and in-orbit verification of the world's first space cold atom clock, expanded the understanding of the mechanisms behind particle segregation in microgravity, pulverized coal combustion, and material preparation, and achieved research findings in space science of international standing. China also made achievements in space physics with the help of Mozi, the world's first quantum communication satellite, according to the white paper. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) The People Power Party's presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol, left, and his wife Kim Kun-hee at Cheong Wa Dae in July 2019. Joint Press Corps. Fortune-tellers swirl around presidential candidates By Ko Dong-hwan On Jan. 19, prosecutors launched an investigation of the main opposition People Power Party's (PPP) presidential candidate, Yoon Suk-yeol, for violating the country's election laws, leaking confidential government information, and abusing his authority to undermine law enforcement. The allegations, brought by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) election camp, relate to how Yoon, then-prosecutor general, in February 2020 ordered police not to search the headquarters of Shincheonji, a fringe church blamed for a major cluster infection resulting in over 5,200 COVID-19 cases in Daegu early that year, by breaking national pandemic prevention regulations. The DPK camp, basing the charges on a report from local daily Segye Ilbo, said Yoon had deliberately not made the order because an alleged fortune-teller named Geonjin advised him not to "get your hands dirty with unnecessary blood." The PPP denied the accusation, saying that Yoon hadn't authorized the warrant after listening to the country's central pandemic control tower, which strongly objected to the order because it would cause the church members to go into hiding, complicating efforts to track them to help locate potential infection routes. Mounting reports suggested that Geonjin's relationship with Yoon and his wife Kim Kun-hee went deeper than the couple reluctantly admitted. A newly discovered business card issued by Kim's exhibition planning firm, Covana Contents, in 2014 showed Geonjin's name on it as the firm's "adviser." He has also been confirmed to have attended an event hosted by Kim as a VIP in 2015. The controversial seven-hour phone conversation records between Kim and an online news reporter, leaked by the latter early this month, revealed that Kim and Yoon have been close to the fortune-teller for a long time. But Yoon kept distancing himself from these allegations, saying, "I've never heard of him being the adviser," and, "I don't know how he attended that event." DPK lawmakers condemned Yoon for repeatedly providing false explanations despite undeniable proof to the contrary and demanded that he clarify who his "secret advisers" are (the DPK argued there is more than one shaman working behind-the-scenes in Yoon's election camp). "Yoon and his election camp must think people are so gullible," Rep. Woo Sang-ho of the DPK said on a TBS radio show on Jan. 24. "It's clear that Geonjin has a close friendship with both Yoon and Kim. If Yoon gets elected, the shaman will start intervening in government affairs. That's how a secret influencer manipulates politics from behind a curtain." A shamanism scandal also affected DPK presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung's election camp, when the conservative daily, Chosun Ilbo, reported that the camp on Jan. 4 had launched a new committee comprising 17 religious leaders to appeal to the public better. The report said that one of the leaders was a well-known "prophet" who heads the country's official association of prophets and correctly prophesied all the presidents of Korea from the 13th (late Roh Tae-woo, elected in 1988) to the 18th (Park Geun-hye, elected in 2013). The DPK camp admitted to inviting the leader in question to the camp, saying, "The teacher has been publicly active among the past presidents and political inner circles for decades. The shamans in Yoon's camp, on the other hand, just came out of nowhere." According to a 2019 tally from Statistics Korea, there are 10,745 registered prophets and shamans in the country. But it is believed that there are substantially more because many in the profession operate without business licenses. A prophet cited by daily newspaper The JoongAng said, "In past presidential elections, prophets and shamans quietly supported candidates. This year is different in that some shamans buzzing around certain candidates, flaunting themselves and their presence, have been made known to the public." He added that 90 percent of the prophets and shamans who appear during presidential elections are frauds. Shamanism in Korean politics dates back to the country's first president, Rhee Syngman (1952-1960), who changed his name following a shaman's advice to "become a president at a late age," and became president at age 73. A prophet foretold former President Park Chung-hee's death 20 years before he was shot and killed by one of his closest aides in 1979, and Chun Doo-hwan's mother had three of her teeth pulled out after a monk told her, "Your three front teeth will block your son's future career." Russia's ambassador to Australia has warned his host country against backing Ukraine in its military stand-off with its larger neighbour, saying such western support risked sparking a war. In a rare media conference on Friday, Alexey Pavlovsky said it was western nations and not Russia that was pushing for a conflict and that Moscow's decision to mass 100,000 troops on the border was not aggressive. 'When the western countries now, including Australia, are expressing their support, either verbally or in material terms, or by sending arms to Ukraine, they embolden Kyiv to continue their line of sabotage,' Mr Pavolvsky said. 'We think that such expressions of support are very dangerous because they lead to provocations, they lead to war.' The ambassador challenged claims by Australian reporters that Russia's gathering of troops and military hardware on its border with Ukraine meant war was imminent. 'Our troops are not a threat, they are a warning to Ukraine not to try any reckless military adventures, not to interpret the support they have from the West as carte blanche to do such crazy things,' Mr Pavlovsky said. The roots of the current standoff go back to 2014 when a U.S.-backed protest movement within Ukraine escalated to the point that the Russia-friendly elected president was ousted from power and a new government installed. Russia then reacted by annexing the Crimea region of Ukraine - home to Russia's Black Sea naval fleet - and also the Donbass region in the southeast of the country which was mainly inhabited by Russian speakers loyal to Moscow. An uneasy ceasefire has existed over recent years, but tensions heightened in 2021 when the NATO western military alliance held war games in Ukraine, preparing for conflict with Russia. Russia responded by moving troops and military ordnance to the border, clearly indicating what would await Ukraine if NATO went ahead with plans to admit the country as a member. Mr Pavlovsky said putting Russian troops along the border was the country's sovereign right. 'There's no aggression because our troops are on our territory. OK? Is that OK?,' he said. 'Every state has every right to place troops on its territory wherever and whenever it wishes. It's a sovereign right.' Mr Pavolvsky said he was holding the press conference to correct a 'Batman versus Joker' version of events he believed Australians were receiving. Russia's ambassador to Australia Alexey Pavlovsky told local reporters that his country's build up of troops along the border with Ukraine was a 'warning', not an 'act of aggression' In a wide-ranging address, in which he quoted John Lennon and mentioned how Australia had been lured into supporting the invasion of Iraq on a 'fake pretext' of the non-existent weapons of mass destruction, Mr Pavolvsky said it was the U.S. that was precipitating this security crisis. Mr Pavlovsky recounted how senior US state department official Victoria Nuland was caught on phone recordings organising the ousting of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych in 2013 and installing a pro-western government. 'Who was it - who was that US official?' Mr Pavlovsky asked the assembled reporters. 'Nuland. Yes, it was Victoria Nuland.' 'Nuland was giving (protesters) biscuits, the US was pressurising Yanukovych not to use force against the protesters.' Victoria Nuland is now Under-Secretary of State in the Biden administration. Russian leader Vladimir Putin has claimed Russia does not plan to invade Ukraine - ambassador Pavlovsky said Russia was concerned about ethnic cleansing in the Donbass region in the south-east of the country Mr Pavlovsky said his country was concerned about ethnic cleansing of the Russian-speaking population from the Donbass region. 'We as a responsible people could not afford having Donbass suppressed militarily by the Ukrainian government,' he claimed. 'We cannot afford ethnic cleansing just across our border.' Diplomatic talks have taken place without a breakthrough but both the US-led NATO military alliance and Russia have kept the door open to further dialogue. The US has asked the United Nations Security Council to meet next Monday to discuss Russia's 'threatening behavior' against Ukraine and its troop build-up. A 16-year-old aspiring rapper and alleged gang member charged with shooting a New York City cop in the Bronx is walking free on bond Thursday, infuriating the union representing NYPD officers. Camrin Williams - aka C Blu - was locked up in a Brooklyn juvenile detention center on gun and assault charges for shooting Officer Kaseem Pennant, 27, on January 18. Just nine days later, he posted the $250,000 bail using money from his record deal advance on his contract with Interscope Records and has walked free. Williams clashed with police officers last week when they responded to reports of unrest and he refused to comply with their orders to remove his hands from his pockets. He began fighting with one of the officers and during the tussle, he accidentally shot Pennant - a single bullet struck and wounded Pennant and hit Williams in the groin. Pennant was released from the hospital just hours later on January 19. Williams, identified as a member of a subset of the Crips, who is already on probation for a 2020 gun possession arrest, was also taken to hospital before being taken to juvenile detention. NYPD Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch said cases like this are why New York City's crime rate has skyrocketed, up 34 percent since the start of 2022. Camrin Williams - aka C Blu - was locked up in Brooklyn on gun and assault charges Williams, seen here in the hospital, is free on bail after his gun went off and hit both himself and an NYPD officer in a scuffle Officer Kaseem Pennant left the hospital to the cheers of his fellow officers a day after the shooting The weapon recovered that allegedly went off, firing one bullet, during the fracas Police on the scene on East 187th Street in the Bronx 'If anybody wants to know why we have a crisis of violence in this city, or why we're about to bury two hero police officers, look no further than this disgraceful bail release,' Lynch said, referencing both the shooting of Pennant and the fatal shooting of two other NYPD officers last week. 'This individual chose to carry illegal guns twice,' Lynch added. 'He chose to fight with and shoot a New York City police officer. There's no reason to believe he won't do the exact same thing when he's out on the street tonight. Lynch blamed Judge Denis Boyle, an Acting Bronx Supreme Court Justice who previously was soft on a 16-year-old who went on to murder a 34-year-old father of two in May of 2021. NYC PBA President Pat Lynch blamed the rise in city crime on things like Williams' ability to walk free on bond New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a former cop, has promised to be tougher on crime 'Shame on Judge Denis Boyle for allowing this to happen,' Lynch said. 'The people of the Bronx won't be safe as long as he's on the bench.' Boyle has a reputation for being overly lenient on young offenders and set bail at $250,000 despite prosecutors call for Williams to be held without bail. Williams accepted the services of 'bail bondsman to the stars' Ira Judelson, who has in the past worked with the likes of DMX, Ja Rule, Harvey Weinstein and Dominique Strauss-Kahn. The state office of court administration responded in a statement Thursday. 'The ire that the PBA president is projecting on the judge, who is following the law, should be directed at the individuals who promulgate those laws,' said spokesman Lucian Chalfen. Williams' lawyer described his promising career: 'Not only does he sing, rap, he writes his own music. One of his songs on YouTube has 8 million views' Ira Judelson is one of New York's most prominent licensed bail bondsmen Williams was eligible for bail in this case and walked out just before 7 p.m. Thursday evening. 'Camrin has been released and will be back to his regular productive life of focusing on schoolwork and his music career,' Williams' attorney Dawn Florio said. Florio, much like Judelson, has a history with famous clients, including fellow troubled rapper 6ix9ine, formerly Tekashi69. During the case, Florio touted Williams' potential. 'He has a very promising career,' Florio told Judge Boyle. 'Not only does he sing, rap, he writes his own music. One of his songs on YouTube has 8 million views.' During the hearing, the teenage suspect told Florio: 'please tell the judge I'll come back to court every time.' Shopping centres, service stations and busy roads have been flooded after Melbourne was battered by a mega-storm - with some parts hit by marble-sized hail and torrential rain. More than five million Greater Melbourne residents were warned to 'stay indoors' as the storm cell swept across the city on Friday afternoon. Terrified residents across the city shared their experiences on social media with one video showing a BP service station in Mulgrave, south-east of the city, completely underwater up to waste level. Chadstone Shopping Centre was also inundated with floodwater on Friday, while others captured the danger on the roads. Strong wind gusts on Thursday night had already knocked out power to thousands in Victoria - with the state's SES receiving 1,600 calls for help in the 48 hours to 5pm. More than five million Greater Melbourne residents have been advised to stay indoors, with lightning (pictured) in some areas Huge pieces of hail have been thundering down across the state, including ones as big as a 50c piece (pictured) One motorist who filmed himself after getting caught in floodwaters on a busy road said, 'Oh s**t, this is the stupidest thing I have ever had to f***ing do' as the raging torrents surrounded his vehicle. A severe thunderstorm warning is in place for central and southwest parts of Victoria, including Geelong and Lara. 'The atmosphere remains absolutely primed for further storm activity today as it feels once again very tropical and very humid over the southeast,' Sky News Weather meteorologist Alison Osborne said on Friday. The Bureau of Meteorology warned central Victoria, including Melbourne, and the state's southwest would be inundated with heavy rain, damaging winds and large hail stones. As much as 35mm of rain was forecast to fall across Melbourne, with the BOM saying 'heavy falls' are a real possibility. 'Prepare to take shelter and be aware of potential hazards caused by the severe weather,' an Watch and Act alert advised. 'Hazards include include floodwater, damaged buildings, debris, trees down and fallen powerlines.' Flash flooding has already hit areas such as Werribee, in Melbourne's west, and Ballarat. In other parts of Victoria, persistent rain of up to 35mm was predicted in some parts (pictured) A number of ominous clouds left some Melbourne residents on edge on Friday morning A severe thunderstorm warning is already in place for central and southwest parts of Victoria, including Geelong, Lara and Melbourne Chadstone shopping centre looking a little moist #melbweather pic.twitter.com/pKkujZyY2T Tas (@Mr_CunnyFunt) January 28, 2022 There were 5695 AusNet customers, 3917 Powercor customers and 243 Jemena customers suffering blackouts at 9:30am on Friday morning. Geelong, Cape Otway and the Surf Coast were battered by heavy rain on Thursday evening, with a renewed warning issued on Friday morning. 'Strong storms have formed on the northern edge of a rain area in western Victoria in a very humid environment and are expected to produce heavy rainfall while moving in an easterly direction,' the alert said. 'Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours. Locations which may be affected include Colac, Lake Bolac, Ballarat and Bacchus Marsh.' Some pieces of hail collected by concerned residents were the size of huge marbles (pictured) The state's south-west has been hammered by heavy rain, ferocious winds and hail (pictured) Flash flooding has resulted in chaotic scenes across some parts of Melbourne (pictured) This petrol station won't be open for business anytime soon, as rain engulfs most parts of Melbourne Melbourne is currently being battered by a mega storm, with marble sized hail and torrential rain in some parts A rain band seen on the Bureau of Meteorology's radar on Friday morning. Central Victoria is set to be battered from about midday, the forecast says Lightning is seen in Melbourne's night sky late on Thursday as the city endured a 'once in a century' weather event State Emergency Service volunteers received more that 450 calls for help in the six hours to 10.30pm on Thursday, as severe storms caused flash flooding in metropolitan Geelong. The busiest SES units included South Barwon, Geelong and Sorrento, as homes, buildings and roads were flooded. The storms come as disaster assistance was announced for Ballarat, East Gippsland, Moorabool and southwest Victorian residents after floods and storms on January 5. The communities will receive financial support via the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding. 'This financial support will provide for the immediate recovery needs for people whose homes or belongings have been impacted by the damaging winds, large hailstones and flash flooding in the central west,' Federal Emergency Management Minister McKenzie said. The chief of police of a small Alabama town has been forced to resign after allegations that his force was pulling over people who criticized them on Facebook, and stopping people for spurious traffic violations to fill their coffers. Mike Jones, chief of Brookside police, 10 miles northwest of Birmingham, resigned on Wednesday. The lieutenant governor of Alabama, Will Ainsworth, has requested an audit of the police force and town - home to 1,300 people. Brookside has only one retail store and a volunteer fire department, but at least one police officer for every 144 people. By 2020, the police force made half its revenue from fines and forfeitures, according to local media. The issues with the police have been going on for several years, and ensnared multiple local residents. Mike Jones, chief of police of Brookside, Alabama, resigned on Wednesday Michelle Jones has been campaigning against Brookfield police for the past three years Michelle Jones told AL.com that she complained to the Alabama attorney general's office three years ago. She had been pulled over in May 2019, and was fined $160 for running a stop sign - which she insisted she did not do. Jones began criticizing the police in a series of interviews, and online. She said she told them, in 2020: 'The person threatened me with an arrest if I did not take down my Facebook pictures and posts of their police officers, stop sending emails to the local politicians, as well as others, and show them (Brookside police) that I understand law enforcement practices.' Her Facebook page is full of images of the police pulling people over. In September 2019, she posted a photo captioned: 'ABC33/40 - Brookside Police Department of Brookside, AL - On Interstate 22 Writing Illegal Tickets.' A commentator asked if she was pulled over again, and Jones replied: 'No. Working on something.' Rev. Vincent Witt, a Baptist preacher and chaplain of the city of Lipscomb, said that he was pulled over in June 2019 in his brand new Cadillac, which had a paper license plate as the official one was yet to be delivered. Witt said the officer called him a 'f****** n*****', and when he complained he and his sister - who was not even with him at the time - were charged with impersonating a police officer, with their faces plastered across CrimeStoppers websites. Rev. Vincent Witt filed a complaint against Brookside police after they pulled him over and racially abused him Lisa Ward, a candidate for Alabama senate, said she was threatened by the Brookfield police chief when she posted criticism of the force on Facebook Will Ainsworth, the lieutenant governor of Alabama, has ordered an audit into Brookfield's town and police force Another woman, Lisa Ward, a candidate for Alabama's senate, shared a story by AL.com about the rogue police force on Facebook, and said the police chief then tried to intimidate her. A local man, who did not want to give his name, told AL.com that he was pulled over by police for no reason, and was reprimanded. The man told AL.com that the officer said: 'The chief's pretty upset about that post you put on Facebook,' adding that: 'any more backlash like that towards his police department and it'll be far worse than a ticket.' 'I just stared at him,' the man said. 'I was just looking at him like, so this is what this stop is about? I was in pure shock.' Britain could be hit by soaring food costs and supply issues if Ukraine descends into war, analysts fear. Experts are concerned the world is focusing on the impact conflict will have on gas but worry grain production could also be hit. It come as the National Cyber Security Centre urged UK organisations to bolster their digital defences over fears a 'malicious' cyber attack may be coming. NCSC guidance to firms and groups said it is investigating the recent reports of 'cyber incidents in Ukraine' and said it bore Russian hallmarks. Ben Wallace yesterday said Russia invading the country could threaten food supplies across the world. The Defence Secretary pointed out places such as Libya, Serbia and Yemen have grown hugely dependent on grain imports from there. Mr Wallace, who will visit Moscow next month, said: 'We are all focused on gas, but think about the cost of food being stopped.' It raised fears Britain could be impacted due to it bringing in huge shipments of grain from the EU, which also buys from Ukraine. And the anticipated hit to gas distribution may have a knock-on effect on food, with fertiliser prices last year more than doubling due to disruption. The Defence Secretary (pictured with top military brass in West Sussex yesterday) said the world is focused on the impact on gas costs but added grain production could also be hit A report from the European Commission's Agriculture and Rural Development unit showed in 2020 Ukraine was the fourth largest origin of agri-food Defra said in 2020 the UK imported 46 per cent of the food it consumed, with no one country supplying more than 11 per cent. The report said 48billion of food, feed, and drink was brought in while 21.4billion was shipped out. But it went on: 'EU countries continue to be the main source for FFD imports and are therefore essential to the UK's food security. '39 per cent of FFD imports by value were despatched from four EU countries (the Netherlands, Republic of Ireland, Germany, and France) in 2020.' Specifically the UK brings in 15 per cent of the wheat used by flour millers alone - around 750,000 tonnes. Meanwhile the EU is bringing in grain itself, with some coming from Ukraine which has shot up the world rankings for supply in the last few years. It was aiming this year to be number three in the world for wheat exports and number four in corn. Ukraine exports to the EU amounted to 19.1billion in 2019, the EU Commission says on its website. The main products were raw materials - which includes grain as well as iron, steel and mining items - as well as chemical and machinery. A report from the European Commission's Agriculture and Rural Development unit showed in 2020 Ukraine was the fourth largest origin of agri-food. Meanwhile Britain was the largest recipient of agri-food from the EU, meaning a hit to Ukraine's supply would likely have a knock on effect on the UK. Any disruption to gas supplies coming out of the country may also hit food prices, as was seen last year. Natural gas is used to help produce fertilisers, meaning if the price for one shoots up, so will the other. In some countries last year costs doubled due to shortages across Europe, meaning farmers could not plant their crops effectively. Meanwhile the National Cyber Security Centre said it had not identified any current threats to the UK but noted its updated guidance would allow organisations 'to build resilience and stay ahead of potential cyber threats'. The Ukraine attack had targeted a total of 70 government websites. The centre's director of operations, Paul Chichester, said: 'The NCSC is committed to raising awareness of evolving cyber threats and presenting actionable steps to mitigate them. 'While we are unaware of any specific cyber threats to UK organisations in relation to events in Ukraine, we are monitoring the situation closely and it is vital that organisations follow the guidance to ensure they are resilient. 'Over several years, we have observed a pattern of malicious Russian behaviour in cyberspace. 'Last week's incidents in Ukraine bear the hallmarks of similar Russian activity we have observed before.' NCSC director of operations, Paul Chichester warned a cyber attack could be coming soon NCSC guidance to UK firms and groups said it is is investigating the attack in Ukraine Satellite images reveal new units of Russian tanks parked near the Pogonovo training area, around 100 miles from the Ukraine border, as the world waits to find out how Putin will respond to letters dismissing his security demands The updated guidance encourages organisations to reduce the risk of falling victim to a cyber attack by taking 'actionable' steps. These include patching systems, improving access controls and enabling multi-factor authentication, implementing an effective incident response plan, checking that backups and restore mechanisms are working, ensuring that online defences are working as expected, and keeping up to date with the latest threat and mitigation information. Those organisations who do fall victim to a cyber attack are asked to report the incident to the NCSC's incident management team. Ukraine has said all evidence points to Russia being behind a massive cyberattack that knocked out key government websites and defaced them with menacing messages, as Microsoft warned the hack could be far worse than first thought. Kyiv accused Moscow of continuing to 'wage a hybrid war' and said the attack was part of a plot to 'destablise the situation in Ukraine'. Russian artillery crews conduct live-fire drills at the Kuzminsky range in Rostov-on-Don, amid tensions with nearby Ukraine British organisations have been warned to bolster their digital defences due to `malicious cyber incidents in Ukraine (Peter Byrne/PA) The messages left on the Ukrainian websites during the attack warned of information leak A laptop screen displays the warning message that appeared on the official website of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry after a cyberattack The US also accused Russia of sending saboteurs trained in explosives to stage an incident that could be the pretext to invade its pro-Western neighbour. Ukraine's SBU security service said the cyberattacks, conducted in the early hours, had targeted a total of 70 government websites. The website of the foreign ministry for a time displayed a message in Ukrainian, Russian and Polish that read: 'All information about you has become public. Be afraid and expect the worst.' The Ukrainian digital transformation ministry said: 'All evidence points to Russia being behind the cyberattack. Moscow is continuing to wage a hybrid war.' The ministry said the purpose of the attack 'is not only to intimidate society. But to also destabilise the situation in Ukraine, halting the work of the public sector and crushing Ukrainians' trust in the authorities'. The Kremlin has insisted there was no evidence Russia was behind the attack. 'We have nothing to do with it,' President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN. 'Ukrainians are blaming everything on Russia, even their bad weather in their country,' he said. A transgender woman, now 26, has been ordered to serve just two years in a juvenile detention center for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl, after LA DA George Gascon refused to prosecute her as an adult. Hannah Tubbs, formerly known as James, now 26, pleaded guilty in 2020 to sexually assaulting the young girl in a Denny's bathroom in 2014, when she was 17. Prosecutors had pushed for her to stay in a Los Angeles County Jail and be tried as an adult but Gascon declined to file a motion to move the case out of juvenile court, where it was filed because of Tubbs' age at the time of offense. Gascon said previously that he was concerned Tubbs could be victimized due to her gender identity in an adult facility, and had even recommended she simply be sentenced to home confinement. Before handing down the light sentence of just two years in a juvenile facility and no requirement to register as a sex offender, Judge Mario Barrera said his hands were tied by Gascon. 'I want to be clear,' Barrera said at the Lancaster, California, court sentencing Thursday. 'The filing of a transfer motion is entirely within the discretion of the district attorney.' Hannah Tubbs, formerly known as James, 26, (pictured in 2014) was sentenced to two years in a juvenile facility for assaulting a 10-year-old girl in a Denny's bathroom in 2014 Gascon's decision has sparked fury among prosecutors in LA. Deputy District Attorney Shea Sanna slammed the move after the hearing, telling the New York Post: 'You have a violent sexual predator sentenced to two years in a juvenile facility. 'It doesn't change the fact that the public is safer, but we just preferred Tubbs to be with other adults and not prey on others.' L.A. Deputy District Attorney Jon Hatami, assigned to the Complex Child Abuse Unit,, told Fox News: 'Tubbs is 26 years old. Unlike George Gascon's false narrative, she is not a 'kid.' 'There was evidence presented at the juvenile proceedings which showed that Tubbs sexually assaulted two young girls in different incidents in the past. The child victims will suffer lifelong trauma. Tubbs also has prior violent convictions and conduct as an adult.' Tubbs, who identified as male at the time of the crime had followed the girl into the bathroom, held her by the throat and forced his hand down the girl's pants. She only stopped when someone came into the restroom, and then ran away before she could be stopped. Los Angeles DA George Gascon is facing criticism for his decision to try her in juvenile court, despite only being weeks off of her 18th birthday in 2014. He said he worried she would be a target in an adult facility for her identity It took years before Tubbs was identified as the attacker after being arrested in Idaho in 2019 on suspicion of battery. She has since transitioned. DNA entered into a database that matched Tubbs with the sexual assault at Denny's, and the accused was brought back to California - by which point there were arrests, according to Fox, for battery, drug possession and probation violations in Idaho and Washington. Despite the prior convictions, Tubbs will serve her time in isolation, away from the other juveniles and will be housed with female inmates. Two years is the maximum sentence a juvenile can receive up until the age of 25. The DA recently change the rule and said he would 'immediately' stop prosecuting children as adults. Gascon cited multiple studies that say brain development doesn't stop until the age of 25 and that juvenile facilities can help rehabilitate young offenders. Although, cases involving those over 18 will be reviewed case-by-case to see if it goes to adult court. The DA could have moved Tubbs into adult court, as it is within his discretion, but he choose not too. Hannah, who went by James at the time of the assault, followed the girl into the bathroom, held her by the throat and forced his hand down the girl's pants. She only stopped when someone came into the restroom, and then ran away before she could be stopped 'The victims will get no justice. The public will get no safety,' Hatami said. 'It's an injustice against all of us, especially the young victims.' 'Because of George Gascon's blanket policy against transferring any juvenile to adult court, even if the 17-year-old rapes or murders an innocent child, James [now Hannah] Tubbs will not have to register as a sex offender, will not spend any time in county jail or state prison, will be 26 and housed with juveniles for a very short period of time, and will be released with no probation or parole monitoring,' Hatami said. LA County offered to house Tubbs in county jail, but Judge Mario Barrera did not have the authority to change facilities, Deputy District Attorney Shea Sanna said. Kathryn Barger, on the board of supervisors for Los Angeles County's Fifth District, said the family of the young girl attacked by Tubbs deserved justice. 'It's useless to catch criminals like Hannah Tubbs if we don't follow through and seek justice for victims such as the 10-year-old girl she sexually assaulted,' said Barger. 'She bears the burden of a lifetime of trauma. '[Tubbs] will be offered therapeutic interventions under the auspices of 'restorative justice' ... and possibly granted only probation or parole. 'Where is the justice for her young victim and her family?' There may be a sixth victim linked to the infamous 1970s San Francisco serial killer known as 'The Doodler,' as authorities doubled reward money to $200,000 to try and solve the long-term cold case. The unidentified man, who struck terror in the Bay Area's gay community four decades ago between January 1974 and June 1975, earned his moniker because a surviving victim remembered him drawing caricatures at an all-night San Francisco diner. Police announced Thursday that a potential sixth victim was tied to The Doodler after an investigative series in the San Francisco Chronicle in 2020. The series followed cold case detectives Dan Cunningham and Dan Dedet as they investigated the death of a man named Warren Andrews. The San Francisco police confirmed Thursday that they now believe Andrews is connected to The Doodler killings. This pair of sketches provided by the San Francisco Police Department, Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019, shows what a serial killer might look like now in a cold case involving at least five stabbing deaths of gay men in the mid-1970s The original, over-40-year-old police sketches of the killer San Francisco police have increased their reward from $100,000 to $200,000 Prior to this discovery, five gay white men were believed slain by the 'Doodler' between January 1974 and June 1975, all of the victims sustaining stab wounds to the upper chest and back from a similar weapon, police say. Two gay white men, who were attacked in July 1975 but survived, were also thought to be victims of the same assailant. 'On April 27, 1975, Andrews was a victim of an assault at Land's End,' the department said in a statement. 'Andrews was found unconscious and never regained consciousness dying several weeks later.' While the other victims were stabbed to death, Andrews was struck with a rock and a tree branch. Cunningham said that the location, which was near Golden Gate Park where some of the other murders had taken place, and the time period made him reconsider the case. Cold case detectives Dan Cunningham and Dan Dedet been attempting to solve The Doodler killings in recent years The Doodler's first victim was Gerald Cavanagh, a 50-year-old mattress factory worker The Doodler's second victim was 27-year-old drag queen named Joseph Stevens The Doodler's third alleged victim was 31-year-old Klaus Christmann 'I'd be a fool not to consider him as a Doodler victim,' he said. The Doodlers first victim was then-50-year-old Gerald Cavanagh, who was found stabbed 17 times on Jan. 27, 1974. His second victim was Joseph Stevens, a 27-year-old drag queen; his third was Klaus Christmann, 31. It was believed that The Doodler frequented gay bars in the Castro and in the Polk Gulch districts of San Francisco. 'He'd pick a guy somewhere at the bar, he'd sit at the table, he'd sketch them, he was a good artist, so then he would walk up to the guy and say like my doodle?' said San Francisco Chronicle reporter Kevin Fagan Police released a sketch of what they think the killer looks like, in addition to what they believe 40 years of aging would make him look like, a couple of years ago. The grave of Gerald Cavanagh at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in California It was believed that The Doodler frequented gay bars in the Castro and in the Polk Gulch districts of San Francisco The sketches are based on the descriptions given by two men who survived the assaults in July 1975, both stabbed with knives. They suffered similar injuries to the other victims. No suspect has ever been charged in the case. One person was detained in connection with the murders in 1976. Detectives in the 1970s believed they'd found a lead in the case after a Bay Area psychologist responded to wanted ads by saying he believed he'd interviewed the killer but couldn't solidify their case. Cunningham said he'd interviewed that man and calls him a 'person of interest.' Police doubled their reward to go along with the announcement Thursday. 'The SFPD has increased the reward from $100,000 to $200,000 for information leading to the identification, apprehension, and conviction of the serial homicide suspect,' police added in their statement Thursday. Advertisement Stunning scenes unfolded outside St Patrick's Cathedral on a snowy Friday as a sea of police officers in their finest dress blues surged towards the iconic Manhattan church to honor their murdered brother Jason Rivera, whose young widow delivered a powerful message condemning the new Manhattan DA's woke policies and a system that 'continues to fail us'. Mourners filling the pews of the historic cathedral heard emotional eulogies from Rivera's family members, including his young wife, Dominique Rivera, who revealed, while choking back tears, that on the day of her husband's killing, the couple had an argument and she refused to let him drive her, even after Jason told her, prophetically, that this might be the last ride he gives her. The inconsolable widow, wearing a silver pendant in the shape of her husband's police shield, called her decision 'the biggest mistake of my life.' Dominique also used the solemn occasion to vent some of her anger at the city and state's leaders, many of whom were seated in the audience before her, accusing them of failing to protect her husband and his partner, Officer Wilbert Mora. In her pointed remarks, the widow singled out Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat who has been accused of being soft of crime by instructing prosecutors not to pursue certain case. 'This system continues to fail us,' she proclaimed. 'We are not safe anymore, not even the members of the service. I know you were tired of these laws, especially the ones from the new DA. I hope hes watching you speak through me right now. 'Im sure all of our blue family is tired too. But I promise, we promise, that your death wont be in vain.' Bragg responded in a statement that he was grieving and praying for the slain officers and will 'vigorously prosecute cases of violence against police.' A week ago, Rivera and Mora were fatally wounded on January 21 by a career criminal who ambushed them in a hallway as they responded to a family dispute in Harlem. Mora's funeral is being held next week, also at St. Patrick's. Rivera, who had joined the NYPD less than a year ago, was posthumously promoted to detective first grade - the highest rank for a detective. Scroll down to read powerful eulogy by slain NYPD officer's widow New York Police pall bearers carry the casket of Officer Jason Rivera out of St. Patrick's Cathedral after his funeral service in St Patrick's Cathedral. Rivera was shot dead in Harlem on Friday January 21 when he and fellow officer Wilbert Mora, who also died from his injuries, responded to a domestic violence call and were shot by man trying to escape A sea of police officers in their finest dress blues stood in tribute outside Manhattan's iconic St Patrick's Cathedral to honor their murdered brother Jason Rivera. Rivera, who had joined the NYPD less than a year ago, was posthumously promoted to detective first grade - the highest rank for a detective. Jason Rivera's widow Dominique holds the flag from his casket while watching the funeral procession leave St. Patrick's Cathedral. In her heartbreaking eulogy, the young widow delivered a powerful message condemning the new Manhattan DA's woke policies and a system that 'continues to fail us' Slain cop Jason Rivera's mother clutches a crucifix and blows a kiss to his casket as it's removed from St Patrick's Cathedral An overhead view of Police Officers saluting the hearse of carrying the casket of NYPD Officer Jason Rivera out of St. Patrick's Cathedral after his funeral service in New York, New York, USA, 28 January 2022. Rivera was fatally injured on Friday 21 January when he and fellow officer Wilbert Mora, who also died from his injuries, responded to a domestic violence call and were shot by man trying to escape. Officer Mora's funeral will take place next week. EPA/JASON SZENES Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, a progressive Democrat, responded to Dominique Rivera's criticism in a tweet, vowing to 'vigorously prosecute cases of violence against the police' Roman Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan presided over Rivera's service, held in Spanish and English in recognition of his Dominican heritage. Many of the citys top leaders were attending, including Mayor Eric Adams, Senator Chuck Schumer and Governor Kathy Hochul. Adams, himself a retired police captain, told those gathered that he saw an echo of himself in the slain officer who had joined a department he had seen as flawed in hopes of improving it. Officer Jason Rivera, 22, was a rookie cop who had been on the force in New York City for less than a year 'He did it for the right reasons he wanted to make a difference,' said Adams. He went on: 'there were days when I felt the public did not understand and appreciate the job we were [doing], and I want to tell you officers: They do. They do. These two fine men watered the tree of safety that allows us to sit under the shade from the hot sun of violence.' Hochul, a Democrat, said flags at state buildings would fly at half-staff from sunrise the day of Rivera's funeral until sunset the day of Mora's funeral on Wednesday. The officers came from near and far to honor Rivera, who, at age 22, was recently married and barely into his second year of service on the force. His wife Dominique, often struggling to speak, recounted her final conversation with her husband the day he died. She said with regret that the two had an argument about Jason's use of his work cellphone while off duty, and as a result she refused to let him drive her, and instead summoned an Uber - because she did not want to continue arguing. 'You said it might be the last ride I give you,' Dominique quoted Jason. 'I said no and that was probably the biggest mistake I ever made.' Hours later, she saw to her horror a Citizen app alert on her phone about two officers being shot in Harlem and then worriedly texting and calling her husband. Her messages went unanswered, until she got a call summoning her to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. 'Im still in this nightmare that I wish I never had, full of rage and anger, hurt and sad, torn,' she said. In the final portion of her speech, Dominique turned her attention to the new Manhattan DA's progressive policies, accusing him of leaving the city's law enforcement officers feeling unsafe. Bragg, who had no involvement with the officers' killer, responded to the widow's withering criticism in a tweet. 'I am grieving and praying for Detective Rivera and Officer Mora today and every day, and my thoughts are with their families and the NYPD,' Bragg wrote. 'Violence against police officers will never be tolerated, and my office will vigorously prosecute cases of violence against the police.' 'WE'LL TAKE THE WATCH FROM HERE': FULL TEXT OF DOMINIQUE RIVERA'S POWERFUL EULOGY Dominique Rivera delivers a eulogy for her husband, New York City Police Department officer Jason Rivera, during the funeral at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan I would say good morning to you all, but, in fact, thats the worst morning ever. I cant believe Im standing in front of thousands of people in the cathedral we planned to visit later this year. All of this seems so unreal, like Im having one of those nightmares that you never thought youd have. Friday morning, we were together eating breakfast and drinking some Starbucks. Eating was probably our favorite hobby. Maybe thats why we gained those extra pounds. Friday morning began just like every other morning before work. You were always my big spoon, watching Netflix, YouTube law enforcement shorts, read me your emails, and wait for your mom to come home. You packed your bookbag because we had to leave before 2. And really, before 2, sharp, because of your ICO [Integrity Control Officer] sergeant. You would drive me home and say goodbye with three kisses, all the time, and text me when you were 84. That was our routine. At around 1500, 1515, I received the BRB roll call text. And throughout our day, you told me about your jobs, till it was EOT (End of Tour]. This Friday was different. We had an argument. You know, its hard being a cop wife sometimes. Its hard being patient when plans are canceled, or we would go days without seeing each other, or when you had to write a report that would take forever because you had to vouch on so many things, so you did OT [Overtime]. Or when you had a bad day at work because an EDP drove you nuts. But you always reminded me that it was going to be alright. We were going to get through it. This Friday, we were arguing because I didnt want you to use your job phone while we were together. You were so mad that you took the Lebron jersey down, gave me your chain, and put the lotions I gave you for your ashy hands in the bag, and said, Here, take them. We left your apartment, and because I didnt want to continue to argue, I ordered an Uber. You asked me if you are sure that you dont me to take you home? It might be the last ride I give you. I said no, and it was probably the biggest mistake I ever made. Later that day, I received the call I wish none of you that are sitting here with me will ever receive. I had gotten a notification from the Citizen app, which was my Central, and I saw that police officers were shot in Harlem. My heart dropped. I immediately texted you and asked you: are you OK? Please tell me youre OK. I know that youre mad right now, but just text me youre OK, at least tell me youre busy. I get no response. We used to share locations on Find My iPhone, and when I checked yours, I see youre at Harlem Hospital. I thought maybe youre sitting on a perp, but still, nothing. I called and then called again, and then called one more time, and this time I felt that something wasnt right. I messaged PO Cadavid and Joe because I knew they were your friends from the 32. And I get no response. Then I get a call asking if Im Jasons wife, and then I had to rush to the hospital. Walking all those steps, seeing everybody staring at me, was the scariest moment Ive experienced. Nobody was telling me everything. Dozens of people were surrounding me, yet I felt alone. I couldnt believe you left me. Seeing you in a hospital bed wrapped up in sheets, not hearing you when I was talking to you broke me. I asked why. I said to you: wake up, baby. Im here. The little bit of hope I had that you would come back to life just to say goodbye or to say I love you one more time had left. I was lost. Im still lost. Today, Im still in this nightmare that I wish I never had, full of rage and anger, hurt and sad, torn. Although I gained thousands of blue brothers and sisters, Im the loneliest without you. I know youre looking at me and beside me, telling me I could do this, and Im trying. Trust me, I am. But I didnt prepare for this. None of us did. Jason I and met in elementary school. Amistad. All the way up to eighth grade. We had the time of our lives. He was part of the cool kids crew. There was never a dull moment with him around. He was the class clown, got me in trouble couple of times, had our teacher sit us away from each other because we couldnt focus. And we never thought that our innocent childhood love would lead us to marriage. Even when we said I do, we couldnt believe we said it. October 9th was the happiest day of our lives. I know I drove you crazy saying I love you so many times that you would stop replying I love you more. But you made me feel alive. You make me feel alive. And Jason is so happy right now that all of you are here. Through pain and sorrow, this is exactly how he would have wanted to be remembered: like a true hero. Or like I used to call him: big PO Rivera. You have the whole nation on lock. And although you wont be here anymore, I want you to live through me. This system continues to fail us. We are not safe anymore, not even the members of the service. I know you were tired of these laws, especially the ones from the new DA. I hope hes watching you speak through me right now. Im sure all of our blue family is tired too. But I promise, we promise, that your death wont be in vain. I love you to the end of time. Well take the watch from here. Advertisement Dominique shared a photo of her late husband's new detective badge, which he received posthumously An enormous crowd of police officers are gathered outside St Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue at the conclusion of the funeral Mass for fallen Officer Jason Rivera on Friday A sea of officers are standing shoulder to shoulder outside St Patrick's Cathedral on a snowy Friday morning in Manhattan to honor their slain brother Fallen NYPD officer Jason Rivera's flag-draped casket is carried from St Patrick's Cathedral after his funeral A procession of bagpipers march ahead of the hearse carrying NYPD rookie Jason Rivera as hundreds of NYPD officers in their dress blues salute in honor of their fallen brother Bagpipers accompany the hearse down Manhattan's Fifth Avenue after the funeral service for NYPD officer Jason Rivera, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic violence call The family of Officer Rivera, including his widow, seen clutching an American flag, and his mother, seen doubled over, stand outside St Patrick's Cathedral after the funeral, surrounded by a sea of blue Dominique Rivera breaks down in tears while clutching the crucifix that rested on the shroud covering her husband Jason's casket during the service Dominique Rivera is comforted by family members and is saluted by an officer at the end of the service at St Patrick's Cathedral Jason Rivera's mother breaks down in sobs as she watched her son's casket being removed from the cathedral after the funeral service on Friday Riveras casket, draped in a green, white and blue NYPD flag, is carried out on the shoulders of police officers outside St Patrick's Cathedral Police officers waited patiently outside during the two-and-a-half-hour funeral Mass to see Officer Rivera off on his final journey to his resting place Inspector Amir Yakatally, the commanding officer of Riveras and Moras precinct, said that Rivera began a police career at a difficult time amid the coronavirus pandemic and protests over policing and other issues and was so excited to get to work that he double-parked in front of the stationhouse his first day and showed up early every workday after. 'Jason saw the need and had the desire to foster a positive relationship between police and his community,' he said. 'He was what we all want in a cop.' Jeffrey Rivera recalled that as a youngster, his brother 'Tata' to his family listened to police radio transmissions, watched police dramas on TV and became 'obsessed' with a law enforcement career. 'My brother's first love was policing. That was his first love,' Jeffrey said. After the funeral, Riveras casket, draped in a green, white and blue NYPD flag, was taken via funeral procession, including family, colleagues and a massive police motorcycle entourage, to Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York, where the officer will be cremated and laid to rest. Over the years, more than 500 New York police officers have died in gunfire, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. 'It's an emotional time,' said retired NYPD Officer Sean Flanagan, who played the bagpipes outside the cathedral. 'We honor our own, we take care of our own.' On Thursday, ordinary citizens joined thousands of uniformed officers at the cathedral for Rivera's wake. Patty Marsibilio, 61, traveled an hour by subway from the Bronx to pay her respects and pray for the safety of other New York City police officers. This is something that was so terrible,' she said. 'He was 22 years old, married not even four months.' An overhead view of a line of motorcycle police officers before the casket of NYPD Officer Jason Rivera leaves St. Patrick's Cathedral en route to a cemetery Thousands of NYPD officers gathered in sub-zero temperatures to honor their fallen brother Bagpipers in their full regalia march down Fifth Avenue behind Rivera's casket Rivera's widow, Dominique Rivera, walks behind her newlywed husband's coffin as it is being carried out of the cathedral at the conclusion of the Mass Dominique Rivera walks past her husband's casket after eulogizing him during his funeral mass at St. Patricks Cathedral New York City Mayor Eric Adams, (center facing camera), hugs family members of Officer Rivera, with his widow Dominique standing to the side New York City Police Officer Jason Rivera's brother Jeffrey touches his casket after eulogizing him Members of the NYPD were out in full force to salute one of their own. Rivera and Wilbert Mora became the first officers to be killed in the line of duty by a gunman since 2017 Thousands of NYPD officers in their dress blues arrive at St Patrick's Cathedral to honor the 22-year-old rookie who was killed in the line of duty last week Members of New York Police Department arrive to attend the funeral service, a week after Rivera and his partner, Wilbert Mora, were fatally shot in the line of duty A pries hugs Dominique Rivera, the widow of Jason Rivera. In a touching tribute on Thursday, the 22-year-old woman called her husband of just three months her 'sweet angel' Cardinal Timothy Dolan is seen comforting family members of the slain officer during his funeral Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral Officer Rivera's open casket is seen at the foot of the altar at St Patrick's Cathedral New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, left, walks back to her seat during the funeral. She said flags at state buildings would fly at half-staff from sunrise the day of Rivera's funeral until sunset the day of Mora's funeral on Wednesday New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a former police detective who was voted into office after promising to crack down on gun violence, addresses mourners during Rivera's funeral A female officer breaks down in tears while standing in line during Rivera's funeral in Manhattan on Friday Mourner Tracy Kelly cries as she arrives for Rivera's funeral service at St. Patrick's Cathedral Taps is performed by a trio of NYPD officers outside St. Patrick's Cathedral in honor of Rivera Heavily armed police officers in tactical gear stand guard outside the church during Rivera's funeral service on Fifth Avenue Dominique Rivera spoke about her last interaction with Jason just hours before his death. She said they had an argument and she called an Uber instead of letting him drive her. He told her: 'it might be the last ride I give you' Jeffrey Rivera said that his younger brother, known in the family as 'Tata' was 'obsessed' with his career in law enforcement, and that his first love was policing Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell delivers a eulogy at Rivera's funeral. She announced that he has been posthumously promoted to detective first grade Rivera's partner, Wilbert Mora, 27, died of his injuries on Tuesday. His wake and funeral will take place at St Patrick's Cathedral next week Throughout the week, friends and fellow police officers remembered Rivera and Mora as caring and dedicated. Both grew up in the city's ethnic enclaves and, by many accounts, had hoped to help the department build bridges with the community. The gunman, 47-year-old career criminal Lashawn McNeil, who was shot by a third officer, died earlier in the week. Authorities are still investigating why he fired at the officers as they responded to a domestic violence call in Harlem. Rivera had been an NYPD police officer for less than a year. He leaves behind his newlywed wife, Dominique. The couple met in kindergarten at age 5 and began dating each other when they were 15 years old. They got married on October 9, 2021. 'That was her first love, her only love,' Carmen Suarez, a fellow NYPD widow, told PIX11. Mora was in his fourth year on the job. His wake and funeral Mass were planned for next week, also at the iconic Roman Catholic cathedral. An overhead view of members of the New York City Police Department arriving to St. Patrick's Cathedral for Rivera's funeral service on Friday Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) arrives for the funeral of Officer Rivera at St. Patrick's Cathedral, a day after he attended the hero cop's wake Mayor Eric Adams (left) and Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell (right) were on hand on Friday to pay their final respects to Rivera New York State Attorney General Latisha James arrives for the funeral of Officer Jason Rivera at St. Patrick's Cathedral Officer Rivera's emotional family members arrive at his funeral at St Patrick's Cathedral on Friday A bagpipe player is seen arriving at the cathedral on Fifth Avenue for Rivera's funeral Mass Mourners in dress blues and white gloves embrace ahead of the funeral service Friday Lashawn McNeil, 47, who was shot by a third officer, died on Monday Before Friday, the last NYPD officer killed in the line of duty was Anastasios Tsakos, who was struck by a suspected drunken driver in May 2021 while assisting officers at the scene of an earlier crash on a Queens highway. The last NYPD officer fatally shot in the line of duty, Brian Mulkeen, was hit by friendly fire while struggling with an armed man after chasing and shooting at him in the Bronx in September 2019. In 2015, Officer Randolph Holder was shot and killed by a man riding a stolen bicycle in Manhattan and Officer Brian Moore died after he was shot by a man in Queens. The year before, Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were fatally shot by a man who ambushed them as they sat in their patrol car in Brooklyn. President Joe Biden will visit New York City next week to discuss combating gun crime with Mayor Adams. There have been 73 shooting incidents so far this year in the city - an increase of 23.7 per cent compared to last year. A total of 82 people have been shot as of January 23, up from 67 in the first three weeks of 2021. Mark McGowan has sketched out new plans for what life will look like in Western Australia once Covid cases in the state spin out of control. Rules around close contacts and isolation times will be changed once the Covid situation worsens, the WA Premier who has locked his state away from the rest of the country said on Friday afternoon. 'At some point in the future we will inevitably be in a higher caseload environment,' Mr McGowan said. Once that higher caseload environment arrives, casual contacts will be scrapped and new definitions will be made for close contacts. Mark McGowan has sketched out new plans for what life will look like in Western Australia once Covid cases spin out of control Close contacts will be determined as someone who has spent 15 minutes of face-to-face contact with a person infected with Covid without wearing masks, and someone who spent time with an infected person for at least two hours in a small room with masks on. Intimate partners and household contacts of positive cases will also be classed as close contacts. Those who test positive will also only have to isolate for seven days, instead of 14, with no test needed on the seventh day if symptoms are gone. Close contacts will need to isolate for seven days with a rapid antigen test on day one and on the final day of isolation. They can leave isolation if their day seven test is negative. Mr McGowan said he didn't have a specific number for what constitutes a high caseload environment. He said it would be based on average daily case numbers, links between cases and how long they have been infectious in the community. Positive cases will only have to isolate for one week once the new changes come into effect (pictured in Perth) 'Hopefully, it is weeks away,' Mr McGowan said. 'Under Omicron, spread of the virus is unavoidable.' The premier added critical workers who were deemed close contacts but do not have symptoms could continue working if they provide negative rapid tests daily, and wear a mask and isolate. These workers include those in health industries, food and beverage manufacturing, retail, public transport, agriculture, emergency services and teachers. 'Under these settings one case in a bar would not shut a bar. One case would likely not shut an office or a warehouse,' Mr McGowan said. 'We rebalance the risk for the situation we are in, providing certainty as much as we can in a very uncertain environment.' Western Australia on Friday recorded nine new cases, two of which have not yet been linked to existing infections The premier took the opportunity to make a subtle dig at the eastern states who are experiencing significantly higher daily case numbers. 'In NSW more than 20,000 daily cases were recorded before new definitions and protocols were put in place - we won't be waiting for these caseloads to occur in WA before implementing the new settings,' he said. He also said there was discussions at National Cabinet on Thursday of a 'fourth wave' hitting eastern Australia come winter. 'There'll be what they're terming a long tail and they're strongly expecting a fourth wave especially over the winter months,' he said. Western Australia on Friday recorded nine new cases, two of which have not yet been linked to existing infections. A school in Georgia has been forced to revise its class projects after complaints about an assignment that asked fourth graders to defend the forced relocation of Native Americans in the 1830s. Students at Georgia Cyber Academy - a tuition-free, online, accredited public charter school - were given the task as part of their study of Andrew Jackson, president from 1829-37. Jackson in 1830 signed the Indian Removal Act, which ordered Native Americans living around Tennessee to relocate to Oklahoma. An estimated 100,000 were forced to move, with 15,000 dying en route. The students were set the task of writing two letters. 'Write a letter to President Andrew Jackson from the perspective of an American settler,' one assignment instructed. Andrew Jackson, president from 1829-37, ordered that Native Americans be forcibly removed from their ancestral lands 'Explain why you think removing the Cherokee will help the United States grow and prosper.' The second letter should be written from the opposite perspective. 'Write a letter to President Andrew Jackson from the perspective of a Cherokee Indian. Describe conditions on the Trail of Tears and their effects on your tribe.' Jennifer Martin, a parent in Virginia, told Insider that she was angered by what she saw as 'prioritizing the feelings of settlers and colonizers as more important than actual, real history.' She added: 'If this sort of content could happen at a state-funded Georgia charter school, it could easily happen in any public school, and I think people should be aware of how quickly we're devolving into this kind of atmosphere in American schools. 'The truth of American history, and what happened to indigenous peoples and enslaved Africans and other people of color, shouldn't be whitewashed.' This picture, The Trail of Tears, was painted by Robert Lindneux in 1942. It commemorates the suffering of the Cherokee people under forced removal The school said that they had reviewed the material, and decided to change the lesson structure. They said school leaders 'concluded this is not an appropriate question to be used in our classrooms.' The school added: 'While there is often a benefit in asking students to consider all perspectives in a social studies class - and it should be noted that the next question in the series asked students to also argue from the opposite perspective (screenshot attached) - we believe there are more appropriate ways to teach this subject.' Huh Kyung-young, a presidential candidate of the National Revolutionary Party, raises his hands during a visit to a traditional market in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Yonhap By Nam Hyun-woo Huh Kyung-young, a self-proclaimed prophet and a wacky politician who leads the National Revolutionary Party, appears to have succeeded in grabbing the public's attention with his unique presence in the presidential race. But he was not invited to a TV debate among presidential contenders despite his two decades in politics as a candidate who ran unsuccessfully in the presidential as well as Seoul mayoral elections. His name has never been mentioned in the ongoing inter-party negotiations on the TV debate among four candidates, although a poll showed he was ahead of the minor Justice Party candidate Sim Sang-jung. Huh revealed on his social media account on Thursday just how he feels about the snub. "God's wrath will be handed down," he wrote on his Facebook account. Tagging a recent poll that showed he came in fourth and was ahead of the Justice Party candidate, he wrote, "What the hell are you guys doing?" He was referring to the TV debates that were proposed by three major TV broadcasters KBS, SBS and MBC featuring Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), and possibly Ahn Cheol-soo from the People's Party and Sim from the Justice Party. A two-way debate between the DPK and PPP rivals are expected to take place on Jan. 31 and the four-way battle is anticipated to be held on Feb. 3. Earlier, Huh requested the Seoul Southern District Court to ban a TV debate only featuring Lee and Yoon, but saw the petition being dismissed. Huh then asked the Seoul Western District Court to prohibit a four-way debate between Lee, Yoon, Ahn and Sim, but this was also dismissed on Friday, despite Huh's claim that "everyone is wondering why Huh Kyung-young was not invited to the TV debate." Korea's election law requires candidates to have at least three TV debates hosted by the National Election Commission (NEC). Candidates who are eligible for TV debates are those from a party having more than five seats in the National Assembly, those from a party which secured more than 3 percent of support in previous elections or those who secured more than an average 5 percent support rate in surveys conducted one month before the official election campaign. Due to this, petitions by Ahn and Sim, who also opposed the two-way TV debate between Lee and Yoon, were accepted, but that of Huh was dismissed, because he does not meet any of the three conditions and the court applied the same rule for NEC-hosted debates on the two-way debate, even though it would be hosted by the broadcasters. While dismissing Huh's petition for a two-way debate, the Seoul Southern District Court cited that his party has no seat in the Assembly, and his average support rate does not seem to "surpass the 5 percent mark." This is the part Huh is complaining about. He claims that his average support rate surpasses the 5 percent mark, citing a Jan. 23 survey. In the poll, conducted by Korea Information Research for online news outlet NewsPim, Huh secured a 5.6 percent support rate, outpacing Sim with 3.1 percent to stand as the No. 4 candidate. The survey questioned 1,005 adults on Jan. 23 and further information is available at the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission website. Citing this, Huh said Friday that, "We have more than 3 million supporters, with a 5.6 percent support rate," adding "we will remember the judges and court officials who were involved in case our petition for an injunction is not accepted." Despite his threats, the court did not take the 5.6 percent rate into account because it is not a survey acknowledged by the NEC. The NEC only acknowledges surveys requested by newspapers with national circulation, terrestrial broadcasters and cable channels dedicated to news. Most of those surveys did not include Huh in questionnaires to respondents. "Broadcasters are selecting TV debate participants based on strict rules," a legal representative of the three broadcasters said. "Huh is not eligible as a participant of an NEC-hosted TV debate because his party has no seat in the Assembly and his average support rate did not reach 5 percent." Huh Kyung-young, a presidential candidate of the National Revolutionary Party, center, poses with supporters wearing costumes from the Netflix series, "Squid Game," after applying to be a presidential preliminary candidate at the National Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, in this Oct. 18 file photo. Yonhap South Australia is scrapping QR code check-ins at retail venues - becoming the first state to partially ditch the technology which has become a staple of life during the Covid pandemic. Premier Steven Marshall said the check-ins are no longer needed for general retail but will remain in place at high-risk settings such as hospitality venues as well as aged care and health facilities. NSW politicians meanwhile freely admit they are only still imposing QR code rules to make people feel confident as authorities have given up on contact tracing. Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello on Friday said QR codes helped residents with a low 'risk appetite' because the Service NSW app gives them case alerts and tells them to check for symptoms. South Australia is scrapping QR code check-ins at retail venues, becoming the first state to partially ditch the technology which has become a staple of life during the Covid pandemic (file image of an Australian Covid check-in sign) Premier Steven Marshall said QR check-ins are no longer needed for general retail but will remain in place at high-risk settings like hospitality venues as well as aged care and health facilities Premier Marshall said the end of QR code check-ins will be a welcome relief for many retail outlets. 'I want to thank South Australians for their check-in efforts and I am heartened we are now in a position to safely phase out its use at retail outlets.' The announcement also came with the return of elective surgery in SA and an increased 50 per cent capacity level in hospitality venues despite the state recording 1846 new Covid cases on Friday. Meanwhile, the nation's hardest-hit Covid state which added a further 13,333 infections in the past 24 hours, is sticking to its guns when it comes to QR code check-ins despite calls to do away with the technology. Under NSW's new contact rules announced at the end of last year, only household contacts of positive Covid cases are required to isolate. That means being at the same place at the same time as someone who has the virus is no longer cause to self-isolate as it was in the early stages of the pandemic before the vaccine roll out. The move has raised awkward questions for New South Wales politicians who freely admit it's only there to 'make people feel confident' as they've given up on contact tracing. Pictured: Shoppers in Sydney Premier Dominic Perrottet admitted: 'We are not tracking and tracing that is very clear. But this is about confidence'. 'The reality is people feel confident checking in,' he explained. The premier this week extended QR code check-ins, as well as density limits in hospitality venues and public indoor mask mandates, until February 28. Mr Dominello was grilled on Friday by 2GB radio host Ben Fordham, who asked 'what is the point' of having QR requirements if the data is no longer being used? The minister did his best to defend the policy which can see anyone who refuses to check in fined $1,000. 'I understand where you are coming from and it was a line-ball decision, but there are people out there that are a bit scared and lacking confidence with Omicron around,' he said. The NSW Customer Service Minister (pictured) defended the state's the policy which can see anyone who refuses to check in fined $1000 Under the NSW's new contact rules announced at the end of last year, only household contacts of positive Covid cases are required to isolate. Pictured: Sydney's Opera House Bar 'It does give you alerts and people that don't have the same risk appetite as you or I can see I went to a place and it reminds them to check for symptoms. 'Kids going back to school we're expecting a surge in numbers there. That's another reason to be more cautious.' NSW Health also has the power to declare a venue a 'superspreader' site and order those in attendance to isolate which the QR technology could potentially be used for. Advertisement The Queen was today seen being taken for a drive around her Sandringham estate after it was claimed Prince Charles, Prince William and other senior royals are 'deeply shocked' by Prince Andrew's demand for a trial by jury. Members of the Royal Family will urge the Duke of York to settle with Virginia Giuffre, which could cost him 10million, but he wants to tackle accusations of rape and sexual assault made by the Jeffrey Epstein 'sex slave'. Senior royals are said to be exerting pressure on him to pay off Ms Giuffre to avoid corroding his mother's Platinum Jubilee, fearing a trial could be 'many times worse' than his car crash BBC Newsnight interview. So far Andrew appears to be ignoring them, after the Queen 'swiftly and ruthlessly' forced him to hand back his remaining royal patronages and demanded he fight the case as a 'private citizen'. But experts have suggested his hard line could be a 'bluff' and a desperate bid to 'buy time' to reach an out-of-court settlement with his accuser. Meanwhile the Queen, 95, was photographed this morning near Wood Farm on her Sandringham estate where she is staying for the next few weeks, just over one month after her Christmas visit to Norfolk was cancelled. She normally hosts her family at Sandringham over the holidays, and on Christmas Day the royals attend church nearby. But the Queen chose in December to remain at Windsor Castle following rising Covid-19 cases at the time. On February 6, her reign will pass the milestone of 70 years and herald the start of Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Her winter break normally ends after her Accession Day, February 6 - the day her father George VI died in 1952. A royal source said: 'After the car crash of Newsnight no-one thinks a seven-hour deposition is a good idea. If he were to appear in court it could be many times worse and senior royals were deeply shocked when they heard that he was demanding a jury trial'. The Queen is photographed this morning leaving Wood Farm on her Sandringham estate in Norfolk The Queen is driven in a Range Rover this morning as she leaves Wood Farm on her Sandringham estate in Norfolk The Queen looks out of the window from her Range Rover this morning as she leaves Wood Farm at Sandringham in Norfolk Prince Charles, Prince WIlliam and other senior royals are said to be 'deeply shocked' by Prince Andrew's demand for a 'trial by jury' (pictured together at Prince Philip's funeral) The Duke of York was photographed with his arm around the bare waist of then 17-year-old Virginia Roberts. In the background, Ghislaine Maxwell. Ms Roberts claims she was forced to have sex with the royal, he denies ever meeting her Andrew's decision to speak to the BBC's Emily Maitlis caused major reputational problems for him and the Royal Family The insider told The Sun: 'The best outcome for everyone is that this is settled as soon as possible. There are deep, deep worries that this will get worse and worse for the family and will overshadow Platinum Jubilee celebrations.' In his official response to claims made against him by Virginia Roberts five months ago, the Queen's son issued 41 denials, rejecting all allegations of wrongdoing but said a further 40 times that he 'lacks sufficient information to admit or deny' other claims. What are Prince Andrew's defences? The papers, filed today by Prince Andrew's legal counsel Andrew Brettler (pictured), contained a detail rebuttal of all of Roberts' claims and also requested that the Royal be granted a trial by jury The latest court document reiterated the position on the 2009 agreement which was that Ms Giuffre 'waived the claims now asserted in the complaint'. Another factor the duke's legal team asked the court to consider was the issue of consent. The document reads: 'Assuming, without admitting, that Giuffre has suffered any injury or damage alleged in the complaint, Giuffre's claims are barred by the doctrine of consent.' The duke also claimed the case should be 'barred in whole or in part by her own wrongful conduct'. Andrew's lawyers also asserted that Ms Giuffre should not be able to proceed because her claim for damages is 'too speculative to be recovered at law'. This appears to show the duke claiming Ms Giuffre's claims cannot be proved with reasonable certainty, which would leave jurors speculating as to the actual damages suffered. Andrew's lawyers also stated that Ms Giuffre's claims 'fail to state facts sufficient to constitute viable causes of action against Prince Andrew'. The document also argues that the claims should be dismissed because Ms Giuffre is a permanent resident of Australia. Advertisement He also submitted 11 defences calling for the case to be dismissed, including that Miss Roberts' claims should be barred by 'her own wrongful conduct' and 'unclean hands'. His decision to go ahead with the case puts him in contravention with the Royal Family who, sources say, are 'desperate' for him to settle and avoid the spectacle of a trial in New York later this year during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. A source said: 'Andrew is on collision course with the Palace over this.' Andrew had not officially responded to the 73-point civil claim as his lawyers almost immediately applied to a New York judge for it to be thrown out. That was dismissed earlier this month, meaning he now needs to formally answer the accusations against him, including claims that Miss Roberts, suing under her married made of Giuffre, was trafficked to him by his friend, paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and forced to have sex with the duke on three occasions when she was 17. She says this amounts to rape, sexual assault and battery as she seeks unspecified damages, thought to be in the millions of pounds. Andrew's eight admissions were limited to information already public, such as that he is a UK citizen and resides at Royal Lodge on the Windsor Estate. He admits his walk with Epstein in Central Park in 2010 and staying at the paedophile's Manhattan mansion on the same trip, both caught on camera. But in his rebuttal of Miss Roberts' complaint, Andrew denies he ever sexually abused her and refuses to 'admit or deny' her assertions that she was a victim of Epstein. He even quite remarkably given photographic evidence of their relationship over the years denies being a 'close friend' of Epstein's girlfriend and now convicted sex trafficker, Ghislaine Maxwell. Andrew's legal team also reject Miss Roberts' accusation that he has refused to co-operate with US authorities in their investigation of Epstein and his co-conspirators, despite officials claiming he has done just that. Andrew makes clear he continues to dispute Miss Roberts is resident in the state of Colorado, which allows her to bring the case in the US. Now a 38-year-old mother-of-three, she lives in Perth, Australia, and it is understood Andrew's legal team still intend to pursue this in a bid to get the case thrown out. Regarding associations with Epstein, the royal admits he met him 'in or around 1999' but rejects that Maxwell was a 'close friend' and claims he lacks sufficient information to deny or confirm they were photographed 'at numerous social events together'. He says he cannot admit or deny flight logs put him on Epstein's private jet or that he visited his private island. He confirms Epstein and Maxwell attended his 40th birthday party in 2000 but denies throwing Maxwell a birthday party at the Sandringham estate that year. Prince Andrew has responded to sex assault claims by Virginia Giuffre-Roberts in a new court document. Virginia alleges she was forced to have sex with the royal three times when she was aged 17 by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The first page of the document shows Andrew's official denial of Giuffre's claim. Andrew says he 'lacks sufficient evidence to confirm or deny' if photographic evidence of his alleged meeting with Giuffre even 'exists'. Friends of his had suggested the infamous picture could have been doctored. He also claims he has insufficient information to know if he sent emails to Maxwell saying he had 'some specific questions to ask you about Virginia Roberts' in 2015. His submission concludes with additional defence claims saying the case should be dismissed for reasons including: Miss Roberts signed away a right to sue in a legal agreement with Epstein, and accusations she also helped to procure victims of Epstein amounted to 'wrongful conduct and the doctrine of unclean hands'. It adds: 'Prince Andrew hereby demands a trial by jury on all causes of action asserted in the Complaint'. But David Boies, Miss Roberts' attorney, said: 'Prince Andrew's answer continues his approach of denying any knowledge or information concerning the claims against him, and purporting to blame the victim of the abuse for somehow bringing it on herself.' Does this help jog your memory, sir? In court papers revealed this week, Prince Andrew said he didn't have 'enough information to admit or deny' the most basic facts about him, Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein. Allow us to assist! Prince Andrew's formal legal response to allegations made by Virginia Roberts in her civil case against him has been described as 'defiant.' A more jaundiced assessment might characterise it as vague and sometimes baffling. In his answers and 'affirmative defences', there are 41 straight denials and a further 40 assertions that the prince 'lacks sufficient information' to admit or deny other claims she makes. Amid incredulity at some of the responses, legal experts questioned the wisdom of his insistence of a trial by jury which they suggested may be a bluff 'to buy time'. A court-set deadline required the prince to answer Roberts' original complaint by Wednesday. A more detailed response may presumably follow. But given the wealth of evidence already in the public domain concerning Andrew's relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, a number of his statements will still cause puzzlement. On two occasions the wording in his legal defence is ambiguous enough to suggest that he denies Maxwell was ever a 'close friend' or that she introduced him to Epstein. Yet during his disastrous Newsnight interview in November 2019 he told Emily Maitlis: 'I met (him) through his girlfriend in 1999 ...and I've known her since she was at university in the UK.' This was undoubtedly a reference to Maxwell. In the same interview he admitted flying on Epstein's planes and staying on his island. His legal responses to the Roberts suit, in which she claims she was forced to have sex with the prince on three occasions, are rather more circumspect. A photograph of Prince Andrew with his arm around a 17-year-old Virginia Roberts which was allegedly taken at Maxwell's house While Buckingham Palace is declining to comment on the prince's tactics as Andrew is fighting to clear his name as a 'private citizen' after being stripped of his royal privileges, aides are fearful of more damaging headlines just a week before the start of the Queen's historic Platinum Jubilee. In the US, lawyers said Andrew who strenuously denies the claims of wrongdoing was gambling on 'an incredibly risky strategy', but sources close to the prince insisted he was entitled to defend himself when accused of 'such heinous crimes'. So let's examine some of the claims. EXHIBIT A Prince Andrew 'lacks sufficient information to admit or deny' that the widely published photograph of himself, Miss Roberts and Maxwell 'exists'. One of the most famous or notorious snapshots in the world shows Andrew with his arm around the bare midriff of a 17-year-old Roberts. It was allegedly taken in March 2001, on the first floor landing of Maxwell's mews home in Belgravia. Roberts maintains it happened after a night out in central London. This included dinner and dancing with a 'sweaty' Andrew at Tramp nightclub. She alleges he then had sex with her in Maxwell's home. He denies that such an evening and assault took place. He has also said he had no recollection of meeting Roberts. In the past Andrew has contested the authenticity of the picture. Where, then, is the original negative? Roberts has said variously that it was with the FBI, stored in a family home in Australia and 'in a safe place'. According to a Panorama documentary, legal papers reveal an ex-partner of Roberts told US officials he remembers being shown a copy of the picture one of the most frequently viewed in the world just weeks after it was taken. Roberts also told the 2019 programme that a date on the back of the picture shows it was printed on March 13, 2001 just two days after it was taken. She said: 'It's an authentic photo, I have given it to the FBI. There's a date on the back of it from when it was printed.' EXHIBIT B Andrew 'lacks sufficient information to admit or deny' he and Maxwell have been photographed at numerous social events together. This is the most puzzling claim. There are numerous photographs in the public domain of the prince and Maxwell attending social events together. Where does one start? The year 2000 is a good place. The evidence is that they spent much of it in each other's company and in the public eye. The party at Trump's resort. Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell pictured together at a wedding On February 12, 2000, Andrew was photographed at an event at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. In one of the pictures the prince is laughing with Melania,Trump's now wife, Jeffrey Epstein and financier Gwendolyn Beck, with whom he was said to have been smitten during a stay on Epstein's private Little St James island the following year. In another picture Maxwell is in conversation with a woman standing next to Andrew, as Epstein, Trump and Melania look on. The tete a tete New York lunch. On April 20, 2000, Andrew and Maxwell lunched together at Nello's restaurant on 62nd Street and Madison in New York. Witnesses reported that they ate lobster salad and held hands. Andrew paid the $130 bill. They left the restaurant separately but both were pictured in the street outside. The society wedding. On September 2, 2000, the prince attended the Wiltshire wedding of his ex-girlfriend Aurelia Cecil. He arrived at and left the church with a female companion and the pair drove away together. The woman's name? Ghislaine Maxwell. The Duke of York and Ghislaine Maxwell at a Halloween party in New York The Halloween party cuddle. On November 6, 2000 Andrew attended supermodel Heidi Klum's Halloween-themed party at the Hudson Bar in New York. The prince dressed down he took off his tie but his female companion got into the spirit, wearing a shocking blonde wig and a midriff baring top. She was pictured with her arm round Andrew's shoulder as they watched the crowd. Her name? Ghislaine Maxwell, again. The Sandringham shoot. On December 7, 2000, Epstein and Maxwell flew into the UK on his private jet landing at RAF Marham, the pilot log for Flight 1429 suggests. Witnesses told the Mail that the couple spent a weekend as his guests on the Queen's Sandringham estate in Norfolk. Epstein and Maxwell were taken on a pheasant shoot and were photographed walking in the grounds. EXHIBIT C Andrew 'lacks sufficient information to admit or deny' he is named in flight logs flying with Epstein on his private plane from 1999 onwards. It has been widely reported that a number of pilot flight logs are said to prove the Prince flew as a passenger on Epstein's planes. One such entry, for May 12, 2000, is said to show that Epstein's Gulfstream II business jet flew from TEB (Teterboro Airport, New Jersey, 12 miles from Midtown Manhattan) to PBI (Palm Beach International Airport, the closest to Epstein's Florida home). Billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein pictured with his private jet Epstein and his jet, which was dubbed the Lolita Express, were named in flying logs According to the log, aboard the plane for Flight 1338 were JE (Epstein), GM (Maxwell), ET (Maxwell's assistant), AP (thought to be Epstein's personal chef) 'Prince Andrew and Bodyguard'. The latter was presumably the Prince's Scotland Yard personal protection officer. EXHIBIT D Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson ad Princess Eugenie pictured with Princess Beatrice at her 18th birthday party Andrew 'lacks sufficient information to admit or deny' if he invited Epstein to his daughter Beatrice's 18th birthday party in 2006, despite Epstein being charged with paedophile offences. The prince and his family and their guests posed for photographs at their daughter's fancy dress event that July even though Epstein's house had already been raided by police (he was charged shortly after the party). One of these portraits is the stuff of reputational nightmares. It shows Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein (jailed in 2018 for sexual offences), Epstein (died in jail the following year as he awaited trial on sexual offences) and a masked woman. Her name? Once again, Ghislaine Maxwell. EXHIBIT E Andrew 'lacks sufficient information to admit or deny' that he didn't know Epstein was a registered sex offender during his visit to him in New York in 2010. Again this is a puzzling contention, given what the Prince told Emily Maitlis in his car crash interview on BBC Newsnight in November 2019. The Duke of York walks through New York's Central Park with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein She asked him then: 'Why were you staying with a convicted sex offender.' He said: 'I went there with the sole purpose of saying to him that because he had been convicted, it was inappropriate for us to be seen together I felt that doing it on the telephone was the chicken's way.' So he did know that Epstein was a convicted sex offender when he stayed at the tycoon's home in Manhattan in 2010. Perhaps it's the word 'registered' that his legal team is picking on. EXHIBIT F Prince Andrew is seen at paedophile Jeffrey Epstein's home in New York Andrew denies that he 'became a frequent guest in Epstein's various homes around the world including New York City.' Yet in his Newsnight interview he told Emily Maitlis he had stayed at the Manhattan mansion of the then convicted sex offender in 2010 because 'it was a convenient place to stay.' EXHIBIT G A leaked email exchange between Ghislaine Maxwell and the Duke of York Andrew 'lacks sufficient information to admit or deny' if he emailed Maxwell stating, 'Let me know when we can talk. Got some specific questions to ask you about Virginia Roberts',' after Roberts publicly accused him of sexually abusing her in 2015. According to a BBC Panorama programme one month after his Newsnight debacle, the prince sent a 5.50am email to Maxwell saying 'Let me know when we can talk. Got some specific questions to ask you about Virginia Roberts.' Maxwell reportedly replied: 'Have some info. Call me when you have a moment.' The source of this leaked email is unclear. An Alabama man was executed Thursday for brutally murdering a taxi driver who gave him a ride more than 25 years ago. Death Row inmate Matthew Reeves, 44, had claimed his 'intellectual disability' meant he did not understand forms asking him to choose either death by lethal injection or an alternative method using nitrogen hypoxia. Defense lawyers had claimed Reeves had a reading capacity of a first-grader and the language skills of a four-year-old. But the Supreme Court rejected this plea on Thursday, voting 5 to 4 that Reeves was intellectually sound enough to comprehend the forms. He declined his last meal and was executed hours later at Holman Correctional Facility at 9.24pm local time according to Steve Marshall, Alabama's Attorney General. Reeves was sentenced to death for robbing and then fatally shooting taxi driver Willie Johnson after he had collected the then 18-year-old Reeves on a rural highway in Dallas County, Alabama. It was reported the teenager went to a party after murdering Mr Johnson with a shotgun, where he danced and re-enacted the killing while still covered in the taxi driver's blood in 1996. Death Row inmate Matthew Reeves, 44, had claimed his 'intellectual disability' meant he did not understand he had accepted death by lethal injection as opposed to an alternative method using nitrogen hypoxia recently legalized in the state Reeves gave no final words before his execution and only requested a bottle of Sprite. Questions persisted over the defendant's intellectual capacity after his planned execution was delayed by an Alabama federal judge and then the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Suing under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Reeves' lawyers tried to claim he was intellectually disabled and lacked the comprehension skills of an adult. Instead of choosing a 'torturous' lethal injection, Reeves would have chosen to die by newly legalized nitrogen hypoxia, but was never given assistance in filling out the relevant forms, his lawyers claimed. The Supreme Court rejected defense lawyers' claims that Reeves had the reading capacity of a first-grader n Thursday, narrowly voting 5 to 4 that he was intellectually sound enough to comprehend the forms The case was heard at the Supreme Court after an appeal by the Alabama Attorney General's Office. America's highest court tossed out the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals' decision on Thursday evening and ruled the execution could go ahead as Reeves did in fact have effective counsel at trial. But Justice Amy Coney Barrett noted she would deny the states petition, while Justice Elena Kagan, Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Stephen Breyer, who has announced his retirement, also dissented. Justice Kagan wrote: 'This Court should have left the matter there, rather than enable Reevess execution by lethal injection to go forward.' Mr Johnson had picked up Reeves and a group of others as they were at the roadside in Selma, before he was robbed of $360 and shot in the neck. Reeves declined his last meal and was executed hours later at Holman Correctional Facility (pictured) at 9.24pm local time Reeves later went to a party and bragged about getting a 'teardrop tattoo' to signify he had killed another person, a court heard. Meanwhile, Johnson's body was discovered in his truck on Thanksgiving. Commissioner John Hamm, speaking on behalf of Mr Johnson's family, said in a statement: 'After 26 years, justice has finally been served.' Execution by nitrogen hypoxia has been legal in Alabama since 2018, but has not yet been used by the state. Advertisement An Indian father who froze to death alongside his wife and two children worked as a teacher and farmed his own land before they made the desperate and dangerous journey to cross in the United States from Canada, where they trudged through waist-deep snow in a blizzard for 11 hours. Jagdish Patel, 39 and Vaishailben Patel, 37 were found dead with their children Vihangi, 11 and Dharkmik, three, in a field north of the US border on January 19 as temperatures plummeted to as low as -40F near Manitoba, Canada with blowing snow and poor visibility advisories issued on the night of the four's ill-fated trek last week. The family have been pictured for the first time, smiling in an image taken before their tragic journey which has been linked to a human smuggling operation. Steve Shand, 57, from Deltona, Florida has been charged with human smuggling and an investigation into the family's deaths continues. The family, originally from Gujarat, is believed to have made their way into Manitoba from Toronto, where they initially entered Canada on January 12, last Tuesday. Pictured: The Patel family, including Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel, 39, Vaishaliben Jagdishkumar Patel, 37, Vihangi Jagdishkumar Patel, 11, and Dharmik Jagdishkumar Patel, three As there was no abandoned vehicle on the Canadian side of the border, it's understood someone drove the family to the border and left the scene. Relatives said the the father of the family worked as a teacher and farmed land they owned, the National Post reported. Ramandeep Grewal, president of the India Association of Manitoba, told the BBC that there is 'a common sense of feeling guilty' in the region's Indian community following news of the incident. He said the Patels were rumoured to have walked for 11 hours, adding: 'You don't expose yourself to that degree of cold for minutes, let alone hours.' The High Commission of India released a notice with the family's identities and said their immediate relatives have been informed. Police in the western state of Gujarat in India have begun delving deeper into the deaths. Ashish Bhatia, director general of police in Gujarat, said investigators are trying to determine whether there was a travel agent in India who helped the group. A special team, led by a senior consular officer from the Consulate General of India, is in Manitoba to help with investigations on the Canadian side and to offer services for the victims. RCMP officers searching the area where the Patel family froze to death after crossing the border from the US near Emerson, Manitoba, Canada last week Manitoba Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) found the four bodies near Emerson, Manitoba, after US border patrol agents advised them they had picked up a group of Indian nationals on the US side. One of the individuals was found with a backpack full of items for an infant. Steve Shand (pictured) 57, from Deltona, Florida has been charged with human smuggling He told investigators he was carrying the backpack for a group that got separated from his. Investigators have said they believe the deaths are linked to a human smuggling scheme. Shand faces counts of transporting or attempting to transport illegal aliens. He was released on bail Monday. Authorities believe the family of four were separated from another group of five Indians who were traveling on foot in the snow as they tried to cross the border. That group of five was also apprehended last week and had new-looking winter gear that matched Shand's, the documents said, and their boots matched prints from people who walked across the border last month, according to US Department of Homeland Security special agent John Stanley. One woman walking had to be hospitalized for frostbite and may have part of her hand amputated, authorities said. The charge document read: 'The investigation into the death of the four individuals in Canada is ongoing along with an investigation into a larger human smuggling operation of which Shand is suspected of being a part.' Shauna Labman, a human rights professor who studies migration at the University of Winnipeg, said going south from Canada into the US is less common than the opposite direction. The US is usually easier to get to, by land or air, and Canada is generally seen as having fairer refugee policies, she said. Hemat Shah, who is part of the Gujarati community in Winnipeg, Manitoba organised a virtual prayer for the family this week. It is believed the family of four tried to cross into the US on foot as temperatures plummeted to -35C (-31F) near Manitoba, Canada last week He told CBC: 'My heart is crying. What they may have gone through crossing this border, you know, we can't visualize. We can't imagine this.' A statement from RCMP superintendent Rob Hill yesterday said the Patel family first arrived in Canada on January 12 through Toronto and made their way to 'Manitoba and eventually to Emerson on, or about, January 18'. It added: 'There was no abandoned vehicle located on the Canadian side of the border this clearly indicates that someone drove the family to the border and then left the scene. 'With what we know so far of their activities in Canada, along with the arrest that occurred in the United States, we believe this to be a case of human smuggling. Shand was arrested in North Dakota at a border patrol stop, just feet away from where the bodies of four Indian nationals were found RCMP officers with the Integrated Border Enforcement Team (pictured) found the bodies after receiving concerning information from their counterparts in the US 'Our officers with Major Crime Services and Federal Policing are looking at every aspect of their journey. 'This includes their travel from Toronto on January 12 to Emerson around January 18. 'This is an extended period of time for a family who is unfamiliar with Canada to be travelling across the country. 'A part of the investigation is determining whether this travel was facilitated in some way by an individual or individuals. 'It is our belief that people had interactions with the Patel family during their stay in Canada. This can include hotel, gas station or restaurant employees.' According to the BBC, the RCMP would not comment on whether the case was linked to seven other Indian nationals found by border agents on the same day. Shand was charged with human smuggling last Thursday, which led to the discovery of the bodies which were found in Canada near the US border in what authorities call a failed crossing attempt during the freezing blizzard. After a difficult search in nearly impassible terrain, RCMP Assistant Commissioner Jane MacLatchy said officers found three bodies together - a man, a woman and a baby - 33 feet from the border near Emerson, Manitoba. The search continued and a teenager first believed to have been a boy, was found a short distance away. It is believed they died from exposure. RCMP officers in Canada with the Integrated Border Enforcement Team found the bodies after receiving concerning information from their counterparts in the US regarding possible human remains near the border town of Emerson, Manitoba. The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota said Shand had been charged with human smuggling after seven Indian nationals were found in the US, leading to the discovery of the bodies. Court documents filed Wednesday in support of Shand's arrest alleged one of the people spent a significant amount of money to come to Canada with a fraudulent student visa. According to documents, a US Border Patrol in North Dakota stopped a 15-passenger van just south of the Canadian border last Wednesday. Shand was driving and court documents alleged he was with two undocumented Indian nationals. Around the same time, court documents said five other people were spotted by law enforcement in the snow nearby. The group, who were also Indian nationals, told officers they'd been walking for more than 11 hours outside in frigid conditions. A woman stopped breathing several times as she was transported to the hospital. Court documents said she will require partial amputation of her hand. A man was also hospitalized for frostbite but was later released. One of the men in the group was carrying a backpack that had baby supplies in it. Court documents said he told officers it belonged to a family who had become separated from the group overnight. A border marker between the US and Canada outside of Manitoba last Thursday, where a Florida man was arrested for human smuggling after the bodies of four people were found nearby Road signage is posted just outside of Emerson, Manitoba, last Thursday, where the bodies were found on last week in the province of Manitoba just 33 feet from the US border MacLatchy told a news conference in Winnipeg on Thursday that once Mounties were notified the family may still be in Manitoba officers immediately began to search the area, however, the likelihood of several that night was low. 'It is an absolute and heartbreaking tragedy,' MacLatchy said. They were wearing winter clothing, she said, but it would not have been enough to save them with the freezing conditions. 'These victims faced not only the cold weather but also endless fields, large snowdrifts and complete darkness,' MacLatchy added. Manitoba RCMP Assistant Commissioner Jane MacLatchy holds a news conference in Winnipeg last week after Mounties found the bodies of four people near the US border Dave Carlson, pictured, the reeve of Emerson-Franklin, speaks to media in his office in Emerson, Manitoba, last week Officials in both countries said it is more common to see crossings north from the US into Canada. Border crossings into Canada on foot increased in 2016 following the election of former US President Donald Trump. That December, two men lost their fingers to severe frostbite after getting caught in a blizzard while walking from the US into Manitoba. A few months later, a woman died of hypothermia near the border on the American side. In 2019, a pregnant woman who walked across the border was rescued after she became trapped in a snowbank and went into labor. Emerson-Franklin Reeve Dave Carlson said illegal crossings there have dropped significantly in recent years. He was surprised to learn of the four deaths. 'If you look at the political climate on both sides of the border, it's just mind-boggling to me that anyone had that sense of desperation to try and cross in extreme conditions.' Deputy Patrick Klegstad with the Kittson County Sheriff's Office in Minnesota said his department is supporting the American side of the investigation. Its officers patrol the 'desolate' open fields near the border every day, he said, and the area where people crossed is treacherous, especially in the cold. 'Why they picked that spot to travel would be the million-dollar question.' Klegstad, echoing Canadian officials, said it's uncommon to have people make the harrowing journey from Canada into the US. 'It's not very often we do have south-bounders.' Scott Morrison has promised Australia's hard-hit travel sector international tourists will be welcomed back 'well before Easter'. The prime minister slammed the nation's borders shut in March 2020 as the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic swept across the globe. He said it's now finally time for holidaymakers to come back as tourism operators struggle to stay afloat. Prime Minister Morrison says it's finally time for holidaymakers to come back as tourism operators struggle to stay afloat. Pictured: Australia's Far North Mr Morrison pictured on Tuesday. He has promised Australia's hard-hit travel sector that international tourists will be welcomed back 'well before Easter' In the 202021 financial year, 99 per cent of all visitor spend came from domestic tourism, according to official Austrade data. Pictured is a tourist in Australia 'I can't give you a specific date yet and that's because we're just watching how Omicron is sort of washing over the eastern states,' Mr Morrison told 4CA radio in Cairns on Friday. 'We just got to get some medical advice further on that, a bit more work to do with the states to make sure we're comfortable about it. 'I'd like to see us get there soon, certainly before Easter, well before Easter.' The mid-April deadline comes as Australia battles to contain the highly-infectious Omicron variant with a further 40,000 cases recorded on Friday, adding even more pressure on the tourism industry as domestic visitors stay home. In the 202021 financial year, 99 per cent of all visitor spend came from domestic tourism, according to official Austrade data. The $81billion influx of cash was down 41 per cent on 2019 figures - before the virus struck. The prime minister slammed the nation's borders shut in March, 2020, as the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic swept across the globe. Pictured: Tourists in Sydney Australia did ease some international travel requirements on December 15 allowing returning residents, working holiday visa holders and international students to skip the mandatory quarantine period as long as they are fully vaccinated. Double-jabbed visitors from New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea were also offered the same freedoms last year in travel bubble arrangements. The massive drop in visitors has also caused a severe shortage of workers in the tourism and hospitality sectors as operators struggle to fill the gap left by young working holidaymakers from abroad. The massive drop in visitors has also caused a severe shortage of workers in the tourism and hospitality sectors as operators struggle to fill the gap left by young working holidaymakers from abroad Australian Chamber-Tourism chief executive John Hart told said Wednesday, the reopening should be expedited for fully-vaccinated travellers to save jobs. 'The tourism sector was one of the first to feel the huge costs of Covid-19,' he told the Australian Financial Review. 'The international border has been closed to tourist markets for 675 days and counting. 'As a matter of priority, the federal government must expedite the reopening of our international borders to all fully vaccinated travellers, a move that will provide the tourism industry with confidence to resume their operations.' Russia has released details of the case against an American teacher who faces up to 20 years in jail, six months after he was arrested and accused of being a 'large-scale' drug smuggler. Marc Fogel, an English teacher at the Anglo-American School in Moscow, was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport in August after he was found with 17 grams of medicinal marijuana hidden in his suitcase, according to officials. Surveillance footage shows the moment Russian border officials inspected Fogel's suitcase - with sniffer dogs identifying particular items of interest among his luggage, including trainers. 'The drugs were carefully disguised: marijuana was packaged in contact lens case, and cannabis oil was contained in e-cigarette cartridges, a statement from the Russian Interior Ministry read. 'All of it was wrapped in plastic and hidden in his sneakers.' Another video shows investigators rummaging through Fogel's belongings in his office at the elite $34,000-a-year school premises in Moscow, which traditionally shares close links to the British and US embassies. Fogel, who has taught in international schools around the world, was charged with smuggling and possession of a 'large scale' of narcotics after arriving into the country from New York. He faces a maximum prison term of 20 years if convicted. Fogel was accused of using his diplomatic status as a former member of the US Embassy in Moscow to potentially run a 'drug smuggling route' into Russia's capital, the Russian Interior Ministry added. Government investigators urged the immediate arrest of the American over fears he may flee the country, and accused him of potentially selling drugs to students. It is unclear why Moscow waited six months to release further details on Fogel's arrest, but the developments come amid rapidly rising tensions between the US and Russia as President Joe Biden warned a Ukraine invasion could be seen within weeks. Russia is thought to have between 100,000 and 120,000 troops currently massed at the border, which have been recently reinforced with medical teams and logistical support of the kind that is needed to sustain an invading force. Marc Fogel, an English teacher at the Anglo-American School in Moscow, was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport in August (pictured above) after he was found with 17 grams of medicinal marijuana hidden in his suitcase, according to officials Russian border officials and a sniffer dog conduct an inspection of Fogel's luggage at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport in August 2021 Footage released by the Russian Interior Ministry shows a border official rummaging through Fogel's suitcase. They reportedly found 17g of medicinal marijuna wrapped in plastic and hidden inside his sneakers (top right) Fogel, who has taught in international schools around the world, was charged with smuggling and possession of a 'large scale' of narcotics. He faces a maximum prison term of 20 years if convicted A law enforcement source said Fogel had 11 grams of marijuana and 8 grams of hash oil in his possession. Fogel pleaded innocence and told human rights lawyers in December that he used medicinal marijuana after spinal surgery, reports Russia's Interfax agency. He told lawyers he had transported around 17 grams (more than half an ounce) of medicinal marijuana with him into Russia in August. Alexander Khurudzhi, a member of a Moscow human rights committee, said: 'Fogel insists that it was medical marijuana and claims that a doctor prescribed it to him in the United States, which is allegedly confirmed by an entry in the medical record'. 'He claims he was unaware of Russia's ban on medical marijuana,' Khurudhzi added. Documents and personal items, including a baseball hat, were later recovered from English teacher Fogel's office at The Anglo-American School in Moscow. The Russians also claim that Fogel's wife, Jane, sought to remove evidence from their home before it was reached by police. Footage allegedly shows her disposing of evidence, say reports. 'She took a bundle out of the house and threw it in the trash, and later took it outside the residential complex,' said a RIA Novosti report citing local law enforcement. Fogel and his wife, Jane, were protected under diplomatic status until May 2021, the Russian Interior Ministry added. The couple have two sons, Sam, 22, and Ethan, 24, who had both attended the Anglo-American School in Moscow. A second video shows investigators raiding the $34,000-a-year Anglo-American School in Moscow, which traditionally has had close links to the British and US embassies Fogel and his wife, Jane, (pictured above in 2017) were protected under diplomatic status until May 2021, the Russian Interior Ministry added. The US Embassy said it was aware of the case but provided no further comment The couple have two sons, Sam, 22, and Ethan, 24, (far right) who had both attended the Anglo-American School in Moscow The school, established in 1949, traditionally serves the children of expats, including diplomats, in Moscow as well as enrolling those from wealthy Russian families. It has more than 800 registered pupils at present, and charges annual fees of up to $34,900 for its upperclassmen. The US Embassy is aware of Fogel's case, and released a statement saying they were 'monitoring the situation'. Embassy spokesman Jason Rebholz said on Thursday: 'We take seriously our responsibility to assist U.S. citizens abroad and are monitoring the situation. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment at this time.' Fogel joins around a dozen fellow Americans who are currently being detained in Russia. The most prominent of them is former security officer and Marine Paul Whelan, 51, who was arrested by the Russian Federal Security Service in Moscow in 2018 on charges of espionage. Another ex-Marine, Trevor Reed, was held in 2019 for a brawl in which he is accused of attacking Russian police officers. It is understood that Russia mooted a potential prisoner swap for natives held in American prisons, including pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, an alleged arms dealer known as the 'Merchant of Death', who was arrested on drugs charges in 2011. Russia could attack Ukraine within weeks, intelligence sources have said, after Biden shared a phone call with President Zelensky last night during which he warned an attack is likely to come in February Russian armoured troop carriers are pictured taking part in military drills near Rostov-on-Don, located in southern Russia and just a few dozen miles from the Ukraine border US analysts believe that Putin is waiting for the weather to turn cold enough to freeze the ground solid, paving the way for an invasion because it would allow his tanks to manoeuvre easily (pictured, Russian tanks in drills near Ukraine on Thursday) The news comes after President Biden shared a phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky Thursday night, during which he warned the Ukrainian leader of the 'distinct possibility' that Vladimir Putin will attack his country in February. This would mean the invasion is timed to coincide with the coldest weeks in eastern Europe, when the ground will be frozen solid allowing tanks and artillery to manoeuvre easily. US officials have previously said that an unseasonably mild winter appears to have delayed Putin's attack plans by turning the region into a quagmire. The warnings were issued a day after two letters were sent to Vladimir Putin, rejecting his demands that Ukraine be banned from joining NATO and that the alliance withdraw all its forces from ex-Soviet states. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent one letter, while the other was sent by NATO chief Jens Stoltenburg. Neither missive has been made public, but both men have said no ground was given on Putin's key demands. Instead, Blinken said 'serious' counter-offers were made that he hopes will tempt the Kremlin into continuing talks and potential de-escalation. Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, said yesterday that there is 'little ground for optimism' after reading the letters - but left the door to more talks open and said Russia will not rush to give a response. Tensions have soared in recent weeks, as the United States and its NATO allies expressed concern that a buildup of about 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine signaled that Moscow planned to invade its ex-Soviet neighbor. Russia denies having any such designs - and has laid out a series of demands it says will improve security in Europe. But as expected, the U.S. and the Western alliance firmly rejected any concessions on Moscow's main points Wednesday, refusing to permanently ban Ukraine from joining NATO and saying allied deployments of troops and military equipment in Eastern Europe are nonnegotiable. A British property developer has effectively been condemned to die behind bars in Dubai, says his distraught wife, so that senior figures in the Emirati state can seize control of his assets, including a lavish city-centre polo resort. Heather Cornelius says her husband Ryan has already spent 13 years in a cell the size of a shipping container with five other inmates following a minor banking fraud. But her husband, now in ill-health, must spend a further 18 years in jail because he cannot repay millions of pounds demanded by the Dubai authorities. The Foreign Office, she says, has abandoned them. Cornelius's Kafkaesque ordeal has been condemned by supporters demanding his release, including senior peer Lord Clement-Jones and Bill Browder, the London-based financier and campaigner. Heather Cornelius says her husband Ryan (pictured together) has already spent 13 years in a cell the size of a shipping container in Dubai Heather and her three children a daughter, 32, and two sons, aged 30 and 19 became homeless when the couple's three London properties were handed over Browder, who helped bring about the Magnitsky laws imposing international sanctions, including travel bans, on corrupt government officials, described the 31-year sentence as 'an unbelievable miscarriage of justice'. Speaking in a parliamentary debate last year, liberal Democrat peer Lord Clement-Jones, described the case as corruption of the highest order. 'Ryan has no assets left,' he told The Mail on Sunday last week. Half a billion pounds has been taken away by using the Dubai courts and his freedom. 'Effectively a British citizen has been allowed to rot in jail. This is absolutely unacceptable.' Cornelius's wife, Heather has been reluctant to speak out but is now doing so out of desperation. She says the British government is doing next to nothing to help despite his treatment by the Dubai regime, which kept him hooded in solitary confinement for ten days following his arrest and, she says, would later extend his sentence by 20 years behind closed doors with no trial and no lawyers present. Cornelius, 67, is now due to be set free when he is 85 years old, but Heather believes he could die in the Dubai's Central Prison particularly if the authorities produce a further unexpected charge against him. 'I believe they are determined to keep my husband in jail until he dies,' Heather told The Mail on Sunday. Heather says the British government is doing next to nothing to help despite his treatment by the Dubai regime 'Perhaps they are afraid that Ryan will tell the truth about the theft of his assets. There is no other explanation. 'I am terrified that he will pass away behind bars and that I will never get to see my husband again.' Supporters of Cornelius believe he is the victim of a plot orchestrated at the highest level in Dubai by Mohammed al-Shaibani, a figure close to the Sheikh. Al-Shaibani, who has been accused of being the perpetrator, in the House of Lords, has already been implicated in the brutal abductions of the Sheikh's daughters, Princesses Shamsa and Latifa when they attempted to flee Dubai in 2000 and 2018. Lawyers acting for Cornelius plan to petition the British and American government to impose asset freezes and travel bans on senior figures in the Dubai regime in protest at Mr Cornelius's case in the coming weeks. Dubai is already under fire for the treatment of foreign nationals caught up in its labyrinthine legal system while the Sheikh is also scrutiny for the mistreatment of his former wife, Princess Haya. Officially, Cornelius stands convicted of fraud over a 372million loan he received from Dubai Islamic Bank to fund an upmarket 20million square foot polo development . In the eyes of most Western observers, the property developer was guilty of no more than a minor financial infraction. He had kept up with every repayment until his arrest. Heather says the nightmare began in 2008 when Ryan was arrested by three plain-clothes policemen at Dubai airport during a stopover. The officers seized his phone, bound his hands with zip-ties and took him to police headquarters where they put a hood over his head and held him in solitary confinement with no access to his family, the embassy or a lawyer. Heather says the nightmare began in 2008 when Ryan was arrested by three plain-clothes policemen at Dubai airport during a stopover It was ten days before she heard from her husband, recalls Heather. Dubai police interrogated Mr Cornelius for hours in a padded, windowless room. They thrust invoices at him and demanded to know about the loan he had received from the Dubai Islamic Bank, which he had improperly funnelled into developing the Plantation. The spectacular resort was to be a 200-room hotel in the heart of Dubai with 110 luxury villas attached. It would boast world class equestrian facilities including hundreds of stables staffed by professional polo players and show jumpers, two polo fields, an indoor arena, a health club and a private member's club with bars and restaurants. Cornelius was baffled, said his wife. Yes, the polo venture carried more risk than had been technically agreed and was not an authorised use of the loan. But he was able to point out that, with his business partners, he had subsequently disclosed this to the bank, entered into a repayment agreement signed off by a team of lawyers, and that not a single payment had been missed. Even so, he was held without trial for almost two years. In March 2010 he appeared before a judge charged with fraud and money-laundering. He was not provided with a translator and could not follow the court proceedings. In a surprising twist, the judge recused himself from the trial, apparently unwilling to continue on the evidence presented. But Mr Cornelius was not released. Instead a new judge was appointed and fresh charges of defrauding and stealing from a state body were brought against him. This time the charges stuck and the businessman was sentenced to a decade behind bars an outcome that convinced Heather that senior figures in the administration simply wanted to get his hands on her husband's lucrative polo resort. Worse followed in May 2016, when Mr Cornelius had served eight years and, with the usual 25 per cent reduction for good behaviour, expected to be released. Instead he was hauled into an office where a judge handed him another 20-year sentence using a law that allows creditors to keep a debtor imprisoned for failing to repay money owed. He says he was refused a lawyer. In the eyes of most Western observers, the property developer was guilty of no more than a minor financial infraction Mrs Cornelius believes that her husband is trapped in a Kafkaesque nightmare, in which he is locked up for failing to repay a loan that it is impossible to repay because he is locked up. 'Their intention is for him to never get out,' she said. 'Ryan and his partners had not defaulted on the loan, they had paid their debt right up until they were put into jail. 'Of course you can't run businesses from jail so I think effectively the Dubai authorities wanted to silence everybody and keep them out of the way.' Meanwhile Cornelius's lucrative property portfolio has been confiscated by the authorities, which is to say they now hold assets that could be worth up to three times the amount of the original loan though this valuation is heavily disputed. The Plantation alone was valued at 755million when Cornelius entered into the repayment agreement in 2007. Heather and her supporters believe that al-Shaibani, who had become chairman of the bank just a few months before Cornelius was arrested, is deeply implicated. The financier is the sheikh's right-hand man and, according to The Economist, is arguably the second most powerful person in Dubai outside the royal family. 'They had decided to take Ryan's assets,' said Heather. ' Then keep everyone in jail so no one could come forward and say what really happened. To my mind that was the intention. Lord Clement-Jones named al-Shaibani as the powerful man keeping Ryan prisoner in the speech he gave to the House of Lords last year. It is not the first time that al-Shaibani, has been accused of mistreatment. He has been named as a key conspirator in the kidnaps of the sheikh's daughters Princesses Shamsa and Latifa. Shamsa, then 19, vanished on a street in Cambridge in August 2000 and was spirited away to Dubai via private jet. She has not been seen in public since. An English court determined that Mr Shaibani was closely involved in the plot to kidnap al-Maktoum's daughter and was even present when the teenager disappeared. And then three years ago, the sheikh's daughter Latifa, then 32, was also kidnapped while attempting to flee Dubai on board a yacht. She accused al-Shaibani of being involved and said that he forced her to make false statements to British courts and the UN denying that she was being held against her will. The treatment of Cornelius has been disastrous for his family. Mr Cornelius is due to be released from Central Prison in 18 years, when he will be 85 years old Heather and her three children a daughter, 32, and two sons, aged 30 and 19 became homeless when the couple's three London properties were handed over following a successful debt claim by Dubai Islamic Bank in the British courts. The family has survived by taking turns staying with Heather's sisters. 'We had everything taken from us,' she says. 'I have family in the UK that have strived to help me and their homes are my homes but it's not really what you envision at 60 years old. 'Our main focus is supporting our children. 'You can't imagine how hard it is to keep up hope with so many twists and turns and things that seem terribly wrong in the whole process.' 'Dubai Islamic Bank is already in possession of assets previously valued at over a billion dollars. 'Ryan has lost a decade of his life, and lost everything he built over the past 30 years. 'His family is homeless and he is bankrupt; yet Dubai Islamic Bank seem to want him to remain in jail indefinitely, and in Dubai, they have the power to make that happen.' Mr Cornelius is due to be released from Central Prison in 18 years, when he will be 85 years old. But Heather fears that her husband, who caught tuberculosis in custody, will pass away in jail. 'Ryan is in there for life. 'He contracted TB in jail and for two years they didn't treat him. 'His health has deteriorated, he has high blood pressure and high cholesterol. 'He tries to keep himself fit but 13 years in jail would put anybody's health in jeopardy.' She cannot remember the last time she saw her husband in person. Even before the pandemic made travel to Dubai almost impossible, she could no longer afford the flights. Her youngest son was the last family member to see him face-to-face, four years ago. But the couple speak on the telephone two or three times a day although their conversations often only last five minutes as other inmates line up to contact their own loved ones. 'I really do panic if I haven't heard from him. 'I get in a dreadful state because some days the phones aren't working well and there's a queue to use the phone.' Mr Cornelius is just one of thousands of Westerners in jails across the UAE on trumped-up charges according to Radha Stirling, the CEO of Detained in Dubai, an organisation that provides legal advice to people jailed often falsely in the Middle East. 'This is a case of corruption,' she says. 'The more successful you are and the bigger your assets, the more at risk of facing false criminal charges you become. 'We have been trying to warn people about it for years.' Lord Clement-Jones, who has campaigned for Mr Cornelius's release since 2014, said that the case highlighted the dangers of conducted business in the UAE. 'It's really appalling for Dubai's reputation,' he said. 'Our government appear so cosy with Dubai that they won't say boo to a goose. 'The Americans and Australians have been much tougher, got much better results and managed to get their subjects home.' Mrs Cornelius, 62, was scathing about the Foreign Office. 'Our appeals to them go unanswered. 'Only one senior official has ever visited Ryan and that was a couple of years ago. 'He promised to rectify the situation but we never heard from him again.' Against the odds, she remains hopeful that somehow her husband will be released from the clutches of Dubai officials and reunited with his family in London again. 'I don't think I'd survive if I didn't still hope. We all cling on to that hope. 'I think if the Foreign Office would just step in and put pressure on and support us, we could get Ryan released. In a statement, the embassy of Dubai said it looks after the medical welfare of its prisoners: 'Ryan Cornelius illegally obtained loan of 372 million, by bribing staff members at Dubai Islamic Bank. 'Following a fair trial in which all due processes were followed, Mr Cornelius was sentenced to ten years in prison, which was later lawfully extended as he had failed to repay the creditor (Dubai Islamic Bank) during this time - which is in line with UAE law. The whereabouts of the funds Mr Cornelius obtained are unknown. 'The UAE judicial system is independent and equitable, and guarantees the mandatory presence of a translator at all stages, the right to seek a lawyer at all stages, the provision of a lawyer at the state's expense if the defendant cannot appoint legal counsel, and the right to appeal.' Brits visiting Spain's Balearic Islands are being warned they'll be limited to six drinks a day on all-inclusive breaks due to new laws clamping down on public drunkenness. EasyJet is informing passengers of the rule change when they try to book package holidays for certain resorts on the islands. The rules split the day into a 'lunch timetable' and an 'evening timetable', with only three drinks being allowed during each. Other rules ban the sale of alcohol in shops between 9.30pm and 8am, as well as pub crawls, two-for-one drinks offers and happy hours. Advertising party boats and balcony jumping could attract a 50,000 fine. Only certain areas of the Balearics are affected, including Magaluf, on Majorca, and parts of Ibiza and Palma, the regional capital, so customers should check before booking. The regional governments is attempting to put the brake on the 'excesses of drunken tourism'. (A stock photo of revellers in Magaluf) Thousands of British tourists flock to the islands every year, including large groups of revellers who have earned them an infamous reputation. Most of the new restrictions came into place in 2020 but Covid means many Brits are only now becoming aware of them. Anyone attempting to book an all-inclusive stay via EasyJet is now given the following message, the Liverpool Echo reported: 'Due to a change in Spanish law which affects certain resorts in the Balearic islands, alcoholic drinks are now limited to three per person at lunch and dinner as part of the all-inclusive basis.' The laws were touted as the first in Europe to restrict the promotion and sale of alcohol in tourist areas. They also aim to halt the 'cheapening' of the Balearic Islands and attract new investors that were being put off by its rowdy image. Announcing the new laws in 2020, a regional government spokesman said: 'Efforts to promote the destination, to provide it with better quality through both public and private sector investments, and position it in an increasingly competitive and global market, have been affected recently by certain uncivic behaviour. 'Most of this type of behaviour is directly related to alcohol abuse in certain tourist areas of Majorca and Ibiza.' The crackdown will affect Magaluf, Majorca, the West End area of Ibiza and a long stretch of the regional capital Palma. (Stock image) Council leaders have been mounting a fightback to try to clean up the image of resorts like Magaluf since it was rocked by scandal in 2014 when a British holidaymaker was filmed performing sex acts on 24 men. The incident led Majorca's top politician at the time - Jose Ramon Bauza - to dub Magaluf's notorious party strip Punta Ballena as '500 metres of shame'. In 2018 council chiefs upped the ante against badly-behaving tourists in Magaluf by putting up street signs warning them of heavy fines for street drinking, nakedness and fighting. The brightly-coloured signs, which carried the banner line 'Have fun with respect' were mounted on lamp-posts and other visible spots in the party resort. One said: 'Drink on the street. Penalty 500 euros.' Another said: 'Wear no clothes on the street. Penalty 400 euros.' and a third 'Shout, fight, or bother people. Penalty 400 euros.' A British man who survived being hacked with a sickle in Thailand attended a memorial service yesterday for his friend who was killed in the attack. Shaun Dagnan was severely injured and Marcus Evans, 49, died when a neighbour went for them during a row over playing music while drinking. The 55-year-old, from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, was found alongside his dead friend and rushed to a hospital in Kanchanaburi in the early hours of Saturday. He survived but Mr Evans, who hails from Weston Super Mere, Somerset, passed away. It comes as Mr Dagan's friends started a crowdfunding campaign to pay for his medical costs. Shaun Dagnan (right, yesterday), 55, was severely injured and Marcus Evans, 49, died when a neighbour went for them during a row over playing music while drinking The 55-year-old, from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, was found alongside his dead friend and rushed to a hospital in Kanchanaburi in the early hours of Saturday He survived but Mr Evans, who hails from Weston Super Mere, Somerset, passed away. Pictured: The ceremony yesterday Wassana Muanchit, 33, who refers to herself as the wife of Marcus Evans, 49, (pictured together) has spoken of the moment she found his body lying face-down in a pool of blood covered in slashes Pictured: the alleged weapon used in the attack was a sickle found at the scene Local man Prasut Thipthep (pictured right wearing a blue face mask), 23, has been arrested over the killing and Ms Muanchit revealed that police let her speak to him Yesterday he was pictured with his head heavily bandaged and wearing a neck brace as he attended a religious services for Mr Evans Marcus close to their house. He said he was 'feeling better' at the Buddhist ceremony with blessings from monks outside the home. There was also a shrine for Mr Evans with flowers and his favourite meal - burger, fries and a bottle of beer. His girlfriend Wassana Muanchit, 33, also attended and sobbed while she was comforted by friends. Mr Dagan said he was 'still recovering' and 'wanted to get out of hospital' but did not want to talk about what happened. His girlfriend Nong said he was badly injured in the attack and lying on the ground alongside his close friend. Yesterday he was pictured with his head heavily bandaged and wearing a neck brace as he attended a religious services for Mr Evans Marcus close to their house He said he was 'feeling better' at the Buddhist ceremony with blessings from monks outside the home Mr Dagan said he was 'still recovering' and 'wanted to get out of hospital' but did not want to talk about what happened. Pictured: The ceremony yesterday There was also a shrine for Mr Evans with flowers and his favourite meal - burger, fries and a bottle of beer Nong added: 'Shaun was on the ground. Both of them were on the ground and hurt. He couldn't escape. But then while they were on the ground, the attacker ran away.' Mr Dagan, who was still in pain and discomfort, said: 'I'm fine now but I don't want to talk about what happened. I'm stressed by everything that has happened.' A friend added: 'The music was not loud. The music was playing, but it wasn't too loud. They were talking but not being noisy or keeping people awake. 'They were just drinking and smoking cigarettes, talking like normal. There was no reason for the Thai man to react like that.' Neighbours said the pair started drinking and eating with friends on Friday afternoon before they continued into the early hours of the morning. They were playing songs from a Bluetooth speaker and drinking bottles of beet outside the single-storey rented home. But neighbour Prasut Thipthep, 23, was allegedly angry about the noise and hurled himself at them with a sickle. Mr Dagan, who was still in pain and discomfort, said: 'I'm fine now but I don't want to talk about what happened. I'm stressed by everything that has happened' Neighbours said the pair started drinking and eating with friends on Friday afternoon before they continued into the early hours of the morning They were playing songs from a Bluetooth speaker and drinking bottles of beet outside the single-storey rented home Mr Evans was found dead while Mr Dagan scrambled to safety. He was taken to hospital at around 4am local time. His partner Muanchit told how she went to the police station and looked the alleged killer in the eyes and screamed 'why did you kill him?'. She said: 'On the night it happened, my neighbour said my husband was lying down on the floor. 'When I went out I found out he was dead. I was out of my mind because I loved him so much. He was the love of my life. 'He was the main provider, he supported me and my daughter. He gave me a monthly allowance and my expenses are high, but my husband took amazing care of me. Now I don't know what to do because I will have nobody to support me. 'The police let me talk to the man who killed my husband. I looked in his eyes. I was still so angry at him. I asked him 'why did you kill my husband?'. 'I said I was very angry at him. I said 'why couldn't you talk or ask nicely? You could have told me or told the police, but you shouldn't have killed him'.' Police said they had arrested a 23-year-old local man (pictured) with a history of mental health issues in connection with attack and had sustained injuries consistent with a knife fight A crowdfunding page was set up on Justgiving to help with Mr Dagan's recovery yesterday Thipthep was charged with intentional manslaughter over Mr Evans and attempting to kill Mr Dagan. Police Lieutenant General Thanayut Vuthijarathamrong said: 'From the investigation, the accused confessed that the cause of the death came from a disagreement with the deceased. 'The injured victim and the deceased were drinking alcohol and playing loud music during the night until it caused dissatisfaction with the perpetrators and leading them to attack the men. 'As for the matter that the perpetrator is said to be a psychiatric patient. The perpetrator had a history of receiving treatment but must be examined thoroughly whether he is considered a patient with real psychiatric symptoms or not because if it is concluded that the perpetrator has a psychiatric illness, the prosecution will be different from a suspect with no mental disorders.' A crowdfunding page was set up on Justgiving to help with Mr Dagan's recovery yesterday. A friend wrote: 'We're very lucky to still have Shaun with us after sustaining his very serious injuries. His travel insurance had lapsed due to an unexpected extended stay. 'While he is receiving some support from immigration and the British consulate this isn't going to be a short process. 'We are trying to raise funds to help support with costs of medical expenses and recovery. Any donations and help will be greatly appreciated.' Furious activists have accused the Polish government of murder following the death of a woman who was forced to carry a dead foetus in her womb for over a week due to draconian new abortion laws. The 37-year-old mother-of-three, Agnieszka Torbus, was pregnant with twins, but doctors at the Blessed Virgin Mary hospital in Czestochowa, southern Poland, refused an abortion when she lost one of them within the first trimester, her family said in a statement. She presented at the hospital on December 21 with abdominal pain and vomiting, according to the family, and the first foetus died in the womb on December 23. Doctors refused to remove it, operating under new legislation which does not penalise the patient but could see the medical personnel ordering and carrying out an abortion sent to prison. Agnieszka carried the dead foetus along side the living one for seven days until the heartbeat of the second one stopped on December 29, and doctors waited a further two days before ending the pregnancy, by which time the patient's health had started to deteriorate. She died on January 25 from what the family believe to be sepsis, although the hospital has not given an official cause of death. Agnieksza Torbus presented in hospital on December 21 last year. She was pregnant with twins and one of the foetuses died on December 23. An abortion was not carried out until December 31, a full nine days later. Agnieska poses with her brother in 2014. She died on January 25, four-and-a-half weeks after having a delayed abortion that her family say cost her her life A woman holds a banner that says 'I fear to live in such a country' during a protest in front of the Law and Justice party office on January 26, 2022 in Krakow, Poland. The family claim that doctors insinuated that she died of BSE, also known as 'mad cow disease', which she had caught from eating raw meat. 'This is proof of the fact that the current government has blood on their hands,' the woman's family said on Facebook. 'Through all these nine days, the decaying bodies of her unborn children were left inside her.' 'Who is responsible for this crime? The hospital? The Constitutional Court? MPs voting for the anti-abortion act in Poland?' 'Her husband begged the doctors to save his wife, even at the cost of the pregnancy,' Agnieszka's twin sister, Wioletta Paciepnik, said. A woman wears a protective face mask and lights a candle next to the photograph of the deceased woman during a protest in front of the Law and Justice party office. Campaign groups protest outside of the Law and Justice party office in Krakow after the death of Agnieszka Torbus The hospital has denied the abortion law influenced the decisions of medical staff, saying in a statement: The doctors actions had not been influenced by anything else apart from medical reasons and the care for the patient and her children. All abortions except in extreme circumstances such as incest, rape and when the health of the woman is in danger are now illegal in Poland, causing doctors to take what campaign groups call a 'wait-and-see' approach with dangerous pregnancies, for fear of being prosecuted. Protests have been under way across Poland since the death of Agnieszka T, with people laying wreaths and lanterns at her memorial in Warsaw and further protests are planned in her home town of Czestochowa. 'We took to the streets to protest against people being condemned to death. It can happen to any of us. This time it was Agnieszka who died,' said Marta Lempart, the leader of the Polish Women's Strike Movement, the organisation behind the protests. 'I blame the ruling party for her death. They are the ones who condemned her to death in agony and pain. They are the ones who murdered her.' Prosecutors have launched an investigation into the death, with police seizing medical records. Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on Friday stressed the "top priority" of protecting overseas citizens during a virtual meeting with chiefs of South Korea's diplomatic missions in Russia, Ukraine and other nations, his office said, amid concerns about military tensions between Moscow and Kiev. Chung led the session with Seoul's top envoys in the region to discuss safety measures that can be rolled out in case tensions escalate between the two countries. "Minister Chung stressed the imperative to focus all diplomatic efforts for the top priority task of securing the safety of overseas citizens and our enterprises," the foreign ministry said in a press release. (Yonhap) The gun violence surge continues to rise with six police officers shot at in less than 48 hours across cities in the US as an arrest was last night made for an armed 31-year-old who shot three officers in Houston, Texas. At least three officers were also killed in incidents last week. N. Gadson, D. Hayden and A. Alvarez are all hospitalised and in stable condition as the Houston suspect was last night expected to have surgery for a gunshot wound to the neck. Police investigated the scene where three officers, who are stable, were shot near the intersection of McGowen and Hutchins in Houston yesterday The suspect started shooting after officers responded to a call near the 2100 block of McGowen Street in the afternoon and pursued his vehicle. After it crashed the gunman shot at the officers, wounding one in the foot, another in the leg and the third one in an arm, Fox News reported. He carjacked a white Mercedes-Benz at Gunpoint and drove it to a house around five miles away, according to CNN. Police surrounded the man, who barricaded himself in the house for several hours. He shot multiple times, and officers returned fire. Houston Police officers at a scene near the intersection of Lockwood Drive and Hershe Street in Houston yesterday, where the suspect barricaded himself in a house for several hours He surrendered at around 7.45pm last night. It is unknown if the suspect's neck wound was self-inflicted or not, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said. In a press conference yesterday evening Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said he had a chance to talk to all of the officers, recovering at Memorial Hermann Hospital who he described as 'talkative' and 'in good spirits'. He added that none of their injuries are life-threatening but added that the incident 'indicates again is that being a police officer in this case or in law enforcement is an inherently dangerous job'. He also said: 'We are living in inherently dangerous times. There are a lot of guns on the streets.' Officers near Lockwood Drive in Houston. In a press conference yesterday evening Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said he had a chance to talk to all of the officers, recovering at Memorial Hermann Hospital who he described as 'talkative' and 'in good spirits' On Wednesday two St Louis police officers were shot in Milwaukee after looking into a vehicle they believed to be linked to a homicide, with one currently in 'critical' and 'unstable' condition, according to Fox News. In a separate incident also in Milwaukee, a sheriff had to be hospitalized after being shot in the arms and torso while pursuing a passenger running away from a traffic stop. His injuries did not appear to be life threatening, Milwaukee County Sheriff Earnell R. Lucas said on Wednesday. Charles Galloway, 47, was killed last Sunday after pulling over a car in Houston, Texas Last week Corporal Charles Galloway, 47, was killed by a gunman during an early Sunday traffic stop in Houston. The officer was ambushed after pulling over a man driving a white, newer-model Toyota Avalon about 12.45 am, Chief Finner told reporters. He said: 'Witnesses...said he got out of his vehicle and immediately fired upon the deputy - multiple times, striking him. NYPD Officer Jason Rivera, 22, was shot to death while out on a call in Harlem last week. On his NYPD application form, he wrote: 'Coming from an immigrant family, I will be the first to say that I am a member of the NYPD - the greatest police force in the world' Wilbert Mora, 27, who was critically injured in the ambush, has undergone two surgeries to remove a bullet that had become stuck in his brain. He was was transferred on Sunday night from Harlem Hospital to NYU Langone Medical Center, where he continues to fight for his life 'This is senseless. It makes no sense whatever.' Oscar Rosales, 51, was on Wednesday arrested and charged with capital murder. The suspect was captured in Ciudad Acuna, across the border from Del Rio in Texas, Click2Houston reported. Last Friday two New York City police officers, Jason Rivera, 22, and Wilbert Mora, 27, were shot while responding to a domestic violence call. Rivera died on the same night and Mora died on Tuesday. Marks & Spencer are partnering with a family-run confectionary company which makes chocolate matches for Valentine's Day - after they were accused of copying the small firm by selling a nearly identical product. Flo Broughton founded 'Choc on Choc' 20 years ago with her father Kerr Dunlop straight after she graduated from University of the West of England, Bristol, with a degree in Graphic Design at the age of 24. The company, based in Bath, Somerset, began with just 12 designs, eventually growing to offer more than 200 - including the 8 Perfect Match Chocolate Gift Box featuring the chocolate matchstick, which launched in 2015. So Ms Broughton was taken aback when M&S started selling their own 'strikingly similar' 3 matches for February 14th this year. But after she wrote about the resemblance on social media on Friday and Saturday, M&S met with Choc on Choc on Sunday and the retail giant has now committed to sell the Bath-based family-run company's chocolate matchsticks. Flo Broughton's company Choc on Choc began with just 12 designs, eventually growing to offer more than 200 - including the 8 Perfect Match Chocolate Gift Box featuring the chocolate matches, which launched in 2015 Left: The Marks & Spencer 'Perfect Match' chocolate set launched this year. Right: Choc on Choc's version, which launched in 2015 Ms Broughton said: 'My initial reaction was just frustration because we're so small. It was much more galling. M&S is such an iconic British business - it just felt like I should say something. To be honest I really didn't expect to be heard. Pictured: The M&S chocolate matchstick 'It really hit the pit of my stomach this time. And I just felt it wasn't right.' Ms Broughton said it was a customer who spotted the striking similarity between M&S's box of 3 chocolate matchsticks and the company's 8 Perfect Match Chocolate Gift Box, and alerted them to the product. The Choc on Choc product is comprised of white chocolate matches with red ends and 'perfect match' written on them. Ms Broughton said she received thousands of supportive messages from customers and other small companies after calling out the retailer on social media. Ms Broughton said: 'After posting about the copying on social media on Friday and Saturday, M&S contacted me and said they wanted to resolve this. 'On Sunday lunchtime we had a video conferencing call and came to an agreement. 'They were keen to do the right thing and resolve the issue.' Flo Broughton's chocolate matchstick. An M&S spokesman said: 'We take IP (intellectual property) very seriously and when we saw Choc on Choc's social media posts we immediately got in touch' Flo Broughton founded 'Choc on Choc' 20 years ago with her father Kerr Dunlop (both pictured) straight after she graduated from University of the West of England, Bristol, with a degree in Graphic Design at the age of 24 An M&S spokesman said: 'We take IP (intellectual property) very seriously and when we saw Choc on Choc's social media posts we immediately got in touch. 'Choc on Choc is a fantastic company producing quality chocolates and we're delighted to be working with them through our small supplier programme going forwards.' M&S has said it will sell the Choc on Choc matchsticks for Valentine's Day and will also sell its products for Mother's Day and Easter. A couple found in the burnt-out remains of a suburban home were not killed by fire, with post-mortem results showing 'evidence of violence'. Police say they have 'ruled nothing out' as they investigate the deaths of Christine Stephan, 68, and Joe Stephan, 73, who were discovered in a home's charred remains in Collingwood Park, south-west of Brisbane on Sunday morning. Acting Inspector Heath McQueen on Friday described the investigation into the suspicious deaths as 'complex' and expected it to continue into next week after establishing an incident centre at an Ipswich police station. 'Post-mortems have been conducted... I am unable to go into details other than confirming their deaths are suspicious, and not contributable to the fire, with evidence of violence,' Acting Insp McQueen said. Police say they have 'ruled nothing out' as they investigate the deaths of Christine Stephan, 68, and Joe Stephan, 73, who were discovered in a home's charred remains in Collingwood Park, south of Brisbane on Sunday morning 'This is a complex investigation, in which all possible options as to the cause of their deaths is being fully explored. 'We have ruled nothing out at this stage.' He said 'extensive' forensic tests were continuing at the Hannant Street home, which has been declared a crime scene. The couple were found in the lower level of the home, which quickly caught alight early on Sunday. 'They were both so genuine, helpful and caring [people] who always offered their help even when not asked,' a Facebook post from Mr Stephan's work colleagues Rudy and Alma said. Emergency crews were first called to the home about 1am but by then it was well alight with smoke billowing from the roof. Pictured is the burnt-out garage of the home. Emergency crews arrived at 1am on Sunday The couple who have been identified by colleagues on social media were found in the lower level of the home which quickly caught alight early on Sunday Ipswich detectives are leading the investigation - code-named Operation Verdite - with assistance from homicide, forensic and scientific officers. 'Complex and detailed forensic examinations, as well as investigations and interviews by detectives, will continue for some time,' Acting Insp McQueen said. 'I understand the interest from the media and the community, and rightly so, however, to maintain the integrity of the investigation, I am unable to provide any further details or updates at this time.' He said anyone with information should contact police. North Korea test-fired two different weapons systems this week, state media said on Friday, while highlighting Kim Jong Un's inspection of an 'important' munitions factory. Pyongyang has conducted six weapons tests in January, including firing hypersonic missiles, doubling down on Kim's call to build 'military muscle' with one of the most intense single-month barrages on record while ignoring US offers of talks. The official Korean Central News Agency said the Tuesday test involved long-range cruise missiles that hit a 'target island 1,800 km away' in the Sea of Japan. Thursday's launch of 'tactical guided missiles', meanwhile, was to test 'the explosive power of the conventional warhead,' KCNA said. North Korea leader Kim Jong Un visits a munitions factory producing what state media KCNA says is a "major weapon system" at an undisclosed location in North Korea. Pyongyang has test-fired two different weapons systems this week, according to state media Pyongyang has conducted multiple weapons tests in January, including firing hypersonic missiles, after Kim Jong-Un vowed to modernise the country's military. Some faces have been pixellated, it is thought so that the individuals can avoid US sanctions Washington has imposed further sanctions on North Korea for what are sanction-busting missile tests. This picture taken by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows what North Korea says is a surface-to-surface tactical guided missile test-fire conducted by the Academy of Defence Science of the DPRK This picture taken on January 25, 2022 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on January 28 shows what North Korea says is a long-range cruise missile test-fire conducted by the Academy of Defence Science of the DPRK The flurry of tests follows Kim re-avowing his commitment to military modernisation at a key party speech in December. Washington imposed new sanctions in response, prompting anger in Pyongyang, which last week hinted it could abandon a years-long, self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range tests. On Friday, KCNA ran photographs showing Kim, wearing his usual long black leather jacket, surrounded by uniformed officials - their faces pixellated - inspecting a munitions factory that produces 'a major weapon system'. Kim said 'the factory holds a very important position and duty in modernising the country's armed forces,' KCNA added. 'Pyongyang seems to have the evasion of sanctions in mind - blurring their faces to keep them from the sanctions list down the road,' said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior researcher at the private Sejong Institute. The reports did not mention if Kim attended this week's weapons tests, but a separate news item noted his inspection of a vegetable farm close to the site of the Thursday missile launch. The January launches are all part of North Korea's five-year plan to 'upgrade its strategic arsenal,' Hong Min, of the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, told AFP. It is not clear if Kim attended the test launch of these cruise missiles, but he was photographed inspecting a vegetable farm close to the missile site The missile tests come at a delicate time for the region, with North Korea's only ally, China, due to host the Winter Olympics next month North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) claim that this photograph shows a hypersonic missile test 'The cruise missiles fired Tuesday are an extension of the same type of missiles fired [in tests] last September, with improvements in distance and speed.' The string of tests is also a response to South Korea's efforts to upgrade its own weapons systems, with successful launches in 2021 of supersonic and new submarine-launched ballistic missiles, he added. 'The North is showing it's also developing missiles to counter what the South has on hand,' Hong said. The sanctions-busting tests come at a delicate time in the region, with Kim's sole major ally, China, set to host the Winter Olympics next month and South Korea gearing up for a presidential election in March. Domestically, North Korea is preparing to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the birth of late leader Kim Jong Il in February, and the 110th birthday of founder Kim Il Sung in April. The need to celebrate such 'prominent anniversaries' helps explain the recent string of tests, said US-based security analyst Ankit Panda. 'We should expect a bumpy first half of the year,' he told AFP. Panda said it was also possible that coronavirus concerns had forced North Korea to modify its usual winter training schedule, prompting a shift to missile tests to ensure 'positive propaganda' domestically. 'This could be all the more important at a time when the national economy is doing poorly and agricultural output may threaten famine-like conditions,' he added. The impoverished North, reeling economically from a self-imposed coronavirus blockade, recently restarted cross-border trade with China. The fact that state media covered Kim's visit to a vegetable farm on page one, and the munitions factory inspection on page two, is significant, Rachel Minyoung Lee of the Stimson Center told AFP. 'The message here is that the focus remains on the economy, despite the increased rhetoric on the US and weapons tests,' she said. Advertisement Interrupting a campaign speech certainly doesn't seem like a way to get an invite into the White House, but that's exactly what a two-year-old short-haired tabby has managed to do. A green-eyed, gray and white farm cat made quite the impression on Jill Biden after jumping up on stage and interrupting her remarks during a 2020 campaign stop in her home state Pennsylvania. Now, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden have finally welcomed Willow, after speaking of a long-promised cat, to their pet family. Willow, the two-year-old, green-eyed, gray and white farm cat from Pennsylvania, is Joe and Jill Biden's new pet The first lady named Willow, pictured roaming in the White House, after her hometown of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania Jill Biden had been hinting that the White House would get a feline resident after Joe Biden was elected in November 2020 but her arrival had been delayed. Last month, the White House said the cat would come in January. The first lady named their new pet after her hometown of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. Michael LaRosa, the first lady's spokesperson, said: 'Willow is settling into the White House with her favorite toys, treats, and plenty of room to smell and explore. 'Seeing their immediate bond, the owner of the farm knew that Willow belonged with Dr Biden.' Joe and Jill Biden in June last year. The pair has finally added the long-promised cat to their pet family Willow takes a nap on the White House couch. Michael LaRosa, the first lady's spokesperson said she 'is settling into the White House with her favorite toys, treats, and plenty of room to smell and explore' Willow curiously walks around the halls of her new home. The White House hasn't had a feline resident since India, President George W. Bush's cat In a September interview with the New York Times last year, Jill Biden said that that a long-expected cat was 'still being fostered' with someone who 'loves' it. She had added: 'I dont even know whether I can get the cat back at this point.' The White House hasn't had a feline resident since India, President George W. Bush's cat. Willow joins Commander, a German shepherd puppy Joe Biden introduced in December - a pet which had come as a birthday gift from the president's brother James Biden and his wife, Sara. The Bidens had two other German shepherds, Champ and Major, at the White House before Commander. Jill Biden had said after Joe Biden was elected in November 2020 that they would bring a kitty to the White House, but her arrival had been delayed Jill Biden with family dog Major, a German shepherd, pictured last year in February The Bidens had two other German shepherds, Champ and Major, at the White House before Commander. Champ (pictured) died in June at age 13. Willow joins Commander (pictured), a German shepherd puppy Joe Biden introduced in December as a birthday gift from the president's brother James Biden and his wife, Sara But Major, a three-year-old rescue dog, started behaving aggressively after he arrived in January 2021, including a pair of biting incidents. The White House had said Major was still adjusting to his new home, and he was sent back to the Bidens' Delaware home for training. The Bidens, after consulting with dog trainers, animal behaviorists and veterinarians, decided to follow the experts collective recommendation and send Major to live in a quieter environment with family friends, LaRosa said last month. Champ died in June at age 13. A federal judge resentenced 'Tiger King' Joe Exotic to 21 years in prison today, rejecting pleas from the former zookeeper to free him from prison as he told a federal judge 'please don't make me die in prison waiting for a chance to be free'. The Netflix documentary star, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, was convicted in a murder-for-hire case involving animal welfare activist Carole Baskin and has had only one year knocked off his sentence. Wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, his hair styled in a graying bleach-blonde trademark mullet, Maldonado-Passage was resentenced after an appeals court ruled last year that the prison term he's serving on a murder-for-hire conviction should be shortened. An appeals court judge vacated the Tiger King Joseph Maldonado-Passage, AKA Joe Exotic's, 22-year sentence on a murder for hire conviction Wednesday, and he will need to be resentenced at a later date Prosecutors say Maldonado-Passage tried to hire two people - including an undercover FBI agent - to kill Baskin, who'd criticized his treatment of animals. But Maldonado-Passage's attorneys said he wasn't being serious. Baskin and her husband also attended the proceedings, and she said she was fearful that Maldonado-Passage could threaten her. 'He continues to harbor intense feelings of ill will toward me,' she said. Supporters packed the courtroom, some wearing animal-print masks and shirts that read 'Free Joe Exotic'. His attorneys said they would appeal both the resentencing and petition for a new trial. Although Maldonado-Passage's supporters sought his release from prison, it was believed to be unlikely because federal guidelines suggest a sentence of 17 1/2 years to 22 years in prison. Maldonado-Passage attended today's sentencing in Oklahoma City after a judge approved his transfer from a federal medical center in Butner, North Carolina. Last month, attorneys for the former Oklahoma zookeeper said he was delaying prostate cancer treatment until after his resentencing. The former zookeeper was sentenced in January 2020 to 22 years in prison after he was convicted of trying to hire two different men to kill animal welfare activist Carole Baskin, who is also a key figure in Netflix's hit 'Tiger King' documentary. A three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with Maldonado-Passage that the court should have treated them as one conviction at sentencing because they both involved the same goal of killing Baskin. Baskin runs a rescue sanctuary for big cats in Florida and had criticized Maldonado-Passage's treatment of animals. Both were featured in Netflix's 'Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.' The show was a breakout hit as people were forced to stay home in the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic. Prosecutors said Maldonado-Passage offered $10,000 to an undercover FBI agent to kill Baskin during a recorded December 2017 meeting. In the recording, he told the agent, 'Just like follow her into a mall parking lot and just cap her and drive off.' Maldonado-Passage's attorneys have said their client - who once operated a zoo in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, about 65 miles south of Oklahoma City - wasn't being serious. Maldonado-Passage, who maintains his innocence, also was convicted of killing five tigers, selling tiger cubs and falsifying wildlife records. His attorneys are asking for a lesser sentence than what the guidelines call for, alleging 'imperfect entrapment, sentencing manipulation, and outrageous government conduct.' Return: Tiger King 2 debuted on Netflix November 17 - with the hotly anticipated sequel chronicling Joe Exotic's fight for freedom after being convicted in the murder-for-hire plot of rival Carole Baskin. Although supporters of Joe Exotic are seeking his release from prison, it's unlikely because federal guidelines suggest a sentence of 17 1/2 years to 22 years in prison 'From decisions made in the initial stages of the investigation to charging decisions to overzealous sentencing recommendations, one thing remains clear: this case was about doing whatever it took to put Mr. Maldonado-Passage behind bars for as long as possible,' his attorneys wrote in a sentencing memorandum. Federal prosecutors said in court records that they would defer recommending a new sentence for Maldonado-Passage because of the allegations he raised. 'In the unlikely event that any of these claims withstand scrutiny and ultimately are determined to be credible, those developments could impact the United States' ultimate sentencing recommendation' because the prosecutors are obligated to investigate them, U.S. Attorney Robert Troester wrote. In December, Joe Exotic said he is desperate to prove that he is innocent of animal cruelty, in an exclusive interview with DailyMailTV. It was first time fans have heard from Exotic since the release of season two of Netflix's Tiger King, one of the streaming platform's biggest shows. In a recorded prison phone call shared with DailyMailTV, Exotic claimed he was misrepresented as needlessly killing tigers in his Oklahoma zoo, which he feels was a key part of his conviction last year. Exotic defended his decision to shoot five of his G.W. Zoo big cats point blank in the skull as they were 'old and in pain.' But he claimed millions of fans worldwide branded him an animal abuser following the Netflix show broadcast and that prosecutors went into detail about the tiger killing process to make the jury 'hate' him. The former zookeeper was sentenced in January 2020 to 22 years in prison after he was convicted of trying to hire two different men to kill animal welfare activist Carole Baskin, who is also a key figure in 'Tiger King' The 58-year-old, pictured in 2013, told DailyMailTV he was misrepresented as needlessly killing tigers at his Oklahoma zoo, which he feels was a key part of his 2019 conviction Tiger King 2 debuted on Netflix in November - with the hotly anticipated sequel chronicling Joe Exotic's fight for freedom after being convicted in the murder-for-hire plot of rival Baskin. 2020 Netflix smash hit Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, told the story of zoo owner Joe as he spiraled out of control amid a cast of eccentric characters in the true murder-for-hire story from the underworld of big cat breeding. In 2019, Joe, 58, was convicted on 17 federal charges of animal abuse and two counts of attempted murder for hire in his plot to kill nemesis and Big Cat Rescue owner, Carole Baskin, 60 - and sentenced to 22 years in prison. The explosive five-part second season sees the former G.W. Zoo owner fighting for release via a presidential pardon and would-be hitman Allen Glover claiming that his target was not in-fact Carole, but Joe himself. Co-director Rebecca Chaiklin, who returns alongside Eric Goode for the new series, even voices her belief that there has 'potentially been a miscarriage of justice' in Joe's murder-for-hire conviction. The series also explores the much-debated fate of Big Cat Rescue owner Carole's previous husband Don Lewis, who mysteriously vanished without a trace in 1997 and was declared dead in 2002 - with claims arising he could still be alive in Costa Rica. Baskin (pictured in the Tiger King documentary) runs a rescue sanctuary for big cats in Florida and had criticized Maldonado-Passage's treatment of animals In Tiger King, Carole was blamed for Don's disappearance and accused of 'feeding him to the tigers' by her rival Joe -claims she has fiercely denied. Joe was sent to prison after paying hitman Allen Glover $25,000 to decapitate Carole - but Glover double crossed him and went to the police. Now, Glover says the plot was to decapitate Joe using barbed wire, admitting 'I was going to kill Joe' - and that he was working with Joe's rival and the man who bought G.W. Zoo, Jeff Lowe. Joe said: 'They were going to kill me because Jeff was on my life insurance. They actually even set a trap to decapitate me. 'They strung a piece of barbed wire across from tree to tree. They were hoping I'd be riding a four-wheeler fast enough that I'd hit that wire.' Tough times: Exotic is serving a 22 year prison sentence in Fort Worth, Texas a Glover reveals the plot in a sworn affidavit on camera, saying: 'We came up with a plan to decapitate Joe's head to kill him to clear him away from the property so Jeff could take it over, animals and everything. This don't make me look good at all.' Tiger King 2 also claims that Glover and Lowe were co-conspirators in getting Exotic convicted on the murder-for-hire plot. The documentary states that Jeff declined to comment on the allegations. Lowe took over the park after Exotic was sent to prison, but it closed permanently to the public last August after its federal animal exhibition license was suspended. Baskin then won control of the zoo in 2020 when a judge ruled she would be allowed to take over the property. This summer she sold it. Joe said: 'Everybody from the zoo is out there making money from Joe Exotic. 'I'm paying the price for every one of them people.' An official EU watchdog has slammed Ursula von der Leyen for keeping secret text messages with Pfizer's CEO about purchasing Covid vaccine doses, saying it 'constituted maladministration'. The EU ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, issued a formal recommendation telling von der Leyen's office to search for and hand over the texts under a freedom of information request lodged by a journalist. In April last year, the New York Times revealed that EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla had exchanged text messages and calls about vaccine procurements for EU countries. The European Commission chief used 'personal diplomacy' to secure the deal for 1.8billion Pfizer vaccines via texts with the CEO, the paper revealed. Journalist Alexander Fanta of news site netzpolitik.org then asked the Commission for access to the text messages and other documents, but the executive branch did not provide them. An official EU watchdog has slammed Ursula von der Leyen for keeping secret text messages with Pfizer's CEO The commission rebuffed the freedom-of-information request, refusing to say whether the texts existed - even though von der Leyen had referred to them herself in a media interview. According to the ombudsman's inquiry, the Commission did not clearly ask von der Leyen's cabinet to look for the text messages. Instead, the Commission said the only information they had was an email, a letter and a press release. 'This falls short of reasonable expectations of transparency and administrative standards in the Commission,' O'Reilly said. 'When it comes to the right of public access to EU documents, it is the content of the document that matters and not the device or form. If text messages concern EU policies and decisions, they should be treated as EU documents. The ombudsman said the commission should ask von der Leyen's office to again look for the texts, and if it found them, 'the Commission should assess whether public access can be granted to them' in line with EU rules. 'The EU administration needs to update its document recording practices to reflect this reality.' Von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla (pictured) had exchanged text messages and calls about vaccine procurements for EU countries The Commission argued a 'text message or another type of instant messaging is by its nature a short-lived document which does not contain in principle important information concerning matters relating to policies, activities and decisions of the Commission' and that 'the Commission record-keeping policy would in principle exclude instant messaging.' They also told the ombudsman that 'to date, it has not recorded any text messages in its document management system'. But O'Reilly rejected this argument, saying that texts fall within the Commission's definition of a document. Von der Leyen's Commission spearheaded the pre-purchase of Covid vaccines for the 27 EU countries. More than half the doses the commission has bought or optioned are sourced from BioNTech-Pfizer, making it by far the biggest supplier to the bloc's inoculation efforts. The commission refuses to divulge key aspects of its contracts with Covid vaccine suppliers, notably on pricing, citing commercial confidentiality. Last year, there was a mad scramble to secure vaccines, with the EU and the UK coming to blows over contracts with the major pharmaceutical companies. While Britain was able to get on top of their world-beating vaccine rollout and administer 20 million jabs within a few weeks of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines being approved, EU leaders lagged behind in implementing a vaccine plan. Brussels chiefs were furious at AstraZeneca for promising the UK first deliveries of its vaccine supplies, claiming it has reneged on its deal with the bloc. Countries such as France and Germany then went back-and-forth about whether to rollout the AstraZeneca jab, which sowed doubts among the public and led to a low uptake of the vaccines. Michel Barnier, 70, later said that ideology, red tape and an aversion to risk-taking led Europe to bungle its early vaccination drive. Colombian anti-drug police have seized a huge consignment of 20,000 coconuts filled with liquid cocaine moments before it was destined to ship out to Europe. The bust was made in the port city of Cartagena, on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, where the coconuts were readying for departure to Genoa in Italy. An anti-drug unit within the Colombia's national prosecutor's office working with a special police team inspected the coconuts, which were being transported in 504 canvas bags, and found that the natural milk had been emptied out and another liquid injected inside. 'Upon inspection, it was established that the water in the tropical fruit had been exchanged for liquid cocaine,' the Colombian national prosecutor's office said in a statement. The bust was made when the almost 20,000 coconuts were inspected, and found to have had the liquid inside extracted and liquid cocaine injected inside. They were subsequently sent to a laboratory for further inspection The shipment was being readied for transport in the Colombian city of Cartagena, an old colonial port on the Caribbean coast to the north of the country. The destination was Genoa, Italy It has not yet been determined who is behind the massive shipment of cocaine, nor who is working for the smuggling network on the European side. The national prosecutor's office have said they are investigating. Pictures: The 504 canvas bags in which the coconuts were being shipped An anti-drug officers of the Colombian national prosecutor's office stand proudly over their find, with an unknown quantity of cocaine destined for the European market The fruit have been sent to a laboratory for further inspection to establish the precise quantity of cocaine each coconut contains. No arrests have so far been made in connection with the finding, but the national prosecutor's office have said they are investigating to determine the origins of the coconut shipment and identify who is responsible. Colombian authorities are already working with Italian authorities in Genoa to try to identify who is behind the criminal network smuggling the drugs into Europe. Cocaine production in Colombia is higher than ever, reaching record levels in a 2017 report from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and this despite the termination of the infamous Colombian drug cartels of the 1980s and 1990s. Most cocaine going to Europe is thought to enter via Spain and Italy to the south and the huge ports of Holland and Belgium to the north, while some is thought to enter via a detour through west Africa. The Nobel Prize awarded to a physicist who was saved by Britain from the Nazis when he was just a teenager has been sold by his family for 340,000. Walter Kohn, who came from a Jewish family, was 15 years old when his native Austria was annexed by Adolf Hitler in 1938. He and his sister Minna escaped the country through the Kindertransport programme, which provided almost 10,000 children with safe passage to the UK, but their parents were killed during the Holocaust. Kohn was subsequently transported to Canada where he studied before enrolling at Harvard University and embarking on an academic career. He became US citizen and taught at the University of California. He then achieved a major breakthrough in 'density functional theory' which saw him awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1998. It is a quantum-mechanical method used in chemistry and physics to calculate the electronic structure of atoms, molecules and solids. Walter Kohn (pictured at his home in California in 1998) was saved by Britain from the Nazis when he was just a teenager The 18 carat gold medal has Alfred Nobel's portrait on the front, with the goddess Isis on the reverse. Kohn's name and the year 1998 in Roman numerals are engraved on a plaque below Walter (left) and his sister Minna (pictured in Vienna with their parents) escaped Austria through the Kindertransport programme - which provided almost 10,000 children with safe passage to the UK - but their parents were killed during the Holocaust Kohn is seen above hugging his wife Mara at his home in Santa Barbara after he had been told he had won the Nobel Prize The 18 carat gold medal has Alfred Nobel's portrait on the front, with the goddess Isis on the reverse. Kohn's name and the year 1998 in Roman numerals are engraved on a plaque below. Kohn died aged 93 in 2016 and his Nobel Prize went under the hammer with US-based auctioneers Nate D Sanders, of California. The sale also included three science books he bought in a temporary internment camp in Canada which fuelled his interest in the subject. The archive sparked a bidding war, selling for almost double its 200,000 estimate. A Nate D Sanders spokesperson said: 'This Nobel Prize in Chemistry won by Walter Kohn in 1998 is unique not only for the scientific impact of Kohn's work, but also for his life experience as one of the children rescued from Nazi-occupied territories in World War Two through the Kindertransport program. 'Kindertransport was established by the United Kingdom in 1938 immediately after the 'Night of Broken Glass' pogrom in Germany, authorising the safe passage of almost 10,000 children into the UK. 'The children were placed in homes throughout the British empire, with Kohn ultimately finding a home in Canada after both his parents were killed in the Holocaust.' Walter Kohn (pictured above in Vienna aged 14), came from a Jewish family and was just a teenager when his native Austria was annexed by Adolf Hitler in 1938 Kohn in the Canadian Army in 1944. Kohn died aged 93 in 2016 and his Nobel Prize is now going under the hammer with US-based auctioneers Nate D Sanders, of California Kohn as a child with his family at their summer house on the Baltic in Herringsdorf, Germany The sale also included three science books he bought in a temporary internment camp in Canada which fuelled his interest in the subject Auctioneer Nate Sanders added: 'To think what would have been lost to the world had Walter Kohn not made it to the UK during World War Two is incomprehensible. 'This Nobel Prize is not only a testament to the knowledge that mankind is capable of, but also to its humanity.' A delegation of British, Jewish and Quaker leaders visited Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain on November 15, 1938, to urge him to allow the temporary admission of unaccompanied Jewish children without their parents. The bill was passed in Parliament and Jewish children were taken in by British foster homes, hostels, schools and farms. Advertisement Britain's Covid hotspots were today laid bare by an interactive map which shows how almost one in 12 people are infected in the worst-hit areas. Rates were highest in Bradford, Wolverhampton, and London Borough of Waltham Forest where Office of National Statistics (ONS) analysts estimated 7.9 and 8 per cent of people are carrying the virus. The Government agency's surveillance report based on random testing of tens of thousands of people showed the UK's outbreak has shrunk, with prevalence falling by roughly a tenth in a week. But roughly one in 20 people were still infected in England as a whole in the week ending January 22, with slightly lower rates in Scotland and Wales. Positivity rates were similar in Northern Ireland. Despite the overall downward trajectory, infections continued to rise among children and have now hit pandemic highs. This uptick is thought to be behind the plateau in the daily official figures, with cases currently floating at around the 90,000 per day mark. There are signs that daily infections are starting to come down again, however, with today's 89,176 new cases down 7 per cent on last week. Yesterday's number marked a weekly fall of 9 per cent. The ONS estimates, regarded as the most reliable indicator of the UK's outbreak because it uses random sampling rather than relying on people coming forward to be tested, show nearly one in eight children aged between 2 and 11 were infected. Experts have warned that the back-to-school effect will eventually spill over into adults', and could cause infection rates to jump again. There also fears of the spread of an even more transmissible strain of Omicron could affect the outbreak. But leading scientists are adamant the worst is over, with vaccines, the build-up of natural immunity and the milder nature of Omicron having changed the course of the pandemic completely It is for this reason No10 has had enough confidence to ditch Plan B restrictions in England. Work from home guidance was revoked last week, while Covid passes and requirements to wear face masks in public spaces came to an end yesterday. Boris Johnson has also said he wants the self-isolation rules to be ditched by the end of March as part of the UK's plan to 'live with the virus' like flu. Meanwhile, latest hospital data shows 1,732 Britons were admitted with Covid on January 24, which was 12 per cent lower than the previous week and the 13th day in a row admissions have fallen week-on-week. Health officials said there were 277 more coronavirus deaths registered in the UK today down by around 4 per cent in a week. Covid cases continued to rise in children with nearly one in eight of those aged two to pupils in year six having the virus as of the week ending January 22. Children in year seven to 11 also saw increases, while all other age groups saw continued declines Inside one of the NHS's Nightingale hubs: Ward created in a CAR PARK as last resort but Covid pressures on hospitals have already receded Officials conceded one of the NHS' new Nightingale surge hubs might never be used as the Omicron wave continues to recede. The temporary site on the grounds of Royal Preston Hospital is one of eight commissioned across England last month, when the fourth wave looked as if it could threaten the health service. It has been assembled in the car park at the city's biggest hospital in less than four weeks and can house roughly 100 Covid patients but it is currently empty. Local NHS bosses have indicated that the new hub might never be used and medical unions have warned they could swallow up staff and pull resources away from other parts of the health service. Other make-shift structures are being built in London, Leeds, Solihull, Leicester, Stevenage, Ashford and Bristol for an undisclosed amount of money. England's original Nightingale hospitals, built in 2020, cost 500million, which included running costs, stand-by costs and decommissioning costs. But they saw only light use before being mothballed. The new, much smaller, sites will remain on standby to look after Covid sufferers who are not well enough to go home but need minimal supervision during their recovery. Kevin McGee, chief executive of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust which looks after the Royal Preston, previously said said: 'My hope is that we never have to use it. 'We're planning for it, and that's quite right because we need to make sure that we put the appropriate capacity in place should we need it, but I'm hopeful we can manage within our core bed base.' However, Dr Brian McGregor, of the British Medical Association, said staffing more beds would mean 'falling further behind' on routine work. It comes as figures show the majority of Covid patients in English hospitals are not primarily being treated for the virus for the first time in the pandemic - thanks to the super-mild Omicron variant. As few as a third of inpatients are mainly sick with the virus in parts of the country, with the rest primarily receiving care for a range of other conditions, such as a broken leg or heart disease. Advertisement ONS data for the week ending January 22 showed Covid infection rates were declining in England, Scotland, and Wales. But the exact trajectory wasn't clear in Northern Ireland, the team said. Nationally, 4.8 per cent of people in England were said to have Covid on any given day. Rates were in the same ballpark in Northern Ireland (5.3 per cent). But test positivity rates were lower in both Scotland (3.1 per cent) and Wales (3.3 per cent). In England, the outbreak appeared biggest in the North East, where almost one in 12 people were estimated to have the virus. The South West continued to have the lowest rates of Covid in the country, with only 3.4 per cent of people tested there having the virus. But infection rates fell in all of the 9 of the regions compared to the week prior, ONS data showed. When broken down by age, older children saw a smaller but still significant increase in Covid cases, with 6.5 per cent testing positive. Rates were highest in the youngest age, of children aged two to pupils in year six, at around 12 per cent. Other age-groups saw either a stable number of cases or minor declines. People over the age of 70 were the least likely to test positive for Covid in the latest round of data, with only just over one in 50 having caught the virus. Elderly Britons have been heavily prioritised in the UK's initial vaccine rollout and the follow-up booster campaign. In comparison, Covid jabs have only been available to children aged 12-15-years-of-age since late September last year. Professor James Naismith, a structural biologist at the University of Oxford, welcomed the ONS data showing an overall decline in Covid in the UK, but added that the prevalence of the virus among children was 'staggering'. 'The virus is sweeping through school children,' he said. 'Covid is much less severe in this age group than in the elderly but if this this level of prevalence is sustained, then even a small portion of infections leading to long Covid or serious illness will be consequential.' He added that data showing a rise in cases in children between the ages of 12-and-16 highlighted the ongoing Covid vaccination drive in this group remained critical, not only for their own sake but that of their classmates or family members with health conditions. 'Children in the 12 to 16 are seeing a rising prevalence, ensuring vaccine take up in this age group is important. 'There are clinically vulnerable children and clinically vulnerable families of children, this degree of prevalence will pose a threat.' Professor Naismith said the fact that all other age groups were seeing a decline in Covid cases was a testament to the effectiveness of the UK's vaccine booster campaign and urged anyone still eligible for a jab to come forward. The ONS's latest data comes as experts say Covid cases could once again take-off due to the emergence of a new strain of the Omicron variant, called BA.2 which is even more infectious than its already highly transmissible ancestor. In England, Covid cases continued to be highest in the North East and the Yorkshire ad the Humber where an estimated 6.9 and 6.2 per cent of people had the virus in the week ending January 22 according to ONS data. The South West continued to enjoy the lowest Covid rates in England with only 3.4 per cent of people having the virus in this region The national Covid rate for England declined in the week ending January 22 with 4.8 per cent of people having the virus, roughly about one in 20 Scotland enjoyed the lowest virus rate in the UK with only 3.1 per cent of people having the virus, equating to about one in 30 people Things were similar in Wales with a Covid rate of 3.2 per cent, also roughly equating to one in 30 people in the country having the virus Northern Ireland was the outlier in the UK nations in this latest round of ONS data, and the only country where the ONS said the current trajectory of the pandemic was uncertain rather than in decline. The country recording a Covid prevalence rate of 5.3 per cent, the highest of any UK nation The fall incases comes amid reports that a new off-shoot of the Omicron strain, dubbed BA.2, is taking off in the UK. Scientists say the new strain shows signs of being even more infectious than its ancestor but harder to track as a specific Covid variant as it is missing a genetic quirk that made the original Omicron strain easier to spot in PCR tests. But promising data from Government scientists suggests the strain, which makes up at least one in 125 new cases in England, is not more vaccine-resistant than Omicron. A booster dose gives 70 per cent protection against symptomatic infection caused by BA.2, compared to 63 per cent protection against its ancestor. The UK Health and Security Agency's weekly estimate of the R rate today was between 0.7 and 0.9, meaning it has fallen slightly. Last week health chiefs estimated that it was between 0.8 and 1.1. If the figure is below one, it means infections are shrinking. The R number reflects the average amount of people every infected patient passes the virus on to. The R rate is, however, a lagging indicator and does not reflect the situation currently. Instead, it paints a clearer picture on how quickly the virus was spreading three weeks ago. Ministers once put the R rate at the heart of their Covid battle plan. But it is now less crucial because experts care more about hospitalisation and death rates, given the country's massively successful vaccination roll-out. Sim should strenuously pursue values for minorities It is fortunate that Justice Party presidential candidate Sim Sang-jung has restarted her campaign following a lull. As the icon of the nation's progressive forces, Sim has been the face of her party over the past two decades. Sim returned five days after disappearing from the public's view on Jan. 12 as her approval rating declined below 3 percent. In an interview with The Korea Times Friday, Sim vowed to continue to represent the minor, peripheral social groups to bring their voices to the center of the political debate even though doing so could cost her popularity and votes. "For me, the presidential election is not a competition among individual candidates. Rather, for me, it a race against the two gigantic parties," she said. "In silence, I deeply pondered what went wrong and about the reason why I and the party have failed to earn the people's hearts. I will deeply reflect and squarely stand up again. I will more stubbornly push for the values of the progressive party," Sim said during a press conference Jan. 17 fresh from the five-day leave. It is inappropriate for a presidential candidate to stop the campaign without prior consultation with the party and she should take responsibility for such an act at any rate. Sim is supposed to show her changed side to party members and supporters through tangible results and performance to prove that the time she spent on self-reflection was not in vain. Sim admitted that the values and principles of progressive politics have been shaken greatly and acknowledged her mistakes in making grave decisions in the past. She also pledged to seek judgment on herself and the party through the upcoming presidential election. This can be taken as an expression of her desperation that the election may determine the fate of the party that has represented the nation's progressive camp over the last 20 years. Sim is not merely a "third party candidate" who sits between the two major parties. As the very presidential contender of the progressive party, she should speak on behalf of the social minorities. We urge Sim to raise the flag again against the widening disparity between the haves and the have nots, discrimination against minorities in diverse sectors of society and protect the grassroots from increasing privileges for upper-class people. Sim should not be discouraged by the currently low support rate. Rather, she should strenuously pursue the values of the progressive camp focusing on the environment, human rights, women, the handicapped and workers. The progressive party's responsibility lies in creating a society where everyone can live with dignity. Against this backdrop, it is regretful that the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) maintains a negative reaction to the four-way debate among major presidential candidates including Sim, sticking to a two-way discussion between the PPP's Yoon Suk-yeol and Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. The PPP should accept the quadrilateral debate as recommended by the court to respect the rule of democracy and fairness. Even with his own low approval numbers, President Joe Biden is leading both former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a pair of direct match-ups long ahead of the 2024 election. Biden leads Trump by 10 percentage points 43 to 33 in a new Marquette Law School poll released Thursday. That poll has 16 percent backing 'someone else.' It comes even as Trump has been hammering Biden throughout his presidency, and stepping up his own activity with a rally last week in Arizona and another planned for Texas this coming Saturday. Biden's lead over DeSantis, who has been in the news as he challenges the administration on vaccine mandates and school policy, is slightly narrower. Biden leads DeSantis 41 percent to 33 percent. In that matchup, 18 percent back 'someone else.' President Joe Biden leads former President Donald Trump 43 to 33 in a Marquette Law School poll His lead, even in a poll taking even before he makes it through the mid-term elections, underscores that despite his own severe struggles to maintain a healthy approval rating, his ultimate fate would depend on how he fares against an opposing candidate. The poll shows a lopsided 71-29 per cent majority do not want to see Trump serve another term. Biden's own approval rating is under water in the poll, with 45 per cent approval to 51 per cent disapproval. That runs slightly higher than his approval in poll averages, where he has been in the low 40s. DeSantis' own approval rating is 22 per cent, with 34 per cent disapproval and 44 percent who say they haven't heard enough about the governor. Former US President Donald Trump has resumed campaign rallies and has regularly gone after Biden during his term Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis runs slightly closer to Biden in a new poll, but still trails the president Nevertheless, the public could hear a lot more about DeSantis. Trump denies a feud with him after chastising politicians who would not reveal whether they got a booster shot. And White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has singled out DeSantis' state of Florida for being slow to push out federal money for reopening schools. The two also clashed over a monoclonal antibodies treatment for COVID-19. Gauging any election so far out is a challenge, with the daily gyrations on the economy, the coronavirus, and the situation involving Russia and Ukraine. Just this week, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement giving Biden the chance to fire up his own base with a court fight. The top civil servant in the Foreign Office has apologised to MPs for 'inadvertently' misleading them over the row about the evacuation of animals from Afghanistan. Sir Philip Barton told the Foreign Affairs Select Committee that Nigel Casey, the PM's special representative for Afghanistan, had not received any correspondence referring to Boris Johnson allegedly intervening in the Nowzad case. But emails revealed by the BBC's Newsnight programme showed Mr Casey asked an official 'to seek clear guidance for us from No 10 asap on what they would like us to do' in the case. Sir Philip, the Foreign Office's permanent under-secretary, has now written to the committee's chairman, Tory MP Tom Tugendhat, to apologise for having given 'inadvertently inaccurate answers'. However, he said that 'on the day the email was sent, Nigel was almost entirely focused, in his role as Gold in our crisis response, on the terrorist threat to the evacuation'. Mr Johnson has denied claims he personally authorised the evacuation of animals being looked after by the Nowzad charity, labelling the allegation 'total rhubarb', as the row over who gave the airlift the green light continues to rumble on. Sir Philip Barton (pictured) told the Foreign Affairs Select Committee that Nigel Casey, the PM's special representative for Afghanistan, had not received any correspondence referring to Boris Johnson allegedly intervening in the Nowzad case But emails revealed by the BBC's Newsnight programme showed Mr Casey (pictured meeting a Taliban representative in Oslo, Norway, on January 24) asked an official 'to seek clear guidance for us from No 10 asap on what they would like us to do' in the case Mr Johnson has denied claims he personally authorised the evacuation of animals being looked after by the Nowzad charity, labelling the allegation 'total rhubarb', as the row over who gave the airlift the green light continues to rumble on Sir Philip, who previously came under fire for remaining on holiday after Kabul fell in August last year, wrote to Mr Tugendhat on January 17 to answer a series of questions relating to the UK's exit from Afghanistan. On the Nowzad evacuation, he was asked: 'Do you, Sir Philip, have any reason to believe that there was support for this decision in No. 10, or from the Prime Minister? Do you have any reason to believe that FCDO staff attributed this decision to the Prime Minister?' He replied: 'I am not aware of that, beyond speculation in the public domain.' He was then asked 'did Nigel Casey receive any correspondence referring to the Prime Ministers intervention in the Nowzad case' and he replied 'no'. However, in a letter sent to Mr Tugendhat on January 27 and published by the committee today, Sir Philip said: 'With reference to my answers to questions 33-35 and having now seen the published version of the email the Committee asked Nigel Casey about at the end of the evidence session on 25 January, I am writing to apologise for the inadvertently inaccurate answers given to these questions. 'On the day the email was sent, Nigel was almost entirely focused, in his role as Gold in our crisis response, on the terrorist threat to the evacuation, which led to our changing our Travel Advice that evening to warn British nationals to move away from the airport. 'As Nigel said to the Committee on 25 January, he has no recollection of having seen emails in which staff attributed this decision to the Prime Minister. Nor do I. 'I would be grateful if you would pass on my and Nigel's apologies to your colleagues on the Committee for this mistake.' The admission is the latest controversy in the saga surrounding the evacuation of animals looked after by the Nowzad charity set up by former marine Paul 'Pen' Farthing from Kabul last year. Mr Johnson has denied intervening to get the animals out of the country but he has been accused of lying after leaked correspondence suggested the involvement of Number 10. Downing Street has repeatedly denied intervening in any individual cases in the final days of the mission as thousands of people who sought to flee the Taliban were left behind. But an email shared with a Commons inquiry showed a Foreign Office official saying in August that the Prime Minister had just 'authorised' the animals' rescue. And the BBC reported another email from the same day saying then-foreign secretary Dominic Raab was 'seeking a steer from No 10 on whether' to call Nowzad staff forward. BBC Newsnight's Sima Kotecha obtained an email from an official to Mr Raab at the time discussing Nowzad staff being called forward for evacuation. The Prime Minister has denied intervening to allow Paul 'Pen' Farthing and members of his Nowzad charity to flee Kabul at the expense of locals as the extremists closed in last summer 'The FS is seeking a steer from No 10 on whether to call them forward now,' it read. Another email from Mr Casey showed him asking a security official 'to seek clear guidance for us from No 10 asap on what they would like us to do'. Allies of Mr Johnson have tried to downplay the row, with Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg dismissing calls for a debate as 'fussing about a few animals'. Downing Street has argued that officials were mistaken in suggesting the PM had 'authorised' the evacuation. The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman said: 'It's not uncommon in Whitehall for a decision to be interpreted or portrayed as coming directly from the Prime Minister even when that's not the case, and it's our understanding that's what happened in this instance. 'We appreciate it was a frenetic time for those officials dealing with this situation.' Two men have appeared before a judge accused of the murder of teenage law student Aya Hachem - who was killed by a stray bullet during a botched drive-by assassination of a car wash owner. Aya Hachem, 19, was shot near the Quick Shine Car Wash in King Street, Blackburn, on May 17, 2020, while on her way to buy food for her family as they prepared to mark the start of Ramadan. Tragically, she had fled to Britain to escape the violence in her native Lebanon, and dreamed of qualifying as a solicitor after leaving university. The fatal bullet, fired from a passing Toyota Avensis, struck her in the shoulder and passed through her body before embedding itself in a telegraph pole. She died in hospital. Last year eight people were jailed for a total of more than 200 years following a trial over their involvement in the students murder. Today Suhayl Suleman, 37, and Lewis Otway, 41, appeared separately via videolink before Judge Robert Altham, who was sitting at Preston Crown Court. Two men are accused of the murder of law student Aya Hachem (pictured) who was mistakenly gunned down in a botched drive-by shooting Suhayl Suleman, 37, of Blackburn, (pictured) is the brother of tyre firm boss Feroz Suleman, 40, who arranged the execution of a rival businessman in broad daylight - but the gunman he allegedly hired instead shot dead innocent passer-by Aya Following a review of the evidence, Suleman (pictured left and right) and Lewis Otway, 41, of Manchester, were charged with the student's murder and the attempted murder of Pacha Khan Each of the defendants is charged with both the murder of Aya and the attempted murder of Pacha Khan. Suleman, of Shear Brow, Blackburn, was arrested in the town on Wednesday evening. Otway, of Longsight, Manchester, was arrested in the Dudley area of the West Midlands the same night. Suleman made a seven-minute appearance before Judge Altham, the honorary Recorder of Preston. He listened via a videolink from HMP Preston as a date for his trial was provisionally set for October 4. His barrister, Kevin Toomey, told the court there was no indication of his clients pleas. He made no application for bail. Sulemans brother, Feroz, 40, was among those convicted of the teenagers murder, and the attempted murder of Mr Khan, following a trial last year. He was ordered to serve a minimum of 34 years before he can be considered for parole. Otway made a four-minute appearance via a videolink from Wolverhampton Crown Court. His barrister, Thomas Worsfold, similarly gave no indication of pleas. His provisional trial date was also set as October 4. Last year Feroz Suleman, of Blackburn, was ordered to serve a minimum of 34 years before he can be considered for parole. The gunman, Zamir Raja, 33, of Stretford, was jailed for a minimum of 34 years and his driver, Anthony Ennis, 31, of Partington, must serve at least 33 years. Fellow accomplices Ayaz Hussain, 36, Abubakr Satia, 32, both of Blackburn; his brother, Uthman Satia, 29, of Great Harwood, and Kashif Manzoor, 26, of Blackburn were handed minimum terms of 32 years, 28 years, 28 years, and 27 years, respectively. Judy Chapman, the girlfriend of Satia, was cleared of murdering Aya but found guilty of manslaughter after a 12-week trial. The fatal bullet, fired from a passing Toyota Avensis, struck Aya (pictured) in the shoulder and passed through her body before embedding itself in a telegraph pole. She died in hospital Feroz Suleman, 40, Kashif Manzoor, 26, Ayaz Hussain, 35, Abubakr Satia, 32, Zamir Raja (right), 33, Anthony Ennis (left), 31, Uthman Satia, 29, were found guilty of murder at Preston Crown Court All seven men were also convicted of the attempted murder of Pachah Khan while Chapman was acquitted of the attempted murder of Mr Khan. Left: Kashif Manzoor. Right: Feroz Suleman Left: Ayaz Hussain. Right: Uthman Satia. Lancashire Police today released the footage showing the moments leading up to Aya's death Preston Crown Court heard the drive-by shooting was organised by Feroz Suleman, who had been embroiled in a bitter feud with his neighbour and business rival Mr Khan .Judy Chapman, the girlfriend of Satia, was cleared of murdering Aya but found guilty of manslaughter after a 12-week trial Left: Abubakr Satia. Right: Judy Chapman Following the conclusion of the group's trial last year, Lancashire Police shared multiple clips and images breaking down the expansive investigation into the shooting. What were each of the defendants convicted for? Feroz Suleman , 40, of Blackburn instigated and organised the hit. , 40, of Blackburn instigated and organised the hit. Abubakr Satia , 32, of Blackburn sourced the Avensis used in the shooting and was also involved in buying petrol afterwards to burn out the car, however, this did not go ahead. , 32, of Blackburn sourced the Avensis used in the shooting and was also involved in buying petrol afterwards to burn out the car, however, this did not go ahead. Kashif Manzoor , 26, of Blackburn was responsible for ensuring the Avensis used to transport the shooter was running on the day of the incident. , 26, of Blackburn was responsible for ensuring the Avensis used to transport the shooter was running on the day of the incident. Judy Chapman , 26, of Great Harwood, drove the gunman and driver from Bolton to the Avensis on Wellington Road, Blackburn and collected them afterwards in the afternoon of the shooting. , 26, of Great Harwood, drove the gunman and driver from Bolton to the Avensis on Wellington Road, Blackburn and collected them afterwards in the afternoon of the shooting. Uthman Satia , 29, of Great Harwood Judy Chapman's partner - was also responsible for transporting the gunman and driver to and from the Avensis on Wellington Road as Chapman's front seat passenger. , 29, of Great Harwood Judy Chapman's partner - was also responsible for transporting the gunman and driver to and from the Avensis on Wellington Road as Chapman's front seat passenger. Ayaz Hussain , 35, of Blackburn was the link between the Lancashire offenders and Zamir Raja and Anthony Ennis, based in Manchester. He played a key role in organising and orchestrating the shooting and was in company of Abubakr Satia when the petrol to burn out the Avensis was bought. , 35, of Blackburn was the link between the Lancashire offenders and Zamir Raja and Anthony Ennis, based in Manchester. He played a key role in organising and orchestrating the shooting and was in company of Abubakr Satia when the petrol to burn out the Avensis was bought. Zamir Raja , 33, of Stretford, Manchester was responsible for sourcing and transporting the firearm used in the shooting, as well as firing the shots. , 33, of Stretford, Manchester was responsible for sourcing and transporting the firearm used in the shooting, as well as firing the shots. Anthony Ennis , 31, Partington drove the Avensis carrying the gunman during the shooting. Advertisement Another video shows Chapman and boyfriend Satia collecting hitman Raja and driver Ennis from Bolton on the day of the shooting. Back at the R1 Tyres forecourt, boss Feroz Suleman is caught on CCTV looking over his shoulder towards Pacha's Quick Shine car wash, in anticipation of what was about to happen. Manzoor is then seen returning with jump leads, which investigators believe were used to start the Avensis. The men were jailed last year in front of Aya's heartbroken father Ismail, mother Samar and brother Ibrahim, who watched on from the public gallery. In a statement, Aya's father Ismail told the court: 'They didn't just kill Aya, they killed our family. The light in our lives has gone out.' Following the sentencing, horrific footage showed the moment Aya's drive-by killers opened fire on a rival tyre firm but hit her at point-blank range as she walked to the shop. CCTV captured the 19-year-old law student walking past the garage on the way to Lidl before she was hit in the chest by a stray bullet shot from a Toyota Avensis. Lancashire Police also released the footage showing the moments leading up to Aya's death. The clip shows the Toyota slowly approach the garage as one of the early rounds burst a bucket near one of the workers - causing him to spin around in horror. The video ends by showing innocent bystander Aya standing on the path between the shooter and the target - just feet away from the gun that killed her. Preston Crown Court heard the drive-by shooting was organised by Feroz Suleman, who had been embroiled in a bitter feud with his neighbour and business rival Mr Khan. Feroz hired Raja, a hitman from Manchester, to carry out the shooting for the price of 1,500. Raja, of no fixed address, refused to fully participate in cross-examination and later pleaded guilty to manslaughter. On his behalf, his legal team argued it was never his intention to kill and he had set out on a mission to 'scare or intimidate' Mr Khan and his workers at Quickshine Tyres. The Toyota Avensis driven by Ennis with hitman Raja on board drove past Quickshine Tyres on three occasions shortly before the fatal fourth journey. Footage from CCTV cameras captured Feroz stood outside his premises next door at RI Tyres with a 'ringside seat' to the shooting. The first shot hit the front window of Quickshine and the second was let off as Lebanese-born Ms Hachem walked by - hitting her rather than the intended target. Nicholas Johnson QC previously told the jury Raja, the man who he says fired the shot that killed Aya, fled to Portugal via Dublin nine days after the incident. Lancashire Police released new photographs of Aya Hachem (left and right) after her killers were convicted Ammunition (pictured) in the car was found by officers who were conducting a search A search of the Nissan Juke which Raja drove to Liverpool with Anthony Ennis on May 16 (above) revealed a similar bullet to the one that killed Aya The Avensis is pictured in situ where it was found on Wellington Road following the shooting Three days later Anthony Ennis, the man accused of being Raja's driver at the time of the hit, flew to the continent on his brother's passport, it was heard. Prosecutors say a meet up between the pair in which they initially pretended not to know each other but later embraced in a 'brotherly hug' was caught on CCTV. Nicholas Johnson QC told the jury at Preston Crown Court: 'They thought they had got away with murder. Home free.' By this stage, other suspects Feroz Suleman, Judy Chapman, Kashif Manzoor, Abubkar Satia, Uthman Satia and Hussain Ayaz had all been arrested. Ten days after he had travelled to Portugal, Raja returned to the UK in a car he had hired with Ennis in Portugal, Mr Johnson told the court. Mr Johnson said the feud between Suleman and Mr Khan started in 2019 when Quickshine began selling tyres next door to RI after previously only washing cars. This resulted in 'bad blood', it was heard, and a plan was hatched to kill Mr Khan and/or someone else at Quickshine. Aya (left and right), a second-year student at the University of Salford, died in hospital from a single gunshot wound a short time later of an 'irreversible' cardiac arrest Kashif Manzoor's text messages were also revealed by Lancashire Police today as they shared evidence used in the case The court heard Aya, an aspiring solicitor, was walking along King Street in Blackburn at 3pm on May 17, 2020, when she was hit. Aya, a second-year student at the University of Salford, died in hospital from a single gunshot wound a short time later of an 'irreversible' cardiac arrest. Her distraught parents said she was the 'most loyal, devoted daughter' who enjoyed spending time with her family. Aya and her family were also known to be heavily involved with Blackburn's asylum seeker and refugee community. She herself had fled war-torn Lebanon for a new life in the UK and had passed her second year exams shortly before her tragic death. She was a trustee with the Children's Society and won Student of the Year at Blackburn Central High School in 2016. Jo Saxton, Ofqual's chief regulator, said that the release of advance information on the kinds of topics pupils will see in their exams would not give higher-ability pupils an advantage Changes to this year's GCSE and A-level exams will not make them easier for more able pupils - despite being told months in advance which topics will come up, the head of the Government exam regulator has said. Because of the disruption caused to learning by the pandemic, pupils in England will be offered a choice of topics in some GCSE exams, such as English literature, history, ancient history and geography, as well as exam aids next summer. For subjects where a choice of topics is not provided, advance notice on the focus of exam content will be given in February to help with revision. In a speech to the Sixth Form Colleges Association conference earlier in January, Jo Saxton, Ofqual's chief regulator, said that the release of advance information on the kinds of topics pupils will see in their exams would not give higher-ability pupils an advantage. Pupils will be given information on February 7 to help focus their revision to answer questions carrying more marks - higher-tariff questions - whereas advance information will not be provided for simpler one or two-mark questions. 'Of course, much of the advance information gives a steer on how to revise for higher tariff questions, although not all of it,' Ms Saxton said. 'Bluntly, to focus advance information on low tariff questions would be nonsensical. 'It would be silly to publish a document that says something like; you will be asked to identify the year in which the Versailles Treaty was signed, or the year in which Magna Carta was signed. Clearly, at that point, the exam would stop being an exam.' Pupils will be given information on February 7 to help focus their revision to answer questions carrying more marks - higher-tariff questions - whereas advance information will not be provided for simpler one or two-mark questions (stock image) But she added that questions carrying more marks did not necessarily mean 'harder content', as pupils of any ability gained marks across an exam paper. 'We hope that the benefit of advance information will mean that students who suffered the most disruption, or those who are less able, may gain confidence to tackle elements of a paper that they might previously not have felt confident to try,' she announced. Ms Saxton said that giving pupils advance information about the topics covered in their exams would have been 'unthinkable' in 'normal times', but that the changes had been designed before a 'difficult winter' last year, to make exams 'less daunting' to pupils. Exam boards had 'done their absolute level best' to create focused revision aids, and this was 'definitely an art rather than a science'. 'If they'd gone too close to revealing the questions it would have undermined exams and turned them into short-term memory tests,' she said. Ms Saxton announced that GCSE and A-level grading would not be set by any 'single statistical midpoint' between 2019 and 2021 grading. Grading standards in 2022 will be set between the standards of 2019, when full public exams were last sat, and 2021, when teacher-assessed grades were awarded. But 'there will be no standardisation model to determine students' grades', she said. In 2020, the Government initially planned to use an algorithm to determine pupils' exam grades but were forced to U-turn over the issue and award grades assessed by pupils' teachers instead, after thousands of pupils received grades well below what they had expected on A-level results' day. Ms Saxton added that the Government had heard that universities could set their own tests for candidates to sit or raise their entry grade requirements if grades in 2022 were as generous as those in 2021, when 44.3% of grades in England were awarded the top A or A* grades. But she added: 'Our grading requirements will provide a safety net for this cohort and it is likely to mean that results overall are higher than in normal years.' A North Carolina mother and child missing for more than five years have been found safe on a property owned by the child's paternal grandfather, but federal officials and the women's father say they still do not know what happened to them since 2016. Amber Renaye Weber, 26, and her now-5-year-old daughter, Miracle Smith, were discovered this week living in Harnett County, just 25 miles from the location of their disappearance, along with the woman's younger child, whom she welcomed sometime in the last five years. The mother and children were described as being in good condition. They were located on a property belonging to the family of the father of Weber's children. The children's dad, who wasn't identified by police, has not been arrested, officials said. Joe Smith, 59, Miracle's grandfather, was arrested on a federal weapons charge, but so far he has not been accused of any offense in connection with Weber's disappearance. Amber Weber (left), her daughter Miracle Smith, 5 (right), and a younger child were found on Tuesday living in a trailer in North Carolina, more than five years after their disappearance Weber and her children were found on Tuesday living in a trailer on a property on Lemon Lane in Bunnlevel, North Carolina, belonging to the family of Miracle's father Fayetteville police said Miracle Smith was 1 year old when she and her mother, then aged 21, disappeared on December 4, 2016, a news release said. Weber had been living with her sister at a home in the 1200 block of Martindale Drive in Fayetteville at the time. Weber's father, Monty Weber, told CBS 17 that he received a call from his other daughter, telling him that Amber got up in the middle of the night, grabbed her baby daughter and took off with just the clothes on her back. The family said they suspected that Weber and Miracle were living in Harnett County, but they were unable to find or contact her. Weber and Miracle were reported missing in January 2017, and law enforcement searched for clues about the disappearance, but the case eventually went cold. On February 26, 2021, Fayetteville police asked the US Marshals Service to help them find the missing child and mother who they said were victims of previous physical abuse, according to a news release. In the course of the investigation, they determined that Weber and her daughter were living on Lemon Lane in Bunnlevel, about 25 miles northeast of Fayetteville. On Tuesday, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive and deputies from the Harnett County Sheriffs Office had gone to the property to arrest Joe Smith on a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Federal officials seized four guns from Smith's home, reported ABC11. Weber was 21 years old and Miracle (pictured as an infant) was 1 when the young mom left her sister's home in Fayetteville on the night of December 4, 2016 Weber and her children were found on a property on Lemon Lane in Bunnlevel, just 25 minutes northeast of Martindale Drive in Fayetteville, where she was last seen on December 4, 2016 In the process of the arrest, officers discovered Weber and her children living in a trailer on the property. Weber's father, Monty Weber, said he has not spoken to his daughter yet but is looking forward to seeing her and his grandchildren While there are still many unanswered questions surrounding the woman and child's mysterious disappearance, Michael East, US Marshal for the Eastern District of North Carolina, celebrated the outcome of this missing persons case. 'A lot of times these cases end in tragedy, or you don't find them, or they end up being deceased, and yesterday to be able to say that she's alive, and she's well, and we got her and now she's being taken care of, that's a win for us every day,' East said. Miracle and her younger sibling have been turned over to the Harnett County Department of Social Services for assistance. Monty Weber, Amber's father, told CBS 17 that he has not spoken to his daughter yet, but he was looking forward to seeing her and his grandchildren. 'Were happy,' he said. 'We'd like to see our grandbabies... wed like to see her.' Two children under the age of six and their father have been discovered dead in a home on Friday evening in a suspected murder-suicide. Police officers rushed to the home on Essington Street in Huntingdale in Perth's southeast after a family member called triple zero about 6.35pm. A four-year-old girl and a six-year-old boy are understood to have been found dead in their beds, The West Australian reported. Their mother is believed to have rushed to the scene. Fairfax reported that in mid-December, the father posted a video on Facebook in which he spoke of his own mental health problems and warned others suicide is 'not the solution'. A family member had phoned triple zero at about 6.35pm, with police arriving shortly after at the home on Essington Street (pictured), in Huntingdale in Perth's southeast 'It's been a while since I posted anything on Facebook ... I've had my personal reasons for it,' he said in the video. 'To those who felt a difference and reached out, I thank them. A lot of those calls and messages have gone unanswered and I do apologise but the care and concern shown is appreciated. 'People who have known me well enough for long enough, I would feel quite certain they may not think of me as someone going through depression. 'But I have recently been diagnosed with depression.' The father said he was on medication and warned: 'The unpleasant signs of mental health issues or even depression is not only does it affect you, it affects the people around you. 'Suiciding is possibly not the solution... reach out to people, try and talk to people, seek help, see what you can do before you make that drastic decision where if you are successful there is no coming back.' Two police officers were seen being comforted at the home on Friday night while detectives scoured the scene. The street is just a few roads away from a local primary school. Two police officers were seen being comforted while detectives scoured the scene (file image) Parts of the road have been blocked off. A neighbour said the street was usually quiet and there had never been any signs of trouble. 'I've never really heard of any issues (on this street),' the neighbour said. 'We know our neighbours, we say hello to them.' A Western Australia Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia the force was investigating the deaths of three people and more information would be released on Saturday morning. Lifeline: 13 11 14 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Underground drivers will this evening walk out for a fourth Night Tube weekend strike in a row as a dispute over rotas remains deadlocked. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) on the Central and Victoria lines will walk out for eight hours on Friday and Saturday evenings. Similar action has taken place every weekend this year since January 7, and staff are pledging to continue doing so all the way through to June. The union has accused London Underground (LU) bosses of a 'deafening silence' over the row, but Transport for London (TfL) says it remains open to talks. Underground drivers will this evening walk out for a fourth Night Tube weekend strike in a row as a dispute over rotas remains deadlocked RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: 'We are calling on Tube bosses to end their deafening silence and take up the opportunity of resuming negotiations with the aim of resolving the Night Tube dispute. 'The action continues tonight despite the fact that we believe there are simple and cost-free options that would enable us to consider suspending the action. We cannot make any progress if LU continue to give us the cold shoulder. 'With London heading back towards some normality at last, the settlement of this dispute should be a priority for the mayor and his officials and that means showing a willingness to recommence the talks process. 'The issue at the heart of the dispute, protecting the work/life balance of drivers, cannot be swept under the carpet and needs to be addressed rather than dismissed. 'RMT stands ready to get talks back on. ' A TfL spokesperson said: 'We remain open to talks with the RMT, in the hope this long-running strike action can be called off. 'During the six months of regular (conciliation service) Acas talks on this matter, it's become clear that there are no new or workable proposals. However we remain in touch with both the RMT and Acas in the hope that a resolution can be found. 'Our position remains that since changes to our rosters, which have been agreed with our other union, were implemented, they've been a positive change for the organisation and our staff, helping us to keep London moving, become a fairer place to work and bringing back Night Tube. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) on the Central and Victoria lines will walk out for eight hours on Friday and Saturday evenings 'Despite the strike action, we're running a good Night Tube service on the Victoria Line and a regular service on the Central Line, with at least two trains per hour through central London. 'We've made changes to driver rosters to preserve a near-normal Tube service while also giving drivers the opportunity for full-time work, new flexible part-time work and long-term job certainty. 'There are no job losses, and those few who want to remain on the previous rosters have been able to do so as a result of the changes made, and we have assured Tube drivers that night shifts usually can be swapped with colleagues for duties at other times of day.' A British man has died in a Thai massage parlour while he was being rubbed with oil by a masseuse. The traveller, 70, started gasping for air while lying on the massage table during a session with masseuse Miss Oraya, 39, in Pattaya today. She suddenly noticed that the pensioner, who arrived at the shop on a rented Honda motorcycle, was struggling halfway through the mid-afternoon massage. A British man has died in a Thai massage parlour while he was being rubbed with oil by a masseuse Oraya called for help and staff began performing CPR but the Briton had stopped breathing. They were unable to revive him and covered his body with a towel. Police arrived at the Lovely Massage shop in the Bang Lamung district at 4pm and cordoned off the scene. The massage customer was pronounced dead before his body was moved to the hospital. The traveller, 70, started gasping for air while lying on the massage table during a session with masseuse Miss Oraya (pictured), 39, in Pattaya today Police arrived at the Lovely Massage shop in the Bang Lamung district at 4pm and cordoned off the scene Oraya called for help and staff began performing CPR but the Briton had stopped breathing Oraya said: 'This was the first time the man had visited us for a massage. Everything was going normally then I noticed he was sleeping. 'Suddenly he started struggling to breathe. He was gasping and choking. 'I called the other girls for help and we started pumping his heart.' Police said that they arrived and began looking through the building for signs of foul play or a struggle. The elderly man also had no identity documents on him. Police said that they arrived and began looking through the building for signs of foul play or a struggle The massage customer was pronounced dead before his body was moved to the hospital Lieutenant colonel Teetat Trunjan, the investigating inspector from Nong Prue Police Station, said: 'Officers arrived and kept the unrelated people away from the scene of the incident. They checked that there were no signs of any abuse. There was no identity document found inside. 'The cause of the death is still unclear. The body must be sent for an autopsy, to summarise the true cause of death further. 'In the mean time, we are contacting the relatives of the deceased.' Pattaya, on the east coast of Thailand, is best known for its round-the-clock adult nightlife and has been dubbed a 'Sin City'. Six people who were found dead in a Milwaukee home on Sunday were shot dead in an 'execution style' mass killing and three of the victims were due to testify at an upcoming murder trial, police have revealed. The bodies were found in a home on North 21st Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Sunday afternoon. Police were called to perform a welfare check and inside, they discovered Caleb Jordan, 23, Javoni Liddell, 31, Charles Hardy, 42, Donald Smith, 43, Donta Williams, 44, and Michelle Williams, 49. Michelle and Donta were married, and Donald and Donta were brothers. It's unclear how Caleb, Javoni and Charles are related to them. Donta and Michelle Williams, a married couple, were among those killed on Sunday. Police have four people in custody but no one has been charged Javoni Liddell, 31, (left) and Charles Hardy, 42, (right) were also killed. It's unclear which of the six victims were due to testify at the murder trial Donald Smith, 43, (left) lived in the home where the bodies were found. His relatives say he 'took people in' who didn't have anywhere else to go. Caleb Jordan (shown right in a childhood photo), was also killed The Milwaukee home where the bodies were found on Sunday is shown. One of the victims' relatives asked police to perform a welfare check Police will not say who, but three of the victims were due to testify as witnesses at a murder trial in Milwaukee County, according to local outlet WISN. The details of that case is not known. Police have four persons of interest in custody but they will not name them and they have not yet been charged. The victims' families have revealed that they were killed 'execution style' inside the home and that police told them multiple shooters were involved. 'We were told that it was execution-style,' Tiffany Cole-Whittington, the cousin of Michelle Williams, told WISN. The families say they are at a loss over how who could have carried out the killing. Police say they are investigating whether or not it was a revenge execution to stop them from testifying at the trial. 'I would never think this would happen to my family,' Ronald Smith, the brother of two of the victims - Donald Smith and Donta Williams - told FOX earlier this week. He said his brother Donald lived in the home and 'took in' people. 'He took people in when they dont have a place to go. I dont know why somebody would do this to them. I dont.' U.S. federal agents arrested a Nevada man for threatening a state election worker last year and telling her that she was 'going to f------ die', officials said Thursday The man was accusing the woman of stealing the 2020 presidential election from Donald Trump, the Justice Department said, with their intervention marking the second arrest in a week by its election threats task force. Gjergi Luke Juncaj, 50, of Las Vegas was taken into custody on Wednesday and appeared in federal court in Nevada on Thursday. He is charged with four counts of making threatening phone calls, the Justice Department said in a statement. In the press release, the Justice Department said the man told the worker: 'I want to thank you for such a great job you all did on stealing the election. 'I hope you all go to jail for treason. I hope your children get molested. You are all going to (expletive) die.' If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison on each count. Pictured: County election staff tabulate ballots at the Clark County Election Center in North Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. November 4, 2020 Juncaj's threats against Staci McElyea, a worker in the Nevada Secretary of State's Office, were first revealed in a Reuters investigation published on Sept. 8. The story detailed how Juncaj repeatedly told McElyea that she and her colleagues would be killed, according to her documentation of the calls, which were made on Jan. 7, 2021. After the threats, McElyea, a former U.S. Marine, called the Nevada Capitol Patrol and sent the state police agency a transcript of the calls, Reuters previously reported. An officer contacted the man, whom police would later identify as Juncaj. Despite Juncaj's multiple threatening calls, state police decided not to charge Juncaj, Reuters found. State detectives concluded that Juncaj's threats were 'protected' political speech and not criminal, because the suspect merely said he 'wished' election workers would die, according to a summary of the case. The Reuters report, however, contradicted the detective's assessment. McElyea's transcripts of the calls show that the man repeatedly told her she and her colleagues would be killed. Frank Dobbs, a supporter of Donald Trump, holds a sign during a 'Stop The Steal' protest at the Clark County Election Center in North Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. November 6, 2020 'This is what you're going to f------ get from now on,' her transcript quotes the caller as saying. You're all going to f------ die, and it is what you deserve.' Juncaj could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday by Reuters. He said in an interview for the September report that he 'didn't threaten anybody.' Following the Reuters story, the Federal Bureau of Investigation opened an investigation into Juncaj, according to a Nevada state government source. The indictment is the task force's second case, and the third known federal charge overall for threatening election workers since the 2020 vote. In December 2020, federal prosecutors charged a New Hampshire woman with threatening a Michigan official. The Justice Department's election threats task force was announced last June, shortly after Reuters published reports documenting more than 850 threats and menacing messages to U.S. election workers. These included about 100 that legal experts say could be prosecuted under federal law. Almost all of the threats have been inspired by Trump's relentless false claims that the 2020 vote was 'rigged' against him, Reuters found. Justice Department officials say they are now investigating dozens of similar cases. Maricopa County Sheriff's Deputies stand at the door of the Maricopa County Recorder's Office as President Donald Trump supporters rally outside, November 4, 2020, in Pheonix The task force revealed its first arrest on Jan. 21, when it charged a Texas man with making violent threats against Georgia election and government officials. Prosecutors accused Chad Christopher Stark of posting a Craigslist message on Jan. 5, 2021 entitled, 'Georgia Patriots it's time to kill.' Reuters couldn't reach Stark, who will appear in court on Feb. 4. Federal authorities are also investigating an anonymous man who threatened Vermont officials, local law enforcement sources familiar with the probe told Reuters. That man's threats were featured in a November Reuters investigation. In response to that report, Vermont lawmakers are considering new legislation to make it easier to prosecute people who threaten election officials. Election officials all over the country are being threatened and harassed, and those engaging in this domestic terrorism must be held accountable, said David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation and Research. People line up to vote at Desert Breeze Community Center on November 3, 2020 in Las Vegas Juncaj's threats followed tense scenes in Nevada while the 2020 Presidential Election count was taking place, with the results coming down to the wire. Crowds of Trump supporters gathered outside election centres, calling for workers to 'stop the steal'. The states was also one of the slowest to announce its results. President Biden beat his rival Trump with 50.06 percent of the state's vote, versus Trump's 47.67 percent of the vote, giving Biden six Electoral College votes. Republicans falsely alleged instanced of vote fraud in the state, with representatives of the Trump campaign on January 17 asking a judge to nulify Biden's victory and simply declare Trump the winner. However, on November 24, Nevada's Supreme Court certified Biden as the winner of the state, and no evidence has been brought proving the fraud claims. By Donald Kirk One odd question hangs over U.S. relations with Korea, both South and North, in this pivotal election year in which South Koreans decide a few weeks from now on their next president. That is, who is directing American policy and how is Washington navigating between conflicting views in the South and rising threats from the North?What's strange is that the U.S. for more than a year has had no ambassador to South Korea. Now it's reported that Philip Goldberg, a Latin American expert who's been ambassador to Colombia and Bolivia and worked on U.N. sanctions on North Korea more than 10 years ago, is the ambassador-designate.What's taken so long to advance his name and when is he coming to Seoul? Are President Joe Biden and his team so consumed by Ukraine that they have not had time to ask, 'What are we going to do about conveying our confused thoughts to outgoing President Moon Jae-in, barred as he is by Korea's Democracy Constitution from running for a second five-year term?' And how worried should we be about whoever's next in the Blue House, the left-leaning Lee Jae-myung or the hawkish conservative Yoon Suk-yeol?Even with Goldberg designated as ambassador, getting him to Korea won't be easy. Ted Cruz, the obstructionist right-wing senator from Texas, has been blocking the approval of dozens of ambassadorial appointments while calling on Biden to act decisively against Russia's dream of shipping natural gas through a new pipeline to Germany. As long as Cruz stands fast, the appointments don't get out of the Senate foreign relations committee and onto the floor of the Senate, where far more often than not, they're approved by overwhelming bipartisan vote.Just because Cruz is gumming up the process, however, is no excuse for Biden not to have someone ready to take off for Seoul. OK, you don't really need an ambassador to fulfill most embassy functions. The charge d'affaires, an experienced diplomat with years of experience, can pretty well take charge day by day. The problem, however, is that real diplomacy, day to day, isn't always routine when you consider the difficulties between the U.S. and South Korea.Right now, Washington and Seoul disagree on how to deal with North Korea. No, the Americans are too diplomatic to denounce this end-of-war declaration that Moon is demanding as nonsense. Instead, they say how close their historic relationship is, the unshakeable, unbreakable bond between the U.S. and the Republic of Korea. At every opportunity they echo Moon's calls for dialog with the North. And then they say what neither President Moon nor candidate Lee wants to hear, that North Korea has to get rid of its nukes before any deal is possible.Nor is anyone saying the rift between the U.S. and Republic of Korea on how much to concede by way of appeasing North Korea is one reason for Biden to have been slow to name an ambassador. You won't hear anyone officially making that point, on or off the record, but the unspoken word lurking in Seoul is that Biden would have moved faster if Washington and Seoul were on the same page.Yet another suspicion is that the Americans were waiting to see the outcome of the presidential election. It would be easy to conclude that Washington supports Yoon since he's calling for rebuilding great ties with the U.S. and, unlike Moon and Lee, demanding North Korea give up its nukes as a prerequisite to anything. Lee has shown how simpatico he is with North Korea by calling on Yoon to retract that statement, and North Korea is saying Yoon should retract his whole candidacy that is, not run at all. Wouldn't it be great, some Americans and Koreans are saying, if Yoon were to restore the U.S.-ROK alliance to the good old days?This view has a few flaws. One is that Yoon's election might precipitate a North-South Korean showdown, replete with mounting threats and unpredictable incidents. Another is that Yoon, if elected, might backtrack and adopt a softer stance just to head off a potential crisis. For that matter, Lee, if elected, might not want to undermine or ruin the alliance with the U.S. by making concessions to the North without guarantees of anything substantive in return.No one can be sure what's really going to happen between North and South Korea until, well, until it happens. That uncertainty is another reason for Washington to pursue a policy of watchful waiting, awaiting the outcome of the election. Goldberg, assuming he's finally approved as ambassador, should be arriving in time to see which way the winds are blowing from both Seoul and Pyongyang with a new man in the Blue House.Donald Kirk ( www.donaldkirk.com ) writes from Seoul as well as Washington. John Avers, who was repeatedly run over A father and son have been found guilty of running over and killing a family friend in a supermarket car park during a row 'over 40,000 of stolen drugs money'. Bobby Ternent, 32, drove the BMW X6 which crushed John Avers as he was held down by Gary Ternent, 59, before the pair left him for dead in an Iceland car park in Dagenham, east London, on the night of September 13, 2020. Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones QC told the Old Bailey that after Mr Avers was run over twice, Gary went to join his son in the car, which then ploughed into the victim 'a third time, and a fourth time' before driving away. Police and medics found Mr Avers, 47, in a large pool of blood, and he was pronounced dead at 12.22am the next day having suffered 'catastrophic' injuries, the Old Bailey heard. A post-mortem examination found he had suffered fractures to the skull, sternum, pelvis, left thigh and 22 ribs. Mr Avers' family wept in court as the Ternets, of Barking, east London, were found guilty of his murder today after denying the charge. Following their convictions, Judge Anne Molyneux remanded them in custody and adjourned sentencing until February 10. Following his arrest, Bobby Ternent told detectives that he and John were very good friends and that he had worked for him for years. About three weeks before the murder, Bobby claimed John called him and asked him to look after 40,000 of stolen drug money for him. Bobby said he agreed and kept the cash in his car. Bobby said that on the day of the murder John called and said he needed the money immediately, so they met and drove to the supermarket car park. Bobby then said that John started to scream that the money was 'short' and they got into a fight. He told detectives that John was threatening him and said if he did not give him the missing money he would kill his wife and children. Bobby Ternent, left, drove the BMW X6 which crushed John Avers as he was held down by Gary Ternent, right, before the pair left him for dead in an Iceland car park in Dagenham, east London, on the night of September 13, 2020 After the incident, Bobby Ternent had changed his clothes at home and burnt the BMW, which had false plates, jurors were told Mr Emlyn Jones suggested Mr Avers was not a 'big time villain' but had been a 'very successful businessman'. Previously, he ran a sash windows carpentry company and lived in a million-pound house, jurors heard. When his business went downhill, he sold his home, his marriage fell apart and he turned to drink and drugs, the court was told. Mr Emlyn Jones said that on the night of his death, Mr Avers texted his ex-wife: 'I'm going to get your house back.' The prosecutor suggested that whatever the truth, having a row over money and being threatened was not a defence to murder. Mr Emlyn Jones had told the court that the defendants killed Mr Avers by 'deliberately driving that BMW X6 straight at him, running him over'. He said: 'With Bobby Ternent at the wheel, and Gary Ternent holding John Avers down on the ground in front of the car, John Avers was run over once, then Bobby Ternent spun the car around and ran over him again. 'Gary Ternent then ran to join his son in the car before they then ran their victim over a third time - and a fourth time. 'Only then, no doubt satisfied that they had done enough damage, they drove away, leaving John Avers dying, or more likely already dead from the catastrophic injuries they caused him.' After the incident, Bobby Ternent had changed his clothes at home and burnt the BMW, which had false plates, jurors were told. Later, the father and son were later picked up on CCTV talking about what had happened in Dagenham on the evening of September 13 2020. It was claimed Bobby Ternent said 'he might be crippled', to which his father replied: 'Right, we gone over him three times.' Advertisement Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the global media in Kiev Friday and pushed back on world leaders who have publicly stressed the prospect of Russian invasion following a call with President Biden where the president raised the 'distinct possibility' Russian troops would soon overrun his country. 'There are signals even from respected leaders of states, they just say that tomorrow there will be war. This is panic - how much does it cost for our state?' said Zelensky. He indirectly criticized the decision by the U.S. to pull family members of diplomats out of the country as yet another measure that could feed 'panic' that could be counterproductive. 'We dont have a Titanic here,' he said. 'I don't consider the situation now more tense than before. There is a feeling abroad that there is war here. That's not the case,' said Zelensky. 'I am not saying an escalation is not possible...(but) we don't need this panic,' he said. 'If war were to break out on the scale and scope that is possible, the civilian population would suffer immensely,' Milley said at the Pentagon. Austin said the 100,000-plus Troops Russia has positioned 'far and away exceeds what we typically see them do for exercises. 'Its very concerning,' he said. President Biden's only comments about the situation Friday were brief. 'Ill be moving troops to Eastern Europe and the NATO countries in the near term. Not too many,' he said when asked how soon he decided to move troops to shore up allies. 'We dont have a Titanic here,' he said Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine. Amid public talk of a Russian invasion, he said: 'We don't need this panic' He even made a 'Don't Look Up' reference after the Leonardo DiCaprio film on Netflix about an imminent asteroid heading for the planet, after he was compared to hapless leaders online, the Guardian reported. With Britain withdrawing diplomats even as the Greeks maintained their presence, Zelensky said: 'The captains should not leave the ship. I dont think we have a Titanic here.' His reassurances came on a day when Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley warned of the stakes and spoke to U.S. military preparations to assist NATO allies. Asked whether Putin has enough troops for a full-scale invasion of its neighbor, Austin replied: 'I mean, you've heard the chairman say earlier that he's got north of 100,000 troops in the border region. That gives him a number of options. What he's done as he's continued to move troops and resources into the region is increased his options. And so, we won't predict where his decisions will take him, but we remain concerned about the range of options that that he could pursue and will stay focused on this problem set.' Milley said the pair do not believe Putin has made a decision. But he added: 'Sure, with 1000 troops. You've got combined arms formations, ground maneuver, artillery, rockets, you got air and all the other piece parts that go with it. There's a potential that they could launch on very, very little warning. That's possible. And there's a wide scale of options that are available to Russian leadership. The best option they should pick, in my view, is a diplomatic solution to resolve whatever differences they have,' he said. 'This is larger in scale and scope, and the massing of forces than anything we've seen in recent memory,' said Milley. Given the forces Putin has at his disposal, 'if that was unleashed on Ukraine, it would be significant, very significant, and it would result in a significant amount of casualties,' he said. 'There's a potential that they could launch on very, very little warning,' assessed General Mark Milley, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the 100,000-plus Troops Russia has positioned 'far and away exceeds what we typically see them do for exercises. 'Its very concerning,' he said 'You can imagine what that might look like in dense urban areas, along roads, and so on and so forth. It would be horrific. It would be terrible. And it's not necessary. And we think a diplomatic outcome is the way to go here.' Zelensky sought to downplay reports of a split with President Joe Biden following reports it did not go well. State officials 'dont have any misunderstandings' with Biden, he said, Politico reported. 'I just deeply understand what is going on in my country, just as [Biden] understands perfectly well what is going on in the United States.' Zelensky's cautioning came even as U.S. officials sought to digest yet another metric: with Russia's military buildup now including supplies of blood along and medical equipment, in yet another sign Russian President Vladimir Putin could be preparing for an invasion. Zelensky Thursday urged President Joe Biden in a call on Thursday to tone down his rhetoric about the brewing situation between Ukraine and Russia, amid fears it could cause panic or a run on supplies, according to a report. Zelensky made the plea in a call that 'did not go well,' CNN reported, citing a Ukrainian source. It included a plea by Zelensky for Biden to 'calm down the messaging' amid complex maneuverings over the potential invasion. The urging came in a call where Biden told Zelensky Russia could invade within weeks. It followed pushback earlier this week from Ukraine as the U.S. told family members of American diplomats to leave. Ukrainian officials maintained the move was unnecessary with a situation that is still uncertain, even as Russia continues to move troops and equipment to positions around Ukraine. The White House disputed the read on the call, with National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne pushing back on a report that a Ukrainian official said Biden warned Kiev could be 'sacked' and to 'prepare for impact.' 'This is not true,' she tweeted. 'President Biden said that there is a distinct possibility that the Russians could invade Ukraine in February. He has previously said this publicly & we have been warning about this for months. Reports of anything more or different than that are completely false.' She also tweeted out a statement by Ukraine's U.S. embassy stating 'that some reports regarding todays conversation of President Zelenskyy and President Biden are completely false. He also encouraged to carefully treat all information in this troubled time especially from the unconfirmed sources.' Russia could attack Ukraine within weeks, intelligence sources have said, after Biden shared a phone call with President Zelensky last night during which he warned an attack is likely to come in February Horne was even more blunt in a statement to CNN. 'Also, no one said "sacked." The only person who should be "sacked" is the anonymous source who is circulating an inaccurate portrayal of this conversation,' she said. The statement the White put out after the call said the U.S. and allies were ready to 'respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine.' The administration's series of public statements about a potential invasion puts international pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and could press allies to stiffen their response although the Ukrainians are seeking to avoid statements that contribute to panic even as they seek additional aid and arms support. Amid the fear of an all-out invasion that could seek to cleave Ukrainian positions, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the U.S. response in writing to Russia's security demands had 'some grains of reason.' Zelensky on January 19th urged the Ukrainian public not to panic, telling his countrymen: 'Take a deep breath, calm down' amid the talk of an imminent invasion. If Russia did invade in February, it would time the invasion to coincide with the coldest weeks in eastern Europe, when the ground will be frozen solid allowing tanks and artillery to maneuver easily. US officials have previously said that an unseasonably mild winter appears to have delayed Putin's attack plans by turning the region into a quagmire. Separately, a senior British intelligence official warned that Putin is likely to launch an attack on Kiev from Belarus in the north using war games set to take place there next month as cover. The official, speaking to The Times of London , said this could coincide with an amphibious assault from Crimea on the southern port city of Odessa using transport ships seen sailing around Europe last week in an effort to split the Ukrainian military across two fronts, hundreds of miles apart. Tens of thousands of troops could then move in from the east, potentially with the aim of capturing the entire country. While Russia's current troop numbers at the border are insufficient for this operation, the official said, Putin could mass a force large enough to get the job done in 'two to three weeks'. Russia is thought to have between 100,000 and 120,000 troops currently massed at the border, which have been recently reinforced with medical teams and logistical support of the kind that is needed to sustain an invading force. Tens of thousands more troops could arrive in the coming weeks, the official said. 'Some estimates are another 60,000 will come, if not greater than that. It's certainly not just a negotiating tactic or an idle threat when you deploy this many troops with this capability,' they said. But, amid the increasingly alarming rhetoric from the West, Zelensky and his senior staff have been calling for calm - insisting that while the risk of an attack is high, it is far from certain and unlikely to come soon. Zelensky used his call with Biden to ask him to 'calm down the messaging', CNN reported, after using a public address last week to tell Ukrainians to 'stay calm' and avoid pulling money from banks or stockpiling supplies. Several high-ranking Ukrainian officials have also spoken out this week in an attempt to tone down the rhetoric. Russian armoured troop carriers are pictured taking part in military drills near Rostov-on-Don, located in southern Russia and just a few dozen miles from the Ukraine border Russian T-72 tanks take part in 'combat readiness' drills held Thursday near Rostov-on-Don, near the Ukraine border US analysts believe that Putin is waiting for the weather to turn cold enough to freeze the ground solid, paving the way for an invasion because it would allow his tanks to manoeuvre easily (pictured, Russian tanks in drills near Ukraine on Thursday) Russian BMP-3 armoured troop carriers are pictured on manoeuvres in the Rostov region of southern Russia on Thursday Russian artillery units stationed in the Rostov region, near the border with Ukraine, take part in live fire exercises today Artillery units based in Russia's Rostov region take part in live-fire exercises on Friday, just one of several simultaneous drills taking place as Putin continues his sabre-rattling Russian artillery crews fire their gun during live-fire drills in Rostov region, just a few dozen miles from the Ukraine border Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, is pictured on a phone call with President Biden - during which the US leader is thought to have warned him that a Russian invasion is just weeks away The National Security Council's spokesperson Emily Horne publicly disputed CNN's reporting in a tweet Thursday night, saying in a statement to the network that 'no one said "sacked"' An NSC official also retweeted a statement by Ukraine's embassy in Washington The defence minister has insisted there has been no change in the threat Russia poses since an initial build-up of forces took place last spring; the head of the national security council accused the West of ramping up the danger for geopolitical purposes; and the foreign ministry criticised the UK and US for withdrawing diplomats. Following Zelensky's call with Biden, there was a briefing war between an unnamed Ukrainian source who claimed the call 'did not go well' because the US President had insisted an attack was imminent while Zelensky was keen to downplay the threat. CNN initially reported that Biden had told Zelesnky that an attack was 'certain' once the ground freezes over and that Kiev is directly threatened, though US and Ukrainian officials later denied that conversation had taken place. Never-the-less, signs that Ukraine and America are signing from two different hymn sheets will create fears about the strength of their alliance if Putin decides to march his forces across the border. It could also undermine Biden's hardline stance against Russia if it emerges that Us intelligence has over-stated the threat, especially with allies such as Germany that have urged him to take a softer line. The call came just a day after two letters were sent to Vladimir Putin, rejecting his demands that Ukraine be banned from joining NATO and that the alliance withdraw all its forces from ex-Soviet states. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent one letter, while the other was sent by NATO chief Jens Stoltenburg. Neither missive has been made public, but both men have said no ground was given on Putin's key demands. Instead, Blinken said 'serious' counter-offers were made that he hopes will tempt the Kremlin into continuing talks. Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, said yesterday that there is 'little ground for optimism' after reading the letters - but left the door to more talks open and said Russia will not rush to give a response. Tensions have soared in recent weeks, as the United States and its NATO allies expressed concern that a buildup of about 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine signaled that Moscow planned to invade its ex-Soviet neighbor. Russia denies having any such designs - and has laid out a series of demands it says will improve security in Europe. But as expected, the U.S. and the Western alliance firmly rejected any concessions on Moscow's main points Wednesday, refusing to permanently ban Ukraine from joining NATO and saying allied deployments of troops and military equipment in Eastern Europe are nonnegotiable. The U.S. did outline areas in which some of Russia's concerns might be addressed, possibly offering a path to de-escalation. But, as it has done repeatedly for the past several weeks, Washington also warned Moscow of devastating sanctions if it invades Ukraine. Biden used the call with Zelensky to repeat his support for the country in the form of sanctions and military aid, though stopping short of putting boots on the ground Russian rocket artillery take part in live-fire drills on a military base near Moscow on Friday, as fears of war in Ukraine grow A Russian rocket artillery battery lets off a volley during live-fire exercises at the Golovenki training ground, near Moscow Rocket artillery of the Russian armed forces take part in live-fire exercises on a training ground near Moscow today A Russian-backed rebel fighter is seen moving through a trench in eastern Ukraine, where fighting with government forces has been ongoing since 2014 A Moscow-backed rebel soldier aims a machinegun through a peep-hole in his trench, just yards from the frontline with Ukrainian forces in the country's east Mosco-backed rebel troops armed with Kalashnikov rifles stand guard in a trench near the frontlines with Ukraine In addition to penalties targeting Russian people and key economic sectors, several senior U.S. officials said Thursday with certainty that Germany would not allow a newly constructed gas pipeline to begin operations in the event of an incursion. All eyes are now on Putin, who will decide how Russia will respond amid fears that Europe could again be plunged into war. In the meantime, Biden spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart Zelenskyy on Thursday to reiterate American and allied support, including recent deliveries of U.S. military aid. Biden warned Zelenskyy that the U.S. believed there was a high degree of likelihood that Russia could invade when the ground freezes and Russian forces could attack Ukrainian territory from north of Kyiv, according to two people familiar with the conversation who were not authorized to comment publicly. Military experts have said Russia may be waiting for optimal ground conditions to move heavy equipment into Kyiv as part of any invasion. Eight years ago, Russia invaded Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in late February. Zelenskyy tweeted that he and Biden also discussed the possibility of additional financial support for Ukraine. The White House said Biden told Zelenskyy he was 'exploring additional macroeconomic support to help Ukraine's economy' as it comes under pressure as a result of Russia's military buildup. Meanwhile, the United States announced that the U.N. Security Council will hold an open meeting Monday on what U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called Russia's 'threatening behavior.' She said the deployment of more than 100,000 troops along Ukraine's border and other destabilizing acts pose 'a clear threat to international peace and security and the U.N. Charter.' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier that the response from the U.S. - and a similar one from NATO - left 'little ground for optimism.' But he added that 'there always are prospects for continuing a dialogue, it's in the interests of both us and the Americans.' White House press secretary Jen Psaki was circumspect when asked whether the Biden administration saw a sliver of hope in that the Russians said they would keep communications open even as they said that they lacked optimism.. 'We don't know if the Russians are playing games on diplomacy. We hope not,' Psaki said. A man crosses himself while kneeling in front of a memorial commemorating those who died fighting in Ukraine's eastern Donbass region, outside military headquarters in Kiev Ukrainian soldiers are seen saluting through a mock bullet-hole in a memorial to those who died fighting in the Donbass region against Moscow-backed rebel groups Honour guards fire a salute during a ceremony in tribute to fallen defenders of Ukraine during a ceremony in Kiev today Ukrainian servicemen of the 24th Brigade are seen outside of Zolote, close to the frontlines with Moscow-backed rebels A Ukrainian soldier walks through a trench close to the town of Zolote, in the country's unstable eastern regions A Ukrainian soldier uses a periscope to examine enemy positions on the frontlines with Russian-backed rebel forces An Ukrainian serviceman heads to an advanced position on the front line in the Luhansk area, eastern Ukraine Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the U.S. response contained some elements that could lead to 'the start of a serious talk on secondary issues,' but emphasized that 'the document contains no positive response on the main issue.' Those are Moscow's demands that NATO not expand and that the alliance refrain from deploying weapons that might threaten Russia. Lavrov said top officials will submit proposals to Putin. Peskov said the Russian reaction would come soon. The evasive official comments reflect the fact that it is Putin who will single-handedly determine Russia's next moves. He has warned of unspecified 'military-technical measures' if the West refuses to heed the demands. Peskov added that Putin and Biden will decide whether they need to have another conversation following two calls last month. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Kyiv had seen the U.S. response before it was delivered to Russia and had no objections. He tweeted it was 'important that the U.S. remains in close contact with Ukraine before and after all contacts with Russia.' On a visit to Denmark, Kuleba emphasized his country's need to strengthen its defenses. 'This crisis is a moment of truth, and this is why we speak about weapons,' he said. 'This is why we speak about economic sanctions. This is why we speak about the consolidated position of all of us, so that President Putin sees that there are no weak links in our defensive chain.' Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said during a parliamentary debate on Ukraine that her government is closely coordinating its policy with allies, considering a range of options that could include the new Nord Stream 2 Russian gas pipeline to Germany. While the diplomacy sputters on, so too do maneuvers that have escalated tensions. Russia has launched a series of military drills involving motorized infantry and artillery units in southwestern Russia, warplanes in Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, dozens of warships in the Black Sea and the Arctic, and Russian fighter jets and paratroopers in Belarus. NATO said it was bolstering its deterrence in the Baltic Sea region, and the U.S. ordered 8,500 troops on higher alert for potential deployment to Europe. As war fears mounted, thousands of Ukrainians expressed their resolve to stand up to the Russian pressure under the hashtag (hash)UkrainiansWillResist on Twitter and Facebook. An American fighter jet takes part in pre-deployment training drills including coming under NATO command off the US coast US naval forces prepare for deployment after President Biden put 8,500 troops on alert to deploy to eastern Europe 'No one will force Ukrainians to accept the Kremlin ultimatum,' wrote Andrii Levus, who initiated the campaign. Ukraine's Interior Ministry has organized training on acting in emergency situations, with an emphasis on dealing with explosives. Beyond concerns about a possible Russian offensive in Ukraine, there also has been speculation that Moscow's response could include military deployments to the Western Hemisphere. While a senior Russian diplomat recently refused to rule out such deployments to Cuba and Venezuela, a top Putin associate expressed skepticism Thursday at that prospect. 'Cuba and Venezuela are aiming to come out of isolation and restore normal relations with the U.S. to a certain extent, so there can't be any talk about setting up a base there as happened during the Soviet times,' Dmitry Medvedev, a deputy head of Russia's Security Council, told Russian media. While he charged that the West is using Ukraine as a way to contain Russia, he somberly acknowledged that a Russia-NATO conflict 'would be the most dramatic and simply catastrophic scenario, and I hope it will never happen.' While concerns about a possible Russian attack linger, a separatist conflict simmers in Ukraine. Following the 2014 ouster of a Kremlin-friendly president in Kyiv, Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and backed an insurgency in the country's eastern industrial heartland. Fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels has killed over 14,000 people, and efforts to reach a settlement have stalled. Since the conflict began, Russia has been accused of sending troops and weapons to the separatists, something it has denied. On Thursday, Peskov wouldn't comment on a proposal from the Kremlin's main political party, United Russia, which suggested that Moscow respond to the delivery of Western weapons to Ukraine by sending arms to the rebels. He added that Putin is aware of the proposal but had no immediate reaction. Partygate confusion deepened today after Boris Johnson told allies there was no cake at his birthday bash in No10 - despite ministers previously admitting there had been. Northern Ireland minister Conor Burns was previously ridiculed for claiming that the PM had been 'ambushed with a cake' at surprise birthday celebration in the Cabinet room on June 19 2020. At the time all social events indoors were banned. Other Cabinet members also acknowledged cake was present at the event, while Downing Street did not dispute the allegations. But Mr Burns has now told a Telegraph podcast: 'I'm told under some authority, indeed from him, that there actually wasn't a cake.' The waters have been further muddied by the emergence of a news report from the day after the gathering, describing how Mr Johnson and colleagues tucked into cake. No 10 said they could not comment on whether or not there was cake until Sue Gray's long-awaited report is published. There are fears that could now be months away, as the police have insisted that it is stripped of detail about incidents that are under criminal investigation. Boris Johnson pictured on a visit to a school on his 56th birthday in June 2020. The celebration in the Cabinet room is said to have taken place later that day Northern Ireland minister Conor Burns was previously ridiculed for claiming that the PM had been 'ambushed with a cake' at surprise birthday celebration in the Cabinet room on June 19 2020 A spokesman for Boris Johnson said: 'So you will know what we said earlier this week on the matter, that small number of staff briefly came into the Cabinet room on the PM's birthday. 'Beyond that I can't comment further ahead of any conclusion of the investigation.' He said: 'As you're aware there's an independent investigation ongoing by Sue Gray in the Cabinet Office. I can only point you back to what we said earlier this week.' An article from The Times from June 20, 2020, has resurfaced where it was reported the group 'tucked into a Union Jack cake' at the gathering. At the time, the newspaper said: 'Boris Johnson celebrated his 56th birthday yesterday with a small gathering in the Cabinet room. Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, and a group of aides sang him Happy Birthday before they tucked into a Union Jack cake.' Thousands of British motorists who got their car insurance from Tesco Bank are being offered refunds after the UKs competition watchdog ruled that customers had been shown the wrong price in renewal letters. Nearly 125,000 Tesco Bank customers were misled into thinking that their no claims bonus (NCB) protection was cheaper than it was. NCB protection is additional cover drivers can buy which protects their no claims discount in the event of an accident. In its ruling, the Competition and Marketing Authority (CMA) said that Tesco Bank had provided misleading information in renewal letters sent to 124,451 customers between April 2020 and September last year. The watchdog concluded the cost of the protection was understated on average by around 10 for each customer. It has now ordered the bank to explain to customers that they can either choose to keep the policy or get their money back. Thousands of British motorists who got their car insurance from Tesco Bank are being offered refunds after the UKs competition watchdog ruled that customers had been shown the wrong price in renewal letters This error meant that motorists were unable to make a fully informed decision as to whether they wanted no claims bonus protection, the CMA said. Had they been told the right price, they may have decided to cancel their no claims bonus protection or switch to another, cheaper provider. Thanks to our action, Tesco customers will now have the chance to decide whether they want to keep their current protection or get their money back. It said that Tesco Bank had failed to clearly, prominently and accurately displace the additional cost of a no claims bonus protection. This meant that customers did not understand the value in removing the protection from their deal. Tesco Bank reported the problems to the CMA itself. The bank said: We apologise for this error, which we have now fixed. All existing customers who were impacted have been contacted with the option of a refund and the removal of their no claims bonus protection. In its ruling, the Competition and Marketing Authority (CMA) said that Tesco Bank had provided misleading information in renewal letters sent to 124,451 customers between April 2020 and September last year However, the overwhelming majority of customers are choosing to retain their protection. In all cases there was no impact on the cover provided to our customers. Around 0.5 per cent of customers who have been contacted have so far chosen to get a refund. In 2015, the CMA concluded an investigation into private motor insurance. At the time it found that the price of no claims bonus protections was often unclear to customers. As a result, the watchdog created a legal order which forced providers to clearly state the cost of the protection. The CMA added: Given the action being taken by Tesco Bank, the CMA does not consider it appropriate to take formal enforcement action in relation to this breach at present. The CMA will monitor the resolution of this breach and Tesco Banks future compliance closely. A Florida police officer has been fired after tasering an elderly man in a wheelchair four times at point-blank range who was not 'physically resisting' arrest - instead of following the department's de-escalation protocols. Police body-camera video showed St. Petersburg Police Officer Matthew Cavinder as the recently hired cop deployed his stun gun on 64-year-old Timothy Grant, who was sitting in a wheelchair outside a gas station on June 20. 'I think I looked at that video over 20 times,' St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway said during Thursday press conference announcing the firing of the cop, who joined the force in 2020. 'Today, I still cannot explain why that officer went to his Taser. We train officers every year. Everyone at this police department is trained on de-escalation.' Grant was panhandling outside the Chevron when the cops were called and found that he had five open warrants for failure to appear. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Police body-camera video showed St. Petersburg Police Officer Matthew Cavinder as he deployed his Taser gun on Timothy Grant, pictured who was sitting in a wheelchair Grant, pictured, was sitting outside a gas station on June 20 when Cavinder and another officer arrested him for five open warrants Grant could be seen with his back to the ground as he asked the officers why he was being arrested Pictured: Grant, 64, being tased four times at point-blank range by Officer Cavinder Cavinder later wrote a report that claimed Grant was resisting arrest with violence, however, officials revealed that was not the case. 'Mr. Grant was not resisting with violence,' Holloway said. 'We will not tolerate this type of behavior when we're arresting someone,' Holloway said during a Thursday morning news conference at the St. Petersburg Police Department. 'This will not and cannot be tolerated here at St. Petersburg Police Department, and as long as I'm the chief here, it will not be tolerated,' Holloway went on to say. Bodycam video shows Cavinder, who had been with the department since March 23, 2020, and another officer pull Grant out of his wheelchair after Grant told the officers he couldn't walk. Officer Cavinder, pictured, during the arrest of Timothy Grant, pictured bottom left St. Petersburg Florida officer Matthew Cavinder is sworn in by Chief Anthony Holloway on April 3, 2020 Grant could be seen with his back to the ground as he asked the officers why he was being arrested. Meanwhile, Cavinder repeatedly ordered Grant to put his hands behind his back, while warning him 'you're gonna get tased.' Cavinder then placed the Taser against Grant's back and stunned him four times, Holloway added. 'Instead of using both of his hands, he went right to his Taser,' Holloway said. The police chief went on to praise his commanding staff, who reviewed the bodycam video before taking it to the Office of Professional Standards for internal investigation. Advertisement The subvariant of Omicron feared to be even more infectious than its ancestor strain is already behind one in 30 Covid cases in England, according to official estimates. A report by the UK Health Security Agency found the mutant BA.2 sub-strain accounted for 3.4 per cent of the country's new infections by January 16 and it is doubling every week. The growth advantage of the new variant is 'substantial', the health agency claimed. Scientists believe it may have evolved to be slightly more transmissible than the ancestral strain of Omicron and could slowly become the UK's dominant Covid virus. It is already outcompeting its parent variant in Denmark but the country's Government deemed the strain such a non-threat it this week announced it was ending all Covid restrictions. And Professor Paul Hunter, an epidemiologist at the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline there was no reason to panic about BA.2. He said it was not causing a 'substantial difference to our current threat estimates'. There had been fears it might have been slipping past vaccine immunity more easily than Omicron, which would explain its evolutionary edge. But UKHSA analysis found two and three vaccine doses work just as well against both strains - providing about 70 per cent protection against symptomatic disease and even better immunity against severe outcomes. Scientists have not yet been able to tell whether the sub-strain differs in severity from Omicron, which itself was a much milder variant that past strains. However, there is nothing to indicate the strain would be any more lethal. It came as daily Covid cases, deaths and hospital admissions were down across the UK today as the country's Omicron wave receded. Government dashboard data shows there were another 89,176 positive tests across the country in the past 24 hours, marking a 7 per cent decrease on last Friday. There were 277 more coronavirus deaths registered in the UK today down by around 4 per cent in a week. Meanwhile, latest hospital data shows 1,732 Britons were admitted with Covid on January 24, which was 12 per cent lower than the previous week and the 13th day in a row admissions have fallen week-on-week. The highly infectious BA.2 variant (orange) already makes up 3.4 per cent of all new Covid infections in England, official data showed today. Graph shows: The proportion of all Covid cases made up by different variants over time Graph shows: The rate at which BA.2 (yellow dashed line) has grown compared to Omicron (green line) since the fifth case of either variant was found BA.2 had an increased growth rate compared to BA.1 in all regions of England, the UKHSA said. The growth advantage of the new variant is 'substantial', the health agency claimed. Graph shows: BA.2 growth in different regions in England up to January 17 The above shows the number of BA.2 lineages detected by the Sanger Institute one of the UK's largest Covid surveillance centres over the week to January 8 (left) and January 15 (right) broken down by local authority What do we know about BA.2? Should we be concerned? What is BA.2? This is an off-shoot of the Omicron lineage. It carries all the mutations of its parent, but also has a change that makes it harder to detect using PCR tests. It has been spotted in 40 countries , including Denmark, the Philippines, India, Sweden and Singapore. And the share of new cases caused by the variant has risen to one in 20. Is it really harder to track? Britain's explosion of Omicron was fairly easy to track because of one of the variant's specific quirks a deletion of its spike 'S' gene. It meant the strain could be detected on widely-used PCR tests without the need for lengthy laboratory analysis, known as genome sequencing. The deletion allowed Omicron samples to stand out from other strains circulating at the time, including Delta, simply because they did not cause the same PCR 'S-gene target failure' effect. But this does not appear to be the case with BA.2. PCR tests will still spot if someone with BA.2 has Covid. Is it more dangerous? Early analysis suggests this sub-variant is slightly more transmissible than Omicron. It is already the dominant strain in parts of India and the Philippines, scientists say, with cases now rising in the UK, Germany and Denmark. But there is no evidence to suggest it is more likely to cause serious disease. There were fears it may be able to slip past vaccine immunity more easily than Omicron, which would explain its evolutionary edge. But an analysis by the UK Health Security Agency found two and three doses of vaccines work just as well against both strains. A booster was found to give 70 per cent protection against symptomatic infection from BA.2, compared to 63 per cent with the original Omicron. Should I be concerned? Dr Tom Peacock, one of the first scientists to warn the world about Omicron, says there is no reason to be overly concerned. The Imperial College London expert said he thinks the variant will not have a 'substantial impact' on the current wave. Professor Francois Balloux, a geneticist at Imperial College London, says people not obsessed with Covid should treat it as the same disease as Omicron. The strain has been designated as a variant under investigation by the UK Health Security Agency. How many cases are there? A total of 426 BA.2 cases were identified by the UKHSA by January 21, the earliest of which was dated to December 6. Most of the cases have been spotted in London (146), followed by the South East (97). But the true toll of BA.2 cases will be much higher, with just a small fraction of positive tests sequenced. Advertisement The UKHSA sequencing data shows that 96.1 per cent of cases up to January 16 in England were the original BA.1 variant of Omicron. Some 3.4 per cent were BA.2 and 0.5 per cent were other lineages, such as Delta. BA.2 had an increased growth rate compared to BA.1 in all regions of England, the UKHSA said. They also found 13.4 per cent of household contacts of people infected with BA.2 go on to catch the virus themselves. This compares to a slightly less rate with the BA.1 strain (10.3 per cent). The UKHSA said: 'In early UK data there is evidence of increased growth of BA.2 compared to BA.1 in community cases in all regions of England where there are sufficient cases to assess. 'This growth advantage is visible in some other countries but is not clearly the same across all countries with genomic surveillance at present. 'This may be related to differences in timing and level of exposure to BA.1 but requires further exploration.' But other experts have warned people not to become panicked by the strain's apparent higher transmissibility, arguing it should have little impact on Britain's trajectory out of the pandemic. Professor Hunter told MailOnline BA.2 could make up as much as eight to 10 per cent of cases as of today, although that prediction comes with 'big uncertainty'. However, he said: 'As far as I can discover there is currently no evidence that BA.2 causes any more severe disease than the other Omicron variants, though it is early days. 'As far as I can judge the consensus is that BA.2 will become the dominant variant sometime in the next month or two though the clinical significance is not going to be that different from other omicron variants. 'So I dont think it changes anything too much, though it will provide a bit of a bump in the round back to normality. 'I dont think this will lead to a substantial difference to our current threat estimates but as I say still early days.' Professor Jonathan Ball, a molecular virologist at the University of Nottingham, said: 'Early indicators suggest that the vaccines will provide similar levels of protection as we have seen for Omicron, so this is good news. Whether or not it causes more severe disease will become apparent as more data is collected. 'Of course, it is important to keep monitoring the situation and try to gain a better understanding of how this variant behaves, but so far there is nothing in these early analyses to worry us unduly.' Dr Tom Peacock, one of the first scientists to warn the world about Omicron, previously said there is no reason to be overly concerned about the variant. The Imperial College London expert said he thinks the strain will not have a 'substantial impact' on the current wave. Professor Francois Balloux , a geneticist at Imperial College London, said people not obsessed with Covid should treat it as the same disease as Omicron. Unlike the original Omicron, BA.2 infections can only be confirmed through lab analysis rather than a PCR, which has made tracking its spread more difficult and seen it nicknamed a 'stealth' variant. But its rapid spread means it still stands out from other lineages that don't carry an 'S gene deletion', which acted as a proxy for spotting the original version of Omicron. Scientists believe BA.2 may have evolved to be slightly more transmissible than Omicron and could slowly become the UK's dominant Covid virus. The variant has already become dominant in Denmark and the country's top infectious disease authority, Statens Serum Institut (SSI), said preliminary calculations suggest BA.2 could be 1.5 times more infectious than BA.1. The original Omicron strain has a specific alteration known as an 'S' gene dropout which meant it could be detected through PCR tests without the need for lab analysis. But this does not appear to be the case with BA.2. It doesn't mean that BA.2 is undetectable by PCR, but samples will need to be sent for further analysis to confirm it is the sub-variant. It is likely that anyone who has already caught Omicron has strong protection against this variant. But scientists in Denmark are investigating a handful of cases where someone who previously had Omicron later caught BA.2. Advertisement This is the first look inside one of the NHS' new Nightingale surge hubs which officials concede might never be used as the Omicron wave continues to recede. The temporary site on the grounds of Royal Preston Hospital is one of eight commissioned across England last month, when the fourth wave looked as if it could threaten the health service. It has been assembled in the car park at the city's biggest hospital in less than four weeks and can house roughly 100 Covid patients but it is currently empty. Local NHS bosses have indicated that the new hub might never be used and medical unions have warned it could swallow up staff and pull resources away from other parts of the health service. Other make-shift structures are being built in London, Leeds, Solihull, Leicester, Stevenage, Ashford and Bristol for an undisclosed amount of money. England's original Nightingale hospitals, built in 2020, cost a total of 500million, which included running costs, stand-by costs and decommissioning costs. But they saw only light use before being mothballed. The new, smaller sites will remain on standby to look after Covid sufferers who are not well enough to go home but need minimal supervision during their recovery. Kevin McGee, chief executive of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust which looks after the Royal Preston, previously said : 'My hope is that we never have to use it. 'We're planning for it, and that's quite right because we need to make sure that we put the appropriate capacity in place should we need it, but I'm hopeful we can manage within our core bed base.' However, Dr Brian McGregor, of the British Medical Association (BMA), said staffing more beds would mean 'falling further behind' on routine work. It comes as figures show the majority of Covid patients in English hospitals are not primarily being treated for the virus for the first time in the pandemic - thanks to the super-mild Omicron variant. As few as a third of inpatients are mainly sick with the virus in parts of the country, with the rest primarily receiving care for a range of other conditions, such as a broken leg or heart disease. The Nightingale Surge Hub at Royal Preston Hospital, one of eight makeshift wards at hospitals across England, has 100 beds for patients from across the North West The Nightingale facilities - manned by a mix of hospital consultants, nurses, and other clinical and non-clinical staff - are designed to take patients who, although not fit for discharge, need minimal support and monitoring while they recover. Pictured: The Nightingale Surge Hub at Royal Preston Hospital Local NHS bosses have indicated that the new hub at Royal Preston Hospital (pictured) might never be used and medical unions have warned they could swallow up staff and pull resources away from other parts of the health service Other structures are being built in Leeds, Solihull, Leicester, Stevenage, London, Ashford and Bristol for an undisclosed amount of money. Pictured: the Nightingale Surge Hub at Royal Preston Hospital England's seven original Nightingale hospitals built in 2020 cost the taxpayer more than 500million, which included running costs, stand-by costs and decommissioning costs. But they only treated a handful of patients. Pictured: the Nightingale Surge Hub at Royal Preston Hospital The new, much smaller, sites can only house 100 or so patients each and will remain on standby to look after Covid sufferers who are not well enough to go home but need minimal supervision during their recovery. Pictured: the Nightingale Surge Hub at Royal Preston Hospital A glimpse of the site from the outside. The makeshift facility is built in one of the hospital's car parks Criticising the new surge hubs earlier this month, Dr McGregor, from the BMA's Yorkshire Regional Council, told the BBC: 'Each bed takes two to three staff to run it 24/7. 'The workforce that can work is working and how we cover staffing of these units is going to be the most important part, because you're going to be taking staff away from other pathways and other workload. 'So we're going to find ourselves falling further behind on our routine work.' The comments come amid growing acceptance that Covid will not put the NHS under significant pressure this winter. Latest figures show there were 1,651 new Covid patients admitted to English hospitals on January 23, which was down 13 per cent on the previous week. UK-wide admissions have fallen for nearly two weeks straight. That's compared to nearly 4,000 at the peak of the second wave this time last year. Latest figures show there were 1,651 new Covid patients admitted to English hospitals on January 23, which was down 13 per cent on the previous week. UK-wide admissions have fallen for nearly two weeks straight. Pictured: the Nightingale Surge Hub at Royal Preston Hospital Criticising the new surge hubs earlier this month, Dr McGregor, from the BMA's Yorkshire Regional Council, told the BBC: 'Each bed takes two to three staff to run it 24/7. 'The workforce that can work is working and how we cover staffing of these units is going to be the most important part, because you're going to be taking staff away from other pathways and other workload. 'So we're going to find ourselves falling further behind on our routine work.' Pictured: staff at the Nightingale Surge Hub at Royal Preston Hospital Pictured: staff at the Nightingale Surge Hub at Royal Preston Hospital Pictured: staff at the Nightingale Surge Hub at Royal Preston Hospital NHS England data shows the percentage of Covid patients in hospitals in England's seven regions who are not primarily being treated for the virus (left), while the graphs (right) show how this rate has changed over time. The North East had the highest proportion of patients (57.4 per cent) who are mainly being treated for other ailments NHS England data shows the majority of Covid patients in English hospitals are not primarily being treated for the virus for the first time in the pandemic. The share of primary Covid patients has plummeted since the emergence of the super-mild Omicron variant in late November, when three-quarters of inpatients were mainly ill with the disease NHS England data shows there were 13,023 Covid patients in hospital on Tuesday (January 25), of which only 6,256 were primarily there for the virus, or 48 per cent Meanwhile, the mild - but highly infectious - Omicron variant is causing more 'incidental' hospital cases. There were 13,023 Covid patients in hospital on January 25, according to the latest NHS England figures, of which only 6,256 were primarily there for the virus (48 per cent). This share has plummeted since the emergence of the super-mild Omicron variant in late November, when three-quarters of inpatients were mainly ill with the disease. Just three of England's seven NHS regions have more primary Covid patients than incidentals the North West (57 per cent), South East (55 per cent) and the North East and Yorkshire (54 per cent). Little over a third of inpatients are primary Covid in London (36 per cent) and the East of England (38 per cent), while in the Midlands and the South West the proportion is 46 and 49 per cent, respectively. Hospital patients who test positive for Covid need to be isolated from those who do not have the virus, regardless of whether they are in hospital primarily for Covid or not. Non-primary Covid patients include those who catch Covid while in hospital for a different illness and those who are admitted for another reason and happen to be incubating the virus as they arrive. Billionaire philanthropist George Soros is giving $125 million to a super PAC this election cycle to back Democrat candidates and causes in the midterms and beyond. The 91-year-old, who made his fortune in hedge funds, has used the Democracy PAC since 2019 to support political campaigns, channeling some $80 million through it during the 2020 cycle. In a statement, he announced that his son would take on the role of president of the group. Billionaire philanthropist George Soros is giving $125 million to a super PAC this election cycle to back Democrat candidates and causes in the midterms and beyond On Friday, Soros announced that his son Alex would become president of Democracy PAC George Soros's son Alexander, seen here with designer Maxwell Osborne in 2017 at the Gordon Parks Foundation Awards dinner at Cipriani 42nd, New York 'I established Democracy PAC to support causes and candidates, regardless of political party, who share a mission of protecting and strengthening the infrastructure of American democracy: voting rights and civic participation, civil rights and liberties, and the rule of law,' he said. 'I have endowed Democracy PAC with a long-term investment so that it can continue this important work into he future.' This year's midterms, which will determine who controls the House and Senate for the second half of President Joe Biden's term, are expected to break spending records. Much of the rise is fuelled by super PACs. They can raise unlimited amounts of money from businesses, unions and individuals which they can spend on campaigning for or against candidates. Unlike traditional PACs, super PACs are not allowed to donate directly to political candidates and cannot coordinate with their campaigns. George Soros's son Alex will serve as the PAC's president. Alex Soros compared the the Capitol attack on Jan. 6 last year with 'With this gift, he is making the same kind of long-term commitment to American democracy,' he said. 'Events of the last two years, particularly the January 6th insurrection and ongoing efforts to discredit and undermine our electoral process, reveal the magnitude of the threat to our democracy. 'It is a generational threat that cannot be addressed in just one or two election cycles.' The money positions Soros as one of the biggest donors in this political cycle and is bound to attract the anger of conservatives. They have long used the Hungarian-born financier as a symbol of elite liberalism. And conspiracy theories, placing him at the center of a Jewish web of influence, have traveled from the darkest reaches of the internet to right wing news networks. Soros will be one of the biggest midterm donors and the attacks have already begun Alex Soros: The heir to a family fortune and a philanthropic empire Alex Soros, 36, is the deputy chairman of the Open Society Foundations - the vehicle for George Soros's donations - and is his fathers heir apparent. Born in New York, he is one of five children from the first two of his father's three marriages. In a 2012 New York Times profile he described what it was like growing up in such a privileged bubble, dividing his time between a 14-room house in upstate New York and a Fifth Avenue duplex. 'As a kid, all you want to be is normal,' he said. 'When all youre being fed is vichyssoise, you want to eat Big Macs like everyone else.' Alex Soros has followed his billionaire father into philanthropy But he admitted there were perks, such as sitting in on his father's conversations with Hillary Clinton or listening as Nelson Mandela described his time in a South African prison cell. After graduating from New York University he tried to dispel the image of another wealthy kid partying away his family's money, and so he set out to study for a history PhD at Berkeley and follow in his father's philanthropic footsteps. While at Berkeley he set up the Alexander Soros Foundation to back groups that promote social justice and human rights. Soros (r) with designer Virgil Abloh, model Leanna Jacobs and designer Maxwell Osborne at a 2017 benefit and auction for The Water Mill Center Alex Soros is pictured with model Najah Wakil at an event in the Hamptons in 2012 In particular, he said he was passionate about the wellbeing of domestic workers because of memories of his childhood nanny. Beneficiaries included anti-logging groups in the Congo and in Peru, as well as the National Domestic Workers Alliance. But he has also turned up in the gossip pages of tabloids. Most recently it was when he left a $700 tip after a night drinking shots of tequila into the early hours of the morning at a Brooklyn bar, according to the New York Post. In 2016, it was reported he had spent the summer partying with models and NBA players at a $72 million Hamptons summer retreat called 'Villa Maria,' belonging to late shoe designer Vince Camuto. In 2016, it was reported he had spent the summer partying with models and NBA players at a $72 million Hamptons summer retreat called 'Villa Maria' Alex is seen enjoying lobster with friend in a photo from his Instagram account Lavish gatherings at the sprawling 20,000-sq-ft compound included lobster bakes, games of drunken hide-and-seek, bottles of rose, according to the New York Post. Fashion designers Timo Weiland and Maxwell Osborne, New York Knicks Star Joakim Noah and model Caroline Vreeland were among the many notable guests. Advertisement In 2020, for example, President Donald Trump claimed Soros was funding Antifa - the sometimes violent left-wing, anti-fascist political movement. 'You have Democrats funding them. They say Soros and they say other people,' he told Fox News. Tucker Carlson is currently promoting a documentary entitled 'Hungary vs Soros: The fight for Civilization.' This time around, Democracy PAC has already made major donations to two Democratic groups aligned with the party's congressional leadership, according to Politico. They include $2.5 million to Senate Majority PAC and $1 million to House Majority PAC. And $1 million went to the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State - a position which has taken on huge significance in this election as Republicans target officials that administer elections. A dashing burglar who is on the run after breaking his bail conditions has been stealing people's hearts following a photo appeal to track him down. West Yorkshire Police issued an image of convicted burglar Jonathan Cahill, 37, and got a huge response from the public - although his good looks might come back to haunt him, as they caused his mugshot to be shared far and wide on social media. Women and men alike were moved to make tongue-in-cheek comments about how attractive they found Cahill, who is six foot tall and wanted on recall to prison. The case is reminiscent of 'Hot Felon' Jeremy Meeks, a US convict who shot to stardom when his mugshot went viral in 2014, landing him a modelling career while still a serving 27-month sentence. He has since dated a string of celebrities and members of the elite, including Philip Green's daughter Chloe - with whom he recalled enjoying lavish holidays on her father's $150million superyacht. Cahill is far from enjoying a life of luxury, however, with authorities believing him to be hiding out in Wakefield, Leeds. Replying to the mugshot of Cahill, one woman said: 'What did he steal? People's hearts?' Criminally handsome: Police issued an image of convicted burglar Jonathan Cahill (pictured), 37, and got a huge response from the public - although his good looks might come back to haunt him, as they caused his mugshot to be shared far and wide on social media More than one person said they'd happily volunteer their time to help find Cahill, with one asking: 'If I find him can I keep him?' Another joked: 'What's his crime, breaking hearts or houses?' One person added: 'Should be easy to find, half the women in West Yorkshire will be chasing him after reading these comments.' Another person struck by his looks wrote: 'Ooft talk about a fit felon!', while another wrote: 'Bet his ego is massive after reading lots of these comments.' Others were less impressed with Cahill's looks and the response his mugshot had received, however, with one commenting: 'Seriously. A guy keeps his hair past 30 and becomes some kind of god.' Another wrote: 'Calm down girls he's not all that seen better looking men in local social club 50+' One person commented: 'I must need to go to Specsavers because I can't see what everyone else seems to be seeing.' However, a few people were unimpressed by the banter both on the West Yorkshire Police and Leeds Live Facebook page. One said: 'If this was an attractive woman burglar and wanted by the police and comments were from men saying what's been said now, I'm sure the police would look into every single Facebook account of those men.' Serving face: Jeremy Meeks first shot to stardom when his mugshot went viral in 2014 landing him a modelling career and earning him the nickname 'Hot Felon' In their appeal, a spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: 'Police are appealing for information about Jonathan Cahill, who is wanted on recall to prison. 'Cahill, 37, was released from prison last September after serving part of a sentence for burglary. 'He is believed to have breached the terms of his release and has now been recalled to prison. 'Officers are continuing enquiries to locate Cahill, who is described as being of medium build and approximately six feet tall. 'He is believed to be currently residing in Wakefield. 'Anyone who can assist in locating him is asked to contact police in Wakefield on 101 or by using the contact options on the West Yorkshire Police website. 'Information can also be reported anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or online.' The prevalence of the coronavirus in Englands wastewater has barely changed over the last six months, despite the explosion of Omicron. Sewage samples analysed by the UK Health Security Agency show small fluctuations in virus levels since June, reflecting changes in the nation's Covid rates. But the unprecedented surge in Covid cases, driven by the extremely-transmissible variant, isn't visible in the UKHSA's charts. Experts told MailOnline the failure of the samples to pick up the surge in Omicron may be because the virus does not survive as well as previous variants in water or as it passes through the gut. However, Government analysts spotted patterns from the samples that played out in daily case data, including that Omicron first took off in London and the South East. Levels also peaked at the end of the year before falling in early January, mirroring the same trend in infections. Infected people shed the coronavirus in day-to-day life, including when blowing their nose and going to the toilet. This enables the virus, called SARS-CoV-2, to enter the sewage system through sinks, drains and toilets, allowing for fragments to be detected in wastewater. The UKHSA and Defra test untreated sewage from 275 sites across England, covering 40million people, three times a week. Samples are analysed to identify exactly where the virus is circulating in the country. It can also help officials keep tabs on the spread of variants. Unlike Covid tests, monitoring wastewater doesnt rely on people coming forward for a swab to pick up trends in cases. The graphs show the seven-day rolling average of SARS-CoV-2 concentration detected in wastewater for the East Midlands (purple) compared to the national average (blue) and individual data gathered from each site of the countrys 275 sewage sites (black dots). There was limited testing over the festive period, so the trend is not shown from December 21 to 28 The graphs show the seven-day rolling average of SARS-CoV-2 concentration detected in wastewater for the East of England (purple) compared to the national average (blue) and individual data gathered from each site of the countrys 275 sewage sites (black dots). There was limited testing over the festive period, so the trend is not shown from December 21 to 28 The graphs show the seven-day rolling average of SARS-CoV-2 concentration detected in wastewater for London (purple) compared to the national average (blue) and individual data gathered from each site of the countrys 275 sewage sites (black dots). There was limited testing over the festive period, so the trend is not shown from December 21 to 28 The graphs show the seven-day rolling average of SARS-CoV-2 concentration detected in wastewater for the North East (purple) compared to the national average (blue) and individual data gathered from each site of the countrys 275 sewage sites (black dots). There was limited testing over the festive period, so the trend is not shown from December 21 to 28 The graphs show the seven-day rolling average of SARS-CoV-2 concentration detected in wastewater for the North West (purple) compared to the national average (blue) and individual data gathered from each site of the countrys 275 sewage sites (black dots). There was limited testing over the festive period, so the trend is not shown from December 21 to 28 The graphs show the seven-day rolling average of SARS-CoV-2 concentration detected in wastewater for the South East (purple) compared to the national average (blue) and individual data gathered from each site of the countrys 275 sewage sites (black dots). There was limited testing over the festive period, so the trend is not shown from December 21 to 28 The graphs show the seven-day rolling average of SARS-CoV-2 concentration detected in wastewater for the South West (purple) compared to the national average (blue) and individual data gathered from each site of the countrys 275 sewage sites (black dots). There was limited testing over the festive period, so the trend is not shown from December 21 to 28 The graphs show the seven-day rolling average of SARS-CoV-2 concentration detected in wastewater for the West Midlands (purple) compared to the national average (blue) and individual data gathered from each site of the countrys 275 sewage sites (black dots). There was limited testing over the festive period, so the trend is not shown from December 21 to 28 The graphs show the seven-day rolling average of SARS-CoV-2 concentration detected in wastewater for Yorkshire and the Humber (purple) compared to the national average (blue) and individual data gathered from each site of the countrys 275 sewage sites (black dots). There was limited testing over the festive period, so the trend is not shown from December 21 to 28 In the week starting November 30, three days after Omicron was first detected in the UK, SARS-CoV-2 levels fell week-on-week at 44 per cent of sewage sites. But seven days later, concentrations rose at 79 per cent of the sites. For comparison, cases fell 6.5 per cent nationally over roughly the same period, according to official daily statistics. The UKHSA analysis then revealed a blip in the week before Christmas, with levels of the virus falling at 63 per cent of the locations. Britain will dish out Pfizer's 'ground-breaking' antiviral Covid pill within a fortnight, officials say Britain's Covid anti-viral arsenal will get another weapon within a fortnight, officials revealed today. Pfizer's drug Paxlovid, shown to cut the risk of being hospitalised or dying from the virus by nearly 90 per cent, will be dished out from February 10. Around 1.3million vulnerable Britons including immunocompromised people, HIV and cancer patients and transplant recipients will be eligible to get the pill if they test positive. The most vulnerable have already been invited for a fourth Covid jab, but the vaccine is less effective at stopping them from becoming severely unwell. Ministers have bought 2.75million courses of the 'ground-breaking' pill, which works best when taken within five days of symptoms starting. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: 'Our pharmaceutical defences are crucial as we learn to live with Covid and the UK is leading the way, especially when it comes to the use of cutting-edge antivirals.' Dishing out the drug is an 'important milestone' and may mean 'thousands of lives could be saved', he added. Advertisement This is despite official numbers soaring over the same time-frame, which prompted fears that another lockdown would be needed. After a monitoring break over Christmas, researchers found the concentration levels increased during the week starting December 28, before falling again during the first full week of January. Over December, Covid concentrations in Londons wastewater were higher than the national average, mirroring how Omicron cases first took off in the capital. The amount of the virus detected in the East Midlands was also high, the researchers found. And following the trend in cases, SARS-CoV-2 levels in Englands sewers fell in most regions during the first week of January. Omicron was first detected in a wastewater sample taken on November 22, five days before it was confirmed through a sequenced PCR test in the UK. Cases were mostly concentrated in London and the South East and its prevalence in sewage samples increased six-fold in the following fortnight. Sequencing shows it became the dominant strain detected in Englands wastewater by December 13, in line with official statistics. However, fewer wastewater samples were gathered over the festive period, so seven days of valuable data are missing. And the UKHSA warned the data is experimental as it has been processed by a non-accredited research laboratory. Covid is either confirmed or possible in the sample and cannot be compared to testing data, it said. Rainfall levels can also impact the data because more water entering the system naturally reduces concentration of SARS-CoV-2 particles. Professor Simon Clarke, a microbiologist at the University of Reading, told MailOnline experts are not sure why the Omicron surge isnt reflected in sewage samples. But it seems entirely plausible to me that possible explanations include things like Omicron might not survive as well as previous variants as it passes through the human gut, so wont show up in sewage farms, he said. Or perhaps it breaks down more quickly in water, Professor Clarke said. Increased rainfall may also dilute the amount of virus in wastewater, depleting the amount of virus which is detectable, he added. The map shows confirmed (red) and possible (yellow) detections of Omicron in wastewater samples collected across the country, as well as where it was not spotted (grey). Pictured: map left shows Omicron cases in the week to November 28, while map right shows where the variant was detected in the week to December 5 The map shows confirmed (red) and possible (yellow) detections of Omicron in wastewater samples collected across the country, as well as where it was not spotted (grey). Pictured: map left shows Omicron cases in the week to December 12, while map right shows where the variant was detected in the week to December 19 The map shows confirmed (red) and possible (yellow) detections of Omicron in wastewater samples collected across the country, as well as where it was not spotted (grey). Pictured: no map was available for the week to December 26 due to a lack of data, while map right shows where the variant was detected in the week to January 2 The map shows the concentration of Covid in sewage samples taken from 275 sites across England, with purple dots making where samples picked up just small amounts of the virus (measured in gene copies per litre) and yellow dots equating to higher levels of the virus. Pictured: map left shows virus levels in the week to December 6, while map right shows the concentration in the week to December 13 The map shows the concentration of Covid in sewage samples taken from 275 sites across England, with purple dots making where samples picked up just small amounts of the virus (measured in gene copies per litre) and yellow dots equating to higher levels of the virus. Pictured: map left shows virus levels in the week to December 20, while insufficient information in the week to December 27 means no map could be produced By Kim Hyun-bin LG Group has been moving up the business ladder to take over second place in market capitalization. With its successful listing of LG Energy Solutions (LGES), the group's accumulated market cap expanded to 233 trillion won, surpassing 200 trillion won for the first time. LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo Advertisement President Joe Biden got fired up Friday in Pittsburgh as he tried to again make a push to get his Build Back Better bill over the line. Biden was talking about the high price of insulin. The bill caps the cost of insulin at no more than $35 a month. 'Imagine being the parent making the minimum wage, or twice the minimum wage and having a child with type 1 diabetes ... and have no insurance - knowing you cannot get that money for insulin your chlid might die,' Biden said. 'It strips you of your dignity damnit,' the president shouted. 'Can you imagine looking at your child when you know what they need and not be able to do it?' He told those in the crowd, 'many of you have lost children,' and added that it was 'outrageous.' The renewed BBB push came amid a speech that mainly touted the already-passed bipartisan infrastructure bill, which Biden signed into law in mid-November. The White House announced earlier this week that Biden would travel to Pittsburgh - where he kicked off his 2020 campaign - to talk infrastructure, but his timing was eerie - as a bridge collapsed in the city's East End hours before he arrived. President Joe Biden got emotional when he spoke about families not being able to afford medication for their children Upon arrival in Pittsburgh, the president immediately went to the site of the Forbes Avenue bridge that had collapsed earlier that morning. Biden had planned to be in Pittsburgh to talk infrastructure - touting the $1.2 trillion bill passed in November that was supposed to finance repairs for the nation's bridges, among other things. 'I've been coming to Pittsburgh a long time, and as a former Pennsylvanian, but I didn't realize they're literally more bridges in Pittsburgh than any other city in the world. Did you know? More than in Venice,' Biden remarked. 'And we're going to fix them all,' the president added. 'Not a joke. This is going to be a gigantic change. And theres 43,000 nationwide. And were sending the money,' Biden said. Putting his hand on the shoulder of a police officer the president said, 'these guys deserve an incredible amount of credit.' 'And, by the way, were going to give you guys more money too - cops,' the president said. The scene smelled of gas. Law enforcement told the president they weren't sure if the collapse was caused by a gas leak, or the leak was caused by the collapse. Biden was greeted by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, on the tarmac, as well as Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey. Earlier, Biden called Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey. At the bridge site, Biden was also with Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who's running for the U.S. Senate. Despite the 29-degree weather, Fetterman was wearing shorts. Biden then toured Mill 19, a redeveloped steel mill that is being used as the headquarters for Carnegie Mellon University's Manufacturing Futures Institute. The development is in the city's Hazelwood neighborhood, adjacent to the Monongahela River. President Joe Biden speaks at Mill 19 in Pittsburgh Friday afternoon President Joe Biden's first stop in Pittsburgh was to the collapsed bridge site. On the scene he was joined by Sen. Bob Casey (left), as well as Rep. Conor Lamb (second from right) and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (right) President Joe Biden visits the site where the Fern Hollow Bridge collapsed over Frick Park Friday morning in Pittsburgh President Joe Biden (left) stands alongside Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey (right) at the site of the Forbes Avenue bridge collapse Friday Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey (left) and President Joe Biden (right) take in the collapsed bridge over Frick Park in Pittsburgh Friday President Joe Biden (right) greets Pennsylvania's Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf (left) as he arrives at the Allegheny County Airport Friday. He had called Wolf earlier to talk to him about the Pittsburgh bridge collapse President Joe Biden (right) shakes the hand of Sen. Bob Casey (left) as he arrives in Pittsburgh Friday President Joe Biden told reporters, 'You're going to see in a minute,' when asked if he planned to visit the site of the bridge collapse, which is just two miles away from there he's slated to speak Biden's trip comes just hours after a bridge collapsed in Pittsburgh's East End, crumbling a portion of Forbes Avenue A Port Authority bus was crossing the bridge at the time of the collapse. Rescuers rappeled nearly 150 feet while others forme a human chain to rescue multiple people from the dangling bus President Joe Biden traveled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Friday with plans to talk infrastructure just hours after the city suffered a bridge collapse President Joe Biden departed the White House Friday morning for a quick trip to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Biden, boarding Air Force One, will talk tout his bipartisan infrastructure bill and talk about American manufacturing On a tour of the facility, Biden observed welding-based 3D printing machinery and a functioning robotic arm. The president asked a number of questions about what he was taking in - including asking the young man escorting him 'What do you plan on doing for a living?' The man replied he wanted to be an astronaut. Two high-profile Democratic candidates in Pennsylvania planned to skip Biden's visit, in the latest sign that his dire poll numbers could be disastrous in November's midterm elections. Fetterman, a leading Senate candidate, and state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who is likely to win the party nomination for governor, had planned to be absent due to scheduling conflicts. However, because of the bridge collapse, Fetterman, the former mayor of nearby Braddock, Pennsylvania, was photographed with Biden. Fetterman was in the audience for Biden's speech as well. Rep. Conor Lamb, who is running against Fetterman in the Senate Democratic primary, was also on hand - and had planned to attend Biden's Pittsburgh speech. Biden's visit was announced at the start of the week. It represents a new strategy to get the president out of Washington, to trumpet victories - such as the bipartisan infrastructure bill - after seeing other legislation killed off by Republican opposition and Democratic infighting. 'He'll be talking about how far we've come in getting our economy moving again, making more right here in America, and ensuring all workers benefit,' White House Press Secretary said on Thursday. 'He'll highlight the 367,000 manufacturing jobs that our economy has created since he took office, and he'll underscore the vital role the federal government can play in bringing workers and businesses together,' Psaki added. Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor and U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman (left) and Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro (right) said they planned to skip Biden's event, but now Fetterman will be in Pittsburgh due to the bridge collapse The president is visiting Mill 19, a converted steel mill that houses Carnegie Mellon University's Manufacturing Futures Institute Mill 19 was built circa 1943 by Jones & Laughlin to house munitions production during World War II The first building of the new Hazelwood Green development, Mill 19, once served as the location of the Pittsburgh region's most productive steel mills BREAK DOWN OF THE $1.2T BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan infrastructure package into law in mid-November and is now traveling around the country touting its benefits. Biden had hoped to also get his 'Build Back Better' bill through Congress, which complimented the infrastructure bill, but with spending for social programs and climate change initiatives. $110 billion for roads and bridges $39 billion for public transit $66 billion for railways $65 billion for expanding broadband internet $25 billion to repair major airports $7.5 billion for the first-ever network of charging stations for electric vehicles $21 billion to respond to environmental concerns like pollution $73 billion to modernize America's energy grid FUNDING $650 billion in funding for the bill comes from existing, planned investments in the countrys roads, highways and bridges The remaining $550 billion over the next five years requires new spending Democrats wanted to fund the rest through tax revenues like a new gas tax Republicans wanted to raise money through fees issues on those who use the new infrastructure The bipartisan compromise, sure to raise heated debate, proposed using $205 billion in untapped COVID-19 relief aid and unemployment assistance that was turned away by some states Advertisement Overall, Pennsylvania is receiving a $16 billion infusion for roads, bridges and other infrastructure as part of the new law, with $11 million going toward the Pittsburgh International Airport. Biden is flying into the smaller Allegheny County Airport for this Friday trip. That airport is receiving $763,000 from the law. Shapiro and Fetterman's initial snubs is another hint that Biden is seen as a liability by candidates who would otherwise soak up the exposure and fundraising opportunities that accompany a presidential visit. And it comes in territory Biden once thought of as his own. He played up his 'Scranton Joe' roots to win over blue collar voters. But this week, two major polls showed how far the president's support has cratered. Both Monmouth University and Harvard CAPS/Harris found that only 39 percent of voters approved of Biden's performance in office, crashing from figures of 54 and 61 percent respectively after he was sworn in. The numbers have Republicans licking their lips in anticipation of sweeping gains in Novembers midterm elections - and Democrats apparently avoiding their party's biggest name. Earlier this month, Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams, a leading candidate for governor in another swing state, also claimed a scheduling conflict when Biden came to town to deliver a voting rights speech. Her office has yet to explain the nature of the conflict. 'Josh Shapiro is running to be the governor of Pennsylvania and he's focused on the issues that matter to Pennsylvania families,' said his spokesman Will Simons. Shapiro appeared with Biden three times last summer - when Biden's numbers were above water. But Simons offered no further details on the scheduling conflict. 'Like every American should, Josh wants our president to be successful and we'll continue welcoming President Biden to his home state of Pennsylvania,' he said. Biden made much of his early life in Scranton, Pennsylvania, during the 2020 campaign. But analysts say his tone deaf approach to rising prices during the past year has undermined his appeal to blue-collar voters. 'Biden's go-to image during the campaign was 'Joe from Scranton,'' said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute when it unveiled its latest poll this week. 'The public view now is he's lost the connection to those working-class roots.' Last week, Beto O'Rourke, who carries party hopes of turning Texas blue with his campaign for governor, put distance between himself and the White House. 'I'm not interested in any national politician - anyone outside of Texas coming into this state to help decide the outcome of this,' he said, according to The Dallas Morning News. 'I think we all want to make sure that we're working with, listening to and voting with one another here in Texas.' The party's congressional leadership is getting the message. In an interview with Politico, Steny Hoyer, the third most senior Democrat in the House, would not be drawn on whether candidates should run as 'Biden Democrats. 'I want every Democrat to run as 'Democrats who deliver,'' he said. 'Point to the record. Point to what was done.' Republicans are preparing to strike in down-ballot races. A poll commissioned by the Republican State Leadership Committee gave GOP candidates a six-point advantage because of Biden's unpopularity, among other factors. 'If state Republicans continue to run on being the last line of defense against President Biden's failed leadership and promote policies that stimulate the economy and ease the cost of living, make their communities safer, and empower parents to have more control of their children's educations, they will have a major advantage on the issues in 2022 in battleground states,' an accompanying memo said. Video and a photo taken aboard the USS Carl Vinson captured the moment a $100 million US Navy F-35 stealth fighter jet crashed into the South China Sea on Monday after a 'landing mishap.' The leaked video, which circulated on social media and was confirmed to be taken aboard the Navy carrier during the crash, shows the jet approaching the ship when the screen fills with smoke and the violent sound of the engine can be heard just before the video cuts out. A subsequent picture shows the jet floating in the sea after it plunged overboard, surrounded by murky waters and debris with its cockpit open and ejection seat missing. The pilot had ejected from the aircraft during the crash and was reported injured, as were six sailors aboard the Vinson. The warplane then sunk into the sea, making it the second time in three months that an F-35 has been lost at sea. Lt. Nicholas Lingo, a spokesperson for the US Navy's 7th Fleet, told DailyMail.com that the video and image of the crash were real and that the incident is still under investigation. 'The ship has assessed that the video covered by media today was taken onboard USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70) during the crash. There is an ongoing investigation of the incident.' The U.S. faces a race to beat China in recovering the high-tech military plane as Beijing could try to capitalize on its territorial claims in the South China Sea and say it's salvaging the craft for environmental purposes. The leaked video, which was confirmed to be taken aboard the Navy carrier during the crash, shows the jet approaching the ship (left) when the screen fills with smoke (right) and the violent sound of the engine can be heard just before the video cuts out A US Navy spokesperson confirmed that the photo of the jet crash published by CNN was real. It shows the jet floating in the sea after it plunged overboard, surrounded by murky waters and debris with its cockpit open and ejection seat missing The US faces a race to recover the $100 million war plane with China, who could claim salvaging rights to remove the 'environmental hazard' Carl Schuster, former director of operations at the US Pacific Command's Joint Intelligence Center in Hawaii, told CNN: 'Salvaging the plane with commercial and coast guard assets will enable Beijing to claim it is recovering a potential environmental hazard or foreign military equipment from its territorial waters.' The timeline for search and recovery could stretch across months, the retired military commander said. Salvage ships could take between 10 to 15 days to arrive at their destination, he explained, after which point recovery could take as long as 120 days. The Navy has not revealed where the crash occurred, and a vast majority of the waters have been claimed by Beijing. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that they were aware of the US Navy crash but 'had no interest in their plane.' "We advise [the US] to contribute more to regional peace and stability, rather than flexing force at every turn in [the South China Sea]," said Zhoa Lijian, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry. The pilot of the F-35C deployed his landing hook to catch the deck and stop his jet, but something went wrong and he ejected and skidded over the side Sailors taxi an F-35C Lightning II, assigned to the 'Argonauts' of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147, on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson on January 22 At least one geopolitics expert believes China will be more cautious, despite the potential boon of classified technology the wreckage could present. 'To overtly go about doing this may risk worsening tensions with the US. I don't believe Beijing has stomach for that,' Collin Koh, research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, told CNN. He added: 'However, we can expect the Chinese to shadow, hang around and keep tabs on any such American salvage and recovery operation.' It leaves the Navy with a complex salvage operation if it is avoid its most sophisticated warplane, crammed with futuristic technology, falling into the hands of the People's Republic of China. The F-35C is the only long-range stealth strike fighter designed to operate from aircraft carriers. US Navy South China Sea crash was NINTH time $100m jets have malfunctioned in past eight years June 23, 2014: A USAF F-35A had a catastrophic engine fire caused by a fractured rotor which saw it turn into a blaze as it took off in Florida. October 27, 2016: A US Marine Corp F-35B set alight mid-flight due to a fire in its weapons bay before the pilot landed safely in Beaufort, South Carolina. September 28, 2018: All operational F-35s were grounded while a probe was launched into why a fuel tube failed in flight after a horror crash at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina. April 9, 2019: Parts of the tail of a Japanese F-35 were found in the sea around 85 miles east of Misawa during a training mission. May 19. 2020: This F-35 crash on landing was caused by a tired, distracted pilot and unresponsive tail glitch. September 20, 2020: A F-35 stealth fighter jet fell out of the sky and exploded on the ground after hitting a KC-130J tanker in a mid-air collision near the Salton Sea in Imperial County, California. September 20, 2020: A F-35 stealth fighter jet fell out of the sky and exploded on the ground after hitting a KC-130J tanker in a mid-air collision near the Salton Sea in Imperial County, California November 17, 2021: An RAF F-35B toppled into the Mediterranean Sea after the pilot tried to abort take-off from HMS Queen Elizabeth. Early reports suggested its engine sucked in an are inlet cover. January 4, 2022: South Korea grounded its F-35s after an F-35A suffered an in-air malfunction. Its pilot made an emergency belly landing when its landing gear failed to extend. Advertisement It carries an arrestor hook - to help it land on aircraft carriers - and the expanded wingspan needed to be launched by catapult. As well as its radar-avoiding design, it is crammed with sensors that beam updates directly to the pilot's helmet. The Navy has yet to offer an explanation of what went wrong. 'An F-35C Lightning II assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2, embarked aboard USS (CVN 70) had a landing mishap and impacted the flight deck and subsequently fell to the water during routine flight operations,' it said in a statement to US Naval Institute News. 'Impact to the flight deck was superficial and all equipment for flight operations is operational.' It added that the aircraft carrier had been able to resume normal flight operations shortly after. Last year, Britain appealed to the US for help in finding an F-35B Lightning II that toppled from HMS Queen Elizabeth into the Mediterranean during a failed takeoff. London asked for help amid fears that Russia would try to salvage the jet and copy the technology. It was retrieved last month during a secret operation. The US Navy jet was part of a deployment designed to bolster American presence near Taiwan after China had buzzed the island's airspace. A Navy statement said the incident happened during 'routine flight operations' in the South China Sea. 'The pilot safely ejected from the aircraft and was recovered via U.S. military helicopter,' it said. 'The pilot is in stable condition. There were seven total sailors injured.' The statement said three of personnel required evacuation to a medical facility in Manila and four were treated by on-board the carrier and released. It said all the personnel evacuated were assessed as being in stable condition. The Navy said the cause of the 'inflight mishap' on the nuclear-powered carrier was under investigation. 'The status of the aircraft is currently under investigation as are the factors involved in the mishap,' Brenda Way, a spokesperson for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, told The War Zone. The F-35 jet is made by Lockheed Martin, and the USS Carl Vinson in August deployed from its San Diego base for the first time with F-35C Lightning II fighter jets and Navy CMV-22B Osprey aboard. The F-35C is the carrier version of the Joint Strike Fighter being built in three versions for the Air Force, Marines and Navy. The Navy version can fly 1.6 times the speed of sound and has a combat radius of 1200 nautical miles. 'Vinson is the first carrier to accommodate a mix of 4th- and 5th- generation strike fighters, providing unprecedented lethality and survivability and ensuring the Navy team can operate and win in contested battlespace now and well into the future,' said Capt. Tommy Locke, commander of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2, in August. The Pentagon said two U.S. Navy Carrier Strike Groups, led by the Carl Vinson and USS Abraham Lincoln, began operations in the South China Sea on Sunday. The carriers entered the disputed sea for training as Taiwan reported a new Chinese air force incursion at the top of the waterway. The Carl Vinson is supported by more than 5,000 crew members and carries 65 fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. This is only the second major mishap involving an F-35 of any kind operating from an aircraft carrier, following the loss of the British F-35B Joint Strike Fighter in the Mediterranean last year. Earlier this month, a South Korean pilot was forced to make an emergency 'belly landing' in an F-35A after suffering a malfunction in the air. The USS Carl Vinson is seen with the USS Essex behind in a January 2022 picture An F-35C Lightning II test aircraft approaches for a landing aboard the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower of the coast of Norfolk, Virginia, in 2015 The aircraft carriers were in the Philippine Sea, which lays east (to the right) of Taiwan and west of the US territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands Captain P. Scott Miller, commander of the USS Carl Vinson Landing gear on the jet failed to extend but instead of ejecting, the pilot decided to land the US-made craft at an airbase on its belly. The equipment failed due to electronic issues, a South Korean Air Force spokesman said, forcing the pilot to take the unprecedented action. A military official refused to confirm if the jet suffered any damage in the incident but the pilot walked away uninjured. The 'fifth generation' fighter aircraft is the world's most expensive weapons system. Costs finally stabilized at an eye-watering $406billion, but only after the intervention of President Donald Trump. Manufacturer Lockheed-Martin agreed to cap costs after rump criticized the project and even tweeted support for a rival aircraft. America enticed its NATO and other allies into sharing the cost of the aircraft by offering input into manufacture and 15 per cent of each one is comprised of parts from British companies while some of the jets will be made in Italy. But developing and testing were bedevilled by technical issues. In a mock air battle in 2015, the cutting edge plane was defeated by an older generation F-16, a plane designed in the 1970s. In 2020 Pentagon tests found 276 different faults in jet's combat system. They included the 25mm cannon vibrating excessively and problems with the the aircraft's 'virtual reality' helmet Overheating, premature wear of components in the vertical tails and vulnerability to fire were also found to be issues. The US Air Force temporarily grounded dozens its F-35 stealth fighters while it investigated an oxygen supply issue. The Marine Corps, which operates the vertical take off and landing F-35B model, was forced to ground its planes after flaws were found in the computer system. A well-known criminal was given a 50,000 government-backed coronavirus bounce back loan - and blew it all on drugs. Serial crook Louis Maxwell, 35, has 16 previous convictions for 49 offences - including 12 for dishonest behaviour, nine for driving while disqualified and six for burglary. He claimed through Rishi Sunak's Bounce Back Loan scheme to help his tow-truck business, based in Newport, Gwent, survive after lockdown, spending less than half the money - 22,000 - on a new truck. Maxwell blew away the rest on Class A drugs. He later sold the truck, using cash from the sale to buy more drugs. Serial crook Louis Maxwell, 35, has 16 previous convictions for 49 offences - including 12 for dishonest behaviour, nine for driving while disqualified and six for burglary He was jailed last May for driving a stolen car and filed for bankruptcy three months later - triggering an Insolvency Service investigation. Maxwell owned the Mr Tow Recovery Logistics business using a Jeep Cherokee and trailer - despite being banned from driving himself. Sue Tovery of the Insolvency Service said: 'Taxpayers' money was made available to help genuine businesses get through the lockdown period and where there have been abuses, we will not hesitate to take action.' Maxwell, of Newport, is now banned from borrowing more than 500 without disclosing his bankrupt status, and he cannot act as a company director without the court's permission. Maxwell had previously been mocked for looking like Beaker from the muppets after police posted his mugshot while he was wanted over a driving offence. Under Mr Sunak's scheme, firms could borrow up to 50,000 interest-free for 12 months, with the loan guaranteed by the Government Police published Maxwell's mugshot onto their Facebook page after he led them on a high speed chase in 2017. But the site was quickly taken over by wannabe comedians having a laugh at his unkempt curly haircut and bleary-eyed appearance. Police eventually traced Maxwell and arrested him, but not before he was ruthlessly compared to Bert from Sesame Street and Beaker from the Muppets online. Last December furious MPs had claimed fraudsters were able to steal nearly 5billion from Chancellor Rishi Sunak's Covid Bounce Back Loan scheme because the Government's anti-fraud measures were 'too little too late'. A damning report by the spending watchdog has found that controls to ensure companies were not applying for more than one bounce back loan were 'inadequate' and put in place 'too slowly'. The National Audit Office said that by the time the Government implemented any anti-fraud measures in June 2020 a month after the scheme was launched more than 28billion had already been paid out. Other measures did not begin until September 2020 as Ministers focussed on getting the loans out to support businesses that were struggling during the pandemic, the watchdog said. In its report, the NAO also said that around 17billion may never be repaid due to fraudulent activity as well as legitimate borrowers defaulting, citing official estimates. The watchdog added that the Government knew the risks as it launched the scheme, but had to weigh them against the consequences of not getting money to businesses quickly. Under Mr Sunak's scheme, firms could borrow up to 50,000 interest-free for 12 months, with the loan guaranteed by the Government. It was a lifeline for small firms, but has also provided rich pickings for fraudsters who disappear, leaving the taxpayer to reimburse banks. Afghanistan in 2021 and Ukraine in 2022 stand out for their profound shock and the strategic importance of President Biden's failure in those two settings. Both are flashpoints in understanding what is fast coming together to be President Biden's 'America Last' foreign policy. In national security, perhaps more than any other area, the impact of a single decision by an American president can be immediately felt and alter the very nature of a policy challenge, if not the broader geopolitical dynamics, as the aftermath of the Afghanistan and Ukraine crises might bring. In such settings, a president's own judgment and instinct are brought to bear, and the quality of his advisors matters most. Biden and his advisors failed us in Afghanistan and appear to be heading in the same direction in Ukraine, as Putin's Russia continues to mass military forces for a possible invasion. Unfortunately, the current administration's view could not be more different from the one we had when President Trump was in the White House. Our America First plan did not mean 'America Alone,' but it did mean we would embrace a world view of what was good for America, first, and then how our actions affected the rest of the world. President Trump had the perfect background to marshal our actions, having had none of the baggage of a Washington politico and the needed experience of dealing with risk, profit and loss that his business background offers. Biden and his advisors failed us in Afghanistan and appear to be heading in the same direction in Ukraine. (Above) Biden at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. The President is escorted by Col. William McDonald, 89th Airlift Wing Vice Commander. When it comes to Ukraine, there is no clear pathway for success, and certainly not through the direct use of American power. He saw that other nations took advantage of America's decline and that American families were the ones footing the bill. President Trump, and we who helped him carry out his foreign policy agenda, determined there should be no commitment of American lives or tax dollars without a clearly articulated benefit to the American people. This stemmed from a deep appreciation of how exceptional America is and Americans are and, therefore, how important it is to protect and invest in what we hold dear. That is the precise opposite of what we are witnessing and experiencing today. Alongside a persistent awareness of the dangers of strategic overreach, the foreign policy of America First pursued by the Trump Administration elevated the nation state as the key actor in geopolitics and focused all foreign policy decisions around the top priority of protecting our Nation's citizens. Where necessary and overwhelming force were deemed necessary, disciplined power was used. There had to be a clear pathway to winning when conflict was needed. When it comes to Ukraine, there is no clear pathway for success, and certainly not through the direct use of American power. Ukraine is primarily a European issue to solve. But the Europeans are failing. Economically, they've come to rely on Russia for 35% of their natural gas. Perhaps the data point most emblematic of Europe's failure is the fact that Germany did not allow the United Kingdom to use its airspace to fly lethal military aid to Ukraine. On the other hand, the US has shipped over $2.5 billion in arms and aid to Ukraine since 2014, which really started in earnest under President Trump. President Trump, and we who helped him carry out his foreign policy agenda, determined there should be no commitment of American lives or tax dollars without a clearly articulated benefit to the American people. (Above) Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg speaks during a press briefing in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Sept. 22, 2020. Over the past 8 years, there has not been a resolution over the Donbas issue in Ukraine. Putin is now determining whether the Russian military will solve the issue. To Russia, the issue of Ukraine is deeper and more personal. To Russia, it is about their security. Lacking the buffer of the former Warsaw Pact states, Russia believes any further expansion of NATO to the east poses a threat to its security. Putin intends to stop that expansion, which becomes his red line with Ukraine, NATO, and, ultimately, the United States. We are watching Putin's clear understanding of what Ukraine means to him politically and strategically and his unwavering commitment to seize an opening to pursue his agenda. Unlike President Biden, Putin is thinking strategically and has two immediate goals. Resolve the Ukraine impasse to his advantage and fracture the NATO/European alliance with the United States. He can achieve the first goal unilaterally through invasion of the country, and the second through dragging out engagement with the United States over Ukraine and having those negotiations fail. We are already witnessing gaps between how some European nations see a resolution to Ukraine and how we view it. The current impasse was preventable with some 'diplomatic finesse.' Russia should have been told that Ukraine is a sovereign nation, but there is no intention for it to become part of NATO due to governmental corruption. We could have persuaded other NATO members to do the same to reinforce. Ukraine remains in the top third of corrupt governments in the world. In Europe, only Russia is more corrupt. Instead of being bogged down in a non-NATO European issue, we should have continued the intellectual and strategic move recognizing China as the preeminent emergent threat to America. (Above) Chinese President Xi Jinping is seen during a show ahead of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing on Monday, June 28, 2021 In its current state, Ukraine does not qualify for admission. Each country in NATO must agree to add a new member to the defensive alliance, and it takes two-thirds of the U.S. Senate for the United States to agree as well. The issue could have been taken off the table in the short term. Instead of being bogged down in a non-NATO European issue, we should have continued the intellectual and strategic move recognizing China as the preeminent emergent threat to America. Perhaps the most troubling aspect of Putin's efforts is how effectively he drags Biden deeper into Russia's priorities and away from the top national security issue that matters most to Americans and should be top of Biden's mind: The rising and increasingly emboldened threat of China. In early February, China will host the 2022 Winter Olympicslikely when Russia's plans with Ukraine will materialize. China will undoubtedly use this international forum to tout its ambitions, and American institutions, whether corporate boardrooms, Hollywood, universities, or professional sports, will be the ones doing Beijing's bidding. There is perhaps no more vivid image of China's threat to America and no more stark contrast than when it happens, as the focus of Biden and his team is entirely on the European issue of Ukraine. Lieutenant General (Ret.) Keith Kellogg is the Co-Chairman of the Center for American Security at the America First Policy Institute. He served as acting national security advisor to President Trump and national security advisor to Vice President Pence. He is the author of War By Other Means: A General in the Trump White House (Regnery Publishing, 2021). Bette Midler has hit back at West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice after he concluded his state of the state address Thursday by lifting up his English Bulldog Babydog and showing off her butt to take a swipe at the actress. 'They never believed in West Virginia. That we could do it. They told every bad joke in the world about us,' the Republican governor said. 'And so from that standpoint, Babydog tells Bette Midler and all those out there, "kiss her hiney." Midler had made disparaging comments about West Virginia following Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin's refusal to support President Joe Biden's Build Back Better bill. On Friday, Midler responded by sharing a graphic of West Virginia's rankings compared to other states in categories including health care, infrastructure and crime and corrections. It showed West Virginia ranking 50th in infrastructure, 45th in education, and 48th in economy, while fairing better in areas including opportunity, crime and natural environment. She wrote alongside it: 'BTW, here are the state rankings of all the areas and agencies for which the so-called Governor of WVA, #JimJustice, is responsible. Judging from these rankings, Id say his dogs a** would make a better Governor than him!' West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice concluded his state of the state address Thursday by lifting up his English Bulldog Babydog and showing off her butt - sending a message to actress Bette Midler It came after Midler made disparaging comments about West Virginia It followed Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin's refusal to support President Joe Biden 's Build Back Better bill After Justice's display, Midler hit back pointing out West Virginia ranked 50th infrastructure and 47th in health care. Id say his dogs a** would make a better Governor than him!' Midler wrote The row began when Midler tweeted in December: 'What #JoeManchin, who represents a population smaller than Brooklyn, has done to the rest of America, who wants to move forward, not backward, like his state, is horrible. He sold us out.' 'He wants us all to be just like his state, West Virginia. Poor, illiterate and strung out,' the actress added. Midler immediately received backlash for her stereotypical take. She apologized later that day. 'I apologize to the good people of WVA for my last outburst,' Midler said. Justice's dog Babydog has become the de facto mascot of the state. Over the summer, the governor used the one-year-old English Bulldog in advertisements to entice West Virginians to get vaccinated against COVID-19. 'Do it for Babydog,' the ads said. 'Save a Life. Change Your Life.' Justice told constituents at the time, 'f you wont do it for me, if you wont do it for your family, youve got to get vaccinated for Babydog.' 'She wants you vaccinated so badly,' the Republican governor said. Babydog was also a regular at West Virginia University football tailgates. Before showing off the dog's behind, Justice marveled, 'But this has been the year of Babydog hadn't it?' West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice holds up his dog Babydog as he comes to the end of his State of the State speech West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice ends his State of the State speech by standing up, thanking state workers and saying how much he loves the state 'And so she's gotta come on out here,' he said. 'Come on out here, Baby.' Babydog was then paraded through the legislative assembly on a leash and handed over to the governor, who hoisted her up on the podium. 'Absolutely too many people doubted us,' Justice said. On Friday, a Twitter account purporting to belong to West Virginia's first dog said, 'Big night last night with Dad.' 'Always remember to turn the other cheek.' Liz Truss (pictured in Westminster this week) is set to visit Russia as the UK demands Vladimir Putin 'gets to the table' to end the increasingly volatile standoff over Ukraine Liz Truss is set to visit Russia as the UK demands Vladimir Putin 'gets to the table' to end the increasingly volatile standoff over Ukraine. The Foreign Secretary has 'agreed a date' to go for talks in the next fortnight, according to her Moscow counterpart. The trip will be the first by a Foreign Secretary to the country since 2017, when Boris Johnson met with foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. Ms Truss has been forthright in speaking out against Russia's threatened invasion of Ukraine, and took the unusual step of declassifying intelligence which suggested Mr Putin was plotting to install a pro-Moscow leader as head of the government in Kyiv. The UK has also been supplying weaponry including anti-tank missiles to Kiev's forces as they brace for an incursion. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed yesterday that he is due to meet his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, in Moscow soon to discuss the stand-off. Britain has been urging Mr Putin 'de-escalate' the military build-up on the border of Ukraine as the international community steps up retaliation threats in the event of an invasion. Government minister Chris Philp said Moscow should 'get to the table' to resolve the tension peacefully as he warned of 'very serious' sanctions should Russian troops make an incursion into neighbouring territory. It came after US President Joe Biden told Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy there is a 'distinct possibility' that Russia could take military action against Ukraine in February. One of the threats Washington has put on the table is to halt the opening of a key gas pipeline, Nord Stream 2, between Russia and western Europe if the Kremlin's forces advance. Russian news agency Tass quoted Mr Lavrov saying Ms Truss will visit in the next fortnight. 'We have already agreed on the date. It'll happen in the next two weeks,' he said. The UK has also been supplying weaponry including anti-tank missiles to Kiev's forces as they brace for an incursion. Pictured, a Ukrainian soldier takes part in a drill with an NLAW missile Vladimir Putin chairing a meeting from his residence outside Moscow today Mr Philp, a minister in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said there is 'deep concern' about the 'unprecedented' build-up of Russian troops on the border, particularly after units from the east of Russia redeployed to the region. 'I think it is a very serious situation,' he told Sky News. 'I think President Biden and our Prime Minister are right to warn President Putin that the consequences if they do invade Ukraine will be very, very serious indeed for Russia in terms of sanctions. 'The Americans made clear yesterday that the Nord Stream 2 pipe would not happen if they invade.' The technology minister said the UK has provided military equipment and training to support the Ukrainians, but pressed for Russia to engage diplomatically and avoid the need for combat. 'We are urging Russia to get to the table, to discuss issues that are relevant and to de-escalate the situation,' Mr Philp added. 'De-escalation is clearly in the interests of all concerned it is not too late to de-escalate, and that is what now needs to happen.' Mr Wallace has admitted he is 'not optimistic' that a Russian mobilisation into Ukraine can be stopped. Mr Johnson has used public statements this week to issue a stark warning that a military clash would be a 'painful, violent and bloody business' as he called a possible invasion a 'disastrous step'. Ukraine's defence minister said on Friday Moscow may have ambitions to revive the East-West divide of the Soviet Era in Germany. Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov also said Berlin's reluctance to supply Kiev with weapons encourages Russian aggression, amid fears of a Russian invasion. Unlike some of its NATO allies, Germany is not providing Kiev with arms during its standoff with Russia, which has massed troops near Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal also reported last week that Berlin had refused to issue permits for German-origin weapons to be exported from Estonia to Ukraine. Reznikov suggested Russia may want to raise the question of restoring the German Democratic Republic (GDR), also known as East Germany. Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov (pictured Friday) said today Moscow may have ambitions to revive the German Democratic Republic in eastern Germany The GDR was founded in the eastern part of Germany in 1949, ruled by communists and dominated by Moscow until the Berlin Wall fell in a seismic event it 1989. German reunification followed in 1990, as did the collapse of the Soviet Union. 'The restoration of the GDR is a logical continuation of the Russian demands that have already been made,' Reznikov said. Russia's president Vlaidmir Putin has spoken before on the collapse of the USSR, once describing it as 'the greatest geopolitical disaster of the 20th century'. Reznikov told parliament that Kiev appreciated Germany's help in treating wounded soldiers - Berlin has said it will send Ukraine a field hospital and 5,000 helmets. 'But we do not accept the official position (of Germany) regarding the supply of weapons and other decisions that undermine the security of Europe and de facto encourage the aggressor,' he said. 'We warned our Western partners that the Kremlin's goal is not so much Ukraine as to undermine NATO and the EU.' Russia has been pressing demands for a redrawing of post-Cold War security arrangements in Europe. Its security demands, presented in December, include an end to further NATO enlargement, barring Ukraine from ever joining and pulling back the alliance's forces and weaponry from eastern European countries that joined after the Cold War. Russia has said it does not plan to attack Ukraine and that it does not want war. It has made no reference to a desire to redraw Germany's borders. Russian armoured troop carriers are pictured taking part in military drills near Rostov-on-Don, located in southern Russia and just a few dozen miles from the Ukraine border A Ukrainian service member fires a next generation light anti-tank weapon (NLAW) supplied by Britain during drills at Ukraine's International Peacekeeping Security Centre near Yavoriv in the Lviv region, Ukraine, January 28, 2022 Meanwhile on Friday, Germany expressed regret that Russia has suspended mutual military inspections at a time of heightened tensions between Moscow and NATO. The inspections are intended as confidence-building measures among members of the Organizations for Security and Cooperation in Europe. A spokesman for Germany's Foreign Ministry said Russia recently announced it would suspend the inspections until the end of February, citing the spread of the omicron variant. 'Because of this an inspection on Russian territory in the border region of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, which Russia had previously agreed to, won't currently be possible,' said the spokesman, Christofer Burger. 'We expressly regret this step because particularly in the current situation anything which creates greater transparency would help reduce tensions,' he said. 'That's why we are calling on Russia to voluntarily and extensively inform OSCE member states about its activities.' Burger said Russia had also unilaterally cancelled inspections it was due to conduct in Germany. Yesterday, Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said during a parliamentary debate on Ukraine that her government is closely coordinating its policy with allies, considering a range of options that could include the new Nord Stream 2 Russian gas pipeline to Germany. Russia could attack Ukraine within weeks, intelligence sources have said, after Biden shared a phone call with President Zelensky last night during which he warned an attack is likely to come in February The GDR was founded in the eastern part of Germany in 1949, ruled by communists and dominated by Moscow until the Berlin Wall fell in a seismic event it 1989 (pictured) A Nord Steam 2 'info point' with a painted map on the outside at the natural gas receiving station in the Lubmin industrial estate in Lubmin, Germany, November 16, 2021 Chancellor Olaf Scholz said this month that Germany had 'not supported the export of lethal weapons in recent years' and his defence minister has said Berlin does not send lethal weapons to crisis areas because it might 'fuel the situation'. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has signalled that Germany would be ready to discuss suspending the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project - intended to bring gas under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany - if Moscow attacked Ukraine. The pipeline has been built but has not yet secured regulatory approval. It has faced opposition from the United States and caused concern among some European politicians that it will increase Europe's dependence on Russia for energy supplies. Russia has said that both Europe and Russia will gain from Nord Stream 2 and that Germany should not 'politicise' the project. Some have accused Germany of failing to stand up to Putin as tension on Russia's border with Europe mounts. British Conservative MP Bob Seely, who is a member of the government's Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said last Saturday of the growing crisis: 'The real bad guys here, so to speak, sorry to say this, are the Germans'. Speaking to Times Radio, he put this down to Germany's 'energy policy, their complete dependence on Russian oil and gas, their willingness to have the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which is not even needed, built, purely so that the Russians can cut off supplies to Ukraine, is incredibly self-centred and selfish.' Speaking about President Vladimir Putin, Mr Seely said: 'It is his long-term goal to undermine and shatter the confidence in the ability of Nato. An Iceland delivery driver on 11-an-hour is facing life in jail after he acted as a 100,000 hitman in a bid to murder a blogger told he was on an FBI 'kill list' for criticising Pakistan's government. Muhammad Gohir Khan, 31, was hired and directed by unknown people within the South Asian country to kill blogger Ahmad Waqas Goraya in the Netherlands in June last year. The driver travelled to Rotterdam and bought a 19in paring knife, but the target was not at his home and Khan was held under anti-terrorism laws on his return to London on the Eurostar. Mr Goraya, who lives with his wife and two children, was abducted and tortured by Pakistan's ISI intelligence agency on his return to the country in 2017 after his secret blog was discovered, Kingston Crown Court heard. He was told he was on a 'kill list' by the FBI in December 2018 and believes he and his family received threats 'led and orchestrated' by the ISI after he was publicly accused of insulting God and the Prophet. Prosecutors said Khan, who earned 11-an-hour as a driver, was 'enthusiastic' about carrying out the killing - and further attacks - to earn money as he was heavily in debt, owing creditors more than 200,000. Muhammad Gohir Khan, 31, was hired and directed by unknown people within the South Asian country to kill blogger Ahmad Waqas Goraya (pictured) in the Netherlands in June last year As well as working for Iceland, he was also running a 'pound shop' selling household goods in Upton Lane, East London and working for Uber Eats and Deliveroo as a driver in the evenings. His travel and export business had collapsed but he had still taken out a government-backed Covid 'bounce back' loan for 45,000 and turned to importing mangoes, he told the court. Last February, a court made a bankruptcy order against Khan, finding that he owed over 153,000 to a business loan company called Funding Circle. Along with other debts, by August 2021, he owed ten creditors a total of 204,436.06 with no obvious means of paying his creditors. Khan, who lived with his parents, wife and six children in Forest Gate, east London, claimed he had no intention of murdering Mr Goraya but played along to 'extract money'. But today, he was found guilty of conspiracy to murder between February and June last year following a trial. The court heard Mr Goraya has frequently called Pakistan a 'terrorist state', made fun of the military and highlighted human rights abuses in online posts. He is not a practising Muslim and identifies as 'secular, strongly democratic and a left-leaning progressive-liberal.' He said he was attacked in February 2020, received a picture of the inside of his home in reply to a tweet and was told 'that whatever the price, Pakistan was going to kill him'. Prosecutor Alison Morgan QC told the jury: 'Someone wanted him to be killed and it may well be that the motive for killing him was linked to his political activism. 'Those who wanted Mr Goraya dead were prepared to pay money to ensure that happened.' The plotters referred to targets as 'fish' in messages as they finalised the 100,000 deal, with Mr Goraya referred to as 'a little fish' and 'not a shark'. The driver travelled to Rotterdam and bought a 19in paring knife, but the target was not at his home and Khan was held under anti-terrorism laws on his return to London on the Eurostar In one message to a contact in Pakistan, known as 'Mudz' or 'Zed', Khan said: 'I need to arrange fishing rods and accessories,' in what the jury heard was a reference to sourcing a weapon. When Khan was sent a picture of the intended victim, along with his name and address, on May 19 last year, he asked Zed to confirm it was not a 'debt-related job'. He was told: '100% brother. This is going to make you rich in Dunya (the world) and JANNAH (paradise).' Khan travelled to Rotterdam in the Netherlands and sought to locate the victim, purchasing a knife which he intended to use to kill Goraya. However, unknown to him, Goraya was not at home and after three days of fruitless attempts to locate him, Khan gave up and travelled back to the UK. His behaviour on return sparked suspicions in a Border Force officer at the Eurostar terminal, who notified police and he was questioned and later arrested under anti-terrorism laws. He told police the trip was part of his plan to extract money from 'Muzmil' - a man he had first met while a schoolboy in Lahore - who had stolen from his cargo shipping business and ripped him off over the sale of a car. He claimed he had bought the knife to cut steak, bread and fruit, telling jurors: 'Never did I intend, or through my messages, was I conspiring to murder Mr Waqas. 'I was only there, I was only chatting (to) him to extract the money he stole from me, to cover my losses.' Mr Justice Hilliard adjourned sentencing to March 11. President Joe Biden and his European Union counterpart Ursula von der Leyen on Friday promised to work together to protect Europe's energy supplies - as well as Ukraine's - while the world waits to see whether Russia moves against its neighbor. 'The United States and the EU are working jointly towards continued, sufficient, and timely supply of natural gas to the EU from diverse sources across the globe to avoid supply shocks, including those that could result from a further Russian invasion of Ukraine,' they said in a joint statement. Russia supplies more than 40 percent of European natural gas, putting the region's leaders on edge as fears of an invasion grow. Russia has massed about 100,000 troops close to Ukraine's border. Moscow denies that it is planning an invasion and officials have in turn accused the West and Ukraine of aggression. The Biden administration has been working on finding alternative supplies of liquified natural gas in case Russia shuts down supplies - or if the West imposes sanctions. The Biden administration held calls with CEOs of liquefied natural gas (LNG) companies to work on a plan to get gas to Europe if Russia cuts off its supply. Russia has linked easing Europe's gas crisis with approving the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which when built with make land in Germany, which is heavily reliant on Russia for its energy needs President Joe Biden and his European Union counterpart Ursula von der Leyen on Friday pledged to cooperate on guaranteeing Europe's energy security as well as Ukraine's amid the standoff triggered by Russia amassing troops at Ukraine's border. Russian armoured troop carriers are pictured taking part in military drills near Rostov-on-Don, located in southern Russia and just a few dozen miles from the Ukraine border It wants governments to push domestic companies to divert their already-contracted deliveries to Europe instead of their originally intended destination, an executive familiar with the calls told Politico. The plan, according to the source, appears to focus on diverting cargoes meant for Asia. The subject will likely be central to talks at the White House when Biden will host German Chancellor Olaf Sholz on February 7. Biden has already warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that he will face sanctions in the event of military action against Ukraine, steps that could include halting the opening of the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia into Germany. 'I want to be very clear: if Russia invades Ukraine one way or another, Nord Stream 2 will not move forward,' State Department Press Secretary Ned Price told NPR on Wednesday. But the steps are complicated by the fact that Europe is already in the grip of an energy crisis, and natural gas producers are pumping out as much as they can. Meanwhile Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Biden in a call on Thursday to tone down his rhetoric about the brewing situation between Ukraine and Russia, amid fears it could cause panic or a run on supplies, according to a report. Zelensky made the plea in a call that 'did not go well,' CNN reported, citing a Ukrainian source. It included a plea by Zelensky for Biden to 'calm down the messaging' amid complex maneuverings over the potential invasion. The urging came in a call where Biden told Zelensky Russia could invade within weeks. It followed pushback earlier this week from Ukraine as the U.S. told family members of American diplomats to leave. Ukrainian officials maintained the move was unnecessary with a situation that is still uncertain, even as Russia continues to move troops and equipment to positions around Ukraine. The White House disputed the read on the call, with National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne pushing back on a report that a Ukrainian official said Biden warned Kiev could be 'sacked' and to 'prepare for impact.' 'This is not true,' she tweeted. 'President Biden said that there is a distinct possibility that the Russians could invade Ukraine in February. He has previously said this publicly & we have been warning about this for months. Reports of anything more or different than that are completely false.' She also tweeted out a statement by Ukraine's U.S. embassy stating 'that some reports regarding todays conversation of President Zelenskyy and President Biden are completely false. He also encouraged to carefully treat all information in this troubled time especially from the unconfirmed sources.' Horne was even more blunt in a statement to CNN. ''Also, no one said "sacked." The only person who should be "sacked" is the anonymous source who is circulating an inaccurate portrayal of this conversation,' she said. Russia could attack Ukraine within weeks, intelligence sources have said, after Biden shared a phone call with President Zelensky last night during which he warned an attack is likely to come in February Russian T-72 tanks take part in 'combat readiness' drills held Thursday near Rostov-on-Don, near the Ukraine border US analysts believe that Putin is waiting for the weather to turn cold enough to freeze the ground solid, paving the way for an invasion because it would allow his tanks to manoeuvre easily (pictured, Russian tanks in drills near Ukraine on Thursday) Russian BMP-3 armoured troop carriers are pictured on manoeuvres in the Rostov region of southern Russia on Thursday Russian artillery units stationed in the Rostov region, near the border with Ukraine, take part in live fire exercises today Artillery units based in Russia's Rostov region take part in live-fire exercises on Friday, just one of several simultaneous drills taking place as Putin continues his sabre-rattling Russian artillery crews fire their gun during live-fire drills in Rostov region, just a few dozen miles from the Ukraine border Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, is pictured on a phone call with President Biden - during which the US leader is thought to have warned him that a Russian invasion is just weeks away The statement the White put out after the call said the U.S. and allies were ready to 'respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine.' The administration's series of public statements about a potential invasion puts international pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and could press allies to stiffen their response although the Ukrainians are seeking to avoid statements that contribute to panic even as they seek additional aid and arms support. Amid the fear of an all-out invasion that could seek to cleave Ukrainian positions, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the U.S. response in writing to Russia's security demands had 'some grains of reason.' Zelensky on January 19th urged the Ukrainian public not to panic, telling his countrymen: 'Take a deep breath, calm down' amid the talk of an imminent invasion. If Russia did invade in February, it would time the invasion to coincide with the coldest weeks in eastern Europe, when the ground will be frozen solid allowing tanks and artillery to maneuver easily. US officials have previously said that an unseasonably mild winter appears to have delayed Putin's attack plans by turning the region into a quagmire. Separately, a senior British intelligence official warned that Putin is likely to launch an attack on Kiev from Belarus in the north using war games set to take place there next month as cover. The official, speaking to The Times of London , said this could coincide with an amphibious assault from Crimea on the southern port city of Odessa using transport ships seen sailing around Europe last week in an effort to split the Ukrainian military across two fronts, hundreds of miles apart. Tens of thousands of troops could then move in from the east, potentially with the aim of capturing the entire country. While Russia's current troop numbers at the border are insufficient for this operation, the official said, Putin could mass a force large enough to get the job done in 'two to three weeks'. Russia is thought to have between 100,000 and 120,000 troops currently massed at the border, which have been recently reinforced with medical teams and logistical support of the kind that is needed to sustain an invading force. Tens of thousands more troops could arrive in the coming weeks, the official said. 'Some estimates are another 60,000 will come, if not greater than that. It's certainly not just a negotiating tactic or an idle threat when you deploy this many troops with this capability,' they said. But, amid the increasingly alarming rhetoric from the West, Zelensky and his senior staff have been calling for calm - insisting that while the risk of an attack is high, it is far from certain and unlikely to come soon. Zelensky used his call with Biden to ask him to 'calm down the messaging', CNN reported, after using a public address last week to tell Ukrainians to 'stay calm' and avoid pulling money from banks or stockpiling supplies. Several high-ranking Ukrainian officials have also spoken out this week in an attempt to tone down the rhetoric. The National Security Council's spokesperson Emily Horne publicly disputed CNN's reporting in a tweet Thursday night, saying in a statement to the network that 'no one said "sacked"' An NSC official also retweeted a statement by Ukraine's embassy in Washington The defence minister has insisted there has been no change in the threat Russia poses since an initial build-up of forces took place last spring; the head of the national security council accused the West of ramping up the danger for geopolitical purposes; and the foreign ministry criticised the UK and US for withdrawing diplomats. Following Zelensky's call with Biden, there was a briefing war between an unnamed Ukrainian source who claimed the call 'did not go well' because the US President had insisted an attack was imminent while Zelensky was keen to downplay the threat. CNN initially reported that Biden had told Zelesnky that an attack was 'certain' once the ground freezes over and that Kiev is directly threatened, though US and Ukrainian officials later denied that conversation had taken place. Never-the-less, signs that Ukraine and America are signing from two different hymn sheets will create fears about the strength of their alliance if Putin decides to march his forces across the border. It could also undermine Biden's hardline stance against Russia if it emerges that Us intelligence has over-stated the threat, especially with allies such as Germany that have urged him to take a softer line. The call came just a day after two letters were sent to Vladimir Putin, rejecting his demands that Ukraine be banned from joining NATO and that the alliance withdraw all its forces from ex-Soviet states. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent one letter, while the other was sent by NATO chief Jens Stoltenburg. Neither missive has been made public, but both men have said no ground was given on Putin's key demands. Instead, Blinken said 'serious' counter-offers were made that he hopes will tempt the Kremlin into continuing talks. Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, said yesterday that there is 'little ground for optimism' after reading the letters - but left the door to more talks open and said Russia will not rush to give a response. Tensions have soared in recent weeks, as the United States and its NATO allies expressed concern that a buildup of about 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine signaled that Moscow planned to invade its ex-Soviet neighbor. Russia denies having any such designs - and has laid out a series of demands it says will improve security in Europe. But as expected, the U.S. and the Western alliance firmly rejected any concessions on Moscow's main points Wednesday, refusing to permanently ban Ukraine from joining NATO and saying allied deployments of troops and military equipment in Eastern Europe are nonnegotiable. The U.S. did outline areas in which some of Russia's concerns might be addressed, possibly offering a path to de-escalation. But, as it has done repeatedly for the past several weeks, Washington also warned Moscow of devastating sanctions if it invades Ukraine. Russian rocket artillery take part in live-fire drills on a military base near Moscow on Friday, as fears of war in Ukraine grow A Russian rocket artillery battery lets off a volley during live-fire exercises at the Golovenki training ground, near Moscow Rocket artillery of the Russian armed forces take part in live-fire exercises on a training ground near Moscow today A Russian-backed rebel fighter is seen moving through a trench in eastern Ukraine, where fighting with government forces has been ongoing since 2014 A Moscow-backed rebel soldier aims a machinegun through a peep-hole in his trench, just yards from the frontline with Ukrainian forces in the country's east Mosco-backed rebel troops armed with Kalashnikov rifles stand guard in a trench near the frontlines with Ukraine In addition to penalties targeting Russian people and key economic sectors, several senior U.S. officials said Thursday with certainty that Germany would not allow a newly constructed gas pipeline to begin operations in the event of an incursion. All eyes are now on Putin, who will decide how Russia will respond amid fears that Europe could again be plunged into war. In the meantime, Biden spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart Zelenskyy on Thursday to reiterate American and allied support, including recent deliveries of U.S. military aid. Biden warned Zelenskyy that the U.S. believed there was a high degree of likelihood that Russia could invade when the ground freezes and Russian forces could attack Ukrainian territory from north of Kyiv, according to two people familiar with the conversation who were not authorized to comment publicly. Military experts have said Russia may be waiting for optimal ground conditions to move heavy equipment into Kyiv as part of any invasion. Eight years ago, Russia invaded Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in late February. Zelenskyy tweeted that he and Biden also discussed the possibility of additional financial support for Ukraine. The White House said Biden told Zelenskyy he was 'exploring additional macroeconomic support to help Ukraine's economy' as it comes under pressure as a result of Russia's military buildup. Meanwhile, the United States announced that the U.N. Security Council will hold an open meeting Monday on what U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called Russia's 'threatening behavior.' She said the deployment of more than 100,000 troops along Ukraine's border and other destabilizing acts pose 'a clear threat to international peace and security and the U.N. Charter.' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier that the response from the U.S. - and a similar one from NATO - left 'little ground for optimism.' But he added that 'there always are prospects for continuing a dialogue, it's in the interests of both us and the Americans.' White House press secretary Jen Psaki was circumspect when asked whether the Biden administration saw a sliver of hope in that the Russians said they would keep communications open even as they said that they lacked optimism.. 'We don't know if the Russians are playing games on diplomacy. We hope not,' Psaki said. A man crosses himself while kneeling in front of a memorial commemorating those who died fighting in Ukraine's eastern Donbass region, outside military headquarters in Kiev Ukrainian soldiers are seen saluting through a mock bullet-hole in a memorial to those who died fighting in the Donbass region against Moscow-backed rebel groups Honour guards fire a salute during a ceremony in tribute to fallen defenders of Ukraine during a ceremony in Kiev today Ukrainian servicemen of the 24th Brigade are seen outside of Zolote, close to the frontlines with Moscow-backed rebels A Ukrainian soldier walks through a trench close to the town of Zolote, in the country's unstable eastern regions A Ukrainian soldier uses a periscope to examine enemy positions on the frontlines with Russian-backed rebel forces An Ukrainian serviceman heads to an advanced position on the front line in the Luhansk area, eastern Ukraine Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the U.S. response contained some elements that could lead to 'the start of a serious talk on secondary issues,' but emphasized that 'the document contains no positive response on the main issue.' Those are Moscow's demands that NATO not expand and that the alliance refrain from deploying weapons that might threaten Russia. Lavrov said top officials will submit proposals to Putin. Peskov said the Russian reaction would come soon. The evasive official comments reflect the fact that it is Putin who will single-handedly determine Russia's next moves. He has warned of unspecified 'military-technical measures' if the West refuses to heed the demands. Peskov added that Putin and Biden will decide whether they need to have another conversation following two calls last month. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Kyiv had seen the U.S. response before it was delivered to Russia and had no objections. He tweeted it was 'important that the U.S. remains in close contact with Ukraine before and after all contacts with Russia.' On a visit to Denmark, Kuleba emphasized his country's need to strengthen its defenses. 'This crisis is a moment of truth, and this is why we speak about weapons,' he said. 'This is why we speak about economic sanctions. This is why we speak about the consolidated position of all of us, so that President Putin sees that there are no weak links in our defensive chain.' Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said during a parliamentary debate on Ukraine that her government is closely coordinating its policy with allies, considering a range of options that could include the new Nord Stream 2 Russian gas pipeline to Germany. While the diplomacy sputters on, so too do maneuvers that have escalated tensions. Russia has launched a series of military drills involving motorized infantry and artillery units in southwestern Russia, warplanes in Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, dozens of warships in the Black Sea and the Arctic, and Russian fighter jets and paratroopers in Belarus. NATO said it was bolstering its deterrence in the Baltic Sea region, and the U.S. ordered 8,500 troops on higher alert for potential deployment to Europe. As war fears mounted, thousands of Ukrainians expressed their resolve to stand up to the Russian pressure under the hashtag (hash)UkrainiansWillResist on Twitter and Facebook. An American fighter jet takes part in pre-deployment training drills including coming under NATO command off the US coast US naval forces prepare for deployment after President Biden put 8,500 troops on alert to deploy to eastern Europe 'No one will force Ukrainians to accept the Kremlin ultimatum,' wrote Andrii Levus, who initiated the campaign. Ukraine's Interior Ministry has organized training on acting in emergency situations, with an emphasis on dealing with explosives. Beyond concerns about a possible Russian offensive in Ukraine, there also has been speculation that Moscow's response could include military deployments to the Western Hemisphere. While a senior Russian diplomat recently refused to rule out such deployments to Cuba and Venezuela, a top Putin associate expressed skepticism Thursday at that prospect. 'Cuba and Venezuela are aiming to come out of isolation and restore normal relations with the U.S. to a certain extent, so there can't be any talk about setting up a base there as happened during the Soviet times,' Dmitry Medvedev, a deputy head of Russia's Security Council, told Russian media. While he charged that the West is using Ukraine as a way to contain Russia, he somberly acknowledged that a Russia-NATO conflict 'would be the most dramatic and simply catastrophic scenario, and I hope it will never happen.' While concerns about a possible Russian attack linger, a separatist conflict simmers in Ukraine. Following the 2014 ouster of a Kremlin-friendly president in Kyiv, Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and backed an insurgency in the country's eastern industrial heartland. Fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels has killed over 14,000 people, and efforts to reach a settlement have stalled. Since the conflict began, Russia has been accused of sending troops and weapons to the separatists, something it has denied. On Thursday, Peskov wouldn't comment on a proposal from the Kremlin's main political party, United Russia, which suggested that Moscow respond to the delivery of Western weapons to Ukraine by sending arms to the rebels. He added that Putin is aware of the proposal but had no immediate reaction. Belarus's authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko called on exiled activists to return to their homeland to 'repent and kneel' after surviving an unprecedented wave of protests in recent years. The strongman, who has ruled the nation with an iron fist for almost 30 years, also promised to step down if his compatriots 'make the decision' for him at his annual state-of-the-nation address in Minsk on Friday. Mr Lukashenko claimed that no more than 10% of the population opposes his rule, and urged opposition activists in exile to come 'home, on your knees, grovelling'. 'My advice to you: come home, repent and kneel,' he said. 'It will get worse further on.' The dictator's comments come after facing the strongest demonstrations against his rule in recent years. Up to 200,000 protestors took to the streets after he claimed to win a sixth consecutive term in office during August 2020 elections, which were said to be 'rigged' by Western observers. Protesters demanded a new ballot and Mr Lukashenko's removal but faced a brutal crackdown by the authorities, with more than 35,000 arrested and thousands brutally beaten. The situation famously came to a head when Lukashenko personally ordered the Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jet containing dissident YouTuber Roman Protasevich to make a dramatic U-turn during its course to Lithuania. Belarus's authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko called on exiled activists to return to their homeland to 'repent and kneel' after surviving an unprecedented wave of protests in recent years Up to 200,000 protestors took to the streets after he claimed to win a sixth consecutive term in office during 'rigged' August 2020 elections Key opposition figures, including Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Mr Lukashenko's main contender in the election, have left the country amid the clampdown, along with thousands of ordinary Belarusians. Pictured: Protestors gathering in Minsk on October 18, 2020 Key opposition figures, including Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Mr Lukashenko's main contender in the election, have left the country amid the clampdown, along with thousands of ordinary Belarusians. Lukashenko ordered blackouts of mainstream social media sites, meaning the populace turned to alternative channels for information about protests. Roman Protasevich, 26, was placed under house arrest and forced into a tearful on-air apology with Belarusian state media after pleading guilty to organising 'unsanctioned protests'. Little has been heard about him since. The Ryanair flight carrying him and 170 other passengers was forced into a dramatic diversion in May 2021 after a fake bomb threat was issued by the Belarusian government, at the request of Lukashenko according to Western analysts. Syarhei Tsikhanouski, the husband of prominent and exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, was sent to a 'maximum security colony' in what is widely seen as a retaliatory move by Lukashenko - who is often dubbed 'Europe's last dictator' due to his authoritarian style of government. Mr Tsikhanouski, who was arrested and jailed in May last year when his popularity with the voting public began to swell, was sentenced at the Gomel regional court following a 173-day trial. He had denied the charges. His wife, speaking from exile in Lithuania, where she resides with their two children, branded the verdict 'revenge' as she vowed to continue trying to remove Lukashenko, 67, who is the continent's longest-serving president, having taken power in 1994. An elderly woman shouts slogans and carries a placard reading 'Freedom to political prisoners!' as she takes part in a rally against Lukashenko in October 2020 Syarhei Tsikhanouski, the husband of prominent and exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (pictured holding his photo), was sent to a 'maximum security colony' in what is widely seen as a retaliatory move by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko - who is often dubbed 'Europe's last dictator' due to his authoritarian style of government Maria Kolesnikova - who was handcuffed inside a defendant's cage - made a heart-shaped symbol with her hands, which she often did at protest rallies as she was jailed for 11 years And one of the country's most prominent opposition figures, Maria Kolesnikova, was sentenced to 11 years in prison last September. After suppressing the protests, Mr Lukashenko repeatedly aired vague and non-committal promises to step down. On Friday, he stressed it was up to the people: 'You will decide, and this president will retire. If you consider necessary that I do more for this country, you will say so.' Roman Protasevich, 26, (pictured) was placed under house arrest and forced into a tearful on-air apology with Belarusian state media after pleading guilty to organising 'unsanctioned protests'. Little has been heard about him since Ryanair flight FR4978 had been flying from Athens in Greece to Vilnius in Lithuania when it was escorted by a Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jet to Belarus amid fake reports of an IED on board. It was forced to make an emergency landing at Minsk Airport, where authorities arrested dissident journalist Roman Protasevich Last week, Mr Lukashenko called a referendum for February 27, on constitutional amendments that could allow him to further cement his grip on power and remain in office until 2035. The amendments bring back limits on presidential terms that had been abolished during Mr Lukashenko's tenure, allowing a president only two five-year terms in office. However, the restriction will only take effect once a 'newly elected president' assumes office, which gives Mr Lukashenko an opportunity to run for two more terms after his current one expires in 2025. The amendments also confer substantial new powers on the All-Belarus People's Assembly, a body that nominally represents a wide array of Belarusian society but that in the past has consisted largely of government officials and supporters. The president automatically becomes a member of the assembly and can be elected by the other delegates as its chairman. POSCO Group Chairman Choi Jeong-woo gives an address at the 22nd general meeting of shareholders at the POSCO Center in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of POSCO Group Shareholders approve steelmaker's plan to create holding firm By Kim Hyun-bin POSCO Group expects to see enhanced corporate value and balanced growth following its transition into a holding company system, Chairman Choi Jeong-woo said Friday. "The transition to a holding company system is essential for balanced growth of the group and enhancement of corporate value in a rapidly changing business environment such as a great transition to a low-carbon and eco-friendly era, accelerating technological innovation, and strengthening ESG management," POSCO Group Chairman Choi said at a general meeting of shareholders, where the group confirmed the conversion to a holding company. The holding company POSCO Holdings will be launched March 2, and POSCO, the operating company, will be in charge of the existing steel business as a subsidiary Among the total shareholders, 75.6 percent took part in the vote and passed the conversion measure with an approval rate of 89.2 percent at the meeting held at the POSCO Center in Seoul. Choi emphasized that the future business environment will undergo "revolutionary change" unseen in the past. "The POSCO board of directors has discussed in depth mid- to long-term business strategies to actively respond to revolutionary environmental changes and ways to sustain the company's growth," the chairman added. "We agreed that innovation in the management system is urgently needed to develop into a global business leader." After the holding company transition was approved, Choi added, "I am grateful for the support and confidence of domestic and foreign shareholders for the future vision of the POSCO Group. We will do our best to achieve sustainable growth and enhance shareholder value." Through the conversion to a holding company, POSCO plans to be reimagine itself as a "manufacturer specializing in eco-friendly materials" through new growth businesses such as secondary batteries and hydrogen, alongside its traditional steel business. It is also expected the company will re-evaluate the group's new growth engines following the transition to a holding company structure. In particular, the goal is to more than triple its current value by 2030 by accelerating growth based on the holding company system. Meanwhile, POSCO Holdings will be launched as a listed company and will play a role in developing the group's future portfolio, reorganizing the group's businesses and creating synergy as well as leading the overall ESG management of the group. The steel business will be delisted and become a wholly owned subsidiary of the holding company, and will be in charge of operating all businesses related to steel production and sales. Upon the news, POSCO shares rose 2.91 percent, closing at 265,000 won ($219), Friday. A new study has highlighted how American dependence on Taiwan for semiconductors could fuel a crisis conflict with China amid a global chip shortage. The war game results from the Center for a New American Security were released on Thursday, comparing US reliance on Taiwanese chips to America's former dependence on the Middle East for oil. The new war game envisions a scenario in which production at three Taiwanese semiconductor foundries suddenly fails, raising questions about whether a Chinese cyberattack is to blame. In the scenario, the incident touches off a crisis between China in the US, devastating the world economy and potentially leading to a military confrontation. Home to the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's largest chip foundry, Taiwan produces more than half of the world's semiconductors, and nearly all of the highly advanced ones. Home to the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's largest chip foundry, Taiwan produces more than half of the world's semiconductors A visitor to United Manufacturing Corporation in Taiwan observes semiconductor manufacturing on wall of monitors. The US is reliant on Taiwan's chip foundries The island has been self-governed since 1949, but China continues to view Taiwan as its territory and seeks an eventual 'unification'. Though many experts warn that China could launch a military invasion in the next five to 10 years, the new war game warns that Beijing may be more likely to use 'grey zone' coercive tactics to gain control of Taiwan's semis. Taiwan views its dominance in semiconductors as its 'Silicon Shield', believing that the US and other allies would defend it from military invasion in order to prevent its high-tech industry from falling into Chinese hands. 'In this case, semiconductors are the new oil, and Taiwan is trading access to semiconductors in return for security, thus using its semiconductor advantage to obtain its critical objective of safeguarding its sovereignty,' the study authors write. 'For decades, this meant solid economic growth, prosperity, and security,' the authors of the new study wrote. 'Increasingly, this success runs the risk of becoming a double-edged sword.' 'Taiwan's silicon shield hazards becoming a millstone around its neck,' they added. Though many experts warn that China could launch a military invasion in the next five to 10 years, the new war game warns that Beijing may be more likely to use 'grey zone' tactics Chinese soldiers ride atop tanks as they drive in a parade to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, at Tiananmen Square in 2019 Taiwan accounts for half of the overall production of microchips that are critical to the functioning of mobile phones, consumer electronics, cars, military equipment and more. South Korea, the nearest competitor, has about 17 percent of the overall market. But Taiwanese chips are the smallest and fastest, and its foundries account for 92 percent of the most advanced designs. While the United States claims nearly half of global semiconductor industry revenue, it has only 12 percent of global manufacturing capacity -- a shortfall that President Joe Biden has called a national security risk. US dependence on foreign chip supply has only been highlighted by the current global chip shortage, driven by pandemic disruptions and supply chain issues. On Tuesday, the US Commerce Department warned that the U.S. supply of computer chips has fallen to alarmingly low levels, raising the prospect of factory shutdowns. Companies that use semiconductors are down to less than five days of inventory - a sharp drop from 40 days in 2019, according to a department survey of 150 companies. The Biden administration called on Congress to pass stalled legislation that would provide $52 billion for domestic semiconductor production The chips used in the production of automobiles and medical devices are especially scarce. Citing the issue, the Biden administration called on Congress to pass stalled legislation that would provide $52 billion for domestic semiconductor production. 'The semiconductor supply chain remains fragile, and it is essential that Congress pass chips funding as soon as possible,' Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement. 'With sky-rocketing demand and full utilization of existing manufacturing facilities, it's clear the only solution to solve this crisis in the long-term is to rebuild our domestic manufacturing capabilities.' As the US seeks to onshore more of its chip supply, China has also declared the goal of eliminating its reliance on imported semiconductors. It puts Taiwan at the center of an economic tug of war between the two powers, the new think-tank study warns, potentially creating a flashpoint for conflict. Employees work inside a Siliconware Precision Industries Co. (SPIL) facility in Hsinchu, Taiwan, on Monday, April 18, 2016 Components sit on circuit boards on display at the Semicon Taiwan exhibition show in 2018 'The struggle for semiconductorsparticularly access to leading-edge chips and proprietary knowledge about chip productionhas become ground zero of U.S.-China technology competition,' the authors wrote. 'The geopolitical significance of Taiwan cannot be understated; it is a distillation of the technological, political, and military 'strategic competition' between the United States and China,' they added. 'Unifying Taiwan with the mainland remains one of China's top priorities and a plausible future scenario, which leaves the United States with a choice to make with regards to semiconductors,' the report said. The study makes the case that China is just as likely to use non-conventional economic and information warfare means to exert control over Taiwan as it is to deploy military force. 'Chinese efforts to gain control over Taiwan's economy, political system, and territory are likely to be multifaceted and involve both gray zone tactics and conventional military activity,' the authors wrote. A pharmaceutical company has admitted supplying contaminated feed for premature babies that allegedly caused the death of a nine-day-old boy. An investigation was launched after three babies, including Yousef Al-Kharboush, died and another 20 needed treatment when they developed Bacillus Cereus bacteraemia linked to ITH Pharma's supply of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) to 14 hospitals in 2014. The infants were given the fluid as nutrition because they were unable to feed on their own between May 27 and June 2, 2014. Adrian Darbishire QC, on behalf of ITH Pharma, entered guilty pleas to three offences at Southwark Crown Court today. An investigation was launched after three babies, including Yousef Al-Kharboush, (pic) died and another 20 needed treatment when they developed Bacillus Cereus bacteraemia They include failing to make a suitable and sufficient risk assessment between August 1, 2009 and June 1, 2014 over the supply of TPN to patients, under the 1999 Health and Safety at Work Regulations, and two charges of supplying a medicinal product which was not of the nature or quality specified in the prescription, under the Medicines Act on May 27, 2014. One of the Medicines Act charges relates to Yousef, while the second covers the other 22 babies, whose names are contained in a confidential index. Yousef and his twin brother, Abdulilah, were born by emergency Caesarean section at St Thomas' Hospital in central London at 32 weeks gestation in May 2014. While in intensive care they were both fed intravenously, but while Abdulilah was not affected, Yousef died. Prosecutors allege his death resulted from him being fed the contaminated TPN, although ITH Pharma denies his death was caused by the administration of the feed. Judge Deborah Taylor will decide the issue over a two-day sentencing hearing on April 28. Mark Heywood QC said ITH Pharma's pleas were 'acceptable' to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and 'meet the justice in the case'. However, Vicki Golden, the mother of Tameria Aldrich, who died nine days after Yousef on June 10 after being transferred to St Thomas' from Broomfield hospital in Chelmsford, and whose twin sister Tia survived, left the court in tears. Ms Golden's godmother Joanne Bartlett, who is known as Dolly, had already stormed out of court as Mr Darbishire said: 'These offences occurred eight years ago and the company has been and continues to be a trusted supplier of TPN for the NHS.' ITH Pharma CEO Karen Hamling and her husband Adam Bloom made a statement following the children's deaths at their Park Royal production plant in west London Speaking to reporters, she branded the case 'absolutely disgraceful', adding: 'I'm disgusted with ITH Pharma and the CPS. 'They ought to be ashamed of themselves. They threw the police under the bus.' Yousef's parents, who now live in Saudi Arabia, had hoped to follow the hearing by video-link but were not able to join. His father, Raaid Sakkijha, said in a statement: 'We had to change every aspect of our life in London that would remind us of Yousef's loss - our previous apartment, the area that we used to live in, the places that we used to go to when we were pregnant with the twins. 'Even today, Yousef's mother Ghada has a panic and crying attack whenever she sees a mother with a twin stroller as she feels the loss of her son over and over again. 'We really hope that justice would finally prevail after seven years of endless suffering to our family.' Arti Shah, a medical negligence solicitor at Fieldfisher, the firm representing the families of Yousef, Tameria and Oscar Barker, who died at Rosie Maternity Hospital in Cambridge, said: 'We believe justice will prevail in the civil court and we will continue to pursue ITH Pharma on behalf of the families who suffered the most terrible loss. 'We are confident the company will be found negligent in civil proceedings for providing contaminated feed. 'We will also be working closely with the coroner to provide much needed clarity on what happened to cause death and injury to so many babies.' Police launched an investigation in 2014 after two babies died at St Thomas' Hospital, pictured ITH Pharma said in a statement: 'We at ITH Pharma wish to extend our deepest sympathies to the families of the patients affected by the events of eight years ago. 'ITH has been a leading manufacturer of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and other medicinal products for many years. 'The events of May 27 2014 were wholly exceptional and, on June 5 2014, the MHRA Inspection Action Group confirmed that having considered all the information available, including the company's changes to manufacturing practice for parenteral nutrition products, it did not recommend regulatory action against the company. 'Since 2008, parenteral nutrition produced by ITH has helped many tens of thousands of the most vulnerable babies survive premature and complex births. 'We are proud to support the NHS and, importantly, patients in this vital work. We know how much our colleagues in hospitals across the UK value the service we provide and the rigour we deliver in our processes, and we are grateful for the work they all do. 'On January 28, 2022, ITH Pharma pleaded guilty to a single regulatory offence of failing to have a suitable and sufficient risk assessment, under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and to two regulatory offences under the Medicines Act 1968 of supplying a medicinal product on May 27 2014 not of the nature or quality specified in the prescription. These pleas have been accepted by the prosecution.'* French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has revealed her 'brutal, violent' hurt after her own niece suggested she would back rival candidate Eric Zemmour in the presidential elections this year. Marion Marechal, who is more than 20 years the junior of the National Front leader and who was once tipped as her successor, has given strong indications she will support Eric Zemmour. Relations within the Le Pen clan, which has dominated far-right politics in France for five decades, are notoriously stormy, with Marine clashing repeatedly with her father Jean-Marie after taking over his National Front party in 2011. Marine Le Pen (right) has revealed her 'brutal, violent' hurt after the comments by her niece Marion Marechal (left) who was once considered a likely successor Relations within the Le Pen clan, which has dominated far-right politics in France for five decades, are notoriously stormy Marion said Zemmour (pictured) had adopted a better election strategy, even though he is currently fourth in the polls Marion told the Parisien newspaper that she was still thinking about who she would support in this April's election. 'No decision has been taken,' said Marion, who dropped the Le Pen family name in 2018 and is known as Marion Marechal. But 'if I support Eric, it won't just to be to stick my head and say hello', she added. She also accused her aunt of making 'incessant ideological and policy U-turns'. Reacting on Friday, Marine Le Pen told CNews: 'I have a very unique story with Marion because I brought her up along with my sister for the first years of her life. 'It's brutal, it's violent, it's tough for me,' a visibly moved Le Pen said, adding it was 'painful' on a person level and 'incomprehensible' politically. Le Pen ranks second or third in opinion polls that show a tussle among right and far-right candidates to win a second-round runoff spot against President Emmanuel Macron in the April elections. Macron himself is leading polls and seen as likely to secure the other spot. Marion said Zemmour had adopted a better election strategy, even though he is currently fourth in the polls. She said that because he was new to politics and was seeking to bridge gaps between parties, Zemmour was better placed to get wide-ranging support than Le Pen's party, which other parties, including on the mainstream right, often shun. If her niece backs Zemmour, it would be more than a personal setback. Although Marion stepped back from frontline politics in 2017, the 32-year-old hardliner remains popular among grassroots far-right groups and could add momentum to Zemmour's campaign, which has been stagnating since November. When she was first elected at the tender age of 22, Marion made history as France's youngest-ever MP. A mother-of-one, she sat politically to the right of her aunt, who tried to soften the National Front's appeal in recent years to make it more acceptable to centrist voters. There has been a Le Pen at the head of the FN since its foundation in 1972 by the convicted racist and anti-Semite, Jean-Marie Le Pen, Marion's grandfather. Marion told the Parisien newspaper that she was still thinking about who she would support in this April's election (pictured together in 2015) Marion, who also said she was eyeing a return to public life, has long argued for a new alliance between far-right and traditional right-wing politicians in France - as has Zemmour. In 2013 she attended anti-gay marriage rallies while her aunt stayed away, throwing her weight behind what she termed the 'traditional family'. She also insisted that everybody especially the five million Muslims living in France should accept the true French identity rooted in Christianity. During one speech in Toulon, a Mediterranean city with a large number of citizens of Arab descent, she said Muslims could only be French 'if they follow customs and a lifestyle that has been shaped by Greek and Roman influence and 16 centuries of Christianity.' 'We are not a land of Islam,' she said. 'In our country, we don't wear djellaba clothing, we don't wear a veil and we don't impose cathedral-sized mosques.' A graduate of Sorbonne University, she was seen as an alternative to the political establishment of men in suits. She was also a huge PR asset to the party, though she had no formal media training and once failed to name a single area of policy she wanted to focus on when quizzed by a journalist in a local election. Polls currently indicate that Marine Le Pen is the more likely of the two far-right candidates to make it into the second round of the election on April 24, but analysts say the race is highly unpredictable. In 2015 Marine Le Pen threw her father Jean-Marie out of the party he co-founded in the 1970s for repeating his view that the Holocaust was a mere 'detail' of World War II. Jean-Marie refused to go quietly, hauling the party before the courts in a series of failed bids to be readmitted. He has since criticised his daughter's decision to rebrand his party as the National Rally, as well as her publicly stated aim of 'de-toxifying' the movement because of its association with racism and anti-Semitism. Zemmour has had a turbulent campaign after he was revealed to be having a love child with his 28-year-old assistant in November and waved an assault rifle at reporters while telling them to 'back off' in October. He was also found guilty of provoking racial hatred by calling child immigrants thieves, rapists and murderers this month. Zemmour was first convicted of provoking racial hatred in February 2011, and then he was found guilty of provoking religious hatred in June 2017. He frequently rages against Muslims, black people and anybody else from an immigrant background. Zemmour has also been accused of virulent anti-Semitism after denying against all the historical evidence that the French collaborated with the Nazis during the wartime Holocaust. An ex-prisoner has been jailed for life after murdering his Virgin Atlantic stewardess lover by stabbing her in the eye during a blazing row over dinner. Alcoholic and drug addict Lee Kendall, 43, killed mother-of-two Michaela Hall, 49, at her home in Mount Hawke near Truro on May 31 last year after an argument over sweet and sour dinner. The former Virgin Airways senior air stewardess had met Kendall when she worked for a charity which helps prisoners when they are freed from custody. But Truro Crown Court heard she broke professional boundaries as his support worker and began an intimate sexual relationship before he moved into her home. During the course of the relationship Kendall routinely beat her but only two of the assaults resulted in convictions. She remained devoted to him and determined to help him get his life on track. The trial were given details of the violent relationship, with Michaela suffering black eyes. On May 14, 2021 he was given a three-year community order by a judge and was released from custody and returned to live with Michaela. But just 17 days later he stabbed her to death, as the knife penetrated up to 9cm into her brain through her right eye, the jury was told. Kendall was jailed for life today and told he must service a minimum of 21 years before he can be considered for parole. Lee Kendall (left) was found guilty of killing 48-year-old Michaela Hall (right) at their home in Truro A post mortem also revealed she had other facial and neck wounds which were consistent with manual strangulation - and Kendall's DNA was found on her neck. Kendall told the court during the trial, he and Michaela had been arguing over the sweet and sour food that she had prepared for both of them and she got upset with him when he told her he didn't want to eat it. He told the jury: 'I wasn't ready to eat it yet and I said I'd put it in the microwave. 'She wanted me to eat with her. I put it on the floor.' Kendal had alleged that they argued and he he overheard her 'slagging me off' on the phone to someone. He admitted grabbing her around the throat, but claimed she had picked up a knife he had been using as a screwdriver for DIY which he alleged he pushed towards his chest. Kendall then claimed that he took the knife as they were struggling his hand was 'jerked away from her at the same time she is coming towards me and it ended up going in her eye.' He also claimed he did not call emergency services because he put her to bed and thought 'she'd be fine'. After the verdict was read out Michaela's family told the court the devastating impact her death has had on their lives. They included her two school age sons, who both had statements read out in court on their behalf, as well as her mother and sister. Judge Garnham told Kendall today: 'You heard your partner talking on the phone. You heard what Michaela was saying and you formed and opinion, to use your expression, that she was 'slagging you off'. You could not tolerate that. 'Despite the fact Michaela had shown you every kindness over the previous two years, and had put up with your idleness, your sponging off her, you ill temper and your violence, you were not prepared to let her say a word against you. 'So you picked up a kitchen knife with a sharp blade and went through to the bedroom. I find it a fact that there was no struggle. She did not arm herself with a cutlery knife. 'Instead you grabbed her round the throat with one hand and with the other thrust the knife into her right eye.' The former Virgin Airways senior air stewardess had met Kendall when she worked for a charity which helps prisoners when they are freed from custody During the trial, prosecutor Miss Martin chronologically went through a number of incidents where Kendall was violent towards Ms Hall. She said: 'On May 20, 2019, Michaela Hall called 999. She said Lee Kendall had thrown a heavy purse at her face and damaged her car. She explained that Lee Kendall was having drug and alcohol induced psychosis. Police arrived and she was apologetic towards him for calling the police, saying it was for his own good. He was arrested and denied assaulting Michaela Hall and Michaela Hall declined to make a statement. 'Police and the prosecution decided not to charge Lee Kendall but Michaela Hall was brought into contact with various organisations. Social services became involved to ensure her children were safe and Lee Kendall was recalled to prison because of a breach of the terms of his licence. 'He was in prison for over a year until July 11, 2020, when Michaela Hall collected him and they returned to Charlotte Close. It didn't take long for the violence to start up again.' Miss Martin told of how on August 24 and September 16, 2020, referrals were made when Ms Hall was spotted with black eyes. She said in response that one injury was when she hit her eye on a bedpost and the other when she attacked him and he had no option but to retaliate. Miss Martin said: 'Six days later there was an anonymous call about a disturbance. Police found broken crockery and Michaela again had a swollen eye. Lee Kendall said he didn't know how she got the black eye and that he wouldn't hurt Michaela. 'Three weeks later she was seen with more bruising and redness. It was at this point Michaela Hall recognised she was in danger. Lee Kendall was arrested but again denied doing anything. Michaela Hall declined to engage with the police. 'A domestic violence protection notice was issued preventing Lee Kendall from going to the address but it didn't make any difference. Michaela Hall would allow him back and the cycle would continue.' Miss Martin added that in November and December 2020 police were called over claims Kendall had assaulted Ms Hall, but he denied everything and she refused to engage so there was little friends and family could do. On February 12, 2021, Ms Hall turned up at a friend's house bleeding and swollen. She told police Kendall had barricaded himself in a bedroom but when she went to get him he kicked her in the head and strangled her. Miss Martin said: 'She returned home and became angry with the police saying they were only making matter worse and she was the only one who could handle Lee Kendall.' Kendall was bailed to an address in Plymouth and in March 2021 Ms Hall went to visit him. Kendall's landlord contacted the police the following day and reported an assault. Ms Hall gave a statement saying he'd pulled her hair and punched her six or seven times. Despite Ms Hall trying to withdraw her statement, the case proceeded and Kendall was given a community order. However, he again went to live with Ms Hall in Mount Hawke. Ms Hall's body was found by her father on June 1, 2021, it likely she was killed 24 hours earlier. On May 31 at just before 6:30pm Ms Hall had spoken on the phone to Kendall's mother, during the call Kendall's mother heard screaming. A neighbour had gone out to get some shopping and when he returned at 9:30pm, he could hear shouting and banging and Ms Hall say 'no, Lee' before everything went silent. At just gone 10pm Ms Hall tried to call a friend but didn't get an answer. The friend sent a message back asking if Ms Hall was okay but never got a response and the message remained unread. Ms Hall had also called another friend who had moved to Gran Canaria. She said Kendall 'was on one'. The friend, Clare Basnett, heard a scream and Ms Hall warning Kendall to get off her and not come near her. The call then terminated and the friend tried to call 999. She only managed to get through to a Spanish operative but eventually managed to reach Crimestoppers to report that something had happened in Mount Hawke. At 11:23pm police received the message and went to Mount Hawke but found the property in darkness and seemingly nobody at home. They knocked and peeped through an open window but left when there was no answer. Kendall was in the property at this time. Miss Martin said: 'Lee Kendall didn't call an ambulance or the police. He was clearly awake at 4am as he tried to call his mother six times. Just before 7am he walked to the village store and bought a bottle of vodka. He got changed and caught at bus to St Agnes to pick up his methadone script. 'He called his mother again and said Michaela Hall was dead and that he didn't do it, that she came at him with a knife. She told her son to call the police but he wouldn't as he said they wouldn't believe him.' At this point Kendall got a bus to Truro and at the same time police officers went back to the property but again decided they didn't have authority to forcibly enter as there was no sign of a disturbance or seemingly nobody at home. Police also made a third visit but again didn't enter. Ms Hall's body was only found when her worried father got a spare key off a landlord and went into the property and found his daughter. A cause of death was recorded as a stab wound to the eye socket and brain, with other injuries also present. The knife wound had penetrated 5cm to 9cm into the eye socket, clipping an artery causing a bleed to the brain. Kendall cleaned up the scene before leaving, but his finger print was still found in the blood. Kendall was back in Truro the next morning and stole alcohol before getting into arguments with homeless men and St Petrocs homeless shelter staff. He was arrested on Boscawen Street and found to be in possession of two phones (one of which was used by Ms Hall) and an iPad. Giving evidence Kendall at first denied ever punching or controlling Ms Hall and said on the night of her death Ms Hall had lunged at him with a knife and she accidentally sustained a stab wound to the eye during the ensuing struggle after a row about him not eating his dinner. He says he lied to the police at first as they wouldn't believe him. As part of today's sentencing hearing, the family of 49-year-old Michaela spoke of their 'horror' at what has followed her violent death. Her eldest son said he suffered frequent nightmares and sleep paralysis as a result of what happened, and would be seeking therapy in the future. He added: 'I will never be able to give her a hug. When I do my GCSEs she won't be able to help me. 'I don't have any parents now and I'm scared of losing any more of my loved ones.' And her youngest son said: 'Dear judge, I want to tell you some things about my mum. My mum was a good person and I love her very much. She doesn't deserve this. 'I will never get a phone call from her or a present. She will never pick me up from school. 'This week I had to collect by belongings from my old house, which was very sad to see.' Michaela's mother said the family should have been celebrating Michaela's birthday on October 20, 2021 and she had already bought a card early, which she would now never give her daughter. 'Instead we went with her children to her graveside,' she added. 'They took plants and balloons, and sang happy birthday.' Her mother said sometimes she dreams about her daughter dying, and that she and her husband arrive in time to save her - only to wake up and be hit with the reality again. In comments directed to Kendall, she said: 'I hope he remembers every day, for the rest of his life, the person he murdered. 'How can I live without her? I find it hard to accept my daughter is dead, so I will have to live with that for the rest of my life. 'Michaela was stabbed in her eye at home, where she should have been safe. How can anyone do something so horrific? How can anyone be so cruel? 'I have no understanding about this level of evil. He murdered our precious daughter and left her to die in her house all alone.' And Michaela's sister said the family would now 'drift through the rest of our lives,' due to the void that had been left by Michaela's murder. Speaking after the case, Detective Inspector Stephanie Blundell, senior investigating officer in the case, said: 'Michaela suffered repeated assaults by Kendall whose campaign of violence and intimidation prevented her from accessing help and breaking the cycle of abuse. 'Michaela wanted to help Kendall, she gave him a home and he took advantage of her nature and support by repeatedly beating her during the course of their relationship and ultimately killing her. 'Despite Kendall's continuous lies and attempts to avail himself of any responsibility, a thorough and detailed investigation by determined officers from the Major Crime Investigation Team yielded the evidence to disprove his deceit. 'I would like to commend the investigation and prosecution team as well as members of the public who came forward to assist the police and ensure justice was done. We send our deepest condolences to Michaela's family, who have demonstrated extreme dignity throughout the investigation and proceedings.. I hope today's outcome will bring some small comfort to them.' Parents who faced manslaughter charges after two of their children and their niece drowned when they took them on a 'joyride' through a flooded Arizona creek have been spared jail and given probation after their children pleaded with a judge not to send them to prison. Daniel and Lacey Rawlings, 38 and 34, respectively, were sentenced to probation and community service in a Gila County courtroom on Thursday. Daniel received 60 months of probation, while Lacey received 48 months. 'I want to start by just saying how much I regret the decision we made that day to cross the creek,' Lacey said through tears in court on Thursday. 'It is a mistake I agonize over every single day. 'I am so incredibly sorry to everyone involved that day for the loss I can never fix.' Daniel also spoke in court, saying: 'I wish every day that I could go back and relive and redo the events of that horrific day. Knowing I was the single cause of the reason why [unintelligible] is what I live with every day.' Nelly, 12, and her 13-year-old brother Dallan Rawlings begged Judge Timothy Wright to let their parents stay home with them. Five-year-old Colby and six-year-old Willa, along with their cousin Austin, five, died after the Rawlings disregarded signs and barricades warning drivers not to cross Tonto Creek in 2019. Nelly, Dallan and two of their cousins survived. They were on their way back from a family member's home and their son wanted to enter the water because he was having fun, Lacey Rawlings said in an interview played in court yesterday. Daniel Rawlings was driving the military-style vehicle when he crossed the Tonto Creek for the third time that day - crossing twice before when he had gone back to get a canopy for their jacuzzi and to get candy and board games for the children. But on the third trip, the vehicle began to sink; the Rawlings and four of the children got out and were rescued but the remaining three were swept away and died. All the bodies were recovered except Willa's, which was found two weeks later on the north side of Roosevelt Lake. Scroll down for video Daniel and Lacey with victims Willa Rawlings (second right lower) and Colby (right). They, along with their cousin Austin, five (not pictured), died after the Rawlings disregarded signs and barricades warning drivers not to cross Tonto Creek. Nelly Rawlings, 12 (second left lower), and her 13-year-old brother Dallan (left) survived Willa and Colby (pictured) died during the flooding. The family had been together for the Thanksgiving holiday when their oversized truck became stuck in the creek Austin (pictured) was the daughter of Daniel's brother, Jay Rawlings 'We're going home, and this is when the kids start asking: "Dad please, dad please, just do it one more time,"' Lacey said in an interview with detectives. They transferred through the Bar X crossing near Punkin Center, where they were traveling from when the tragedy happened and the family vehicle got stuck in the floodwaters. The area has had problems with severe flooding throughout the year and construction on a bridge is expected to begin in October in the area. Judge Wright said he took the Rawlings' surviving children's testimony and community support into account for his decision not to send the parents to prison, but slammed the parents for 'failing their children.' 'These defendants failed their children. They failed to protect them, they failed to be adults who said no. Conversely, again, any such leniency the court may exercise today again [are] on behalf of the four surviving victims, these four children have zero fault in this case.' More than 100 supporters stood outside the courtroom in Gila County as Nelly described her father Daniel as a hard-working man and her mother Lacey as her favorite person, telling the court: 'I love everything about my parents.' She added: 'My dad is a big part of my life and I'd really love it if he could stay with me.' Dallan also said his life 'wouldn't be the same without them.' Wright said his decision to sentence Daniel to five years of probation and Lacey four years of probation was heavily influenced by the children's pleas. He had considered whether prison time for the couple would end in a good outcome for Dallan, Nelly and their two cousins, who also survived the flooding. He said: 'These four children have zero fault in this case, yet they carry the burdens.' Daniel and Lacey Rawlings pictured together. The pair were scheduled to face trial in March, at Gila County Superior Court and would have faced mandatory prison sentences if convicted Dozens of the couple's supporters stood outside the courthouse with balloons, wearing sweatshirts that said 'Rawlings Strong' Wright considered the Rawlings' lack of criminal history, as well as the fact that they were remorseful for their actions. But he said children didn't need parents to be their playmates, but protectors. The Rawlings, who live in the Pinetop-Lakeside community, will also have to do extensive community service. Daniel Rawlings pleaded guilty to three counts of manslaughter and seven counts of child abuse, receiving five years of probation on each charge to run concurrently. Lacey Rawlings received four years of probation on seven counts of child abuse, to run concurrently. The pair were scheduled to face trial in March at Gila County Superior Court and would have faced mandatory prison sentences if convicted. In 2020, it was reported that Daniel Rawlings allegedly drove around a barrier in order to cross a creek, before his truck got swept away in it. In the car were the couple, along with their four kids and three nieces. Both Daniel and Lacey escaped from the truck with four children but the couples own five-year-old son, Colby, and six-year-old daughter Willa were killed along with their five-year-old niece Austin. Austin was the daughter of Daniel's brother, Jay Rawlings. The survivors in the group were rescued and were airlifted to shore by a Maricopa County Sheriff's Office helicopter. Officials had said one adult managed to swim to shore, while four children and one adult who were stranded on an island in the creek were airlifted out of the area by rescue crews. The family had been together for the Thanksgiving holiday when their oversized truck became stuck in the creek. Map showing location of Tonto Basin, which is in Tonto National Forest in Arizona First responders were pictured in December pulling the family vehicle out of the flooded creek after three children got stuck in the truck that was swept away in flooding on Tonto Creek in 2019 Five-year-old Colby and six-year-old Willa (pictured), along with their cousin Austin, five, died after the Rawlings disregarded signs and barricades warning drivers not to cross Tonto Creek Both Daniel and Lacey escaped from the truck with four children but the couples own five-year-old son, Colby (pictured) and six-year-old daughter Willa were killed along with their five-year-old niece Austin The crossing had been closed and barricaded because of the high water, but the parents allegedly attempted to pass it anyway. During an interview given in December 2019, the parents said very little about what happened at the creek as it was too painful to recount. 'I will say one thing. People go around the barricades all the time,' Daniel said. 'I'm not justifying my actions one bit, but there could be more done.' Media coverage of the incident led many to express criticism of Lacey and Daniel for their decision to ignore the barricades - but the parents said they were trying to block those critics out. 'We don't have anything to say to them,' Daniel said. 'Everybody's a critic, and they're keyboard warriors. Those people may not have ever gone through something tragic in their life.' 'I hope they don't have to go through something like this and learn what it really feels like,' Lacey added. Meteorologist Sean Benedict in Phoenix estimated in the days before the tragedy, up to two inches of rain fell in the area, with some of the runoff coming from snow that fell on nearby peaks. The region got up to four inches of rain about a week before, Benedict said. The search for Willa in 2019, when the incident took place as the Rawlings were returning from a family visit Law enforcement and volunteers searched for Willa after the accident. During an interview given in December 2019, the parents said very little about what happened at the creek as it was too painful to recount Punkin Center and Tonto Creek, Arizona, seen during heavy flooding in late November, 2019 'So the grounds were already pretty wet and that probably helped with the runoff,' Benedict added. The Rawlings' attorneys said the couple didn't perceive the danger of the flooded creek, which prosecutor Bradley Soos pushed back on. He said the children's deaths were caused by a series of bad decisions, and that the Rawlings were familiar with the area from prior visits to family in the area. He also pointed out they placed the children into a vehicle that didn't have enough seatbelts and asked Wright to send Daniel to prison for at least four years. He said: 'Sometimes justice doesn't feel good. Judge, you can't engage in this series of bad decisions, reflect on your decision to place these children into this situation and end up killing three people and walk out of the courtroom a free man. 'That is not justice.' During an interview given in December, parents Daniel and Lacey said very little about what happened at the creek as it was too painful to recount Lacey Rawlings said: 'Please, just sentence both Daniel and I to probation without any jail time so we can continue to help our children recover and have our family together.' Austin's mother Lauren Johnston said that she forgave the Rawlings' actions and asked Wright to show them mercy and grace, despite the agony she felt in hearing about her daughter. She said: 'I hope that if nothing else comes from this avoidable tragedy, that Daniel and Lacey will never stop seeking guidance.' 'Austin, Colby, and Willa are not the ones suffering,' said Lauren Johnston, Austins mother. 'The hard part is seeing your surviving children struggle, struggling with every aspect of life for the foreseeable future, hearing their accounts of this traumatic event day after day and desperately searching for the right words to say mom, why did this happen? Mommy, is this someones fault? Mommy, my body was so cold, I couldnt even swim because the water was so freezing.' Dozens of the couple's supporters stood outside the courthouse with balloons, wearing sweatshirts that said 'Rawlings Strong.' The couple's verdict was cheered and applauded. Police have released dramatic footage of raids on a huge sex ring operation at five brothels - as two men and a woman were jailed for more than seven years. Officers smashed down the doors to the properties across the country after identifying houses where vulnerable women were being forced into sex work. Surrey Police, working with Polish authorities, pieced together the gang members before arresting them. Mariusz Moniuszko, 39, of Corby, Northamptonshire, and Dariusz Sieredzinski, 34, of Kent, were found to be involved in running the brothels. They posted adverts on adult websites, fraudulently rented properties and moved money to disguise their activities. Justyna Sieredzinska, 30, of Kettering, and Magdalena Drozdzal, 29, of Purley, acted as the brothel receptionists, taking client bookings for the women. They would often promise sexual activities the victims did not want to offer and in one case, a victim said she was forced to have sex up to 14 times a day. Justyna Sieredzinska, 30, of Kettering, and Magdalena Drozdzal (pictured), 29, of Purley, acted as the brothel receptionists, taking client bookings for the women Moniuszko (left) was sentenced to 40 months imprisonment and found guilty of one count of conspiracy to control prostitution for gain. Right: Sieredzinska `The investigation began after intel suggested a brothel was operating on Staines Road West in Sunbury-On-Thames. Police raided the house on September 20, 2019, and the first victim was saved and helped them piece together the gang's sick activities. The victim had been trafficked into the country by lorry, before working as a cleaner to pay back thousands of pounds she was told she had to pay to get in. Her passport was taken from her and although she handed over her limited earnings, it was not enough to cover the debt and she was forced into sex work. She was later introduced to the organised criminal group, who made her work long hours and perform sexual acts she did not want to Police raided the house on September 20, 2019, and the first victim was saved and helped them piece together the gang's sick activities The group spanned across the UK and Poland and a Joint Investigation Team was set up to hunt them down. Detective Sergeant Martyn Linton said: 'This was high-end organised criminality perpetrated by a dangerous group of individuals who preyed on females for profit. 'In dismantling the criminal group, we've identified over 100 women connected with the case and three were courageous enough to come forward and help speak out in court against their oppressors. 'This was one of the most extensive modern slavery human trafficking investigations we've ever pursued at Surrey Police and today's result shows that exploiters will be held accountable for their actions. 'Sadly though, we know there are still others out there who perpetrate this horrific crime type and we are continuing our work to target these criminals. 'We take all reports of modern slavery seriously, so if you suspect someone is being sexually exploited, please contact us.' The thugs were jailed at Guildford Crown Court last week for seven years and three months for controlling prostitution, modern slavery and criminal proceeds offences. Pictured: One of the raids The thugs were jailed at Guildford Crown Court last week for seven years and three months for controlling prostitution, modern slavery and criminal proceeds offences. Moniuszko, Sieredzinska and Sieredzinski were found guilty on Thursday, 16 December following a four-week trial. Moniuszko was sentenced to 40 months imprisonment and found guilty of one count of conspiracy to control prostitution for gain. She was guilty of one count of facilitating the travel of another with a view to her being sexually exploited. And she was jailed on a count of possessing criminal property to the value of 17,815, and fraud relating to the possession and use of the Polish identity documents. Sieredzinska was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. He was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to control prostitution for gain, one count of possessing criminal property in the form of bank credits to the value of 20,440.80. Sentencing the organised crime group, the judge spoke about some of the women that suffered at their hands. Pictured: One of the raids Sieredzinski was also sentenced to 32 months imprisonment after he was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to control prostitution for gain, one count of possession of criminal property in the form of bank credits to the value of 13,019.56, two counts of possessing articles for use in fraud. Two further counts of fraud which relate to two fraudulent Covid business bounce back loan applications totalling 90,000 were also made. Drozdzal appeared at Guildford Crown Court on January 10 and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to control prostitution for gain. She was also sentenced to two counts of possession of criminal property to the value of 6,105. She was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment for the offences. Sentencing the organised crime group, the judge spoke about some of the women that suffered at their hands. On describing what happened to one of their victims, he said: 'She was young, vulnerable and needed help. Instead, you treated her without a shred of compassion.' Police are today appealing for witnesses as they investigate the deaths of two teenagers found hanged in a suspected suicide pact at a nature reserve. The bodies of a 17-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man were found at Bothenhampton Reservoir, near Bridport, on the morning of January 25. Police were called to the scene after a dog walker raised the alarm but nothing could be done to save the teenagers. The identity of the individuals is not being released until an inquest is formally opened by a coroner on the request of the families, Dorset Police said. Dorset Police said their deaths are being treated as non-suspicious but investigators are now trying to establish the circumstances on behalf of the coroner. Officers are appealing for witnesses who may have seen the teenagers in the Bridport or West Bay area between Saturday January 22 and Tuesday January 25. The bodies of a 17-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man were found at Bothenhampton Reservoir, near Bridport, on the morning of January 25. Pictured: Bothenhampton Nature Reserve The man is described as white, around 5ft7in, slim and with short, dark hair, a short beard and brown eyes. He was wearing brown lace-up boots, light grey tracksuit bottoms, a dark T-shirt and a navy hooded Parka-style jacket with a brown patch on the left arm. The girl is described as white, around 5ft5in, of slim build and with dark brown, shoulder-length hair and brown eyes. She was wearing black and white trainers, light grey tracksuit bottoms, a navy Puffer-style jacket and a pink scarf. The force has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Complaints (IOPC) over the deaths due to prior contact with those involved. The IOPC said yesterday: 'We are currently assessing the available information to determine what further action may be required from us.' A spokeswoman for the force said: 'Dorset Police has made a mandatory referral to the IOPC (Independent Office for Police Conduct) in line with procedures related to the death or serious injury of an individual. We await further guidance from the IOPC on the matter.' Certain incidents must be automatically referred to the IOPC by law, including when someone had direct or indirect contact with the police 'when or shortly before they were seriously injured and died.' Forces are required to make a referral 'where the contact may have caused or contributed to the death or injury.' Other complaints, such as allegations of serious corruption, serious assault, or misconduct must also be automatically referred. The tragic incident happened in a secluded wooded area in the village of Bothenhampton, which is about one mile from West Bay - the setting for the hit ITV crime drama Broadchurch. Ian Bark, the mayor of Bridport, said the community would be shocked by the double tragedy. 'My sympathies go out to the friends and families of these young people. It's very sad to hear that two people who are both so young have died.' Pictured: A police cordon tape at Bothenhampton Nature Reserve Residents in the quiet neighbourhood of Wych Hill are shocked after the deaths of the teenagers. A man, who wished not to be named, said: 'I heard it was a suicide pact between two young people. It's dreadful. Certainly not something you expect to happen on your doorstep. 'Police and an ambulance were here from 10am until 5pm. The fire engine had difficulty getting access (to the reserve).' Another resident described the location where it happened as 'beautiful and quiet'. He said: 'It's quite worrying that something like that could happen here.' And residentJoe Hackett said: 'It's an awful thing to happen and we have never had anything like this happen around here. 'It's very upsetting and the community can't believe what has happened. It's the last thing you expect to happen in such a quiet community. 'It will likely leave the area in shock for some time because there has only been rumours about what happened. Our community has not had confirmation.' Officers are appealing for witnesses who may have seen the teenagers in the Bridport or West Bay area between Saturday January 22 and Tuesday January 25. Pictured: Bothenhampton Nature Reserve Detective Sergeant Simon Lee, of Dorset Police, said: 'Our thoughts are with the families and friends of the two young people who tragically died. 'As is normal in these cases, we are now making inquiries on behalf of the coroner's office to establish the circumstances of the deaths. 'Therefore, we are appealing for information from the public to help us piece together the two young people's movements prior to their tragic deaths.' He said they may have been carrying a pale green Nike bag. DS Lee added: 'Anyone who thinks they might be able to assist with our inquiries is asked to contact Dorset Police.' A five-year-old girl begged her mother not to kill her as she strangled her to death at home. Martina Madarova had put on cartoons for her daughter Alijah Thomas before carrying out the act as the child said: 'Mummy, don't kill me.' Madarova proceeded to strangle Aljah, before 'tucking her in with a blanket' at their home in Ealing, west London. The 41-year-old had been suffering with her mental health and turned to alcohol during the Covid lockdown, and had been in a 'dark place' the night before her daughter's tragic death. She was given a five-year jail sentence after a judge ruled that she had 'low responsibility' over Alijah's death. Martina Madarova had put on cartoons for her daughter Alijah Thomas (pictured) before carrying out the act as the child said: 'Mummy, don't kill me' Madarova (pictured) proceeded to strangle Aljah, before 'tucking her in with a blanket' at their home in Ealing, west London A court heard that in the months leading up to the incident, family members and friends became concerned for Madarova's wellbeing as she appeared 'increasingly stressed'. She was concerned for her income, after her hours as a carer had been reduced, and had become anxious after missing the deadline to enrol Alijah at school. Along with concerns about her mother contracting Covid, and being stuck in the flat all day, she had eventually begun to turn to alcohol as a 'coping mechanism'. In a statement read by prosecutor Duncan Atkinson QC, Alijah's father David Thomas, who still maintained a close relationship with Madarova, said: 'The week before Alijah's death I took four days off to help sort out the school place and to calm Martina down as she was not herself. 'It was clear she was not herself. I was asking her to get herself checked into the GP as she seemed depressed. 'She was putting a lot of pressure on herself. During our discussions about things she would start crying and just walk off into another room.' On the morning of September 14, Alijah's father had left early for work and was notified a few hours later from a phone call from Madarova that their daughter was dead. Due to his distance from the family home, he called his brother and a family friend who rushed to the scene. There, they found Alijah 'tucked into a blanket as if to go to sleep' but she had no pulse and was 'cold to the touch'. Emergency services were called at 12.56pm but Alijah was pronounced dead at the scene. Mr Atkinson told the court that Madarova, a Slovakian national, had drunk two bottles of wine and told the family friends present: 'She's not there anymore, I've done it, I've failed my daughter.' Whilst in the ambulance she also said: 'My daughter, what have I done? My daughter, her life, I took her life. She was the most beautiful thing.' Alijah's last moments were then revealed after Madarova told paramedics that her daughter had said, 'Mummy, don't kill me'. She had responded: 'I don't want to kill you, I just want to help you, no baby you're safe', to which Alijah had replied: 'No mummy, you're killing me.' On the morning of September 14, Alijah's father had left early for work and was notified a few hours later from a phone call from Madarova that their daughter was dead (pic - the road where Madarova lived) Her plan had been to kill her daughter and then commit suicide herself. Whilst in police custody, she was described as 'distressed' and when questioned if she heard voices in her head, she replied: 'What I have done is not normal, I'm going to be all over the news, the voices in my head told me to do it now - I deserve the death sentence. 'It's rare when a mother suffocates her own child, I'm a murderer at the end of the day.' When asked by a psychiatrist for her version of events, she said: 'I know I took Ali from the bedroom to the living room. I put cartoons on for her. She was finding me crying. I was with her for a while. 'It was very embarrassing, my daughter trying to help me. That's when I felt like a failure. Emotional, physical and spiritual mess. Nothing was right.' She was charged with her daughter's murder and in a hearing on December 7, she pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. A moving impact statement from Aliyah's father, David Thomas, was read aloud to the court, in which he described the 'devastating ' impact her death had had on his family. He said: 'I don't think I'll ever get over losing her in this way, she was a bright child. We would take the Tube together and I'll miss those little adventures together, she would ask questions and we would talk about the world. 'I was so proud of her - she would have been an athlete, she had speed. I will miss everything about her, watching her sleep, her giving me a hug before bed, patting her hair, brushing her hair.' Speaking of Madarova, he said his family held 'no malice' towards her, and said that she was the 'best mum' who would never have intentionally hurt their daughter unless for her mental health. He said: 'She is the most innocent person you could meet. She sees the good in everyone and everything. I am very shocked by what has happened as this is just not her. 'Martina would do anything for me or Alijah. She did not like violence and would not allow Alijah to watch cartoons which had an element of violence in them.' Due to his distance from the family home, he called his brother and a family friend who rushed to the scene. Pictured: Police near the house Describing his own mother as his 'rock', he said: 'She's not only upset at losing Aliyah but by the fact that Martina is sitting in prison. 'She does not have a bad word to say against her, she finds it hard to sleep for thinking about Martina.' Judge Richard Marks QC noted that prior to the incident, Madarova had been an 'exemplary mother' and that there was no evidence of her mistreating Alijah at any point before the incident. However, he did tell the defendant that she had ignored multiple warnings from friends and family to seek medical advice and had failed to do so, turning to alcohol instead. Labelling it a case of 'low responsibility', he told the court: 'There are understandable reasons why someone in your condition might not seek the help that you so badly needed.' He acknowledged her 'genuine remorse', and told her: 'You have to live with what you did for the rest of your life.' Madarova was visibly emotional in the dock and cried throughout her sentencing. Alijah's father, who sat throughout the hearing, was praised for his approach to the tragic case, with the judge telling him: 'How very impressed I have been by the way you have approached these matters - no one could behave with higher dignity.' The daughter of a missing Dublin woman has made an appeal for help to find her mother. Bernadette Connolly has been missing from the Swords area since Friday, January 7. Gardai investigating the disappearance of the 45-year-old released CCTV footage in a fresh appeal for information. She was last seen when she was dropped off by a taxi at the car park of the Shoreline Hotel, Donabate, and walked towards the entrance to the beach. Speaking at Donabate Strand, Ms Connolly's daughter Jade Connolly said: 'We are here today to appeal to the public and any local people that were on the beach on the day my mam went missing. Jade Connolly (above), the daughter of a missing Dublin woman, has made an appeal for help to find her mother. Bernadette Connolly has been missing from the Swords area since Friday, January 7 Ms Connolly is pictured above in clothes similar to those she was wearing when last seen Gardai investigating the disappearance of the 45-year-old released CCTV footage in a fresh appeal for information. Bernadette Connolly (above, in the background) was last seen when she was dropped off by a taxi at the car park of the Shoreline Hotel, Donabate, and walked towards the entrance to the beach 'Nollaig na mBan was the 6th of January, also known as Women's Christmas, and my mam went missing that next day. 'I want to get people to think of that significant day. This beach was active that day. People walked by my mam with dogs, people walked before my mam. 'I would appeal to anyone who maybe has photographs of the beach that day or any dashcam footage or maybe even CCTV, if they were in a house nearby.' Ms Connolly also said she wanted to appeal to people who were at the opposite end of the beach, next to Malahide carpark, to contact gardai if they have any information. The missing woman is described as being 5ft 6in, of slim build, with hazel eyes and long black hair. Pictured, Bernadette Connolly. Her daughter, Jade, said: 'Nollaig na mBan was the 6th of January, also known as Women's Christmas, and my mam went missing that next day' Her daughter added: 'I want to get people to think of that significant day. This beach was active that day. People walked by my mam with dogs, people walked before my mam' Gardai said Ms Connolly was wearing a black Nike training top, black Nike leggings, black trainers with a white sole and a black woolly hat with black bobble when she went missing. Garda Inspector Noleen McKenna said: 'The gardai in Swords are renewing their appeal for information about Bernadette Connolly who went missing on January 7 2022. 'If anyone out there has any information that can help, please contact the gardai in Swords. Any information that people may have will be greatly appreciated.' Anyone with information on Ms Connolly's whereabouts is urged to speak to gardai or contact Swords garda station 01 666 4700. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has been mocked mercilessly for posting a bizarre photo of herself with cash on the floor that read, 'Get Vax'd' on Twitter on Thursday night as a way to promote the city's new vaccine campaign. The strange photo, posted on Twitter, shows Lightfoot standing next to the cash totaling $826 with the caption: 'The message is clear. Get vaccinated from the comfort of your home and this stack could be yours.' The 'Get Vax'd' message was comprised of 41 $20 bills, a $5 bill, and a $1 bill for the apostrophe. The odd post from the mayor is meant to encourage Chicago residents to call the city's Department of Health to make an at-home appointment for a vaccine shot and be entered into a raffle to win the cash. However, the post drew immediate criticism online as people mocked the cash incentive for the vaccine and likened Lightfoot's appearance in the photo to that of a comic book villain. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot posted a bizarre promotion for the city's new vaccine program, which enters those who get vaccinated with the Department of Health into a raffle for $826 One Twitter user with the name Evan V was among the many who shared a photo of Lightfoot photoshopped into the Batman villain, The Riddler, with the cash prize instead spelling out' Get The Bat.' Many online were also quick to point out the bizarre amount for the cash prize, mocking the single dollar bill used as an apostrophe in Lightfoot's photo. A Twitter user with the handle MoralityCode wrote, 'Lori, I have to ask why the one random dollar bill?' Another Twitter user with the name Mister Haledaddy expressed his bewilderment at how the odd cash-prize campaign came to be, writing:' Somebody thought this was a good idea. Then, other people thought it was too. Then they actually did it. Then they looked at their product and again thought this was a great idea. Then they published it. This right here is an obvious case of group think right?' Another user with the name Edonk also mocked the Lightfoot's post, tweeting, 'This is the most bizarre way to attempt to get ppl vaccinated. ''This stack.'' Many were quick to mock Lightfoot's post and questioned why the city chose to do a cash prize raffle for the vaccine Lightfoot's post comes as the city tries to combat the Omicron spread, with the city reporting 1,543 cases in the past day, according to the Chicago Department of Health. The city also saw 137 hospitalizations and 18 deaths on Thursday. There were 30,196 tests conducted that day with a positivity rating of 6.8 per cent. About 66 per cent of those eligible for the vaccine are fully vaccinated in Chicago, and nearly 75 per cent have gotten at least one jab. The Chicago Department of Health has not publicly elaborated on the new vaccine program and did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment. The cash incentive mirrors the programs run in New York City where those eligible for the vaccine wo received the jab were rewarded with $100. New York state also ran an incentive program in November called Vaccinate, Educate, Graduate, where it selected 50 vaccinated children to receive full-ride scholarships to any two- or four-year New York State public college or university. Members of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces train in a city park in Kyiv, Ukraine, Jan. 22. AP-Yonhap By Park Jae-hyuk Escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine have prompted the Korean government and companies doing businesses in those countries to keep a close watch on how the situation will unfold. Samsung Electronics, one of 13 Korean firms in Ukraine, said Friday that it will take proper countermeasures in accordance with its internal contingency plan. "We will take necessary measures to protect the safety of our employees and their families," a Samsung Electronics spokesman said. "We are paying attention to the situation at this moment, as there has yet to be any physical conflict after the tensions." POSCO International also said it is keeping a close eye on this issue at this moment, as its Ukrainian operation is located far from the eastern border area. "Other multinational firms from the U.S. and China are also staying in Ukraine," a POSCO International spokesman said. Former Vice President Mike Pence revealed that he has not spoken to former President Trump since last summer. He suggested that Jan. 6, 2021 marked a souring in their relationship. That day, ahead of the Capitol riot, Trump said that Pence 'didn't have the courage' to object to the election results during Congress' certification. Fox News' Jesse Waters asked Pence when the last time he spoke to Trump was on his show Thursday evening. 'You know, we talked last summer,' Pence said. 'And, you know, I've said many times, it was difficult. Jan. 6 was difficult. It was a tragic day in the life of the nation.' 'I know I did my duty under the Constitution of the United States,' Pence added. 'But the president and I sat down in the days that followed that. We spoke about it, talked through it. We parted amicably.' 'You know, we talked last summer,' Pence said of his relationship with Trump. 'And, you know, I've said many times, it was difficult. Jan. 6 was difficult. It was a tragic day in the life of the nation' While Trump wanted Pence to object to the election certification for President Biden's win, the former vice president saw his role in the certification as largely ceremonial Pence, once the most faithful sidekick of the former president, only ever disagreed publicly with Trump in the aftermath of the 2020 election. While Trump wanted Pence to object to the election certification for President Biden's win, the former vice president saw his role in the certification as largely ceremonial. Trump, wanting Pence take action to stop or slow certification, tweeting Jan. 6th: 'States want to correct their votes, which they now know were based on irregularities and fraud, plus corrupt process never received legislative approval. All Mike Pence has to do is send them back to the States, AND WE WIN. Do it Mike, this is a time for extreme courage!' Pence took a softer tone with his former boss in October, saying the two had 'parted amicably' but that the media tries to use 'that one day,' Jan. 6, to 'demean' Trump supporters. 'I know the media wants to distract from the Biden administration's failed agenda by focusing on one day in January. They want to use that one day to try and demean the the character and intentions of 74 million Americans who believe we could be strong again and prosperous again and supported our administration in 2016 and 2020,' Pence said on Fox News' Hannity. 'But I believe that our entire focus today should be on the future,' Pence said, diverting attention from his relationship with Trump. Trump, meanwhile, painted Pence as out of step with Republicans over his decision to certify the election. When was the last time Former Vice President Mike Pence spoke to Former President Trump? WATCH #FoxNews pic.twitter.com/4LWKvK3B0c Jesse Watters Primetime (@jesseprimetime) January 28, 2022 'I think Mike has been very badly hurt by what took place in respect to Jan. 6,' Trump said at an event in Florida in December of last year. 'I think he's been mortally wounded, frankly, because I see the reaction he's getting from people.' 'Mike should have sent those crooked votes back to the legislatures, and you would have had a different result in the election, in my opinion.' Still, Trump has held back in his criticisms of his former second-in-command, saying that Pence was a 'good man' who made a 'big mistake' in not recognizing the 'massive voter fraud and irregularities' Trump has claimed were inherent in the 2020 election results. Advertisement The powerful Nor'easter hitting the East Coast this weekend is already causing chaos for air travelers as more than 2,000 flights were grounded Friday, including most scheduled to take off or land at Boston's Logan Airport. The East Coast is expecting winds 'as powerful as the strongest hurricane' and Bostonians could witness record snowfall as the extreme weather arriving Friday night will impact 75 million people from the Southeast up the coast to New England. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has warned New Yorkers not to travel and canceled outdoor dining and vaccine appointments on Saturday ahead of the powerful Nor'easter. Boston's Logan Airport has canceled most of its flights as the city braces for the worst snowstorm in its history to hit, as all the East Coast prepares for blizzard-like conditions, including up to two feet of snow and flooding in some areas. Across the country, 2,252 flights were cancelled on Friday with 3,472 flights already cancelled for Saturday, according to FlightAware. A Nor'easter is scheduled to arrive on the East Coast Friday night as much of the coast prepares for snow, high winds and coastal flooding The worst of the storm is set to hit on Saturday with wintry weather persisting through the day [12:45 PM Friday] Believe it or not, the snow showers across southern New England this afternoon are NOT associated with tomorrow's Nor'easter. That low pressure is still in its infancy off the coast of Florida#mawx #riwx #ctwx #noreaster pic.twitter.com/47cnXuvBgx NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) January 28, 2022 Boston's Logan Airport is filled with stranded travelers as hundreds of flights have been cancelled ahead of this weekend's winter storm Residents in Lynn, Massachusetts stocked up on groceries ahead of this weekend's storm A sand brim wall is put up to protect beach homes from storm waves in Winthrop, Massachusetts on Friday in preparation for the potential coastal flooding The Boston airport has cancelled 19 out and 117 flights in for Friday and 301 flights out and 285 into the airport on Saturday, according to the flight tracking website. American Airlines, United and Southwest have cancelled all of their Boston flights for Saturday with JetBlue cancelling 96%, Spirit cancelling 87% and Delta cancelling 65%, according to FlightAware. New York airports, including John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia, have cancelled more than 400 flights in and out for Friday and over 1,200 flights arriving and departing on Saturday. All airports should be in the clear by early Sunday morning. 'This storm is likely to strengthen at a rate, and to an intensity, equivalent to only the most powerful hurricanes, so the high-end potential of this storm cannot be overstated,' CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said. Top 10 Boston snowstorms recorded in a 2-day period Feb. 18, 2003: 27.6 inches Feb. 7, 1978: 27.1 inches April 1, 1997: 25.4 inches Feb. 9, 2013: 24.9 inches Jan. 27, 2015: 24.4 inches Feb. 17, 2003: 23.6 inches Jan. 23, 2005: 22.5 inches Jan. 28, 2015: 22.3 inches Feb. 9, 2015: 22.2 inches Jan. 21, 1978: 21.4 inches Advertisement 'But with nor'easters, like in real estate, it will all come down to location, location, location.' The forecasts show that Boston may record its worst snowstorm in history. The major city is expected to receive about 18-24 inches of snow and wind gusts of 70 miles per hour were forecast starting on Saturday. Southeastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and the island of Martha's Vineyard, were expected to get the highest snow totals. If Boston gets hit with more than the 23.6 inches of snow in 24 hours, it will replace the 2003 Blizzard as the snowiest day in the city's history. The 2003 President's Day Storm blizzard was a historic and record-breaking snowstorm all along the East coast with some cities receiving 30 inches of snow. The snowfall will move into the top 10 snowiest days on record, if Boston sees more than 14.8 inches of snow in 24 hours. If the city sees more than 24.6 inches of snow this weekend's storm will become the snowiest since the record was set from the blizzard that hit from January 26 to January 28, 2015. But Boston would need to report more than 27.6 inches within two days break that record. Along with snow and heavy winds, forecasts are all expecting to see flooding in areas along the ocean. 'Coastal flooding is a concern thanks to astronomically high tides on Saturday,' the weather service office in Boston said. 'The combination of strong northeast winds and high seas will bring storm surges that, if coinciding with high tide, would lead to minor or moderate coastal flooding.' The National Weather Service (NWS) on Friday issued a blizzard warning for the Boston metropolitan area, which has a population of nearly 4.9 million residents. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has issued a 'snow emergency' which will being Friday at 9pm. 'Residents are encouraged to stay home,' she tweeted. The first winter storm watches were issued for parts of eastern Massachusetts on Wednesday at 3pm -- some 57 hours before they were set to go into effect at 12am on Saturday. The city's Transportation and Sanitation department has more than 38,000 tons of road salt and the ability to put more than 800 pieces of snow equipment on the road, said Chief of Streets Jascha Franklin-Hodge confirmed. Local meteorologists have said that the forecasts show that a blizzard is very likely to hit Boston on Saturday. To become a blizzard a storm must have sustained wind or frequent gusts of 35mph or greater and considerable falling and/or blowing snow reducing visibility to under a quarter mile for at least three consecutive hours. This weekend's storm would mark the first time Boston has been under a blizzard warning since March of 2018. 'Boston is within the bull's-eye of some of the worst conditions expected, and into Maine,' meteorologist Mary Gilbert told the New York Post. 'They're going to have very strong winds as well, so travel is going to be very difficult.' But Boston isn't the only city awaiting a potential blizzard. Nearly 10 million people across 10 states in coastal counties from New England to Virginia have been issued blizzard warnings. Accuweather forecasters recommend avoiding travel across New England during the storm on Saturday and Sunday night as the storm is likely to maintain its intensity for about eight to 12 hours. Some parts of coastal Atlantic were also facing the possibility of flooding in low-lying areas and vulnerable roadways, the NWS said. Boston will need to see more than 23.6 inches of snow within 24 hours to beat the record set by the snowstorm that hit the city in 2003 (Pictured: Workers at Expressway Motors Inc. in Dorchester had to clean and move automobiles at the auto dealership lot to clear them from snow left by the blizzard of February 2003) The Blizzard of 2003, also known as the Presidents' Day Storm II, blasted all of the East Coast with record-breaking snow and wintry weather (Pictured: Chris Shaughnessy, 12, in Hanover, Massachusetts in February 2003 with his new Christmas present: an Arctic Cat with a plow) The storm system will push temperatures down. Highs will range from 15 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit below average across the eastern third of the US on Saturday. New York City could record 1-inch of snow an hour and pack winds of up to 50mph throughout the city on Saturday. The Big Apple's storm situation remains uncertain. The city is forecasted to get between 8 and 12 inches of snow but has been given a 10% chance of more than 17 inches and a 10% of no snow. The Snow Alert will begin at 4pm on Friday but outdoor dining will remain open until Saturday. Adams issued a Code Blue which aims to shelter the homeless when the temperature drops to 32 degrees or below, including wind-chill. 'We are going to be prepared for it,' Adams told reporters Friday afternoon. 'We can expect up to one foot of snow but you know, Mother Nature has a tendency to do what she wants, and we're just going to be prepared.' The last notable Nor'easter to hit the Northeast came in October, and hammered the area with powerful winds and heavy rains that left more than 600,000 homes and businesses without power at one point, USA Today reported. Disabled Falklands veterans are furious after a hotel cancelled their bookings for this summer's anniversary events to make room for migrants. Scores of former Parachute Regiment soldiers chose the venue in Aldershot, Hampshire, for its proximity to ceremonies taking place on Saturday, June 18 to mark the conflict's 40th anniversary. The now-elderly war heroes fought to recapture the South Atlantic islands in 1982, a mission which cost 255 British troops' lives. Some of the veterans cannot walk and require carers to accompany them. But their bookings were cancelled after owners of the Potters Hotel agreed to accommodate asylum seekers. More than 28,000 people have crossed the English Channel to reach Britain in the last year. The number who made the crossing in 2021 was treble that of 2020, while in the last fortnight 773 have reached the UK by boat. With the Home Office's residential centres overflowing, it has resorted to placing migrants in hotels. Furious: Veteran David Brown (pictured) David 'Charlie' Brown, 60, told the Daily Mail he booked a disabled twin room for him and his carer on the ground floor. He has to take liquid morphine every day and can barely walk across the road or stand up for more than five minutes. Forty years ago he fought with the Parachute Regiment's second battalion (2 Para) at Goose Green, one of the major battles of the South Atlantic campaign. Eighteen British troops were killed and more than 60 wounded on the night of May 28, 1982 when the heavily outnumbered Paras defied the odds to capture key Argentine strongholds. The battle is also famous for the posthumous Victoria Cross won by 2 Para commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Herbert 'H' Jones, who was killed leading an attack up a steep hillside. Retired Mr Brown, from Thornton, West Yorkshire, said he was furious when he was told his room had been taken by migrants and his booking cancelled, and worried he would not find another hotel close enough to the ceremonies. Serving: Private Brown in 1982 He added: 'I'm disgusted. I booked the room last year as soon as it became available because of my specific requirements. 'There are more than 1,000 ex-Paras due to attend the events in Aldershot in June, so all the other hotels are booked up. 'I'm furious because the needs of elderly and infirm former soldiers have just been cast aside, in spite of the significance of the events. 'Aldershot is the regiment's spiritual home. I don't know how I will be able to go because I can barely walk and standing up is agony.' Hotel company chief executive Bob Potter confirmed that the Paras' bookings had been cancelled. He added he had been forced to reach an agreement with Whitehall to accommodate asylum seekers or the hotel would have closed because of a lack of guests. He said: 'We were not taking enough bookings to make it a viable option to keep it open. 'We were approached to lease the hotel for the Home Office as we had to look at alternative revenue streams. 'We are deeply sorry for any inconvenience caused to those who had booked with us.' A Home Office spokesperson said: 'The Government has not booked this hotel as support accommodation during the summer months and any cancellations made for bookings during that period have been made by the hotel without consultation with the Government. 'The Nationality and Borders Bill will deliver the most comprehensive reform in decades to fix the broken asylum system. It will make the system fairer and more effective so that we can better protect and support those in genuine need of asylum.' Potters have offered the Falklands veterans rooms in another hotel owned by the same company in Camberley, Surrey, around seven miles away from Aldershot. A Texas college student who was mauled by two dogs while dog-sitting for a Dallas doctor and his wife has been left 'permanently and catastrophically disfigured' after losing 'most of her face below her eyes,' according to a lawsuit. Jacqueline Durand, a 22-year-old student at the University of Texas at Dallas, went to the home of Dr. Justin and Ashley Bishop on December 23 having been hired to dog sit while they were away. She was assured that when she went to the home, the dogs would already be in their crates and kennels, but on the day Durand visited, the animals were allegedly left to roam around the house freely. Durand's lawyers say that as soon as she opened the door to their home, the dogs pounced and she was viciously mauled by Lucy, a German Shepherd mixed-breed and Bender, a pit bull mix. After she went inside, the dogs then proceeded to maul her 'catastrophically,' tearing off and eating both of her ears, her nose, her lips, and most of her face below her eyes, the lawsuit states. The attack happened one day before her 22nd birthday and just few days after she had already been to meet both dogs at their home with their owner, specifically to get to know them and their routines. The suit argues that the situation Durand was entering was made even more dangerous by virtue of the fact the dogs were not in their kennels, as had been promised. Durand is seeking a jury trial and compensation of more than $1 million. Jacqueline Durand, (pictured) a 22 year-old student University of Texas at Dallas, went to the home of Dr. Justin Bishop and his wife Ashley after being hired to dog sit A sign on the door warns: 'Crazy Dogs. Please don't knock or ring the bell. call or text instead.' The attack is said to have happened at the Bishop family home, pictured, in the northwest suburbs of Dallas, Texas 'The owner assured Jacqueline that the dogs would be crated,' Durand's attorney Chip Brooker said in a statement. 'But, shortly before her first visit, the owner texted Jacqueline to tell her that she failed to crate the dogs before leaving town. A sign on the front door even warns visitors about the violent pets that live at the home. 'Crazy Dogs. Please Don't Knock or Ring the Bell. Call or Text Instead,' reads the sign. After the dogs pushed the door open, Durand claims they knocked her off balance, causing her to fall and drop her cell phone. The dogs were allegedly so violent and bloodthirsty that they pulled all of Jacqueline's clothes off, including her blue jeans. The attack only ended after a neighbor heard the commotion coming from next door. The emergency services were immediately called and Durand was taken straight to a Level 1 trauma center, equipped to handle the most serious of conditions. During the brutal incident, the dogs attacked her entire body leaving her with hundreds of puncture wounds. She currently remains hospitalized having undergone multiple reconstructive surgeries, with more to come. In a January 18 Facebook post, Durand thanked people for their well-wishes from her hospital bed. Durand (pictured) was left with hundreds of puncture wounds and remains hospitalized after undergoing multiple reconstructive surgeries, with more to go The attack happened days after the 22-year-old met both dogs in their home with their owner to get to know them and their routine (Durand pictured before mauling) 'I am so blessed to be surrounded by so much love and support as I go through this hard time in my life. Thank you everyone who is supporting and loving me every step of the way since the beginning! I am making good progress every single day that I'm here. Prayers are being answered! Thank you,' she wrote The dogs were captured and placed in the care of the City of Coppell before a municipal judge decided that both dogs should be euthanized, the suit said. Durand is accusing Dr. Bishop and his wife of negligence for allegedly failing to control, secure and train the animals, as well as 'failing to provide a safe environment for their invitees,' according to the suit. The lawsuit lays the blame directly at the Bishops who allowed the animals to remain on their property while 'knowing they had dangerous propensities.' It alleges the Bishops knew of the dog's tendencies towards violence because of the 'crazy dogs' warning sign that was visible to anyone walking up to the front door. 'Jacqueline will forever measure her life in terms of before and after opening that door,' Brooker said. 'She will be permanently disfigured for the rest of her life, and we filed this lawsuit to make sure all the responsible parties are held accountable.' Between 2005 and 2017, there were a total of 433 deaths caused by dogs in the U.S. Pit bulls continue to top the list of America's most dangerous dog breeds, having been responsible for 284 fatal attacks on humans from 2005 to 2017. The second breed on the list, Rottweilers, came a distant second with 45. A short bicycle ride from the River Cam, where tourists go punting and generations of bleary-eyed students have leapt from bridges to celebrate the end of exams, is the ancient chapel of Jesus College. Dating back to 1157, and famed for candlelit evensongs and an internationally respected choir, its well-worn pews have, over the years, cradled the backsides of such notable alumni as Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the Romantic poet, and a young Prince Edward. The chapel, purportedly the oldest Cambridge University building still in use, is quite a landmark. It boasts stained glass windows by Victorian designer William Morris, several priceless sculptures and oil paintings and no fewer than three vast organs, the most famous of which is adorned with golden panels decorated by Pugin. Times change, however, and next week this tribute to Jesus Colleges benefactor will be front and centre of the latest great scuffle in our never-ending culture wars. Jesus College is pictured above Lost amid such splendour is a white marble plaque affixed to the wall of the west nave. Upon close inspection, it bears a portrait of Tobias Rustat, a bewigged 17th-century philanthropist and courtier to Charles II, who gave generously to Jesus College and was duly buried beneath the chapel following his death in 1694. Until recently, this large but understated monument the work of master sculptor Grinling Gibbons which celebrates its subjects faithfulness and workes of charity has tended to pass most visitors by. Times change, however, and next week this tribute to Jesus Colleges benefactor will be front and centre of the latest great scuffle in our never-ending culture wars. On Wednesday, the Diocese of Ely will commandeer Tobias Rustats last resting place to stage a high-profile and bitterly contested court hearing to determine whether the College patron who, in 1671, gave it 2,000 (some 500,000 today) to fund scholarships for the orphan children of Anglican clergyman should, as the modern saying goes, be cancelled. Scheduled to last at least three days, it will be heard in the chapel by His Honour Judge David Hodge QC, and revolves around an application by Jesus for the Rustat Memorial to be removed from its lofty perch on the walls of the Grade I-listed building and placed instead in a nearby basement that had been used as a wine cellar. Behind this proposal lies an awkward fact: historical records suggest that, towards the end of his life, Rustat profited from the Transatlantic slave trade. Although the sums concerned were comparatively small it seems that perhaps 1.7 per cent of his fortune was connected to slavery and despite the fact no tainted money actually found its way into the College coffers (his bequests pre-dated any of the now-controversial investments), Jesus chose to pursue the ecclesiastical court action in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, calling it part of a process of critical self-reflection on the long-term legacies of enslavement and colonial violence. Master of Jesus, Sonita Alleyne, declared last year: The chapel should offer a welcoming space accessible to every member of our community . . . This is the right solution for our college. Not everyone agrees, however. Indeed, the removal of the monument is being vigorously opposed by a group of 65 former students calling themselves the Rustat Memorial Group. They have lodged a formal objection to the proposed relocation and will be represented at the hearing by a leading ecclesiastical barrister named Justin Gau. Lost amid such splendour is a white marble plaque affixed to the wall of the west nave. Upon close inspection, it bears a portrait of Tobias Rustat, a bewigged 17th-century philanthropist and courtier to Charles II, who gave generously to Jesus College and was duly buried beneath the chapel following his death in 1694 This is a vindictive and misguided gesture by an institution that has completely lost its way, says one of them. The money Rustat gave away is worth millions today, and generations of students have benefited from it. He did endless good things, but they now want to drag him through the mud because of hysteria about something that was barely controversial until a century after he had died. Its Orwellian and is quite wrong. At the centre of legal arguments in which both sides will deploy an array of expert witnesses, including several eminent historians will be a number of thorny and highly topical questions. Among them: is it fair to hold long-dead historical figures to todays ethical standards? Do places of worship have an enduring duty to respect the wishes of the deceased regarding their final resting place? And is our heritage compromised when cultural institutions decide to jettison architecturally significant memorials to once-eminent people whom it is now fashionable to hate? The whole thing also represents a test case for the Church of England, which last May instructed the nations 12,500 parishes and 42 cathedrals to consider the removal, relocation or alteration of plaques or monuments connected to the slave trade. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby supports such gestures, saying that some [monuments] will have to come down, some names will have to change. The fate of Rustats memorial, whose relocation is opposed by English Heritage on conservation grounds, may therefore establish an important precedent. Coverage furthermore presents a danger to the reputation of Jesus College and by extension Cambridge University. Why? Well, despite its holier-than-thou approach to slavery carried out more than three centuries ago, Jesus appears to have a remarkably relaxed approach to equally reprehensible forms of slavery that continue to this day. In recent years, the College has pursued an alarmingly close commercial relationship with the autocratic Chinese Communist Party, which stands accused of presiding over the enslavement and genocide of hundreds of thousands of Uighur Muslims, not to mention the ongoing repression of millions of its own citizens. Nicknamed Xi-sus College after Chinese President Xi Jinping, the institution was revealed in 2020 to have accepted 200,000 from the Chinese state and 155,000 from Chinese telecoms firm Huawei. One of its senior professors, Peter Nolan, runs a non-profit that has been paid tens of thousands of pounds to host training courses for executives from Chinese state-owned companies. Nolans professorship is itself funded by a 3.7 million donation, made in 2009, by a trust said to be controlled by the daughter of a former Chinese prime minister. Another don, professor of nuclear engineering Geoff Parks, has co-authored research funded by the Peoples Liberation Army, according to an investigation by the Henry Jackson Society think-tank. This material included several highly sensitive papers co-authored by a senior Chinese military official. Speaking in Parliament last summer, Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, accused the College of assisting Chinas distortion of academic ideas and academic freedoms in the UK, amid reports that its academics had shut down critical discussion of the Uighur genocide. Jesus chose to pursue the ecclesiastical court action in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, calling it part of a process of critical self-reflection on the long-term legacies of enslavement and colonial violence. Master of Jesus, Sonita Alleyne, pictured, declared last year: The chapel should offer a welcoming space accessible to every member of our community . . . This is the right solution for our college' We have a centre in Jesus College Cambridge which is refusing to talk about abuses of Uighur Muslims for fear of causing offence, said Mr Tugendhat. Is this the first time Jesus himself has taken 30 pieces of silver? This is a deeply disappointing moment for all of us who believe in academic freedom in the UK. In a statement Jesus said: This is about a memorial in our Chapel and not about China. It is, all told, a terrible mess. And to understand how things reached this point, we must wind the clock back to May 2019, when Alleyne, a former media executive and ex-member of the BBC Trust, was appointed Master of Jesus, becoming the first black leader of an Oxbridge college in the process. Shortly after she arrived, it was decided to create a Legacy of Slavery working party to explore the Colleges potential links to that ugly trade and address wider dynamics of institutional racism. Its 11 members comprised two historians, including Labour activist Nicholas Guyatt. When the Colston Four, who tore down the statue of Bristol benefactor Edward Colston in 2020 and threw it in the citys harbour, were acquitted recently, Guyatt tweeted that he was delighted that the Crown Prosecution Service has failed in its attempt to criminalise an iconic moment of protest and a long-overdue historical reckoning. Another member of Jesuss slavery working party is historian Elly Robson, who has opined: The UK is racist. Its wealth was built on an exploitative system of race. The UKs institutions have been shown to be overwhelmingly racist. The UKs borders are racist. Jesus describes the working party as fair and balanced. However perhaps unsurprisingly, given the world view exhibited above members made no effort to probe the Colleges modern paymasters in Communist China, and instead focused on two areas of historic controversy. One involved a bronze cockerel that had been looted from the West African country of Benin during a British military expedition in the late 1800s and given to Jesus College. It was, largely uncontroversially, handed back to the country in a televised ceremony last October. The other involved publicly renouncing Rustat, the son of a vicar and an ardent royalist during the English Civil War, who had helped Charles II escape from the Battle of Worcester, looked after him during subsequent exile, and became his Yeoman of the Robes after the Restoration in 1660. Thanks to his masters patronage, the lifelong bachelor became a wealthy man in middle age, and with no heir, gave away much of his fortune to Jesus (where his father had been educated). On the business front, in 1663 he bought a 1 per cent stake in a company called the Royal Adventurers, which seems to have traded slaves and minerals out of West Africa. The venture failed in 1672, and Rustat lost 90 per cent of the money hed invested, but it subsequently reformed as the Royal African Company in 1676. Over the next 50 years, the firm transported about 150,000 enslaved Africans, mostly to the Caribbean. Rustat, who was alive for about 15 years of the firms existence, appears to have sold his stake three years before his death in 1694, profiting to the tune of 200 or so (about 40,000 today). He also seems to have taken a stake in a firm called the Gambian Adventurers, though the exact nature of its business is unclear. In light of these ventures, the Legacy of Slavery working party decided his name ought to be erased from a number of College events. The Rustat feast, a yearly dinner financed by one of his bequests, was renamed the Summer Feast. The Rustat Conferences, a series of annual talks he also funded, were changed to the Jesus College Conferences. And a portrait of him was removed from the Colleges senior common room. The working party also called for the Rustat Memorial to be removed from the chapel, and in November 2020, the College Council decided to support the move. But there was a snag. Because the chapel is an ecclesiastical building, such a change to its fabric could be made only by first securing authorisation from an ecclesiastical court. The following month, the College made a formal application to the Diocese of Ely. By this point, the hackles of some Jesus alumni, many of whom are also benefactors of the College, had been firmly raised. Many regarded the public shaming of Rustat as unfair, on the grounds that slavery was at the time almost entirely uncontroversial. Indeed, the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade wasnt founded until 1787, almost a century after Rustats death. Furthermore, they reasoned, what is the point of anyone giving money to a College that might in future decide simply to cancel a historic donor? No one today disputes the fact that slavery was abhorrent. But he was a man of his time, says one alumnus. The way Jesus is treating him, youd have thought he spent his life flogging plantation workers. In reality, he was a wealthy courtier in London who made business investments, probably because the King told him to. But because a tiny proportion of these involved slavery, his entire legacy is being shredded. If this stands, where does it lead? Will people in 100 years be combing through donors to cancel people whose pensions were invested in oil or tobacco firms? Many alumni are understood to have cancelled monthly donations to the College in protest. Meanwhile, the Rustat Memorial Group has lodged a formal objection to the Colleges proposals. In court next week, they are expected to argue, among other things, that Rustats investment in the slave trade was marginal in the context of his life, and that the College, which claimed on its website that he derived great wealth from the Royal African Company, has misinterpreted the evidence. The groups expert witnesses include Nigel Biggar, a distinguished Oxford professor who once upset the forces of political correctness by describing the British Empire as morally mixed. Also keeping a watchful eye on proceedings will be descendants of Rustat. One, former Chief Scientist at English Heritage Sebastian Payne who is descended from Rustats brother, Robert regards the removal of the monument as a sort of desecration of his ancestors grave, since it was his dying wish to be buried nearby. High-profile figures within Cambridge have also criticised the case. Prof David Abulafia, an emeritus professor of history at Cambridge, has described the shaming of Rustat as virtue-signalling. Dr Colin Kolbert, emeritus professor of law at Magdalene College, accuses Jesus of entirely empty gestures, telling me: If the College really cared about having a clean conscience, theyd be giving back the money he gave them. In response, Jesus says that returning cash would breach charity law, and argues: The College is not seeking to cancel Rustat. It is applying to have his memorial moved from a place of worship to a more suitable but still prominent place in the College. The fate of that ambition will soon rest in the hands of His Honour Judge David Hodge QC. While the outcome is hard to predict, the whole thing will be expensive. Bringing the case will cost Jesus around 55,000, while relocating the memorial in a listed building could cost 30,000. Even if Jesus wins, opponents are likely to appeal, pushing costs (which, since the college is a Charity, come from charitable funds) still higher. Luckily, the College has deep pockets: its worth around 350 million, thanks to benefactors such as the late Tobias Rustat not to mention some deep-pocketed Chinese Communists, too. Advertisement Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has been spotted taking a break from his $6.8billion empire to catch some waves in Costa Rica. DailyMail.com spotted the tech entrepreneur and philanthropist enjoying the surf Thursday and remaining hyper focused on the waves. At one point he was seen laughing as he chatted up a fellow surfer on the beach. He looked toned as a ever as he went shirtless and wore black shorts, with a gold watch on his wrist. He made sure to protect himself from the UV rays with sunscreen visible on his nose. Dorsey appears to have some extra time for relaxation after stepping down as Twitter CEO in November, saying in a post that he was 'choosing the company over my ego'. Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was spotted taking a break from his $6.8billion dollar empire to catch some waves in Costa Rica DailyMail.com spotted the tech entrepreneur and philanthropist enjoying the surf Thursday and remaining hyper focused on the waves At one point Dorsey was seen smiling and laughing as he chatted up a fellow surfer on the beach The 45-year-old tech mogul made sure to protect himself from the UV rays with sunscreen visible on his nose Dorsey looked toned as a ever as he went shirtless to show off his abs and wore black shorts. He also wore what one would hope is a waterproof watch on his wrist The 45-year-old posted his resignation letter on Twitter in which he explained he had 'worked hard to ensure this company can break away from its founding and founders' before patting himself on the back by noting 'there aren't many founders that choose their company over ego. 'I know we'll prove this was the right move.' Parag Agrawal, 45, was named the new CEO of the social media giant after serving as the company's chief technology officer since 2017. Dorsey was the CEO of Twitter when it was first founded in 2006, and oversaw its startup. He returned to the top job in 2015. He has since faced criticism from top Republican lawmakers for stifling free speech on Twitter and banning former President Donald Trump from the social media site. There have also been calls for tighter legislation on what can be posted on social media sites, with some claiming the site spreads misinformation. Many Republicans celebrated his exit at the time, with Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert tweeting: 'Jack Dorsey is rumored to be stepping down as Twitter CEO. Great. He's been a disaster.' 'Hopefully someone who believes in free speech and our Constitution will take the reins and reinstate the tons of Americans unfairly banned.' Dorsey made sure to check his balance as he rode the waves in to shore. He executed the waves flawlessly, but was seen falling a few times Costa Rica is known for its sublime surf, and Dorsey made sure to take full advantage while on vacation Dorsey appears to have time for relaxation after stepping down as Twitter CEO in November, saying in a post that he was 'choosing the company over my ego' In November, The 45-year-old posted his resignation letter on Twitter in which he explained he had 'worked hard to ensure this company can break away from its founding and founders' There had been concerns about Dorsey's time being divided between Twitter and payment company Square Inc., both multimillion dollar companies. He remains CEO of that company. During his tenure at Twitter, revenue for the social media giant grew sluggishly, with the New York Times reporting that a stock in the company is now worth roughly the same as it was a year ago. As the new CEO, Agrawal announced in December that he would be making some major changes to Twitter's team to streamline company operations and accelerate growth. As a result of his changes, the head of engineering Michael Montano and chief design officer Dantley Davis stepped down from their lead roles and left the company on December 31, 2021. Agrawal's company-wide email explained how he wanted to bring together employees who are divided by their job functions and corresponding teams, according to The Washington Post, which exclusively obtained the email. Agrawal told his staff in his email that he will focus on 'clear decision-making, increased accountability and faster execution,' starting with 'making a number of organizational and leadership changes to best position us to achieve our goals,' as reported by The Post. A FIFO worker charged with drugging and raping two women he met on a sugar-daddy website allegedly raped 20 more women while they were unconscious. Father-of-two Adam Charles Lusk, 43, fronted Perth Magistrates Court on Friday where it was heard he allegedly raped a 23-year-old woman and 28-year-old woman. Police prosecutors allege he had met the women on a sugar-daddy website before slipping ketamine into their drinks and sexually assaulting them. The court heard police had also seized his mobile phone and uncovered footage of 20 more unconscious women allegedly being raped. A FIFO worker charged with drugging and raping two women he met on a sugar daddy website allegedly raped 20 more women while they were unconscious Father-of-two Adam Charles Lusk, 43, fronted Perth Magistrates Court on Friday where it was heard he allegedly raped a 23 and 28-year-old woman Lusk was arrested in January and charged over the alleged sexual assault of the 23 and 28-year-old women. He was charged with three counts of sexual penetration without consent and two counts of stupefying in relation. The court heard Lusk met the first woman on a sugar-daddy website in April before the pair engaged in consensual sex, The West Australian reported. Police allege the pair had visited Joe's Juice Bar when the woman went to the bathroom and Lusk slipped ketamine into her drink on May 21. The woman began to lose consciousness before blacking out and then waking up to Lusk raping her at a Burswood home, the court heard. 'Stop hurting me,' the woman allegedly told Lusk. The court heard Lusk agreed to pay the second woman $350 and met her at a restaurant on December 19. Police allege the pair went back to his Ascot home where Lusk snorted a white powder before he prepared the woman a drink in the kitchen. Police prosecutors allege he had met the women on a sugar-daddy website before slipping ketamine into their drinks and sexually assaulting them The court heard police had also seized his mobile phone and uncovered footage of 20 more unconscious women allegedly being raped The woman then began to lose her memory and remembered waking up in bed with Lusk where he joked about what he had done, the court heard. Lusk has pleaded not guilty to the five charges brought against him and made his application for bail. His lawyer lawyer Stephen Gabriel said his client's parents were willing to put up a surety and house their son at their Dawesville home. Magistrate Joe Randazzo labelled the seriousness of the offences as 'the highest order' and said it would be 'wholly inappropriate' to grant him bail. Lusk will appear in court in April. Accession Day. In 1952, it was a time for mourning a beloved father. We can only guess the weight of the emotional burden that unexpectedly befell the young Princess Elizabeth when the King died on February 6 that year. While it was a day to celebrate the start of a new reign, we should never forget that, for the Queen, it is also a day of pain and bereavement. Seventy years later, it marks the start of the Queens Platinum Jubilee and is a time for looking back with gratitude for a reign thats still going strong, and for 70 years of memories our own and those we have inherited. We shouldnt hold back: monarchy either lives in the hearts and experiences of ordinary British people, or it doesnt really live at all. We can only guess the weight of the emotional burden that unexpectedly befell the young Princess Elizabeth when the King died My first glimpse of the Queen was through a rainy limousine window in a wintry Scottish town, where our school was gamely trying to line a street with loyal, smiling faces. It was two thrills in one: we got to see the Queen and we skipped double maths. Later I overheard the headmaster excitedly re-living the experience for the benefit of the staff-room: ...and when she looked at me it was as if she was saying, How lovely to see you here! Even at the tender age of nine, it occurred to me that if the Queen really had been glad to see him, she must indeed be a person of extraordinary grace and stamina. I had already learned an important lesson about Her Majesty: just a fleeting sense of her presence could do wonders for morale. Our notoriously savage headmaster was a ray of sunshine for several hours following his close encounter with the sovereign proving that you should never discount the soft power of royalty. Like the headmaster, my parents served in the Armed Forces of the Queens father during World War II. Fighting for King and country was not the abstract idea it might seem today. It was a real thing. Years later, I absorbed this history as part of my growing up. To my impressionable mind, it somehow made the Queen an honorary member of our family. After all, she was about the same age as my mum and they had both been in the Army. And, conclusively, they even had the same hairstyle. Had she lived to see it, my mother would have been especially proud when, 23 years later, I was appointed equerry to the Queens glamorous daughter-in-law and future Queen-consort, Princess Diana. Just a fleeting sense of Her Majesty's presence can do wonders for morale The monarchy had moved on a bit by then, and not entirely for the better: we were on the brink of the traumatic years of family upheaval that culminated in the notorious annus horribilis of 1992. The Windsors were now just more celebrity gossip and diary fodder in mass circulation newspapers. It marked a dangerous fall in public respect. Even as I arrived at the palace, I knew from rumours that Charles and Dianas marriage might not be the real-life fairytale we had all been sold. It wasnt long before I had a chance to update my childhood impressions of the Queen and get a valuable insight into my new boss. There was a diary planning meeting, a set-piece event during which the prince and princess and their staffs went through the tortuous process of deciding the Waleses official engagements for the next half-year. There could be some tense moments, like when the prince was asked to take on a non-negotiable invitation he would much rather decline. Cue much respectful persuasion from his private secretary, to no avail. I knew from rumours that Charles and Dianas marriage might not be the real-life fairytale we had all been sold It was Diana, now growing restless with the delay, who broke the stalemate. Why dont you ask your mother to do it? she asked. There was a collective gasp at this unprecedented break with convention. Then she shocked the assembled bureaucrat courtiers even more. You could phone her, continued Diana. Use the phone on your desk. This was revolutionary. Communication of this kind should be through established channels with lots of leisurely paperwork. Yet, after only a slight pause, the prince rose from his seat, crossed to his desk and lifted the phone. In minutes, he was speaking to the Queen, and in a minute more she had agreed to do the engagement in his place. As the prince returned to his seat, his wife flashed everybody a Diana look that said: See! It takes a woman to get things done around here! No, I thought to myself. Make that two women. That small incident was typical of many stories in palace folklore. Take, for example, the moment when the Queen turned what could have been a diplomatic fiasco into a breakthrough for the birth of the new South Africa. It was 1991, and the heads of government meeting of the Queens beloved Commonwealth was being held in Harare, Zimbabwe. Guests arrived in a succession of limousines and joined the Queen for a pre-dinner reception. But then the unthinkable happened: an uninvited guest rolled up to the door of State House. Out of the black Mercedes stepped the leader of the African National Congress, the recently released prisoner of Robben Island, Nelson Mandela himself. With the worlds Press watching, any suggestion of surprise or hesitation might have been mistaken for a snub. It could have been a disaster. The Queen invited the recently-released Nelson Mandela to a Commonwealth leaders' summit in 1991 But the Queen didnt miss a beat, welcoming her extra guest as her officials swiftly reorganised the dinner seating plan. Pragmatism matched with courtesy and more than a touch of cool. As I learned, these are among the Queens defining qualities. I saw more of her practical approach when I accompanied Prince Charles to the Remembrance Day service in Hong Kong, when it was still a British Crown Colony. Since I would be handing the prince his wreath to lay on the Cenotaph, I took a close interest in an animated discussion between protocol officials. The Hong Kong team expected the Governor, as the Queens representative, to lay the first wreath; but we visitors maintained that, since the Queens heir was present, he should take precedence. Protocol disagreements can be tense. The debate swung back and forth for what seemed a very long time. Finally, somebody had the bright idea of contacting the Queen personally to get her ruling on the matter. The decision came straight back: the Governor goes first. The point to note is that the Queens unstuffy approach to problems and life in general is the opposite of how monarchs are assumed to think. In some palace offices there is a temptation to over-complicate simple issues. By contrast, the Queens priorities are refreshingly clear: recognise what is required and then get on with it, without the need for coaxing, histrionics or fuss. Add to this philosophy an eye that famously misses no detail and a legendary palace intelligence network, and you have the keys to an extraordinarily effective monarchy. Its an effectiveness carried so lightly that it might be missed altogether amid todays taste for overwrought communications. But underestimate it at your peril. Now imagine the monarchy without her. The more you think about it, the more disturbing it feels. Like a betrayal. Yet its an inevitability that only grows closer. She is irreplaceable but her successors are already lined up, three generations ahead. Although Elizabeth will one day leave us, the Windsors will not. They are our continuing inheritance. How does that feel? Although Elizabeth will one day leave us, the Windsors will not. They are our continuing inheritance. How does that feel? Reassuring, I suppose, but with certain distinct misgivings. The Queens reign continues to be a masterclass in feminine power sometimes subtle, sometimes displayed for effect. Having ascended the throne as a brave and vulnerable young princess, its likely she will be followed by a succession of elderly men. Nothing wrong with that, of course. Age and wisdom go together (usually) so maybe its time for some old, wise kings. Like it or not, though, we live in an image-conscious age. The Windsors themselves obviously recognise this just look at the way the royal PR budget has soared over recent years. They may claim not to care about popularity, but they do need broad support from all generations. Especially from the young, who will be subsidising the monarchy for the rest of their lives. To that generation, a monarch near their own age, preferably with a photogenic family and dependable private life, would be someone to invest in for the long haul. Luckily for Buckingham Palace, the Cambridges have proved they have the charisma of Williams mother, the public service ethos of his grandmother and the common sense that is just the kind of wisdom the Windsors need. Which only reminds us that Prince Andrew has been banished and Prince Harry has self-exiled. But this still leaves us with a future king whose charity, The Princes Foundation, is under investigation and a future queen-consort indelibly implicated in the tragedy of Princess Diana. The failings and frailties of the Queens family only make her example shine brighter. The Platinum Jubilee lets us celebrate that example. It also lets us ask why we have a queen in the first place. Why not a president? The Cambridges have the common sense that is just the kind of wisdom the Windsors need. Which only reminds us that Prince Andrew has been banished and Prince Harry has self-exiled The answer doesnt need a long lecture on the theory and practice of constitutional monarchy. We only need to point to a picture of the Queen. This is the British state in human form, the living, breathing focus and pathway for official patriotic sentiment. Hence God Save the Queen, not God Bless Britain. Churchill described the British system as a crowned republic: In our island, by trial and error, and by perseverance across the centuries, we have found a very good plan. Here it is. The Queen can do no wrong but advisers can be changed as often as the people like to use their right for that purpose. The Queen can do no wrong. Thats a reassuring default position but, of course, our Queen has improved on it immeasurably over a lifetime of service. Her achievements outstrip the efforts of the most industrious historians. Consistently they perceive in the Queen a set of qualities which reassuringly confirm a humanity to which we can feel connected, and a willingness to sacrifice which earns our loyalty. Adjectives such as humorous, pragmatic, modest, straightforward and unstuffy arent awarded lightly; they are earned through years of dedicated service, the bedrock of a reputation few elected leaders could match. Churchill described the British system as a crowned republic: In our island, by trial and error, and by perseverance across the centuries, we have found a very good plan The pattern for her successors could not be clearer. Whatever storms may blow, whatever passions may rage, whatever shocks rock the foundations of Britain a confident, hard-working monarchy sends a reassuring message of calm and continuity. By acting only on the advice of elected ministers and resisting the temptation to pursue the mirage of fashionable relevance it preserves its unifying legitimacy. And by honouring excellence, service and duty, it encourages the rest of us to do more and better with what we have. By all these measures, the Queen has set an example that may never be equalled, only followed by future generations as best they can. As we have seen, from the tragically early death of her father, to the annus horribilis and beyond, she has metaphorically and literally squared her shoulders, set her jaw and uncomplainingly met every test fate has sent her. Perhaps that steadfastness can be traced to an unworldly strength the Queen has never made a secret. She made it especially plain when, aged just 21, she famously committed her life to the service of her people. God help me to make good my vow. Who could doubt that her prayer has been answered in full measure? Now is a time for prayers of thanks for her lifetime of service. Lets pray, too, that if there must be another Accession Day, it keeps us waiting many years yet. Patrick Jephson was equerry and private secretary to HRH The Princess of Wales from 1988 to 1996. A rare portrait of Princess Diana sold for a whopping $201,600 - more than 10 times the expected price, Sotheby's announced Friday. The oil painting, which is a head study, by the late American artist Nelson Shanks was done in 1994, three years before her death. 'Diana, Princess of Wales' was expected to fetch up to $20,000, according to the auction house. Diana is shown in a green halter dress by designer Catherine Walker. She has earrings on and her eyes are glancing downward. The head study was created during the beginning of a larger full-length portrait, with artists occasionally using such head studies to gather details and perspectives on the subject's face. Diana sat for more than 35 hours for a commissioned full-length portrait, which originally hung in Kensington Palace and now resides in her ancestral home in Althorp in Northamptonshire, the auction house stated. Shanks painted a second full-length version of the portrait of Diana from memory in 2010. 'Diana, Princess of Wales,' pictured, was expected to fetch up to $20,000 but it sold for $201,600, according to Sotheby's A full-sized portrait of Princess Diana by American artist Nelson Shanks Pictured: Artist Nelson Shanks painting Princess Diana in 1994, three years before her tragic death Pennsylvania artist Nelson Shanks stands next to his portrait of Pope John Paul II (died April 2005) at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia on January 6, 2003 Diana developed a friendship with Shanks and his wife Leona during her more than 30 sittings with the artist, and in a letter, later lamented that she no longer saw them regularly in London. 'I do miss you and Leona in London, as coming to the Studio was a safe haven, so full of support and love,' she wrote, according to Sotheby's. The portrait shows Princess Diana's face bearing a 'thoughtful expression' and 'downcast eyes,' which were similarly included in her full length-portrait. The dress was later changed to a white blouse for the final, larger project, according to Sotheby's. The auction house describes the final portrait as reflecting 'the emotional toll of Diana's public life in the mid-1990s, but also her inner-resilience.' Pictured: The Princess Of Wales visits Washington Gala Charity Dinner in 1996 Diana, the Princess Of Wales visits Washington Gala Dinner, left, and visiting the Royal Brompton Hospital to meet Cystic Fibrosis sufferers, right, both in 1997 Diana's marriage to Prince Charles had already fallen apart by 1994. The next year, she famously revealed the breaking point of the once-dream marriage during an interview with the BBC. 'There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded,' she said at the time, referring to Charles' relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, the current Duchess of Cornwall. Diana added that she had been with 'with a husband who loved someone else.' Her divorce to Charles was finalized in 1996 following four years of separation and endless tabloid coverage. However, the paparazzi's nonstop pursuit of the beloved princess led to her death the following year when the car she was riding in crashed in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris. Shanks went on to famously paint the official presidential portraits of Bill Clinton, pictured, for the National Portrait Gallery Shanks also painted the official presidential portrait of Ronald Reagan, pictured Shanks was a painter, teacher and art historian influential in the revival of Classical Realism in the United States. His portraits of royalty, politicians and celebrities added to his international profile as one of the foremost contemporary figurative painters. He painted the official presidential portraits of Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton for the National Portrait Gallery before dying of cancer at the age of 77 in 2015. In the Clinton portrait, he even added a salacious Easter egg by including a not-so-subtle reference to the Monica Lewinsky scandal, which led to Clinton getting impeached. 'If you look at the left-hand side of it there's a mantle in the Oval Office and I put a shadow coming into the painting and it does two things,' he told NPR. 'It actually literally represents a shadow from a blue dress that I had on a mannequin, that I had there while I was painting it, but not when he was there. It is also a bit of a metaphor in that it represents a shadow on the office he held, or on him.' NSW has recorded its deadliest day of the pandemic while Victoria continues to mark some of the highest daily deaths since 2020. NSW reported 49 deaths on Saturday - beating the record 46 reported last week. Victoria recorded 31 more deaths - down from 39 reported on Friday - marking some of the highest daily death rates since the state's second outbreak two years ago. In a positive twist, the state has experienced a dip in Covid-19 cases with 12,250 new infections - down from the previous 12,755. NSW has recorded a slight bump with 13,354 new cases - up from 13,333. NSW has recorded its deadliest day of the pandemic while hospitalisations and Covid-19 case numbers remain steady NSW reported 49 deaths on Saturday - beating the record 46 reported last week (pictured, customer outside a Chemist Warehouse) Hospitalisations have dropped slightly in both states with NSW recording 2,693 patients - down from 2,737 - and Victoria reporting 953 patients - down from 988. NSW recorded a slight dip in ICU rates with 186 patients now being treated - down from 189 - while Victoria has remained steady at 114. More than eight million rapid antigen tests have been distributed to over 3,000 NSW schools ahead of the return of term one of the year. Education secretary Georgina Harrisson says the test distribution has been 'one of the most challenging logistical undertakings in recent memory'. Parents should already have been informed about how they can pick up RATs before the first day of term for public school students begins on Tuesday. Those attending private schools returned to school on Thursday. The government released its back-to-school plan on Sunday, with advice that all students take a rapid test before the first day of term one. As criticism grew over the distribution of tests around the state, Premier Dominic Perrottet said on Thursday there was 'never a requirement' for students to be rapid tested on day one of term. NSW recorded a slight dip in ICU rates with 186 patients now being treated - down from 189 - while Victoria has remained steady at 114 Department staff have been volunteering their time, some of them delivering test kits to schools using their own cars, while one school used a ferry to get kits to families. The back-to-school plan says testing will continue twice a week for the first four weeks of the term. The premier said on Friday as school returned and people went back to the office there was 'no doubt' case numbers would increase. He added our 'health care system, hospitalisations and ICU' were in a 'strong position' to handle a possible rise in cases. 'Living alongside the virus means there will be cases of the virus in the community each and every day. Education secretary Georgina Harrisson says the test distribution has been 'one of the most challenging logistical undertakings in recent memory' 'When mobility increases, case numbers increase. That is the model we've moved to in NSW, Australia and around the world.' Some 2737 were hospitalised with COVID-19 on Friday, easing only slightly from the highest-ever number of 2943, reported in the state on Wednesday. NSW recorded 70 COVID-19 deaths on Friday, including 35 fatalities from aged care facilities who lagged on reporting to local health authorities in the past month. An employee checks equipment at the Dashava underground gas storage facility near Striy, outside Lviv, Ukraine, in this May 28, 2015, file photo. AFP-Yonhap Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have heightened concerns about Russian gas flows, prompting the United States to assure European allies it will help them find alternative supplies. The U.S. administration has approached Qatar and other major energy producers to see if they can help should Russia attack Ukraine and the United States impose sanctions on Russia. Russian gas flows to Europe have been lower than usual for several months already. European politicians say Russia is using high gas prices as leverage in a dispute over the Gazprom-backed Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. Gazprom says it is meeting commitments to European customers. Europe relies on Russia for around 35 percent of its natural gas. Most comes through pipelines including Yamal-Europe, which crosses Belarus and Poland to Germany, Nord Stream 1, which goes directly to Germany, and via Ukraine. Europe's gas markets are linked by a network of pipelines. Most countries have cut reliance on Russian gas over the years and there are also more supply routes that bypass Ukraine. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said Ukrainian transit of Russian gas has been reduced by 70 percent, from over 140 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 1998 to less than 42 bcm in 2021. By last year Ukraine was a transit corridor largely for gas going into Slovakia, from where it continued to Austria and Italy, the CSIS added. But sanctions on Russia could impact flows through other pipelines such as Yamal-Europe, Nord Stream 1 and TurkStream. Nord Stream 2 is awaiting certification before Russian gas can flow through to Germany. U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Wednesday that Nord Stream 2 will not move forward if Russia invades Ukraine. "It would be difficult for Europe to stomach sanctions which effectively cut off Russian gas supply, or at least a large portion of these flows," said analysts at ING. Some countries have other options. For example, Germany, the biggest consumer of Russian gas, can also import from Norway, the Netherlands, Britain and Denmark via pipelines. But Norway, Europe's second largest supplier, is delivering natural gas at maximum capacity and can't replace any missing supplies from Russia, its prime minister said. Southern Europe can receive Azeri gas via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline to Italy and the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) through Turkey. Neighboring countries can transfer gas via interconnectors but nations may be unwilling to part with gas they might need and importers would have to pay a high price. On top of all this, European gas storage levels are very low for winter, when demand is traditionally highest. "Cushion gas" held in underground storage to maintain pressure levels could theoretically be used in emergencies, analysts say. Longer term, the European Commission has proposed a system for EU countries to jointly buy strategic stocks of gas. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports to north-west Europe, particularly from the United States, have climbed this month as the price of Dutch gas, the European benchmark, is higher than its Asian LNG counterpart. But there is a limit to how much LNG suppliers can produce and transport. Global liquefaction capacity is almost fully utilized and so are LNG vessels, think tank Bruegel said on Thursday. Qatar, one of the world's top LNG producers, could send some additional gas to Europe but spare supply is scant as most volumes are under contract, a source told Reuters this week. "Assuming average temperatures, high LNG imports would prevent the most severe physical shortages before the end of this winter localized shortages are possible, due to infrastructure limitations," Bruegel said. Snow covered transfer lines are seen at the Dominion Cove Point Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal in Lusby, Maryland, March 18, 2014. Reuters-Yonhap Several nations have options to fill the gap, including power imports via interconnectors from neighbors, or increased power generation from nuclear, renewables, hydropower or coal. But nuclear availability is declining in Germany, Britain, Belgium and France due to ageing plants, decommissioning, phase-outs and frequent outages. Under pressure to meet climate targets, several EU countries have shut down old coal-fired power plants or are not building new ones. Some countries retain coal plants for use for back-up supply but many have already been fired up due to high gas prices. In past crises, countries have introduced measures to reduce industrial production at certain times, pay back-up generators to switch on supply, order households to curtail energy use, or enforce temporary power cuts. The past 15 years have seen several disputes between Russia and Ukraine over gas, mostly to do with prices paid. In 2006, Gazprom cut off supplies to Ukraine for one day. In the winter of 2008-9, disruptions to Russian supply rippled across Europe. In 2014, Russia cut off supplies to Kyiv after annexing Crimea. Ukraine stopped buying Russian gas in November 2015. Ukraine has reduced reliance on direct gas imports from Russia via a reverse flow mechanism, allowing Ukraine to import from EU countries. (Reuters) The House January 6th Committee on Friday subpoenaed 14 people involved in the effort to send fake certifications of the electoral vote for president in 2020 saying they had information on 'who was behind that scheme.' The panel said the people falsely tried to declare Donald Trump the winner of the 2020 election in seven swing states where Trump claimed fraud occurred as part of his election overturn effort. The 'purported' electors met in December, then sent official certifications to the National Archives and Congress before Congress was set to meet to count the electoral votes as set in statute. 'The existence of these purported alternate-elector votes was used as a justification to delay or block the certification of the election during the Joint Session of Congress on January 6, 2021,' wrote panel Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.). The move came before the committee also subpoenaed former White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere, CNN reported. It sought documents and testimony about his role in 'formulating White House's response to the January 6 attack as it occurred,' as well as a Jan. 5, 2000 staff meeting in the Oval Office with Trump. The House Jan. 6th committee subpoenaed 14 people who submitted 'alternative' electors to the federal government before Congress met to count the electoral votes. Chair Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi said they were 'used as a justification to delay or block the certification of the election during the Joint Session of Congress on January 6, 2021' The committee is demanding information and testimony from 14 people who the panel says allegedly met and submitted false Electoral College certificates declaring Trump the winner of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, according to a letter from Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, the Democratic chairman of the panel. President Joe Biden won all seven states. 'We believe the individuals we have subpoenaed today have information about how these so-called alternate electors met and who was behind that scheme,' Thompson said in the letter. 'We encourage them to cooperate with the Select Committee's investigation to get answers about January 6th for the American people and help ensure nothing like that day ever happens again.' The efforts by 'alternate electors' came as Trump allies were demanding Vice President Mike Pence refuse to count votes certified by states. He did not Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) (R) and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) (C), joined by fellow committee members, speak to the media following a hearing of the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol on July 27, 2021 at the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, DC Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, speaks during a joint session of Congress to count the electoral votes for US President at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, January 6. Under the U.S. system, people vote to choose electors who then meet as the electoral college. Congress then meets to count the votes as certified The House Jan. 6 committee announced the subpoenas Friday People subpoenaed by Jan. 6th Committee in probe of 'alternate electors' sent to Congress Nancy Cottle, Chairperson, Arizona Loraine B. Pellegrino, Secretary, Arizona David Shafer, Chairperson, Georgia Shawn Still, Secretary, Georgia Kathy Berden, Chairperson, Michigan Mayra Rodriguez, Secretary, Michigan Jewll Powdrell, Chairperson, New Mexico Deborah W. Maestas, Secretary, New Mexico Michael J. McDonald, Chairperson, Nevada James DeGraffenreid, Secretary, Nevada Bill Bachenberg, Chairperson, Pennsylvania Lisa Patton, Secretary, Pennsylvania Andrew Hitt, Chairperson, Wisconsin Kelly Ruh, Secretary, Wisconsin Advertisement The nine-member panel said it has obtained information that groups of individuals met on Dec. 14, 2020 - more than a month after Election Day - in the seven states. The individuals, according to the congressional investigation, then submitted fake slates of Electoral College votes for Trump. Then 'alternate electors' from those seven states sent those certificates to Congress, where several of Trump's advisers used them to justify delaying or blocking the certification of the election during the joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021. In the end, Congress ended up accepting the votes certified by governors and top state election officials, meeting even after rioters broke through police lines and entered the Capitol. The baseless claims of election fraud from the former president and his allies fueled the deadly insurrection on the Capitol building that day as a violent mob interrupted the certification of the Electoral College results. The committee action came after a top Justice Department official confirmed that prosecutors are reviewing fake slates of electors. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said federal prosecutors were 'looking at' the matter using careful language to avoid providing details of any investigation. 'We've received those referrals. Our prosecutors are looking at those and I can't say anything more on ongoing investigations,' she told CNN in an interview. Federal prosecutors have charged hundreds of people with violent offenses and wrongfully entering the Capitol or destroying property during the Capitol riot. But it was only when prosecutors filed charges against members of the Oath Keepers alleging seditious conspiracy in recent days that the government signaled any kind of a probe that might go after planners of the events of Jan. 6th or other election related offenses. 'We've received those referrals. Our prosecutors are looking at those,' said Deputy AG Lisa Monaco when asked about submissions of fake electors Trump and his allies publicly discussed efforts to submit 'alternate' electors from Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, Nevada and New Mexico, the same states where Trump allies claimed fraud occurred, but where courts tossed out their claims. The group American Oversight published the documents after obtaining them from the government. The idea was to present Congress with conflicting slates, which could set off a clash over rightful electors which would ultimately go to the House where Republicans could try to prevail by controlling a majority of the state delegations. Last week, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said she thought there was sufficient evidence to charge 16 Republicans who submitted false certificates stating Trump won Michigan's electoral votes. Joe Biden won the state by more than 100,000 votes. AG Merrick Garland said on the anniversary of Jan. 6th: 'The Justice Department remains committed to holding all January 6th perpetrators, at any level, accountable under law, whether they were present that day or were otherwise criminally responsible for the assault on our democracy.' Sources told CNN last week that Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani coordinated the effort by Trump backers in states where Trump and his allies were claiming fraud Last week, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said she thought there was sufficient evidence to charge 16 Republicans who submitted false certificates stating Trump won Michigan's electoral votes Monaco referenced 'referrals' regarding the fake electors She said her office had been looking at the issue for a year before referring it to DOJ. 'Under state law, I think clearly you have forgery of a public record, which is a 14-year offense, and election law forgery, which is a five-year offense,' the Democrat told MSNBC. She said DOJ was best suited to prosecute. Monaco also echoed Attorney General Merrick Garland and used boilerplate language to describe the investigation, saying prosecutors are 'going to follow the facts and the law, wherever they lead, to address conduct of any kind and at any level that is part of an assault on our democracy.' The documents that various state 'alternate' electors submitted to the National Archives in December 2020 before Congress met to count the votes bear similarities in language. Officials swore the were 'duly elected and qualified Electors for President and Vice President of the United States' and signed the documents. But their efforts weren't signed by governors or the top state elected officials whose approval was needed. Those officials ended up backing the electors who went along with the votes certified by states, even in instances where top election officials were Republicans, such as Georgia and Arizona. Sources told CNN last week that Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani coordinated the effort. The documents didn't change the outcome. In the end, Congress ended up accepting the electors certified by states, with enough sufficient to make Biden the winner. Attorney General Merrick Garland said on the anniversary of Jan. 6th: 'The Justice Department remains committed to holding all January 6th perpetrators, at any level, accountable under law, whether they were present that day or were otherwise criminally responsible for the assault on our democracy.' But the DOJ has faced criticism for appearing to focus on lower-level defendants who breached the Capitol and battled law enforcement. The House January 6th Committee in a series of subpoenas has sought information on people who helped develop a theory and strategy where Congress might fail to accept votes certified for Biden. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) wrote DOJ to provide the names of 10 fake pro-Trump electors. 'I've had people in my district ask me what's being done with these folks, he told the New York Times. 'Enough people kept bringing it up. If people think they can get away with some scam, they'll try another and another.' The House Jan. 6th committee is also probing the matter. 'We want to look at the fraudulent activity that was contained in the preparation of these fake Electoral College certificates, and then we want to look to see to what extent this was part of a comprehensive plan to overthrow the 2020 election,' said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a member of the select committee. A mother has been jailed after 'paying a stranger $200 to take her baby son' and then refusing to reveal to police where the child currently is. Lyn Kim Do, 21, was sentenced to six months behind bars after she was found guilty of contempt in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia this week. It followed a deliberate breach of an order where she was expected to disclose the current whereabouts of her 19-month-old son, Hoang Vinh Le. Ms Do initially told the court she gave her baby to a woman named 'Kathy Nguyen' on May 19 in 2021. She said they met at a coffee shop in Cabramatta in Sydney's west and that she handed Hoang Ving Le to the woman along with $200 to care for him overnight. The whereabouts of Hoang Vinh Le (pictured) is unknown - he was last seen in April last year in Canberra The child's mother Lyn Kim Do (pictured left) was jailed this week for six months for refusing to tell police the baby's current whereabouts Ms Do and the baby's father Hoang Thanh Le, 28, were arrested the next day - but the child has not been seen since. Ms Do and Mr Le have also failed to help police identify the person only known as 'Kathy Nguyen.' The little boy's disappearance followed court made orders on April 19 last year that the youngster was to live with his maternal grandmother. In a sworn affidavit, Ms Do said she left baby Vinh with his godmother because she 'could not give him the care he needed' and she 'did not want him to live with her mother.' In a sentencing judgment released this week, Justice Shane Gill said Ms Do's withholding of information about her son's whereabouts is a 'matter of grave seriousness'. 'The path that you have chosen does not do Vinh any good. If you want to challenge who he is to live with then this is the place to make that challenge, not by hiding him away out of reach of the court,' Justice Gill said. 'Make it right and make it right soon, Ms Do. While Vinh remains missing this matter is not ended. It does not end at you having served six months imprisonment. 'This is a matter that will continue while he remains missing.' Justice Gill also called out the police for their role in the ongoing matter, labelling the investigation 'sloppy.' It is the second time Ms Do has been jailed for contempt relating to her son Vinh, after she received an early sentence of one week due to her noncompliance with orders regarding the child, according to the Daily Telegraph. The AFP first launched an investigation into the child's whereabouts last May after he disappeared from outside a medical practice in Canberra. A sudden burst of machine-gun fire echoed over the fields, followed by a strange buzzing over our heads as we trudged along a path through a cluster of destroyed summer houses clinging to a hillside. 'That's a drone,' said Sergiy, shifting the Kalashnikov automatic rifle on his shoulder as flakes of thick snow fell from the foggy skies. 'They are used before artillery attacks,' he added, before urging: 'Let's move faster out of here.' We did not need much encouragement. We had just passed the grim memorial to two soldiers killed here on the eastern Ukraine frontline of what had been Europe's forgotten war until the world's attention was gripped by the looming prospect of Vladimir Putin invading this country of 44million people. Sergiy had also been telling me about a fallen comrade who died in a shelling last September. 'Only fools are not afraid,' said the 25-year-old officer, whose daughter is about to celebrate her first birthday. 'I'm afraid of being killed or badly injured, not just for myself but for my family. And every soldier on the frontline has a family.' As we moved swiftly over the frozen ground, the scenes around us looked like a film set with blown-out buildings, abandoned toys and clothes, smoke billowing from chimneys and armed soldiers clad in winter camouflage uniforms. Nearby, where the car I had used to get here was parked, was the mangled wreckage of a restaurant struck by artillery fire four months ago. Also, a crude sign warning of sniper fire. Several stray dogs barked at us before coming to say hello, their tails wagging. This is the reality of Russia's assault on Ukraine, which, for all the talk of troops now massing around the country's borders and of Putin launching an invasion, began here in the Donbas region eight years ago after nationwide pro-democracy protests ousted the Kremlin's stooge president of the country in 2014. Nearby, where the car I had used to get here was parked, was the mangled wreckage of a restaurant struck by artillery fire four months ago. Also, a crude sign warning of sniper fire. Several stray dogs barked at us before coming to say hello, their tails wagging. This is the reality of Russia's assault on Ukraine, which, for all the talk of troops now massing around the country's borders and of Putin launching an invasion, began here in the Donbas region eight years ago after nationwide pro-democracy protests ousted the Kremlin's stooge president of the country in 2014. Putin's response, as I witnessed back then, was brutal. The Kremlin illegally seized Crimea, sparked separatist insurgencies in eastern Ukraine and started a war that drags on today over the breakaway pro-Moscow 'republics' of Donetsk and Luhansk. Fighting for freedom: Lieutenant Tatiana Zaritska (pictured) took Ian Birrell to talk to Ukrainian troops on the frontline The frontline runs like a livid scar for 175 miles along Ukrainian soil and in places such as Avdiivka, a town near Donetsk, the rival forces are dug into positions with trenches snaking over the land like a ghastly re-enactment of the First World War. The two sides are locked in wary stalemate, a legacy of the ceasefire deal in July 2020 after a conflict that has left at least 14,000 dead and two million more displaced. But the armistice is regularly broken as proved by that machine- gun fire. 'Russia is like a shark once it smells blood, it keeps on biting,' one soldier told me, reeling off a list of incidents from history before warning that if Putin tries to grab more of Ukraine, it would lead to another giant conflagration engulfing Europe. Sergiy, head of a unit from the 25th Airborne Brigade, led me along the icy trenches where his troops face across to the forces of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), who are aided, armed and almost certainly reinforced by the Russian military. This is a place where danger lurks around every corner, heads must be kept down, holes are dug into the dirt for hiding and soldiers die or are wounded with hideous regularity. Nine Ukrainians were killed last month and three wounded this week. Over the two days before my visit, there were more than 900 ceasefire breaches such as grenade attacks, mortar shelling and shootings in the Donetsk region alone, according to data collected by international observers. Sergiy said the trenches and lookout posts dotting the hillside had been dug before his unit's arrival last September by troops who were forced by constant attacks to leave the safety of nearby houses. Roots and wires poke through gaps in the corrugated steel lining. This friendly officer pointed out Kruta Balka, a group of houses on a hillside 500 yards away. 'DPR soldiers are stationed in the middle of the village. They've dug trenches between the houses so that we cannot see them as they move around.' Sergiy has no doubt that his forces are facing Moscow's military. He says the Donetsk People's Republic had exhausted its supply of local volunteers such as miners from Donbas in 2015. 'These are professional soldiers from Russia,' he added. 'They know how to use their weapons. There is no random shooting in the daytime.' Later, we visited a lookout post where one of his men was on three-hour guard duty, watching through binoculars in his bunker over enemy lines that lay beside a line of tall trees about half a mile in the distance. 'It's quieter during the day but there might be more shootings at night,' said the lookout, Dmytro. 'They shoot nearly every day. We are just making sure they don't move forward.' So what would he do if he suddenly saw Russian tanks rolling in? 'I'll pass the information to my seniors,' he said sternly. There was laughter when I asked if this situation felt like a rerun of the First World War and Dmytro responded that he was too young to recall that conflict. Over the two days before my visit, there were more than 900 ceasefire breaches such as grenade attacks, mortar shelling and shootings in the Donetsk region alone, according to data collected by international observers. Pictured: A member of Ukrainian troops on the frontline These soldiers spend up to nine months on duty in this dystopian landscape, where temperatures can fall to -13F (-25C). They sleep in the ruined houses, taking turns to cook for a week. In one kitchen, a pot of borscht bubbled on the stove. In another room, where plates of sausage and cheese sandwiches sat on a table, I noticed an Orthodox religious icon hanging above a roaring log fire. Were many of the soldiers devout? I asked Sergiy. 'Everyone has God in their hearts,' he replied. Many of the buildings are daubed with crude graffiti with phrases such as 'Glory to Ukraine' and 'Let's kill Muscovites', while the rival forces are close enough to taunt each other with obscenities and patriotic slogans shouted over the no man's land. My escort to the frontline was Lieutenant Tatiana Zaritska, 39, a fiercely patriotic former kindergarten teacher who joined the military with her husband after the Russian-backed separatists seized Donetsk and Luhansk. As we approached her unit's frontline base, she warned that she was going to accelerate fast due to the risk of snipers in a stretch of uncovered road. Later, she said she often drove home after dark without using headlights to avoid drawing fire. She began her military involvement by helping organise food and clothing for the fighters when Putin began inflaming tensions in 2014. 'I felt I had to do something when the first Ukrainian soldiers began to die,' she said. 'I took it all very personally. 'I did not want my children to live under Russia or go through times of war like those in Donetsk and Luhansk. Russia is a totalitarian country, there's no development. I want my children to live in a democratic and European Ukrainian society.' Now she is an officer of the airborne brigade, a veteran of 18 parachute jumps and a fully trained fighter. Her younger daughter, aged 13, plans to enrol in a military academy next year to follow her mother into the armed forces. Lieutenant Zaritska is scathing about the Kremlin's treatment of her nation in recent history from the time in 1933 when four million Ukrainians were starved in man-made famine under Joseph Stalin, through to stifling of their language under the Soviet Union. Yet we must hope these skirmishes around these trenches are not simply a dress rehearsal for a much bigger horror show in this eastern corner of Europe. Pictured: Journalist Ian Birrell in Ukraine Unlike some comrades, she fears Putin with his imperial ambitions may be about to attack Ukraine. 'I hope this situation will be resolved peacefully and Russia will not make a full-scale invasion, but they are stupid enough to do anything,' she said. Despite such scary times, she insists she is not afraid. 'I know why I am here and I know what we are fighting for,' she said, adding with emphasis: 'Many Russians will be killed.' Other Ukrainian soldiers, serving on the frontline of a war that has often been forgotten but might soon explode into something far worse, talk with similar bravado about the prospect of confronting the menacing Russian forces that currently encircle Ukraine from Belarus in the north west to Crimea in the south. 'We will be ready if there is war,' said Evhen, 22, with a typical display of fearlessness. 'The Russians are the ones who should be afraid since they will be returning in their coffins.' Yet we must hope these skirmishes around these trenches are not simply a dress rehearsal for a much bigger horror show in this eastern corner of Europe. Additional reporting by Kate Baklitskaya Speedboat killer Jack Shepherd is publishing a sick memoir on Amazon from his prison cell. He is cashing in on the tragedy of Charlotte Brown, who died on their first date when he drunkenly sped up the Thames and flipped his fast craft. Shepherd is serving six years for her manslaughter. But far from accepting his punishment, he has been secretly writing his warped version of events with the help of his best friend during jail visits. The pair now hope to get rich by selling their ghoulish 3.99 book about his life and crimes using Amazons online Kindle store. Last night her father, Graham Brown, said: Jack Shepherd has shown no empathy or remorse for the terrible events which led to Charlottes death. He is a proven liar and this is another example of Shepherd trying to convince himself he is innocent. Speedboat killer Jack Shepherd is publishing a sick memoir on Amazon from his prison cell Charlotte Brown, pictured, died on her first date with Shepherd when he crashed his speedboat on the River Thames in 2015 It should be remembered that a jury at the Old Bailey found him guilty and absolutely responsible for the death of Charlotte. Charlotte isnt here because of this mans actions. This is another insult to the family, and Ive no doubt that Shepherds version in the book is a complete fabrication and full of lies. Amazon and the Ministry of Justice face questions about how a convicted prisoner is able to sell his story. The biography charts womanising Shepherds squalid life before giving a twisted account of the night Miss Brown, 24, was killed in 2015. Following her death, Shepherd, 35, went on the run to the former Soviet state of Georgia rather than explain his actions to a jury and Miss Browns devastated family. His trial went ahead without him in July 2018 at the Old Bailey, where he was found guilty. But he caused national outrage when he successfully claimed public money in legal aid from his bolthole to pursue an appeal. Following her death, Shepherd, 35, went on the run to the former Soviet state of Georgia rather than explain his actions to a jury and Miss Browns devastated family, pictured, the speed boat owned by the 150,000-a-year web designer The Mail found him in January 2019. He was returned to the UK and he has been in jail ever since. But instead of serving his time quietly, the Mail has discovered he has been helping his best friend write a biography. The law prevents criminals profiting from memoirs, but the pair present the book as a work of fiction, simply changing place names and those of everyone involved, but leaving the story unchanged. The working title of the 207-page memoir was My Mate The Speedboat Killer. The Mail is not publishing its new title. Shepherds best friend whose identity is not being revealed by the Mail tried to hawk the book to newspapers, but it was rejected. So they wrote it as a fictionalised account, changing Jacks name to Keith and his friends to Clive. In the first chapter, they describe how they plotted the biography of Britains most wanted man. Shepherd, a former 150,000-a-year web designer, was sent to Frankland jail in Durham, and instructed his friend to pay regular visits to record his story. He said his lawyers had told him it could cause problems with the Parole Board if they wrote the book, adding: It has to be done right. Certain omissions are needed. Names changed. Places too. Youll have to say this is a fictitious account. It has to be about it but not really about it. If you know what I mean. The pair even recorded how they haggled over any proceeds. After discussing the rules preventing inmates profiting from a crime, they agreed to send some money to Shepherds estranged wife and child. Keith wanted a half share of the profits, Clive suggested a quarter, and they settled on a third. The book is a fictionalised account of Jack Shepherd's 'womanising and use of cocaine' The memoir describes Shepherds womanising and use of cocaine, ecstasy, ketamine and marijuana. Keith even boasts about dating three women at once. The Mail is choosing not to detail the part of the book describing the speedboat accident. The book has been self-published on Amazon for Kindle e-readers. Authors who use the firms Kindle Direct Publishing arm set the sale price. Amazon keeps some of the money and pays the author a royalty usually around 70 per cent of the price, minus an admin fee. In the case of Shepherds book, the author is likely to be due around 2.70 per copy sold. A Prison Service spokesman said: Prisoners are never allowed to profit from their crimes and we take whatever steps are necessary to prevent it including legal action if needed. Amazon did not respond to a request for comment last night. Scotland Yard threatened this evening to take anyone breaching Covid rules at Downing Street to court if they contest their fines. Head of the 'celebrity squad', Commander Catherine Roper, announced officers had received the full folder of material gathered during the Cabinet Office probe and said officers would be writing to those who attended events asking them to explain themselves. Anyone without a 'reasonable excuse' for flouting the rules faces the prospect of 'enforcement action', she warned. Commander Roper said: 'If the decision is to take enforcement action then a report will be sent to the ACRO Criminal Records Office which will issue the fixed penalty notice. Scotland Yard threatened this evening to take anyone breaching Covid rules at Downing Street to court if they contest their fines. Pictured: Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick 'Recipients can pay the fixed penalty and the matter will be considered closed.' But she added: 'Should a recipient dispute the fixed penalty notice then the case will be referred back to the Met, where officers will consider whether to pursue the matter in a magistrates' court.' The letters to partygoers could save Boris Johnson from the embarrassing prospect of being interviewed under caution. In an extraordinary late statement, the force hit back at criticism over its intervention in the publication of the Sue Gray report. Earlier, the Met suggested the report be redacted to make 'minimal reference' to No10 events to 'avoid any prejudice to our investigation'. But the reference to 'prejudice' implying it could go before a jury was scorned by lawyers, and later dropped. Commander Roper said: 'We intend to complete our investigations promptly, fairly and proportionately. 'We have not delayed this report and the timing of its release is a matter for the Cabinet Office inquiry team.' When news first broke that Boris Johnson and his staff apparently held boozy parties at Downing Street while millions endured strict lockdown rules, Scotland Yard quickly dismissed calls to mount an investigation This week was meant to finally draw a line under the scandal that has dogged the PM for months. Here, the Mail exposes the recent shambolic process of the inquiry: Dame Cressida's bombshell Commissioner Cressida Dick announced to stunned London Assembly members on Tuesday that officers were mounting a full-scale criminal inquiry, effectively lobbying a hand grenade into the process. It was a complete reversal of what the Met had said up until then. When news first broke that Boris Johnson and his staff apparently held boozy parties at Downing Street while millions endured strict lockdown rules, Scotland Yard quickly dismissed calls to mount an investigation. The force insisted detectives would wait for the conclusion of Miss Gray's inquiry and only act if there was evidence of criminality. In an extraordinary late statement, the force hit back at criticism over its intervention in the publication of the Sue Gray (pictured) report Her explanation Justifying the spectacular volte face, Britain's most senior police officer revealed her officers had already carried out an assessment on a dossier of evidence handed over by Miss Gray on Sunday. Dame Cressida announced the threshold for a criminal investigation had been met. She said: 'The guidelines suggested we should potentially investigate further.' How chaos unfolded The last-minute intervention by Scotland Yard threw Miss Gray's inquiry into disarray. It appeared at first that her report would still be published after Scotland Yard briefed on Tuesday that it was not seeking to cover up her findings. But then yesterday, to widespread scorn, the force announced it had instructed the Cabinet Office team to limit publication of any potentially criminal events and behaviour, casting uncertainty on when the report will surface and how extensive it will be. Rivals' wild claims of report 'stitch-up' Opposition leaders yesterday lined up to make a string of incendiary claims about a so-called 'stitch-up' between No 10 and the Metropolitan Police over Partygate. They tried to stoke claims Commissioner Cressida Dick had intervened to suppress the full publication of the Sue Gray report to let Boris Johnson off the hook. Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, tweeted: 'A stitch-up between the Met leadership and No 10 will damage our politics for generations and it looks like it is happening right in front of our eyes.' This prompted Tory MP Michael Fabricant to reply: 'The Lib Dems called for a police investigation and now they're accusing the police of corruption.' Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon said the situation was getting 'murkier by the minute', and the rapid conclusion and full publication of inquiries was 'now essential for public trust'. Sir Keir Starmer said that 'any issues of prejudice have got to be worked through'. The Labour leader added the 'whole of government' had become 'paralysed because the police are looking at what the Prime Minister was getting up to in Downing Street'. Advertisement Fiasco over 'prejudice' Scotland Yard at first argued that redactions with only 'minimal reference' to No10 events were necessary to 'avoid any prejudice to our investigation'. But the reference to 'prejudice', implying the matter could go before a jury, astonished lawyers who pointed out this is a non-indictable offence punishable only by a fixed penalty notice. The Yard later dropped the reference to prejudice, with the aim instead being to avoid forewarning suspects. Nazir Afzal, a former chief crown prosecutor for the North West, said: 'This is absolute nonsense from the Met. A purely factual report by Sue Gray cannot possibly prejudice a police investigation.' The legal quagmire Any statements provided to the Cabinet Office probe and interviews undertaken of those who attended or organised events cannot be used as definitive proof in a criminal investigation. Former Met chief superintendent Dal Babu pointed out that the civil inquiry is 'no different' to a human resources report and has no legal standing. Another ex-chief superintendent Dai Davies suggested staff who have been interviewed could retract their testimony. He added: 'Now it's a legal quagmire. Anyone who has spoken to her inquiry could retract their evidence, arguing they did not know it could be used against them in a criminal inquiry.' Dilemma facing Gray Sue Gray could publish a watered down version of her inquiry that complies with the Met's demands, but is shorn of key conclusions promised at the outset. It could open up the respected civil servant to allegations of participating in a whitewash if she cannot go into all the details that she has unearthed. Alternatively, the Whitehall inquisitor could hold off on publishing anything until after the Met returns its verdict on the saga. But this could see the wait turn from days to months with potentially disastrous consequences for trust in both the Prime Minster and policing. What happens now? The seismic Cabinet Office report also has the potential to topple the Prime Minister, with some Tory MPs holding off calling for a vote of no confidence in him until after its release. The delay risks leaving Boris Johnson's Government in paralysis for months. He will be unable to make the changes he wants to his top team, and leaves many people inside the building worrying about the police investigation and their own futures. The fiasco could not come at a worse time as it threatens to impact more widely on Britain's international standing, as Russia inches ever closer to invading Ukraine. Senior Tories last night claimed they can convince the Prime Minister to delay the rise in national insurance. It comes despite Chancellor Rishi Sunak allegedly piling pressure on Boris Johnson to not U-turn on the planned hike. The Tory MPs have urged Mr Sunak to consider a compromise plan, in which the NI increase on employers would go ahead as planned but the rise affecting workers would be paused. The plan is part of a wider package to tackle the cost-of-living crisis. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said yesterday the move would raise 5billion of the 12billion pencilled in by the Treasury, while easing the pressure on millions of workers on low and middle incomes, who otherwise face a 1.25 percentage-point rise in national insurance in April. The Tory MPs have urged Mr Sunak to consider a compromise plan, in which the NI increase on employers would go ahead as planned but the rise affecting workers would be paused Helen Miller, deputy director of the IFS think-tank, said that if ministers want to do as much as they can to alleviate the cost-of-living crisis, and opt to rethink the NI rise, then at least with the employee part of it [being paused], it will directly be felt by people because it will directly reduce their tax bills. Whereas if you cut employer tax, some of it will indirectly help employees because their wages will be higher than they otherwise would have been, she told the Daily Mail. But part of it will just help employers who will have higher profits. So in that sense, in the short run, the employee cuts will more directly help individuals. No 10 and the Treasury declined to comment yesterday on suggestions that Mr Sunak had put his foot down over the issue during talks on the cost-of-living crisis. Conservative MPs stepped up calls last night for the Government to back the Mails Spike The Tax Hike campaign. Tory grandee Sir John Redwood said recent figures on the public finances showed the Treasury had the money to scrap the tax rise. They dont need the money the Treasury are just terrible. At the time of the Budget, they solemnly said they needed 12billion extra but now theyre 60billion better off. We need to ease the squeeze. Theyre going to slow the economy too much alongside the treble hit of council tax, national insurance and energy bills, theres going to be a bigger deficit. Former Cabinet minister David Jones said: There is headroom to deal with the 12billion funding gap. It is just another tax and its the last thing a Conservative government should be doing. I feel like I am expressing a view that most Conservative MPs have. Mel Stride, chairman of the Commons Treasury committee, said it would be a mistake to press ahead with the rise and said Mr Sunak had the money to delay it for a year. He added: Theres more wiggle room to play with. And my view would be that for one year only, given the cost-of-living pressures, it would be prudent to set that extra firepower, that extra headroom, towards not going ahead with those national insurance rises. But Downing Street tried to play down the chances of a national insurance U-turn yesterday. After days of speculation in which the Prime Minister repeatedly refused to rule out halting the change, No 10 insisted that the tax rise would go ahead in April as planned. A spokesman for the PM denied reports he was wobbling over the hike, which will worsen the cost-of-living crisis for millions. The Prime Minister and Chancellor are fully committed to introducing the health and social care levy in April, he said. Tory grandee Sir John Redwood said recent figures on the public finances showed the Treasury had the money to scrap the tax rise Asked if it would go ahead as planned no ifs, no buts, the spokesman replied: Yes. No 10 said the increase was essential to fund measures to clear the NHS waiting list and, in time, tackle the social care crisis. But senior Tories predicted it could still be scrapped as Mr Johnson tries to secure support from MPs at a time when he is facing a potential leadership challenge over the Partygate scandal. One former minister said: The Chancellor is obviously trying to assert his authority over the issue. But Boris is in a hole and if he feels he needs to do it to save his skin, then hell do it whatever Rishi says. Torsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation think-tank, said yesterday the Treasury was looking increasingly unlikely to get its tax rise. Mr Bell said some form of tax rise was needed to pay for increased health and social care spending in the coming years. But he added: Does it have to happen now? No. Given wider pressures on family income and consumption, the economics point to doing it next year but the politics may mean its now or never. The Federation of Small Businesses warned last night that the tax rise would deal a significant blow to the economy if the Treasury forces it through. The organisation said that future wage rises were likely to be lower by a total of 5billion as employers are forced to pass on costs. It said the move would also push up unemployment as firms are forced to let staff go. At just 13 years old, Emily Waldron is a poster girl for transgender childrens rights. Tiny, blonde and chatty, last year she appeared on the BBCs The One Show with Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie, who called her an extraordinary young person. I am transgender, the Liverpudlian told viewers. Four years ago, when I was just beginning to transition, I thought I was the only one like me. But now Emily, who campaigns for school libraries to stock LGBT-themed childrens books with titles such as Boy Erased knows she is anything but alone. Instead, thanks to a crowdfunding campaign she has launched, financial and emotional support for her transgender journey has poured in. Public plea: Emily Waldrons fundraising page, which helped her get the money she needs to transition Since she was 12, Emily has been taking puberty blockers: hormone suppressants to stop her biologically male body slipping into puberty. As Emilys mother, Emma, has pointed out in a series of Twitter and Instagram messages about her daughters transition, the drugs stop Emily developing facial hair, a protruding Adams apple and a deeper voice. But Emilys powerful medicines which the NHS has warned can harm young peoples bone and brain development have not been prescribed by an NHS doctor. They were bought from a private clinic thanks to Emilys internet crowdfunding campaign. Help Emily get the puberty-blocking medication she urgently needs, said the appeal on the website GoFundMe. The donations soon topped 14,000. This cash, said Emilys family in an online thank-you message, will pay for her trans healthcare for the next five years, allowing her to grow into the wonderful, strong woman she knows herself to be. Emilys fundraising technique to support her transition is being replicated by hundreds of other youngsters in Britain. They are side-stepping the NHS, says Stephanie Davies-Arai, the founder of TransgenderTrend Crowdfunders are paying for puberty-blockers taken by children, as well as for operations by private surgeons who remove teenagers breasts or construct them, remodel their genitalia to simulate a penis or vagina, and remove internal female or male anatomy including the womb to match their preferred sex. They are side-stepping the NHS, says Stephanie Davies-Arai, the founder of TransgenderTrend, which calls for better, safer healthcare for children and teenagers struggling with gender issues. She adds: The internet is full of videos and photos of them after surgery, which portray these operations as cool and the new normal. What is happening is dangerous for a whole generation because no one knows the consequences. Crowdfunding has meant that vulnerable young people can go to private doctors in the UK and abroad, who take their money for drugs and surgery with fewer questions asked. The trend for young people to crowdfund their transitions to the opposite sex has been accompanied by an increase in the number of social media videos, photos and posts with one clear message: that living as the opposite gender is an answer to many problems. Hundreds of youngsters have said online that they have financed the same procedures via crowdfunding, or hope to do so soon Yet campaigners such as Ms Davies-Arai believe that millions of impressionable children are watching these videos and being brainwashed. The material, she warns, is fuelling the growth in gender dysphoria: feeling uncomfortable in your sexual identity. Referrals to the Gender Identity Development Service at Londons Tavistock clinic rose from about 700 per year in 2014-15 to more than 2,600 in 2019-20, though the number fell slightly during the pandemic. And nowhere is this trend more obvious than on the internet. Last year, a 19-year-old from Cumbria raised 20,000 within weeks to fund her gender-reassignment surgery at a private clinic, by-passing NHS waiting lists for the operation which currently stand at three years. Bella Fitzpatrick, who has 700,000 followers on the social media app TikTok, said on a local news website: My socks have been blown completely off by this, adding that the money donated would be used to fund her transition from male to female, including hormone treatment and surgery. Hundreds of youngsters have said online that they have financed the same procedures via crowdfunding, or hope to do so soon. One TikTok video shows a young trans man, Ash, going for a private consultation in Londons Harley Street to start the process he hopes will lead to top surgery to remove his breasts. Ashs film, shot less than a month ago, names the cosmetic surgeon and shows filmed footage inside the clinics reception area. It is accompanied by the rock anthem All I Have Ever Wanted by Rag n Bone Man. It ends with young Ashs words written on the screen, saying: I am so excited!! And I am so proud of myself for going all the way to London on my own. He adds: I am suitable for a double incision with surgeon Mr B. I should be getting the surgery in April or May [this year]. On his GoFundMe page, Ash explains: I came out [as trans] in June 2020 . . . and it just made so much sense. I am here to raise money so that I can get a bilateral mastectomy. My chest dysphoria gets harder to deal with every day. Its unbearable, and I cant leave the house without . . . a baggy jumper. I cant even glance down topless without getting distressed. Although I am lucky enough to live in a country with free healthcare, it is a painfully long wait to transition on the NHS. Some people are waiting years. So I am going private! Meanwhile, Jo, a 19-year-old who was born a girl, launched an online crowdfunder last year. He says he has considered himself male since at least the age of 13, when he told his parents how he felt, according to an interview he gave to a local news website in his native Somerset. When he turned 18, he put his name down on the NHS list for both testosterone treatment (a male hormone that, when taken by females, helps to masculinise their bodies) and breast removal. The wait time for testosterone was at least a year just to be seen . . . the top surgery at least three years, says Jo. He plans to go private because, he says: I dont want to spend my 20s playing a waiting game. The Mail has discovered that many young people are turning to myriad private medical clinics, including one called GenderGP Student Phoenix Howard, 18, from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, is aiming to raise up to 8,000 to have his breasts removed by the same London private surgeon as Ash. In an appeal on a social media crowdfunding site, he says: I am a trans guy who has come out to all my friends . . . and family who are not yet supportive of my transition. For years I have planned and saved to undergo top surgery. My chest is responsible for a large amount of my distress on a 24-hour basis, due to my outward appearance not matching who I am on the inside. I bind my chest [with cloth to flatten the breasts] at every opportunity, to the point of discomfort and causing actual pain. It puts a strain on my lungs, ribs and back. I am determined to have Mr B as my surgeon due to his great results on patients, brilliant care before, during and after the surgery, and incredible recovery which is essential to me as a university student. Type the phrase crowdfund trans-surgery into the internet and hundreds of messages, videos and posts from British teenagers and twenty-somethings appear, all asking for money to fund treatment. The Mail has discovered that many young people are turning to myriad private medical clinics, including one called GenderGP. Its founder, Helen Webberley, is currently in the middle of a hearing by the watchdog, Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, accused of failing to provide good care to three children, aged 11, 12 and 17, who were transitioning from female to male. She has denied that her clinical judgment was clouded when prescribing puberty-blockers to them or other young patients. Barred from practising in the UK, and therefore not officially a doctor, she was fined 12,000 after a 2018 court case when a judge ruled that she had risked patient safety by giving hormones to 12-year-olds from her Welsh clinic. Ms Webberley now runs GenderGP from Spain, treating British patients thanks to a legal loophole that allows drugs prescribed in the EU to be dispensed in the UK, skipping of course NHS safeguards. GenderGP gives advice on how children suffering from gender dysphoria (who, to put it simplistically, believe themselves to have been born in the wrong body) can call for public donations online to pay for puberty-blockers and sex-change treatment, including life-changing surgery. GenderGP states that the UKs most popular crowdfunding site, GoFundMe, is happy to act as a platform on which children can seek such donations. In a top tips section, it advises how to create an appealing crowdfunder by using bright, colourful images and an eye-catching video. It goes on to recommend private British surgeons, including the aforementioned Mr B (whose clinic offers payment on credit if the crowdfunder doesnt stretch far enough) as well as two doctors in Poland. GenderGP explains that the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (which sets international standards) insists that referrals to a private surgeon are accompanied by documentation from a qualified mental health professional showing that a young person has persistent gender dysphoria. Yet it also says that, in the UK, these medical gatekeepers can include social workers, community nurses, counsellors, support workers, occupational therapists, and mental health pharmacists. In addition, it sells a referral letter for 150, which, after an online consultation, youngsters can download to side-step the NHS. Then, after the document has been signed, they can go private, using their crowdfunded money. This week, the Equality and Human Rights Commission watchdog said that proposed government rules to ban transgender conversion therapy might criminalise parents, teachers, doctors or therapists who question young peoples desire to transition This week, the Equality and Human Rights Commission watchdog said that proposed government rules to ban transgender conversion therapy might criminalise parents, teachers, doctors or therapists who question young peoples desire to transition. The commission said that they should be allowed to reconcile the young to the sex they were born, if that was best for them. Regardless, crowdfunding for the treatment is set to continue. As for 13-year-old Emily from Liverpool, she has accrued enough money to fund her treatments for the next five years. When she reaches 18, she will be old enough to have the surgery that will physically change her body into a more feminine form. Whether she will, of course, will be her choice. But if she does decide to undergo such private surgery which can cost 28,000 for male-to-female gender reassignment will she again choose to turn to crowdfunding to pay for it? Additional reporting by Liz Hull President Biden said Friday evening that he will move US troops to Eastern Europe sometime 'in the near term'. However, he said they would not necessarily be deployed as part of a NATO force. 'I'll be moving troops to Eastern Europe and the NATO countries in the near term. Not too many,' Biden said as he got off Air Force One after a trip to Pittsburgh. NATO has failed to come up with a common position on deploying troops to the region with many of its 30-strong members against military action. Member countries located closer to Russia fear antagonizing Putin while countries such as Germany rely on Russia for 50 per cent of their gas. Just one country can veto any action by the entire alliance. Earlier this week, the Pentagon told 8,500 troops in the U.S. to be on high alert for a potential deployment to Eastern Europe, as Russia has already amassed over 100,000 troops at the Ukraine border. Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley had warned of mass casualties in Ukraine and Eastern Europe should Russia attack with such a large force. 'This is larger in scale and scope, and the massing of forces than anything we've seen in recent memory,' Milley said. Given the forces Putin has at his disposal, 'if that was unleashed on Ukraine, it would be significant, very significant, and it would result in a significant amount of casualties,' he added. 'You can imagine what that might look like in dense urban areas, along roads, and so on and so forth. It would be horrific. It would be terrible. And it's not necessary. And we think a diplomatic outcome is the way to go here.' President Biden said Friday evening that he will move US troops to Eastern Europe sometime 'in the near term' 'There's a potential that they could launch on very, very little warning,' assessed General Mark Milley, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff 'We dont have a Titanic here,' he said Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine. Amid public talk of a Russian invasion, he said: 'We don't need this panic' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the global media in Kiev Friday and pushed back on world leaders who have publicly stressed the prospect of Russian invasion following a call with President Biden where the president raised the 'distinct possibility' Russian troops would soon overrun his country. 'There are signals even from respected leaders of states, they just say that tomorrow there will be war. This is panic - how much does it cost for our state?' said Zelensky. He indirectly criticized the decision by the U.S. to pull family members of diplomats out of the country as yet another measure that could feed 'panic' that could be counterproductive. 'We dont have a Titanic here,' he said. 'I don't consider the situation now more tense than before. There is a feeling abroad that there is war here. That's not the case,' said Zelensky. 'I am not saying an escalation is not possible...(but) we don't need this panic,' he said. 'If war were to break out on the scale and scope that is possible, the civilian population would suffer immensely,' Milley said at the Pentagon. Austin said the 100,000-plus Troops Russia has positioned 'far and away exceeds what we typically see them do for exercises. 'Its very concerning,' he said. He even made a 'Don't Look Up' reference after the Leonardo DiCaprio film on Netflix about an imminent asteroid heading for the planet, after he was compared to hapless leaders online, the Guardian reported. With Britain withdrawing diplomats even as the Greeks maintained their presence, Zelensky said: 'The captains should not leave the ship. I dont think we have a Titanic here.' His reassurances came on a day when Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley warned of the stakes and spoke to U.S. military preparations to assist NATO allies. Asked whether Putin has enough troops for a full-scale invasion of its neighbor, Austin replied: 'I mean, you've heard the chairman say earlier that he's got north of 100,000 troops in the border region. That gives him a number of options. What he's done as he's continued to move troops and resources into the region is increased his options. And so, we won't predict where his decisions will take him, but we remain concerned about the range of options that that he could pursue and will stay focused on this problem set.' Milley said the pair do not believe Putin has made a decision. But he added: 'Sure, with 1000 troops. You've got combined arms formations, ground maneuver, artillery, rockets, you got air and all the other piece parts that go with it. There's a potential that they could launch on very, very little warning. That's possible. And there's a wide scale of options that are available to Russian leadership. The best option they should pick, in my view, is a diplomatic solution to resolve whatever differences they have,' he said. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the 100,000-plus Troops Russia has positioned 'far and away exceeds what we typically see them do for exercises. 'Its very concerning,' he said Zelensky sought to downplay reports of a split with President Joe Biden following reports it did not go well. State officials 'dont have any misunderstandings' with Biden, he said, Politico reported. 'I just deeply understand what is going on in my country, just as [Biden] understands perfectly well what is going on in the United States.' Zelensky's cautioning came even as U.S. officials sought to digest yet another metric: with Russia's military buildup now including supplies of blood along and medical equipment, in yet another sign Russian President Vladimir Putin could be preparing for an invasion. Zelensky Thursday urged President Joe Biden in a call on Thursday to tone down his rhetoric about the brewing situation between Ukraine and Russia, amid fears it could cause panic or a run on supplies, according to a report. Zelensky made the plea in a call that 'did not go well,' CNN reported, citing a Ukrainian source. It included a plea by Zelensky for Biden to 'calm down the messaging' amid complex maneuverings over the potential invasion. The urging came in a call where Biden told Zelensky Russia could invade within weeks. It followed pushback earlier this week from Ukraine as the U.S. told family members of American diplomats to leave. Ukrainian officials maintained the move was unnecessary with a situation that is still uncertain, even as Russia continues to move troops and equipment to positions around Ukraine. The White House disputed the read on the call, with National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne pushing back on a report that a Ukrainian official said Biden warned Kiev could be 'sacked' and to 'prepare for impact.' 'This is not true,' she tweeted. 'President Biden said that there is a distinct possibility that the Russians could invade Ukraine in February. He has previously said this publicly & we have been warning about this for months. Reports of anything more or different than that are completely false.' She also tweeted out a statement by Ukraine's U.S. embassy stating 'that some reports regarding todays conversation of President Zelenskyy and President Biden are completely false. He also encouraged to carefully treat all information in this troubled time especially from the unconfirmed sources.' Russia could attack Ukraine within weeks, intelligence sources have said, after Biden shared a phone call with President Zelensky last night during which he warned an attack is likely to come in February Horne was even more blunt in a statement to CNN. 'Also, no one said "sacked." The only person who should be "sacked" is the anonymous source who is circulating an inaccurate portrayal of this conversation,' she said. The statement the White put out after the call said the U.S. and allies were ready to 'respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine.' The administration's series of public statements about a potential invasion puts international pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and could press allies to stiffen their response although the Ukrainians are seeking to avoid statements that contribute to panic even as they seek additional aid and arms support. Amid the fear of an all-out invasion that could seek to cleave Ukrainian positions, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the U.S. response in writing to Russia's security demands had 'some grains of reason.' Zelensky on January 19th urged the Ukrainian public not to panic, telling his countrymen: 'Take a deep breath, calm down' amid the talk of an imminent invasion. If Russia did invade in February, it would time the invasion to coincide with the coldest weeks in eastern Europe, when the ground will be frozen solid allowing tanks and artillery to maneuver easily. US officials have previously said that an unseasonably mild winter appears to have delayed Putin's attack plans by turning the region into a quagmire. Separately, a senior British intelligence official warned that Putin is likely to launch an attack on Kiev from Belarus in the north using war games set to take place there next month as cover. The official, speaking to The Times of London , said this could coincide with an amphibious assault from Crimea on the southern port city of Odessa using transport ships seen sailing around Europe last week in an effort to split the Ukrainian military across two fronts, hundreds of miles apart. Tens of thousands of troops could then move in from the east, potentially with the aim of capturing the entire country. While Russia's current troop numbers at the border are insufficient for this operation, the official said, Putin could mass a force large enough to get the job done in 'two to three weeks'. Russia is thought to have between 100,000 and 120,000 troops currently massed at the border, which have been recently reinforced with medical teams and logistical support of the kind that is needed to sustain an invading force. Tens of thousands more troops could arrive in the coming weeks, the official said. 'Some estimates are another 60,000 will come, if not greater than that. It's certainly not just a negotiating tactic or an idle threat when you deploy this many troops with this capability,' they said. But, amid the increasingly alarming rhetoric from the West, Zelensky and his senior staff have been calling for calm - insisting that while the risk of an attack is high, it is far from certain and unlikely to come soon. Zelensky used his call with Biden to ask him to 'calm down the messaging', CNN reported, after using a public address last week to tell Ukrainians to 'stay calm' and avoid pulling money from banks or stockpiling supplies. Several high-ranking Ukrainian officials have also spoken out this week in an attempt to tone down the rhetoric. Russian armoured troop carriers are pictured taking part in military drills near Rostov-on-Don, located in southern Russia and just a few dozen miles from the Ukraine border Russian T-72 tanks take part in 'combat readiness' drills held Thursday near Rostov-on-Don, near the Ukraine border US analysts believe that Putin is waiting for the weather to turn cold enough to freeze the ground solid, paving the way for an invasion because it would allow his tanks to manoeuvre easily (pictured, Russian tanks in drills near Ukraine on Thursday) Russian BMP-3 armoured troop carriers are pictured on manoeuvres in the Rostov region of southern Russia on Thursday Russian artillery units stationed in the Rostov region, near the border with Ukraine, take part in live fire exercises today Artillery units based in Russia's Rostov region take part in live-fire exercises on Friday, just one of several simultaneous drills taking place as Putin continues his sabre-rattling Russian artillery crews fire their gun during live-fire drills in Rostov region, just a few dozen miles from the Ukraine border Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, is pictured on a phone call with President Biden - during which the US leader is thought to have warned him that a Russian invasion is just weeks away The National Security Council's spokesperson Emily Horne publicly disputed CNN's reporting in a tweet Thursday night, saying in a statement to the network that 'no one said "sacked"' An NSC official also retweeted a statement by Ukraine's embassy in Washington The defence minister has insisted there has been no change in the threat Russia poses since an initial build-up of forces took place last spring; the head of the national security council accused the West of ramping up the danger for geopolitical purposes; and the foreign ministry criticised the UK and US for withdrawing diplomats. Following Zelensky's call with Biden, there was a briefing war between an unnamed Ukrainian source who claimed the call 'did not go well' because the US President had insisted an attack was imminent while Zelensky was keen to downplay the threat. CNN initially reported that Biden had told Zelesnky that an attack was 'certain' once the ground freezes over and that Kiev is directly threatened, though US and Ukrainian officials later denied that conversation had taken place. Never-the-less, signs that Ukraine and America are signing from two different hymn sheets will create fears about the strength of their alliance if Putin decides to march his forces across the border. It could also undermine Biden's hardline stance against Russia if it emerges that Us intelligence has over-stated the threat, especially with allies such as Germany that have urged him to take a softer line. The call came just a day after two letters were sent to Vladimir Putin, rejecting his demands that Ukraine be banned from joining NATO and that the alliance withdraw all its forces from ex-Soviet states. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent one letter, while the other was sent by NATO chief Jens Stoltenburg. Neither missive has been made public, but both men have said no ground was given on Putin's key demands. Instead, Blinken said 'serious' counter-offers were made that he hopes will tempt the Kremlin into continuing talks. Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, said yesterday that there is 'little ground for optimism' after reading the letters - but left the door to more talks open and said Russia will not rush to give a response. Tensions have soared in recent weeks, as the United States and its NATO allies expressed concern that a buildup of about 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine signaled that Moscow planned to invade its ex-Soviet neighbor. Russia denies having any such designs - and has laid out a series of demands it says will improve security in Europe. But as expected, the U.S. and the Western alliance firmly rejected any concessions on Moscow's main points Wednesday, refusing to permanently ban Ukraine from joining NATO and saying allied deployments of troops and military equipment in Eastern Europe are nonnegotiable. The U.S. did outline areas in which some of Russia's concerns might be addressed, possibly offering a path to de-escalation. But, as it has done repeatedly for the past several weeks, Washington also warned Moscow of devastating sanctions if it invades Ukraine. Russian rocket artillery take part in live-fire drills on a military base near Moscow on Friday, as fears of war in Ukraine grow A Russian rocket artillery battery lets off a volley during live-fire exercises at the Golovenki training ground, near Moscow Rocket artillery of the Russian armed forces take part in live-fire exercises on a training ground near Moscow today A Russian-backed rebel fighter is seen moving through a trench in eastern Ukraine, where fighting with government forces has been ongoing since 2014 A Moscow-backed rebel soldier aims a machinegun through a peep-hole in his trench, just yards from the frontline with Ukrainian forces in the country's east Mosco-backed rebel troops armed with Kalashnikov rifles stand guard in a trench near the frontlines with Ukraine In addition to penalties targeting Russian people and key economic sectors, several senior U.S. officials said Thursday with certainty that Germany would not allow a newly constructed gas pipeline to begin operations in the event of an incursion. All eyes are now on Putin, who will decide how Russia will respond amid fears that Europe could again be plunged into war. In the meantime, Biden spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart Zelenskyy on Thursday to reiterate American and allied support, including recent deliveries of U.S. military aid. Biden warned Zelenskyy that the U.S. believed there was a high degree of likelihood that Russia could invade when the ground freezes and Russian forces could attack Ukrainian territory from north of Kyiv, according to two people familiar with the conversation who were not authorized to comment publicly. Military experts have said Russia may be waiting for optimal ground conditions to move heavy equipment into Kyiv as part of any invasion. Eight years ago, Russia invaded Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in late February. Zelenskyy tweeted that he and Biden also discussed the possibility of additional financial support for Ukraine. The White House said Biden told Zelenskyy he was 'exploring additional macroeconomic support to help Ukraine's economy' as it comes under pressure as a result of Russia's military buildup. Meanwhile, the United States announced that the U.N. Security Council will hold an open meeting Monday on what U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called Russia's 'threatening behavior.' She said the deployment of more than 100,000 troops along Ukraine's border and other destabilizing acts pose 'a clear threat to international peace and security and the U.N. Charter.' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier that the response from the U.S. - and a similar one from NATO - left 'little ground for optimism.' But he added that 'there always are prospects for continuing a dialogue, it's in the interests of both us and the Americans.' White House press secretary Jen Psaki was circumspect when asked whether the Biden administration saw a sliver of hope in that the Russians said they would keep communications open even as they said that they lacked optimism.. 'We don't know if the Russians are playing games on diplomacy. We hope not,' Psaki said. A man crosses himself while kneeling in front of a memorial commemorating those who died fighting in Ukraine's eastern Donbass region, outside military headquarters in Kiev Ukrainian soldiers are seen saluting through a mock bullet-hole in a memorial to those who died fighting in the Donbass region against Moscow-backed rebel groups Honour guards fire a salute during a ceremony in tribute to fallen defenders of Ukraine during a ceremony in Kiev today Ukrainian servicemen of the 24th Brigade are seen outside of Zolote, close to the frontlines with Moscow-backed rebels A Ukrainian soldier walks through a trench close to the town of Zolote, in the country's unstable eastern regions A Ukrainian soldier uses a periscope to examine enemy positions on the frontlines with Russian-backed rebel forces An Ukrainian serviceman heads to an advanced position on the front line in the Luhansk area, eastern Ukraine Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the U.S. response contained some elements that could lead to 'the start of a serious talk on secondary issues,' but emphasized that 'the document contains no positive response on the main issue.' Those are Moscow's demands that NATO not expand and that the alliance refrain from deploying weapons that might threaten Russia. Lavrov said top officials will submit proposals to Putin. Peskov said the Russian reaction would come soon. The evasive official comments reflect the fact that it is Putin who will single-handedly determine Russia's next moves. He has warned of unspecified 'military-technical measures' if the West refuses to heed the demands. Peskov added that Putin and Biden will decide whether they need to have another conversation following two calls last month. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Kyiv had seen the U.S. response before it was delivered to Russia and had no objections. He tweeted it was 'important that the U.S. remains in close contact with Ukraine before and after all contacts with Russia.' On a visit to Denmark, Kuleba emphasized his country's need to strengthen its defenses. 'This crisis is a moment of truth, and this is why we speak about weapons,' he said. 'This is why we speak about economic sanctions. This is why we speak about the consolidated position of all of us, so that President Putin sees that there are no weak links in our defensive chain.' Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said during a parliamentary debate on Ukraine that her government is closely coordinating its policy with allies, considering a range of options that could include the new Nord Stream 2 Russian gas pipeline to Germany. While the diplomacy sputters on, so too do maneuvers that have escalated tensions. Russia has launched a series of military drills involving motorized infantry and artillery units in southwestern Russia, warplanes in Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, dozens of warships in the Black Sea and the Arctic, and Russian fighter jets and paratroopers in Belarus. NATO said it was bolstering its deterrence in the Baltic Sea region, and the U.S. ordered 8,500 troops on higher alert for potential deployment to Europe. As war fears mounted, thousands of Ukrainians expressed their resolve to stand up to the Russian pressure under the hashtag (hash)UkrainiansWillResist on Twitter and Facebook. An American fighter jet takes part in pre-deployment training drills including coming under NATO command off the US coast US naval forces prepare for deployment after President Biden put 8,500 troops on alert to deploy to eastern Europe 'No one will force Ukrainians to accept the Kremlin ultimatum,' wrote Andrii Levus, who initiated the campaign. Ukraine's Interior Ministry has organized training on acting in emergency situations, with an emphasis on dealing with explosives. Beyond concerns about a possible Russian offensive in Ukraine, there also has been speculation that Moscow's response could include military deployments to the Western Hemisphere. While a senior Russian diplomat recently refused to rule out such deployments to Cuba and Venezuela, a top Putin associate expressed skepticism Thursday at that prospect. 'Cuba and Venezuela are aiming to come out of isolation and restore normal relations with the U.S. to a certain extent, so there can't be any talk about setting up a base there as happened during the Soviet times,' Dmitry Medvedev, a deputy head of Russia's Security Council, told Russian media. While he charged that the West is using Ukraine as a way to contain Russia, he somberly acknowledged that a Russia-NATO conflict 'would be the most dramatic and simply catastrophic scenario, and I hope it will never happen.' While concerns about a possible Russian attack linger, a separatist conflict simmers in Ukraine. Following the 2014 ouster of a Kremlin-friendly president in Kyiv, Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and backed an insurgency in the country's eastern industrial heartland. Fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels has killed over 14,000 people, and efforts to reach a settlement have stalled. Since the conflict began, Russia has been accused of sending troops and weapons to the separatists, something it has denied. On Thursday, Peskov wouldn't comment on a proposal from the Kremlin's main political party, United Russia, which suggested that Moscow respond to the delivery of Western weapons to Ukraine by sending arms to the rebels. He added that Putin is aware of the proposal but had no immediate reaction. A serial sex offender who was warned by police not to have sex with a child will spend a minimum of just nine months behind bars for raping a teenager. Harry Smith, 20, of Yarram - in Victoria's east - pleaded guilty to two counts of sexually penetrating a child under 16, assaulting an emergency worker and resisting an emergency worker. He was sentenced last year to serve 18 months in jail, which with time already served will see the child sex fiend back on the streets within months. Harry Smith was repeatedly warned to leave his young victim alone, but he didn't listen. A judge sentenced him to a minimum of just nine months behind bars His case was brought before the Supreme Court of Victoria last week after prosecutors appealed the sentence on the grounds it was manifestly inadequate. The Crown also argued County Court of Victoria Judge John Smallwood made a serious error when he described Smith's victim as being a 'willing participant'. The court had heard Smith, who was 5 years older than his victim, had known the teenager. She had agreed to meet him in Sale, also in Victoria's east, before the predator took her to a nearby oval and repeatedly violated her. Upon justifying his sentence in August, Judge Smallwood shocked prosecutors. 'In these circumstances, as I am about to describe, the offending itself would appear to have been, on what is before me at least, a willing participant, but I am very aware that consent does not assist in mitigation,' the judge said. Smith had already been told by the teenager's worried mother to keep away from her. The Sale reserve where Smith had his way with his vulnerable teenage victim Police had also paid Smith a visit and again warned him to keep away from the vulnerable teen. Finally, the Victorian Government itself contacted Smith in writing - warning him it was an offence to counsel, induce or assist a child to be absent from their residence. Judge Smallwood was told Smith had a prior conviction for rape, which saw him rape a 10-year old girl at a playground when he was aged 16. Smith, who punched on with police when they came to arrest him, remained unrepentant over his oval antics with the teenager. 'You know what I'm pissed off about is how little girls can go out, f**k older guys and they get off scot-free and us f**kers have to f**ken deal with it,' he moaned. The court heard Judge Smallwood was determined to send Smith back to youth detention, but they would not have him. Smith had endured a rotten childhood, which saw him put into foster care and later suffer from depressive anxiety disorder, ADHD, an attachment disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and a generalised anxiety disorder. Judge John Smallwood's sentence was vindicated by the Supreme Court of Victoria Court of Appeal on Friday Judge Smallwood begrudgingly sent him to an adult jail, albeit for a paltry 18 months at its highest. On Friday, the Supreme Court of Victoria Court of Appeal agreed that Judge Smallwood's decision had been the right one. 'In my view, the sentencing judge took into account everything that he was obliged to take into account and it was open to him to impose a sentence that he did, even though it is a remarkably low sentence,' the panel of three justices found. In handing down its decision, the appeal court heard in addition to Smith's history of serious sexual offending, he has pronounced developmental and psychosexual deficiencies. 'The factors that make him unsuitable for incarceration in an adult prison are also factors that give rise to the need for community protection,' the court stated. 'The respondent presents as a risk to other people, especially young women and girls. However, it is highly questionable whether that risk is best managed by a long term of imprisonment.' The genetic mutation that makes dogs like Chihuahuas and Pomeranians so tiny first originated in wolves some 53,000 years ago, a study has revealed. Researchers led from the US National Institutes of Health identified a mutation in a canine growth hormone-regulating gene that is associated with small body sizes. The findings rebut the idea small dogs are the sole product of us breeding for small, cute companions in the wake of domestication 20,000 years ago. The genetic mutation that makes dogs like Chihuahuas and Pomeranians so tiny first originated in big old wolves some 53,000 years ago, a study has revealed. Pictured: 'Bruiser' the Chihuahua in the 2001 comedy film 'Legally Blonde', with Reese Witherspoon's Elle Woods Researchers led from the US National Institutes of Health identified a mutation in a canine growth hormone-regulating gene that is associated with small body sizes. The team found that the mutation it was already present in the genetic code of a steppe wolf that lived in Siberia around 53,000 years ago. Pictured: a modern-day steppe wolf (Canis lupus campestris) CANIDS EXPLAINED The Canidae are a family of mammals which include dogs, coyotes, foxes and wolves, among others groups. They are found on all continents except Antarctica, having traversed the globe either independently or by accompanying humans. Typically social animals, canids range in size from the 6.6 feet (2 metre) -long grey wolf all the way down to the 9.4" (24 centimetre) -long fennec fox. Advertisement The study undertaken by geneticist Elaine Ostrander of the National Human Genome Research Institute and her colleagues concludes a decade-long search for the genetic mutation underlying small body sizes in dogs. Success came when the team searched for genetic sequences that were positioned backwards and were also present in other canids like wolves and also ancient DNA. This approach yielded a reverse form of the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) gene, which was found to have variants that correlated with overall body size. 'We looked at 200 breeds, and it held up beautifully,' Dr Ostrander explained. 'This is tying together so much about canine domestication and body size, and the things that we think are very modern are actually very ancient.' In fact, when the researchers analysed samples of ancient wolf DNA to determine when the IGF-1 mutation first arose, the team found it was already present in the genetic code of a steppe wolf that lived in Siberia around 53,000 years ago. 'It's as though Nature had kept it tucked in her back pocket for tens of thousands of years until it was needed,' said Dr Ostrander. The researchers said that they also found the IGF-1 mutation in other members of the canid family including African hunting dogs, coyotes and jackals. With their initial study complete, the researchers are continuing their investigation into the genes that regulate body sizes in canines. The researchers said that they found the IGF-1 mutation in other members of the canid family including African hunting dogs, coyotes and jackals. Pictured: the distribution of the small body size mutation across different species of canids The findings rebut the notion that small dogs are the sole product of human-driven breeding for small, cute companions (as pictured) in the wake of domestication 20,000 years ago 'One of the things that is pretty cool about dogs is that because they have evolved so recently there aren't actually a lot of body size genes,' said Dr Ostrander. In fact, canids only have 25, compared to the hundreds at play in us humans. 'I really want to understand the whole continuum from Chihuahuas to Great Danes,' Dr Ostrander added. The full findings of the study were published in the journal Current Biology. Chinese President Xi Jinping is displayed on a screen as Type 99A2 Chinese battle tanks take part in a parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of Japan's surrender during World War II, held in front of Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, Sept. 3, 2015. AP-Yonhap From the deadly crushing of Beijing's 1989 pro-democracy protests to the suppression of Hong Kong's opposition four decades later, China's Communist Party has demonstrated a determination and ability to stay in power that is seemingly impervious to Western criticism and sanctions. As Beijing prepares to hold the Winter Olympics opening next week, party leader and China's President Xi Jinping appears firmly in control. The party has made political stability paramount and says that has been the foundation for the economic growth that has bettered lives and put the nation on a path to becoming a regional if not global power. While many have benefitted economically, the price has been paid by those who wanted more freedom, from ethnic groups in the far western regions of Tibet and Xinjiang to the largely student-led protesters in Hong Kong in 2019. The party leadership was divided when an earlier generation of student protesters took control for weeks of the symbolically important grounds of Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989. The hardline leaders won and the protesters were crushed rather than accommodated, a fateful decision that has guided the party's approach to this day. ''The world came up with the assumption that with economic engagement with China, China would thrive, which would give birth to a powerful middle class, which would give birth then to a civil society which would give birth then to a democracy that would make China a responsible stakeholder in the world arena,'' said Wu'er Kaixi, who as a university student helped lead the 1989 protests and now lives in exile in Taiwan. That assumption, he added, proved naive and wrong. Beijing's hosting of the 2008 Summer Olympics manifested hope that reforms might be on the way, bringing greater space for free speech, independent labor unions and protection of the cultural and religious identities of ethnic groups. Tibetan groups staged protests in China and abroad, disrupting the torch relay. University students clean the "Pillar of Shame" statue, a memorial for those killed in the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, at the University of Hong Kong, June 4, 2019. AP-Yonhap Nearly 15 years later, on the eve of the Winter Games, the reality is far different. Tibet remains firmly under Communist Party control, and the government launched a fierce crackdown against the Turkic Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang in 2017 and enacted new laws and loyalty requirements to drive out opposition in Hong Kong in response to massive protests that turned violent in 2019. Under Xi, who came to power in 2012, the party has clamped down on dissident voices and anyone who challenges its version of events, from a (hash)MeToo movement that flourished briefly to citizen journalists who exposed the crisis and chaos in Wuhan in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Xi is now expected to be appointed to a third five-year term as the ruling party's general secretary this fall, cementing his position as China's strongest leader since Mao Zedong. With no term limits on the position, Xi could remain leader indefinitely, with no clearly defined rules on succession. Xi approaches the party meeting bolstered by a strong economy, the ending of separatist violence in Xinjiang and the passage of a sweeping national security law and electoral changes in Hong Kong that have eviscerated the political opposition in the territory. Chinese President Xi Jinping is displayed on a screen during the evening gala evening held on Tiananmen Square for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in Beijing on Oct. 1, 2019. AP-Yonhap ''Xi Jinping wants to become a leader like Mao,'' said Joseph Cheng, a political scientist and veteran Hong Kong pro-democracy activist who now lives in Australia. Mao Zedong founded China's communist state in 1949 and led the country for more than two decades. Having maintained relative prosperity and rock-hard political control, Xi and the party face little pressure and see no need to make concessions, Cheng said. ''There are no checks and balances domestically and internationally. As a result, there is an increasingly authoritarian regime,'' he said. The suppression of the Tiananmen protests marked the end of a period of limited political liberalization in the 1980s. The chaos and violence of the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution and the decline of the Soviet Union had already impressed on the ruling party that political stability should be maintained at whatever cost. The crackdown carried out with tanks and assault troops was seen as the only way to ensure continued Communist Party rule and what Xi has since termed the realization of the ''Chinese dream'' of restoring the country's position in the world. The events of 1989 remain a taboo topic in China to this day. Future years saw advocates for free expression and civil rights continue to push the boundaries. Beijing responded to some appeals by releasing pro-democracy activists into foreign exile. At the same time, the party opened new avenues for education and employment, loosened restrictions on the private sector and welcomed foreign investment. A new generation of young Chinese grew up with heightened expectations and little knowledge of the political turmoil of past years. Despite their misgivings about the crackdown, China's booming economy was too much of a draw to ignore, and Western democracies swiftly re-engaged with the regime in the 1990s and 2000s. Uighur children play near a cage protecting heavily armed Chinese paramilitary policemen on duty in Urumqi in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on May 1, 2014. AP-Yonhap More recently, the U.S. has turned against China, viewing what is now the world's second largest economy as a growing competitor as well as an opportunity. China's policies in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong, and on human rights in general, have brought travel and financial sanctions from the U.S. and others on the officials and companies involved. Beijing has responded with dismissals and disdain. A diplomatic boycott of the Olympics announced by Washington, the U.K. and others was greeted with contempt by Beijing for what it called a meaningless gesture that would change nothing. China has sought to redefine human rights as improvements in the quality of life, and cites economic growth and poverty reduction as the real determinants. It has written off campaigns by foreign politicians, trade groups and companies to boycott cotton goods and other products from Xinjiang over allegations of forced labor. China calls such claims ''the lie of the century,'' although some experts say the bad publicity may have prompted it to shut down its prison-like system of internment camps. But activists' calls to move the Olympics out of China have gone unheeded. A diplomatic boycott won't stop the athletes from competing. Sophie Richardson, the China director for Human Rights Watch, said the International Olympic Committee lost all credibility on promoting human rights after choosing Beijing for the Winter Games. Kaixi, the former Tiananmen protester and an ethnic Uyghur, said China could not have succeeded in its defiance without the acquiescence of the international community. ''China can only get away with all this because the world is giving in,'' he said. (AP) Web cookies were originally designed to protect users privacy, according to the man behind the technology, not act as a tool to help large tech firms snoop on people. California-based engineer and entrepreneur, Lou Montulli, created the technology behind tracking cookies while working for browser-firm Netscape in 1994, which went on to become an open standard, and it was unlikely to have made him money. These small text files, that act as a memory for websites, stored in the browser, was developed at a time Netscape was in a war with Microsoft for dominance of the web browser market, and so weren't a priority for the struggling company. Montulli said the original 'cookie' was intended to make life online easier by letting websites remember visitors preferences, including whether they were already logged in, the most recent pages they visited and to store shopping cart items. However, the technology quickly became a 'lightning rod' used by large tech companies to collect data on consumers' habits and allow targeted adverts. Montulli, currently CTO of JetInsight, which provides tracking software for the private airline industry, said his invention was never intended for advertising. 'It is simply a core technology to enable the web to function,' he said, adding that 'you really couldn't use the web without cookies,' He says the only real way to limit abuse of user data is through legislation, forcing firms to allow people to opt-out of being tracked or storing cookies on devices. California-based engineer and entrepreneur Lou Montulli said the original 'cookie' he created decades ago was intended to make life online easier by letting websites remember visitors In the past 30 years cookies have become synonymous with the World Wide Web, and despite their origins, are at the heart of concerns over privacy and security. There have been campaigns to block the use of these cookies, which now come in a number of different forms, including those that are used by the website you are on, and third-party cookies used to track online activities for advertising purposes. Earlier this week, Google joined a growing list of tech companies announcing a new plan to block certain types of cookies from working with its browser, Chrome. The Alphabet-owned firm said it would trial a new system of 'Topics' that is designed to protect user privacy while also allowing for targeted advertising. In the past 30 years cookies have become synonymous with the World Wide Web, and despite their origins, are at the heart of concerns over privacy and security WHAT ARE HTTP COOKIES? A 'cookie' is more formally known as an HTTP cookie, a web cookie, an Internet cookie or a browser cookie. It is the shorter version of 'magic cookie,' according to Norton antivirus. This is a term for a packet of data a computer receives and sends back without changing or altering it. When you visit a website it sends the cookie to your computer, where it is stored as a file within the browser. The website can then reference this cookie to keep track of what pages you look at and other activities. It can use it to save your shopping cart for next time, store your username to make it easier to login and give you a list of recently viewed pages. According to Norton: 'Under normal circumstances, cookies cannot transfer viruses or malware to your computer. 'Because the data in a cookie doesn't change when it travels back and forth, it has no way to affect how your computer runs.' Advertisement This doesn't mean Chrome users won't be tracked, but instead of blanket third-party cookies and data sharing, websites they visit, and advertising companies, will be given three topics that have been linked to that individual based on their activity. These 'broad themes' are supposed to be linked to their interest, based on browsing history collected by Google - with the data stored on the device, not Google servers - meaning Google itself won't have access to the dataset producing the topics. Google says it will also only allow advertisers to hold on to the topic information for three weeks, and Chrome users can opt out completely. This hasn't been a popular move among advertisers, who fear it could cut into their ability to generate revenue from properly targeted advertising. Others say the move doesn't go far enough, with campaigners saying that companies like Google and Facebook make it easier to opt-in to cookie tracking, than they do to opt-out of being tracked. Not all cookies are bad though, explained Montulli, adding that some are needed to help websites interact with visitors. Without what are called 'first-party' cookies, every time a person went online, they would be treated as though it were their first time. His problem is with third-party cookies, that are generated by a website and stored in the browser, that ad networks can use to see what users have been viewing. 'It is only through collusion between many websites and an ad network that ad tracking is allowed to happen,' Montulli argued. Websites share activity data with ad networks, which then use it to target ads for all their members, which in turn make more money as they are more likely to be clicked. There have been campaigns to block the use of these cookies, which now come in a number of different forms, including those that are used by the website you are on, and third-party cookies used to track online activities for advertising purposes GOOGLE HIT WITH $169 MILLION FINE BY FRENCH REGULATOR France's data privacy watchdog CNIL fined Alphabet's Google a record $169 million for making it difficult for internet users to refuse online trackers known as cookies. Meta Platforms' Facebook was also fined $67 million for the same reason, the CNIL said. 'When you accept cookies, it's done in just one click,' said Karin Kiefer, CNIL's head for data protection and sanctions. 'Rejecting cookies should be as easy as accepting them'. In its statement, the watchdog said it had found that the facebook.com, google.fr and youtube.com websites didn't allow the refusal of cookies easily, citing Google's video-streaming platform. In its statement, the watchdog said it had found that the facebook.com, google.fr and youtube.com websites didn't allow the refusal of cookies easily. The CNIL said the two companies had three months to comply with its orders or face an extra penalty payment of $111,000 per day of delay. These include the obligation for Google and Facebook to provide French internet users simpler tools for refusing cookies, in order to guarantee their consent. Advertisement 'If you search on some strange niche product and then you get bombarded with ads for that product at a number of websites, that is a weird experience,' Montulli said. 'It is normal human pattern recognition to think if they know I was looking for blue suede shoes, they must know everything about me; then think I want to get out of this.' The increasing use of personal detail cookies has drawn the attention of governments, with the French authorities recently fining Google and Facebook a combined $237 million just this month, for the way they track visitors. The fine was on the grounds that they required too many 'clicks' for a user to completely reject cookies, resulting in many accepting them by default. As well as the fine, the regulator gave Meta and Alphabet three months to find a way to make it easier for users to reject cookies and still use services. Part of the problem with cookies is the 'leaking' of personal information, where data collected by one website, however anonymous, could allow for a browser to be identified as belonging to a specific individual. 'It's a network effect of all these different websites colluding together with the ad trackers,' Montulli said. 'Cookies were originally designed to provide privacy.' He said one possible response would be to stop targeting ads and start charging subscriptions for online services, which run on online advertising revenue. Montulli also supports phasing out third-party cookies, but warned getting rid of the software snippets altogether would drive advertisers to more stealthy tactics. 'Advertising will find a way,' he said. 'It will become a technological arms race; considering the billions of dollars at risk, the ad industry will do what they need to keep the lights on.' Turning off third-party cookies could also unintentionally punish small websites by shutting them out of targeted ads that make money. This could in turn result in giving even more power to tech giants such as Apple, Google and Facebook-parent Meta - the largest players in the online ad market. Regulation that keeps cookies in use, mandating controls such as letting users opt in or out of sharing data, may be the only viable long-term solution, Montulli said. Cookies, as we know them today, owe their origin to a battle between giving all users of Netscape's Navigator Browser a personal ID, and finding a private way to handle preferences being saved for each individual website. The privacy approach won out, thanks in a large part to Montulli who said in a 2021 interview with Quartz, the goal was a mechanism where you could be remembered by websites you want to remember you, but also remain anonymous elsewhere. By the time the advertising industry realised it could make use of these text files, now an open standard, Netscape was too buried in a battle with Microsoft to tackle the problem. Eventually this technology, which was just one of dozens of new innovations made by Montulli during his time at Netscape, came to dominate the WWW. 'You really couldn't use the web without cookies,' he said. 'But, we are going to need to be more nuanced about how they are used in advertising.' Elon Musk-owned SpaceX is on target to launch a rocket a week throughout 2022, including delivering hundreds of Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit. This would be a remarkable achievement for the space firm, building on 31 launches last year - carrying a combination of private and government payloads. 'That's an incredible pace,' said Sandra Magnus, astronaut and former executive director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Speaking during a virtual meeting of NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP), Magnus said SpaceX would need to ensure appropriate attention is paid to NASA missions, with the right resources made available. Elon Musk-owned SpaceX is on target to launch a rocket a week throughout 2022, including delivering hundreds of Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit This would be a remarkable achievement for the space firm, building on 31 launches last year - carrying a combination of private and government payloads SpaceX has launched three Falcon 9 rockets so far this year, with the first on January 6, with an Italian Earth observation satellite scheduled to launch tonight. There is another SpaceX launch set for Sunday, January 30, putting another batch of Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit, bringing the number above 2,000. SpaceX isn't new to making bold claims, with Musk announcing in 2000 that he would launch 48 rockets in 2021, but only made 31. That was still a record number of launched for the firm, and put them on a similar pace as the Chinese space agency . Next-generation Starlink constellations could have a whopping 42,000 Starlink satellites in low-Earth orbit, hopes Elon Musk (pictured) SpaceX has launched three Falcon 9 rockets so far this year, with the first on January 6, with an Italian Earth observation satellite scheduled to launch tonight RECENT STARLINK LAUNCHES January 18, 2022: 49 satellites January 6, 2022: 49 satellites December 18, 2021: 52 satellites December 2, 2021: 48 satellites November 13, 2021: 53 satellites September 14, 2021: 51 satellites Advertisement It isn't clear whether the 52 scheduled launches are all using the Falcon 9, or whether there would be Falcon Heavy and even Starship prototype launches. The firm is expected to launch the first orbital prototype of its Starship rocket into orbit by the spring. Being able to re-use parts of rockets has been listed as a key reason why SpaceX has been able to launch so often, landing boosters, recovering nosecones and re-using them in future launches. This reduces the cost of each mission from a typical $60 to $90 million down to about $30 million per trip. The Transporter-3 mission earlier this month, that saw a Falcon 9 carry satellites for a number of smaller operators, reused a booster for the 10th time in 20 months. SpaceX's rideshare program allows corporations and governments to send a 200-kilogram payload into orbit for the relatively cheap price of $1 million compared to a solo mission for a $50 million. In this image taken with a slow shutter speed, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center, arcs across the night sky in this view Viera, Florida, January 18, 2022 Of the 52 missions scheduled for 2022, there will be multiple crewed spaceflights for NASA, and the Axiom Space AX-1 mission, that will take the first fully civilian crew to the International Space Station in February. Both NASA and SpaceX will have to ensure the appropriate attention and priority are focused on NASA missions, and the right resources are brought to bear to maintain that pace at a safe measure, Magnus said during the meeting. Other NASA launches include cargo shipments to the ISS, but the firm has a number of non-NASA customers, including launches for its own Starlink internet satellites. This massive internet satellite constellation could one day be made up of tens of thousands of spaceships, orbiting a few hundred miiles above the Earth and working in concert to provide high-speed internet to the most rural parts of the planet. There is no guarantee SpaceX will hit its 'one per week' target, as launches are subject to weather, faults and sudden change, but it is on target right now. China has confirmed it's joining forces with Russia to build a research station on the moon by 2035, which will rival NASA's Lunar Gateway. Confirmation of plans to build the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) came on Friday from officials at China National Space Administration (CNSA), the country's national space agency. Russia and China aim to complete basic infrastructure construction for ILRS by 2035, Wu Yanhua, CNSA deputy director, told a briefing in Beijing. ILRS will rival NASA's Lunar Gateway, which is set to play a 'vital' role in the US space agency's upcoming Artemis program. However, NASA's Lunar Gateway will only orbit the moon, while ILRS will have both an orbiter and a base on the lunar surface, as well as multiple exploration rovers. China and Russia will sign an agreement to build a research station on the moon, officials at the Chinese space agency said WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE CHINA-RUSSIA MOON BASE The moon base, called International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), is a joint operation between Russia and China. ILRS will be 'designed to conduct multidisciplinary and multipurpose research work'. NASA's Lunar Gateway will orbit the moon, but ILRS will have both an orbiter and a base on the lunar surface. China and Russia will sign an agreement to build the research station, officials at China National Space Administration said. Advertisement The next step for Russia and China is infrastructure construction, which includes systems for energy, communication and life support on the moon base, Bloomberg Quint reports. The ILRS project will be open to other countries to join. 'We welcome the extensive participation of international colleagues,' Wu said on Friday. It follows authorities from Moscow and Beijing signing a memorandum of understanding in March 2021 to launch the project. The base, the memorandum said, would be 'designed to conduct multidisciplinary and multipurpose research work'. Russia previously expressed interest in collaborating on NASA's Lunar Gateway program, and an informal joint statement was signed by both Roscosmos (Russia's space agency) and NASA on September 27, 2017. However, Roscosmos formally announced in January 2021 that it would ultimately not be participating in the program. Described as a 'vital component of NASAs Artemis program, the Lunar Gateway will be a small space station orbiting the moon, acting as a 'multi-purpose outpost'. Wu Yanhua, deputy head of China's National Space Administration (CNSA), attends the State Council Information Office (SCIO) press conference to issue the white paper titled 'China's Space Program: A 2021 Perspective' on January 28, 2022 in Beijing, China CHINA'S UPCOMING CHANG'E MISSIONS Chang'e-6 will be the first mission to explore the moon's south pole. It's expected to launch in 2023 or 2024. Chang'e-7 will study the land surface, composition, space environment in an overall mission, according to the Chinese space authority, while Chang'e-8 will focus on technical surface analysis. China is also reportedly working on building a lunar base using 3D printing technology and sending a future crewed mission to the surface. Chang'e-8 will likely lay the groundwork for this as it strives to verify technology for the project. The CNSA is also building an Earth-orbiting space station where Chinese astronauts conduct scientific experiments, similar to ISS crew. The agency also launched a mission to Mars in summer 2020 and landed a rover on the red planet in May 2021. Advertisement China wants to land its first astronauts on the moon as early as 2030, according to Chinese Academy of Engineering expert Long Lehao someone thought to be close to CNSA's space program last autumn. The country had always planned to send humans to the lunar surface, but it was assumed it would be later in the 2030s, after multiple rover and probe missions. China has also just approved three more missions to the moon Chang'e 6, 7 and 8 launching from 2024 onwards. Friday's announcement is a sign of closer cooperation between Russia and China, which has been conducting its spare-faring projects alone. China was notably barred from participating in the project to build the International Space Station (ISS) by the US. In its 20-year history, no Chinese nationals have ever been aboard the ageing ISS, which is operated by five space agencies NASA (US), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada). As a result, China last year started building its own space station, called Tiangong, meaning 'heavenly palace', to rival it. ISS, currently in orbit, took 10 years and more than 30 missions to assemble from the launch of the first module back in 1998. The Tianhe module of the China's new space station which was the first module to be launched, in April last year forms the main living quarters for crew members in Tiangong, which will have a life span of at least 10 years. China's ambitious Tiangong space station, currently under construction, is seen here in an artistic rendering 3D rendering of the Chinese Space Station, or Tiangong Space Station, as it'll look when fully constructed. Tianhe will form the main living quarters for three crew members. Shenzhou is an existing spacecraft that would dock at the station with crew. Tianzhou is an existing cargo transport spacecraft CHINESE SPACE STATION MODULES - Tianhe: Core module. Launched on April 29, 2021 - Wentian: Experiment module I. Launch planned for 2022 - Mengtian: Experiment module II. Launch planned for 2022 - Xuntian: Space telescope module. Planned launch in 2024 to co-orbit with Chinese Space Station Advertisement Tianhe will be connected next year to two more 'experiment module' sections, named Wentian and Mengtian, set to be launched by June and September 2022, respectively. Once completed, Tiangong Space Station will weigh some 66 tons, far smaller than the ISS, which launched its first module in 1998 and weighs around 450 tons. Tiangong's first crew returned to Earth in September following a 90-day mission. The second crew of two men and one woman Zhai Zhigang and Ye Guangfu and Wang Yaping arrived in mid October for a six-month mission and are still aboard today. In early November, Yaping became China's first female spacewalker after completing a six-hour task outside the station, along with Zhigang. The spacewalk took a total of six hours 25 minutes, during which time the duo installed equipment and carried out tests alongside the station's robotic service arm. China launched Chang'e-5 in November 2020, which less than a month successfully returned lunar rock samples to Earth the first such samples returned to Earth in more than 40 years. Meanwhile, China's Tianwen-1 mission, consisting of multiple spacecraft including an orbiter and lander, is currently investigating the Martian surface and its atmosphere. War reporter and Unicef ambassador Martin Bell, pictured, checks in to our travel Q&A This week, war reporter and Unicef ambassador Martin Bell checks in to our travel Q&A. He talks about the experience that sparked his travel curiosity, his most treasured souvenirs, his favourite bar of all time - and more... FIRST TRAVEL MEMORY? Boarding an aircraft at Southend Airport and flying to Cyprus in 1957. I was 18 and a humble infantryman. It was my first time abroad, first time on a plane and first time away from home. DID THIS SPARK YOUR TRAVEL CURIOSITY? It did. Id see journalists at the Ledra Palace Hotel in Nicosia, immaculately dressed in safari suits, and think, Thats not a bad way to earn a living. EVER BEEN SCARED? Fear keeps you alive, what kills you is panic. It was a huge advantage to be a soldier. IS THERE SHRAPNEL IN YOUR STOMACH? Yes. I was wounded by the Serbs in a bomb blast and robbed by the French on the same day in 1992. I was taken to the French field hospital, and when I came round, my passport and cash were gone. I had another operation in London, and the surgeon said it was safer to leave in the shrapnel. ANY TRAVEL ADVICE? Take twice the money and half the clothes you want to. Martin reveals that Belfast's The Crown, pictured, is his favourite bar - and a Bushmills whiskey is his drink of choice there BEST SOUVENIRS? A shotgun shell casing from Zimbabwe and tear gas canister from the 1968 Chicago riots, following the death of Martin Luther King. I also have a bullet case from Vietnam I was there in 1967 and 1972. I nearly got John Pilger and myself killed one day. HAVE YOU STILL GOT YOUR WHITE SUITS? Not as many as I used to. I had six at one point. HOW MANY COUNTRIES HAVE YOU VISITED? To be precise, 121. Though I saw Germany when it was two nations and Yugoslavia when it was one (its now six). Martin's next trip will be to visit Paris, where his daughter Melissa works as a CNN correspondent FAVOURITE BAR? The Crown, Belfast. It has wonderful stained-glass windows and pews. Id have a Bushmills whiskey. WHERE NEXT? Paris. My daughter Melissa is the CNN correspondent there. Id love to revisit St Helena. Ive been twice and loved it. She has been a fixture of Australian film and television for more than 20 years and is often praised for her age-defying appearance. And Susie Porter shared the secret to her youthful visage and incredible figure during an interview with Daily Mail Australia this week. 'I run, I walk a lot and still do functional training at F45 six times per week,' the 51-year-old said. From healthy eating to F45 sessions six times per week: Australian actress Susie Porter, 51, has shared the secret behind her youthful looks and incredible figure Susie said that while she likes to indulge on special occasions, for the most part she is careful about the food she eats. 'Look, I try and be healthy, but like everyone I love food, but I also really enjoy my exercise,' she added. Susie explained that regular exercise helped her stay motivated and positive during Melbourne's Covid lockdown last year. Motivated: 'I run, I walk a lot and still do functional training at F45 six times per week,' the 51-year-old actress told Daily Mail Australia earlier this week My, how you've changed! Susie debuted a much slimmer frame and a taut visage when she attended the AACTA Awards in Sydney in December (right). Pictured left in 2010 'Exercise really helped me when I was filming Wentworth and we were in lockdown. I find it a really great, kind of release,' she said. It comes a month after the actress turned heads when she arrived at the AACTA Awards looking much slimmer than usual. Susie showed off her dramatic weight loss as she posed on the red carpet in a form-fitting hot pink gown by Daniel Learmont. Enjoying workouts: 'Look, I try and be healthy, but like everyone I love food, but I also really enjoy my exercise,' she said. Susie is pictured in 2019 Twirling around for photos, Susie looked thrilled with her new physique. She also debuted noticeably different facial features, including a tauter-looking complexion, shinier forehead and more prominent cheekbones than usual. The Puberty Blues star, who began her acting career in her twenties, is now starring in Stan Original film Gold alongside Zac Efron. The Stan Original film Gold is available to stream now on Stan. Turning heads: It comes just weeks after the actress turned heads when she arrived at the AACTA Awards looking much slimmer than usual She bid farewell to Summer Bay just a few weeks ago, after playing Jasmine Delaney on Home and Away since 2017. And Sam Frost is making the most of her freed-up schedule since quitting the soap, spending a relaxing day at the beach on Thursday. The former Bachelorette, 32, showed off her toned figure in a tiny red bikini as she soaked up the sun at Culburra Beach on the NSW South Coast. Red hot! Sam Frost showed off her toned figure in a red bikini on Thursday she she soaked up the sun at Culburra Beach, on the NSW South Coast, just weeks after quitting Home and Away Sam showcased her flat stomach and cleavage in a sizzling selfie on Instagram. 'South Coast beach crawl,' Sam captioned the post. Sam looked like the quintessential Aussie beach babe, showing off a soft golden tan as her long blonde hair blew in the breeze. Moving on: Just last month, Channel Seven confirmed that Sam had left Home and Away Just last month, Channel Seven confirmed that Sam had left Home and Away. A spokesperson said of her departure: 'We support and respect Sam's decision to leave Home and Away. Sam leaves with our sincere thanks and very best wishes for the future.' Sam quit the long-running soap two months after copping backlash in October when she revealed she hadn't had the Covid-19 vaccine. Her exit came just weeks ahead of Seven Productions' January 10 deadline for all actors, crew and presenters to be double-vaccinated. Controversy: Sam quit the long-running soap two months after copping backlash in October when she revealed she hadn't had the Covid-19 vaccine However, a source told Daily Mail Australia Sam's decision to leave was 'not related' to the network's vaccine policy. The role of Jasmine Delaney will not be recast. Sam filmed her final scenes for Home and Away last month at Sydney's Eveleigh Studios. She will reportedly move to Melbourne to be closer to her friends and family. She's the self-proclaimed black sheep of the family who signed up to Married At First Sight in hopes of finding her dream partner. But it appears as though half-Cambodian and half-Chinese Selina Chhaur will have a hard time convincing her traditional parents to approve of her quest for love. Channel Nine released a dramatic new trailer which sees the Adelaide-based hairdresser, 32, sit her parents down to tell them she's planning to marry a stranger. Married At First Sight bride Selina Chhaur, 32, (pictured) is left devastated in new trailer after her traditional parents REFUSE to approve her quest for love on TV Selina explained that if her parents had their way she would already be married to an older, wealthy Asian. 'If my mum could pick me the perfect husband, he would look like Kim Jong Il and have like a multimillion dollar company in China and I would be his fourth wife or something,' she tells producers. 'When I told them I not only wanted to be a hairdresser, but I wanted to leave school they were definitely not happy or supportive. I felt like such a disappointment.' Nerves: Channel Nine released a dramatic new trailer which sees the Adelaide-based hairdresser sit her parents down to tell them she's planning to marry a stranger 'There are three experts that have found me my soulmate, but I haven't met him yet,' she tells her parents over a cup of tea. 'We're going to get married' Out to prove them wrong by not only succeeding in her career, Selina is hoping the experiment's experts can also help in her quest for love. 'There are three experts that have found me my soulmate, but I haven't met him yet,' she tells her parents over a cup of tea. 'We're going to get married.' Her father, originally from Cambodia, replies telling Selina that he doesn't give his 100 per cent approval before the scene ends. Oh no! Her father, originally from Cambodia, (left) replies telling Selina that he doesn't give his 100 per cent approval before the scene ends Speechless: A devastated Selina appears speechless as she just nods after hearing her parent's response As revealed by Daily Mail Australia, Married At First Sight won't be her first time on reality TV. Selina previously starred on Channel Seven's short-lived dating series The Proposal. Selina was 'proposed' to by Love Island star Aaron Shaw after the pair hit it off; however, things fizzled out shortly after filming the series. Married At First Sight premieres Monday, January 31 on Channel Nine Not her first rodeo! It won't be Selina's first time on a reality TV dating show. Selina previously starred on Channel Seven's short-lived dating series The Proposal Mishel Karen has emerged as one of Australia's biggest OnlyFans stars in recent months. And now the former Married At First Sight bride has stripped down for a sizzling lingerie shoot to promote her X-rated content. The 51-year-old left little to the imagination in a lacy pink lingerie set that consisted of a low-cut bra and a pair of matching panties. EXCLUSIVE: Married At First Sight's Mishel Karen bared all in a lingerie shoot for OnlyFans In one image, she suggestively cupped her cleavage and pushed it up to give viewers an eyeful of her assets. Her hair and makeup was flawless, with the mum of two opting for a crimson lip, dark eyeshadow, and tousled waves. One image even featured Mishel with another OnlyFans model, and was taken from the grandmother's first ever 'girl-on-girl' scene. The entire shoot, from the lingerie photos to the porn scene, was shot on location in a Gold Coast warehouse as part of a mass content shoot in December. Bombshell: Her hair and makeup was flawless, with the mum of two opting for a crimson lip, dark eyeshadow, and tousled waves Mishel and a number of other Australian OnlyFans models, including former V8 Supercars driver Renee Gracie, spent the day collaborating and creating content for their accounts. Unfortunately, Mishel was struck down with Covid several weeks later and became so sick she could barely respond to messages from her subscribers. Despite some struggles, the former reality star is raking in big bucks from her new hardcore porn career. Double trouble! One image even featured Mishel with another OnlyFans model, and was taken from the grandmother's first ever 'girl-on-girl' scene She was initially making just $5,000 a month on OnlyFans, but is now raking in about $20,000 - and the figure is climbing. 'I have earned a really nice amount of money to help us through this difficult time. Well, at least I can pay my new mortgage for a few months,' she recently told Daily Mail Australia. The struggling single mum was forced to turn to OnlyFans to provide for herself and her family after being suspended without pay from her job for refusing to comply with Covid vaccine mandates. Crowded: The entire shoot, from the lingerie photos to the porn scene, was shot on location in a Gold Coast warehouse as part of a mass content shoot in December (pictured) She has also been caring for an immediate family member who she claims has been suffering from heart problems caused by the vaccine. Mishel, a mother of two and grandmother of one, is older than most of her contemporaries at 51, and is also known for performing hardcore acts other OnlyFans models aren't prepared to do. Mishel also sells her used socks and panties on the website, and performs bizarre custom requests for fans. Booked and busy! The mum of two is now raking in $20,000 a month on OnlyFans, and that figure is continuing to climb Unfortunately, her popularity on the site has its downsides, as a deranged fan recently started leaking her X-rated material online. Mishel, who used to work as a policy trainer in the police force, recently became a grandmother after her son Sam welcomed a baby boy with his girlfriend. She's also a doting mum to daughter Eva, who featured on a few episodes of Married At First Sight and now works as a curve model in Brisbane. The Macedonian stunner shot to fame on Married At First Sight in 2020. Attorneys representing the family of slain rapper Drakeo the Ruler have announced plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit against organizers of the disastrous Once Upon a Time in LA music festival. In a press conference with family held on Thursday, their attorney said they would be suing the organizers including Live Nation, which organized Travis Scott's tragic Astroworld festival for 'at least' $20 million. Drakeo the Ruler (born Darrell Wayne Caldwell) was only 28 when was stabbed to death by a group of masked individuals backstage at the Banc of California Stadium on December 18, 2021. Legal action: Attorneys for the family of slain rapper Drakeo the Ruler announced plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit next week against the promoters of the Once Upon a Time in LA festival, where he was killed; pictured on Thursday Attorneys for Drakeo's family said at the press conference that they plan to file the wrongful death lawsuit in the upcoming week. At the start of the conference, lawyers shared video from the night of the stabbing to claim that the rapper wasn't properly protected by security from the organizers. 'His life was taken way too soon, and it should never have happened,' one attorney said. He claimed the video showed Drakeo the Ruler being 'lynched' by 'over 40 to 60 people.' Shocking attack: Attorneys showed a video that reportedly showed the final moments of Drakeo the Ruler backstage at the festival. They claimed he was 'lynched' by 'over 40 to 60 people' Unprotected? 'You didn't see one security officer there,' the attorney added, before noting that the video allegedly showed a fence being opened to let more attackers in; pictured Thursday He also said the video ran 'for a full minute' without showing the rapper with any security personnel to defend him. 'You didn't see one security officer there,' he added, before noting that the video allegedly showed a fence being opened to let more attackers in. The attorney also claimed that there were members of the 'Bloods and Crips' gangs present at the festival. 'Live Nation, C3 Presents, Bobby Dee Presents and a whole host of others failed Mr. Caldwell and his family,' they said. They also expressed confidence that the people responsible for Drakeo's killing would be 'held accountable' by the district attorney. 'This should have never happened if those promoters had the proper security protocol,' the attorney concluded, adding that the killing was a 'preventable death.' Lawsuit targets: 'Live Nation, C3 Presents, Bobby Dee Presents and a whole host of others failed Mr. Caldwell and his family,' they said; Drakeo seen December 12 in San Bernardino, Calif. Drakeo's family later said that he had been stabbed in the neck during the attack by at least 40 people backstage. After the attack, which occurred around 8:30 p.m., he was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, where he was declared dead later that night. Snoop Dogg and other headliners canceled their sets after learning of the attack, and police later shut down the festival prior to its scheduled 11 p.m. end time. In March of 2018, Drakeo was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, along with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder, which left him facing a life sentence. The charges were in relation to a shooting in Carson, California in December 2016 in which one person was killed and two were injured, but he was acquitted of the charges in July 2019. Legal history: Drakeo was previously acquitted on charges including first-degree murder after a 2016 shooting, but the district attorney refiled minor charges afterward. He accepted a plea deal after three years in jail; seen December 12 in San Bernardino However, the district attorney refiled charges of criminal gang conspiracy and shooting from a motor vehicle a month after the jury was initially deadlocked on those counts. After being held in jail for three years, Drakeo accepted a plea deal allowing him to be released if he pleaded guilty to fire a gun from a vehicle, according to NPR. During his time in Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles, the rapper recorded his critically acclaimed album Thank You for Using GTL. Britain's Got Talent audition audience members were left shocked this week when hopeful JD Anderson was left bloodied when a stunt went wrong. The performer, who has previously appeared on America's Got Talent, was seen to by medics following the accident at the London Palladium which happened in front of show judges Simon Cowell, 62, Amanda Holden, 50, David Walliams, 50, and Alesha Dixon, 43. An onlooker told The Sun: 'You expect weird acts but this guy was smashing ice on his head. Mishap: Britain's Got Talent audition audience members were left shocked this week when hopeful JD Anderson was left bloodied when a stunt went wrong 'Amanda was visibly wincing each time the blocks of ice got bigger but Simon appeared to be loving it. 'It ended with JD running into a giant block of ice and smashing it up, causing the audience to gasp. 'It soon became clear he was in pain and blood could be seen coming out of his head.' Shock: The accident at the London Palladium happened in front of show judges Simon Cowell, 62, Amanda Holden, 50, David Walliams, 50, and Alesha Dixon, 43 Medics intervened and checked he had not sustained a concussion but he was given the all clear. MailOnline has contacted a representative for Britain's Got Talent for comment. JD Anderson competed in series nine of America's Got Talent as a strongman in 2014. Fame game: JD Anderson competed in series nine of America's Got Talent as a strongman in 2014 (pictured on the show) He caught the attention of the judges but failed to make it past the quarterfinals of the show. Meanwhile, Amanda was left in hysterics after Simon made a cheeky quip about her bedroom during the BGT auditions on Tuesday. The stunning judge watched a chained escapologist attempt to break free from a water tank, when Simon quipped: 'That looks like Amandas bedroom.' Born to perform: He caught the attention of the judges but failed to make it past the quarterfinals of the show David retorted: 'How do you know?' Simon made things worse by joking he previously 'wanted to buy her house', which failed to amuse Amanda, who was wearing a latex dress. Amanda was then said to have giggled when the escapologist made a racy 50 Shades of Grey inspired-joke on stage about her locking his handcuffs on stage. 'You promised you wouldn't tell anyone': Amanda was 'left in hysterics' after Simon made a racy quip about her bedroom during escapologist's performance at BGT auditions on Monday Duo: Simon watched a chained escapologist attempt to break free from a water tank, and quipped 'That looks like Amandas bedroom' (pictured last week) She responded: 'Well, I am dressed for the part. This comes as judge David shocked the Britain's Got Talent auditions as he pole-danced on stage before flashing his nipple at Simon on Friday. The Little Britain star, who 'has been given a talking to' by show bosses after making crude jokes and behaving mischievously, took to the stage for an impromptu pole-dancing performance as crowds cheered. Banter: Amanda giggled when the escapologist made a racy 50 Shades of Grey inspired-joke on stage about her locking his handcuffs on stage Hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly pretended to vomit as they watched on, with David joking and chuckling as he swung himself around at the London Palladium. After spinning around, the star made his way off stage and back to the judging panel where head judge Simon asked him something. David responded: 'What'?' before pulling his shirt open to reveal his nipple as the audience cheered. Oh wow: David shocked the Britain's Got Talent auditions as he pole-danced on stage before flashing his nipple at Simon on Friday This comes amid claims David undid his shirt before playing with his nipples and sticking his finger through the fly of his trousers to make out he was exposing himself next to judge Simon during auditions this week. It is claimed David got a 'ticking off' after acting 'like a schoolboy' within the same week that music mogul Simon berated the comic for a cheeky comment in reference to a contestant. A TV insider told The Sun: 'Because BGT has been off our screens for some time, David is like a schoolboy in his first week back in class after the summer holidays. 'He cant resist showing off in front of the crowd, which people expect from the funnyman. But sometimes he can take things too far, and thats just whats happened this week. 'Simon obviously loves his outrageous behaviour and the fact they take the mickey out of one another, but even he seemed unimpressed with his latest joke.' They added that David was spoken to about his humour after the first day of auditions but he appears to have taken it as a 'challenge' to be even naughtier. China to explore lunar polar regions, mulling human landing: white paper Xinhua) 13:52, January 28, 2022 BEIJING, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) - China will continue to explore the moon's polar regions and is mulling over a manned lunar landing in the coming five years, according to a white paper released on Friday. The white paper, titled "China's Space Program: A 2021 Perspective," said China will continue its studies and research "on the plan for a human lunar landing." A new-generation manned spacecraft will be developed to support its exploration of the cislunar space, according to the paper. It is part of the country's ambitious lunar exploration plan after its lunar probes landed on the far side of the moon in 2019 and brought back lunar samples last year, respectively. In the next five years, China is planning to bring two more probes onto the moon to explore its polar regions, a place believed to contain water ice, especially in the deep, permanent shadows of some mountains and craters. China will launch the Chang'e-6 lunar probe to collect and bring back samples from the moon's polar regions and launch the Chang'e-7 to perform a precise landing there and "a hopping detection" in lunar shadowed area, the paper said. Also, the country will complete R&D on the key technology of Chang'e-8 and push forward the building of an international research station on the moon with global collaboration, according to the paper. The program is a counterpart to NASA's Artemis lunar exploration plans that try to return astronauts to the Moon by 2024, and establishes a sustained human presence on and around the Moon by 2028. In the next five years, China will launch asteroid probes to sample near-Earth asteroids and probe main-belt comets. The paper also revealed the country's technological preparations for Mars sampling and return, exploration of Jupiter system and boundary exploration of the solar system. Back to near-Earth orbits, China plans to launch, in the next five years, two experimental modules and a space telescope, complete its space station, build a space lab onboard, and carry out large-scale scientific experiments with astronauts on long-term assignments. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Nicolas Cage believes he 'got it right' with current wife Riko Shibata, 27, after enduring four failed marriages in less than three decades. Cage (born Nicolas Kim Coppola), 58, made the admission in a candid interview with the Los Angeles Times, where he was asked to reveal the people/things he cares about most in life. Without hesitation he listed off Riko, who he married in February 2021 after a year of knowing one another. Fifth time's the charm! Nicolas Cage believes he 'got it right' with current wife Riko Shibata, 27, after enduring four failed marriages; Nicolas and Riko pictured in November 'I'm really happily married. I know five is a lot,' he said, in a reference to the number of times he has tied-the-knot, before adding, 'But I think I got it right this time.' The couple first met in Japan in 2020 when Cage was filming Sion Sono's Prisoners Of Ghostland. She landed a role in the movie playing one of the four Mannequin Women. The couple are currently expecting their first baby together. Candid: Cage (born Nicolas Kim Coppola), 58, made the admission in a candid interview with the Los Angeles Times , where he was asked to reveal the people/things he cares about most in life; Cage pictured in 2020 Cage first married actress Patricia Arquette in April 1995, but their union ended in divorce in 2001. From there, he wed Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of the King Of Rock And Roll, Elvis Presley, one of Cage's idol's, in August 2002, which ended just three months later. The actor found love again with Alice Kim in 2004, which resulted in the birth of his second son, Kal-El, now 16, but their union ended in divorce in 2016. He also shares a son Weston, 31, with former partner Christina Fulton, whom he dated beginning in 1988. Cage exchanged nuptials with his fourth wife Erika Koike in March 2019, but again split just three months later. After welcoming his first child with ex-partner Christina Fulton in 1990, Cage would go on to marry actress Patricia Arquette in 1995, only to divorce in 2001; they are pictured in 1996 Along with his film role in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Cage will also star this year in The Retirement Plan, The Old Way and Butcher's Crossing. Plus, next month, he's scheduled to begin shooting the horror-comedy film Renfield, in which he plays Dracula in the Universal Pictures production. Cage, who's the nephew of legendary director Francis Ford Coppola, kicked off his film career with a small part in the coming-of-age comedy-drama film, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, in 1982. Over the course of the next decade, Cage starred in such heralded movies as Raising Arizona (1987), Moonstruck (1987), Wild at Heart (1990), Honeymoon In Vegas (1992), which led to Leaving Las Vegas (1995), a role that resulted in an Academy Award for Best Actor. Honey Kinny Ross, 24, was clearly enjoying the winter sunshine in a pair of Instagram snaps on Thursday. The daughter of television personality Jonathan Ross looked radiant as she posed in the sunlight clad in a cropped taupe jumper. She put on a casual display in a chunky jumper and a matching nude vest, teamed with a pair of light wash jeans. Glowing! Jonathan Ross' daugther Honey, 24, was clearly enjoying the winter sunshine in a pair of Instagram snaps on Thursday The presenter of the Body Protest podcast wore her orange locks styled in loose beachy waves as she added a feline flick of black eyeliner to complete her look. Honey smiled for the camera as she shielded her eyes from the sun and displayed her brightly coloured teal acrylic nails. Earlier in the day, Honey took to her Stories as she joined The Joy of Being Selfish author Michelle Elman to speak at Blackwell's Bookshop in Oxford. Honey has long championed body positivity and uses her Instagram as a platform to to promote self-love and confidence. Radiant: The daughter of TV presenter Jonathan Ross wore her orange locks styled in loose beachy waves as she added a feline flick of black eyeliner to complete her look It comes after Honey shared a gushing tribute to her boyfriend Zane Saz on Instagram earlier this month. She shared a slew of sweet snaps alongside a romantic caption dedicated to her 'immensely talented partner'. The writer and activist was bursting with pride as she announced that Zane, 24, has released a 'beautiful album.' Sweet: It comes after Honey shared a gushing tribute to her boyfriend Zane Saz on Instagram earlier this month In the first snap Honey packed on the PDA and kissed her musician partner on the cheek. In another, the pair appeared to be in a jovial mood as they laughing together in a candid picture. The loved up captioned read: 'My immensely talented partner has released a beautiful album today. 'I'm so lucky to love and be loved by you, Zaney. Your mind astounds me, how you can pluck fully realised, magnetic songs seemingly from thin air, like magic. 'My kind, gentle, wise, beautiful man. Stream Dread Full II if you know what's good for you!!! Could not be prouder.' Margot Robbie channelled her inner Parisian chic as she attended the Chanel Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2022 show in Paris on Tuesday. The 31-year-old Aussie actress, who is an ambassador for the French fashion house, looked incredible as she hit the front row in a gold embellished mini dress and white coat. But all eyes were on one rather small accessory, which comes with an enormous price tag. Tres chic! Margot Robbie channelled her inner Parisian chic as she attended the Chanel Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2022 show in Paris on Tuesday in a mini dress and coat The Wolf of Wall Street star carried what appeared to be a tiny white Chanel quilted mini bag, but was actually a $5,900 Airpods case with a chain. The small case is made of quilted lambskin and features the brand's iconic logo on the clasp. The former Neighbours star has been an ambassador for the French luxury fashion house since 2018. Eye-catching! But all eyes were on one rather small accessory, which comes with an enormous price tag. But all eyes were on one rather small accessory, which comes with an enormous price tag Ambassador: The former Neighbours star has been an ambassador for the French luxury fashion house since 2018 'Everything's always been easy; the relationship has grown in an organic way and I've loved our time together, it feels like a family,' Margot previously told The Sydney Morning Herald about working with Chanel. 'Chanel feels timeless and elegant, but now that I have a personal and direct relationship with the House I have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the art that goes into their products,' she added. Talking about her sense of style, Margot said nothing looks better than confidence and she looks for that feeling in whatever outfit she wears. 'I don't really pay attention to specific trends, I'm more interested in what I feel best in,' she added. Margot, who hails from Queensland's Dalby, has gone on to become one of Hollywood's biggest stars. After thrilling fans in 2013's The Wolf of Wall Street, Margot has gone on to appear in films including Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey and even has her own production company. Kim Kardashian's shapewear brand SKIMS has doubled in value to a whopping $3.2billion after a new round of fundraising. The underwear label, which was launched in 2019 and has been modelled by the likes of Kate Moss and Megan Fox, powered through the pandemic, with the business being worth twice as much today than it was last April. On Wednesday it emerged another $234million had been poured into the company after Kim, 41, and her business managers sourced new investors. Success story: Kim Kardashian's shapewear brand SKIMS has doubled in value to a whopping $3.2billion after a new round of fundraising SKIMS brings in annual sales of $274m and is the latest venture to be launched by the star, who also started cosmetics company KKW Beauty in 2017. Items from the SKIMS range even featured at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics last year as they were worn by Team USA athletes, with the clothing also being donned at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. MailOnline has contacted a representative for Kim for comment. Resilient: The underwear label, which was launched in 2019, powered through the pandemic, with the business being worth twice as much today than it was last April Moving on up: On Wednesday it emerged another $234million had been poured into the company after Kim, 41, and her business managers sourced new investors Kim rose to fame on television show Keeping Up With the Kardashians alongside her family and she is now said to be worth $1 billion. The TV juggernaut recently left its home on channel E! to move to streaming service Hulu as The Kardashians. And it is hoped the new episodes will raise further awareness of the SKIMS brand. Star power: Items from the range have been modelled by the likes of British supermodel Kate Moss Looking good: Kim's sister Kourtney Kardashian has modelled underwear by the brand alongside Megan Fox Chief executive Jens Grede said: 'We see an opportunity with SKIMS to create our own category in retail, just like how we believe Lululemon and Starbucks created their own categories in their respective areas. 'Thats really why were doing this to make sure were best prepared for the future.' The news comes after Kim flaunted her hourglass curves in a pair of skimpy black bikini bottoms from her SKIMS range as she reminisced on a tropical vacation in shots shared with her 282million followers on Tuesday evening. In the detail: SKIMS brings in annual sales of 205m and is the latest venture to be launched by the star, who also started cosmetics company KKW Beauty in 2017 Versatile: Items from the SKIMS range even featured at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics last year as they were worn by Team USA athletes She kept somewhat protected from the harsh sunrays with a black, long-sleeved rash guard as she splashed around in the water. The star topped up her tan wearing a pair of cheeky bottoms while wading in the ocean and let her long, dark brown hair cascade down her back in natural curls. Kim rocked a pair of rectangular sunglasses and wore a pale pink shade of lipstick to complement her already flawless complexion. Signature pose: Kim proved to be completely at ease despite a rather turbulent time at home with her estranged husband Kanye West in Instagram snaps this week Blessed: The star flaunted her hourglass curves in a pair of skimpy black SKIMS bikini bottoms as she reminisced on a tropical vacation in shots shared on Tuesday evening Caught a vibe: The SKIMS founder kept somewhat protected from the harsh sunrays with a black, long-sleeved rash guard as she splashed around in the water. Pete Davidson's girlfriend simply captioned the series: 'long time no sea.' Earlier in the day, Kim was forced to deny the existence of a second sex tape with her ex Ray J after Kanye revealed during an explosive interview for Hollywood Unlocked that he retrieved the footage and returned it to his estranged wife last year. Kim, who shares four children with Kanye, dismissed the notion that any further sexually explicit content even existed in a statement to Page Six. Kim filmed the sex tape in 2002 with her then-boyfriend Ray J, which was released into the public domain in 2007, just as Kim and her family were getting ready to launch the first series of their E! reality show. 'The computer and hard drive collected were supposed to contain the original video and any unseen footage. After review, there was nothing sexual unseen, only footage on the plane on the way to Mexico and footage at a club and restaurant on the same trip,' read the statement. Kerry Katona has candidly revealed she's 'unhappy with her body' in a new workout video shared to her YouTube. The former popstar, 41, even went so far as to say she 'doesn't feel comfortable' going to gym classes as 'everyone is staring at me because of who I am.' Kerry was joined by her daughter DJ, seven, in the motivational clip and performed a workout that's easy for her subscribers to follow. Candid: Kerry Katona has candidly revealed she's 'unhappy with her body' in a new workout video shared to her YouTube Opening up: The former popstar, 41, even went so far as to say she 'doesn't feel comfortable' going to gym classes as 'everyone is staring at me because of who I am' The doting mother explained: 'If you're anything like me when a new year comes you want a new you, fresh start and new beginnings. 'And I most certainly want to get myself fit and in shape.' She went on: 'You know me, I'm always complaining, look at the size of my legs, they're like tree trunks.' It follows reports that Kerry refused to hand her phone to the team of 'hunters' on Channel 4's Celebrity Hunted due to her racy photo reel. Sweet: Kerry was joined by her daughter DJ, seven, in the motivational clip and performed a workout that's easy for her subscribers to follow She went on: 'You know me, I'm always complaining, look at the size of my legs, they're like tree trunks' The show follows a slew of stars attempting to evade a team of 'hunters' and act out life as a fugitive - trying to stay off the radar in a series of challenges. She was not on the run but was used by the hunters to track down The Vivienne and Chloe Veitch - although when faced with handing her phone to see if the contestants contacted her, Kerry refused - unless they paid her $18.74 OnlyFans fee. Insiders told The Sun: 'They want her phone so they can see if she's been in contact with them but gives them the run around... Never one to miss an opportunity, Kerry says she will hand over the phone if the Hunters pay her subscription fee.' Cheeky! It follows reports that Kerry refused to hand her phone to the team of 'hunters' on Channel 4's Celebrity Hunted due to her racy photo reel The premise of the 'thriller' show is described as: 'Contestants are given a chance to do their best at evading some of the most skilled intelligence agencies in the world to see how difficult it is to stay off the radar as a fugitive.' As the experts were sent to hunt for drag queen The Vivienne, 29, and Too Hot To Handle's Chloe Veitch, 22, they cornered Kerry and demanded she show her phone. Kerry put up a fight due to her sizzling content, yet reportedly agreed to let them see her phone if they coughed up $18.74 to pay for her OnlyFans. Sources said: 'Kerry wasn't on the run but she easily steals the limelight. At one point the Hunters pay her a visit but she flat out refuses to play ball... 'They want her phone so they can see if she's been in contact with the The Vivienne or Chloe but in typical Kerry form she gives them the run around... 'Kerry uses the fact she uses the phone to take racy pictures for her OnlyFans account as a 'get out of jail free' card. Never one to miss a business opportunity, Kerry says she will hand over the phone if the Hunters pay her subscription fee.' A representative for Kerry declined to comment when approached by MailOnline. She recently returned from a whirlwind seven-week-long honeymoon with her new husband. And Paris Hilton was intent on resuming some semblance of normalcy post wedded bliss as she bundled up for a walk in New York City on Thursday evening. The 40-year-old socialite looked chic-as-can-be despite the brisk winter weather as she scooped up her pet pooch for a stroll in Manhattan. City slicker: Paris Hilton was intent on resuming some semblance of normalcy post wedded bliss as she bundled up for a walk in New York on Thursday evening Paris stepped out wearing a black lace blouse underneath a striking blue coat which was cinched at the waist with a matching belt. She wore a pair of thick black nylons to match her studded Valentino heels, and balanced her dog in her arm and an iPhone in the other hand. Hilton's platinum blonde hair was tied back into a bun with dramatic tendrils framing her face, and she opted for a pair of oversized frames in addition to diamond stud earrings. Classic: The 40-year-old socialite looked chic-as-can-be despite the brisk winter weather as she scooped up her pet pooch for a stroll in Manhattan. Beaming beauty: Paris stepped out wearing a black lace blouse underneath a striking blue coat which was cinched at the waist with a matching belt Sister Nicky, 38, confirmed she's expecting baby No. 3 with husband James Rothschild earlier in the day, and the couple has Lily Grace Victoria, five, and Theodora 'Teddy' Marilyn, four. Hilton and Rothschild were married at Kensington Palace in the summer of 2015, nearly one year after he proposed in Lake Como, Italy. Paris finally became a married woman after saying 'I do' to Carter Reum on Nov. 11 at her grandfather's Bel Air estate during a three-day wild wedding weekend which also included a Paris-themed carnival at the Santa Monica pier. So chic: Hilton's platinum blonde hair was tied back into a bun with dramatic tendrils framing her face, and she opted for a pair of oversized frames in addition to diamond stud earrings Ahead of their wedding, Paris had proudly showed off her gigantic engagement ring, an emerald-cut diamond bauble from Jean Dousset that was rumored to have set Carter back an eye-watering $2million when he proposed in February. The happy couple have been romantically involved since December of 2019, although they had known each other for over a decade. Paris admitted that being married is a 'magical feeling' and knows Carter will be the 'best dad' to their future children. 'I can't wait to grow our family,' the Simple Life star told PEOPLE magazine. 'I feel like Carter and I are puzzle pieces getting connected.' Days after their wedding, PageSix revealed Carter had a secret nine-year-old child from a previous relationship who he has allegedly seen 'only once.' The 40-year-old entrepreneur fathered a child with reality star Laura Bellizzi, known for appearing on the short-lived VH-1 show Secrets of Aspen. Bellizii - a Chicago native who now lives in California with the child - also briefly dated actor Mel Gibson. The Apprentice UK viewers have questioned whether the show is 'staged' as candidate Francesca Kennedy Wallbank was spotted catching a fish by its tail. The latest challenge on Thursday saw the contestants head to Cornwall were they were tasked with sourcing a catch of the day and creating a fish dish to sell to punters. But as Francesca and her team went line fishing for pollock, fans spotted something fishy as she appeared to hook a fish by its tail using her rod, with one left asking: 'Is this set up for camera?' Something fishy going on? The Apprentice UK viewers have questioned whether the show is 'staged' as candidate Francesca Kennedy Wallbank was spotted catching a fish by its tail Ahead of heading out to sea, Francesca boasted that she used to go fishing all the time with her family when she was younger, and so naturally she took the lead while out on the boat with Aaron and Nick. As they get to fishing, Francesca enthusiastically egged on the boys, telling them: 'Come on boys! Catch up!' as she reeled in fish after fish. She then yelled: 'There's lots of fish down there so if you're not catching it, you're not working hard enough. See... it's easy - just bring it in!' Is this for REEL? As Francesca and her team went line fishing for pollock, fans spotted something fishy as she appeared to hook a fish by its tail using her rod, with one left asking: 'Is this set up for camera?' However, as she reeled up her latest catch, the fish appeared to be attached to the hook via its tail as opposed to being caught in the mouth as is usually the case. Though it's not entirely impossible, with fish able to be caught by foul hooking or snagging (a method that catches fish without them taking the bait in its moth), viewers watching didn't seem convinced by Francesca's fishing skills and suggested the scenes were 'set-up' and 'staged' for the camera. Taking to Twitter, one person remarked: 'I'm no fisherman. But I'm pretty sure they don't come out the water tail first.' Task: The latest challenge on Thursday saw the contestants head to Cornwall were they were tasked with sourcing a catch of the day and creating a fish dish to sell to punters Putting her heart and sole into it: As they get to fishing, Francesca enthusiastically egged on the boys, telling them: 'Come on boys! Catch up!' as she reeled in fish after fish While another shared: 'Watching the Apprentice and was surprised to see pollock being line caught by the tail!!! #Theapprentice #deadfish #setup.' A third baffled fan asked: 'How on earth did Francesca manage to catch a Pollack by its tail??' 'How cringey has this program become? Toe curling and unwatchable. Staged and scripted beyond belief. Fish on the line, caught by the tail is a completely new one on me!' ranted a fourth. Eager: She then yelled: 'There's lots of fish down there so if you're not catching it, you're not working hard enough. See... it's easy - just bring it in!' Shoal-y not! However, as she reeled up her latest catch, the fish appeared to be attached to the hook via its tail as opposed to being caught in the mouth as is usually the case. 'Catching fish by the tail? Is this set up for camera?' questioned another suspicious watcher. With an additional person commenting: 'I am not a fisherman but I have never seen a fish been reeled in tail first on a rod, is this right or is someone attaching the fish to the rods.' Suspicions: Though it's not entirely impossible, viewers watching didn't seem convinced by Francesca's fishing skills and suggested the scenes were 'set-up' and 'staged' for the camera Meanwhile, Alex Short became the fourth candidate to be fired from The Apprentice UK following this week's disastrous fish challenge. The TV personality found himself incurring Lord Sugar's wrath following a multitude of errors from himself and his team, in a task that the business magnate described as 'the worse failure I've ever experiences in the boardroom.' And it wasn't just Lord Sugar he incensed as Karren Brady savagely called Alex out for lying to the boss in the boardroom as he attempted to cover up the fact that he forgot to sell their catch of the day crab to the hotel. After his team agreed to catch crab for their catch of the day, it was up to Alex, Kathryn and Akshay to sell their product to a top hotel. Out! Alex Short became the fourth candidate to be fired from The Apprentice UK following this week's disastrous fish challenge Caught out: Karren Brady savagely called Alex out for lying to the boss in the boardroom as he attempted to cover up the fact that he forgot to sell their catch of the day crab to the hotel However, the team made a huge error when the team walked out of the meeting with fish sales in place, but they mistakenly forgot to mention their money-churning catch of the day. Back in the boardroom, following his team's loss, Alex desperately tried to cover his tracks by telling Lord Sugar that he didn't know they could sell the crab as well as the other fish produce. However, Karen wasn't having any of it and promptly called him out for attempting to hide what really happened as she brutally snapped: 'I think you should tell Lord Sugar the truth!' As as he fumbled over his answer, she then added: 'You forgot! C'mon Alex, you forgot.' Not done there, the Baroness alerted Lord Sugar to the fact that he failed to arrange a time to deliver the fish to the produce, clearly not letting him get away with fibbing once again. Disaster: The TV personality found himself incurring Lord Sugar's wrath following a multitude of errors from himself and his team, in a task that the business magnate described as 'the worse failure I've ever experiences in the boardroom' Excuses: Back in the boardroom, following his team's loss, Alex desperately tried to cover his tracks by telling Lord Sugar that he didn't know they could sell the crab as well as the other fish produce When it came to deliberation over who to fire, Karren remarked to Alan that it was 'one of the worse I've ever seen - Alex has to take responsibility.' And taking Karren's words on board, Lord Sugar then declared: 'After your catch of the day, here is my dispatch of the day: Alex youre fired!' The Apprentice continues Thursday at 9pm on BBC One. I don't think so! However, Karen wasn't having any of it and promptly called him out for attempting to hide what really happened as she brutally snapped: 'I think you should tell Lord Sugar the truth!' Bond baddie Javier Bardem has revealed that for years, he half-feared he might be banned from the UK because he killed Judi Dench's M in the 007 film Skyfall. 'For a long time, when I was landing at Heathrow, people on the immigration desk were very unhappy that I killed M. They would tell me: 'Oh, man, I don't know if I can forgive you for that!' the award-winning star told me. Over Zoom, from the family home in Madrid, he added: 'With Judi, I felt so bad that if I saw her on set, I couldn't look into her eyes. She's a legend in the whole world! And in the UK, she's an iconic national symbol.' Did the great Dame ever forgive him? 'She did, eventually,' he sighed. Bardem joked that he felt almost as bad for bumping off Woody Harrelson in 2007's No Country For Old Men (he won an Oscar and a BAFTA for that movie). Bond baddie Javier Bardem has revealed that for years, he half-feared he might be banned from the UK because he killed Judi Dench's M in the 007 film Skyfall Pictured: Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz and Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos When he's not playing a cold-blooded killer, the actor said his main aim on set is to put his co-stars at ease. He cited his relationship with Nicole Kidman, when they worked together on Aaron Sorkin's Being The Ricardos, in which he plays Desi Arnaz and she plays his wife, Lucille Ball. 'We have a couple of love scenes. I guess when you're 20, it's fun to do, it's exciting, or whatever. Now, at the age of 52, it's kind of like you don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable.' He and Kidman met on a Thursday and were in front of the cameras by Monday. 'We faced each other as Lucy and Desi all the hair and make-up and we jumped in and created a chemistry together. We were able to get into the scenes of touching, kissing and hugging and feel comfortable.' Bardem is a revelation as Desi, the song-and-dance man. He told me he rehearsed for the part while playing King Triton in the live-action Disney picture The Little Mermaid in London. He sings one song in the Disney film. But in Sorkin's movie, he performs four and plays bongos and maracas, and does a mean conga to boot. When he's not playing a cold-blooded killer, the actor said his main aim on set is to put his co-stars at ease Bardem (pictured in Being the Ricardos) is a revelation as Desi, the song-and-dance man He spent hours practising in the weeks leading up to shooting. 'You expose yourself when you're singing. That's why we're shy doing it or drunk, in a karaoke! unless you're a professional.' Which, he added, he most definitely is not. 'I made a film called Golden Balls when I was 35 and I was singing a Julio Iglesias song in a karaoke bar, funnily enough. But to sing seriously? I've never done that. Until now.' In fact, Bardem has now sung in three consecutive films: Little Mermaid, Being The Ricardos and Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. The animated picture, about a pet croc living in a townhouse on New York's Upper East Side, finished shooting last month. Bardem has now sung in three consecutive films: Little Mermaid, Being The Ricardos and Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. Pictured: Bardem on the movie set of Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile What's going on, I wondered; is this some sort of therapy to cope with mid-life crisis? (Momentarily forgetting that I'm talking to the man who dispatched Judi Dench.) 'I'm sure it is,' he agreed, pleasantly. But he said the main reason he wanted to be in the Disney and crocodile films was so the two children he has with wife Penelope Cruz could watch them. 'You can share with them. That's why Daddy's away for two weeks, or whatever. And why Mummy's in a make-up chair for 45 minutes.' Both stars could land Oscar nominations this year Cruz for her part in Pedro Almodovar's powerful new film Parallel Mothers (which opens here today); and he for his portrayal of Desi. No time to spy as list of Bond hopefuls gets shorter... Deep-cover informants have confided so I can share with all of you, of course that the runners and riders you often hear about being 'up for Bond' are more likely to be up and out of it. Everyone rates and adores Idris Elba, but he won't be named as the man to take over from Daniel Craig. Mainly because Elba's too old, at 49, to play the role from scratch. Craig was 38 when he first played 007 in Casino Royale, and he bowed out at 53. Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Pictured: Idris Elba (left), Tom Hardy (centre) and Rege-Jean Page from Bridgerton (right) Wilson, who keep the Bond conflagrations burning, have spoken of how much they enjoyed partnering with Craig on five films in 15 years, culminating with No Time To Die, which has been making a big play for award season honours. They want their new Bond to be young enough to make a series of films a quintet, like Craig with a storyline that carries through. By that reckoning, is Tom Hardy, another favourite, too old to take Bond on at 44? Then there's that sex-god bloke, Rege-Jean Page from Bridgerton. Mmm. My sense is no, no, but you never know. One problem with taking someone from the TV world is that they're often caught up in long-term contracts. No, I reckon they'll go for someone who's under the radar. He (it won't be a she) will be someone with solid theatre acting chops, like Craig, because Broccoli, in particular, is a champion of the stage. I did hear a rumour. No, it can't be him. Can it?! Pink and husband Carey Hart often showcase their two kids on their social media platforms while out enjoying the great outdoors together. And on Thursday, Hart was back at it again, only this time he gave his 1.1 million Instagram followers a look at his son Jameson behind-the-wheel of their tractor. It turns out the five-year-old looked pretty confident driving the small vehicle on the family's ranch and winery near Santa Barbara, California, as his dad supervised him in the driver's seat. Family time: Carey Hart, 46, was the picture of a proud father in a photo giving his son Jameson, five, a lesson on how to drive their small tractor on their farm near Santa Barbara Hart, 46, posted a couple of photos and a video while out working the massive farm land with his son. 'Jamo helped me out in the tractor today. Had to do some track prep. The track is pretty in the winter, but a s**t ton of maintenance! Glad I had my helper today, he gushed in the caption, along with the hashtags: '#raisethemright #BeADadNotAFad' The first picture showed the motocross legend sitting behind his son, as the two flashed funny faces toward the camera. Track preps: Hart also shared an image of the track on their property in Northern California that will likely be used to help Hart hone his motorcycle skills In the driver's seat: The proud father also shared a video of Jameson driving along the path laid out on the field There's also an image of the track on their property in Northern California that will likely be used to help Hart practice his motorcycle skills. In the short clip, the proud father filmed Jameson driving along the path laid out on the field. 'Hey, are you driving,' Hart asks his boy, who quickly responds, 'Yeah.' 'Good job dude,' Hart shoots back as a form of encouragement and praise. Motoring: 'Hey, are you driving,' Hart asks his boy, who quickly responds, 'Yeah' Just five days earlier, Hart spend more quality time with Jameson while out camping together, which included doing some fishing on a lake. 'Epic couple days camping w/ my lil dude, Jamo. Nothing better than unplugging,' Hart revealed in the caption of the post. He added, 'We rode the quad, went on a couple side by side adventures, and fished. Never new a kid so content w/ a leaf blower. Thanks @smudgepotdirect for the bad a** set up. This thing is a game changer. While camping. Have a great weekend, everyone!!!!' Great outdoors: Just five days earlier, Hart spend more quality time with Jameson while out camping together, which included doing some fishing on a lake Glowing: Jameson also worked a leaf blower during his time camping with his father Hart and Pink (born Alecia Beth Moore), 42, just celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary on January 7. The couple separated back in February 2008, but reconnected several months later, following the death of Hart's brother Tony, who passed away from injuries sustained in a motocross competition in August 2008. The pair eventually went public and announced they had begun dating again in March 2009, and have been together ever since. They are also the proud parent of 10-year-old daughter, Willow. Dr Ranj Singh clarified why he opted to get a spray tan when his Instagram followers quizzed him on why 'a person of colour would fake tan' on Thursday. The television medic, 42, took to Instagram to share some shots of himself as he was pampered at Away Spa W Hotel London. He could be seen standing in his Diesel underwear as he underwent his glow up in one snap, captioning the image on his Stories: 'And now it's @fakebakeofficial tanning time with the brilliant @jamessharknett_tan!' Pamper day: Dr Ranj Singh, 42, clarified why he opted to get a spray tan when his Instagram followers quizzed him on why 'a person of colour would fake tan' on Thursday After posting the picture online, he was messaged by a number of people who asked why he chose to get a fake tan as an Asian man. He wrote: 'Lots of people are asking why a person of colour would fake tan... Fair point. For me... '1) I only do it for occasions. 2) People of all complexions go on holiday, tan & feel great. 3) It's far safer than other forms of tanning. Glow up: The television medic took to Instagram to share some shots of himself as he was pampered at Away Spa W Hotel London Answers: After posting the picture online, he was messaged by a number of people who asked by he chose to get a fake tan as an Asian man '4) I don't do it because I don't like the look/colour of my skin. Just like make-up I use it to enhance what I have. '5) It makes me feel good & frankly that's all that counts.' Sharing a picture of himself after his spray tan was complete, he wrote: 'And now for it to develop overnight... Yep. Going to bed like this!' Looking good: After getting a facial at department store Harrods in Knightsbridge and a haircut in the style of television presenter Joel Dommett at Salon64 in Soho Party ready: He shared a clip of himself before he headed off to a friend's birthday party for the evening He added: 'Remember: Fake tanning is the safest way to tan and everyone feels good with a bit of colour.' After getting a facial at department store Harrods in Knightsbridge and a haircut in the style of television presenter Joel Dommett at Salon64 in Soho, he shared a clip of himself as he headed off to a friend's birthday party for the evening. Wearing a face covering in the picture despite the government dropping the requirement to wear masks amid the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday, Dr Ranj wrote: 'Yes, I'm still wearing a mask at work & until I feel safer.' Peter van Onselen's future as a panellist on The Project has been called into question after three of his colleagues publicly condemned him for his newspaper column criticising Australian of the Year Grace Tame. Former TV executive-turned-commentator Rob McKnight said the criticism levelled at Channel 10's political editor has been so extreme since the explosive clash on Tuesday's show that he questioned whether he'll ever return to the left-leaning panel show. 'I can't see how he can continue on the program,' Mr McKnight, the editor-in-chief of TV Blackbox, told Daily Mail Australia. 'Will he want to work with them? Will they want to work with him?' The rift between van Onselen and his colleagues was exposed when he called Tame 'ungracious, rude and childish' in a column for The Australian on Tuesday. He was responding to viral footage of the left-wing activist scowling at Prime Minister Scott Morrison and refusing to look him in the eye at a morning tea for this year's AOTY finalists at The Lodge in Canberra earlier that day. His column, while praising Tame's advocacy for sexual abuse survivors as 'worthy', also questioned why she felt the need to be so rude to the PM at his own home. It was those lines that saw him slammed on air that night by co-host Carrie Bickmore and guest journalist Amy Remeikis. Peter van Onselen's (left) future as a panelist on The Project has been called into question after three of his colleagues, including Carrie Bickmore (right) publicly condemned him for his newspaper column criticising former Australian of the Year Grace Tame Fellow presenter Lisa Wilkinson, who was not part of the heated segment but is rumoured to dislike van Onselen, later made her allegiance clear by sharing a post on Instagram applauding Tame for 'making noise' during her tenure as Australian of the Year in 2021. And another Project host, comedian Tommy Little, joined the chorus of criticism on Thursday by calling van Onselen's op-ed 'stupid' during a live radio segment. In light of the barrage of criticism from his colleagues, Mr McKnight said he wouldn't be surprised to see van Onselen, 46, sign off on the program for good. 'I can't see how he can continue on the show when Lisa and Carrie have turned on him publicly. Will he want to work with them? Will they want to work with him? I can't imagine it's a comfortable place for him to be when he's sitting at that desk,' he said. The rift between van Onselen (pictured) and his colleagues was exposed last Tuesday when he called Tame 'ungracious, rude and childish' in a column for The Australian. Hours later, he was excoriated by Bickmore and guest Amy Remeikis live on air Mr McKnight, a former executive producer of Studio 10, also suggested the behind-the-scenes team at The Project had thrown van Onselen 'under the bus'. 'You have to wonder why the show seemed so willing to throw [the commentator widely known as] "PvO" under the bus. They [the social media team] even tweeted the video promoting it as "THAT video". 'To be honest it was one of the most engaging segments The Project has had in years, but was the takedown of PvO planned? I have my suspicions. 'Hosts disagreeing with each other can make for good TV, but this seemed personal and targeted from a production point of view. Carrie's reaction did seem genuine though.' Daily Mail Australia approached Channel 10 for comment on van Onselen's future at The Project, and also sought a response to claims the on-air takedown was 'planned' by producers. The network declined to comment. Former TV executive-turned-commentator Rob McKnight (pictured) feels the criticism levelled against Channel 10's political editor has been so extreme over the last week that it begs the question whether he'll ever feel welcome on the current affairs show again The saga began on Tuesday when Tame, who was appointed Australian of the Year in 2021 for spearheading the 'Let Her Speak' campaign allowing survivors of sexual abuse to speak publicly about their experiences, attended a morning tea for this year's AOTY finalists at the Prime Minister's residence. A stony-faced Tame, who was joined by her fiance Max Heerey, avoided eye contact with Mr Morrison and refused to smile for photos with him at the event. Her conduct has divided opinion, with her supporters defending her right to act as she pleases around a PM she does not respect, while her detractors say it was a juvenile display that distracted from her important activism. Van Onselen, reflecting the view held by many commentators and mainstream Australia, called her 'ungracious, rude and childish', then asked: 'If your disdain for the man is so great (understandable perhaps) that you cant even muster basic and common courtesy, then just don't go.' The saga began on Tuesday when outgoing Australian of the Year Grace Tame (second from right, next to her fiance Max Heerey), attended a morning tea for this year's AOTY finalists in Canberra hosted by Prime Minister Scott Morrison (second from left) and his wife Jenny (left) A stony-faced Tame, who was joined by her fiance Max Heerey, avoided eye contact with Mr Morrison and refused to smile for photos with him at the event His column for The Australian went down like a lead balloon with his Project co-host Bickmore and Guardian journalist Remeikis, who is a sexual assault survivor, and they called him out on air hours later. 'Your column today [was] devastating to so many people,' Ms Remeikis said. 'Woman constantly have to come out talk about their trauma... talk about not being taken seriously, scream the roof down get to the point where I'm almost crying on national television to talk about this. 'We're constantly being told how we should act, who we should think about and who perhaps should be seen in our place.' PVO's column went down like a lead balloon with his Project co-host Carrie Bickmore (pictured in December), who resented van Onselen calling Tame 'childish' after her own childhood was taken away by a predator Bickmore then asked van Onselen why he felt he needed to tell Tame, who is known for her opposition to the Morrison government, to act in a certain way and to smile during a 'catastrophe'. 'I didn't think she should smile and pretend it's okay; I just thought she shouldn't go. If you can't be polite in some form, I think just don't go,' he responded, adding that he applauded everything Tame had done for survivors of sexual assault. Bickmore pressed for an answer to why Tame should not have attended the morning tea, to which van Onselen said: 'If you can't show basic courtesy, I think it's immature.' 'You spoke about how she acted as a child. You know when she should have been able to act as a child? When she was a child. But she was preyed upon by a man and lost part of herself in that,' Bickmore fired back. 'I'm unsure how that article today helps when I'm assuming, like the entire nation, you want violence against women and children to end?' The commentator responded by saying he'd been the victim of an attempted sexual assault and understood the importance of the conversation around sexual abuse. 'But I just think if you can't be polite to the Prime Minister of the country - I get it, I said in the article, I get it - if she can't be polite to him, then just don't go,' van Onselen said. After the tense segment aired, fellow Project presenter Lisa Wilkinson (pictured), who is rumoured to dislike van Onselen, publicly sided with Tame in a gushing Instagram post 'Thank you Grace. Thank you for always speaking your truth. Thank you for never wavering from your passionate fight for justice for survivors of sexual assault,' Wilkinson wrote Tame was groomed and molested by her maths teacher when she was just 15. After the tense segment aired, fellow Project presenter Lisa Wilkinson publicly sided with Tame in a gushing Instagram post. 'Thank you Grace. Thank you for always speaking your truth. Thank you for never wavering from your passionate fight for justice for survivors of sexual assault,' she wrote. Poll Do you agree with Grace Tame's response to Scott Morrison? Yes No Do you agree with Grace Tame's response to Scott Morrison? Yes 1400 votes No 3598 votes Now share your opinion 'Thank you for doing everything within your power to make sure over the last 12 months that those in charge were listening, and acting on much-needed change.' She continued to thank both Tame and fellow advocate for survivors of sexual abuse Brittany Higgins for their tireless campaigning. 'Grace, the imprint you leave as Australian Of The Year will be felt for generations to come,' Wilkinson said. 'Finally, and most importantly Grace, thank you for making noise just like you promised you would.' Wilkinson's post came amid 'swirling industry rumours of historical tension' between her and van Onselen, according to News.com.au. A third Project presenter, Tommy Little, weighed in the dispute on Thursday on the Hit Network radio show he co-hosts with Bickmore. During a debrief with Remeikis two days after her on-air clash with van Onselen, Little asked: 'Is this exactly what the bigger problem is all the time in that there are real issues at play here, and then you've got guys chiming in and diverting attention away to stupid things by saying somethings immature?' Parallel Mothers (15, 123 mins) Verdict: Cruz control Rating: Flag Day (15, 108 mins) Verdict: A full set of Penns Rating: The titles of foreign-language films often sound better in the original, so don't be put off by Parallel Mothers, which is not a feeble new Channel 5 game show hosted by Matt Lucas and Liza Tarbuck at least, not yet. Madres Paralelas was the classier Spanish title conferred on the film by its writer-director, the great Pedro Almodovar, and it stars Penelope Cruz, who is often described as Almodovar's muse even by people who aren't entirely sure what an artist's muse is. 'Someone who can be the subject of the romantic ideals of what made him an artist in the first place,' is one dictionary's waffly definition. The titles of foreign-language films often sound better in the original, so don't be put off by Parallel Mothers Madres Paralelas was the classier Spanish title conferred on the film by its writer-director, the great Pedro Almodovar, and it stars Penelope Cruz Whatever, this is Cruz's eighth collaboration with Almodovar and a long way from their best, though when I saw it a few months ago at the Venice Film Festival, where it was granted the status of opening film, it received a rapturous five-minute standing ovation. That's Venice, and indeed Almodovar, for you. The ovation could just as easily have come at the start, not the end. Cruz plays Janis, a glamorous photographer who tumbles into an affair with the subject of her latest shoot, an urbane 'forensic anthropologist' whose job is to exhume and identify the remains of those murdered and buried in mass graves during the Spanish Civil War. She wants him to help her find her great-grandfather, who was one of those rounded up and killed. For Janis it is a passion project, but there is a mighty distraction: an unexpected pregnancy. Her anthropologist lover is married and she resolves to bring up the child, her first, on her own. In the maternity ward she befriends another single mother, a teenager called Ana (Milena Smit). Cruz plays Janis, a glamorous photographer who tumbles into an affair with the subject of her latest shoot, an urbane 'forensic anthropologist' But there is a mighty distraction: an unexpected pregnancy. Her anthropologist lover is married and she resolves to bring up the child, her first, on her own Soon, their two lives are running less in parallel than headlong into a hopelessly inextricable tangle. To service this narrative, Almodovar plots a series of frankly unbelievable contrivances, including a lesbian relationship that feels about as authentic as boil-in-the-bag paella. But inevitably, with him at the helm and Cruz giving her all, there is plenty to admire. I am also aware, through Spanish friends, that the country's civil war more than 80 years ago has cast a long, dark shadow well into the 21st century, and hats off to Almodovar for tackling it. However, weaving it into a contemporary story of motherhood, love and loss feels heavy-handed. The celebrated auteur's usual adroit touch is missing here. Flag Day, too, could do with a lighter touch, though at least it can't be called implausible or manufactured, because it's true. The director is Sean Penn, and the story is that of John Vogel, a charismatic conman, bank robber and counterfeiter who single-handedly forged dollar bills on an industrial scale, for which, after managing to elude the FBI for years, he was eventually caught and sent to prison. Penn casts himself as Vogel, with his daughter Dylan as Vogel's daughter Jennifer (and his son Hopper as her brother Nick). Jennifer wrote the 2004 memoir on which this film is based, Flim-Flam Man, which might have been a better title, but there was already a 1967 picture of that name starring George C. Scott. Flag Day, too, could do with a lighter touch, though at least it can't be called implausible or manufactured, because it's true The director is Sean Penn, and the story is of John Vogel, a charismatic conman who forged dollar bills on an industrial scale, for which he was eventually caught and sent to prison Penn casts himself as Vogel, with his daughter Dylan as Vogel's daughter Jennifer (and his son Hopper as her brother Nick) So Flag Day it is, after a day in the U.S. calendar, June 14, chosen to honour the Stars and Stripes. It also happened to be Vogel's birthday, and growing up he always thought the hoopla was for him. That self-absorption does not recede in adulthood and Penn, in a swaggering, rather show-offy performance, makes the utmost of his own craggily dissolute features to play Vogel as a feckless fantasist, irredeemably dishonest, yet also an irresistible charmer. The story's core character is actually Jennifer, who gets wincingly over-lyrical in narrating the account of her blighted childhood: 'My father's misplaced sense of pride seemed so endlessly wed to his shame and embarrassment.' In fact, she shares some of his personality flaws but, while he is serving a 15-year sentence, she becomes a journalist seemingly destined for greatness for breaking a story about a corporate giant poisoning the water supply. It is a flimsily constructed sub-plot, but at least offers an opportunity for Eddie Marsan to look shifty, which he takes. The screenplay is by the British Butterworth brothers, Jez and John-Henry, who are normally so reliable. Flag Day doesn't represent their best day at the office but it's not a bad film, with faint echoes of Peter Bogdanovich's 1973 classic Paper Moon and a soundtrack of plaintive road songs that will either get your feet tapping or set your teeth on edge. ALSO SHOWING: CRAZY CRITTERS AND LAUGHS APLENTY IN STAR-STUDDED SING SEQUEL Sing 2 (U, 110 mins) Rating: Amulet (15, 99 mins) Rating: There may be only so many computer-animated singing animals you can take, but you won't find a more appealing collection of them than in Sing 2, Garth Jennings's exuberant, and at times genuinely funny, sequel to the 2016 hit Sing. He could have shaved 20 minutes from the running time, especially bearing in mind junior attention spans, but it's an appealingly colourful story again featuring theatre owner (and koala) Buster Moon (voiced by Matthew McConaughey), who this time covets the support of ruthlessly powerful producer (and arctic wolf) Jimmy Crystal (Bobby Cannavale). There may be only so many computer-animated singing animals you can take, but you won't find a more appealing collection of them than in Sing 2 Garth Jennings's exuberan sequel to the 2016 hit Sing is an appealingly colourful story again featuring theatre owner (and koala) Buster Moon (voiced by Matthew McConaughey) It's all delightfully done, and I laughed out loud at a series of auditions over which Crystal (Hasley) sits in judgment rejecting act after act, like a lupine Simon Cowell There is plenty of talent in Buster's company, which includes a porcupine guitarist (Scarlett Johansson), a singing pig (Reese Witherspoon) and a dancing English gorilla (Taron Egerton), although Crystal offers to back them only when Buster promises to tempt the tycoon's favourite rock star, a reclusive lion called Clay Calloway (Bono), out of gloomy retirement. But Buster is lying. He doesn't even know Clay. Can his iguana assistant (Jennings himself) find Clay and persuade him back into showbiz? It's all delightfully done, and I laughed out loud at a series of auditions over which Crystal sits in judgment rejecting act after act, even the roller-skating flamingos, like a lupine Simon Cowell. Amulet is a very different kettle of fish, an arty horror film and a directorial debut for actress Romola Garai. It starts in the woods in a war zone somewhere in Europe (my wife and I thought we recognised Mortimer Forest on the Shropshire border, but I'm sure we weren't meant to) where a soldier, Tomaz (Alec Secareanu) almost shoots a scared female refugee and later gives her an old amulet he has dug up, as a form of protection. Amulet is a very different kettle of fish, an arty horror film and a directorial debut for actress Romola Garai Inevitably, it's in a creaky, spooky old house with strange inhabitants, cue plenty of horror tropes, but Garai cleverly uses flashbacks to connect his past with his present The story then shifts to London, where Tomaz is working as a builder until a seemingly sweet, old nun (Imelda Staunton) finds him a job as a caretaker. Inevitably, it's in a creaky, spooky old house with strange inhabitants, cue plenty of horror tropes, but Garai cleverly uses flashbacks to connect his past with his present. As so often happens in horror films, it all begins to get more than a bit silly. But for Garai's future ambitions as a filmmaker, this is still a bold statement of intent. CLASSIC FILM ON TV: IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967) The late Sidney Poitier's annus mirabilis, 1967, also yielded Guess Who's Coming To Dinner and To Sir, With Love. He is brilliant in all three but unforgettable alongside Rod Steiger in this superb, racially charged thriller. Sunday, BBC2, 10pm Ron Perlman spoke about working on a potential third Hellboy feature with Guillermo Del Toro during an interview with The Independent, which was published on Thursday. During the conversation, the 71-year-old actor spoke about working on a concluding feature to a formerly planned trilogy of films with his longtime friend and collaborator. The actor played the Dark Horse Comics character in two features that were released in 2004 and 2008, and his portrayal of the superhero was well received by both fans and critics. Keeping it going: Ron Perlman spoke about working on a potential third Hellboy feature with Guillermo Del Toro during an interview with The Independent, which was published on Thursday; he is seen in 2019 Perlman began the interview by expressing that, although he still entertained the idea of making another feature centered on the character, his age would likely prevent him from performing any physically demanding actions on set. 'Am I eager to do Hellboy 3? No, I'm 71 f***ing years old,' he bluntly stated. However, the Sons of Anarchy actor pointed out that, as a large following had developed around the previous two features, he wanted to give its fans an ending to the potential trilogy. 'We owe this to the fans, and we should give it to them because it would be an epic conclusion,' he said. Finishing it off: The Sons of Anarchy actor pointed out that, as a large following had developed around the previous two features, he wanted to give its fans an ending to the potential trilogy He then noted that he had requested that Del Toro focus his efforts on a third movie in the past and that he would keep making his thoughts known in the future. 'So Guillermo, if you're reading, I'm not done pounding you to get this f***ing thing done,' he said. Perlman went on to speak about how the 57-year-old director began their longstanding friendship by sending him a warm letter to ask him to appear in his debut feature. 'It was a letter you don't get very often in life. The type of letter you save and when you have the money, you frame it,' he recalled. Good friends: Perlman went on to speak about how the 57-year-old director began their longstanding friendship by sending him a warm letter to ask him to appear in his debut feature The actor added: 'Reading the letter, it was like I'd won a lifetime achievement award. I was an obscure character actor behind these masks. Nobody recognized me, let alone knew my name, but he did.' Perlman then fondly stated that 'I knew it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.' The two have collaborated on several films, including Blade II, Pacific Rim, and most recently, Nightmare Alley. The original Hellboy feature was centered on the Mike Mignola-created character of the same name and it was released in 2004. Starting off strong: The original Hellboy feature was centered on the Mike Mignola-created character of the same name and it was released in 2004 Also starring in the film were performers such as Selma Blair, Doug Jones and John Hurt, among others. The film received much critical acclaim upon its release, and Perlman was the recipient of praise for his portrayal of the titular character. A sequel to the original feature, entitled Hellboy II: The Golden Army, was subsequently released in 2008. Like the first movie, Hellboy II and the lead actor's performance were both well-received by critics and fans alike. Another one: A sequel to the original feature, entitled Hellboy II: The Golden Army, was subsequently released in 2008 Perlman, Del Toro and Mignola all teased the idea of a third feature centered around the character over the next few years, although the project entered development hell and the director has commented that its release would be unlikely. A separate Hellboy film, which was directed by Neil Marshall and starred David Harbour, was later developed and released in 2019. The feature was met with a generally negative critical reception upon its release. Hotel Portofino Rating: Martin Clunes: Islands Of The Pacific Rating: Like a perfect gin cocktail, the recipe for a blissful romantic costume drama, as laid down by Ismail Merchant and James Ivory in the 1980s, is quite simple. Pluck several English roses and place them in an Italian hotel Florence, Venice, Rome, anywhere with gorgeous buildings and sun-drenched vistas. Since roses must have thorns, ensure there are assorted vinegary aunts and bibulous papas, as well as eccentric Americans, local aristocrats and this last ingredient is most important servants with British regional accents. The recipe for a blissful romantic costume drama is to pluck several English roses and place them in an Italian hotel. Hotel Portofino (Britbox) follows this recipe faithfully Now add as many artistic young men with floppy fringes as required. For a racy splash of homoeroticism, send them skinny-dipping. Hotel Portofino (Britbox) follows this recipe faithfully. The only element missing is opera there should be Puccini. And owing to budget constraints, we'll have to use our imaginations to conjure the Merchant-Ivory cast of cinema dames and national treasures. Natascha McElhone takes the role Emma Thompson might have, as Bella Ainsworth who has opened a hotel for English gentlefolk in one of Italy's prettiest coastal towns, in the mid-1920s. Gin cocktails are a speciality of the house. The obvious Maggie Smith part is played by Anna Chancellor, who is Lady Latchmere the ferocious aunt... alternately scolding the staff and bullying her niece. And Claude Scott-Mitchell is the girl so innocent and English she is actually called Rose a role traditionally given to Helena Bonham Carter. The obvious Maggie Smith part is played by Anna Chancellor, who is Lady Latchmere the ferocious aunt... alternately scolding the staff and bullying her niece Rose has been brought to the hotel to be married off to lovable Lucian (Oliver Dench), a painter traumatised by his experiences in the World War I trenches. But there's a couple of complications his best pal Dr Anish Sengupta (Assad Zaman) is hopelessly in love with him. So is his sister's new nanny, Constance (Louisa Binder), though she's only just laid eyes on him. Lucian prefers romping with the kitchen maid, who waits for him at night wearing nothing but a bedsheet. The tone is light and comic, with hints of cosy mystery. There's blackmail afoot and art fraud, and if somebody gets murdered it won't come completely as a surprise. Britbox bosses must be hoping Hotel Portofino will fill the gap left by The Durrells. It has the same Mediterranean charm, with goats in the marketplace and gap-toothed grannies selling fruit from baskets. It is frustrating that it's available only on a subscription service. But another Britbox original, last year's documentary Secrets Of The Krays, arrived on terrestrial telly this week so the best solution might simply be to wait. Martin Clunes was uncovering the tragic history of the Hotel Paradiso, not in Italy but on Floreana in the Galapagos, on the final part of his Islands of The Pacific (ITV). Martin Clunes was uncovering the tragic history of the Hotel Paradiso, not in Italy but on Floreana in the Galapagos, on the final part of his Islands of The Pacific The hotel was the dream of an Austrian adventuress in 1929, who called herself 'The Baroness' and arrived on the island with her two lovers. Floreana was already home to two groups of European settlers, who didn't take well to the proposal for tourism. One day, the Baroness and her boyfriends disappeared. One man's mummified remains turned up on another island, but the other two were never seen again. Martin was entranced by the sealions and iguanas that flopped around the dockside, waiting for scraps of fish. He went snorkelling and joined a conservation project that weighed and measured the islands' giant tortoises. With their amiable, wrinkled faces and scrawny necks, the tortoises seemed to like Martin. Perhaps they thought he was one of them. Sean Penn's estranged wife Leila George has been spotted with Australian actor Kick Gurry again. Leila, 29, and the Edge of Tomorrow actor walked and talked like old pals as they strolled around Sydney's Bondi. The blonde beauty was dressed casually in a polka dot skirt, white sneakers and a matching midriff top. Stepping out: Sean Penn's estranged wife Leila George has been spotted with Australian actor Kick Gurry again Animal Kingdom star Leila puffed on a vape as they pair made their way around the streets of the popular eastern suburb. Kick also kept things low-key in flip-flops, green shorts, a T-shirt and a maroon trucker cap. The duo were previously pictured together at Bondi Beach with a group of friends earlier this week which included actor Lincoln Younes. Leila met Sean Penn on the set of the movie The Last Face in 2015 and they dated for five years before marrying in a private ceremony at their family home in July 2020. However, she filed for divorce just 15 months later, in October last year. Friendly: Leila puffed on a vape as they pair made their way around the streets of the upscale eastern suburb No details of what led to the split have been provided at this time, but their relationship was said to have had ups and downs before he proposed. Sean confirmed he had married Leila during an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers when he flashed a gold wedding band. He told the host: 'We did a Covid wedding. By that, I mean it was a county commissioner on Zoom and we were at the house with my two children and her brother, and we did it that way.' At 29, Leila is only a few months younger than Sean's now 30-year-old daughter Dylan, and less than two years older than his son Hopper, 28. Casual: The blonde beauty was dressed casually in a polka dot skirt, white sneakers and a matching midriff top It marks the end of Sean's third marriage after previously divorcing House of Cards actress Robin Wright in 2010 after 14 years together, and Madonna in 1989 after four years together. Leila and Sean sparked reconciliation rumours this month after they celebrated New Year's Eve together in her home city of Sydney, also with Kick. While their relationship status is unknown, the Hollywood couple put on a united front as they watched Sydney's world-famous fireworks display from a mansion in Point Piper. Thrice-married Sean was understood to have quietly flown into Australia last month. He did not announce his arrival and has kept a low profile on social media. Following his blockbuster turn as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Tom Holland takes on another iconic character, Nathan Drake, in the final trailer for Uncharted. The highly-anticipated Sony Pictures adventure is based on the iconic Uncharted video game series, which has spanned over nine games. Holland stars alongside Mark Wahlberg as Victor 'Sully' Sullivan, as they go on a quest to find the legendary treasure of Magellan's lost gold. Tom as Nathan: Following his blockbuster turn as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Tom Holland takes on another iconic character, Nathan Drake, in the final trailer for Uncharted Sully: Holland stars alongside Mark Wahlberg as Victor 'Sully' Sullivan, as they go on a quest to find the legendary treasure of Magellan's lost gold The trailer begins with Drake looking at a map, stating he's been, 'dreaming of this my whole life, Magellan's gold, the biggest treasure that's never been found.' Sully tells him the treasure could be worth, '$5 billion, easy,' as they get ready for their epic adventure. Sully tells Nathan that, 'your brother believed there was a final piece,' as Nathan is surprised Sully knew his brother Sam. Map: The trailer begins with Drake looking at a map, stating he's been, 'dreaming of this my whole life, Magellan's gold, the biggest treasure that's never been found' Brother: Sully tells Nathan that, 'your brother believed there was a final piece,' as Nathan is surprised Sully knew his brother Sam Nathan wants to know what else Sully isn't telling him as they get trapped by Chloe Frazier (Sophia Ali) and Braddock (Tati Gabrielle). 'You have no idea who you partnered with, do you?' Chloe asks Nathan, as Sully tells him this will take 'a little longer than I thought.' Nathan asks Sully if they're '50-50' partners, but Sully says that Nathan gets just 10%, 'and that's just me being generous.' Trapped: Nathan wants to know what else Sully isn't telling him as they get trapped by Chloe Frazier (Sophia Ali) and Braddock (Tati Gabrielle) Longer: 'You have no idea who you partnered with, do you?' Chloe asks Nathan, as Sully tells him this will take 'a little longer than I thought' Generous: Nathan asks Sully if they're '50-50' partners, but Sully says that Nathan gets just 10%, 'and that's just me being generous' The trailer then features the thrilling action sequence that has been teased in clips and trailers before, where Nathan fights atop a string of cargo containers hanging out of a cargo plane. The trailer also features a shot of Antonio Banderas, who says that his family found, 'the vulture' but they were betrayed and there was 'so much blood.' The trailer features a unique shot of two ancient ships being lifted out of the forest by helicopters, as Drake gets into a fight on these ships. Plane: The trailer then features the thrilling action sequence that has been teased in clips and trailers before, where Nathan fights atop a string of cargo containers hanging out of a cargo plane Fight: The trailer features a unique shot of two ancient ships being lifted out of the forest by helicopters, as Drake gets into a fight on these ships As Sully asks if Drake if he's still with him, he manages to pull himself back onto the boat and weakly answer, 'Barely' as the title card is shown. The trailer ends with Sully asking what's with the cat and Nathan said he got it for him because his life seemed, 'super sad.' Uncharted hits theaters nationwide on February 18. Barely: As Sully asks if Drake if he's still with him, he manages to pull himself back onto the boat and weakly answer, 'Barely' as the title card is shown Tristan Thompson was spotted keeping a low profile during an outing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Thursday. The 30-year-old Sacramento Kings player was seen out and about in the city ahead of his teams game against the 76ers on Saturday. Earlier on Thursday, his ex Khloe Kardashian shared a cryptic Instagram post referencing 'betrayal' while showing off her stunning figure in a nude catsuit. Taking it easy: Tristan Thompson, 30, was spotted out in Philadelphia on Thursday, after his ex Khloe Kardashian, 37, posted thirst traps that may have referenced his recent sighting with a mystery woman Tristan looked comfortable and relaxed in a camouflage jacket, and he bundled up in layers with a black zip-up hoodie underneath it. He also had on black sweatpants that didn't even reach to his ankles, along with tall white socks and brown-and-black Nike trainers. The power forward had on a black beanie and had a large gray quilted backpack on as he carried a smaller black Nike duffel bag. A newly surfaced Tik Tok video showed the love rat in a bar in Milwaukee with the unidentified woman apparently perched on his lap, which may have instigated his ex's latest sizzling photos. Low key: Tristan looked comfortable and relaxed in a camouflage jacket, and he bundled up in layers with a black zip-up hoodie, matching sweatpants and brown-and-black Nikes Khloe brought back the vibes of her old show Revenge Body on her Instagram page on Thursday as she showcased her sensationally svelte figure in a skintight nude catsuit. Balancing expertly on a pair of high-heeled over-the-knee Gucci boots, she posed up a storm around a car for the photoshoot. Accentuating her unmistakable features with makeup, Khloe wore her dirty blonde curls down and accessorized with a medallion necklace. She aimed her best smoldering supermodel stare at the cameras and wrote in her caption: 'Betrayal rarely comes from your enemies.' The cryptic message came after her ex Tristan Thompson, who was serially unfaithful to her, was spotted with a mystery woman during a night out. Looking fab: Khloe brought back the vibes of her old show Revenge Body on her Instagram page earlier on Thursday When you got it: The KUWTK star was a blonde bombshell as she showcased her sensationally svelte figure in a clinging sheer ensemble Hello, gorgeous: Balancing expertly on a pair of high-heeled Gucci boots, she posed up a storm around a car for a sizzling photo-shoot Tristan's latest sighting comes after he apologized to Khloe for fathering a child with another woman while he was still with her. The former couple, who share a three-year-old daughter called True, have had an on-off relationship for half a decade, repeatedly scarred by his infidelity to her. Less than 48 hours before True was born DailyMail.com exclusively broke news of Tristan's alleged fling with New York City strip club bartender Lani Blair. They remained together then but broke up in February 2019 after Tristan shared a kiss at a party with Kylie Jenner's then best friend Jordyn Woods. Bringing it together: Accentuating her unmistakable features with makeup, Khloe wore her platinum curls down and accessorized with a medallion necklace Statement: She aimed her best smoldering supermodel stare at the cameras and wrote in her caption: 'Betrayal rarely comes from your enemies' When the coronavirus lockdowns struck Tristan and Khloe moved in together so they could both be with True and they wound up rekindling their romance as well. Their latest split went public this past June as he denied a swirl of cheating rumors, and last month he allegedly welcomed a child with another woman. DailyMail.com exclusively obtained court documents in late 2021 claiming Tristan was having a baby by a woman named Maralee Nichols. Maralee gave birth on December 1 and released a statement a couple of weeks later along with the first public pictures of her son. Backdrop: The cryptic message came after her ex Tristan Thompson, who was serially unfaithful to her, was spotted out with a mystery woman during a night out Spot them: A newly surfaced Tik Tok video showed Tristan in a bar in Milwaukee with the unidentified woman apparently perched on his lap Tristan fired up his Instagram early in January and confessed for the first time that he is the father of Maralee's new child. 'Today paternity test results reveal that I fathered a child with Maralee Nichols,' he wrote on Insta Stories, apologizing to Khloe and telling her that 'you don't deserve this. You don't deserve the heartache and humiliation I have caused you.' 'There was never any doubt that Tristan Thompson was the father of Maralee Nichols' baby,' her attorney Harvey Englander later told DailyMail.com. 'Tristan made numerous false and defamatory statements and declarations about Maralee over the past few months, and she is taking his contrite statement today in the context of all of those statements,' he added. Baby on board: Tristan and Khloe have had a whirlwind on-off relationship that resulted in the birth of their three-year-old daughter True; seen together in 2018 in LA Maralee has said her 'goal' is only to 'raise our son in a loving and private environment' and she has denied 'leaking' any pregnancy stories to the press. Further she has disputed the idea that she and Tristan were having 'casual sex,' insisting she believed he was single when they first became involved. Tristan expressed his love for Khloe on social media last March just hours before flying to Houston, where he apparently fathered his new baby with Maralee. There she is: Weeks ago Tristan apologized to Khloe after fathering a child with Maralee Nichols (pictured) while still with the reality star He has claimed in court documents: 'I am certain that if the child is deemed to be my child that the only date of conception was March 13, 2021, because it was my birthday.' Further, he alleged that he and Maralee 'had sexual relations in March of 2021 and at no other time in 2021.' On that day, March 13, Khloe posted a gushing birthday tribute that seemed to indicate they were together, as she wrote: 'The ones that are meant to be are the ones who go through everything that is designed to tear them apart and they come out even stronger than they were before.' 'I love you soo much KoKo. Let's keep building amazing memories!' wrote Tristan in the comments of Khloe's birthday post. Co-parents: Tristan and Khloe are pictured with True, whom they co-parent in the wakeup of their breakup several months ago Hours later he and his then team the Boston Celtics flew to Houston to play against the Rockets in a game that occurred March 14. Incidentally Khloe first became involved with Tristan when his ex-girlfriend Jordan Craig was still pregnant with his firstborn son Prince, five. Although Jordan claims she was still with Tristan when he took up with Khloe, the reality star has insisted she thought he was single at the time. Dr Semmelweis (Bristol Old Vic) Verdict: A man on a mission Rating: Theatre rock star Mark Rylance has rolled up at Bristol's Old Vic at the start of what's looking like a busy year for him. His next major engagement is a sold-out reprise of his legendary performance as Wiltshire reprobate Johnny 'Rooster' Byron in Jez Butterworth's hit 2009 play Jerusalem, at the West End's Apollo Theatre in April. But before that, the people of Bristol are being served a tantalising treat of their own, in the form of Stephen Brown's fascinating study (written with Rylance) of the 19th-century doctor Ignaz Semmelweis a Hungarian physician in Vienna who pioneered the use of hand hygiene to save the lives of countless women at the maternity ward. The people of Bristol are being served a tantalising treat in the form of Stephen Brown's fascinating study of 19th-century doctor Ignaz Semmelweis Semmelweis's ideas were roundly rejected and mocked at the time even when he demonstrated that doctors were carrying deadly infections from the morgue simply because they refused to wash their hands. He noticed that midwives deemed too fragile to be allowed into the morgue had mortality rates three times lower. There could be only one explanation: doctors were inadvertently causing lethal infections. Rylance presents Semmelweis as a kind of medical martyr. He venerates the man's life and work with a typically charismatic performance, brimming with blinking meekness. Even at the age of 62, there is a loveable boyishness about the man that renders an audience putty in his paws. Best seat in the house Constellations Last summer's productions of Nick Payne's play can be watched online until the end of the month. Take your pick from the stellar pairings of Peter Capaldi and Zoe Wanamaker, Sheila Atim and Ivanno Jeremiah, Omari Douglas and Russell Tovey, or Chris O'Dowd and Anna Maxwell Martin. 7.50 each (for 24 hours) or all four for 20. donmarwarehouse.com Advertisement It's not long before he has us sighing and rooting for him as he battles implacable forces armed with nothing more than the evidence of his senses, and a guileless determination to save lives. His tragedy is that he was eventually undone by his own zeal. Shut out by the establishment, he lost his mind and was locked up in an asylum where, by horrible irony, he died of sepsis. More than just a biography, Tom Morris's production seeks to get inside Semmelweis's troubled mind. Ti Green's stage design presents an anatomy theatre, overlooked by a wrought-iron balcony. A dark, moody interior is then haunted by a chorus of dancers, representing the ghosts of the women who passed through the hospital's care although Antonia Franceschi's choreography involves a fair bit of interpretive writhing on the part of the women, which isn't always as meaningful as she may have hoped. What is indisputably spellbinding, however, is Adrian Sutton's music, reminiscent of Viennese composer Franz Schubert's Death And The Maiden, played on stage with urgency and passion by a string quartet. The second half of the two-hour 40-minute show drags a bit. We have long since got the message about Semmelweis's mission and the injustice done to him. Indeed, the establishment that ran Semmelweis out of town are presented as a bunch of knuckle-brained stick-in-the-muds. That may have been the reality but it's also a little predictable. Nonetheless, for the most part, the performance sweeps along with elegance and grace: switching between the grim reality of the morgue and Semmelweis's anxious dreams. Far from a one-man show, it's an impressive ensemble performance with a fine cast including Felix Hayes, Sandy Grierson and Enyi Okoronkwo as loyal colleagues; and Alan Williams as Semmelweis's belligerent boss. Jackie Clune makes a gutsy, seen-it-all nurse who supports Semmelweis in his battles; while Thalissa Teixeira, as his devoted wife Maria, mirrors our feelings for a man whose integrity made him as loveable as he was elusive and frustrating. When the love rat met the bunny boiler... Fatal Attraction (touring) Verdict: A glorious squirm Rating: Do I deserve to lose everything?' whined adulterous Dan. 'Yes!' hissed a woman in the row behind me at Brighton's Theatre Royal. What fun, to be at a show that divides an audience so thoroughly! This deliciously icky revival of James Dearden's play, based on his script for the Glenn Close and Michael Douglas movie and now starring Kym Marsh and Oliver Farnworth, still sets the proverbial cat among the pigeons. The poster, bearing a shot of the leads in a clinch, reminded me of another clandestine couple Matt 'wild swimmer' Hancock and Gina 'the aide' Coladangelo. Like that saga, this is a very suburban bit of 'ooh-er vicar'; even if the 2014 play has a different ending from the film, and makes 'bunny boiler' Alex (Marsh) a lot more sympathetic. Manhattan lawyer Dan is off the leash for the weekend when his wife and daughter go to view a dream home upstate leaving him to run into sexy Alex in a downtown bar. We see it all coming a mile off and when Dan mentions buying his daughter a rabbit, there is a squeal of dread from the crowd. This deliciously icky revival of Fatal Attraction still sets the proverbial cat among the pigeons Farnworth's slick, handsome Dan makes a very satisfying sexual stooge, but it's Marsh who cracks the whip on this headlong ride to hell. She is hot, cultured, powerful, damaged, manipulative and implacable. But she also comes over as a tough cookie, struggling to survive in Manhattan's dog-eat-dog world. Long, grey panels line the stage, becoming screens for projections of Central Park and office suites. And there's roll-on, roll-off furniture for Dan's loft apartment, the fantasy place in the country and, of course, the fatal love nest where the wheels come off, along with the couple's clothing. Loveday Ingram's taut production has some awkwardly staged scenes with handheld phones and could make more of that infamous bunny business. But even if you think you know the plot like you know your partner's passwords, it still exerts a vice-like grip. n Fatal Attraction is at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle, until tomorrow. For tour details, visit fatalattractionplay.com. Paper thin tribute to a Hollywood legend Ava: The Secret Conversations (Riverside Studios, London) Verdict: Glimpses of a bigger picture Rating: Elizabeth McGovern's whisky-glugging, chain-smoking, straight-talking, thrice-marrying Ava Gardner inhabits a dramatically different world from Lady Cora, American chatelaine of Downton, who held things together through thick and thin, upstairs and downstairs. Though both had roles thrust upon them. When we meet Ava in McGovern's whip through her life, she is heartily sick of playing the 'world's sexiest woman'. Holed up in her Knightsbridge flat, one arm paralysed by a stroke, she is a shadow of the voluptuous screen-legend glimpsed all too rarely in the course of 90 long minutes. As she says: 'When you get blown up so big, you end up paper-thin.' It's one of few insights in this paper-thin, fleetingly poignant piece. So where to begin, Ava wonders? At the beginning, in North Carolina, where her 'broke, not dirt-poor' tobacco-farming parents had no time for their seventh child? Spirited, sparky Ava, her Dust-bowl drawl undimmed, suggests starting with 'diapers': the ones she's been wearing recently to retrain her bladder, post-stroke. Elizabeth McGovern is a whisky-glugging, chain-smoking, straight-talking, thrice-marrying Ava Gardner The disembodied voice of Peter Evans, a wannabe-novelist, sometime-journalist who is ghost-writing Ava's autobiography to pay the school fees, wants the vital statistics of Frank Sinatra's wedding-tackle. Sinatra was Ava's third husband and 'the love of her life'. Husband number one, the dedicated womaniser Mickey Rooney, introduced her to sex and she liked it. 'Secrets' well-documented by the likes of Wikipedia. All we are told about her brief marriage to Artie Shaw, the jazz clarinettist, is that he made her feel like a 'dumb stick'. She turned to drink. Anatol Yusef has the unenviable task of playing all the men who, variously, 'took away my voice'. The talented McGovern's momentary mimickry of Marlon Brando is by far the richest impersonation on display here. Alas, Ava is revealed only through the tight focus of a handful of egomaniacal men whose interest was skin-deep. The bigger picture is yet to be seen. GEORGINA BROWN Jamie Dornan appeared on Friday's episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show to promote the coming of age comedy-drama Belfast, which hit theaters late last year. At the top of the show, Dornan briefly chatted with Ellen about life at home with his wife Amelia Warner and their three girls: Dulcie, eight, Elva, five, and Alberta, two. While discussing the idea of expanding their family until they have a boy, the 39-year-old actor joked that he's been in a 'perpetual state of drag' all of his life thanks to growing up with two sisters and only having daughters. Promo mode: Jamie Dornan appeared on Friday's episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show to promote the coming of age comedy-drama Belfast, which hit theaters late last year Dornan appeared to be a bit stunned and taken aback by all the applause he received when he made his entrance in front of the live studio audience. The host assured him that all the adoration was due to his performance in Belfast. Belfast, which is getting rave reviews and Oscar buzz, is now in select theaters in the US and UK, as well as on-demand. The film , which also stars Outlander actress Caitriona Balfe, Judi Dench, Ciaran Hinds, Colin Morgan and Jude Hill, among others, is a semi-biographical story of writer and director Kenneth Branagh's upbringing amid The Troubles in Belfast in the 1960s. Life at home: At the top of the show, Dornan briefly chatted with Ellen about life at home with his wife Amelia Warner and their three girls: Dulcie, eight, Elva, five, and Alberta, two Good sport: While discussing the idea of expanding their family until they have a boy, the 39-year-old actor joked that he's been in a 'perpetual state of drag' all of his life thanks to growing up with two sisters and only having daughters Dornan shared how his later father, who recently passed away from COVID-19, actually met Branagh many years ago when he helped open a wing of a hospital that he worked in during his career as a doctor. 'It's so well done,' DeGeneres repeats several times over, in reference to the black-and-white film that has already won a People's Choice Award at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival; and received seven Golden Globe nominations, winning for Best Screenplay, among other accolades. 'The movie is getting Oscar buzz; you're getting Oscar buzz, so it's really great. It's really beautifully done,' DeGeneres says in support of the film, which got a nod of appreciation from Dornan. Supportive: DeGeneres gave her support of Belfast, calling it 'really great' and 'beautifully done' during the interview Father's approval: The Irish actor shared that he 'takes some sort of comfort' that his late father knew he was making Belfast before his recent passing from COVID-19 He went on to share that he 'takes some sort of comfort' that his father knew he was making Belfast before his passing. 'I think in some way he's having some control of the love we're getting for it,' the former Fifty Shades of Grey star said, adding, that his dad 'was so happy that I was working with Judi Dench, the legend, Dame Judi Dench, who plays my mother in this.' Again, this episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, with Jamie Dornan, airs on Friday, January 28. Legendary actress: Dornan also talked about how his father was happy to find out that he was working with Dame Judi Dench in Belfast Australian actor Rahel Romahn has been announced as the 11th recipient of the Heath Ledger Scholarship. He joins the ranks of other local actors who have since gone to establish their professional careers overseas off the back of the highly coveted acting prize, which has been created in honour of the late Heath Ledger. Romahn most recently starred in the upcoming TV series Shantaram and has made appearances in Abe Forsythe's zombie film Little Monsters, the crime series Mr Inbetween and mini-series Australian Gangster. Honour: Actor Rahel Romahn (pictured) has been announced as the recipient of the prestigious Heath Ledger Scholarship 'Throughout my life, I have learnt a lot from the leaders of the craft of acting,' Romahn said upon the announcement. 'From Heath I learned the power of vulnerability, the importance of bravery and the necessity of supporting the ones around you. These are extremely vital aspects to being a performer in our industry.' The Down Under star spoke about the 'importance of inclusivity' and commended the film industry for taking progressive steps towards embracing diversity. 'Throughout my life, I have learnt a lot from the leaders of the craft of acting': Rahel spoke about his experiences as a performer, his education and the importance of inclusivity upon the news of the announcement 'I am so proud of our industry for putting diversity at the top of our priority list,' Leading by example and creating a safe haven for people of colour, the LGBTQI+ and gender diverse community.' 'Discrimination has gone on long enough and I believe we are getting closer and closer to becoming one big family who finally accept and learn to understand and love one another,' he added. Romahn was born in Kurdistan, North Iraq during the height of Saddam Husseins genocide of Kurdish people. His family fled the country and lived as asylum seekers for years before settling in Australia. Proud: The Down Under commended the film industry for taking progressive steps towards embracing diversity, saying, 'Discrimination has gone on long enough and I believe we are getting closer and closer to becoming one big family who finally accept and learn to understand and love one another' Rahel has since gone on to fulfil his love for acting and the arts. He was nominated for an AACTA and Logie award for his role in the 2015 mini series The Principal. His other notable roles include Here Out West, Ali's Wedding and God's Favourite Idiot. Roles: Rahel most recently starred in the upcoming TV series Shantaram and has made appearances in Abe Forsythe's zombie film Little Monsters, the crime series Mr Inbetween and mini-series Australian Gangster Rahel was selected by a jury that featured Australian actors Chris Hemsworth and Jacki Weaver, UK casting director Nina Gold, director Rachel Perkins and US actor Alia Shawkat. He will receive a $10,000 cash prize along with educational training and career preparation training in the US. Previous recipients of the Heath Ledger Scholarship include Bella Heathcote, Cody Fern, Ashleigh Cummings, Mojean Aria and Charmaine Bingwa. Future star! Rahel was selected by a jury that featured Chris Hemsworth, Jacki Weaver, UK casting director Nina Gold, director Rachel Perkins and US actor Alia Shawkat. He will receive a $10,000 cash prize along with educational training and career preparation training in the US Heath was tragically found dead at a New York City apartment on January 22, 2008, after accidentally overdosing following months of physical and mental exhaustion. Reportedly a drug user on and off for years, things came to a head when he was juggling too many films - including his last role The Dark Knight - on very little sleep and he started relying on various cocktails of prescriptions to shut his mind off. He was ultimately found dead from a lethal combination of six drugs in his system: two types of narcotics, two types of anti-anxiety medicine and two types of sleep medicine. Some of the best years of my life I miss those people. Good times and memories, but I have moved on. Not my best days, but I have made peace with them. Glad to be away from those people I dont miss the high school experience. Vote View Results Fans have accused Kourtney Kardashian of photoshopping her derriere in a new Instagram photo. The eldest Kardashian sister, 42, shared a now-deleted image of herself to Instagram Stories as she posed with her back to the camera while dressed in a leopard print dress. Fans were quick to point out that Kourtney appeared to have made her derriere larger in the photo. 'Is this a joke?' Fans have accused Kourtney Kardashian of Photoshopping her derriere to look bigger in a new Instagram photo The image showed Kourtney sitting with a glass of wine in hand while surrounding by pretty flowers. Turning her head to look at the camera, the star pouted and posed. Fans on Reddit accused the reality star of altering the image, suggesting her derriere looked larger than normal in the photo. Edited? Fans on Reddit accused the reality star of altering the image, suggesting her derriere looked larger than normal 'What in the what, whyyyy? This has to be a joke,' posted one. 'This is embarrassing,' agreed another. 'She really thought she would get away with this and everyone would be like, Yeah that's real Kourtney!' was another response in the thread. 'At this point the bad photoshop must be intentional,' shared one other. Kourtney has since hit back at the backlash and claimed the photo was in fact a 'fan edit'. Taking to her Instagram stories on Friday, she wrote over the offending image: 'OMG RU SERIOUS, THIS IS A FAN EDIT. Hitting back: Kourtney has since hit back at the backlash and claimed the photo was in fact a 'fan edit' 'FOR BETTER WAYS TONUSE YOUR TIME, INSTEAD OF ANALYZING EDITS OF ME, follow @poosh.' Kourtney meanwhile sent temperatures soaring in a sexy lingerie shoot on Tuesday. The reality star, 42, worked an array of racy apparel which left little to the imagination as she posed up a storm in the Hollywood Hills. Unfiltered! Kourtney worked an array of super sexy apparel which left little to the imagination as she posed up a storm for a shoot in the Hollywood Hills on Tuesday Kourtney was obviously keen to show off her curves as she squeezed into an array of tight-fitting ensembles, which included a cheeky red bodysuit and a daring nipple ring accessory attached to a black undergarment. Kourtney's Insytagram post comes two days after her sister Kim quickly deleted one of her sizzling Instagram snaps after being accused of Photoshopping her famous figure. The reality star, 41, delighted fans when she shared a gallery of swimsuit-clad images from her recent Bahamas getaway with Pete Davidson. Don't mesh with her! The mother of three shot a fierce look for the camera as she posed in the sunshine Sizzling display! Heads turned as Kourtney made her way through the set with her fantastic physique on full display However, eagle-eyed followers were quick to notice that her back leg looked distorted in one image, with a curve appearing behind her knee. As fans flocked to comment on the mishap, Kim was quick to delete the post and reuploaded the gallery without the picture in question. Yet after a fan page shared the image, followers remarked: 'The leg lmfao'; 'she deleted it on her post that s**t is a diaper'; 'she really did and all the comments associated with the tweaked leg'; 'oh damn!!!! Lol'. Caught out? Kourtney's post comes two days after her sister Kim quickly deleted one of her sizzling Instagram snaps after being accused of Photoshopping her famous figure They are expecting their first child together. And, Olivia Bowen, 28, and husband Alex, 30, cradled her blossoming bump in their first photoshoot since announcing the happy baby news earlier this month. The pregnant Love Island star - who has teamed up with British Jewellery brand Abbott Lyon, to release her own Valentine's collection - was glowing as she posed in a cream knit midi dress. EXCLUSIVE: Olivia Bowen, 28, and husband Alex, 30, cradled her blossoming bump in their first photoshoot since announcing that they are expecting their first child together The mum-to-be rested her hand on top of her growing bump, while her doting husband placed his beneath as the pair smiled for the camera. Olivia told MailOnline: 'I'm so excited to become a Mum. It feels very surreal still to even say it, but we both can't wait for the next part of our lives. Alex is going to be the best dad - he's so caring, kind and a big kid at heart.' 'My pregnancy is going really fast; We still both can't quite believe it's happening. We're having to stop ourselves buying all the baby clothes at the moment, we just get too excited.' 'Our family and friends were so shocked when we told them, but I just knew very early on, you know your body. We're not going to find out what we're having, I think the surprise will make it extra special.' Loved-up: 'Alex is going to be the best dad - he's so caring, kind and a big kid at heart' gushed Olivia to MailOnline Valentine's jewellery: The pregnant Love Island star has teamed up with British Jewellery brand Abbott Lyon, to release her own Valentine's collection Earlier this month, Olivia took to Instagram to share the news that she is expecting. Her New Year's Day post showed a series of instant photos and a pair of booties alongside the caption: 'Happy New Baby Bowen', before Alex then shared the same post and penned: 'This year we get to meet Baby Bowen'. The trio of images included a shot of Alex kissing his wife's stomach, a selfie showing them holding the booties and a baby grow alongside sonogram pictures. Love yourself: Olivia Bowen's Valentine's Day jewellery edit with Abbott Lyon can be purchased at www.abbottlyon.com Olivia and Alex, formerly a sales executive and scaffolder respectively, soared to fame in 2016 when they appeared on the ITV2 reality show, where she was an original star and he, a late and extremely popular entrant. After leaving the villa their romance soon when from strength to strength and Alex popped the question in New York in 2016. Loved-up couple Olivia and Alex tied the knot in a luxurious Essex ceremony two years after meeting on Love Island during series two. Olivia Bowen's Valentine's Day jewellery edit with Abbott Lyon can be purchased at www.abbottlyon.com A former employee at Los Angeles International Airport has revealed some of the big name celebrities she has encountered on the job including Aussie actor Chris Hemsworth. Cindy, who was a customer service representative for airlines, recalled the encounters on TikTok and rated the stars she had crossed paths with on a scale from one to 10. After going carefully through the list, Cindy soon arrived at the Thor star and instantly awarded him a 10/10 for his friendly nature and openness. 10 out of 10: An LAX airport worker has revealed what Chris Hemsworth (pictured) is really like in person 'He was always really polite to everybody,' she said in the clip. 'He was even on a first-name basis with some of the staff,' Cindy added before mentioning that he was 'literally so handsome in person'. Cindy also had encounters with Chris Evans, Kendall Jenner, Nicki Minaj, Dakota Johnson, Robert Pattinson and Jeffree Star, among others. 'He was always really polite to everybody': TikTok star Cindy (right) instantly awarded him a 10/10 for his friendly nature and openness. 'He was even on a first-name basis with some of the staff,' Cindy added before mentioning that he was 'literally so handsome in person' She admitted that Kendall Jenner came off as 'arrogant' and Nicki Minaj acted like a diva on a flight. She also gave Robert Pattinson a 10/10, saying he was 'nice' and asked her how her day was. Cindy also had pleasant experiences with YouTuber Jeffree Star. 'I know a lot of people don't like him, but Jeffree Star was a 10/10,' she said of the 34-year-old makeup mogul. She had a funny story about Dakota Johnson, who also received a high rating because of how nice she was. Encounters: Cindy also had encounters with Chris Evans, Kendall Jenner (pictured), Nicki Minaj , Dakota Johnson, Robert Pattinson and Jeffree Star. She admitted that Kendall Jenner came off as 'arrogant' and Nicki Minaj acted like a diva on a flight Friendly: She had a funny story about Dakota Johnson (pictured), who also received a high rating because of how nice she was 'She forgot her passport all the way in LA in the middle of traffic hours, so we had to delay the flight, and she still didn't make it back,' she explained. 'But I made fun of her the last time she flew out. She laughed and was super polite.' Chris has been travelling around Europe for the past several weeks with his family as he films Extraction 2. On Thursday, the Avengers star enjoyed a cheat day as he did some sightseeing in London with his stunning wife Elsa Pataky. The couple tucked into a calorie-laden bubble gum ice-cream cone, complete with fairy floss and toppings, as the pair visited the world-famous desert emporium Hans and Gretel in Camden Town, London. No regrets! Clean eating Chris enjoyed a calorie-laden ice-cream with fairy floss alongside his wife Elsa Pataky (left) as they headed out in London on Thursday Chris posted a picture of the pair eating the fairy tale-inspired sweet treat on his Instagram page. He said that the ice-cream cone equated to 'four weeks worth of cheat meals in one'. The Hemsworth family recently celebrated Christmas in Austria as they make the most of their time in Europe. Chris and Elsa, who married in 2010, are parents to India, nine, and twins Tristan and Sasha, seven. She loves to show off her voluptuous curves on social media. And Carol Vorderman was back at i ton Friday as the big-haired beauty wore a tight top and leather leggings. The TV presenter, 61, poked fun at her wild 'do, writing: 'Morning lovelies.....going for a "what the hell just happened there" look for the hair today...I think I've succeeded!!! Lols' Leggy display: Carol Vorderman, 61, showed off her curves on Instagram on Friday as she donned a pair of leather pants that clung to her chiselled legs and a tight top. She added: 'Holy hell it's Friday so soon already. Have a good one. Off for a top up with my mates today xx'. Wearing a full face of makeup, the star teased her brunette locks into bouncy waves to give them extra volume. She shared a couple of different angles of her look, showing off sexy thigh-high boots in the process. Funny: The TV presenter, 61, poked fun at her wild 'do, writing: 'Morning lovelies.....going for a "what the hell just happened there" look for the hair today...I think I've succeeded!!! Lols' Big hair! Joking about her big hairdo, Carol captioned the snaps: 'Morning lovelies.....going for a "what the hell just happened there" look for the hair today...I think I've succeeded!!! Lols' It comes after Carol shared her pride for her daughter Katie King, 31, on Thursday as she passed her PHD in nanotechnology from Cambridge University. Taking to Instagram, she shared a snap of her lookalike daughter alongside a lengthy caption outlining her daughters incredible achievement. Saying 'single parenting ain't that bad after all', Carol revealed her first born can 'now call herself DOCTOR KATIE KING.' Exciting news: Taking to Instagram the TV presenter shared a snap of Katie (pictured) alongside a lengthily caption outlining her incredible achievement The former Countdown host also took to her Instagram stories to tease the good news saying: 'Have rarely been as happy as right now. It's like driving for miles and all the lights are on green.' The star, who herself read engineering at Cambridge, shared a carousel of snaps with her 206K followers, including a side profile snap of Katie smiling and a picture of a coffee cup, which read Dr. Katie King, from the Cambridge University grounds. Written on the scenic snap was: 'My girl katie.science. Grafter. Brilliant. Scientist. Funny. Stunning. She passed her PHD in nanotechnology @cambridgeuniversity, I couldn't be prouder of more hungover.' Written on the scenic snap was: 'My girl katie.science. Grafter. Brilliant. Scientist. Funny. Stunning. She passed her PHD in nanotechnology @cambridgeuniversity, I couldn't be prouder of more hungover' Captioning the emotional post Carol wrote: 'Yesterday my girl Katie passed her 'viva'....an interrogation of her PhD thesis by a panel of examiners. 'She can now call herself DOCTOR KATIE KING. It's all she has ever wanted to be since being a little girl. 'A Cambridge research scientist and then to become an astronaut....like you do. She added: 'Her thesis was about the delivery of a new cancer drug. The drug is hydrophobic (doesn't mix with water) and so can be used instead of a chemotherapy technique as it does not mix with blood. Doctor: The star shared a carousel of snaps with her 206K followers, including a side profile snap of Katie smiling The star continued: 'Hopefully at some point this will help cancer sufferers not have to endure the all encompassing effects of chemotherapy. She is part of a big research team working at @cambridgeuniversity and with Astra Zeneca 'Katie's research is about how to then deliver it specifically to the tumour. She's using nanotechnology and in particular gold nano particles. The star continued: 'Hopefully at some point this will help cancer sufferers not have to endure the all encompassing effects of chemotherapy. She is part of a big research team working at @cambridgeuniversity and with Astra Zeneca. 'So here's me as her Mum. So proud. I know all the struggles she's overcome, and the hard graft she's put in to become this fine young woman. Celebrations! Carol declared she was embarking on 'a two day bender'- presumably in celebration of her off springs incredible news Sharing a hungover snap in an oversized camouflage jacket with cream fur hood she wrote: 'Hungover face definitely needs sunnies' 'I don't want this feeling to stop. She's on top of the world...and quite honestly I am too and so is her little brother Cameron. What a lucky mother I am. Single parenting ain't that bad after all.' Sharing a hungover snap in an oversized camouflage jacket embellished with a cream fur hood she wrote: 'Hungover face definitely needs sunnies.' Yesterday Carol took to Instagram to tease she had received the 'best news ever'. She looked amazing as she showed off her tiny waist in a figure-hugging denim button-up jumpsuit as she declared she was embarking on 'a two day bender'- presumably in celebration of her off springs incredible news. Wow! Last year, Carol announced Katie was applied for a job as an astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA) Last year, Carol announced Katie was applying for a job as an astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA). She took to Twitter to share her delight at the prospect, as she said her daughter was 'beyond excited' about the opportunity to apply for the coveted position. She shared a post from the ESA which was advertising job vacancies for astronauts for 'the first time in 11 years'. The ESA post read: 'For the first time in 11 years, we're looking for new #astronauts. Media representatives are invited to a virtual press event on Tuesday, 16 February, to learn more about these exciting #YourWayToSpace #ESArecruits (sic)' And Carol quoted the tweet, and added: 'My girl is to infinity and beyond excited about this..... she's applying .... xx go Katie ... (sic)'. Carol shares Katie and 25-year-old son Cameron with her ex-husband Patrick King. Strictly's Tilly Ramsay and Nikita Kuzmin shared a slew of cosy backstage snaps on Friday after they were reunited on the live tour. The presenter, 20, and the dancer, 24, looked like they were getting on better than ever in the pictures as they hugged and Nikita playfully touched her nose. Nikita was forced to pull out of the tour last week after testing positive for Covid-19 and had been isolating in his hotel room for five days, until he was released on Tuesday. Close: Strictly's Tilly Ramsay and Nikita Kuzmin shared a slew of cosy backstage snaps on Friday after they were reunited on the live tour Tilly looked gorgeous in the snaps where she wore a ruffled cream top and long blue skirt which was cinched in at the waist with a brown belt. Meanwhile Nikita looked as dapper as ever in a tight white shirt, black trousers and braces as he beamed behind her. The blonde beauty captioned the snaps: 'Backstage boops! Can't wait to perform again in Newcastle tonight!! ' Happy: The presenter, 20, and the dancer, 24, looked like they were getting on better than ever in the pictured as they hugged and Nikita playfully touched her nose It comes after on Tuesday Nikita took to his Instagram to share his delight as being back on the tour after his isolation period. The Strictly star filmed himself and Tilly, who had her arms wrapped firmly around his neck, as he expressed how excited he was to be back. He said: 'We're back together in Leeds! We're ready for you, we're ready to dance, I'm finally back, I promise I will not leave anymore', with Tilly adding: 'I'm not letting go!' Oh no: Nikita was forced to pull out of the tour last week after testing positive for Covid-19 and had been isolating in his hotel room for five days, until he was released on Tuesday It came after Tilly FaceTimed pro partner Nikita the Friday before after he was forced to pull out of the live arena tour at the last minute after testing positive for Covid. The presenter took to Instagram to share a snap of the dancer clutching a packet of Strepsils throat lozenges as he recovered at home from the virus, with Tilly remarking: 'I miss him!' Nikita, who partnered with Tilly in the latest series of Strictly and was set to dance with her on the nationwide tour, shared the news on Instagram that Thursday, after withdrawing before the first live date in Birmingham that night. Get well soon: It comes after Tilly FaceTimed pro partner Nikita last Friday after he was forced to pull out of the live arena tour at the last minute after testing positive for Covid Tilly continued in the show without him and performed with Neil Jones, with the beauty excitedly documenting her experience on her social media. The psychology student also impressively balanced her studies as she revealed she'd taken a university exam ahead of the latest live show. As he revealed his Covid news, Nikita reassured fans that he hopes to be back on tour 'as soon' as possible. 'So sad to be missing a portion of the Strictly Live Tour, but unfortunately I tested positive for COVID-19,' he wrote under a photo of himself and Tilly and some grumpy selfies. 'Lots of luck to all the amazing Strictly cast... Will be back as soon as I can'. Nikita's Strictly co-stars offered their supports in the comments, with his partner Tilly writing: 'Missing you' alongside a heart emoji. Nikita was not at the tour's photocall on Thursday afternoon, with Tilly forced to pose for solo pics while her fellow celebs partnered up. Emma Roberts has admitted she's the most content she's ever been, in a new interview published as news of her split from Garrett Hedlund broke. The actress, 30 is the cover star of the new issue of Tatler Magazine, wowing in a stunning shoot for the Biritish publication and talking in the accompanying interview about motherhood and her blossoming career. Emma refused to confirm the status of her romance in the interview, but admitted that her life has changed beyond recognition in the past two years. Looking fab: Emma Roberts has admitted she's the most content she's ever been, in a new interview published as news of her split from Garrett Hedlund broke The actress, 30, channeled vintage Hollywood vibes in the shoot, rocking a plunging Carolina Herrera red dress and Cartier jewels as she posed by a pool. The accompanying interview sees the American Horror Story star gush about life with her son Rhodes, who turned one in December. 'I definitely think about how I can help him be the utmost gentleman,' she explained of her hopes for parenthood. 'I want him to be respectful and intelligent at school but also in life.' 'What it means to be a man is being rewritten right now and I hope my contribution to the world can be raising an amazing boy who turns into an amazing man. I want him to feel that there's nothing he couldn't ask or tell me.' Cover star: The actress, 30 is the cover star of the new issue of Tatler Magazine, wowing in a stunning shoot for the Biritish publication and talking in the interview about motherhood Emma refused to discuss the other man in her life, Garrett, in the interview but did tell the magazine: 'I'm at a place where I can say, "I may not have got everything right but I like who I am more than I ever have". 'My life has changed more in the past two years than it did in the 28 years beforehand and I love where I'm standing now at the age of 30.' Emma's ex has had a troubling start to the year. The actor, 37, was arrested in Franklin County, Tennessee for public intoxication earlier this month and later released from custody on a $2,100 bond. Hedlund is currently on three years probation over his previous DUI case, meaning his recent arrest for being intoxicated could pose a problem for the star. Mother: Emma said of her hope for Rhodes, who turned one in December: 'I definitely think about how I can help him be the utmost gentleman' The arrest comes just days after it was revealed that he has now split with Emma. It's also days after it was reported that Hedlund is being sued for a car crash that took place on the night of his 2020 DUI arrest. Hedlund is being accused of crashing into another car - containing a woman and three children - passed out drunk behind the wheel of his Jeep and running a red light. The family claims that Hedlund - whose blood alcohol on the night in question was twice the legal limit of .08 - attempted to flee the scene without calling an ambulance. The family is suing Garrett for damages. Split: Emma refused to discuss the other man in her life, Garrett, in the interview but did tell the magazine: 'I'm at a place where I can say, "I may not have got everything right but I like who I am more than I ever have"' (pictured in 2020) The arrest came as the actor was expecting his first child with Emma. She went on to give birth to their son Rhodes at the end of 2020. 'It's sad, and they are trying their best to co-parent. It's been hard,' an insider told PEOPLE of their post-breakup dynamic. DailyMail.com has reached out to representatives for Roberts and Hedlund for comment. 'Their relationship has been rocky for a long time,' a source told ET Online, 'and the situation is really sad right now.' According to the insider, the couple 'grew apart when Garrett was away working' however they 'are still coparenting, and still doing things as a family.' Last month, Emma and Garrett celebrated their baby son's first birthday by hosting rodeo-themed party. Ex: Emma's ex has had a troubling start to the year. The actor, 37, was arrested in Franklin County, Tennessee for public intoxication earlier this month; pictured 2019 'Loved every second of it. I love you Rhodes,' gushed Roberts, who shared several adorable shots from the shindig with her Instagram following. Emma and Garrett first began dating back in March 2019 and, over a year later, would reveal that they were expecting a child. Emma gave birth in December 2020 but waited to reveal the birth and the name of their baby until January 2021. The March issue of Tatler is available on newsstands and via digital download on Thursday 3rd February. It is only halfway through winter but Addison Rae already seems to be in a mood for spring. On Thursday the He's All That actress and top TikTok star shared three new photos to Instagram where she looked radiant in a light colored outfit. The 21-year-old star who was born in Louisiana wore a flirty pink top and skirt that showed off her toned tummy and sculpted legs as she stood in a studio. Spring it on: It is only halfway through winter but Addison Rae already seems to be in a mood for spring 2022 'Dear diary,' was all the star - whose full name is Addison Rae Easterling - said in her brief caption for her over 40m Instagram followers. The top was cropped with capped sleeves in a pink plaid print that looked perfect for the warmer months. The skirt was very short and had pleats that made it look like part of a private school uniform. And her heels were silver and platform with a strap over the ankle. The pal of Kourtney Kardashian wore her highlighted hair partially up as she added pink makeup and a choker necklace. She glows: On Thursday the He's All That actress and top TikTok star shared three new photos to Instagram When taking a selfie Rae held a child's beaded necklace. Paris Hilton liked the post. Rae has recently been focused on her perfume line, Addison Rae Fragrance. The influencer announced that she would be making the brand's first three offerings available to the public this past November. The scents that have been sold are both vegan and water-based, as well as being alcohol-free. The look works: The budding star looked radiant in a light colored outfit Easy pose: The top was cropped with capped sleeves in a pink plaid print that looked perfect for the warmer months. The skirt was very short and had pleats that made it look like part of a private school uniform The social media powerhouse previously spoke about moving into the fragrance world during an interview with WWD, where she expressed that perfumes were 'that next thing' that she wanted to add to her portfolio. Rae also expressed that she had developed an interest in working with scents over the past few years. 'Progressively, as I've gotten older, I've been super interested in fragrance. It's such a different area to put yourself into and get to know and see the behind-the-scenes,' she said. Hampton Beauty's Lori Mariano told the media outlet that the influencer was attempting to show her followers a different side of herself with the scents. The details: The pal of Kourtney Kardashian wore her highlighted hair partially up as she added pink makeup and a choker necklace She noted that Rae 'wanted to bring something different to the market. She wanted not only for her audience and fans to smell good, she wanted them to feel good.' Mariano went on to remark that the influencer's followers were looking for an unusual take on scents, which the social media personality was happy to promote. 'The Gen Z audience wants you to do something a little different than the norm...We gave Addison a platform to approach fragrance from a different angle,' she said. New endeavor: Rae also expressed that she had developed an interest in working with scents over the past few years A new trailer for the series Super Pumped: The Battle For Uber was released on Friday morning. And in the clip Uma Thurman is almost unrecognizable as she has dyed her blonde hair red to play Uber board member Arianna Huffington, a Greek-American author, syndicated columnist and businesswoman who is best known for her website The Huffington Post. The series focuses on 'the Bad Boy of Tech' - Uber founder and CEO Travis Kalanick - who is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Fresh look: A new trailer for the series Super Pumped: The Battle For Uber was released on Friday morning In character: And in the clip Uma Thurman is almost unrecognizable as she plays Arianna Huffington In the trailer Uma's Arianna is seen with reddish hair and smart business attire as she advised Joseph's ego maniac Kalanick. The accent is spot on too. Uma does an impressive job at mastering Arianna's Greek accent that almost sounds mixed with Russian. Arianna is 71-years-old and Uma is 51-years-old but the casting seems to work thanks to heavy makeup. Biz babe: Arianna is a Greek-American author, syndicated columnist and businesswoman who is best known for The Huffington Post. On the right Uma is seen in 2004 during her blonde bombshell days The real deal: Arianna Huffington attends Beautycon Los Angeles 2019 Pink Carpet in LA Most of the trailer focuses on Kalanick. It is the first season of the anthology series, with each subsequent season anthology series exploring, 'a story that rocked the business world to its core and changed culture.' Billions creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien created this new series, which follows the roller coaster ride of Kalanick from being dubbed the Bad Boy of Tech to being ousted from his own company in a boardroom takeover. She nailed it: In the trailer Uma's Arianna is seen with reddish hair and smart business attire as she advised Joseph's ego maniac Kalanick. The accent is spot on too Bad boy: Joseph Gordon-Levitt channels the Bad Boy of Tech - Uber founder and CEO Travis Kalanick Bad boy: Billions creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien created this new series, which follows the roller coaster ride of Kalanick from being dubbed the Bad Boy of Tech to being ousted from his own company in a boardroom takeover The trailer begins with a smug Travis introducing himself as the founder and CEO of Uber, adding, 'and contrary to what you might have read, I am not a monster.' Another shot features Thurman as Huffington who calls Travis, 'the notorious bad boy of tech,' as they're later seen meditating outside. Bill Gurley (Kyle Chandler), one of Uber's board members, is seen asking Travis if he will, 'listen to wise counsel,' as Travis responds, 'I will always listen, but I will never take orders.' Not a monster: The trailer begins with a smug Travis introducing himself as the founder and CEO of Uber, adding, 'and contrary to what you might have read, I am not a monster' Wise: Bill Gurley (Kyle Chandler), one of Uber's board members, is seen asking Travis if he will, 'listen to wise counsel,' as Travis responds, 'I will always listen, but I will never take orders' One employee asks in a darkened room if 'this is legal' and the whole room laughs, while Bill talks about Travis. 'The best thing about Travis is he's willing to run through walls to win,' as Travis is seen slamming his hands on a table which frightens Austin Geidt (Kerry Bishe). 'The worst thing about him is he thinks everything is a wall,' Gurley continues. Best thing: One employee asks in a darkened room if 'this is legal' and the whole room laughs, while Bill talks about Travis Travis is seen telling someone that, 'if there is something that's going to kill Uber than I have to remove it as Feds are sen moving in. Geidt tells Travis, 'You're not the one who has to pay the price,' before Travis tells his closest advisors, 'My life is on the line here, and all of you, you'll all bleed for it!' One of the final shots shows Travis at a conference in a white suit as he tells the crowd, 'Are we super pumped?' as they erupt into applause as the trailer ends. Price: Geidt tells Travis, 'You're not the one who has to pay the price,' before Travis tells his closest advisors, 'My life is on the line here, and all of you, you'll all bleed for it!' Life: Geidt tells Travis, 'You're not the one who has to pay the price,' before Travis tells his closest advisors, 'My life is on the line here, and all of you, you'll all bleed for it!' Super pumped: One of the final shots shows Travis at a conference in a white suit as he tells the crowd, 'Are we super pumped?' as they erupt into applause as the trailer ends Kalanick founded Uber in 2009 with Garrett Camp and it quickly became one of the biggest 'unicorns' in the world - a privately held startup company valued over $1 billion. After numerous reports about the corporate culture - including sexual harassment and discrimination - within Uber, Kalanick stepped down as CEO after a boardroom coup in 2017. The show is based on the 2019 book Super Pumped: The Battle For Uber by New York Times journalist Mike Isaac. Minnie Driver showed off her youthful figure on Thursday as she sipped a cocktail while on holiday in Barbados. The actress, 51, beamed as she posed up a storm in a black bandeau bikini which she teamed with matching bottoms. The Oscar-nominated star took to Twitter to share the photo which she captioned: 'I would rather be working.' All smiles: Minnie Driver, 51, showed off her youthful figure on Thursday as she sipped a cocktail while on holiday in Barbados Hard worker: The Oscar-nominated star took to Twitter to share the photo which she captioned: 'I would rather be working' Minnie donned a pair of retro shades in the radiant snap, clearly making the most of her sunny break. She also posted pictures on her Instagram Stories watching the sunset with her fiance Addison O'Dea, 42. It comes as Minnie looked casually chic in a white linen dress as she stepped out with her beau after a trip to the Lime Grove Mall in St. James Parish. Sunset: The actress beamed as she posed up a storm in a black bandeau bikini which she teamed with swimming bottoms The pair are engaged and have been linked since early 2019, with Minnie keeping her relationship pretty private. She showed off a glimpse of her toned and tanned legs in the pretty number which had a loose-fitting style and skimmed her thighs. Minnie completed the relaxed outfit with comfy black flip flops and wore dark sunglasses as she strolled around. Couple goals: She also posted pictures on her Instagram stories watching the sunset with her fiance Addison O'Dea, 42 Meanwhile Addison cut a casual figure in a blue T-shirt, light grey jeans and brown shoes as well as sporting a face mask. Minnie is engaged to Addison and has an 11-year-old son Henry Story from a brief fling with her former The Riches writer, Timothy J. Lea. Last January, Minnie revealed how she found out as a child how her father was married to someone other than her mother. Joy Corrigan looked breathtaking as she rode a white horse in Cabo San Lucas on Monday. The Victoria's Secret model wore a white cowboy hat, with a yellow bikini top and white shorts as she rode along the white sand beaches on her recent trip. The Alo ambassador, 27, paired her minimal look with white Alo sneakers as she looked thrilled to be horseback riding in Mexico. The blonde beauty: Joy Corrigan looked breathtaking as she rode a white horse in Cabo San Lucas on Monday These pictures are from her recent trip down south to celebrate her 27th birthday. Joy updated all of her nearly one million Instagram followers throughout her stay. She left little to the imagination when she paired her cut-out green birthday dress with small white Bottega Veneta heels and a mini purple handbag. The blonde beauty styled her hair in beach waves as she was seen walking hand-in-hand with her sister, Gina Corrigan. Horseback riding in Mexico: The Victoria's Secret model wore a white cowboy hat, with a yellow bikini top and white shorts as she rode along the white sand beaches on her recent trip Representing Alo: The Alo ambassador, 27, paired her minimal look with white Alo sneakers as she looked thrilled to be horseback riding in Mexico The supermodel even displayed her bottom in her see-through dress as she walked with her sister. Joy did not seem to be wearing underwear and left little to the imagination in her birthday dress. Joy has been modeling since she was 14-years-old and has worked for brands like Guess, Victoria's Secret, and Jimmy Choo. With friends: These pictures are from her recent trip down south to celebrate her 27th birthday. Joy updated all of her nearly one million Instagram followers throughout her stay In a January interview with Maxim, the model discussed her laid back attitude towards showing her body in front of the camera. 'I love to be sexy and I love to show skin cause I work out really hard to get the body that I have. Ive always been very free-spirited about it,' she explained. In addition, she is also the co-founder and CEO of a clothing brand named Naked Species. Birthday behavior: She left little to the imagination when she paired her cut-out green birthday dress with small white Bottega Veneta heels and a mini purple handbag Cindy Crawford's daughter Kaia Gerber is turning up the heat in a new campaign for Calvin Klein. On Friday, the 20-year-old model, who has followed her mother's footsteps into the fashion business, posted a slew of new images from the racy commercial. 'At home in #mycalvins,' she captioned the images, alongside white heart emoji. Wow factor: Cindy Crawford's daughter Kaia Gerber shows off taut tummy as she turns up the heat for new Calvin Klein underwear campaign Her mother Cindy, 55, also famously modelled for Calvin Klein in her '90s heyday. The star has recently begun a new relation with boyfriend Austin Butler, 30. Austin has acted on such shows as Switched At Birth and also famously used to date High School Musical starlet Vanessa Hudgens. Meanwhile in 2019 Kaia had a relationship with Saturday Night Live funnyman Pete Davidson who is seven years her senior. New looks: On Friday, the 20-year-old model, who has followed her mother's footsteps into the fashion business, posted a slew of new images from the racy commercial Reports of their split circulated at the start of last year with an E! News insider saying that Pete was 'taking a break to work on his mental health.' Her parents Cindy and Rande had been filmed by Page Six in December 2019 talking emphatically outside their daughter's apartment. DailyMail.com learned from a bystander that Rande had a conversation with someone upstairs - likely Pete - who was 'freaking out' and had 'scratched eyes.' Footsteps: Her mother Cindy, 55, also famously modelled for Calvin Klein in her '90s heyday New romance: The star has recently begun a new relation with boyfriend Austin Butler, 30 Chilling: 'At home in #mycalvins,' she captioned the images, alongside white heart emoji Shortly thereafter he quipped during the Weekend Update section of Saturday Night Live that he was about to take 'the kind of vacation where, like, insurance pays for some of it, and they take your phone and shoelaces.' Last year Kaia was involved with The Kissing Booth actor Jacob Elordi but last month it emerged that they have broken up. Shortly before Christmas an insider spilled to People that Kaia 'seems really happy' with Austin and that 'All of her friends think he's really cute.' Fit physique: The model is known for her love of Pilates Trim: Kaia is often spotted out exercising with her pal Kendall Jenner Said the source: 'All of her friends think they are so adorable and it's a total step up from her last relationship and she knows it too.' She previously dated Jacob for over a year before their eventual split, which Page Six reported was 'amicable.' Jacob remarked in a recent Men's Health profile that Kaia had taught him how to cope with fame through her own example. Just like mom: Cindy Crawford is seen modelling for Calvin Klein in 1992 'She handles herself wonderfully publicly and I've learned so much from her about how to handle it, how to deal with it and just kind of be whatever about it, you know?' said Jacob, who was once linked to Zendaya. Meanwhile over the summer, while dating Jacob, Kaia gushed: 'Being able to be with someone I trust, where we don't want anything from each other, having a safe, steady relationship like that, has really opened my eyes to the possibilities of love and what it feels like to love without conditions.' She explained her reasoning to Vogue: 'Lust is touching other people or wanting them, but love is really seeing someone.' Filming for Marvel's Secret Invasion has been underway this week in Yorkshire. And two stunt doubles stepped in for an absent Samuel L Jackson, dressed as his character Nick Fury, at The Piece Hall in Halifax, on Friday. The daring duo were seen on set as they donned matching outfits, identical to the ensemble that Samuel, 73, was spotted in earlier this week. Exciting: Two stunt doubles stepped in for an absent Samuel L Jackson on the set of the new Marvel series Secret Invasion on Friday The pair sported bushy beards with brown wool coats and khaki knitted beanies as they put on a very serious display on location. They added a burgundy jumper and olive trousers which were teamed with a pair of black leather gloves. Samuel is set to reprise his role as the head of the organization S.H.I.E.L.D and stars in the Disney Plus series alongside Emilia Clarke, Ben Mendelsohn, Kingsley Ben-Adir and Cobie Smulders. Earlier this week, Samuel L Jackson was seen in Leeds as he was joined by his co-stars Emilia and Kingsley, whose characters names have yet to be revealed. Filming: The pair sported bushy salt and pepper beards with brown wool coats and khaki knitted beanies as they put on a very serious display on location Cobie will play S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill and Ben who will star as the leader of a Skrull sect and an ally of Nick, Talos, were also seen for the first time on set this week. The show which will act as a direct sequel to the 2019 film Captain Marvel, which also starred Samuel as a younger version of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. The show follows shapeshifting aliens known as the Skrulls who have infiltrated all aspects of life on earth. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show will use Captain Marvel as a launch pad and focus on the agent Fury and a Skrull played by Ben Mendelsohn. Kyle Bradstreet, who helmed the acclaimed Mr Robot, will act as writer and executive producer. As a Formula One ace, he had a track record for being a fast mover. And now David Coulthard has proved that he also doesnt like to wait around in matters of the heart. The retired Scottish driver has split from his wife Karen Minier, 48, a source told the Daily Mail last night after he was pictured without his wedding ring as he kissed and cuddled a Swedish model. Coulthard, 50, and Sigrid Silversand put on an affectionate display as they went for a stroll in London this week. They walked hand in hand and kissed several times. Miss Silversand was dressed casually in black trousers, trainers and a long coat. Coulthard, who won 13 Grand Prix and is now a television commentator, has not been pictured wearing his wedding ring since January last year. F1 star David Coulthard, 50, has crashed out of a nine-year marriage with a Belgian TV presenter and raced off with a Swedish lover, 27, who he is seen kissing and cuddling on a London stroll (pictured) The pair were later shown sharing a kiss, pictured, in central London. Witnesses said Coulthard was no wearing his wedding ring He married Belgian TV presenter Miss Minier in Monaco in 2013. They met in 2005 when she was covering the Grand Prix for the French TV channel, TF1. Their son, Dayton, was born in 2008. At the time, Coulthard described the birth as the start of a fantastic period in his life and said winning 13 races seems completely insignificant in comparison. He once hailed his wife a fantastic kisser, adding: I did research to confirm shes the best. But he was less animated when talking about their wedding day. He told The Guardian in 2015 that it wasnt the best day of his life and that they decided to tie the knot for their son. He said: Karen and I got married because we had a child together and I had no intention of marrying anyone else. Weve been together ten years and were married in a register office in Monaco. Ex Formula One driver David, right, split with his wife of nine years Karen Minier, 48, left, last year (pictured in 2014) He married Belgian TV presenter Miss Minier in Monaco in 2013. They met in 2005 when she was covering the Grand Prix for the French TV channel, TF1. Their son, Dayton, was born in 2008 I dont want to de-romanticise it but I dont subscribe to it being the best day of my life. On the other hand, when I got a call from the school nurse recently saying my son had hurt himself, the fear of a negative conversation immersed my body. Their last public appearance together was at Wimbledon in 2019 but they were pictured having lunch with Amanda Holden and her husband Chris Hughes on the French Riviera in July 2020. Coulthard was best man at Hughes wedding in 2008 to the Britains Got Talent judge, who follows Miss Silversand on Instagram. Pictures on her page show her posing topless and modelling underwear. This isnt the first time Coulthard has dated a model. He was previously engaged to American Heidi Wichlinski and was in a four-year relationship with Brazilian Simone Abdelnour. A source told MailOnline: 'David split with his wife over a year ago and Sigrid has been introduced to the whole family, including his son, and all is harmonious.' Free Event Woodland Cemetery, members of the Dunbar Alumni Association and Dayton Dunbareans will celebrate another annual graveside tribute to Daytons own Paul Laurence Dunbar on the day of his death Paul Laurence Dunbar became the first African-American poet to earn national distinction and acceptance. He was born and raised in Dayton. His short thirty-three years of life were filled with literary achievement and contributions that catapulted him to national and international fame and appreciation. The President of Wilberforce University and the Wilberforce University Choir rendered the first graveside tribute to Paul Laurence Dunbar in the year of 1906. In 1988, five Dunbar devotees found themselves standing in front of Mr. Dunbars grave on the day of his death to pay their respects. The five decided to collectively commemorate Dunbars date of death in the future and thus established an annual graveside tribute. Through the years, the Dayton Dunbar Alumni Association, the National Park Service, Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum and community volunteers have continued to support the annual tribute. It is through the efforts of LaVerne Sci, a Dunbar scholar who once served as the Dunbar House site manager, that the annual tribute is still celebrated. Dunbar wrote with Dayton as his solid foundation and as his reference, stated Mrs. Sci. It was in Dayton that he found his richest and greatest experiences and all the elements of beauty and joy that he enjoyed. The Annual Paul Laurence Dunbar Graveside Tribute will begin with a gathering at the grave site of Mr. Dunbar at 10:00 a.m. where a laying of a wreath will take place. A short program of readings and stories will then follow inside the Woodland Mausoleum given by devoted friends of Paul Laurence Dunbar. The event is free and open to the public. All are invited to both the graveside and Mausoleum services. Woodland Cemetery is located at 118 Woodland Avenue off of Brown Street in Dayton. Participants may gather at the front entrance of the Mausoleum at 9:45 a.m. for a processional to the Dunbar grave. remaining of SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription and are still unable to access our content, please link your digital account to your print subscription If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. 50 years ago, on Sunday 30 January 1972, the British Army opened fire on a peaceful civil rights march in Derry in the North of Ireland. 14 innocent people were killed in an atrocity. For decades, the British ruling class attempted to cover up the atrocity. When British troops were sent into Ireland in 1969, some mistakenly believed they were there to bring peace. The Marxists warned they would bring no such thing as the massacre in Derry and other atrocities showed. The following article was first published in 2019 in the In Defence of Marxism magazine, on the 50th anniversary of British troops being sent into Ireland. Fifty years ago, on 14 August 1969, British troops were sent into the North of Ireland. At first, they were generally welcomed by Catholics as a buffer against the threat of a pogrom. Very quickly the mood changed as the real nature of the British armys presence made itself felt. It was marked by harassment, housebreaking raids, internment without trial, shoot-to-kill, massacres, and general brutality and discrimination towards Irish Catholics. The initial, naive response of working-class Catholics in welcoming their presence was wholly understandable. A clear-sighted leadership worthy of the name might have risen above the temporary mood and forewarned of the real significance of events. The British troops were not there to defend Catholics. But not only did the Civil Rights leaders welcome the presence of the British troops, so too did many self-described Marxists in Ireland and Britain. In no time at all, many of these groups like the SWP in Britain would make an about-turn and become the most uncritical cheerleaders of the armed struggle of the Provisional IRA (PIRA or Provos). The Marxist tendency, Militant, led by Ted Grant kept a clean banner and warned about the real role of the British army. Unfortunately, the lack of a clear-sighted, Marxist leadership in the course of the Civil Rights movement ultimately meant a revolutionary opportunity was let slip in the years 1968 and 1969. It is necessary, if the forces of Marxism in Ireland are to regroup, that the lessons of these events are studied. This is the only way that the movement can be theoretically rearmed in preparation for the new revolutionary wave which impends in Ireland. An incomplete revolution In 1968, a social explosion erupted in the North of Ireland around the question of civil rights for Catholics. For centuries the Catholics of Ireland had been subjected to discrimination and persecution. It was in Ireland that the British Empire first perfected its tactic of divide and rule. But when revolution swept Ireland from 1919 to 1922, and the British could no longer hold onto the country, they resolved to carve the living body of Ireland in two. Under the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which concluded the revolutionary Irish War of Independence, the South became nominally independent. The same Treaty, however, left the North in the hands of British imperialism. When revolution swept Ireland from 1919 to 1922, and the British could no longer hold onto the country, they resolved to carve the living body of Ireland in two / Image: Walter Paget There were a number of reasons that the British ruling class went down the road of partitioning Ireland, from the purely economic (the region represented 80% of the industrial output of the island); to the military-strategic (Ireland represented an important defensive position on Britains West flank). But surpassing all of these considerations was the fear of Bolshevism. Whilst the Irish Labour leaders had abdicated leadership of the Irish Revolution to the petty-bourgeois nationalists of Sinn Fein, the revolution was nevertheless accompanied by the formation of soviets, factory occupations and attempts by small farmers to redivide the land. But in 1922, the servile bourgeois nationalists in Ireland proved their completely reactionary character. In the Treaty with England, they agreed to partition Ireland. They would get what they wanted: free rein to exploit the Irish workers in two thirds of Ireland. Meanwhile, the British would retain six counties in the North East. As Connolly had predicted, partition would mean a carnival of reaction both North and South, would set back the wheels of progress, would destroy the oncoming unity of the Irish Labour movement and paralyse all advanced movements whilst it endured. This was exactly what the British ruling class had aimed at. A regime of reaction Centuries of carefully cultivated animosities between Protestants and Catholics were whipped up into an orgy of violence. Catholics, socialists and trade unionists were driven out of workplaces. In cities like Belfast, Catholics were terrorised into ghettos. The sectarian state in the North was engineered as a Protestant parliament for a Protestant people. In other words, it was to be a permanent bulwark against revolution and class struggle. The Catholics were to be kept permanently under the boot, and the loyalty of the Protestants was to be maintained by marginally better living conditions, and fear of what would happen if they, the Catholics, got the upper hand. Sectarianism was coded into the DNA of the statelet from its inception. The maintenance of such a regime required the creation of a huge apparatus of repression on the one side and of patronage on the other. Through organisations like the Orange Order, the permanent domination of the Ulster Unionist Party was to be guaranteed. Electoral boundaries were rigged against Catholics; businesses were given extra votes through property; and all positions of importance in the civil service were given to Protestants. Active discrimination in housing and jobs was used to sow the illusion of common interests between Protestant workers and bosses. And the armed Ulster Volunteers, which Lenin had likened to the Black Hundreds in Russia, were integrated into the state as the B Specials. The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and the B Specials were a permanent, menacing cudgel over the heads of Catholics. Counter-revolution was not limited to the North. In the South too, partition meant a carnival of reaction. The Treaty plunged the South into civil war. The Irish bourgeoisie now established themselves firmly in the saddle. The regime in Dublin, no less than the regime at Stormont, rested on repression and social reaction. The Catholic Church exercised a spiritual and temporal dictatorship, and was given complete control over education, healthcare and all spheres of social life. Even today new revelations about the horrors it inflicted on women and children, in particular, continue to come to light. The ugly features of such a regime could only repulse Protestant workers of the North. As long as in the minds of Protestant workers a United Ireland only meant the absorption of the North into the capitalist South, they were never going to accept such an outcome. It meant joining an economically stagnant, theocratic regime in which Protestants were to become the persecuted minority. And Protestants knew what it meant to be a persecuted minority; they could feel it in the seething discontent of their Catholic neighbours. Uniting Ireland on a capitalist basis only promised to switch the pluses and minuses. As is often the case, the reactionary regimes North and South, which were apparently at loggerheads, in reality, rested on each other across the border. Such were the bitter fruits of the betrayal of the struggle for independence by the bourgeois nationalists, and the failure of the Labour leadership to place itself at the head of this struggle. Towards reform The British had installed at Stormont a regime that was meant to guarantee permanent reaction, permanent sectarian animosity and permanent British domination. But the laws of dialectics dictate that nothing is permanent and everything must change. No one at the 1922 Anglo-Irish negotiations had asked, What if this settlement no longer suits our interests? The needs and interests of British imperialism didnt stand still. Silent, unassuming changes were undermining the material basis of the Northern statelet. But it is precisely because institutions, ideas and the web of social relations develop according to their own laws, without reference to the needs of society or of this or that class in society, that such change necessitates clashes, crises, catastrophes and revolutions. By the post-War period, a process of decline for the North economy began British imperialism thus looked therefore toward reform, as reflected in the reformist politics of Terence ONeill / Image: Woodrow Wilson PLA, Wikimedia Commons By the post-War period, a process of decline began to accelerate. Jobs in shipbuilding, linen and other important industries were being shed across the North. No longer did it hold the same economic importance that it once had. Furthermore, with the invention of nuclear weapons, the island could hardly be said to hold the same strategic value it once had. Relations with the South had begun to warm by the 1950s, and Britain and Ireland were doing good business. In fact, the South was completely economically dependent on Britain. The sectarian set up in the North only added friction to this relationship. And far from being a bulwark against revolution, the injustices it engendered threatened to become combustible material for a new social explosion. British imperialism looked therefore toward reform. If possible the ruling class would undoubtedly have opted for immediate reunification but that was ruled out. It is a fact that for 75 years, British imperialism has had no interest in maintaining its grip on Northern Ireland. If it has been unable to release that grip, it is because it has become enmeshed in a web of contradictions of its own making. This turn in the interests of British imperialism was reflected in the reformist politics of Terence ONeill, who succeeded Brookeborough as Prime Minister of Northern Ireland in 1963. ONeill made a string of promises about reforms, and under his premiership, relations with the South began to thaw. In 1965, ONeill even played host to the Souths Taoiseach (Prime Minister), Sean Lemass. This was an unprecedented step. But ONeills reforms remained entirely verbal. They did little to satisfy Catholic workers and youth. Meanwhile, they only served to irritate the hardliners in his own Unionist camp. In the early stages of many revolutions, the storm ahead is heralded not by an explosion from below but by splits at the top. Within the Unionist Party, splits began emerging. A right wing around one of ONeills ministers, William Craig, argued vociferously for an end to the carrot policy and a return to the stick. More ominously, outside and completely out of control of the Unionist establishment was the party of Ian Paisley. In his insane sermons, this fundamentalist, rabble-rousing preacher accused ONeill of bowing the knee to popery and playing into an (entirely imagined) Catholic Church plot to unite Ireland. The ruling class were learning a lesson. It was impossible to drip-feed sectarian prejudice, to maintain a permanent armed sectarian mob (the RUC and B Specials), and to sow anti-Catholic feeling for decades and then expect to be able to turn the tap off once it was no longer called for. The reactionary Paisleyite mobs were the product of centuries of sectarian incitement. With the first hint of a change of course these mad reactionaries, of course, cried, Betrayal! ONeills own rhetoric went nowhere as it was on the Unionist establishment that his regime rested. However much he might have liked to have blunted its edges, ONeill was part and parcel of a sectarian order he could never succeed in disassembling. In his own words, ONeill explained: The basic fear of Protestants in Northern Ireland is that they will be outbred by Roman Catholics. It is as simple as that. It is frightfully hard to explain to a Protestant that if you give Roman Catholics a good house they will live like Protestants, because they will see their neighbours with cars and television sets. They will refuse to have eighteen children, but if the Roman Catholic is jobless and lives in a most ghastly hovel, he will rear eighteen children on national assistance. It is impossible to explain this to a militant Protestant, because he is so keen to deny civil rights to his Roman Catholic neighbours. He cannot understand, in fact, that if you treat Roman Catholics with due consideration and kindness they will live like Protestants, in spite of the authoritative nature of their church. Civil Rights In the late 1960s a revolutionary mood was sweeping the world. A wave of successful revolutions had challenged capitalism and landlordism in a number of former colonial countries. Italy, Pakistan, Mexico, Czechoslovakia and of course France were all swept by revolutionary developments in 1968-69. Even in the belly of the beast, discontent was spreading. Rising opposition to the Vietnam war and a mass movement of Civil Rights agitation by the black population swept the United States. These events reached their peak with the revolutionary events of May 1968 in France, when 10 million workers brought the de Gaulle regime to its knees. These events had a profound impact on the most advanced workers and youth in Ireland too. This was especially the case among the Catholic youth in the North who were burning with indignation at their lack of basic rights. The revolutionary mood that swept the world in the late 1960s had a profound impact on the most advanced workers and youth in Ireland too / Image: Joseph Mischyshyn, geograph.org Left-wing youth in Derry, around the Labour Party Young Socialists, joined left-wing Republicans in organising the Derry Housing Action Committee in 1968 and began organising mass protests. Hundreds of angry workers and youth shut down the meetings of the Derry Corporation. At Queens University in Belfast, a layer of left-wing students were also organising. And in 1967, to bring together the struggles against the gross inequalities between Catholics and Protestants, the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) was formed. Their demands were quite moderate. They were in favour of one man, one vote (i.e. ending the business vote); an end to gerrymandering; disbanding the B Specials; an end to discrimination in government jobs; and an end to discrimination in housing. The allocation of housing and jobs were particularly burning issues. In Northern Ireland unemployment in the 1950s and 1960s stood at about 8%, while in Britain it was an average of 1.5%. But in Derry, unemployment among Catholic men was as high as 30%. The legacy of the divisions that sectarianism had introduced into the working class was that wages remained at just 80% of the level of workers in Britain. When it came to housing, the Unionist regime, concerned first and foremost with maintaining a Protestant majority, werent about to build more houses and upset the demographic balance. Catholic workers could squeeze into more and more densely populated and deplorable slums, or else take the one option always left open to them by British imperialism: emigration. A hundred thousand youths took this option in the 1950s. None of this is to say that poverty, unemployment and deplorable housing were not features of working-class, Protestant neighbourhoods too. Time and again, the conditions of Protestant workers had forced them to take the road of struggle. The revolutionary traditions of the working class in the North of Ireland are as much the property of Protestant as of Catholic workers: from the 1907 Belfast dock strike, when even the police mutinied; to the 1919 engineering strike, when the workers of Belfast had power within their grasp; to the 1932 Outdoor Relief riots, when Protestant and Catholic workers jointly fought the sectarian state. But as bare averages, conditions on almost all indices were worse across the board for Catholics. Some of the events which lead up to the first Civil Rights marches typified the discrimination that Catholics suffered. In the first half of 1968 working-class, Catholic families in Co Tyrone, fed up with being constantly refused housing through official discrimination, began squatting newly built homes. One couple with children, who were living with the mothers parents and six brothers in deplorable conditions, took things into their own hands and occupied one such empty house. But shortly after the family were brutally evicted. The door was broken down with a sledgehammer, and they were physically dragged from the premises. And yet the house just next door was allocated to a 19-year-old, single, Protestant girl without dependents who happened to be the secretary of a local, Unionist politician. This particular eviction, before the eyes of the media, became a cause celebre for the Civil Rights movement. On 24 August 1968, the first major Civil Rights march set off from Coalisland to Dungannon in Co Tyrone. Two thousand marchers set off, but when they arrived at the outskirts of Dungannon, they received a foretaste of what was to come. At the edge of the town, the marchers were turned away by the RUC. A small Paisleyite counter-demonstration had taken up occupancy of the centre of the town. A hardcore of loyalist followers of the Rev. Ian Paisley were determined to stop the Civil Rights movement in its tracks. Stalinism It should be noted that on this and other Civil Rights marches, the official leadership of the Civil Rights movement represented by the NICRA led from behind. Only with great reluctance did they place themselves at the head of the marches. This was principally to prevent the movement from slipping out of their control to the left! In Derry, which was at the heart of the Civil Rights movement in its early days, it was the left-wing Derry Labour Party and the Young Socialists, which took the initiative and played a leading role in the movement. A leading role was played by self-avowed Marxists like Eamonn McCann. In Belfast, it was Peoples Democracy, an amorphous left-wing group that was formed by radical students in late 1968, which took the lead. The NICRA leadership contained various stripes of opinion from liberals to nationalists, communists and others. However, its main influence came from the so-called Communist Party, which advocated a Stalinist two-stage theory. According to this theory, it was necessary to deal first with the democratic question of equality for Catholics. This, it was alleged, was necessary to give the movement the broadest possible appeal. Only then, once real democratic equality had been won, could the question of socialism be posed. But however feasible such a moderate programme appeared, the fact that it did not challenge capitalism would become an enormous obstacle in the unity between Catholic and Protestant workers. After all, if you say, more jobs for Catholics, more houses for Catholics, unless you also talk about increasing the absolute number of jobs and houses, such slogans can sound a lot like, less jobs for Protestants, less houses for Protestants. As Eamonn McCann explained in his recollections of this period: There was one sense in which the civil rights movement was anti-Protestant. The movement was demanding an end to discrimination. Its leading moderate spokesmen such as John Hume and Gerry Fitt, insisted endlessly that this was all they were demanding. In a situation in which Protestant workers had more than their fair share of jobs, houses and voting power the demand for an end to discrimination was a demand that Catholics should get more jobs, houses and voting power than they had at present and Protestants less. This simple calculation seemed to occur to very few leading civil rights moderates, but five minutes talking with a Paisleyite counter-demonstrator in 1968 or 1969 would have left one in no doubt that it was not missed by the Protestant working class. (War and an Irish Town, p297) It is in the very nature of capitalism to create artificial scarcity. To allay the potential fears of Protestant workers it would have been necessary for the Civil Rights leaders to offer something more: to offer a socialist programme that could eliminate joblessness altogether and build decent houses for all. This would have been the only way to isolate Paisley and his gangsters. Gregory Campbell, a sectarian who became a prominent member of the DUP in the Derry area (and who today sits as one of the DUPs ten MPs), in his recollections, expressed feelings that were undoubtedly reflective of more backward layers of Protestant workers that came under the influence of Paisley: The thing that pushed me into politics was the whole civil rights scenario [] I saw the nationalists were campaigning for better living conditions, jobs, voting rights, and yet everything they were campaigning for, I couldnt get either. I hadnt got running water, I had to go outside to the toilet. I had all the disadvantages that the urban Catholic had, and yet they were campaigning as if it were an exclusive prerogative of Catholics to be discriminated against. I felt the exact same way [...] but there continued to be an attitude on their part that they were the only ones discriminated against and I was part of the group that was discriminating against them. (Quoted in Hadden, Common History Common Struggle, p210) In a certain sense, the narrow, Stalinist conception of the Civil Rights movement confirmed the idea of Paisley, Gregory Campbell and co. that civil rights were about Catholics versus Protestants. According to the Stalinists, the movement had to unite behind itself all progressive forces. This meant a policy of class collaboration, of uniting Catholic workers with the progressive, Catholic bosses. Whatever the intentions of the Civil Rights leaders this meant converting the movement effectively into a Catholic rather than a working-class front. In the words of McCann, anti-unionist unity was, to this mind, the single most pernicious idea current in the North. RUC violence After a period of agitation around housing, the first Civil Rights march in Derry took place on 5 October 1968. Using the pretext that the sectarian Apprentice Boys intended to march on the same day, the Stormont Home Secretary, William Craig, decided two days in advance to ban the march. The NICRA were in favour of calling off the march. It was only because the left-wing Housing Action Committee decided to defy the ban, that the NICRA reluctantly decided to put itself at its head. The banned march was not large. Only a few hundred turned out. But the RUC reacted with ferocious violence. While speeches were being given before the march began, the RUC moved in from the front and the rear. Heavy reinforcements and water cannon had been brought into Derry. Before the marchers could set off, baton charges and water cannon were unleashed against the peaceful assembly. Heads and arms were smashed by the police, who chased marchers into the majority-Catholic Bogside. The Bogside exploded with outrage. Suddenly jolted into seeing the significance of these events, the local middle classes businessmen, clergymen and nationalist politicians who had played no role in the movement, organised themselves into the Derry Citizens Action Committee (DCAC). In the name of peace and unity, huge pressure was exerted on the original organisers to accept them as the movements leadership. Only a few resisted. A few days later, following a march by thousands of students from Queens University in Belfast, which was again blocked by Paisleyite thugs, the students organised themselves into Peoples Democracy. As its name implies, the organisations principles were diffuse and not clearly worked out, but it leaned firmly to the left. They drew inspiration directly from the actions of the revolutionary students of the Sorbonne in Paris. But wherever they went, Civil Rights marches were being met by the Frankensteins monster of loyalist sectarianism. This violent monster, a product of British imperialism, had now grown out of the control of its master. Their violence in turn was now a whip, accelerating the development of revolutionary consciousness. Faced with a social explosion, ONeill finally began to roll out more than merely verbal reforms. Craig was fired, the Derry Corporation was abolished, and the repressive Special Powers Act was repealed. As usual, it was the threat of revolution that finally prompted reform from above. However, the reforms fell far short of what the NICRA was demanding. At this stage, far from satisfying the militant workers and youth at the forefront of the movement, reforms only emboldened them further. Indeed on 16 November, a new march through Derry overwhelmed the police as 20,000 marched from the Bogside to the city centre. Nevertheless, in the face of these paltry reforms, the NICRA and DCAC called for a complete cessation of marches. To these middle-class and Stalinist leaders, the methods of the angry, unemployed youths of Derry were hooliganism. Even in the face of the most brutal reactionary violence, in their view the masses should remain impassive. In the words of John Hume from the DCAC, We must be non-violent to the point of being crushed into the ground. Violence gets publicity and if we create it [it] is bad publicity. If it is created against us it is good publicity. (Irish News, 22 February 1969) Leadership Going into 1969, the atmosphere was tense. The Paisleyites were increasing their agitation about betrayal by ONeill, while the official leaders acted to restrain the Civil Rights movement. The Stalinist NICRA lefts offered no alternative. What was missing in Ireland in 1968-69 was a genuine revolutionary organisation. Such an organisation, refusing to bow to the pressure to mix banners with the middle-class leaders (whose moderation and nationalism repelled the Protestant workers) could have held aloft a clear socialist banner. On the basis of such a programme that linked the question of civil rights to the conditions of all workers including Protestant workers in the North and workers in the South a revolutionary opportunity could have opened up across Ireland. In April, when new clashes with the police broke out, the residents of the Bogside were no longer prepared to accept the RUC batons without reply. This time it was the police who took a battering as the whole community organised to drive them back: 209 police officers suffering injuries as against 79 civilians / Image: Keith Ruffles, Wikimedia Commons But whilst a more radical left existed around Peoples Democracy and Derry Labour Party, which was moving in a revolutionary direction, these organisations were diffuse and did not have a clear alternative programme or perspective. Instead, their radicalism was expressed in a greater willingness to mobilise on the streets, and greater bravery in confronting the sectarian regime. It was under these circumstances on 1 January 1969, that radical students from Peoples Democracy took the initiative to hold a new march from Belfast to Derry, defying the calls of the middle-class leaders for restraint. The march was gruelling. Hundreds of Paisleyite thugs constantly harassed the marchers, pelting them with bricks, bottles and stones. At Burntollet Bridge the march was set upon by loyalist thugs, who were joined by dozens of off-duty RUC men. They were brutally beaten with sticks, nailed clubs and bicycle chains. Many marchers were hospitalised. Only a few bloodied and battered marchers arrived in Derry. They were met by thousands of outraged workers and youth. The RUC once more attacked the assembly, and pushed through into the Catholic Bogside, kicking in doors and smashing windows. Now the Bogside fought back. Vigilante committees were formed and barricades were thrown up to prevent the RUC from entering. On a gable at the edge of the Bogside the words, You are now entering Free Derry, were painted, and Free Derry Radio was established by residents. In April, when new clashes with the police broke out, the residents of the Bogside were no longer prepared to accept the RUC batons without reply. This time it was the police who took a battering as the whole community organised to drive them back: 209 police officers suffering injuries as against 79 civilians. At the summer of 1969, the North of Ireland stood on the brink of a social explosion. Provocations by loyalist sectarians, backed up by the RUC, had created a revolutionary mood in working-class, Catholic communities. The revolutionary youth who were at the forefront of the fighting were open to socialist ideas. The whole Orange state was the enemy and the ideas of Republicanism were also gaining ground. Meanwhile, in the eyes of the Unionist establishment, ONeills reforms had completely failed to quell the discontent. Rather the wave of unrest continued its ascending curve. ONeill was forced out in April but his replacement, Chichester ChiChi Clark, had no alternative policy. Derry explodes The spark which lit the powder keg came during the marching season of 1969. Every summer, groups like the Orange Order and the Apprentice Boys in Derry marched in commemoration of the victories scored by the armies of William of Orange in his fight against James II for the succession of the British throne in the 17th Century. According to the myth, the victory of the Williamites over the Jacobites was a victory of Protestant free-thinking over the authoritarianism of the Catholic Church. In reality, however, William of Orange had the full support of the Catholic Church. In the Vatican, a Te Deum was even held in celebration of Williams victory at the Battle of the Boyne. The Irish poor Catholics and Protestants alike had no interest in the victory of either party. But despite being pure mythology the victories of King Billy were and still are celebrated every year. These marches in reality were designed to impress on the Catholics their inferior position. On 12 August 1969, the Apprentice Boys of Derry were marched along their route, taking them along the city walls and directly past the Bogside. Trouble started with the throwing of coins by Protestant youths at Catholics below. A riot quickly ensued and the RUC were thrown into action, attempting to penetrate the Bogside. Derry exploded. The entire community threw themselves into organising self-defence. Already on the night of 11 August, a Defence Committee was established with the participation of Marxists from the Derry Labour Party, and here and there barricades had been thrown up in anticipation. Now the entire working-class population threw themselves into repelling the RUC. Some assisted in helping the wounded, others helped supply petrol bombs, others prepared sandwiches to feed the fighters and ordinary people opened up their homes for use in the struggle. The whole area was closed off behind barricades. From the top of the High Flats on Rossville Street youths took up a prime position for bombarding the RUC from on high. And in order to take the pressure off the residents of the Bogside, the call was made for other areas to rise up in sympathy in order to stretch the RUC to the limit. Have we guns? In Belfast and elsewhere rioting began in working class Catholic communities in direct response to the call from Derry. Until this point, working-class, Catholic residents in Belfast had been hesitant to join the struggle. The Catholic population was a much smaller proportion of the population and the fear was that unrest would be used by the Paisleyites to whip up a pogrom. But now RUC stations in Belfast were attacked. In the disorder, shots were fired. In response the RUC sent armoured cars with heavy machine-guns into Catholic areas. As they encroached, the residents were clearly not matched to meet the threat. Bravely, youths responded with stones and petrol bombs. When machine-gun fire was unleashed a nine-year-old boy was killed as he slept in his bed. As the RUC encroached on the Catholic areas, they were followed by loyalist mobs who burnt out Catholic homes. As Catholics were burnt out of their homes and fled in their thousands, Ian Paisley claimed that they only burned because Catholic homes and churches were filled with petrol bombs and IRA ammunition. The press and Westminster politicians echoed the claims that behind the unrest was an IRA conspiracy. The aim was to stampede the Protestants into the arms of reaction. The real possibility was forming of a devastating pogrom and a slide into all-out civil war. Events were starting to take a similarly ominous turn in Derry. For three days the working-class residents of Derrys Bogside successfully fought the RUC and kept them out of their community. With the RUC exhausted and beaten, the government at Stormont were preparing to unleash the B Specials. Eamonn McCann, the left-wing leader of Derry Labour Party, described the moment the Derry residents were gripped by the realisation that they were facing, unarmed, the prospect of a pogrom: looking through the haze of gas, past the police lines, we saw the Specials moving into Waterloo Place. They were about to be thrown into the battle. Undoubtedly they would use guns. The possibility that there was going to be a massacre struck hundreds of people simultaneously. Have we guns? people shouted to one another, hoping that someone would know But there were no guns. Contrary to the official government and press line, which detected the shadowy influence of the IRA at all moments of unrest in 1968-69, the IRA were an irrelevance until the early 1970s. Indeed they were seen as an anachronism by most. In the 1950s the IRA had launched its Border Campaign a guerrilla campaign aimed at uniting Ireland. The methods of guerrilla struggle suitable for a peasant country were doomed in advance to failure. The IRAs forces in the North were so small that the failed campaign was launched almost entirely from the South. The failure of their ineffectual campaign forced the majority of the IRA leadership to reassess their methods. Under Cathal Goulding in the 1960s, they made a sharp left turn. Whilst a new emphasis on class struggle was a positive step, the organisation failed to turn towards the traditions of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Connolly. Instead, they came under the influence of the Stalinist Communist Party of Great Britain. Correctly, the new leadership rejected the traditional abstentionist policy of Republicanism. But instead of seeing the use of parliamentarism as a revolutionary tactic as a tribune from which to agitate for socialist revolution it was conceived in a reformist and pacifist way. The Irish revolution was divided into two stages. Instead of a revolutionary struggle of the working class whose final aim would be the overthrow of Stormont in the North and the bourgeois state in the South, and the establishment of a 32-county Socialist Republic, the IRA sought democratic reform and an end to discrimination. Parliamentary reform would come first, clearing the decks for united class action of the Catholic and Protestant workers. Only then would the basis for a struggle for socialist revolution be laid. This two-stage reformist perspective, which precluded revolution or civil war, left the IRA leadership completely unprepared for the explosive events which unfolded in August 1969. Whilst rank and file IRA members participated in the fighting and were active on the Defence Committees, the organisation was woefully underprepared for a serious struggle. According to one IRA officer, they had only 60 men in Belfast in 1969, only half of whom were active. Their arsenal consisted of a few outdated WWII handguns and rifles left over from the Border Campaign. The leadership did little to acquire new arms in advance of the events of 1969. Apparently, IRA = I Ran Away appeared on walls in Belfast. Whether true or merely apocryphal, it certainly corresponded to the feeling of many working-class, Catholic youths at the time. The failure of the leaders of the Official Republican movement to prepare adequately for self-defence led to disillusionment among rank and file IRA members with the leadership. It was an important element in aiding the rapid growth of the right-wing Provisionals following a split in the movement in late 1969 and early 1970. British troops sent in On the third day of rioting, the Wilson government sent in the troops. Eamonn McCann captures the mood in Derry as troops positioned themselves at the edge of the Bogside: The Specials disappeared, the police pulled out quite suddenly and the troops, armed with submachine-guns, stood in a line across the mouth of William Street. Their appearance was clear proof that we had won the battle, that the RUC was beaten. That was welcomed. But there was confusion as to what the proper attitude to the soldiers might be. The troops had arrived and Operation Banner had begun. The sudden arrival of the troops was greeted with enthusiasm by the majority of Catholic workers and youth. They had beaten back the RUC. As for the troops, it was believed they had arrived to keep the peace. As McCann attests, this mood affected even the most class-conscious militants. The troops had arrived, apparently to protect Catholics. Was this not to be welcomed? But how did this square with the opposition of socialists and Republicans to British imperialism? In the absence of a trained, revolutionary organisation, even many of the best, radicalised workers and youth succumbed to this mood and welcomed the British troops. It wasnt just McCann who supported the arrival of the troops. The Civil Rights leaders also welcomed them. In Britain, many of the so-called Marxist sects like the SWP and most Labour lefts welcomed the sending of troops into the North. Ironically they would turn 180 degrees in a few years, and cheer on the insane campaign of the IRA. Only Militant stood apart. Despite howls of protest from the rest of the left, Militant warned that the call made for the entry of British troops will turn to vinegar in the mouths of some of the Civil Rights leaders. In fact, the troops had not been sent in to protect the Catholics, but had been sent first and foremost to protect the interests of British imperialism. The British ruling class had their own reasons to be alarmed at the rapid descent of Northern Ireland towards civil war. The real possibility of civil war and ethnic cleansing loomed large. Such a scenario would destabilise the regime in the South. Fighting would quickly spread to the British mainland, beginning in cities with large Irish populations like Liverpool and Glasgow. The economic impact would be devastating. But perhaps more than anything, the British and the Irish capitalist classes looked on with dismay at the situation developing behind the barricades. The state had lost control. Citizens Defence Committees had taken over the running of communities in which 150,000 of Northern Irelands residents had barricaded themselves. Besides coordinating the fighting, the committees were taking on more and more functions including controlling traffic and policing crime. In working-class Catholic neighbourhoods, a revolutionary situation had developed and dual power had become an established fact. Worst of all, these committees contained a definite left-wing trend, with Marxist ideas having a real influence. With the help of workers drawn into the struggle, Derry Young Socialists succeeded in establishing a regular newspaper with a mass circulation on the Bogside, the Barricades Bulletin, and mass meetings of thousands were held. This was an intolerable situation for the British and Irish bourgeoisie. The South A wave of sympathy with the embattled Catholic neighbourhoods swept the working class in the South. They demanded that the Fianna Fail government do something. In outbursts of verbal Republicanism, Taoiseach Jack Lynch threatened to send troops to the border. In fact, he went no further than establishing a field hospital in Donegal. The government in the South were obviously not about to physically confront the regime in the North. Just a few years earlier, Lynch had been cordially sitting down to business with ONeill. His outbursts, which included a demand for UN peacekeepers to be sent in, were really meant to satisfy the mood at home. But they were also a coded message to the British: get the troops in and sort it out! The government in the South were obviously not about to physically confront the regime in the North. Lynch outbursts were really meant to satisfy the mood at home / Image: Joost Evers, Wikimedia Commons Alarmed at the uncontrolled situation, with left-wingers dominant in many Defence Committees, one section of the Southern bourgeoisie opted to try and tip the balance of forces against the left by channelling cash and guns to the right-wing elements. Using a fund established to help victims of the violence, two Fianna Fail ministers, Haughey and Blaney, helped to covertly smuggle weapons and guns to the North. This money was handed directly to the right-wing, rabidly anti-Communist Republican wing who had long despised the Reds who led the Official movement. It was these elements, representing the bourgeois wing of Republicanism, that split away to form the Provisional IRA. The Official leadership used this fact to absolve themselves of their share of responsibility for the rise of the Provos. Nevertheless, it remains a fact that the Southern bourgeoisie provided an important push in the direction of sectarian civil war, which they feared less than socialism. In late 1969 and early 1970, a split between the two wings of the IRA became complete. In this split, the Provisional IRA was formed. At first this went on largely unnoticed by the majority of people. The first outward sign of the split was the appearance of pin-on Easter lilies at the 1970 Easter Uprising commemorations. They were preferred by the Provo traditionalists to the stick-on ones used by the Official IRA (who came thereafter to be known as the Stickies). Despite occasional lip-service to the socialist republic, the Provos were the old traditional physical force Republicans, who had never been at ease with the left shift of the Official leadership. They represented a bourgeois, right-wing, rabidly anti-Communist trend in Republicanism. As a trickle of youths joined the IRA, which wing of the Republican movement they joined was more often than not accidental. Certainly, the connections that the Provos had with a section of Irish-American and Southern businessmen meant they were favoured because of their material support. Still, the IRA remained small. But events were impressing on thousands of the most advanced workers and youth the need for armed self-defence. Workers self-defence There was a strong, anti-sectarian mood throughout the working class at this time, and a desire to prevent a descent into the kind of bloodshed and violence that the North had witnessed in the 1920s. On 21 July 1920, Protestants at the Harland and Wolff shipyard, which employed thousands of workers, were incited to expel disloyal workers. In response, a large mob drove out Catholics from the shipyard under a hail of iron rivets. It should be noted socialists and trade unionists were driven out too. In reward for these displays of loyalty, the bosses responded with a general assault which drove down the living standards of all workers in the North. In 1969 it was a different matter. The mostly Protestant workforce was determined to stand against the Paisleyite bigots who wanted to see a rerun of the 1920s. In a mass meeting of all 8,000 workers, a motion was overwhelmingly passed calling for an end to the violence: This mass meeting of shipyard workers calls on the people of Northern Ireland for the immediate restoration of peace throughout the community. We recognise that the continuation of the present civil disorder can end only in economic disaster. We appeal to all responsible people to join with us in giving a lead to break the cycle of mutual recrimination arising from day-to-day incidents. (Bleakley, Peace in Ulster, 1972) Across the North, the defence committees had a largely non-sectarian character. In many mixed areas, Catholic and Protestant workers formed joint defence patrols to block the efforts of troublemakers from either side of the sectarian divide. In Derrys Bogside, the socialists on the Defence Committee continued to maintain contacts with advanced workers in the majority-Protestant Fountain neighbourhood. Under these conditions, had the unions put forward the slogan for the formation of non-sectarian, workers self-defence committees modelled on the Irish Citizens Army that had been established by the Transport Union under Connollys leadership in 1913 it could well have received a very positive reception and put a stop to the descent into tit-for-tat sectarian violence. But the leaders of the labour movement of the trade unions (the NIC-ICTU) and the Northern Ireland Labour Party (NILP) completely, and quite literally, sold out. In response to the unrest, in September 1969 representatives of the trade union movement met with representatives of the Unionist government of Chichester Clark. The result was a joint statement in which the government and the trade union leaders called for the barricades to be taken down: the most valuable contribution that people can make at this time is to try to secure the removal of the barricades by peaceful and voluntary means in conjunction with the security forces. The trade union leaders had no other perspective than restoring law and order. For this act of utter treachery, they received their fifty pieces of silver in the form of an annual government grant of 10,000 (Hadden p273). The role of the NILP was no less ignominious. Although at a rank and file level there was a shift to the left in places, such as in Derry where the Labour Party moved in the direction of Marxism, the leadership clung tightly to the methods of reformism. In the context of a sectarian state, reformist adaptation meant adaptation to Unionism. As a sectarian wedge was driven between workers in the North, this refusal to break with reformism meant certain death for the NILP. With the threat of a pogrom looming large in August 1969, many of the left-wingers who had mobilised through the Derry Labour Party began to drift towards the Official IRA and began training in the use of arms over the border in Donegal. They were not about to meet the threat of a pogrom unarmed in the future. Repression The failure of the workers leaders to link armed, self-defence to the labour movement left a tremendous vacuum. For a short period, this was not obvious, because the army seemed to be a buffer. In September, a joint effort by bishops and middle-class, moderate nationalist leaders succeeded in talking the masses into bringing the barricades down. In October, the RUC were disarmed and the B Specials were abolished. It seemed as though the British had intervened on the side of the Catholics after all. But in reality, the B Specials had just been replaced by the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR). Many former B Specials joined en masse. At times, 10-20% of UDR members would also be part of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), the biggest paramilitary group that operated during the Troubles. The UDR became a ready source of weapons for loyalist paramilitaries. The real character of the British occupation soon made itself felt. On 26 June 1970, an unrepentant Bernadette Devlin lost her appeal against a conviction for her part in the defence of the Bogside in August 1969. The outraged residents of the Bogside once more erupted in anger, this time clashing with the army. The following day, an attempt was made by the Orange Order to march on the Catholic enclave of the Short Strand in East Belfast. The sectarian provocation escalated from stone throwing to the throwing of petrol bombs at St Michaels Church. The Provisional IRA responded with gunfire and in the gun battle that ensued (dubbed the Battle of St Matthews) successfully kept the loyalists from encroaching. For the first time, the Provos came forward as defenders of Catholic workers. The Unionists were up in arms that the British army had failed to intervene. The British troops now showed the meaning of their presence. Far from being stationed to protect the Catholics, they had really been deployed to establish stability in the interests of British imperialism. This meant first and foremost restoring order and restoring the authority of the state. Whilst the barricades had come down, there remained no-go areas for the state, unrest continued, civil rights agitation had not ended, and armed members of both wings of the IRA were continuing to operate. With brute force, the British hoped to break the back of the unrest, disarm the IRA and placate the Unionists. On such a basis they imagined they might draw an end to Operation Banner. The policy was an unmitigated disaster. A few days after the Battle of St Matthews, the British army declared a curfew in the Catholic, working-class, Falls Road area in Belfast. Going from house to house, they were determined to smoke out the IRA. With the utmost brutality, they ransacked hundreds of Catholic homes. When indignant, local women began fighting back, the army responded by filling the neighbourhood with choking CS gas. In searches conducted by the British army, houses were completely torn up, 337 people were arrested, 78 were wounded and 4 were killed. The Provos Far from cowing the Catholic population or immobilising the Provos as they had hoped, the repression turned the mood of the Catholic working class of Belfast to rage. The youth looked en masse to anyone who would give them guns. The Official Republican leaders, the Civil Rights leaders and the labour movement leaders had all been caught off guard by the development of events, and when the question of arms posed itself, none had any answers. The Provos however had a simple answer. In the words of Billy McKee, an IRA commander in Belfast, This is our opportunity with the Brits on the streets. It's what we want, an open confrontation with the Brits. Get the Brits out through armed resistance. The Provos completely detached the national question from social and class questions. By purely military means, they believed that a brave, armed minority could defeat the might of British imperialism / Image: Cahrlaw, Wikimedia Commons They believed that the British were the principal enemy and the national division of Ireland was the main cause of all the problems suffered by the Catholic workers. The physical presence of the British posed this point blank and they seriously believed that through direct armed conflict they could drive the British out, thus uniting Ireland by brute force. The British army presence was a gift. The Provos had no compunctions about handing out weapons to any young person looking to defend themselves and their community. A direct military confrontation was just what they wanted. And after events such as the Falls Curfew, a deluge of young people joined the Provos in Belfast. In the absence of armed self-defence, the Provos were turned into a serious force with mass support in working-class, Catholic neighbourhoods almost overnight. McCann described them as the inrush which filled the vacuum left by the absence of a socialist option. The Provos completely detached the national question from social and class questions. By purely military means, they believed that a brave, armed minority could defeat the might of British imperialism. Against one of the most powerful military machines in the world, the Provo campaign was a disastrous adventure. They immediately came up against the fact that one million Protestants were opposed to the unification of Ireland. So long as that meant unification on a capitalist basis with the backward and Catholic Church-dominated South, that mood would never soften. Instead of combining self-defence with a class appeal to the Protestant workers, explaining the meaning of a Socialist Republic, the Provos set out to achieve their ends militarily, against the will of Protestant workers! The working-class Catholic youth who joined the IRA were not, in their overwhelming majority, against Protestants. And for the most part, the campaign of the IRA was not consciously sectarian. But bombings targeting the army or infrastructure inevitably killed civilians. Accidents occurred and warning calls were mistimed. Reprisals for sectarian killings by the likes of the Shankill Butchers, themselves took on a sectarian, tit-for-tat character. The PIRAs armed struggle (in reality individual terror) drove a deep wedge into the working class. A wedge into the working class Once the Provo campaign began in earnest, joint Catholic-Protestant vigilance groups ceased. In his book, McCann recalled how all contact between socialists in Derrys Bogside and advanced workers in the Fountain ceased. Layers of Protestant workers were pushed into the hands of the British state. And it was not just Protestants in Northern Ireland. As the IRA campaign hit the British mainland with bombings in Birmingham and elsewhere, they provided a gift to the Tory press, who used it to whip up an anti-Irish mood. Any illusion that it was possible to achieve change through peaceful street protest was finally smashed once and for all on Bloody Sunday / Image: public domain The British for their part could not leave. They had no choice but to remain and try to either defeat the IRA as long as there was little chance of negotiation. The alternative would have been to pull out and watch the region spiral into civil war. But defeating the IRA was impossible. Each act of repression drove thousands of new recruits into their arms. On 8 July 1971, the British army shot two young men in Derry, Seamus Cusack and Desmond Beattie. In his book, McCann relates how the next day, the Provos held their first mass rally in the town. When internment without trial was introduced in 1971 i.e. the mass arrest of Catholics without evidence by the British state it only led to new unrest. A rent strike was called. Riots erupted. There were new mass arrests and a new flood of angry, young recruits into the Provisionals. And on 30 Jan 1972, the final break took place. The paratroop regiment met a peaceful and unarmed march in Derry with live ammunition. 14 people were killed. The aim had been to smash the movement off the streets, and to re-establish order. Certainly what remained of any illusion that it was possible to achieve change through peaceful street protest was finally smashed once and for all on Bloody Sunday. Stalemate The armed struggle took on an infernal logic of its own. Its effects were entirely reactionary. The IRA campaign was used by the ruling class to beef up its apparatus of repression. Each act of repression by the British state drew an inexhaustible reserve of young, Catholic recruits into the IRA. The inevitable outcome was a stalemate. And yet it took two and a half decades of bloodshed; of 3,000 lives lost, including hundreds of brave, young Catholics who really felt they were fighting for a 32-county socialist Republic; before this fact was squarely recognised. But the Provisionals didnt turn away from these bankrupt methods towards the revolutionary, socialist Republicanism, represented by the likes of James Connolly. Instead, they turned towards the bankrupt methods of reformism. In 1994 the IRA issued a ceasefire and in 1998 they signed the Good Friday Agreement (GFA). Although they dare not admit it, the GFA (which was a rehash of the 1973 Sunningdale Agreement) represented an admission of defeat and a betrayal of the struggle for a united Ireland. What had two and a half decades of armed struggle achieved? The sectarian divide in the working class was widened into a gaping chasm. The wider this divide has grown, the further the prospect of a united Ireland has receded. However radical the guerrilla methods of the Provisionals seemed, in content their politics were those of a bourgeois, right-wing trend in Republicanism. Since the signing of the GFA, this has become abundantly clear as the former guerrillas have converted themselves into bourgeois politicians, governing for ten years with Ian Paisleys DUP. Together they were in complete agreement on the need for anti-working class policies in the North. But as in the period since partition, history has not stood still. The methods of individual terror and guerrillaism have exhausted themselves. The paramilitary groups that remain active in Northern Ireland today loyalist or republican are despised by, and isolated from the working class. Without mass support, disconnected from the working class, groups like the so-called New IRA have degenerated into lumpenism, criminality and drug dealing. For two decades reformist ideas have also been tested at Stormont, and have failed in the context of a deepening crisis of capitalism. This is what lies at the root of the collapse of Stormont in 2017. But most importantly of all, the only force capable of uniting Ireland, on a socialist basis the working class has been immeasurably strengthened in Ireland, North and South. Meanwhile the sectarian organisations the Orange Order and the Catholic Church have seen a collapse in their authority. The bankruptcy of capitalism in the North of Ireland has seen an increasing bankruptcy of Unionism, which has lost its historic majority for the first time in history. Today far fewer young people identify as nationalist or unionist. A new generation has grown up, which is looking for an alternative, which is really looking for a path to socialist revolution. The task is to return to the revolutionary, Marxist traditions of James Connolly and to build a mass working-class revolutionary party in Ireland, without illusions in reformism, pacifism or guerrillaism. Such a party, encompassing the most advanced layers of the Irish working class, could lead the workers of Ireland in sweeping away capitalism and establishing a Workers Republic. In doing so, it would reach out to the workers of Britain and elsewhere, laying the basis for a Socialist Europe and a World Federation of Socialist States. Only then, would the problems of Ireland be resolved. The study had said that an annual wealth tax in India would raise $78.3 billion a year with a 2 per cent tax on those having wealth over $5 million, 3 per cent on wealth over $50 million and 5 per cent on wealth over $1 billion. DC file photo Chennai: More than 80 per cent of Indians support a tax on the rich and corporations who earned record profits during the pandemic, a nationwide survey conducted ahead of the Budget by Fight Inequality Alliance India (FIA India) said. As per the survey based on inputs from 3,231 respondents from 24 states, 84 per cent want the government to place a 2 per cent Covid surcharge on individuals earning more than Rs 2 crore per annum. Further, 89.3 per cent want imposition of a temporary tax on companies making massive profits during the pandemic. As high as 89 per cent of the respondents also want the government to impose fines on private companies that do not fulfil environmental norms. A global study by the UK-based Fight Inequality Alliance had earlier shown that the wealth of Indian billionaires has more than doubled during the pandemic while 46 million people are estimated to have fallen into extreme poverty in 2020 and nearly half of the newly added poor are in India. As per this, the richest 98 billionaires own the same wealth as the bottom 40 per cent of Indian society. The study had said that an annual wealth tax in India would raise $78.3 billion a year with a 2 per cent tax on those having wealth over $5 million, 3 per cent on wealth over $50 million and 5 per cent on wealth over $1 billion. A more progressive wealth tax would raise $122 billion with rates at 2 per cent on wealth over $5 million, 5 per cent on wealth over $50 million and 10 per cent on wealth over $1 billion. Globally, an annual wealth tax could raise $2.52 trillion and a progressive wealth tax $3.62 trillion a year. Further, the pre-budget survey found that more than 90 per cent of participants demanded budget measures to combat inequality such as universal social security, right to health, and expansion of budget to prevent gender-based violence. Of the respondents, 94.3 per cent wants the government to provide universal minimum social security, including health and maternity benefits, accident insurance, life insurance, and pension to all unorganised workers. Close to 90 per cent of respondents asked the government to ensure that all schools provide additional academic support to students who experienced learning loss and roll provisions like breakfast in schools. They also wanted the government to universalise PDS and continue providing free food grains to the poor beyond March 2022. Around half of the trade agreements concluded between different countries in the last decade (2011-2020) contained labour provisions. However, only 22 per cent of the agreements signed in the previous decade (2001-2010) had those provisions. Representational image/By arrangement Chennai: None of Indias trade agreements have labour provisions within them, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO). India has entered into 17 trade agreements, which have come into force between 1976 and 2021. Of these, four are plurilateral agreements, including Global System of Trade Preferences among Deve-loping Countries (GSTP), Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (Apta) and South Asian Preferential Trade Arrangement (Sapta). Other trade agreements are bilateral. Of the agreements, 16 were signed in 2011 or before. Only the trade agreement with Mauritius was signed in 2021. India is currently in the process of signing trade agreements with different countries, including the UK, the UAE and Australia. In the case of the UK, an agreement is likely this year. A growing list of countries and regional blocs negotiating trade deals with India now includes Russia, Oman, Canada, the Gulf Cooperation Countries, and the Southern African Customs Union. According to the ILO, none of the 17 agreements had labour provisions. Labour provisions are obligations in trade agreements to protect and advance workers rights, including through different forms of cooperation and dialogue between trade unions, business organisations and the general public. The ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work (2019) calls for countries to place decent work as a central objective of trade policy and for trade to support sustainable development and social justice, in line with the goal of creating a human-centred recovery from the pandemic. Around half of the trade agreements concluded between different countries in the last decade (2011-2020) contained labour provisions. However, only 22 per cent of the agreements signed in the previous decade (2001-2010) had those provisions. Among the key economies, the United States has labour provisions in all the 14 agreements signed between 2001 and 2020. Of the 16 agreements signed by Canada between 1997 and 2021, only one did not have the provisions. Among the 37 deals signed by the United Kingdom in 2021, 12 have labour provisions. Chinas five agreements between 2006 and 2021 have those provisions while 11 did not have them. The ILO has come up with a database, the Labour Provisions in Trade Agreements Hub (LP Hub) for policymakers, technical experts and representatives of workers, employers and civil society. It offers a comprehensive, structured compilation of the text of labour provisions in more than 100 trade agreements in about 140 economies. The LP Hub will help to promote more inclusive trade through an understanding of emerging areas of labour provisions such as forced labour, racial and ethnic equality, and gender in the context of trade, as well as labour-related provisions connected to the broad field of the future of trade, covering environment and technology, said Martha Newton, the ILOs deputy director-general for policy. After winning acclaim for her performance in Bhairava Geetha and D Company, Irra Mor is ecstatic about portraying Konda Surekha in the upcoming film, Konda. The Ram Gopal Varma directorial is a biopic of Congress leader Konda Murali and his wife Konda Surekha (also, a former minister). When RGV Sir first sent me the one liner I was intrigued. What I like about my character (Surekha) is that it undergoes a lot of transformation, says the actress. Irra was inspired by the journey of Surekha a sportswoman (a little-known fact) who fell in love with and married Konda Murali against her parents wishes, became an extremist along with her husband, and eventually a representative of the people. I felt the role has a lot of drama and the character arch is brilliant. The ups and downs she has gone through, I thought, makes for an interesting watch, says Irra. Konda Surekha and Irra Mor The fact that like Surekha, she too is bold and courageous in real life made it even more fascinating for her. I could see myself in this role, as my family taught me to stand up and speak for myself if it matters, she says. But it wasnt easy for the actress, who has played glamorous roles in her earlier films, to get into the role of a firebrand woman. I felt the more I talked to Surekhaji the better I could get into the skin of the character. Constant interactions with her helped me, she reveals. I spoke to Surekhaji over the phone several times. I met her on the sets too, and she shared stories of how she was tomboy, etc. My chats with her helped me understand her and portray her better, Irra says, Surekhaji told me that she was a tomboy in college and used to ride a vespa scooter, shares the actress, adding that she could instantly connect with Surekhas attitude. As a part of her preparation Irra watched all the videos of Surekha and tried to absorb her body language, how she conducted herself during meetings, the way she talked, etc. The physical transformation for the part too was given importance. Irra made sure that she got things right. But there are deviations too. Apparently Surekha was particular about three things putting her hair in a bun, wearing vibrant saris and sporting a nose ring. Unfortunately, I couldnt wear my hair in a bun because it was not going well with my onscreen look, says Irra. She couldnt wear saris either, because it wasnt in sync with the on-screen character. The actress also opted out of wearing a nose ring because the idea was not to copy Surekha but to portray her by bringing out the right emotions. I tried to give my own spin to the character, explains Irra. Its been hardly two years since Irra entered films. It was difficult for the Computer Science Engineer from Agra to convince her parents to allow her to opt for a career in acting. She eventually moved to Mumbai, and later did theatre. The theatre experience is helping me a lot in terms of employing a clinical approach to acting. In fact, before doing theatre, I couldnt perform a scene in front of people. But theatre gave me the confidence to do anything in front of a crowd, she reveals, adding that she shot several scenes in Konda in front of a huge crowd. Although Irra feels she is still taking baby steps in the industry, she is happy about getting the opportunity to work with different directors. I am hungry for more work and hopefully, I will have more releases this year, says the actress, who has wrapped up shooting her part. During the first wave, many hospitals were not accepting Covid patients. The government made it mandatory for us to be listed under Covid hospitals. So, we gave a letter stating that in case of an emergency, we are ready to accept Covid patients, a paediatrician said. Representational image/PTI Hyderabad: The state health departments claim that over 56,000 beds are kept ready in hospitals in the state for Covid patients rings hollow. Many of these beds are in hospitals that are not listed for treating Covid patients. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the health department has released a list of hospitals that can treat Covid patients and cited the number of beds available at each hospital. However, doctors at these listed private hospitals say the facility does not accept Covid patients. For instance, as per data from the department itself, a few of the listed hospitals are infertility clinics. Thus, the count of 56,000 beds is misleading, and the actual number of beds available for Covid patients is far lesser. A doctor at a hospital in Hanumakonda district said, We arent admitting or treating any Covid patient though the health department has given permission for all nursing homes to do so. We keep getting messages from the department, asking us to update the number of Covid patients we have treated, and we keep entering zeros. The hospital has 15 regular beds and five oxygen beds, as per the health departments data. Effectively, these 20 beds are a part of the governments count of beds, but wont be utilised by Covid patients. A paediatrician at a childrens hospital in Jogulamba Gadwal district said the hospital hadnt treated any Covid patient. The hospital in a remote place did not have the facilities needed to treat such cases, he said. During the first wave, many hospitals were not accepting Covid patients. The government made it mandatory for us to be listed under Covid hospitals. So, we gave a letter stating that in case of an emergency, we are ready to accept Covid patients, the paediatrician said. Another doctor at a hospital in Khammam district said it did not intend to admit any Covid patient. The hospital mainly catered to patients with kidney ailments. As per the health departments data, the hospital has 19 oxygen beds and six ICU beds. Director of Public Health Dr Srinivasa Rao was not available to comment on this matter. Visakhapatnam: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy seems to have cleared the decks for designating Visakhapatnam as the states capital. Such a plan was evident in the present reconstitution of districts, particularly Visakhapatnam. He has reduced its jurisdiction and separated from it the industrial cluster and the tribal belt. Like the Greater Hyderabad in Hyderabad district, the Greater Visakhapatnam will now be a part of the Visakhapatnam district. Visakhapatnam will be eligible to become the states capital in all aspects; with less space and higher human density besides its cosmopolitan culture. This will be the only big city in the state if everything happens as per the plans of the Jagan-led state government. Almost all the industries including pharmaceutical units and others under the Visakhapatnam Special Economic Zone will in future be a part of Anakapalli district. This apart, some portions of the Eastern Naval Command will also go to Anakapalli district. The entire agency cover including Paderu and Araku of 11 agency mandals will also be separated and shifted to another new district Alluri Seetaramaraju. New Visakhapatnam will be left with no industries except a few PSUs like HPCL, the Visakh Refinery and the Vizag Steel Plant. However, the IT SEZ will be completely under Vizag. Tourism and IT will be the two thrust areas for its growth, said a public administration professional. Nearly 80 per cent of the IT companies and 50 per cent of the tourism units come under Visakhapatnam city. The area for the new Visakhapatnam district will be spread over 928 sq-km. At present, the GVMCs area is 682 sq-km. Nearly 10 wards out of a total 98 in GVMC come under the new Anakapalli district. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, GVMC mayor Hari Venkatakumari said, Except for Padmanabham, some villages under Bheemili are presently not a part of the GVMC. Otherwise, the proposed Visakhapatnam district covers almost all of the GVMCs jurisdiction. At present, we do not have any objection to raise from our side. We may reconstitute the wards in GVMC like that of the Secunderabad-Hyderabad twin city. Visakhapatnam will now be the smallest district in the state with the highest human density -- like Greater Hyderabad that falls under Hyderabad district, said a GVMC official. New Delhi: A day after he reached out to western Uttar Pradeshs Jat community and made overtures to Akhilesh Yadav-led SPs ally, RLD, for a post-poll alliance, Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday visited Mathura to drum up support for the BJP. RLD chief Jayant Chaudhury has rejected the offer, labeling it as a political stunt and claimed that the SP-RLD alliance will be voted to power by not just the jats but the entire state. Meanwhile, in the poll-bound state of Uttarakhand, which Mr Shah will be visiting on Friday, former PCC chief Kishore Upadhyaya joined the saffron fold after he was expelled from the Congress for six years for anti-party activities. Mr Upadhyaya, who joined the BJP early on Thursday in Dehradun, is likely to be fielded from the Tehri Assembly seat whose sitting MLA from the BJP, Dhan Singh Negi, joined the Congress later in the day. In Mathura, where some Hindu outfits have been trying to revive the demand of Krishna Janambhoomi temple on the lines of the campaign for a temple on Ram janambhoomi, Mr Shah attacked the previous SP regime for goonda raj and said that UP poll results will decide Indias destiny. For the last 7.5 years we have had our government but not even Rahul Baba can accuse us of corruption. Currency notes are coming out from the house of Akhilesh Yadavs associates... Akhilesh Yadav should not talk about law and order as there was goonda raj during their regime... India cannot progress unless UP is progressing... It is UP that will decide Indias destiny, said Mr Shah, who participated in a door-to-door campaign in Mathura. He also participated in another door-to-door campaign in Gautam Buddh Nagar later in the day. In Uttarakhand on Friday Mr Shah will participate in a door-to-door campaign in Rudraprayag and will also meet ex-servicemen and women's groups. BJP president JP Nadda will also visit the state on January 30. During his visit to the state, Mr Shah will also address BJP workers of six Assembly constituencies virtually. Though the BJP is confident of retaining power in the hill state, it is facing rebellion by some of its leaders, including some sitting MLAs who have been denied tickets. Mr Shah is likely to meet some of these leaders to pacify them. Students stand in a queue as they wait to enter a classroom after schools re-opened for 1st to 12th standard students, in Thane. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: With the COVID-19 vaccination drive for children aged 15 gathering pace, the Centre is likely to issue an advisory soon to reopen schools across the country. Sources have told ANI that, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has asked the National Expert Group to suggest ways and work on modalities to open schools nationwide. "COVID-19 has affected children of all age groups. However, the mortality rate and severity of disease in children are negligible. Health experts believe that it is high time children return to schools," sources said. Ever since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools have remained by and large shut. Some states did open schools partially on an on and off basis but widespread apprehensions and reservations continue to remain. "However, it will be up to states to decide whether they are ready to open schools or not," a source told ANI. Top sources have also told ANI that the Centre wants to reopen schools in a staggered manner and under strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols. The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16, 2021 and vaccination of all eligible population above 18 years of age started from May 1, 2021. The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from January 3 for adolescents in the age group of 15-18 years. On Thursday, the Union Health Ministry said that in a landmark achievement, 95 per cent of the eligible population has been administered with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in the country. India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 164.35 crore (1,64,35,41,869) mark on Thursday evening. Moreover, more than one crore (1,03,04,847) Precaution Doses for the identified categories of beneficiaries for COVID vaccination have been administered so far, the ministry said yesterday evening. A man sits near closed shops at Ajmeri Gate market during the weekend curfew imposed by the Delhi government to curb the spread of COVID-19, in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: With the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic showing signs of waning in the national capital, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority on Thursday decided to lift the weekend curfew and the odd-even system of opening non-essential shops in markets and malls in the city, besides permitting restaurants and bars to reopen with 50 per cent seating capacity from Friday. Cinema halls too can reopen with 50 per cent seating capacity. Delhi, meanwhile, reported 4,291 new Covid-19 cases, 9,397 recoveries and 34 deaths in the last 24 hours. These decisions were taken at a DDMA meeting on Thursday chaired by lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal. He, however, postponed any decision on the reopening of schools till the next meeting. Government offices have also been allowed to reopen with 50 per cent staff. Private offices had been allowed to reopen earlier with 50 per cent capacity. The DDMA has, however, advised the private offices to stagger office timings, presence and the quantum of staff. It also said that all those who could should be advised to work from home. Another decision taken at the meeting was to allow marriage ceremonies with a maximum 200 guests in open areas and up to 50 per cent capacity at indoor venues. So far, only 20 people were allowed to attend these events at home. The night curfew imposed from 10 pm to 5 am will also continue. The owners of restaurants and bars have hailed the decision and said it was a much-needed step to keep the hospitality industry alive. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) complimented the L-G for lifting the weekend curfew and the withdrawal of odd-even system for shops and markets. CAIT secretary-general Praveen Khandelwal said the decision will ease the business environment in Delhi to a great extent and help to revive businesses which have been badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the lockdowns and other restrictions. Traders in Delhi had suffered huge losses in the last 25 days, to the tune of almost 70 per cent, and the lifting of restrictions will be a huge boon. He said that by raising the limit of persons from 20 to 200 for weddings at outdoor locations, and allowing restaurants to open at 50 per cent seating capacity, the DDMA has given an opportunity for people to carry out their family and other social obligations, particularly in the wedding season. He said traders will continue to observe all Covid-appropriate social protocols and other regulations with all sincerity. Chamber of Trade and Industry chairman Brijesh Goyal said the lifting of these curbs will bring all businesses back on track in the city. New Delhi: At the first ever India-Central Asia Summit held virtually on Thursday to take ties to new heights, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Presidents of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and Turkmenistan decided to strengthen trade links and connectivity through the Iranian port of Chabahar that is being developed by India and provides sea-land access to land-locked Central Asia and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). With PM Modi saying that cooperation between India and Central Asia is essential for regional security, it was also decided to ramp up defence ties, institutionalise Indo-Central Asian ties through regular meetings, including a Summit every two years, and prepare a roadmap on trade and industrial cooperation that will include a Round-Table on Energy and Connectivity. It was also agreed that Joint Working Groups (JWGs) will be formed on Chabahar for free movement of goods and services between India and Central Asian countries as well as one on regional security, including the situation in Afghanistan, at the senior officials level. This was adopted in the Delhi Declaration that was finalised at the summit after one-and-a-half hours of deliberations on Thursday evening between PM Modi, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The leaders also condemned terrorism, including cross-border terror. Discussing the impact of the situation in Afghanistan on the security and stability of the region which had all of them concerned, India and the five Central Asian nations noted a broad consensus on Afghanistan which including formation of a truly representative and inclusive government, combating terrorism and drug trafficking, central role of the UN, providing immediate humanitarian assistance for the people of Afghanistan and preserving the rights of women, children and other national ethnic groups and minorities. They also agreed that Afghan territory should not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist acts. In a specific mention in his opening remarks, PM Modi said India was further strengthening its close security ties with Tajikistan that observers point out is the nation with whom India has the closest understanding on the situation in Afghanistan. It was also agreed at the Summit to consider holding joint counter-terrorism exercises between India and interested Central Asian countries. At a time when China is also stepping up its economic engagement with these five nations, India is already providing a $1 billion Line of Credit (LoC) announced in 2020 for infrastructure development projects in the five Central Asian nations besides a $448 million LoC exclusively for Uzbekistan that was announced in 2018. Describing Russia and Iran as key stakeholders in the connectivity projects between India and Central Asia, ministry of external affairs secretary (West) Reenat Sandhu on Thursday evening said that India was ready to build and plan connectivity projects with the region. The INSTC is an important initiative taken by India, Russia and Iran to enhance connectivity with Central Asian countries and is the shortest multimodal transportation route linking the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf via Iran to Russia and North Europe. After PM Modi pushed for an effective structure for Indo-Central Asian cooperation and establishment of a framework of regular interactions at different levels and among various stakeholders, it was decided to hold the Summit every two years. Apart from the India-Central Asia Dialogue mechanism at foreign ministers level, the leaders further agreed that the ministers of trade and culture would also meet at regular intervals to take forward cooperation. It was also agreed that the regular meetings of secretaries of the security council to discuss security developments in the region would continue. India will also establish an India-Central Asia Centre in New Delhi that will act as the secretariat for the India-Central Asia Summit, a move welcomed by the five Central Asian nations. In his opening remarks, PM Modi said, We all have the same concerns and objectives for regional security. We are all concerned about the developments in Afghanistan. In this context also, our mutual cooperation has become even more important for regional security and stability. Today's summit has three main objectives. First, to make it clear that cooperation between India and Central Asia is essential for regional security and prosperity. From the Indian point of view, I would like to emphasise that Central Asia is central to Indias vision of an integrated and stable extended neighbourhood. The second objective is to give an effective structure to our cooperation. This will establish a framework of regular interactions at different levels and among various stakeholders. And the third objective is to create an ambitious roadmap for our cooperation. People looking to fuel up on Shorti hoagies, quesadillas and other made-to-order eats while filling up their vehicles gas tanks will soon have another spot to frequent in the Lehigh Valley. Wawa, the Delaware County-based convenience store and gas station chain with more than 860 stores in six states and Washington D.C., is set to open its newest area location next Thursday, Feb. 3, at 6680 Route 309 in Upper Saucon Township, according to a news release. Advertisement Wawa, the popular convenience store and gas station chain with more than 860 stores in six states and Washington D.C., is set to open its newest Lehigh Valley location next Thursday, Feb. 3, at 6680 Route 309 in Upper Saucon Township. (Ryan Kneller/The Morning Call) Doors will open at 8 a.m., followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Wawas mascot, Wally Goose, at 9 a.m. Local dignitaries, charity partners and store associates will be in attendance, and Wawa will distribute limited-edition Wawa Goose Vibes Only T-shirts to the first 100 customers beginning at 8 a.m. Advertisement The new location, just north of Coopersburg, was constructed at the southwest corner of Route 309 and Passer Road. A few homes, the former Truly Fine furniture and home furnishings store and the former Peppercorn Pub-turned apartment building were razed to make way for the project. The site also will feature a newly constructed McDonalds restaurant, which is set to open within the next few months. The Upper Saucon Wawa, joining more than a dozen outposts in the area, will house a built-to-order fresh food kitchen featuring its signature hoagies and new food innovations such as a customizable burger. Other offerings will include coffee, Sizzli breakfast sandwiches; Wawa baked goods; specialty beverages (hot, cold, iced and frozen); Wawas beverage line of dairy products, juices and teas; packaged goods; and fuel services. In addition to the store-level experience, customers will be able to access their Wawa favorites through mobile ordering, curbside pickup, delivery options and catering, the release states. Megan Boehm will serve as general manager of the new Upper Saucon Wawa store, leading a team of approximately 40 full- and part-time associates. The Upper Saucon Wawas grand opening celebration, the first of 54 new Wawa store openings planned for 2022, will introduce the community to the new store team and celebrate the role they play in making their communities a better place. Advertisement Throughout the year, each grand opening celebration will be part of Wawas 2022 Day Brighteners Tour, an initiative designed to celebrate the customers, associates, local heroes and community organizations that brighten our days. The tour will also mark Wawas ongoing commitment to growth, with plans to create more than 2,500 new jobs at new locations throughout the year. Business Buzz Daily The daily update for the Lehigh Valley business person. > During each grand opening, Wawa will have a special Day Brightener ceremony which will include: Associate Day Brighteners: Wawa will recognize associates who go above and beyond in creating positive moments for customers Community Day Brighteners: Wawa will celebrate a local individual or organization making a bright impact in the community Local Hero Day Brighteners: Wawa will acknowledge local everyday heroes who brighten the community through protecting and serving and host a signature Hoagies for Heroes acknowledgement and check presentation to each departments charity. Advertisement At Wawa, our core purpose is fulfilling lives every day and since our first store opened, weve believed that we all have a role in making this world a better place, said Chris Gheysens, Wawas president and CEO. Our store teams and associates deliver experiences and emotional connections with customers that go beyond what traditionally happens in a retail environment. Simply put, they help make their communities happier and more connected. This year, were excited to toast all the incredible Day Brighteners and kick off this one-of-a-kind tour with a stop at each new store to show our Goose Gratitude to associates and customers whose little acts of kindness make a big difference in our communities. Wawa, which started out as a New Jersey iron foundry in 1803, has been expanding its Lehigh Valley footprint over the past year with plans to open more area locations in the coming months. Other area outposts have been proposed or are under construction at 364 Susquehanna St. in Allentown (set to open this winter); 774-784 Hellertown Road (Route 412) in Bethlehem; 40890 Jandy Blvd., Lower Nazareth Township; 90 Highland Ave., Hanover Township, Northampton County; and Route 309 and Chapmans Road, South Whitehall Township. India has already deployed a sizable number of the Brahmos missiles and other key assets in several strategic locations along the Line of Actual Control with China in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. (ANI) New Delhi: India got its first ever export order for BrahMos missiles on Friday when the Philippines' Defence Ministry signed USD 374 million contract with the BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd (BAPL) to supply undisclosed number of missiles, military officials stated. The BAPL, an India-Russian joint venture, produces the supersonic cruise missile BrahMos that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or from land platforms. The USD 374 million contract is to supply shore-based anti-ship BrahMos missiles to the Philippines' Navy, the military officials noted. In a statement, the Defence Ministry said: "The BAPL signed a contract with the Department of National Defence of the Republic of Philippines on January 28, 2022, for supply of shore-based anti-ship missile system to Philippines." "The BAPL is a joint venture company of the Defence Research and Development Organisation. The contract is an important step forward for Government of India's policy of promoting responsible defence exports," it added. India has already deployed a sizable number of the Brahmos missiles and other key assets in several strategic locations along the Line of Actual Control with China in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. A worker packs medicines to be distributed to households with Covid-19 coronavirus symptoms in the Telangana state, at a workshop in Hyderabad. (Photo: AFP) New Delhi: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will chair a high-level virtual meeting with the health ministers of Southern states', Union territories today at 2.30 pm to review the COVID-19 situation and public health preparedness as well as response measures being taken in the context of Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. The health ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar Islands will attend the meeting, official sources told ANI. The meeting will also be attended by Senior health officials also. Earlier he conducted a high-level meeting with nine Northern States,UTs and advised to send COVID testing and vaccination data timely. He also said that testing should be ramped up in the States where it has gone down. He also advised States and UTs to ensure that those in home isolation are efficiently monitored in line with the National Guidelines. He said, "This will ensure that the vulnerable categories of active cases in home isolation get the required medical help in a timely manner." The Union Health Minister re-emphasised the need for ramping up testing in the States and UTs. Those States/UTs that are showing a lower share of RTPCR testing were requested to ramp up tests through RTPCR. States and UTs were also reminded to keep a close watch on the emerging clusters and hotspots and monitor the trend of hospitalised cases along with the deaths in the state. Dr Mandaviya said that with our past experience, 'Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate and Adherence to COVID Appropriate Behaviour' along with monitoring of cases remains crucial for COVID management. The Union Health Minister also urged the States and UTs to adopt the model for teleconsultation so as to enable beneficiaries to access expert advice from experts. According to the Union Health Ministry, " Dr Mansukh Mandaviya urged the States and UTs to adopt the hub and spoke model and ensure that more and more centres of teleconsultations are opened. This will enable beneficiaries to access expert advice from experts stationed at the district hubs." He also said that eSanjeevani has been able to provide services to more than 2.6 crore beneficiaries where people can seek medical advice from the confines of their homes. "This will prove to be a game-changer and will be of immense value and importance for the hard-to-reach and far-flung areas, and especially in the northern regions in the current winter season." Dr Mansukh Mandaviya also urged the 9 States and UTs to review and expedite the implementation of activities under the ECRP-II package for strengthening the health infrastructure. He said, "Health Ministers and the State authorities to plug the existing gaps by efficiently utilizing the amount sanctioned for various infra projects. With strengthened health infrastructure, we can meet any health emergency and public health crisis with better preparedness." People wearing masks wait to get vaccinated for COVID-19 outside a school in Kochi, Kerala. (Photo: AP/File) Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Thursday said that most of the positive COVID-19 samples, sent for the genome sequencing, are being tested positive for the Omicron variant of the virus while there are fewer Delta variant samples. Speaking to the reporters here, George said, "Continuous sequencing of Covid positive samples is being done. Almost 94 per cent of samples test positive for Omicron and 6 per cent for delta." George said: "It is now clear that the third wave in Kerala is the Omicron wave." The Health Minister further informed that less than 4 per cent of the patients of COVID-19 in the state have needed hospitalisation out of which less than 1 per cent of them needed oxygen beds. "Out of total positive cases in Kerala, only 3.6 per cent is hospitalised, out of which 0.7 per cent require oxygen beds and 0.6 per cent require ICU," she said. As on 27th Jan, there are 22,02,472 active cases in India. The case positivity rate is at 17.75 per cent(in last one week). 11 States have more than 50,000 active cases. Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala have more than 3 lakh active cases," said the Union Ministry of Health. "Overall case positivity rate across the country was nearly 17.75 per cent during the last week. There are over 50,000 COVID active cases in 11 states, 10,000-50,000 active cases in 14 states &less than 10,000 active cases in 11 states," Luv Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry said. Vijayawada: The deadlock over the implementation of new pay scales for government employees and teachers continued on Friday, with both sides sticking to their respective stands. The government is refusing to budge to pressure for the withdrawal of the GO it issued for implementation of the 11th Pay Revision Commission. It insists that the employees take the new wages from the January salary. The employees, who have rejected the 11th PRC, are demanding that the old wage system be continued until fresh changes are effected based on mutual discussions between them and the government. Though the state government set up a Ministers Committee comprising Perni Venkateswara, Botsa Satyanayrana, Buggana Rajendranath, government adviser Sajjala Ramakrishna and chief secretary Sameer Sharma to hold talks with the representatives of employees, these leaders under the banner of the PRC Struggle Committee did not turn up for a meeting. They insist on the withdrawal of the GO as a precondition for more talks. Minister for municipal administration said issues can be solved only through talks. Maintaining that representative of some unions met the ministers panel for talks on Friday, he said that if the leaders shunned talks, law might take its own course. The minister said the YSRC government has offered higher wages to the employees, as compared to previous PRCs, and advised them to check whether their wages were enhanced or not. First, take the pay slips as per the revised scales of pay and see whether the PRC has benefited you. I promise that there will not be any decrease in salary even by a single rupee, unlike what the employee leaders are saying, he said. He said, We are ready to hold talks with any employee union or any employee. If the employees are having a problem, it means the state government is also having the problem. The employees unions are displaying a new culture of confrontation with the government. We are no more going to wait for employees leaders at the Secretariat, as we had been doing in the last few days. We will come for talks only when we are called by the employees unions, the minister affirmed. Government adviser (Public Affairs) Ramakrishna Reddy said the employees would get wages for the month of January as per the revised scales of pay under the 11th PRC. Maintaining that the state government appointed the ministers committee to avoid a conflict of interests, he said if the employees unions had come forward for talks, the state government would have considered their demands. He alleged that the employees were not allowing the drawing and disbursing officers to prepare wage bills for January. Afghans wait to receive food rations organized by the World Food Program (WFP) in Pul-e-Alam, the capital of Logar province. eastern of Afghanistan. (Photo: AP) Kabul: The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has expressed deep concern over the reports of human rights violations in the country. During a meeting with Taliban officials at the Ministry of Interior Affairs- Afghanistan, the UNAMA Human Rights said that there is a need for investigations, transparency and accountability of such cases in Afghanistan. "UNAMA Human Rights met with Taliban officials at @moiafghanistan today. Discussed alleged cases of human rights violations and concerns re ex-ANSF/Govt members, civsoc, media, judiciary, religious clerics and women activists. Need for investigations, transparency & accountability," the "UNAMA said in a Tweet on Thursday. Several media persons, government members, religious clerics and women activists have been killed in Afghanistan. At least 30 journalists and media workers have been killed, manhandled, and injured in Afghanistan from the start of 2021 till July 2021, while many of them were also threatened by government officials, according to a report by an Afghanistan non profit Nai. Last year in December, a religious scholar was killed in Afghanistan's western Farah province. In November, four women activists in the Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif in the northern Balkh province were killed. Various violent incidents against women have emerged since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan after the fall of the government in August. Despite repeated calls from all around the world, the Taliban have failed to deliver its promises on women's safety and their assurance of an inclusive government. In a first, Google Inc is all set to become the first foreign company to invest in India's top two biggest mobile network providers in terms of subscriber base Jio and Airtel. Airtel will partner with Alphabet-owned Google Inc, wherein the latter will buy a 1.28% stake in the telecom network for Rs 5224.38 crore, it said on Friday in a regulatory filing. Google will also invest more than Rs 2,000 crore in other offerings aimed at accelerating digital inclusion across India. This comes just seven months after Google acquired a 7.73% stake in Jio for Rs 33,737 crore. The Google - Airtel deal will focus on enabling affordable access to smartphones across price ranges, which was also one of the objectives behind the Google-Jio tie-up. Analysts have reservations about the move. "Traditionally, networks haven't done well at producing phones, and Google's track record isn't stellar either. So one shouldn't be too optimistic about the devices that will come out of this; but certainly, with their distribution might, they are well-positioned to make any handset popular. There is still a large untapped feature phone market in India that is ripe for going smart," said Utkarsh Sinha, managing director of boutique advisory firm Bexley Advisors. As part of this collaboration, the companies will also partner with various device manufacturers to explore opportunities to bring down the barriers of owning a smartphone across a range of price points, the filing added. Among other things, Google and Airtel will explore India-specific use cases for 5G. They will also focus on accelerating the cloud ecosystem in India by building on Airtels network of one million small and medium businesses to speed up digital adoption. Sinha also pointed out the concerns that arise from this collaboration, "Whenever an ISP gets too close to an internet giant, one's antennae need to tickle sensing the long term implications, particularly around net neutrality. That is sacrosanct for continued innovation and must be preserved at all costs." Watch the latest DH Videos here: Italian automaker Lamborghini has announced that it is set to release its first NFT (non-fungible token) next month. Lamborghini is joining Nike, Samsung and other tech companies in embracing NFTs. "This is Lamborghini`s historical first NFT project. In collaboration with the artist Fabian Oefner, Lamborghini developed five art pieces, that will go on auction on February 1," the company said in a statement. The art pieces are made of a physical element and an NFT component: The Space Key, the physical element is a piece of carbon fibre sent to Outer Space by Lamborghini. The digital component is an NFT of a photograph, that depicts a Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae, lifting off toward the stars. Oefner created a total of five separate images that depict individual moments within seconds from each other as the car rises above the earth. Its parts, the engine, the transmission, the suspension and hundreds of nuts and bolts are shooting away from the chassis like the exhaust flame of a rocket. Check out the latest videos from DH: Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar on Friday said that the BJP was trading legislators like "sheep and goats" in Goa, while also accusing the ruling party of spending as much as Rs 30 crore each to lure opposition MLAs into the ruling fold. Shivakumar, who is in Goa to campaign for the Congress in the poll-bound state, also said that the Congress as a policy had refused to allow the re-entry of 13 defecting MLAs back into the party for the February 14 elections. "You see the BJP is using money power, spending Rs 30-40 crore. Even on the floor of the house, some MLAs admitted that they were offered Rs 30 crore and some advance has been given to them. MLAs have been bought like sheep and goats. Where is democracy? Democracy has completely failed," Shivakumar told a press conference. Also read: TMC's Luizinho Faleiro withdraws nomination in Goa Several Congress defectors out of the 13, who switched to the BJP from 2017 to 2019, were in touch with him over possibilities of joining the opposition party once again, Shivakumar said. "BJP did 'Operation Lotus' (in Goa). We decided that not a single defector will be taken back. Out of the 13, nearly 10 members wanted to come back to us. They met me personally. A few of them met me in Delhi also. We didn't agree," Shivakumar said. The Karnataka state Congress president also said that the party had chosen to field fresh, new faces instead, which he said would yield good electoral dividends. "Now, we have selected youngsters, new faces. All of them have pledged that they will not shift their loyalty," Shivakumar said. According to state Congress president Girish Chodankar, the party was fielding 36-37 candidates for the upcoming polls and the average of Congress candidates was around 48 years. Check out latest videos from DH: Seeking to defeat the BJP-led government in Manipur, Congress on Thursday joined hands with five other political parties to form a pre-poll alliance, the name and common minimum programme of which will be announced soon. Congress will work together and share responsibility with CPI, CPI(M), RSP, JD(S) and Forward Block in the forthcoming assembly elections, MPCC president N Loken told reporters. He said that the parties have joined hands with a common goal to defeat the BJP. Also Read | Manipur polls: NPP to contest alone, releases list of 20 candidates Congress Legislative Party leader O Ibobi, addressing the press conference at Congress Bhavan, said that barring Kakching, where the grand old party is likely to have a friendly contest with CPI, the alliance has decided to put up common candidates in the remaining 59 assembly seats. He said that the Congress has decided not to field any candidate in Khurai, and instead support CPI in the constituency. CPI state secretary L Sotinkumar said that the name of the alliance and its common minimum programme will soon be announced. Check out latest DH videos here Weeks before the Assembly elections, Punjab congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, a top contender to be declared the party CM face, finds himself courting controversies over his estranged family ties. His US-based elder sister Suman Toor (70) on Friday alleged that Sidhu is a cruel person who had driven his mother and sister out of the house after the death of their father in 1986. Suman travelled from the US and addressed the media here in Chandigarh while seeking justice and honour for her deceased mother. Suman said that her suffering mother died in 1989 at the Delhi railway station with no one by her side as a destitute. She accused Sidhu of harassment while accusing him of doing all this to grab property. Also Read | Clash of 'bitter' enemies: Sidhu vs Majithia in Amritsar (East) Sidhus sister said that her brother even claimed that their parents were separated when he was two years old, which was a lie. She revealed a family photograph to justify her claim. Does he look two years old here?" Toor asked. She said when her mother asked her son Navjot about his claim on her legal separation with her husband, Sidhu then had denied making any such statement. Toor said her mother approached a Delhi court against the publication which had quoted Sidhus statement on her mother and fathers separation. Toor said despite Sidhu assuring her mother to stand by her side in the court, Sidhu never appeared. Toor said she went to Sidhu's residence on January 20, but Sidhu refused to meet her, which is why she was forced to seek justice by broadcasting the facts. While Sidhu is yet to respond to the allegations, his namesake wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu rubbished the allegations. Navjot Kaur said, Who is Suman Toor? I don't know this woman. She said this woman is a child from Navjot Sidhu's father's first marriage. His father had two marriages. From his first marriage, he had two daughters. Maybe she is one of them. The timing of the disclosures with assembly elections on the anvil is also being questioned. Watch the latest DH Videos here: A recent vote by the Kutztown School Board allows a controversial book to appear in the high school library, despite community outcry. On Jan. 18, the school boards 5-to-4 vote affirmed the Review Committees recommendations, which included the book Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe be approved for circulation at the high school library. Advertisement The committee to review the objection to the library resource followed the process outlined in the administrative regulation for objections to resource materials, said Superintendent Christian T. Temchatin in an email. The committees determination was that the book met the objective standards of the materials selection process. The vote of the Board affirmed the committees recommendation. In November, concerned parents called LGBTQ-themed books thought to be available to students in the high school library inappropriate graphic adult content and demanded the books be removed. Advertisement Heated discussions between parents and school board members led to the formation of the committee to evaluate the books. Other recommendations included updating the book-selection process, and having the new book order announcements posted on the school buildings website and potentially shared in the newsletter. Earlier that night, several motions failed to pass, including one to require a parental signature to check out the book and another to censor specific pages of the book containing graphic illustrations. A motion to remove the book failed to pass with six voting against its removal. Erin Engle, Jeremiah Light and Jason Koch voted in favor of its removal. At times, discussions became heated and the meeting had to be called to order due to outcries from the audience. Board comments Michelle R. Batz, in favor of a parental signature, believes there is a place and time for this book if a family so chooses. But at the same time, theres also ways that we may be able to make sure were providing appropriate access to these materials, said Batz, not wanting the book to be available for general access on the high school library shelf. Caecilia M. Holt, in favor of the committees recommendations, questioned how they can single out one book for parental permission. Advertisement It is a parenting issue to address with your children, she said. Holt noted that the Review Committee consisting of the superintendent, building principal, librarians, teachers and community members read the book, read the policy and determined that it met policy requirements. These are trained, professional librarians who are on the committee, said Holt. Al Darion, in favor of the adding the book to circulation, was reluctant to put restrictions on the book given that the Review Committee and American Library Association have all suggested the book is suitable for young adults. He said they need to balance harm against benefit. I see the harm of this book given the fact that its accessible in lots of places, including the public library where it is not an adult book. It is in fact listed under young adult, said Darion. He believes the major benefit is for the kids struggling with sexual identity. Advertisement The child who is most likely to be struggling and perhaps do harm to themselves because of that struggle might be precisely the one who is not going to go, Mom, can I read this book, and for that reason I think it needs to be accessible, said Darion. If a parent forbids a child to read it, then that opens up a really good discussion at home. Jeremiah F. Light, in favor of censoring pages and banning the book, said the problem is not the book but the graphic images depicting sex acts. This is borderline pornographic, he said. Are we in the porn business or are we in the education business? He agrees that there need to be books for the LGBTQ community. There are other books out there that are much more tasteful than this book. Michael Hess was not in favor of censorship and voted in favor of adding the book to circulation. I dont know that we want to get into the habit of analyzing every book that we have and then as a board voting what we do and dont want to censor from those books, said Hess. That defeats the purpose of having books at all if were going to start censoring individual pieces out of books. Advertisement Hess said any image or any word in isolation can mean almost anything, but those images or those words in context have a greater value. Context matters so in this discussion I think context of the entire book matters here, so not censoring out images in that book is important and its important to have the book in its entirety available as per the committees recommendation, he said. Dennis Ritter, who voted in favor of adding the book to circulation, said his decision rests on the ultimate purpose of the graphic novel, a memoir in which a young person is writing about their experience struggling with not fitting into a binary world. Out of thousands of images, there are about four that he believes are problematic. I think the book has value for folks, said Ritter. I am very hesitant to be banning books. Student speaks Kutztown School Board student representative Cooper Dunn told the board that students must sign an acceptable use policy for school laptops and that the district blocks or filters online activities of minors on computers. Quoting the policy, he said the district defines inappropriate matter as visual, graphic or even text and any other form of obscene, sexually explicit or child pornographic or other material that is harmful to minors. Advertisement Those are things that the district already restricts and prohibits on our laptops, Dunn said. Citing section 2256 of title 18 United States code, he read the definition of child pornography as any visual depiction, illustrated or photographic, of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor which is someone under age 18. I definitely acknowledge the benefit that this book would have for lots of people but I wanted to bring up what the district already does in terms of restricting some of these things especially on technology. I think if it applies to the technology that we use, if you view a library as a technology as a tool, that should also apply there as well, Dunn said. Public comment Prior to the vote, community members argued that Gender Queer is an inappropriate book for a school library, citing obscenities, graphic images and sexually explicit text. Steve Wilson of Maxatawny Township, who deemed it an inappropriate book for a school library, shared concerns about significant obscenities represented in the book, which he believes are criminal. One parent, in a letter read by Kutztown resident Jeri Sievert, disputed that the book was not in circulation as it is listed in the school online library catalogue, argued that pictures of sexual acts do not belong on a school library shelf, challenged the district to find a book without explicit sexual content that better helps students struggling with their sexual identity and called for more transparency about new books. Advertisement She called the book a push for sexual material on children under the guise of education. Parent Lisa Diffenbaugh believes attention was brought to this particular book not because a student brought it home and a parent became upset, but as part of a bigger movement to ban books in schools about gender, race, diversity and factual history. Her daughter, a 14-year-old Kutztown eighth grader, is an avid reader but has not read Gender Queer and has no interest in reading it considering the images. Conversations locally and nationally about book bans inspired her to create the Teen Banned Book Club, held bi-weekly Wednesday nights at Firefly Bookstore in Kutztown. The rebellious teenager in her decided that she wanted to start a banned book club where teens could access, read and freely discuss books that have been historically banned or part of the new book banning movement, said Diffenbaugh. Stories about the club have gone viral on social media and gained national media attention. Diffenbaugh said that the most common online comment regarding the club is nothing will get a teen to read a book faster than telling them they cant. Advertisement My point is when you ban a book, you draw appeal to it. If this book was on a library shelf with none of this attention around it, Im confident that it would barely be seen, Diffenbaugh said. The mere fact that the school would take this book out of the library is the ultimate plan for teenage curiosity. While parent Dan Wismer of Greenwich Township applauded the banned book club, he also shared many concerns about Gender Queer being available in a school library rather than a public library. He suggested parental permission. Jennifer Kaufinger of Kutztown argued that Gender Queer is a pornographic book, questioning how many board members actually read the book. Later, many board members confirmed they did read the entire book. It is explicit, Kaufinger said. The pictures in that book make me want to vomit. It crawls under my skin. Its not about banning a book, she added. It should be an adult decision, not somebody under 18, not somebody in our school. Breaking News Alerts As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > Parent Jackie Bridges said their mission is not to ban books but she agreed that the illustrations are pornographic and inappropriate for under age 18. Advertisement Our challenging of the book resulted in a spark of reading and a Teen Banned Book Club in town, which is amazing, said Bridges, citing what she called great banned books such as The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird and even the Harry Potter series. But were not talking about books like that. If you want to be inclusive and you want to ensure students who are transgender or in the LGBTQ community, then at least provide them with quality literature, added Bridges. Parent Robyn Underwood clarified that the age of consent is 16, not 18. Some parents are not allowed to tell my child what to read; they can only tell their own child, she said. Underwood also argued that the definition of child porn is taking a photo of an actual child and distributing it, not making a drawing. No one is forcing any kid to read this book, so it would not be abuse to leave it in the library, she said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday attacked SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, saying "goonda raj" will return to Uttar Pradesh if his party comes to power in the Assembly polls. Addressing "influential voters" during a door-to-door campaign, he also accused the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the BSP of promoting dynastic politics and casteism. Shah paid obeisance at the Banke Bihari temple before starting his door-to-door campaign for the state Assembly polls. Attacking the previous SP government, he asked, "Wasnt there a goonda raj? Didnt the bahubalis (strongmen) trouble people? Werent the sisters and daughters humiliated?" Also Read | Uttar Pradesh polls to decide future of the state and country: Amit Shah "Azam Khan was arrested and CrPC sections fell short under which cases were lodged against him," he said referring to a Samajwadi Party leader. He mocked Akhilesh Yadav of his criticism of law and order, says he has no right to complain about it. "Chullu bhar pani mein doob maro," he mocked in Hindi. If Akhilesh Yadav comes to power, the "goonda raj" (rule of goons) will prevail, he claimed attacking the opposition party. But if the BJP returns to power, it will bolster development, he said. Also Read | Rajnath Singh calls Chaudhary Charan Singh his 'idol', says Jats can't remain annoyed with BJP The union minister stressed that his party has run the government in a transparent manner and even political adversaries cannot accuse them of corruption. "Before the BJP, the state has seen SP and BSP governments, which worked for specific castes. None of them drew the plan of all-round development of the state. It was done by the governments led by (PM) Narendra Modi and (CM) Yogi Adityanath," he said. "The BJP is not the party of a particular caste but the entire society," he claimed, adding that in the 2017 Assembly polls, people had rejected casteism and dynastic politics. The previous SP and BSP government promoted casteism and dynastic politics while corruption was rampant, Shah said. "But in the past seven years of the Modi government and Yogi Adityanath rule, even Rahul Baba cannot level the charge of corruption," he said referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. "Akhilesh Babu stacks of notes are coming out from the houses of your supporters but there is no charge of corruption against the BJP," he said, apparently referring to the seizure of cash and jewellery from two perfume traders in Kanpur and Kannauj. He claimed that the BJP government in the state freed the land worth Rs 2,000 crore from criminals as he urged people to vote for his party. He also alleged that the states economy was in a shambles under the SP regime while in the Adityanath government, it stands second in the country. Even during the coronavirus period, mills were not shut and farmers received their full payment, he said. He also took a swipe at the SPs promise of free power, saying why wasnt it done earlier. He claimed his party worked for places of worship without caring for vote bank, citing the construction of the Ayodhyas Ram temple and the Kashi Vishwanath corridor in Varanasi. Earlier accompanied by party leaders, the minister distributed pamphlets in Satua village near Govardhan Road and got his photographs clicked with local workers. Amidst showering of petals by women, he was seen garlanding a beaming child in a womans lap. Check out latest DH videos here With several senior leaders, many of who were members of her core team, deserting the party ahead of the forthcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is also the in-charge of the state, finds herself ploughing a lonely furrow in the electoral battlefield in the state. Priyanka has been striving hard to revive the fortunes of her party in India's biggest and politically most crucial state ever since her appointment as the general secretary of the party and in-charge of the party a little over two years ago. Whether it was the killing of ten Gond tribals in Soenbhadra district in July 2019, the gangrape and murder of a Dalit teen at Hathras or the alleged mowing down of four farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri last year, Priyanka managed to reach the spot and meet the families of the victims after battling an unfriendly administration. The Congress leader had also taken the lead in cornering the UP government over alleged police excesses on the people, who had taken part in the protests against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Also read: With Yogi in fray from Gorakhpur, Hindu Yuva Vahini gets active again to campaign for its founder Priyanka had hit the streets on the issues of women's security and farmers and had taken on the saffron party government on social media forcing the latter to take note of the same and respond. Even Priyanka's detractors have admitted that she had been the most visible opposition face on the streets against the BJP government in UP. The Congress leader also tried to revamp the party organisation at the grass-root level and brought in new faces even though several old-timers opposed her move and either resigned from the party or distanced themselves from the party activities. Her efforts to strengthen the party in the state, however, suffered regular jolts as many leaders, some of whom were her close aides, left the party at regular intervals. Congress MLA from Raebareli, which was party president Sonia Gandhi's Lok Sabha seat, Aditi Singh even ridiculed Priyanka's efforts to revive the party and switched loyalty to the BJP. Others, who left her, included senior leader Jitin Prasada and RPN Singh, who joined the BJP and Imran Masood, who joined the Samajwadi Party (SP). Even Lalitesh Pati Tripathi, a member of Kamlapati Tripathi family, left the grand old party and joined the Trinamool Congress. Priyanka was also targeted by the BJP leaders, many of whom made objectionable remarks on her. UP deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya termed her "Twitter Politician" while some others called her a "political tourist". Also read: With Yogi in fray from Gorakhpur, Hindu Yuva Vahini gets active again to campaign for its founder UP Congress leaders say that Priyanka's working style is much different from her predecessors. "She makes it a point to meet every worker... she listens to the issues and encourages participation of the ordinary workers in the decision-making process," says UP Congress president Ajai Kumar Lallu. He said that Priyanka had galvanised the Congress workers in the state and had given them new hope. "It doesn't matter if some leaders leave us... what matters more is that the ordinary workers are with us... they are with Priyankaji," Lallu added. Incidentally, it was the first time since 2002, that Congress was fighting the UP polls on its own. In 2002 polls, it had fielded 402 candidates. While the Congress leaders expressed the hope that the party would do well in the polls, the opposition parties, as well as the political analysts here, remained sceptical. "Priyanka has worked hard but Congress does not have the organisational strength required to win the polls in a huge state like UP... it even struggles to find good candidates," says veteran political analyst JP Shukla. It remains to be seen whether Priyanka is able to help her party become at least relevant in the state politics if not attain its past glory. Check out latest DH videos on UP elections here McDonald's Malaysia has been forced to ration fries due to supply chain problems, adding the country to a list of places in Asia where the fast-food chain is facing shortages. Large portions of French fries, as well as one type of large meal set, have been taken off menus at outlets in the Southeast Asian country until further notice. "We are facing a fry-tening supply crunch," McDonald's Malaysia said in a social media post this week. McDonald's confirmed in a statement to AFP its Malaysian branches are "currently experiencing supply challenges", with large servings of fries unavailable since Monday. The chain, which has hundreds of outlets in Malaysia, said it would "closely monitor" supplies, and that large portions would be offered as soon as possible. Global supply chains have faced major disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic, causing shortages of goods ranging from food to electronics. Earlier this month, McDonald's Taiwan said "unstable" shipping supplies had caused some of its stores to run out of hash browns imported from the United States. McDonald's Japan has limited French fry orders to small sizes on two occasions since December, blaming the pandemic and Canadian floods that squeezed potato imports. Check out DH's latest videos Kazakhstan's president was voted chairman of the ruling party Friday, replacing his mentor and former head of state Nursultan Nazarbayev, after a bloody crisis exposed a struggle at the top of the leadership. "By the decision of the extraordinary XXI Party Congress, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart (Tokayev), was unanimously elected Chairman of the Nur Otan Party," his office said on Twitter. The move came after unprecedented unrest that left 225 people dead earlier in January. Tokayev this month questioned 81-year-old Nazarbayev's legacy, in particular widening inequality between the elite and the poor in Central Asia's richest country. Nazarbayev ruled ex-Soviet Kazakhstan for close to three decades, brooking no opposition, before hand-picking Tokayev, 68, a career diplomat and then-loyalist, to replace him as president in 2019. The octogenarian last year announced his decision to hand the party leadership over to Tokayev -- a move that seemed to confirm Tokayev would stand for another presidential term even if many thought his predecessor still pulled Kazakhstan's political strings. Tokayev said during the congress that his chairmanship of the party could be a temporary affair, citing the need for an "equidistant status of the head of state". Accepting his new appointment, Tokayev softened his prior criticism of Nazarbayev, by praising his predecessor's state-building achievements. "I know that various negative rumours are circulating around the country," he said. "In this regard, as head of state, I repeat: the first president did a lot to turn our country into a strong state." Among the achievements Tokayev credited Nazarbayev with was the decision during the 1990s to transfer Kazakhstan's capital from its largest city Almaty -- the epicentre of violent unrest -- to a steppe city 1,000 kilometres north that was renamed "Nur-Sultan" in Nazarbayev's honour in 2019. "This decision is recognized as strategic everywhere: both abroad and in our country," Tokayev told Nur Otan party members at the congress. "Let us also pay tribute to the historical merits of the first president, highlight his undoubted successes and merits, and leave possible miscalculations as a warning to the future leaders of our country," Tokayev added. Tokayev took over Nazarbayev's most powerful position -- chairmanship of the national security council -- on January 5, a day when protests that began over a fuel price hike morphed into deadly clashes and looting. During a speech to lawmakers and officials on January 11, Tokayev criticised his mentor for failing to share the country's vast wealth with ordinary people. He said Nazarbayev's rule had created "a layer of wealthy people, even by international standards". In the days that followed, Nazarbayev's once-powerful relatives and in-laws were jettisoned from top corporate and political posts. Appearing for the first time since the crisis began on January 18, Nazarbayev denied any conflict with his successor, referring to himself as "a pensioner". Check out latest videos from DH: Myanmar's military seized power on February 1 last year, ousting the civilian government and arresting its de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. Nearly 1,500 people have since been killed and thousands of others arrested as the junta wages a bloody crackdown on dissent. Looking back at the year since the military's latest power grab, which ended a decade-long experiment with democracy after half a century of military rule, it has been one of turmoil. Soldiers detained Suu Kyi and her top allies during pre-dawn raids on February 1 ahead of the opening of the new parliament. The generals claimed fraud in the November 2020 election, which Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party won by a landslide. Their actions sparked global condemnation, from Pope Francis to US President Joe Biden. Resistance to the coup began with people banging pots and pans -- a practice traditionally associated with driving out evil spirits. Also Read The Myanmar nun who faced down a junta The junta blocked social media platforms including Facebook, which is hugely popular in Myanmar. Nightly internet blackouts were later imposed. Popular dissent surged over the weekend of February 6 and 7, with huge crowds gathering on the streets, calling for the release of Suu Kyi. In the following weeks, these protests swelled to hundreds of thousands of people in cities and villages around the country. Workers began a nationwide strike on February 8. A 19-year-old woman is shot in the head when police fire on crowds in the capital Naypyidaw the next day. Washington soon announced sanctions against several military officials, including junta chief Min Aung Hlaing. More sanctions followed from Britain and the European Union. Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, the woman shot 10 days earlier, died on February 19 after becoming a national symbol of opposition to the junta. Violent crackdowns on street protests escalated and by March 11, Amnesty International said it documented atrocities by the junta, including the use of battlefield weapons on unarmed protesters. A day later, a UN rights expert on Myanmar accused the military of crimes against humanity. More than 100 civilians were killed in protest crackdowns on March 27, which is Armed Forces Day, the military's annual show of strength. It was the deadliest day since the coup. Over the next month, ousted civilian lawmakers who were forced into hiding announced the formation of a shadow "National Unity Government". Also Read US warns firms over doing business in Myanmar Danny Fenster, an American editor at a local outlet Frontier Myanmar, was detained at Yangon's airport as he attempted to leave the country on May 24. Following a trial inside a prison in Yangon, he was jailed for 11 years in November for unlawful association, incitement against the military and breaching visa rules. Three days later, he was pardoned and freed, and flew home to be reunited with his family at New York's JFK airport. In June, more than four months after she was detained, Suu Kyi went on trial in a junta court. She faced an eclectic mix of charges, including illegally importing walkie-talkies and flouting Covid-19 restrictions during the 2020 elections. Coronavirus infections surged across Myanmar from late June, with many pro-democracy medical staff on strike and the public avoiding military-run hospitals. People defied curfews to queue for oxygen cylinders for their loved ones and volunteers took up the grim task of bringing out the dead for cremation. Also Read Myanmar sentences lawmaker from Suu Kyi's party to death In July, the World Bank forecasted that Myanmar's economy would contract by 18 per cent in 2021 as a result of the coup and the coronavirus outbreak, with the poverty rate to double from 2019 levels. In late July, the junta cancelled the results of the 2020 polls, claiming more than 11 million instances of voter fraud. Six months to the day since the military seized power, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said that new elections will be held by August 2023. On December 6, Suu Kyi was jailed for four years for incitement against the military and breaching Covid regulations. The sentence was later cut to two years. On January 10, she was sentenced to another four years in prison after being convicted of two charges related to illegally importing and owning walkie-talkies and one of breaking Covid rules. She will be held under house arrest in Naypyidaw while she faces a host of other charges in court, which could see her jailed for decades. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Queen Elizabeth II's second son Prince Andrew has deactivated his social media accounts, users said Wednesday, as he faces a US civil case for sexual assault. Andrew's official Twitter account @TheDukeOfYork now opens with a message saying "This account doesn't exist". His YouTube account also comes up with an error message and a picture of a monkey. The prince's Instagram and Facebook pages appeared still to be open, though the Instagram was set to private. The Daily Mail cited a source close to the 61-year-old prince as saying these accounts have also been removed and are no longer live. This comes after announcements last week that the prince has ceased using his HRH, or His Royal Highness, title, and has also given up honorary military titles bestowed by the Queen. The move effectively removes him from official royal life. His accuser Virginia Giuffre has said that she had sex with the prince while aged 17 after meeting him through the late US financer and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The prince denies the allegations but lost a bid to dismiss the civil suit. Andrew withdrew from public life as a royal in 2019 after a widely ridiculed BBC interview where he sought to vindicate himself of the accusation that he sexually assaulted a minor. Since then he has been occasionally photographed driving or riding around the Queen's private estate in eastern England, Sandringham. He did not appear in the official wedding photographs when his daughter Beatrice got married in 2020. In other signs of social ostracism, the York Racecourse in northern England has announced it is renaming an event called The Duke of York Stakes -- even though this refers to an earlier bearer of the title. And a police station in Devon in southern England has removed a plaque saying it was opened by the Duke of York, citing a complaint from a member of the public, the BBC reported this week. Armed forces minister James Heappey on Wednesday said Andrew had kept "horrifically ill-advised" company, and the US case would overshadow celebrations later this year for his mother's 70 years on the throne. The decision to strip former Royal Navy helicopter pilot Andrew of his honorary military titles was reportedly made by the Queen and senior members of the royal family. His nephew, second-in-line to the throne Prince William was asked by a reporter on Wednesday if he supported his uncle, during a visit to a London museum. But William made no response. William's father, Prince Charles, ignored a similar question last week. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Separatist insurgents claimed responsibility for an attack on a Pakistani army post, killing 10 soldiers, near a southwestern port in which China is investing. The attack, launched late Tuesday in Kech district, north of Gwadar port, was the heaviest in years in a low-key insurgency that ethnic Baloch insurgents have been waging against the Pakistani government. "We are resolute in our commitment to rid Pakistan of all forms of terrorism," Prime Minister Imran Khan said in a statement on Friday in which he paid tribute to the 10 "martyred" soldiers. The army said it killed one of the attackers and arrested three in a clearance operation that was still going on. The Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) insurgent group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying in a statement sent to a Reuters reporter that 17 soldiers and one of its members were killed. Also Read Pak journalist killed in bomb attack in Balochistan Ethnic Baloch guerrillas have been fighting the government for decades for a separate state, saying Pakistan's central government unfairly exploits the rich gas and mineral resources of Balochistan province, which shares borders with Afghanistan and Iran. China is involved in the development of the Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea and other projects in the province as part of a $60-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is part of Beijing's Belt and Road initiative. The insurgents often target gas projects as well as infrastructure and security posts in the province but have begun launching attacks in other parts of Pakistan. They also attack Chinese projects, and occasionally kill Chinese workers despite Pakistani assurances that it is doing everything it can to protect the Chinese projects. Pakistan has also accused India of covertly supporting the insurgents. India denies the claims. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Almost a year after she knelt in the dust to beg Myanmar police not to shoot anti-coup demonstrators, Sister Ann Rose Nu Tawng still shakes at the memory of the day she says God saved her. A photo of the Catholic nun in a simple white habit, her hands spread, pleading with junta forces in the early weeks of mass protests against the putsch, went viral in the majority-Buddhist country and made headlines around the world. Two people at the demonstration in early March in northern Kachin state were shot dead, with Sister Ann Rose later rushing an injured child to hospital. In the confusion and chaos she had no idea the photo had been taken, or the impact it would have, she told AFP. "Only when I arrived back home, I got to know that my friends and family were so worried about me," she said, adding her mother had scolded her in tears for taking such a risk. "When I look at that photo, I can't even believe myself that I was there to save people's lives amid the chaotic shooting and running," she said. "I believe God gave me the courage... I myself wouldn't be courageous enough to do that." Running from the military is something Sister Ann Rose knows from her childhood in conflict-wracked Shan state in eastern Myanmar under a previous junta. The daughter of a pastor father and a teacher mother, she was forced to flee her home when she was nine, with a fear of soldiers now imprinted in her brain that she worries is being repeated in children today. "I used to run as a little kid when they entered the village... whenever I see soldiers and police in uniforms, I get scared, even now," she said. But on that March day in Myitkyina "I couldn't think to be scared", she added. "I just thought I needed to help and save the protesters." In the following days the junta's crackdown spiralled, with Amnesty International later saying it had documented atrocities including the use of battlefield weapons on unarmed protesters. More than 1,400 civilians have been killed and over 10,000 arrested, according to a local monitoring group. Sister Ann Rose has discovered there is a price to pay for publicly standing up to the junta. She said she has been detained several times by security forces, who asked to check her phone and took photos of her. She is not involved with politics but is now too scared to go out alone, she added. "I no longer have freedom," the devotee said. The nun -- who previously trained as a nurse -- now works at camps housing displaced people in Kachin state, the site of a years-long conflict between ethnic armed groups and the military. Fighting in Kachin and elsewhere in the north of the country bordering China has lulled recently -- analysts say at Beijing's insistence -- but elsewhere horrific violence continues. Junta troops were recently accused of a massacre on Christmas Eve after the charred remains of dozens of bodies were discovered on a highway in the east of the country. Seeing the bloody cycle of clashes and reprisals "it feels like my heart is going to burst", Sister Ann Rose said. But her faith gives her hope, and a sense of purpose. "Thanks to God, I am alive... Maybe he wants to use me for good." As Washington rallies the international community against Russian aggression in Ukraine, conflict has broken out back in the USA between traditional Republicans determined to defend democracy overseas and an isolationist base asking why America should take sides at all. Tensions between the United States and Russia have escalated as Moscow has amassed an estimated 100,000 troops near its border with Ukraine, leading to fears that it is preparing a new military assault after its invasion of Crimea in 2014. The usual conservative voices advocating a tough US response have come as expected, but a pro-Russian stance taken by a large section of former president Donald Trump's support base has unsettled many observers. Republicans in the House of Representatives and on the campaign trail have been breaking with conservative orthodoxy to complain loudly that the United States should have no role in the crisis. "Ukraine is over 5,000 miles away. Dangerous drugs and violent crime are crossing my constituents' backyards," Arizona's far-right lawmaker Paul Gosar tweeted this week. The post was among more than a dozen public statements identified by news website Axios from House Republicans challenging the notion that America has any business getting involved in the standoff. Also Read US asks UN Security Council to meet on Russia, Ukraine High-profile Washington Republicans -- including the party's Senate leadership -- have backed the country's longstanding support for Kyiv's sovereignty. But it is a different story among the grassroots, where hopefuls in the upcoming midterm elections are rejecting the internationalist rhetoric that once defined Reagan-Bush Republicanism. Analysts believe the party's internal conflict has been fueled in part by the unpopular war in Iraq and botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. But it also reflects a pro-Russia sentiment that took root under Trump, who lionised Vladimir Putin as a "highly respected" leader and publicly sided with the former KGB spy over the US government. "The Swamp will send troops to fight an invasion of Ukraine. They won't send troops to stop the invasion of the US because they're the ones facilitating it," Trump's spokeswoman Liz Harrington said on Thursday. The talking point has been tried out in Ohio's Senate race, where Republican primary candidate J D Vance and his opponent Bernie Moreno have accused the Biden administration of being more concerned about Ukraine's borders than America's southern frontier. "You hate America unless you want to send our best to die in a war that has nothing to do with this country? Give me a break," Vance, a venture capitalist and bestselling author, tweeted Wednesday. Also Read Biden vows support for Ukraine in Zelensky call: White House The right also appears to have been moved by the steady stream of rhetoric echoing Kremlin talking points that have been served up by top-rated Fox News host Tucker Carlson. One of the most influential voices in right-wing media, Carlson's provocative screeds have been broadcast approvingly by Russian state TV. The anchor has suggested that the United States should be supporting energy-rich Russia over its pro-Western neighbour, ignoring the security assurances that Washington gave Kyiv when the former Soviet republic gave up its nuclear arsenal. "Why is it disloyal to side with Russia but loyal to side with Ukraine?" Carlson asked his viewers on Monday. "They're both foreign countries that don't care anything about the United States. Kind of strange." Tom Malinowski, a Democratic congressman from New Jersey, tweeted that he had seen an uptick in calls to his office from Carlson viewers "upset that we're not siding with Russia." "People get their opinions by watching the news, that's nothing new," Malinowski told The Hill. "What is new is we have at least one talk show host with a huge captive audience that is not exposed to any counter-programming elsewhere." Congressman Adam Kinzinger told The Washington Post he saw evidence of the shift in a text message chain with fellow House Republicans who were asking why Biden was being allowed to "provoke Russia." That is not to say that Republicans, on the whole, are unsupportive of a tough stance against Moscow's expansionism. A survey by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs last July showed 51 per cent backing among the party faithful for military intervention in the event of an invasion. But other polls show a trend in the opposite direction, including a Yahoo News/YouGov survey released this week in which 40 per cent of Republicans said the United States has no duty to protect Ukraine, against 36 per cent who said it does. Also Read US, Germany step up pipeline warnings if Russia invades Ukraine Carly Cooperman, a Democratic pollster who has written a book on divisions in US politics, said a significant section of Republican voters now sees Putin's Russia as an ally in right-wing nationalism. "As strong nationalists, these Republicans are anti-NATO and not supportive of Ukraine joining NATO. Russia doesn't want Ukraine to join NATO either, as doing so would make it much more difficult for Russia to act aggressively towards Ukraine," Cooperman told AFP. "Trump has had a large influence on generating these sentiments as he had been generally warmer toward Russia, and so has Tucker Carlson, who has gone to great lengths to advocate the pro-Russia position on his show." Cooperman said. Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that US President Joe Biden "is treating the American public like fools" after Biden met with executives from rival car companies General Motors and Ford Motor earlier this week, Fox Business reported. Biden invited GM CEO Mary Barra and Ford CEO Jim Farley to the White House along with other business leaders to discuss his administration's $1.75 trillion Build Back Better legislation, which was stalled in the evenly split Senate after US Senator Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., refused to support the legislation. The massive spending bill would bump up the $7,500 tax credit to $12,500 for union-made electric vehicles and would also make GM and Tesla eligible for the existing tax credit again after they hit the 200,000-vehicle limit for the credit. Also Read | Tesla in stalemate with government over tax cut demands, amid lack of local production pledge Biden touted GM's recent $7 billion investment in Michigan to ramp up electric vehicle production, the report said on Thursday. "Companies like GM and Ford are building more electric vehicles here at home than ever before," the president tweeted after the meeting, prompting the response from Musk that Biden was treating the American public "like fools". Musk also tweeted that "Biden is a damp [sock] puppet in human form" and "Starts with a T, Ends with an A, ESL in the middle." It is not the first time that Musk has taken shots at Biden. The electric vehicle pioneer said in September that the administration was "maybe a little biased" and "seems to be controlled by unions." Watch the latest DH Videos here: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court declined Thursday to hear an appeal from Lehigh County Judge candidate Zachary Cohen in a legal case over undated mail-in ballots that could change the outcome of the close county judge race. The denial means that the court upheld a Commonwealth Court ruling that 257 undated mail-in ballots should be discarded. The Commonwealth Court decision overturned a prior ruling by Lehigh County Judge Edward Reibman, who ruled that undated ballots should be counted because discarding them would be at odds with a 2020 Supreme Court decision on uncounted ballots. Advertisement Adam Bonin, Cohens lawyer, argued that the Supreme Court should hear the case to resolve unanswered questions from that 2020 decision, where judges ruled 4-3 to count undated mail-in ballots, but did not close the book on whether undated ballots should be counted in the future. [ Lehigh County judge candidate appeals to Pa. Supreme Court in fight over counting undated mail-in ballots ] Cohen is 74 votes behind Republican David Ritter in the race for one of the three seats on Lehigh Countys Common Pleas Court. The 257 undated ballots in question could tip the races outcome in Cohens favor. Advertisement Were obviously disappointed in the courts ruling, not only because of its impact on Zac, but especially for all those voters who deserve to be heard in this election, Bonin said. He added that he and Cohen are still considering other legal options in the case. Because of the dispute, Lehigh County has not yet certified its 2021 election results. Ritters lawyer, Robert Daday, said he hopes the denial means the Commonwealth Courts decision will become the law of the land, and praised the professionalism of Cohen and his legal team. Were very happy with the decision by the Supreme Court, we believe it to be the correct decision, Daday said. Morning Call reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at 610-820-6681 and liweber@mcall.com. US President Joe Biden pledged support for Ukraine in its confrontation with Russia during a phone call Thursday with his counterpart in Kyiv, Volodymyr Zelensky, the White House said. Biden has been leading attempts to build a united Western front against Russian military pressure on Ukraine, which has angered Moscow by seeking to integrate with the West. More than 100,000 Russian troops are massed on Ukraine's borders. In the call with Zelensky, Biden "reaffirmed the readiness of the United States along with its allies and partners to respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine," a readout from the White House said. Also Read | US asks UN Security Council to meet on Russia, Ukraine Biden "underscored the commitment of the United States to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity." In the call, Biden said Washington is "exploring additional macroeconomic support to help Ukraine's economy amidst pressure resulting from Russia's military build-up," the statement said, without going into detail. Addressing Ukrainian criticism over the decision to call on US citizens to leave Ukraine, Biden told Zelensky that the embassy "remains open and fully operational." Also Read | US, Germany step up pipeline warnings if Russia invades Ukraine While expressing support for talks this week where Ukraine and Russia recommitted to a tense ceasefire in the disputed east of the country, Biden promised that diplomatic deals would not be cut behind Ukraine's back, saying "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine." In a tweet, Zelensky said he and the US president had "a long phone conversation" and that they "discussed recent diplomatic efforts on de-escalation and agreed on joint actions for the future." Zelensky said he thanked Biden for US weapons deliveries and that "possibilities for financial support to Ukraine were also discussed." Check out latest DH videos here This January has been one of the busiest months ever for North Korea's missile testing, with launches displaying a dizzying array of weapon types, launch locations, and increasing sophistication. From hypersonic missiles and long-range cruise missiles to missiles launched from railcars and airports, the tests highlight the nuclear-armed state's rapidly expanding and advancing arsenal amid stalled denuclearisation talks. North Korea hasn't tested its longest-range intercontinental ballistic missiles or nuclear weapons since 2017, but leader Kim Jong Un has pushed for more "military muscle" to counter what he sees as threats from the United States and its allies in Asia. Kim visited an unidentified "important" munitions factory, state media said this week, underscoring his vow not only to improve capabilities, but mass produce and deploy more weapons. Here are the different types of weapons tested so far this month: Also read: N Korea confirms missile tests as Kim visits munitions site 'Hypersonic missiles' North Korea said it tested a new type of "hypersonic missile" on Jan. 5 and again on Jan. 11, with Kim Jong Un reported to have attended the second launch. Hypersonic weapons usually fly towards targets at lower altitudes than ballistic missiles and can achieve more than five times the speed of sound - or about 6,200 kms per hour (3,850 mph). Despite their name, analysts say the main feature of hypersonic weapons is not speed but their manoeuvrability, which can help them evade missile defence systems. South Korean officials questioned the capabilities of the missile after the first test, saying it did not appear to demonstrate the range and manoeuvrability claimed in a state media report and featured a Manoeuvrable Reentry Vehicle (MaRV) rather than the type of next-generation hypersonic glide vehicle developed by countries like China and Russia. Those officials later said the second test appeared to demonstrate greater performance. Analysts said if Pyongyang can perfect such weapons, it would represent a potential major upgrade in its striking power against its nearby adversaries, complicating efforts by the United States and its Asian allies to counter that. KN-23 SRBM On Jan. 14 North Korea launched a pair of short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) from a train near the northern border with China, in what state media said was a short-notice drill aimed at boosting the proficiency of the troops operating the missiles. North Korea first tested the rail-based system in September, saying it was designed as a potential counter-strike to any threatening forces. Despite the country's limited and sometimes unreliable rail network, rail mobile missiles are a relatively cheap and efficient option to improve the survivability of their nuclear forces, making it difficult for enemies to detect and destroy them before being fired, according to analysts. The missiles appeared to be KN-23 SRBMs, which were first tested in May 2019, and are designed to evade missile defences by flying on a lower, "depressed" trajectory, experts said. North Korea fired another pair of KN-23 missiles on Thursday, this time from a wheeled launching vehicle. The tests confirmed the "explosive power" of its conventional warhead, state media said, while analysts noted it travelled on its lowest trajectory yet. KN-24 SRBM North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) in a rare test from an airport in its capital, Pyongyang, on Jan. 17. The pair of missiles "precisely hit an island target" off the east coast, according to state media. Analysts said the missiles appeared to be KN-24 SRBMs which were last tested in March 2020 and appear to have entered mass production and deployment with military units. The KN-24 resembles the US MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and, like the KN-23, is designed to evade missile defences and carry out precision strikes on a flatter trajectory than traditional ballistic missiles. Long-range cruise missile State media reported two long-range cruise missiles were fired on Tuesday, travelling 1,800 km before hitting a target island in the sea off North Korea's east coast. The cruise missile would play a role in "boosting the war deterrence of the country," state news agency KCNA said. In September, North Korea tested a new "strategic" cruise missile for the first time, seen as possibly the country's first such weapon with a nuclear capability. Analysts said the latest cruise missile appeared to be similar, but also showed signs of being a possible variant. North Korea's cruise missiles usually generate less interest than ballistic missiles because they are not explicitly banned under UN Security Council Resolutions, but analysts say land-attack cruise missiles can be no less a threat than ballistic missiles. When President Joe Biden held a video call with European leaders about Ukraine this week, it had all the urgency of a Cold War-era crisis, replete with the specter of Russian tanks and troops menacing Eastern Europe. But Biden expanded the seats on his war council, adding Poland, Italy and the European Union to the familiar lineup of Britain, France and Germany. The effort to be inclusive was no accident: After complaints from Europeans that they were blindsided by the swift US withdrawal from Afghanistan last summer, and that France was frozen out of a new defense alliance with Australia, Biden has gone out of his way to involve allies in every step of this crisis. For the Biden administration, it amounts to a much-needed diplomatic reset. The United States, European officials say, has acted with energy and some dexterity in orchestrating the response to Russias threatening moves. Since mid-November, it has conducted at least 180 senior-level meetings or other contacts with European officials. Some marvel at having their American counterparts on speed dial. Also Read US asks UN Security Council to meet on Russia, Ukraine Despite being dragged down at home by domestic problems and viewed as a transitional figure in some skeptical European capitals, Biden has emerged as the leader of the Wests effort to confront the threats from Russian President Vladimir Putin. The administrations emphasis on unity, American officials say, is largely intended to frustrate Putins desire to use the crisis to fracture NATO. Before delivering a written response to Putins security demands on Ukraine on Wednesday, the administration traded multiple drafts of the document with the Europeans, insisting that every paragraph that affected individual countries be reviewed, word for word, by their leaders, according to American officials. The concern here was No surprises, said an official who was involved. The Russians, who want the West to pledge that Ukraine will never join NATO, gave a cool reception to the US responses Thursday, saying there was not much cause for optimism, and leaving unclear what their next step might be. In a phone call Thursday, Biden told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the United States and its allies would respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine, according to a White House statement, and that the United States was considering ways to help Ukraines economy. The United States also called for the United Nations Security Council to hold an open meeting on Monday to discuss Russias threatening behavior against Ukraine. This is not a moment to wait and see, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in a statement Thursday. The United States is not relying on diplomacy alone. It has put 8,500 troops on alert to be deployed to Eastern Europe, sent defensive weapons to Ukraine and is negotiating to divert natural gas from other suppliers if Russia cuts off pipelines that supply Germany and other countries. Also Read Biden vows support for Ukraine in Zelensky call: White House We had a low point in terms of trust and mutual respect last summer because of the Afghanistan breakdown, said Wolfgang Ischinger, a former German ambassador to Washington. Now, he said, no one can complain that there isnt a renewed sense of American leadership. Bidens handling of the crisis has not been without missteps: His recent statement that a minor incursion by Russia would provoke a different response from the West than an invasion angered Ukraine and alarmed European governments, especially those bordering Russia. It necessitated a hurried cleanup operation by the White House. Europeans worry about Bidens staying power, the potential return of former President Donald Trump and the resolve of the United States, for which Ukraine is not an on-the-doorstep crisis as it is for Europe. Some believe Putin is exploiting the same perceived vulnerabilities on both sides of the ocean. He senses weakness in Biden and a certain amount of political churn in Europe, said Ian Bond, a former British diplomat who is now head of foreign policy at the Center for European Reform, a London research group. Germany has a new government finding its feet, French elections, U.K. not in great shape, Europe emerging from pandemic. I think he does see Biden as a quite weak transitional figure. Indeed, Putin is driving events more than Biden. His aggressive tactics are forcing Europe and the United States together. And he has shown little interest in striking a deal on Ukraine with anyone other than the president of the other superpower. That testifies to the central role of the United States in guaranteeing the security of Europe. It also means that whatever the doubts about Biden in Moscow or European capitals, he will be the fulcrum of the Wests response. Europeans say he has embraced that role with more enthusiasm than either Trump or his former boss, President Barack Obama. Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine and pressured its president to investigate Biden, then looming as his political rival. Obama did not view Ukraine as a core strategic interest of the United States even after the annexation of Crimea, prompting France and Germany to create a group that has met periodically with Russia and Ukraine since 2014 to discuss how to curb hostilities. Also Read US, Germany step up pipeline warnings if Russia invades Ukraine When the Ukrainian crisis erupted in 2014, the American policy was Try not to get involved, said Gerard Araud, a former French ambassador to Washington. They outsourced the handling of it to France and Germany. The White Houses efforts in part reflect the bitter lesson of the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, when Europeans criticized the United States for failing to consult them, a charge the White House disputes. Ischinger, who now chairs the Munich Security Conference, recalled an American official telling him at that time that the era had passed in which the United States viewed itself as a European power, one whose active involvement was critical to the continents strategic balance. What we have witnessed over the last couple of weeks demonstrates this was an incorrect assessment, he said. This time, American officials have consulted with a galaxy of groups encompassing the political and security bureaucracy of the European continent: the EU, the European Commission, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Bucharest Nine, a group of eastern NATO members. They learned a real lesson from Afghanistan, said Ivo Daalder, a former American ambassador to NATO. They have been extraordinarily effective, in a way we havent seen for a long time, in engaging with allies. One challenge for Biden, experts say, is the lack of a European leader to help pull the rest of the continent into line. That was the role former German Chancellor Angela Merkel played for Obama and President George W. Bush. It was the role former British Prime Minister Tony Blair played for Bush, with little success on Iraq, and for President Bill Clinton, with more success on Kosovo. Britains current prime minister, Boris Johnson, is preoccupied by a scandal over parties at Downing Street during the pandemic. In any event, Britains departure from the EU has deprived it of its traditional role as a bridge between Washington and Brussels, although it remains a central player in NATO. Britain has tried to stake out a forceful role, shipping anti-tank weapons to Ukraine and drafting legislation that will allow it to impose sanctions on Russia if it launches an invasion. But it is driven more by a post-Brexit desire to act independently than to serve as a wingman for Washington. France has also hardened its position, with President Emmanuel Macron offering to send troops to Romania to reinforce NATOs eastern flank. But Macron faces an election in April, and he, too, has asserted a more independent role for Europe in engaging with Russia. On Friday, he and Putin will speak by phone. French diplomats said Macrons efforts should not be viewed as an obstacle to the United States because he has pledged to take any common European position to NATO, where it would be thrashed out with the Americans. Macrons problem is Germany, Araud said. The new coalition government in Germany is being pulled in different directions, with the Greens and the Free Democrats more inclined to take a hard line against Moscow, while the Social Democrats are traditionally eager to preserve trade and diplomatic ties. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a Social Democrat, has been a diffident figure so far. You dont have reassuring Merkel, who can calm things down and keep everything pulling in the same direction, said Jonathan Powell, who served as chief of staff to Blair. Despite all the potential for disunity, diplomats point out that Europe, NATO and the United States agree on two fundamental issues. No one plans to send combat troops into Ukraine. All agree on the importance of imposing sanctions on Russia, though the Europeans, particularly the Germans, may balk at the most draconian measures because of the collateral damage to their economies. European officials insist that Germany is willing to pay a significant price and that nothing is off the table, including the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that would send gas from Russia to Western Europe and give Putin valuable leverage. Putins string of provocations moving large numbers of troops into Belarus, and holding large military exercises on Ukraines borders, naval exercises in the Baltic Sea and even a planned exercise off the coast of Ireland have drawn Europeans and Americans together in a way that no European or American leader could. Putin is so extreme in his demands and threats that its impossible not to close ranks with other countries, Araud said. You dont have an alliance without a threat, and Putin is a threat. Check out DH's latest videos Hours before Myanmar's new parliament was due to convene last February, troops rounded up lawmakers in dawn raids, ending a brief democratic interlude and setting the stage for months of bloodshed. A year later the country's latest junta is struggling to contain the backlash unleashed by its power grab, with daily clashes and swathes of the country outside of its control. Almost 1,500 civilians have been killed and over 11,000 arrested in its ongoing crackdown, according to a local monitor, with rights groups accusing junta troops of torture and extrajudicial killings. But for a pro-democracy movement angered by the military's power-grab, ending its decades-long entanglement in Myanmar politics once and for all is the only option. Also Read | The Myanmar nun who faced down a junta That means, analysts say, there is no end in sight to the crisis that has devastated the economy, emptied schools and hospitals across the country and sent thousands fleeing to neighbouring Thailand and India. "We are still living in a dark era," said Htoo Aung -- using a pseudonym for fear of reprisal -- at a market in commercial hub Yangon. "We have to think how we can struggle on through our daily lives under this military dictatorship rather than about our goals, our dreams in the future." In Yangon and other cities, the junta is projecting a return to normality as traffic jams return and shopping malls slowly fill up again. But, days before the February 1 anniversary, it is taking no chances. Authorities recently announced that those honking car horns or banging pots and pans -- popular protests in cities following the coup -- could be charged with treason or under an anti-terror law. But daily clashes between the dozens of "people's defence forces" (PDFs) that have sprung up across the country to fight back against the putsch show no sign of abating. The ex-protesters and villagers that fill their ranks have dealt some painful blows to junta troops with guerilla ambushes and mine attacks, even as they struggle to secure heavy weapons. A shadow group of lawmakers claims almost 3,000 junta troops died in fighting with PDFs between June and November -- the junta says 168 soldiers and police were killed between February and late October. Also Read | Suu Kyi gets 4 years for waving to cars and having walkie-talkies The year of conflict has taken a toll on the military, which is facing morale and recruitment problems, said International Crisis Group's Myanmar senior advisor Richard Horsey. "But these challenges are very unlikely to force the military to capitulate or lose its grip on state power," Horsey said. Junta troops were blamed for a Christmas Eve massacre that left the charred remains of more than 30 people on a highway in the east of the country, including two staff members of the Save the Children charity. Earlier in January it ordered air and artillery strikes on a state capital in the east to prevent anti-coup fights from seizing ground in the town. Myanmar's myriad ethnic armed groups have largely held back from throwing their lot in with the democracy movement thanks to a longstanding mistrust of the majority Bamar elite -- epitomised by Aung San Suu Kyi and her ousted National League for Democracy. It is a trust deficit that a shadow "National Unity Government" dominated by lawmakers from her party, and which has widespread support, is trying to overcome. Suu Kyi's closed-door trial in the military-built capital continues, and in the coming months she will likely be sentenced on a clutch of corruption charges -- each of which carries a maximum 15-year jail term. With the generals shielded at the United Nations by China and Russia -- and the crisis jostling for attention with wars in Ethiopia, Yemen and Ukraine -- many in Myanmar have given up on help arriving from the international community. The military is killing protesters almost daily "without the world noticing," said Htoo Aung. The generals have promised a return to multiparty democracy and fresh elections by 2023. But "it is impossible to see how they could do so given their tenuous control of much of the country," said the Crisis Group's Horsey. It seems "very unlikely that either side will be able to deliver a knockout blow", he said. "The stage is set for months, possibly years of violent confrontation." Check out DH's latest videos: The threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine has reignited debate in Finland and Sweden over whether they should join NATO to fend off any possible eastern aggression. Fighter jets could be heard carrying out drills above the Finnish capital this week, while Sweden recently deployed troops to a Baltic outpost in response to rising tensions. President Vladimir Putin's demands that NATO not expand eastwards have also led Finnish and Swedish leaders to loudly reassert their right to apply for membership should they wish. "It's for Finland and 30 NATO allies to decide, finally, on the issue of membership, and that's exactly the same for Sweden," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday after meeting the countries' foreign ministers. Also Read | US asks UN Security Council to meet on Russia, Ukraine Neither Finland nor Sweden has expressed an official desire to become full members, preferring instead information sharing and some joint training. But Charly Salonius-Pasternak, from the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, said Finland and Sweden had made "a conscious effort... to get explicit statements that NATO's open-door policy is still open". Elina Valtonen, the vice-chair of Finland's opposition National Coalition Party, said joining was "a natural step". "We have been forming ever-closer cooperation agreements not only with NATO but also the United Kingdom and the United States," Valtonen said. She added that Finland had long abandoned its Cold War stance of seeking to appease the Kremlin by remaining neutral. Without membership, Finland is ineligible for protections under NATO's Article 5, which commits other members to come to its aid should Russia send troops across the 1,340-kilometre-long (830- mile-long) border. Also Read | Biden vows support for Ukraine in Zelensky call: White House But support for NATO membership has traditionally been low among Finns and Swedes, though a January survey in Finland suggested opposition to joining had fallen to a two-decade low of 42 per cent. Robert Dalsjo, from the Swedish Defence Research Agency, said that for many in Sweden's largest political party, the Social Democrats, NATO membership was "akin to blasphemy". A re-evaluation could only be triggered by either "a Finnish opening for membership, or a threat so credible that the political calculus changes," he said. Few Russia-watchers suspect Putin has plans to send tanks into Finland. But, said Finnish analyst Salonius-Pasternak, "we have seen and continue to see... sub-threshold actions," such as Russia suddenly releasing 1,700 migrants across the Finnish border in 2016, or repeated airspace incursions. With memories lingering of the Soviets' bloody invasion attempt during World War II, Finland has for years upheld high levels of military readiness. Finland's former foreign minister Erkki Tuomioja, one of the country's most prominent opponents of NATO membership, said the country was well-prepared if needed. "We are not blue-eyed, so we have heavily invested in our national defence," he said. Finland has spent 8.4 billion euros ($9.5 billion) on new fighter jets, and "can mobilise a reserve of 280,000 trained soldiers, which no other country in Europe can do," Tuomioja added. Sweden, in contrast, slashed military spending after the Cold War. In 2013 commander-in-chief Sverker Goranson shocked Swedes by saying the country could only hold off a Russian invasion for "about a week" without outside help. But after Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, Sweden began bolstering its defences. "We were caught dressed for beautiful weather as the barometer indicated a storm coming," said Dalsjo, the Swedish analyst. "We've solved this by borrowing umbrellas, boots and warm sweaters from the Americans," but Sweden is still far from having the resources to defend itself. The country, which has not been to war in two centuries, reintroduced mandatory military service in 2017. This month Sweden deployed armed patrols to the island of Gotland after three Russian landing ships entered the Baltic sea. Finland announced it had increased "preparedness" with military exercises across the country. Salonius-Pasternak said Helsinki was quietly preparing behind the scenes. "Right now stuff is being done, but one might not see it," he said. Check out the latest videos from DH: Six rockets were fired Friday at the Iraqi capital's airport, causing damage but no casualties, security sources said, the latest in a string of attacks the US blames on Iran-linked militias. The rockets hit Baghdad International Airport's runways or parking areas, one of the sources said. "One civilian plane has been hit and damaged," this source, based at the interior ministry, said. A second security source confirmed the attack consisted of six rockets that fell around civil installations at the airport, damaging a stationary plane. A third source identified the plane as a Boeing 767 belonging to the state-owned Iraqi Airways, noting that it was not in service and was undergoing repairs. The attack was not immediately claimed. Recent months have seen rocket and drone attacks target the US embassy in Baghdad's high-security Green Zone, a US diplomatic facility at the airport and troops belonging to a US-led coalition stationed at Iraqi bases. The attacks are rarely claimed but are routinely pinned on pro-Iran factions, who demand that US troops who were deployed to help Iraqi forces fight the Islamic State group leave the country. The US-led coalition ended its combat mission in Iraq in December, four years after the Baghdad government declared victory over the jihadists. But roughly 2,500 American soldiers and 1,000 coalition soldiers will remain deployed in Iraq to offer training, advice and assistance to national forces. On January 3, US forces downed two armed drones that targeted the coalition at Baghdad airport, according to a coalition source. On January 13, three people, including two children, were wounded by a rocket that hit a school in the Green Zone, while two other rockets fell inside the US embassy complex, without causing casualties. In September, an "armed drone" attack targeted Arbil international airport in northern Iraq's Kurdistan region, where a base hosts coalition troops. The more recent rocket and drone fire come amid a tense domestic political situation. An election in October saw Fatah (Conquest) Alliance, the political wing of pro-Iran ex-paramilitary coalition Hashed al-Shaabi, lose most of its seats. It claimed that the polls were rigged against them. A bloc led by Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, who once led an anti-US militia and who opposes all foreign interference, took the largest share of seats and is trying to form a coalition government that would include Sunni and Kurdish factions. Check out the latest videos from DH: Russia on Friday sent its strongest signal so far that it is willing to engage with US security proposals and reiterated that it does not want war over Ukraine. "If it depends on Russia, then there will be no war. We don't want wars. But we also won't allow our interests to be rudely trampled, to be ignored," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Russian radio stations in an interview. Russia has massed tens of thousands of troops near the Ukrainian border as it presses demands for a redrawing of post-Cold War security arrangements in Europe. The United States and its allies have warned President Vladimir Putin that Russia will face swift and tough economic sanctions if he attacks Ukraine. Also Read | US asks UN Security Council to meet on Russia, Ukraine Lavrov said the West was ignoring Russia's interests but there was at least "something" in written responses submitted by the United States and NATO on Wednesday to Russia's proposals. While the responses have not been made public, both have stated they are willing to engage with Moscow on arms control and confidence-building measures. They have ruled out acceding to other demands, including that Ukraine must never be allowed to join NATO. Lavrov said he expected to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken again in the next couple of weeks. He said, without giving details, that the US counter-proposals were better than NATO's. Russia was studying them and Putin would decide how to respond. Also Read | US, Germany step up pipeline warnings if Russia invades Ukraine The comments were among the most conciliatory that Moscow has made on the Ukraine crisis, which has escalated into one of the tensest East-West standoffs since the Cold War ended three decades ago. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russia said on Friday his country had absolutely no interest in a war and that conflict would break out only if Belarus or Russia were directly attacked. French President Emmanuel Macron was due to speak by phone with Putin on Friday. "It is up to Vladimir Putin to say if he wants consultations or confrontation," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told RTL radio, asking whether the Russian leader wanted to be a "destabilising power" or would seek de-escalation. The Kremlin said it did not rule out that Putin would provide some Russian assessments of the Western response to its proposals during the conversation. Check out the latest videos from DH: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to Twitter complaining that his follower count has not increased since his account was temporarily suspended in August 2021 for a tweet about meeting the family members of a Dalit rape victim. In the letter that he wrote to Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal on December 27, Gandhi said that he found the matter perplexing and he believed that the unwitting complicity of Twitter was curbing free and fair speech in India. Gandhi said that since he raised the issue of the Dalit girl who died after she was raped, his average monthly follower count has fallen to nearly zero. Read More The Bihar Bandh called by the students in protest against "irregularities" in the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) exams affected normal life on Friday as a large number of students and political party workers blocked rail and road traffic at several places. The bandh is being supported by several ruling and opposition political parties, including VIP, HAM which are in power in the state. Besides, RJD, LJP (R), JAP, AIMIM and Congress parties are extending complete support to the agitating students. A large number of students and RJD supporters headed by Mukesh Raushan blocked the busy Mahatma Gandhi Setu at Hajipur on Friday morning leading to a huge traffic snarl on the bridge connecting Patna to Hajipur on the Ganga river. Tyres were also burnt on the road. In Jahanabad, students blocked busy NH 83 in the morning hours. They burnt tyres on the road thus disrupting the traffic movement. Several student groups blocked Ashok Rajpath and Bhikhana Pahadi road in Patna as well. These localities are known for a large number of coaching institutes, Patna university campus, several hostels and lodges where students reside and prepare for competitive examinations. Last Sunday, a clash took place between Patna police and students in Bhikhana Pahari over RRB-NTPC irregularities. As Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw considered two demands of the students, the teachers of coaching centres are appealing to students to stay calm during the bandh. Khan Sir, who is booked under relevant IPC sections for provoking the students, said: "The railway ministry has met the demand of students. Hence, students should not take laws in their hands and protest violently. The teachers of the coaching centres are not with the bandh. Stay focused on study." The student protests are by and large hijacked by different political parties of the state. "I condemn the police lathi charge on students in Bihar. The demand of students is genuine and logical. Hence LJP (R) is in the support of students. Peaceful protest is the birth right of students in democracy," said Chirag Paswan, president of LJP (R). In view of the protests, Bihar police have been deployed at all sensitive zones, including Rajendra Nagar terminal, Patna junction, Danapur, Arrah, Buxar, Sasaram, Bhabhua road, Lakhisarai, Jamui, Samastipur, Muzaffarpur to prevent untoward incidents. The railways has cancelled several trains bound to Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and some passenger trains and intercity express trains amid the ongoing protests. The student protest started last Saturday after RRB issued fresh notification for another examination and also said that the students have to give two examinations in the form of preliminary and mains in future. The fresh notification has provoked students for undeclared protests. They claimed that a notification of 35,000 jobs of various posts in Indian railway and NTPC was given in 2019 and exams were also conducted. Many students have passed the examinations and were waiting for the posting when fresh notifications came in. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Seven Indian nationals, who entered the US illegally and were arrested near the US-Canada border last week, have been released from Border Patrols custody and processed for removal from the country. All seven migrants who illegally entered the United States last week were administratively processed for removal and/or placed into removal proceedings as per the Immigration and Nationality Act, a statement read. It stated that six of the seven Indian nationals were placed under an Order of Supervision and one was released on an Order of Recognisance for humanitarian purposes. All the migrants have been released from Border Patrols custody and ordered to report to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement at a later date, it said. The seven Indian nationals were apprehended last week by US authorities near the US-Canada border, with one Steve Shand, 47, charged with human smuggling. Also Read Gujarati family found dead on US-Canada border identified Shand was arrested on January 19 less than a mile south of the border in a rural area between the official ports of entry located at Lancaster, Minnesota and Pembina, North Dakota. He was driving a 15-passenger van and was transporting two Indian nationals, who were in the US illegally. While Shand and the two passengers were being transported to the Pembina Border Patrol Station in North Dakota, law enforcement encountered five additional Indian nationals approximately a quarter mile south of the Canadian border walking in the direction of where Shand was arrested. All seven Indians were then arrested by border authorities. The five Indian nationals told authorities that they had walked across the border from Canada expecting to be picked up by a contact. The group said it had been walking around for over 11 hours. One of the group members was carrying a backpack that did not belong to him. He told authorities that he was carrying the backpack for a family of four Indian nationals that had earlier walked with his group but had separated during the night. The backpack contained childrens clothes, a diaper, toys, and some childrens medication. Later during the day, on January 19, Canadian authorities found the bodies of the four Indian nationals near Emerson, Manitoba, approximately 12 metres from the Canada-US border. The deceased were identified as Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel, 39, Vaishaliben Jagdishkumar Patel, 37, Vihangi Jagdishkumar Patel, 11 and Dharmik Jagdishkumar Patel, 3. Identities of the victims were confirmed by Canadian authorities and autopsies were completed on January 26. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Manitoba confirmed that the cause of death was due to exposure, a statement from Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said Thursday. Also Read India probes illegal immigration after family of four from Gujarat dies near Canada border The criminal complaint against Shand stated that two of the seven Indian nationals arrested sustained serious injuries. A male adult and female adult were taken to the hospital for suspected frostbite. The male was later released from the hospital, but the female was life-flighted to a larger hospital and will likely require partial amputation of one hand from exposure to extreme cold weather conditions. The female also stopped breathing several times while being transported by Border Patrol, the complaint said. Authorities have said the weather in the area was severe, with high winds, blowing snow and temperatures well below sub-zero. The area is also known by Border Patrol as a high incident area for human smuggling. Shand is charged with one count of knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien had come to, entered, or remained in the United States in violation of law, having transported, and moved or having attempted to transport and move such aliens. The complaint said that all the seven nationals arrested spoke Gujarati, a language spoken in Gujarat in western India. Most had limited or no English language speaking ability. Watch the latest DH Videos here: PHILADELPHIA Enrollment in cybercharter schools grew faster in Pennsylvania last year than in any other state and how they are funded results in big costs for local school districts, according to a new report. Pennsylvania is the cyber charter capital of the nation, the report released Thursday by the PA Charter Performance Center said. It describes Pennsylvania as standing apart not just for its large number of students attending its 14 cybercharters 61,000 in 2020-21, up from 38,000 the year before but also for insufficient oversight and funding provisions that havent been updated since the virtual schools were first permitted in 2002. Advertisement Other states, meanwhile, have made changes to how they regulate cybercharters which, like their brick-and-mortar counterparts, are publicly funded but independently operated. In Pennsylvania, the virtual schools have long been in tension with traditional public schools, which pay cybercharters based on enrollment. Cybers also have come under scrutiny for poor academic performance and management scandals. That funding mechanism isnt the same in every state and neither are the steps other legislatures have taken to reform their systems, according to the report by the Charter Performance Center, which is affiliated with Children First, a group that advocates for more funding for traditional public schools. The report compares Pennsylvania with 26 states with cybercharter schools, and proposes changes based on some of those states efforts. Advertisement How does Pennsylvanias cybercharter funding differ from other states? Most states with cybercharter schools fund them directly, according to the report. Pennsylvania, however, is one of four states where school districts fund the charters, though the virtual schools are authorized by the state and the district has no role in regulating them or deciding whether they open. In Pennsylvania, the funding works like this: For each student from a district that enrolls in a cybercharter, the district pays the cyber a rate based on what the district spends per pupil. Payment rates can vary greatly, because Pennsylvania school districts spend widely different amounts due to disparities among low- and high-wealth districts. Those payments came to an estimated $980 million last year, up from $684 million in 2019-20 almost a $300 million increase as enrollment grew to encompass 3.5% of the public school population. In comparison, the increase in the main form of state aid to school districts this year was $272 million. Cybercharters in Pennsylvania are paid at the same rate as brick-and-mortar charter schools similar to most states. But 11 states dont instead funding cybercharters at lower levels, according to the report. It points to analyses describing cybercharter cost structures as 25%-30% lower than brick-and-mortar schools, and calls by national charter school organizations for states to align cybercharter funding with actual costs. The report proposes that Pennsylvania set a statewide tuition rate for cybercharters that reflects lower costs of virtual education. Gov. Tom Wolf has made a similar proposal that, while garnering some bipartisan support, has been opposed by cybercharter leaders and hasnt gotten a hearing in the Republican-controlled legislature. It also calls for the state to stop paying twice for virtual education so that if a school district offers an online learning program whose educational track record is as good or better than a particular cybercharter, the district wouldnt be required to fund the charter. That, too, has come up in the Legislature before: A bill by House Education Committee Chair Curt Sonney, R-Erie, would have required parents who send their child to a cybercharter to pay tuition if a home district offered one. Singling out public charter schools when we have experienced shortcomings within public education for decades especially when concerning the families that disproportionally flock to charter schools is myopic, said Lenny McAllister, CEO of the Pennsylvania Coalition for Public Charter Schools. He said the new reports recommendations follow the typical narrative: We must fix (i.e., decrease) funding for charter schools. Advertisement What are ways other states fund their cybercharters? The report describes efforts to fund cybercharter schools based on student mastery of a subject or course completion rather than Pennsylvanias method, which funds the schools based on enrollment. Florida, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Texas and Utah have some form of performance-based funding for cybercharters, while Ohio and Arizona fund the online schools based on documented learning opportunities, according to the report. Parents or students log work completed each day providing a measure of engagement that goes beyond whether a student has logged in. Across the board, cybers are not performing well, said ML Wernecke, the Charter Performance Centers executive director, who added that Pennsylvanias 14 cybercharter schools have all scored below average on English and math standardized assessments and been flagged by the state as needing support. We know theres a problem here that needs to be addressed. To better track how cybercharter students are being counted and how much funding the schools should receive the charters should be audited each year by the state, the report said. It notes an enrollment scandal in Ohio, where the state sought to recover $80 million from a virtual school after an audit found it had inflated attendance by 9,000 students. Pennsylvania charter schools are required to provide audits to the Department of Education annually. Its a lot different to do your own audit ... than to open your books for the state auditor general, Wernecke said. She said traditional public schools face routine state audits. Advertisement McAllister, of the charter school coalition, said many of the reports accountability proposals are also ones that anti-school choice proponents do not want to apply to school district schools that have failed communities for generations. Last Call Daily Get top headlines from The Morning Call delivered weekday afternoons. > What else does the report suggest as solutions? The report suggests Pennsylvania create a statewide virtual school a model in place in 21 states that could serve as a centralized source of curriculum and resources for both school district virtual programs and cybercharters, wringing costs out of the system in the process. The school would differ from a charter in that it would be created by legislation or a state agency, though a variety of entities including a charter school operator could administer it. It could also compete with for-profit education management service companies that contract with cybercharters to provide curriculum, according to the report. And Pennsylvania could also move to a requests-for-proposal process when opening a new virtual school, the report said allowing it to weigh proposals against each other. Under the current process, applicants submit proposals to open new cybercharter schools to the state Department of Education, which is tasked with evaluating each on an individual basis. (c)2022 The Philadelphia Inquirer Advertisement Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.inquirer.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. By Sudhi Ranjan Sen, India is carrying out more warship patrols than ever before as concerns grow about the countrys ability to remain dominant in the Indian Ocean as Chinas naval power quickly increases. The waters off India havent seen this many naval vessels together since World War II as both China and Western allies deploy more warships in the area, according to senior Indian naval officials familiar with the matter. They estimated about 125 foreign naval vessels were in the Indian Ocean at any given time, roughly three times the number deployed in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks when the US invaded Afghanistan. While Indian officials are confident they can manage the threat for now, a lack of funding threatens the countrys ability to keep pace with China and other nations. Most Indian submarines critical to controlling the oceans are about two decades old, and plans to increase the warship fleet to 200 -- including a third aircraft carrier -- keep getting delayed. Also Read | Paschim Lehar: Indian Navy's joint maritime exercise concludes off west-coast India now has about 130 warships, roughly a third of Chinas naval fleet comprising 350 ships and submarines -- the largest in the world. Despite that, last year the navy saw the biggest gap among Indias three military services between requested and actual funds, prompting a parliamentary panel to ask the government to stop making further reductions. The navys budget will be in focus on Feb. 1, when Prime Minister Narendra Modis government presents its annual spending plan in parliament. In the last five years, the shortfall between what the Indian Navy requested and what it got ranged from 5 per cent to 41 per cent, the panel of lawmakers said in a 2020 report to the government. In the latest report submitted last month, they said the navys allocation was less than half the amount it wanted. Defense Ministry spokesman Bharat Bhushan Babu and Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. Over time as the region gets more militarized, tension in the area is bound to increase, said Anit Mukherjee, associate professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies who wrote a book on Indias military. The solution for India is to develop the navy if it wants to address its growing diplomatic and strategic needs. Chinese warships have been present in the Indian Ocean since 2008, and India is constantly watching three to eight of them that are continuously on patrol, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R. Hari Kumar told reporters in December. I want to assure you the Indian Navy is confident of defending Indias maritime interests, he said. India has permanently deployed warships at five choke points in the Indian Ocean, stretching from the Gulf of Aden in the west to the Malacca Strait in the east. The waters carry some of 40 per cent of the worlds oil from fossil-fuel producers in the Middle East to some of Asias biggest economies. Last year the Indian Navy carried out an all-time high of 50 joint exercises with friendly navies, including one with Japanese warships around the Malacca Strait, said a senior naval official. Still, India has been cautious to avoid antagonizing Beijing as the two countries battle along their contested Himalayan borders. Modis government has turned down requests from friendly navies to jointly patrol the South China Sea, another naval official said. Indias navy has sought to demonstrate its reach with humanitarian missions. In 2015, more than 26 countries, including the US, turned to India to help evacuate their citizens when civil war in Yemen intensified. Half a dozen Indian warships were able to rescue 4,000 Indian citizens as well as 1,200 foreigners before Port Aden was bombarded. In the last two years, the naval ships have sailed 40,000 nautical miles -- or twice around the earth -- carrying food, medicines and weapons to Indian Ocean countries. On Dec. 26, an Indian warship sailed into Mozambique for the first time carrying weapons and humanitarian aid. Overall leaders in Indias capital have become more aligned with the Indian Navys view of the countrys interest in the maritime domain, said Nilanthi Samaranayake, a director of the Strategic and Policy Analysis Program at CNA, a US-based research organization. Especially if it relates to the safety of Indian citizens working overseas and remittances to the national economy. Check out DH's latest videos: Indian police have detained six people in a crackdown on illegal immigration after four Indians were found frozen to death near the border between the United States and Canada last week, officials said on Thursday. On the same day, India's High Commission in the Canadian capital of Ottawa confirmed the identities of the deceased as 39-year-old Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel, 37-year-old Vaishaliben Jagdishkumar Patel, 11-year-old Vihangi Jagdishkumar Patel and 3-year-old Dharmik Jagdishkumar Patel. Their family has been informed, the High Commission said in a statement, highlighting the need "to ensure that migration and mobility are made safe and legal and that such tragedies do not recur." The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said they believe the family came to Canada on Jan. 12, arriving in Toronto, and travelled to Emerson, Manitoba, around Jan. 18. No vehicle was abandoned near the border, suggesting someone dropped them off and left, said Criminal Operations Officer Rob Hill. The six people detained by Indian police were running a travel and tourism company in the western state of Gujarat, said police official A.K. Jhala in the state capital of Gandhinagar. "We are now trying to nab the human traffickers who managed to send this family and others abroad via illegal channels," he added. US authorities have charged a Florida man, Steve Shand, with human trafficking after the four were found dead in Manitoba, a few yards north of the frontier with Minnesota. A US court granted Shand conditional release on Monday. The four were among four families from the same village who had travelled to the border this month. Officials said they got separated from the group of 18 people and were probably caught in a blizzard, resulting in a tragedy Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described as "mind-blowing." The situation came to light only when US authorities intercepted the group and found one of them carrying a backpack with baby supplies, although there was no infant among them. "The nexus of human trafficking runs deep, often involving local politicians too," said police official Jhala, adding that people even sell their land and homes to fund efforts to get to the United States or Canada. Canada is a sought-after destination by Indians facing massive unemployment at home. A foreign ministry official in India's capital New Delhi said authorities were coordinating with US and Canadian border officials to investigate the illegal immigration case. Crossings like this, into the United States from Canada, are relatively rare: US Customs and Border Patrol apprehensions of migrants trying to cross between ports of entry along the US-Canada border dropped from 6,806 in 2009 to 916 in 2021. US Customs and Border Patrol apprehended 339 Indians trying to cross into the United States at the northern border in 2019, 129 in 2020 and 41 last year. By contrast, the RCMP apprehended 16,503 asylum-seekers crossing north between border crossings in 2019. The seven Indian migrants US authorities apprehended last week may be eligible for visas if they cooperate in Shand's prosecution, said Veena Iyer, executive director of the Immigration Law Center of Minnesota. Check out latest DH videos here The Centre on Friday said it has decided to convert as many as 150 villages into 'Villages of Excellence' in 12 states with technical assistance from the Israeli government. Already, the Israeli government has established 29 Centre of Excellence (CoEs) in 12 states, which are producing more than 25 million vegetable plants, over 3,87,000 quality fruit plants and can train more than 1.2 lakh farmers per year. The 150 villages that are located around CoEs will be converted into 'Villages of Excellence.' "Out of which, 75 villages are being taken up in the first year to commemorate the 75th year of India's independence, where India and Israel will work together," Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar conveyed in a meeting with the new Israeli Ambassador to India Naor Gilon on January 27 here. The minister expressed joy over the completion of 30 years of diplomatic relations between India and Israel and said that the government is satisfied with the functioning of 29 CoEs, according to an official statement. The Ambassador of Israel, Gilon, said these CoEs are a great example of cooperation between the two countries and proposed the certification of CoEs to further enhance the standards and quality of services being provided to the farmers. He also evinced interest in further collaboration with agri-research body ICAR and making available the latest technologies available with Israel. Gilon also invited Tomar to visit Israel. Check out the latest videos from DH: Several Indian-origin scientists are among hundreds of worldwide experts to urge the UK to back a temporary waiver of intellectual property rules for Covid-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to achieve greater vaccine parity worldwide. India and South Africa had introduced a proposal at the WTO for such a patent waiver for fairer vaccine access for the developing world, but the issue remains deadlocked in the multilateral arena. Epidemiologists Professor K. Srinath Reddy of the Public Health Foundation of India and Dr Deepti Gurdasani of Londons Queen Mary University, Bioengineer Manu Prakash, Associate Professor at Stanford University, Professor Amitava Banerjee of University College London, and Professor Harish Nair of the University of Edinburgh are among 320 scientists calling on technology sharing for global vaccination coverage to boost the fight against variants of concern. Also Read | Pfizer Covid pill gets final approval from European Commission Allowing huge numbers of people in low- and middle-income countries to remain unvaccinated is a reckless approach to public health that creates conditions where new SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) variants of concern are more likely to develop, reads a letter addressed to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at 10 Downing Street this week. The experts point out how the Omicron variant was first identified in Botswana and South Africa, countries on a continent in which fewer than one in 10 are fully vaccinated. Thanks to remarkable scientific innovations, we have a number of vaccines that remain highly effective against all known Covid-19 variants. Yet, unless we share this technology with the world and increase global vaccination coverage, vaccines will not be effective at stopping new variants of concern, the experts say. Also Read | Merck's Covid-19 pill active against Omicron in lab studies They add: We must use and expand domestic vaccine manufacturing and distribution capacity within low and middle-income countries. However, intellectual property rules and trade secrets remain a major barrier to this task. We call on the UK government to support the temporary waiver of intellectual property rules under the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement for Covid-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to scale up and diversify production of the tools needed to end this pandemic. The UK and European Union (EU) are among the countries not in favour of such a waiver, while the US expressed support last year. Also Read | Bharat Biotech gets DCGI nod for trials of nasal Covid-19 booster dose We also call on the British government to use all means at its disposal to pressure pharmaceutical companies to share their technology and know-how with the World Health Organisations (WHO) Covid-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) and its mRNA technology transfer hub in South Africa. This way, we can accelerate production and supply in low and middle-income countries and prevent further variants of concern from emerging, the scientists urge. The UK has maintained that it is doing its bit and making "significant" contributions through the WHO's COVAX initiative for vaccine supplies by donating excess doses. "We recognise and share concerns regarding the level of vaccination in some parts of the world, and we are working on tackling the underlying issues including manufacturing and supply constraints, pressure on health systems, and vaccine confidence," a UK government spokesperson said. Watch the latest DH Videos here: The Maharashtra Directorate of National Cadet Corps (NCC) has won the Prime Ministers banner at the Republic Day Camp. The prestigious PM banner has been won by the State Directorate after seven years. The last time the state won the banner was in 2014. Cadets from 17 NCC Directorates from various States participated in the month-long RDC Camp this year. Maharashtra State Directorate had also fielded a Contingent of 57 Cadets, both Boys and Girls, drawn from various districts. The RDC 2022 for the NCC during the year commemorating Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav and Swarnim Vijay Varsh culminated with the PMs Rally at Cariappa Parade Ground, Delhi Cantonment on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, presented the prestigious PM Banner to Maj Gen Y P Khanduri, Additional Director General, NCC Directorate Maharashtra. Also read: No one can stop nation whose youth works with spirit of nation first: PM Modi at NCC rally Senior Under Officer Siddhesh Jadhav was the Banner Bearer and Cadet Capt Nikita Khot was the Trophy bearer. In the month-long Camp, the Cadets did their best in various competitions like Drill, Rajpath Marching, Guard of Honour to PM, PMs Rally Line Layout, Flag Area briefing and Cultural Event. The consistent excellent performance of the contingent throughout the Camp in all events saw the NCC Directorate Maharashtra being adjudged the best directorate. Brig R K Gaikwad, Commander NCC Group Pune complimented the contingent that was led by Lt Col Anirudh Sinh, assisted by Maj Arusha Shete and S/O Manoj Phirange and the Cadets for their outstanding performance. Noting the young profile of the cadets, who are mostly born in this century, the Prime Minister underlined their role in taking the country towards 2047. Your efforts and resolve and the fulfilment of those resolutions will be the achievement and success of India, he said. The Prime Minister said no power of the world can stop the country whose youth starts moving ahead with the thinking of nation first. India's success in the playfield and the startup ecosphere exemplify this very clearly, the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister talked about the steps being taken to strengthen the NCC in the country in a period when the country is moving forward with new resolutions. For this, a high-level review committee has been set up in the country. In the last two years, 1 lakh new cadets have been created in the border areas of the country, he said. The Prime Minister elaborated on the steps being taken to open the doors of the defence establishments for girls and women. He noted the presence of a large number of the girl cadets and termed it to be a symbol of changing attitude of the nation. Country needs your contribution and there are ample opportunities for that, he told the girl cadets. He said now the daughters of the country are taking admission in Sainik Schools and women are getting major responsibilities in the army. The daughters of the country are flying fighter planes in the Air Force. In such a situation, it should be our endeavour that more and more daughters should be included in NCC, he added. The Prime Minister also underlined the major role that todays youngsters can play in the vocal for local campaign. If todays youth resolves to use only those goods that have been created with the labour and sweat of an Indian, Indias destiny can be transformed, he emphasised. Check out latest videos from DH: The Congress leadership has been caught unawares and is in a dilemma by a surprising decision of the Modi government. The move to confer Padma Bhushan award on senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has resulted in the BJP shooting many birds with one stone. One may not be wrong if one thinks that the BJP has risen above narrow party identities and bestowed the award on Azad, a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and former Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. But many, declining to be quoted, say this is a ploy to embarrass the Congress, a party which is in a serious disarray ever since it lost power in 2014. This gesture may have also made Azad to be sympathetic to the BJP (dont forget the praise heaped on him by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Rajya Sabha during the farewell speech for the Kashmiri leader). Many aver that Azad would be a good bet for the BJP in the troubled state of J&K where Assembly elections may be held this or next year. Also Read | Padma award to Azad stirs pot of troubles for Congress The BJP, by this move, has put its main rival Congress in a hopelessly embarrassing position. The party has, three days after the announcement, failed to come out with its reaction, either praising it or asking Azad to reject it. If the intention of the BJP was to put the Congress in an awkward position, one can say it has succeeded in this bid. Not just that, with the schism created, the party is badly divided on this front. As regards party seniors, Jairam Ramesh is critical of the move while Kapil Sibal, Anand Sharma, Manish Tewari etc, while congratulating Azad, have taken on the party leadership for not welcoming it. The party leaderships discomfort in this needs to be seen from a different perspective too. Azad is the leader of the G23 grouping which has rebelled against the high command; in other words, against the leadership of the mother-son duo of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. Also Read | 'No comments': Cong on Padma Bhushan for Ghulam Nabi Azad; division within party on honour Sibal, Sharma, Tewari are part of the G23 pack. The Padma award came a day after the party nominated Azad as one of the 'star campaigners for the elections to the five state assemblies. Azad himself, unlike Marxist veteran and former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee, has not rejected the award, which means, in all probability, he will accept the same. Of course, he has not made any statement specifically regarding this. This has given rise to speculation that Azad may leave the Congress, form a party of his own and, after the elections in J&K, have an alliance with the BJP if the need arises. The Congress, on its part, had been generous towards Azad all through his career. Since 1980s, he was almost always a member of either the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha till 2021, except for nearly three years when he was made chief minister of J&K. He helmed various portfolios during his many years as minister at the Centre; his last position was Leader of the Opposition in the RS. In sum, with the move, the BJP has trapped the Congress, its leadership, its senior leaders and Azad on a sticky wicket. Check out latest DH videos here A girl is not a property that can be given in donation, the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court observed, while taking strong objection to a case wherein a man had given his 17-year-old daughter in "daan" to a self-styled godman. A single bench of Justice Vibha Kankanwadi made the observation earlier this month while hearing a bail application filed by the godman Shankeshwar Dhakne and his disciple Sopan Dhanke, arrested for allegedly raping the minor girl. The two accused lived in a temple at Badnapur in Jalna district along with the girl and her father. The girl on August 2021 filed FIR against the duo for allegedly raping her, following which they were arrested. Justice Kankanwadi in her order took note of the prosecution's case that in 2018, a document styled as "danpatra" on a stamp paper of Rs 100 was executed between the girl's father and the Dhakne. It is stated that the father of the girl has given his daughter on donation (daan) to the baba and it is stated that the said 'kanyadan' has been made in the presence of God. When the girl as per her own statement is minor, then why the father, who is in all respect guardian, to the girl, give the girl as Daan? the court said in its order. A girl is not a property, which can be given in donation, Justice Kankanwadi said, adding that this was a disturbing fact. The court noted that it was concerned about the future of the minor girl and cannot shut its eyes. This was a fit case where directions needed to be given to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of Jalna district to hold an inquiry on an expeditious basis and find out if the girl was fit to be declared as a child in need of care and protection. This is in view of the future of the girl and she should not be driven to do any illegal activities, the court said, directing the CWC to hold its inquiry and submit its report to the court. The court granted bail to the duo on a bond of Rs 25,000 each and posted the matter for further hearing on February 4. Watch the latest DH Videos here: A notice that left hundreds of employees of Kolkata Municipal Corporation shocked, as it allegedly declared halting of pension for the recent retirees of the government body due to a fund crunch, is being probed. The corporation has declared that no notice with the consent of the municipal commissioner or of the civic body was put up. Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim on Friday clarified that those who have put up the notice have done injustice and the municipal commissioner has been asked to investigate how such notice was put up. We are looking into it. Whoever did it, did an injustice. The commissioner has been asked to investigate we will search, and disciplinary action will be taken, the mayor said. The Kolkata mayor added that those who have been receiving pensions so far will continue to get. Those, who are in process of availing pension, will have a slight delay. A notice put up on Thursday for the civic employees had stated, Payments of pension and pensionary benefits (to the retired employees who have been superannuated from September 2021) are not currently released due to (the) crisis of fund. The unsigned notice created panic, and soon rumours of the Kolkata civic body having gone bankrupt were in circulation. The mayor, however, accepted the fact (as already stated by him) that the corporation has Rs 1,000 crore liability in its accounts. Attempts are on to instil financial discipline. The Bengal BJP, meanwhile, took a dig at the Trinamool government, saying that the way expenditures are incurred doesnt reflect an economic crisis, and if there is a crisis in the civic body, then who created it in the first place. A BJP councillor also protested with a banner, No pension, no KMC, at the venue of the corporations routine meeting, that took place at the Town Hall in the city. Watch the latest DH Videos here: The Jaganmohan Reddy government's move to carve 13 new districts is met with protests in several parts of Andhra Pradesh. While people in some areas are agitated over their long-standing demands being ignored, some are opposed to their region attached with far off district headquarters. Emotions are running high especially in Reddy's home turf Rajampeta. A rally was taken out in the town on Thursday, with sizable participation of students, opposing their inclusion in the newly proposed Annamayya district with Rayachoti as headquarters. According to a gazette notification issued on Wednesday, Rajampeta revenue division from existing Kadapa and Madanapalle from existing Chittoor districts would form part of Annamayya district. Rajampeta people are also agitated as the name Tallapaka Annamayya, a 15th-century saint and composer of hymns in praise of Lord Venkateshwara has closer association with them. Tallapaka village is just a few kms away from Rajampet. Also read: Jaganmohan government notifies creation of 13 new districts in Andhra Pradesh People in Madanapalle are also protesting, demanding that their town be made the district HQ. While there is a demand to make Markapuram a separate district, the revenue division was retained in the Prakasam district. Penamaluru, Gannavaram people, who are closer to Vijayawada, are furious that they are clubbed with far off Machilipatnam. Such objections are being raised in north coastal Andhra too. Actor turned politician and Hindupur MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna stated that Hindupur should be made the centre of Sri Satyasai district. Vijay Kumar, secretary, AP planning department said that the districts were reshaped keeping aspects like population, area, distance from headquarters and future development potential in view. Objections can be brought to the government notice within 30 days from Wednesday. Meanwhile, the opposition Telugu Desam Party described the district reorganisation as ruling YSRCP's political game, to divert attention from public resentment over various issues and problems in the state. TDP leaders said that notifications were issued overnight with total disregard for the sentiments of the people concerned. Check out latest videos from DH: Sika and Siddique will finally be able to spend a few days together almost seven-and-a-half decades after the 1947 partition of India and birth of the new nation of Pakistan separated the two brothers. The High Commission of Pakistan in New Delhi has issued a visa to Sika Khan so that the 76-year-old can travel from Punjab in India to the neighbouring country, where his 84-year-old brother Muhammad Siddique has been living since 1947. I am delighted that I have got the visa. I will now travel to Pakistan to meet my brother and other family members, Sika said in a video tweeted by the High Commission of Pakistan in New Delhi, after a brief meeting with the neighbouring countrys acting envoy to India, Aftab Hasan Khan. He also smilingly posed for photograph showing on his passport the visa that would allow him to spend a few days with his brother Siddique. The siblings were separated just days before India attained independence and Pakistan was born as a new nation in August 1947. The children were at their maternal village Phulewala in Punjab just days before India attained independence on August 15, 1947. So were their parents. But just before the partition of the country, their father took Siddique to his ancestral village Bogran, which soon became the part of Punjab in Pakistan. Sika, then just two-year-old, remained with her mother in India. As the partition triggered a mass migration and communal riots, the familys plan for an early reunion did not turn into a reality. The father of Sika and Siddique died in Pakistan, while their mother committed suicide a few days after hearing about her husbands death across the newly drawn border. The two brothers grew up and greyed separately on two sides of the border. They, however, came to know about each other in 2019 when Pakistani YouTuber Nasir Dhillon visited the village where Siddique was living and posted online a video of him talking about his long lost sibling Sika. A rural medical practitioner Jagsir Singh from Phulewala in India contacted Dhillon and they arranged a video-call between the two separated brothers. Sika and Siddique met each other personally in Kartarpur Corridor a few days back. The Kartarpur Corridor was formally opened in November 2019 to facilitate the pilgrims from India to cross over to Pakistan and visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur without any hassle. The meeting between Sika and Siddique in Kartarpur Corridor was brief. But with Sika now set to travel from India to Pakistan and meet Siddique, the two siblings can at least partially make up for the years they lost while growing up on the two sides of the border. Check out latest DH videos here Biden, Zelensky discuss Ukraine tensions over phone Xinhua) 14:09, January 28, 2022 WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, held a telephone conversation Thursday to discuss the ongoing tensions on the Ukrainian border. According to a statement released by the White House, Biden reaffirmed U.S. support to Ukraine, including "additional macroeconomic support to help Ukraine's economy amidst pressure." The U.S. president also noted that despite the departure of American family members of embassy personnel, the U.S. embassy in Kiev remains open and fully operational. Biden, the statement said, also expressed Washington's support for resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine through the Normandy Format, a mechanism established in 2014 that involves French, German, Russian and Ukrainian diplomats. The president said he hoped that a recommitment by the quadrilateral dialogue members to the July 2020 ceasefire agreement will help decrease tensions and advance the Minsk agreements. The agreements call for an immediate ceasefire between government troops in Kiev and armed groups in the Donbass region while seeking a diplomatic solution to the conflict. Zelensky said in a tweet that during the call the two leaders discussed "recent diplomatic efforts on de-escalation and agreed on joint actions for the future." He also confirmed that "possibilities for financial support to Ukraine were also discussed." Also on Thursday, Deputy Chairman of Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the United States are using Ukraine to gain geopolitical leverage. "Ukraine, unfortunately, has turned, to some extent, into a toy in the hands of NATO and the United States, as Ukraine is used as a geopolitical instrument to exert pressure on Russia," the RIA Novosti news agency quoted Medvedev as saying during his interview with Russian media outlets. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Continuing its pledge to improve safety in the wake of shootings near campus, Temple University announced Thursday morning it was forming a task force and tapping former Philly police commissioner Charles H. Ramsey to conduct an audit of campus safety services. The move comes after student Samuel Collington was shot to death last semester in a near-campus robbery and carjacking, putting the North Philadelphia university on edge and leaving students and staff fearful. Advertisement We are committed to enhancing safety around campus and Commissioner Ramseys expertise will be key to ensuring that we are on the right path. university President Jason Wingard said in a message to the campus. Ramsey served as Philadelphias police commissioner from 2008 to 2016 during which the citys homicide rate plummeted. He also had co-chaired former President Obamas task force on policing and led police forces in both Chicago and Washington D.C. Advertisement The citys gun violence epidemic hit painfully close to the campus last November. On Nov. 16, Ahmir Jones, 18, who was not a Temple student, was shot and killed three blocks from campus. Then on Nov. 28, Collington was killed just after returning to his off campus residence after Thanksgiving break. Last Call Daily Get top headlines from The Morning Call delivered weekday afternoons. > Wingard at that time promised over the next days and weeks to increase security, including working with the city Police Department to establish more patrols in nearby student residential areas and aiming to boost the 115-officer campus police force by 50%. The university, he said at that time, also intended to upgrade lighting, cameras, and emergency phones and increase the availability of shuttle service and its walking escort program. Thursdays announcement, he said, continues those efforts. Four new police officers were added to patrol, six have been hired as officers or trainees, and a dozen more are in the interview process, the university said. With an additional 70 applicants, Temple hopes to have a sizable number for its next police academy, the university said. Temple also will form a task force on violence-reduction strategies, which will be used to keep key constituents, including parents and North Philadelphia residents, engaged in enhancing safety, the university said. The answers to solving this crisis can be found only by harnessing the collective expertise of the entire Temple community, Wingard said. This is all hands on deck... The university also said it was launching a new personal safety mobile app, called RAVE Temple Guardian, which students can use to connect directly with the campus police department to request virtual and physical escorts and report problems. Temples medical school also plans to develop a center within the school for violence prevention intervention. Dr. Amy Goldberg, dean of the medical school and a trauma surgeon, after a series of shootings including two deaths in the early hours of New Years Day, tweeted: Last night was an abomination in our city. Our community is dying. Where is the outrage ... from everyone? Amid a falling Covid-19 count, the Union Health Ministry on Thursday said there are early indications of the third Covid wave plateauing in certain geographies and maintained that more than 90 per cent of active cases are in home isolation indicating mild or moderate disease. The ministry also observed that 75 per cent of the samples sequenced in January were of the Omicron variant that drove away the more virulent Delta from all states barring Odisha, Maharashtra and West Bengal, but cautioned the unvaccinated or people with comorbidities to watch out as majority of Covid-19 deaths and serious diseases during the third wave occurred in such populations. There are early indications of a plateau (in the Covid-19 curve) limited to certain geographies. There are areas where the case positivity is going down, Lav Agarwal, joint secretary in the Union Health Ministry said, without disclosing the sites. Read more: While Omicron loosens hold, the pandemic has not ended The maximum number of daily new cases during the third wave was registered on January 20 (3,47,254) following which there has been a steady decline. Asked whether India crossed its peak, Agarwal said, The overall bigger picture on the peak is yet to come as there are some areas where the disease is still spreading. More than 400 districts have a weekly positivity of over 10 per cent while 141 districts have a positivity between 5 and 10 per cent. Four southern states are among the areas with an expanding epidemic as they recorded an increase in Covid-19 case as well as positivity on the week ending on January 27 as against the previous three weeks. The weekly cases in Karnataka stands at 3,25,214 with a positivity rate of 22.67 per cent -- both substantially higher than corresponding figures recorded in the week ending on January 20. A similar rise has been seen in Kerala (3,10,382 weekly cases with nearly 50 per cent positivity), Tamil Nadu (2,10,001 and 22 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (95,132 and 28.3 per cent). Ten states contribute more than 77 per cent of the active cases, Agarwal said. Karnataka tops the list of states with the maximum number of active cases. Besides its southern neighbours, others in the list are Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh though the Health Ministry data indicates a decline in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal in the last one week. On the community spread of Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, Sujit Singh, director, National Centre for Disease Control said 75 per cent of the samples genetically sequenced in January turned out to be Omicron. There are 9,672 Omicron samples as against 4,779 Delta and AY samples (1,578 Delta). In comparison, there were 1,292 Omicron cases in December as against 17,272 Delta and AY cases. Delta is still not out fully as the variant is still being seen in three states, he said. Watch the latest DH videos: Four persons found frozen to death on the Canada-US border last week were from Gujarat's Dingucha village in Kalol taluka of state capital Gandhinagar district. They are from the same family who had left for Canada on visitor visas and were exposed to extreme cold while trying to cross the border to the United States in what is believed to be a case of human smuggling. "Further to the report of the tragic death of four people, including an infant, whose bodies were recovered near the Canada-US border in Manitoba on January 19, 2022, Canadian authorities have confirmed the identifies of the four deceased as; (i) Jagdish Baldeshbhai Patel, male, 39, (ii) Vaishaliben Jagdishkumar Patel, female, 37, (iii)Vihangi Jagdishkumar Patel, female, 11, and (iv) Dharmik Jagdishkumar Patel, male, 3. All were Indians and next of kin of the deceased have been informed," High Commission of India, Ottawa (Canada), said in a statement posted on its Twitter handle. The statement also said, "...this tragedy has brought into focus the need to ensure that migration and mobility are made safe and legal and that such tragedies do not recur." Also read: India probes illegal immigration after family of four from Gujarat dies near Canada border Meanwhile, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Manitoba province also released a statement on its official website where it said that the deceased are from the same family. The website also released a photo of the Patel family. "They are from the same family and are all Indian nationals. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Manitoba has confirmed that the cause of death was due to exposure." According to several reports, the family was trying to cross into the US on foot in -35c temperature. "We can confirm that on January 12, the Patel family arrived in Toronto, Canada. From Toronto, the family made their way to Emerson (the border town) on, or about January 18, 2022. There was no abandoned vehicle located on the Canadian side of the border. This indicates that someone drove the family to the border and then left the scene," the Canadian police said in the statement. It added, "With what we know so far of their activities in Canada, along with the arrest that occurred in the United States, we believe this to be a case of human smuggling. We know the Patel moved around Canada for a period of time and we are looking for anyone that may have had encounters with them." In Dingucha, Jaswant Patel, cousin of Jagdish Patel, confirmed that the family was informed by the government officials late on Thursday night. The sleepy village with urban facilities has nearly 3,300 population as per 2011 census, out of which a majority of them are from the Patidar community. Nearly 50 per cent of Patidar households have migrated to the United States and Australia. Check out DH's latest videos What women wear. This is something that has been the target of rules, diktats, sly comments and harsh punishments for much of recorded human history. And this continues right up to the present day. Of late, there has been conflict in Karnatakas Udupi over the wish of some young women students to wear a headscarf in class. They have faced resistance to this from authorities and their own college mates. Also Read | The Udupi girls and other dangerous Muslim women This is not the first time that this has happened in the state. Back in August 2009, I travelled to the Dakshina Kannada district to meet a young woman, Ayesha, who was facing the same pressure for the same reason. Ayesha was then a first-year student at SVS College in Bantwal, near Mangaluru. She was not allowed to enter her class wearing a headscarf. She kept returning each day hoping that she would be allowed to attend classes in her chosen attire. But that didnt happen, and in an increasingly difficult atmosphere, Ayesha left the college. In 2022, over 12 years on, the Udupi students who want to wear the headscarves in class are facing a similar situation to the one faced by Ayesha in 2009. The authorities in Ayeshas college indicated that they personally had no issue with a student wearing the headscarf in class but that rules were rules. The SVS College Principal at that time, Sitaram Mayya, said, It is one rule for all students. She is the only one not following the rule. Ganesh Prabhu, who was then Correspondent of SVS College, said, We admire Ayeshas rebellious spirit; we just wish it had been used for nation-building instead. Maybe even harder to deal with for these students is the opposition from their peers. For Ayesha, too, over a decade ago, many of her college mates were against the headscarf she wanted to wear. She said that they had told her If you wear the scarf, we will wear saffron shawls. This saffron shawl angle has surfaced in 2022 also. Back in 2009, a non-Muslim student at the college told me why they were against wearing of the headscarf in the classroom. They look different from the others when they wear burkhas. You should not display religion. I spoke to other Muslim girl students from the college on that visit -- many of whom came to college in burkhas which they took off after entering the college. Some of them said they also wanted to wear their headscarf to class and had not told their families that they needed to remove them once on the college campus. The coastal region of Karnataka does have an unfortunate history of communal tensions. But adding to the complicated situation, these incidents are also mixed inextricably with gender. Dress codes for women students are not that unusual. Colleges in big cities like Bengaluru and other towns like Mysuru even colleges that admit only girls have at various stages told their day scholars and hostelites what they can and cannot wear. In some colleges, jeans were banned as well as sleeveless and short tops. Tops were not supposed to be tucked into trousers. The objective here was to make sure the young women students were covered up enough for modesty, to make sure their clothes were not too revealing. But girl students who want to cover themselves even further with the hijab are also facing criticism. Opposition to the headscarf in countries like France which has lately seen objections to the wearing of headscarves by sportswomen too is ostensibly because the coverings are seen as oppressive to women and part of too conspicuous a display of religious symbols in public. Others demand the right to wear these headscarves while playing sport or indeed anywhere they choose. They see the opposition to headscarves as part of religious intolerance, particularly against Muslims. The same debate had surfaced when some places in France banned the burqini -- swimwear that covered far more of the wearers body than other swimsuits of the day. The common thread connecting those who tell women to cover up or not to cover up quite so much is the belief that they have the right to tell a girl or a woman what she can or cannot wear. Bring religion into the mix against a backdrop of growing intolerance, and a simple headscarf stands for so much more. A hope that another 12 years down the line, this story is still not being played out in our colleges. And that women can peacefully wear whatever they feel comfortable wearing. (The writer is a senior journalist with NDTV) The joint session of the Karnataka state legislature would be held from February 14-25 and the Budget session would be held in the first week of March, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said. Speaking to the media persons after the cabinet meeting, Bommai said many vital issues were discussed after the cabinet meeting. "Covid situation and management, problems being faced by schools and colleges... the petitions from schools, colleges and organisations have been placed before the expert committee. Suitable decision would be taken based on the report from the experts," Bommai said. The Chief Minister said that BBMP elections too came up for discussion. Also Read | Bommai completes bitter-sweet 6 months as Karnataka CM, more challenges await A handbook on the six months' achievements of the government would be released at a function on Friday as it completes 6 months in office. Instructions have been issued to ministers to present the achievements of their respective ministries through print and electronic media by holding media conferences so that the performance could get wide publicity to reach the people, Bommai said. The BJP state president would soon convene a meeting to brainstorm on the issues related to party organisation and foster better coordination in the days ahead between the party and the government, Bommai said. Reacting to objections raised by Congress leaders about huge gatherings at the Derby races violating Covid guidelines, Bommai said: "There is no permission for large gatherings Covid guidelines should be strictly followed. Suitable action will be taken if the guidelines have been violated." Replying to a question about Congress' allegations of discrimination in allocation of funds and the BBMP meetings being held with a motive to help BJP in BBMP polls, Bommai said: "The very purpose of Congress is to make allegations. Let them recall what they did when they were in power." Check out latest DH videos here Released: January 28, 2022 Melissa C. Lyon, CPH, Director of Delaware Countys historic first Health Department toured the Keystone First Wellness and Opportunity Center in Chester on Jan. 26 to examine the Countys efforts administering the COVID-19 vaccine to local residents. During the visit, Lyon was given a tour of the facility which offers testing and vaccinations for the County. Since opening, more than 13,000 vaccines have been given to area residents at the Keystone First Wellness Center by members of the Delaware County Reserve Medical Corps assisted by Keystone staff. Residents are so excited to finally have a County Health Department and I share in their enthusiasm, said Delaware County Health Department Director, Melissa Lyon. There is a great deal of work to get done and there are fundamental priorities that we have to put into place. My team and I are excited to get started! Lyon will tour other medical facilities across the county in the coming weeks. The Bishop of Derry has said that had the truth been spoken that day on Bloody Sunday, so many lives and so much pain could have been spared. Bishop Donal McKeown addressed the congregation at a special Mass at St Mary's Church in Creggan for the victims of Bloody Sunday. The Bishop was also joined by Bishop Andrew Forster, who is the Anglican Bishop of Derry and Raphoe as well a number of the Bloody Sunday families. In his homily, Bishop McKeown stated that blatant lies were told as the truth was killed to protect the system. He also spoke about other tragedies and unsavoury chapters of history that have gone fully untold and that society deserved an agreed system that creates space for the truth to be told. Bishop McKeown said in his homily: Those of us gathered here this evening have known for a long time that this anniversary was approaching. What happened 50 years ago on the streets of this city was such a shocking event that has reverberated down through the years and around the world. Unarmed civilians were gunned down by the state when all they were doing was protesting against decades of injustice. There is no doubt now as to what we remember. The Saville tribunal overturned the Widgery whitewash, though it took 38 years for an acknowledgement of what the families always knew to be true. But though there are no doubts as to what happened, we can reflect on how we chose to remember what we recall with love. What might Jesus have to say to us to help us remember the loss of life and the loss of innocence that happened that Sunday afternoon? Firstly, Jesus said that the truth will set you free. Had truth been spoken that day and over the next weeks, so many lives and so much pain could have been spared. But when truth is killed to protect the system, the initial pain is multiplied. As with many other tragedies in our history, the system frustrated the desire of families to get at the truth. Blatant lies were told. Campaigners were sometimes seen as obsessive. That put huge pressure on mental health and on relationships. Institutions whether in state, church or non-state actors tell stories of their own heroism. And that makes it very hard for them to admit the presence of sin in their ranks. People are crushed when institutions or organisations lie to preserve their reputation. We still have much truth to discover about many other deaths. Many people still know truths that they are reluctant to share. We deserve an agreed system that creates space for the truth to be told about the thousands of unsolved murders. Drawing a line under the past always suits those who have much to hide. Today we remember those whose lives were lost by brutal violence and all those who suffered terribly because of the lies that were told. Bishop Donal McKeown, the Bishop of Derry Bishop McKeown went on to speak on how the difficulty on finding peace with the past can be overcome with compassion and forgiveness as using the past as a heap of angry stones to throw at other people hinders the rebuilding process. He added: We all know that finding peace with the past is very difficult. Many of our societies struggle to know how they remember unsavoury chapters in their history. How do we deal with slavery and colonialism, the treatment of those who offended against societys morals and the banishment of the poor to Australia for stealing food or a handkerchief? There are various attitudes that can be employed. There are those prefer to stoke the flames of rage, believing that the fire of anger will cleanse the wound promote a modern agenda. There are others who want to let sleeping dogs lie and prefer not to grapple with uncomfortable truths that might disturb our comfort in the present. But there is another way. It seeks to acknowledge the past but to have compassion and forgiveness for those who were caught up in systems and situations that they can now look at with other eyes. There is a grace-filled art in forgiving and remembering. It takes a wise heart to look at the rubble of what has been shattered in the past and to make it into a foundation for the future. If all we do with the past is to use it as a heap of angry stones to throw at other people, then we cannot build. Either we process the rubbish of the past and make it into life-giving compost or it lies in the corner and benefits no-one. I hope that our celebrations this weekend will help us all to build a future full of hope for our young people and not nourish them on bitter anger that can only kills and destroy. A new society on the island needs big hearts. It will not be created by small minds. Despite being from another denomination, Bishop Forster's attendance was warmly welcomed by Bishop McKeown. He continued: I was delighted when Bishop Andrew Forster said that he would join us this evening. His presence builds on the courageous work begun by Bishops Daly and Mehaffey some 40 years ago. Bishop Andrew Forster, the Anglican Bishop of Derry and Raphoe They showed a way forward long before warring politicians would sit in the same room. That good work was built on when, at the publication of the Saville Report, Bishop Ken Good, Rev Norman Hamilton and Rev Paul Kingston received a warm welcome when they came to meet victims families at the monument. The people of this city have shown great dignity and courage, often leading the way for the rest of Northern Ireland to follow. The suffering endured has borne the seed of solidarity and not merely of anger. The dignity of the people means that we do not look like a post-conflict society. Music and community have enabled the population to be known for its welcome and great stories. This is a city that can look back with compassion on the past. For it is a town that we all love so well. Phil Coulters song doesnt forget the barbed wire and guns and the gas that hung on every breeze. But he knew the burning local pride and remembered his first pay and what he learned about life. Love changes everything and gives us eyes to see little beauties that brighten the dark. Bishop Andrew, your presence here invites us to pray together and work for a bright brand-new day. Tonight, we remember those who died and those who were scarred by their deaths. But we also remember those who risked everything as they went to help the injured. Some are here tonight, and others died on that January afternoon. We remember heroism and strength of character in those who sought and fought for the truth. And, as people of faith, we remember that there is more grace and goodness in the world than sin and evil. And we pray that those whom we have loved can be at peace and that we can find peace at their leaving us. Together we can acknowledge the patronage of St Columba and use his words in prayer, 'Be a bright light before me, O God, a guiding star above me. A smooth path below me a kindly shepherd behind me today, tonight and for ever'. Read more: Bishop of Derry's poignant message of hope at annual Mass to remember Bloody Sunday A cross in front of the altar at St Mary's Church in the Creggan took Bishop Donal McKeown, the Bishop of Derry, back to 1972 and three days after Bloody Sunday. Back then, 50 years ago, with the city still raw with grief after the atrocity of the British army killing and wounding Derry people who had been marching for civil rights only to be mown down by State bullets, a crowd had gathered at St Mary's. Bishop McKeown described to the congregation attending this year's annual Friday Mass at the same church, how he was one of many in that crowd on that misty Wednesday looking at the photographs of the dead that had been put up. Fifty years later, the atmosphere more calmer but the memories still strong, the Bishop drew attention to the photographs that were on display in front of the altar now before reading the names of the fallen from that horrific day in 1972. Silence is usually just that but the silence inside St Mary's Church was loud and clear Derry would not forget and would never do so. As the Bishop himself would state in his homily later on in the service, There are others who want to let sleeping dogs lie and prefer not to grapple with uncomfortable truths that might disturb our comfort in the present. While those dogs continue to sleep, Derry as it has every year, more so this weekend given the landmark anniversary will continue to awaken those canines from their slumber and accept the truth of what really happened on Bloody Sunday. With the names of the dead read out, the Bishop turned to reading out those who had been wounded. It became apparent that not many who survived the British army's attempts to kill them were still with us as the Bishop read out deceased after the majority of names listed. The respectful silence became more poignant as those family members who had died in the past 12 months had their names read out a reminder that they, like the dead and wounded before them, would not live to see justice for Bloody Sunday. As the reading from the Prophet Amos that followed said: Hate evil, love good... Let justice flow like water. The Bishop of Derry delivered his homily, not in the form of a firebrand preacher from the pulpit, but with a calm assurance. Yet while the delivery was solemn, the words were firmly pointed towards those who had failed the Bloody Sunday families by denying them the truth. However, there was also a voice for forgiveness and compassion as the Bishop reminded us of the obstacles that society and progress faces if consumed with hate when saying, Either we process the rubbish of the past and make it into life-giving compost or it lies in the corner and benefits no-one. One example was the invitation extended to and accepted by Bishop Andrew Forster, the Anglican Bishop of Derry and Raphoe and his attendance had received warm applause from the congregation when Mass had begun earlier in the evening. With the Lord's Prayer recited and Holy Communion taken, Bishop McKeown ended Mass with one final passage of hope and compassion. I hope it's been a time of prayer and a time of grace for you, he said. I hope this is a blessed weekend when we can celebrate with tenderness those we have lost. Read more: Bishop of Derry: Had the truth not been denied, "so many lives and so much pain could have been spared" Business groups have said they are hopeful that a deal between the UK and the EU can be reached on the Northern Ireland Protocol, following a meeting with Liz Truss. The Foreign Secretary, who visited Northern Ireland on Thursday, expressed determination to secure a deal on the protocol that can command universal support in Northern Ireland. Retail NI chief executive Glyn Roberts said he was encouraged following the meeting with Ms Truss. He said he was hopeful that a deal to resolve the challenges around the Northern Ireland Protocol is achievable. The visit came amid continued warnings from the main unionist party, the DUP, that it will walk away from the devolved institutions at Stormont if major changes to the Irish Sea border trading arrangements are not secured rapidly. Ms Truss said: What I want is a deal that works for everyone. We are making progress. Were having constructive talks. I want to make significant progress by February. Thats important but its important that we secure the support of all of the communities in Northern Ireland, including the unionist community. Mr Roberts said his group presented Ms Truss with a number of case studies illustrating the problems local independent retailers are experiencing trading with GB-based suppliers as a result of the NI Protocol. He added: It is vital this issue needs to be resolved to ensure that consumers are given the full product range in Northern Ireland. We need a long-term sustainable deal which ensures stability, certainty and affordability for the broader business community in Northern Ireland. Continuing to ensure full access to the EU single market is essential as part of any deal. Derry City & Strabane District Council held a minute's silence during their monthly meeting in remembrance of those who died in the Holocaust. January 27 is Holocaust Memorial Day where the six million people, murdered because they were Jewish by the Nazis during World War Two, are remembered. As this month's meeting fell on that day, Cllr Shaun Harkin (People Before Profit) put forward a proposal that a minute's silence be taken. That proposal was unanimously passed with Mayor Graham Warke adding that the Council Offices would be lit up in purple as a tribute to those murdered in the Holocaust. Cllr Harkin said: People Before Profit will be calling on Derry and Strabane Council to hold a minute's silence at 6pm during this week's full Council meeting to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust and to recommit the Council to the 'Never Again!' campaign aimed at stopping the rise of fascist, anti-Semitic and authoritarian movements. The Holocaust was one of the darkest periods of human history. Six million Jews and millions of others were murdered by Nazi and fascist regimes. The genocide of the Jewish people and other minorities was the sickening outworking of capitalist economic crisis, big power conflict and the racist scapegoating by ruling elites. The message 'Never Again' is crucial to hear and act upon. Fascism was defeated and should have been binned forever. However, there are today reactionary and authoritarian political forces seeking to exploit frustrations with capitalist inequality, with demographic change and with the pandemic to target Jews, minorities and social justice campaigners. The far-right has been hard at work describing the pandemic as a hoax instigated by a Jewish elite to re-engineer society. Last year Derry City and Strabane Councillors unanimously supported a People Before Profit motion committing the Council to actively opposing anti-Semitism and all forms of discrimination. We all need to be alert to attempts by the far-right to utilise anti-Semitic scapegoating and the targeting of minorities and we need to be prepared to take whatever action is necessary to stop it. Ald Derek Hussey (UUP) added his support saying that people needed to be more aware of situations that could see a repeat of the horrors of the Holocaust. He said: There was the thought that this could 'never happen again' but it has happened. It happened before Second World War genocide. I'm thinking of the likes of Armenia (during World War One). I commend the motion but also the whole ethos of what we're talking about. For goodness sake, lets be aware of situations that can develop into the sort of scenario that evolved in Germany and other parts of Europe at that time and has developed in other countries since. Meanwhile, Cllr Gary Donnelly (Independent) criticised those in the anti-Covid vaccination movement for hijacking the yellow star symbol that Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe were forced to wear. He said: There are some people who have used the pandemic to change their (social media) profile pictures to the yellow star. They are comparing Covid restrictions with what happened during the Holocaust. I believe this is absolutely disgusting and it demeans and devalues the horrors of what happened. Cllr Donnelly also called for a gesture of a letter to be sent out to the family of Eden Heaslip. The Cavan teenager committed suicide after being bullied because his father is a Protestant. He added: Persecution should not be happening on any scale and in that regard, I want to talk about what happened to a young man named Eden Heaslip in Cavan who took his own life because of being persecuted due to the (Protestant) religion of his father. I want to say that anyone who heard about what happened there can't be unaffected and I want to propose that this Council could send a letter to the Heaslip family expressing our condolences. Council voted unanimously to write a letter to the Heaslip family expressing their condolences for the loss of their son Eden. Sinn Fein Councillors were given credit by UUP Councillor, Ryan McCready, for showing tolerance and respect during last night's debate on a motion to mark Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee in June. A motion put forward by Ald Hilary McClintock (DUP) asking Council to help those wishing to mark the jubilee with funding and other mechanisms was passed. Those voting for the motion totaled 18, four voted against but the 12 abstentions largely from Sinn Fein ensured that it would be passed by Council. Cllr Paul Fleming (Sinn Fein) explained his party's decision to abstain by saying: As a party, we recognise that many members of this community hold the British Royal family in high esteem and wish to celebrate the jubilee. However, there are many others who feel very differently not least to the British Royal family's longstanding links to the British military. As a Council, we do have a duty to ensure that one's rights are respected. As we have unfortunately seen in the past, there is a thin line between genuine celebration and vitriol. We believe we need to ensure that doesn't happen. Sinn Fein will abstain on this motion and, hopefully, when it comes to the time, there will be a genuine celebration from people within our district who subscribe to the British Royal family. In response, Ald McCready (UUP) replied: Give credit where it's due and I won't hold back on this occasion to Sinn Fein. It would be very easy for them to oppose this on lots and lots of grounds. In particular, given how close it is to the Bloody Sunday event of this weekend. For them not to support it, which I wouldn't expect them to do so, but to abstain and not deny someone else access to something which they wouldn't subscribe to, I note that. Sometimes tolerance is about acknowledging that people do things slightly differently and maybe allowing them to have access to that. I'm a lot more comfortable as we are as a Council having these type of talks and long may it continue. Earlier, Ald McClintock (DUP) when presenting her motion said: The Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen, is for a sizeable amount of people in this district, a momentous occasion. One that we will definitely never again see in our lifetime. It's a historic occasion and never known before for a monarch in this country to be on the throne for such a period of time. Worldwide, the only time a monarch has been longer on the throne was Louis XIV of France who reigned for 72 years. Events (in the United Kingdom) will be taking place over the extended bank holiday weekend (June 2022). I am not in any way suggesting that Council organises events to mark the occasion, but rather they accommodate where possible and appropriate any kind requests for assistants from local organisers. I'd also request that Council seeks to identify if there are any possible pots of funding and mechanisms that local community groups might be able to apply for and utilise for their own local celebrations. We appreciate that not all members of this Council will wish to celebrate. But in the interests of good community relations and celebrating the cultural diversity of our residents, that every effort be made to enable those who wish to celebrate to do so. However, there was opposition within Council most notably from Cllr Gary Donnelly (Independent). He said: Many more people in this city will see this as divisive and toxic. No self-respecting socialist or republican can have any truck with this. Council should not in any way have anything to do with this. This week, it is the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the murder of unarmed civil rights marchers. The killers and murderers were decorated by this same person (the Queen). In later years, this person would give others (involved) gongs like MBEs. It's an absolute disgrace. A massive winter storm is bearing down on the Mid-Atlantic region and the Northeast, but uncertainty remains over impacts in the Lehigh Valley, where the difference between expected snowfall and a high-end overachiever is at least 8 inches. The National Weather Service said heavy snow, strong winds, tidal flooding, and low wind chills are all anticipated. The worst impacts will be along the coast, where blizzard warnings have been issued. Advertisement We're working on an update to the briefing and will be sending it out soon, but in the mean time, here is the definition of a blizzard. A blizzard warning has been issued for Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic, and Cape May Counties in NJ and coastal Sussex County DE. #NJWX #DEWX pic.twitter.com/wwMjdtNo0E NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) January 28, 2022 Snowfall totals of more than 12 inches are expected along the Jersey Shore, with a band of 6 to 8 inches along the Interstate 95 corridor. The Lehigh Valley remains the wild card, with models continuing to trend westward as they slowly converge on the overall evolution of the storm. Advertisement Heres what to know as it moves in: Light snow ahead of the main event Snow is already underway this morning as light precipitation drifted out of the Ohio River Valley and overspread the area before 7 a.m. Its separate from the storm that will impact the region later tonight into Saturday, with a light dusting of snow possible during the daylight hours. Our snowfall totals are trending up Meteorologists say trends are becoming more favorable for higher snowfall totals in the Lehigh Valley, but theyre not sure by how much. The forecasting challenges have been associated with the margins, the weather service said in its Friday morning briefing. The Lehigh Valley remains on the northwest periphery of the precipitation shield, where guidance continues to suggest the cutoff will be quite sharp. Forecasters say a strong push of cold, dry air on the northwest side of the system doesnt help our snow chances, and there will likely be a vary narrow corridor (around or less than 30 miles) where totals fall off significantly. Confidence remains considerably lower on where this corridor will set up, the weather service said. Boom or bust? Did we mention that much uncertainty remains around the storms track, and a difference of a few miles could drastically change our snowfall totals? Advertisement As the storm continues to trend west, the weather service puts our expected snowfall at just 1.7 inches, but high-end possibilities near 10 inches. This is the difference between the expected and high end snowfall possible in the Lehigh Valley Friday into Saturday. (National Weather Service/Mount Holly) Empire Weather, which provides localized forecasts for The Morning Call, has the Lehigh Valley at 2 to 4 inches, with a boom scenario of 6 to 9 inches. This map from Empire Weather shows the expected storm total snowfall for a coastal storm Friday into Saturday. The Lehigh Valley forecast calls for 2 to 4 inches, with a "boom" scenario of 6 to 9 inches. (Empire Weather) The lack of consistency in the forecast comes because two disturbances are phasing, or merging, and models are having a hard time handling it. A slightly faster, cleaner phase will lead to the track continuing to bump westward. A slightly later, sloppier phase will allow for more adjustments eastward, Empires morning briefing said. Last Call Daily Get top headlines from The Morning Call delivered weekday afternoons. > The briefing flagged one major caveat whether a band of subsidence, or dry and sinking air, develops near the Lehigh Valley with a strong band of heavy snow just to our east. Advertisement The rising air from that band sinks in the areas around it, and recent guidance suggests that this band should be west of the area, the briefing said, explaining our rising snowfall amounts. However, if the band does end up nearby, amounts will be lower. The duration of the storm will also depend on the track, with a western track leading to snow continuing into Saturday evening, while a weaker track would lead to snow ending a bit earlier Saturday afternoon. What else to know Wind speeds exceeding 15 to 20 mph are likely for much of the day on Saturday in the Lehigh Valley, with gusts as high as 30 mph. The weather service expects a slow drop-off Saturday night, with gusts of 40+ mph possible in the Poconos and near the coast. QPF, or the Quantitative Precipitation Forecast, is trending a little higher across the region thanks to that westward shift in the models. Snow ratios will be very high, forecasters warn, with an expected ratio much greater than 10:1 (10 inches of snow for every inch of precipitation). However, the NWS believes guidance looks a little too bullish in general with these values. The bottom line The weather service said confidence in the overall evolution of the storm is increasing, but there are still very challenging aspects that will have significant implications on the overall impacts of the system location to location. Area residents should continue to monitor the latest forecasts, as substantial changes may still occur. Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan has described the intensity of fame as akin to being a dog on the Tube. The period drama became Netflixs most popular original series when it aired on Christmas Day 2020. The streaming giant said the show was viewed by a record 82 million households in 28 days. Coughlan received rave reviews for her role as Penelope Featherington, a character who is later revealed to be mysterious gossip writer Lady Whistledown. The reveal scene, narrated by Dame Julie Andrews in the series, was nominated for the Must-See Moment at this years Bafta TV awards. Speaking to Elle UK for their March issue of the magazine, Galway-born Coughlan, 35, said: Being famous is like being a dog on the Tube. Its exactly the same energy. When you get on, everyone looks at you. Some people are so smiley, while some are afraid of you and dont want to go near. Some people touch you without asking. I can still do the things I want to do, obviously, but it is different. The Irish actress recalled visiting the pub with a friend and feeling like she was an animal at the zoo. She added: And I remember one time I was taking my Invisalign out, and this person was staring me right in the eyes, which was quite weird. Coughlan has said she would never sell the idea that the acting industry was wonderful and fun because it is hard work. She added: Whenever people say they want to get into this industry, Im like, youve got to want it so badly. Because if you dont, youd be mad to do it, absolutely mad. I barely saw my family last year because of filming. Theres a lot of sacrifices to be made. In my twenties, I never went on holiday. I was so broke. But its amazing. I wouldnt do anything else, the actress added. The second series of Bridgerton, which will air on March 25, will move towards the romantic interests of Daphnes brother Anthony Bridgerton, who is portrayed by Jonathan Bailey. Series three and four have already been commissioned by Netflix, as well as a prequel series telling the origin story of Queen Charlotte, played by Golda Rosheuvel. Coughlan was previously best known for her role in the series Derry Girls where she plays Clare Devlin. Speaking about filming the final season of the Channel 4 sitcom, she added: I always find it hard to explain to people about playing characters, that they feel like your friends. Ive been playing Clare now for five years. So its like saying goodbye to a friend I know Ill never see again. Joe McKinney, his brother William, known as Willie to his friends and family, and their eight siblings crew up in Westway, Creggan. Willie was born in Saint Columbs Way and Joe was born later In Orchard Lane in Derry. There were nine, nearly ten years between the two brothers as Willie was the eldest child in the family. When their father moved to work for his company in Luxembourg for four years, Willie stepped up and became a parental figure for his younger siblings, including Joe. Willie, 27 and Joe, then 18 at the time of the civil rights march on Bloody Sunday, attended together but went their separate ways on the day. Willie, a printer for the Derry Journal, was an avid photographer and had his new camera, gifted as a Christmas present, with him to take some photos and videos of the march. Sadly, Willie was one of the 13 civilians shot and killed by Britains 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment. Willie was engaged and due to wed his partner, Elizabeth, at the time of his death. Elizabeth married another gentleman years later but, throughout her life until her death only a couple of years ago, she never celebrated her own birthday after Willie died. Elizabeth had bought Willie a long lens camera as she knew he would always film riots and marches up close and put himself at risk. The last time Joe saw his brother was up a tree with his camera, filming the march. Joe said Willie had no fear when it came to getting a good picture or video. People would run away at other marches or riots and Willie would be right there getting the perfect footage. She had asked him to stay back and use the long lens to take close up pictures. Willie was shot on Bloody Sunday in the back and arm in Glenfada Park as he ran for cover. Willie was pictured helping to carry the body of 17-year-old Michael Kelly right before shots were fired and the group were forced to scatter and Willie was fatally shot. Joe remembers William as a generous, talented, musical and intelligent young man, If he was here today, he would be obsessed with all this new technology, Joe said of his brother. He was so fascinated with the latest technology back then; I can only imagine what hed be like in the world we live in today. I think he would be a bit of a computer whizz. He was going to go to college to learn how to use the new printing machines they had just bought for the Journal. He was so into his photography too that many people thought he was a photographer for the Journal, but he was the printer. Larry Doherty was the photographer for the Journal at the time and they were good friends. He bought his camera from Larry. He was always taking pictures of my Ma and Elizabeth and theyd be trying to hide from the camera. There are so many photos and footage available in the archives and at the museum that are his work. The riot footage as you walk into the Free Derry Museum, thats Willies footage." Willie was also a great lover of music, He really loved music. He especially loved Country Western music," Joe said. "Not long before he died, he bought a new ITT stereo. It was his pride and joy. His girlfriend worked at the record shop so we would get our records at cost price and all us siblings would use the stereo and buy our own music records. When he died, it wouldnt get played when my Ma and Da were in the house. The stereo was only new, it couldnt have been more than six months to a year old. We didnt play it in case it annoyed them but when they were both out of the house, which was seldom, I would play my music. Eventually, it got used. I said to my Ma one day, Willie wouldnt want that sitting there gathering dust and it was then she said, well go on, Joe. Willie also played the accordion, really well actually, he could read music, you see. He also bought a Mandolin which he planned on learning how to play. He was teaching me how to play a smaller version of his piano accordion. Every Sunday night in the house, he would be teaching me. He was always so paternal. He wouldnt let any of us give cheek to our mother, he would have got on to you then. He would verbally chastise you, telling us we cant speak to our mother like that. He would also buy Mickey Mouse films and use his projector, an old school projector, to project them onto a white sheet for the kids in the street to watch. We were all about seven or eight and he was working away at that time. He would stand there and turn the manual crank so we could all watch the film. He was a generous man. I always remember he gave me one pound when I was going with the school to Armagh one day and that was a lot back then, a big lot of money. We didnt get pocket money when we were children because my father said when we did earn money, we would appreciate it more, but Willie treated us when he could. Willie worked late on Monday and Thursday nights to get the Derry Journal ready for the Tuesday and Friday release. He always brought home six papers each release day so that the kids could run round to all the aunties houses and give them their papers for free. Joe says his family grew up very close and he has many fond memories of Willie from his childhood. Joe and his family at his sister's wedding in the years after Willie's death, his mother sits front left Joe continued: I really only have one memory of Orchard Lane. In the house we lived in, it was a really long hallway. They had a dartboard on the front door, at the back of the door. The older ones would be practising darts at the front door; any poor visitor was getting a mini dart to the head if they walked in. Willie had a great sense of humour. I was only four at Orchard Lane, that is the only memory I have of there. Then we moved to Creggan, we all remained really close. Were not as close now that were older but we had a great childhood. Politics wasnt brought up in our house. There was never any talk of the Troubles either, even after Willie was killed. My Ma and Da never spoke about it. My Ma was only a wee woman but her inner strength was colossal. She never showed us she was hurting after Willie died and she never spoke any hate. If we saw on the news that a soldier was killed, she would say, thats somebody's poor soon, she was a very strong woman. Joe said, until the fight for justice began, Bloody Sunday, and what he witnessed, was never discussed in his house either. Joe never spoke to his children about politics or the tragic events that happened that day. I didnt want to pass my hatred on to them, Joe continued. My parents never did that with me and I didnt want that for them. I even feel, if it is possible to forgive, I would have tried to forgive all those years ago when it happened, if they had just admitted the truth and taken responsibility and liability for their actions. They never did and I will never be able to forgive now. Now I will just try to get justice for Willie and the other innocent people that were killed, we all will, to get the truth. SDLP Councillor, Rory Farell, launched a blistering attack on Invest NI saying the development agency works for Belfast and fails miserably for Derry. The outburst came during a debate on a motion put forward by Cllr John McGowan (Sinn Fein) which called for an immediate review of Invest NI to be undertaken in light of its investment into the North West compared to that of the greater Belfast area. Cllr Farell also took a swipe at the DUP, and in particular, that party's Economy Minister, Gordon Lyons as being allergic towards the city of Derry. He said: I have said this time and time again about how ineffective Invest NI have been in terms of promoting jobs in the North West. It is abundantly clear and abundantly apparent that Invest NI works for Belfast and fails miserably for Derry. It attracts jobs, opportunity and investment for Belfast and very little of anything to our city. We have said, that for two years, that Invest NI must have regional targets and a key focus on investment and jobs in the North West. We have invited the Economy Minister (Gordon Lyons of the DUP) repeatedly to discuss these proposals and it must be remembered that the Economy Minister has complete control over Invest NI policy. Regional targets have not been introduced. Nothing has changed and the Economy Minister despite numerous invitations has not shown up. The latest response suggests that the DUP Minister does not have diary availability at present. No DUP Economy Minister over the last two years has had diary availability. Either they're very busy or they don't care. I suspect the latter. I firmly believe the DUP is allergic to this city. I firmly believe the DUP has little concern for this city, this district and its prospects. Everyone, regardless of what you call this city, benefits from more jobs and at the minute, everybody is being failed. The SDLP welcomes this review into the operation of Invest NI and we support this motion. Ald Maurice Devenney (DUP) would not be drawn into Cllr Farell's comments on his party but did concede that he felt more should be done to bring investment to the North West. He said: We understand the under-investment in the North West. It's something that needs to be addressed. When you look at the investment that goes into the East compared to the West, there is a serious disparity here. Last week, Invest NI invested nearly 2million in the Ebrington Square venture. Those small mercies have to be welcomed but is it enough? I don't believe it is. We should be doing all we can to have more investment in particular businesses and jobs here in the North West. Earlier, Cllr John McGowan, when submitting his motion, said his proposal was designed to try and level-up the North's economy. He said: This Council believes that as Invest NI enters its twentieth year in 2022 it has largely failed Derry and has become an 'Invest anywhere but Derry' based organisation. The figures show that the vast majority of support goes to companies in and around the Greater Belfast area. This Council notes that the world of business and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has moved on significantly in the last twenty years however Invest NI has not changed its business model in that time. We also note the most successful models of business support seem to separate Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Small and Medium Enterprise support (SME) and Trade Development. In the 26 counties for example (in the Republic) the Industrial Development Agency (IDA) look after all FDI and Enterprise Ireland (EI) take care of SME support and Trade Development. This Council motion calls for an immediate review of Invest NI to be undertaken. We believe it's record clearly demonstrates an inability to deliver sub regional FDI. This review should consider creating an agency to solely promote FDI. Secondly, post-review, Derry should be the preferred location of this new FDI agency headquarters. We believe this motion is essential to 'level up' the economy in the North. For too long people have criticized Invest NI. It is our belief that Invest NI is not fit for purpose and has failed completely to operate on a sub-regional level. It's current model doesn't deliver for Derry and is out of step with best practice. An amendment was added and approved to Cllr McGowan's motion that the Council would invite Sir Michael Lyons, Chair of the Independent Review Panel of Invest NI, to make an argument for fundamental reform of Invest NI to deliver regional balance and a renewed focus on the North West. The motion itself was also passed unanimously. The Derry News contact Invest NI regarding this motion being passed by Derry City & Strabane District Council. A spokesperson for Invest NI said: Invest NI has repeatedly denied the unfounded accusations of preferential treatment or bias in Northern Ireland. We would refer you to Invest NIs online article from November 2021: Helping the North West play to its strengths | Invest Northern Ireland (investni.com) In terms of the request for Sir Michael Lyons to attend a meeting with Derry City & Strabane District Council, this needs to be referred to The Department for the Economy, who has appointed him to conduct the Independent Review. Foyle MLA, Sinead McLaughlin, has received an outpour of support following the bomb threat at her constituency office on Derry's Spencer Road yesterday afternoon (January 27). Ms McLaughlin and her staff were forced to evacuate their office on Thursday afternoon after being informed by police of reports that a bomb was left at the premises. The PSNI carried out a thorough search and found nothing untoward. Speaking on Radio Foyle, the SDLP MLA said: "No public representative or their staff should have to work under those conditions where they feel like they are under threat so it is really disheartening. "But it only tightens my resolve to keep on doing what I am doing. Last night at about 9:20pm, the PSNI rang me to say the alert has been lifted. "They didn't find anything untoward and they told me to just to keep vigilant over the coming days. "So, we will be back doing what we do, helping support the community and trying to reach out to our constituents and do everything we can to help make their lives better." Taking to twitter, Ms McLaughlin added: "Serving the people of Derry is an absolute privilege." Ms McLaughlin and her team received an outpour of support from the community, fellow SDLP colleagues as well as many politicians from other parties. Foyle MP Colum Eastwood, leader of the SDLP, said: "This threat against SDLP Foyle MLA Sinead McLaughlin is a despicable attempt to intimidate and stop a tireless public representative from doing their job. I know Sinead will not be deterred and my thoughts are with her and her constituency team after what must have been a frightening experience. The entire SDLP stands fully behind them in solidarity. Elected representatives should be able to go about their duties without having to worry about threats being issued against them. Weve seen recently in England how the targeting of politicians can end up with tragic consequences. Sinead McLaughlin serves the people of Derry and neither she nor her staff should have been subjected to this ordeal. Strangford SDLP Representative, Conor Houston, tweeted: "Solidarity with my friend and colleague, Sinead McLaughlin. I know it won't deter Sinead from continuing to represent the people of Derry as passionately and brilliantly as she does." Alliance MLA for South Belfast, Paula Bradshaw, tweeted: "Appalled by the threat to Sinead McLaughlin and her staff. "Sinead and her team have brought dedication and expertise to the Assembly, and are a privilege to work with. They are all very much in my and our thoughts this evening." UUP South Antrim MLA Steve Aiken added: "I join in the condemnation of threats against Sinead McLaughlin and her staff - intimidation of elected representatives and their support staff undermines democracy & damages the community MLAs represent." DUPs Gary Middleton wrote: Disgusted to hear of the bomb threat at Sinead McLaughlin's constituency office today. My thoughts are with Sinead and her office staff who have been subjected to this disgraceful threat. Theres no place for this behaviour in our society. Shame on whoever is behind it." Derry author Claire Allen took to Twitter and said: "Sinead McLaughlin is one of Derry's finest- never afraid to fight for the rights of ordinary people. "Her office provided support with compassion and care to a family member of mine during a personal tragedy last year. This attack is unacceptable." A PSNI spokesperson said: "The security alert at the Spencer Road area of Derry is now over. Officers attended and nothing untoward was found. "We would advise anybody who sees anything suspicious to contact police on 101." Drawing on her own struggles with mental health, County Derry mother Amanda Brennan launched Happy Minds Grateful Hearts to give children the tools to help maintain their emotional wellbeing. She tells Liam Tunney about her journey. Amanda Brennan pauses after informing me she is a mother-of-ten, clearly used to the awe-inspired gasp the revelation invokes. With her children ranging from a 22-year-old to a one-year-old, the Gulladuff woman has brought plenty of her own experience into her business, Happy Minds Grateful Hearts. Providing programmes and classes designed to improve children's mental health, wellbeing and mindfulness, Amanda has traced her desire to help back to own struggles with mental illness. From my teen years, I would have struggled with my mental health, she told the County Derry Post. I struggled with body dysmorphic disorder. I became bulimic and became almost anorexic then, I wasn't eating at all. That would have been when I was around 14, 15 years old, so I always struggled with my mental health on and off; I had anxiety and depression over the years. I hit rock bottom after my first boy was born, and I was having suicidal thoughts and everything, and I did try taking tablets, but thankfully it didn't work; it just made me sick. Those feelings returned again about four or five years ago after I'd had the twins, but I'd seen an advertisement for mindfulness and I thought I would give it a try. I've never looked back. Amanda says there is no spiritual aspect to her classes, just children understanding how to manage their emotions. Initially turning to the techniques as a way of improving her own mental health, Amanda soon found they had a profound impact on her wellbeing. I started looking into mindfulness, having a morning routine like journalling and positive affirmation, trying to be more mindful and present during the day, even in how I parented, she said. I loved meditation and loved how it made me feel relaxed and calm with the breathwork, so I trained to be an adult meditation and breathwork teacher. From living in my head all the time with the anxiety, and I'm not saying I was a bad mummy, but not being present with the kids and missing so much because of the anxiety, it changed my life completely. I'd probably go as far as to say meditation and mindfulness saved my life. It made me realise that I was missing out on so much. Life can be amazing, if only you take notice. I noticed the positive impact what I was doing was having on my own children, and that's when I thought 'I need to teach this to kids, She undertook training, first with Tyrone-based Pretzel Play, before training with Creative Mindfulness for Kids, an Irish-based company who have produced a curriculum for mindfulness. Amanda says she has included a number of extra components in her training, such as the parenting and teenager add-ons, and has enrolled in a trauma-informed mindfulness course. Trauma for everybody is so different. Abuse would be at the top end of the scale, but it can be something like being bitten by a dog and being scared of dogs then. It is a spectrum, like autism. It's something I'm really interested in, and it goes into yoga therapy training as well. I've also completed a course for mindfulness for those with additional needs, so it covers autism, ADHD, Downs Syndrome and even anxiety. Activities such as arts and crafts are important for children's wellbeing. I'm just finishing yoga for additional needs as well, because I don't want any child to be excluded. My classes are for everybody. I have classes that run that include children with additional needs, but sometimes parents are scared their children are going to disrupt the class and they'd prefer a class for additional needs. Put on the spot, the Lavey woman defines mindfulness as 'being present in the moment'. Sometimes our minds can be so busy; we're worrying about something that happened yesterday, or that's going to happen next week, she said. Our subconscious mind has been programmed by society and how we're parented, and our thoughts and beliefs are stored in our subconscious mind. When a similar experience happens, these emotions and anxieties make us behave in the same way, so it's a vicious cycle. What mindfulness does is strengthen the reasoning part of the brain, at the front, and helps us to rationalise and decide whether something is real and true. Mindfulness gives you those tools to become aware and accept all your emotions do belong; every single one. Children at the sessions are taken through a variety of exercises to help improve their mindfulness and wellbeing. Happy belongs as much as sad, scared as much as excited. People try to push things away and then it becomes worse. I try and explain it to the kids like this. If a fly is annoying you and you keep batting it away, it keeps coming back. If you leave the fly alone, you notice it, it's there, then it doesn't annoy you as much. It's about becoming aware and accepting every part of you. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the mental health of some children, and the importance of mindfulness has only been increased by its effect. Amanda says children as young as five are presenting with symptoms of anxiety. I've a lot of concerned parents from kids in Foundation Stage in school which is very scary, she said. I really want to get into primary schools and secondary schools. It's so important all the time, but more so now, because there are so many children experiencing anxiety, even from a very young age. We need to be careful what we're saying and listening to, because they're like wee sponges. Kid's mental, emotional, physical health and wellbeing is so important. A common misconception of yoga, meditation and mindfulness is that there needs to be a spiritual or religious element involved, but Amanda says this is not the case. Busy children at the Happy Minds Grateful Hearts sessions. Her sessions involve some stretching, team work games, breath work and some general discussion, as well as some arts and crafts and other creative activities. There is no spiritual or religious context to my work with children at all. It's just totally about them understanding, she said. Then it's about giving them tips, tools and techniques to be able to deal with that and teaching them through the various things that we do. Yoga is just a movement of energy through the body. Meditation is all about relaxation and using our imaginations to imagine we're somewhere magical. It can scare some people whenever they don't know what it is. People can be spiritual in their pactice, but not when it comes to the children we work with. Amanda says the most rewarding thing about what she does is the feedback she gets from parents and the effect her work has on the children. There was one child who didn't really speak, and was having play therapy and different things, she said. The school rang their mummy the week after we had our first class. They said he had told them about this great wee class he was going to and it made such an impact on him that he spoke. Things like that make me realise how important it is and it fills my heart with so much love and gratitude. I feel like I've found my purpose. That's why I called the business Happy Minds Grateful Hearts, because I would love every child to have a happy mind and a grateful heart; from toddlers right up to teens. You can find out more about Happy Minds Grateful Hearts, including details of upcoming classes, on their Facebook Page. A County Derry minister has been named as a potential nominee for the post of the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Rev Dr Trevor McCormick, minister of First Kilrea Presbyterian Church and Boveedy, is one of four ministers who will go before the Churchs 19 regional presbyteries on February 1, when they meet to select the all-Ireland denominations next Moderator. The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is the denominations most senior office bearer and its principal public representative. The new Moderator will succeed Dr David Bruce who became the first Moderator since 1894 to serve a second consecutive term, his having been the only name forwarded by presbyteries for formal consideration. Rev Trevor McCormick was installed as minister of First Kilrea Presbyterian Church in 1986 and with Boveedy Presbyterian in 2009. Rev Dr Trevor McCormick. Born in 1958, he was ordained assistant minister of First Carrickfergus Presbyterian Church in 1984. Trevor was convener of the Presbyterian Residential Trust Committee (1996-2003) and PCIs Council for Social Witness (2015-2020). He has been Clerk of the Presbytery of Coleraine and Limavady since 2016. The other three ministers considered for nomination are Rev John Kirkpatrick, Rev Dr Colin McClure and Rev Alastair McNeely. The process to find PCIs Moderator begins in the late autumn, when members of presbyteries begin to suggest the names of ministers who they would like to see considered. The Clerk of the General Assembly then approaches those on this long list to see if they would be willing to have their names go forward to the next stage in February. Rev Trevor Gribben, Clerk of the General Assembly and General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, said: I genuinely give thanks to God, that the rhythm of our church life is gradually returning, and once more ministers and elders from our 500-plus congregations the length and breadth of this island can come together to prayerfully select a colleague to be nominated as our next Moderator. The name of the Moderator-Designate will be announced on the evening of February 1. They will then be formally proposed to the General Assembly as Moderator for the year 2022-2023 when it meets on Wednesday, June 22. A retired County Derry accountant who has been volunteering for Alzheimers Society for more than 20 years has received special recognition for his long service. Ed McAuley has first-hand experience of dementia as he supported his beloved wife, Myrtle McAuley, who lived with Alzheimers disease. He began his role in Alzheimers Society as part of the Causeway Branch committee and was able to bring several valuable skills from the finance sector to his volunteer work. Aoife McMaster, Alzheimers Society Dementia Support Worker for Causeway, explained why Ed who used to live in Coleraine but now lives in Portstewart is such an amazing volunteer. Ed has been a passionate supporter and volunteer for Alzheimers Society for over 20 years and throughout that time his compassion and dedication for making a difference to people affected by dementia has been unwavering, she said. Over the last twenty years, Ed has adapted to and overcome many challenges, including the recent Covid 19 pandemic. His support for people affected by dementia as well as the local staff and other volunteers has been unwavering. Ed is a trusted expert in the Causeway area as he has been heavily involved with the Society longer than most of the staff and volunteers. Adrian Friel, Alzheimers Society Dementia Connect Local Services Manager, who was interviewed by Ed for the job 15 years ago, said: Ed is a true asset to Alzheimers Society and a pure joy to work with. He has brought lots of passion and determination to ensure that everyone affected by dementia has the support they need. He is one of our longest standing volunteers and he has done so much for people living with dementia. Volunteers have been at the heart of Alzheimers Society since it was established here in Northern Ireland. We greatly value the time, skills and knowledge that our volunteers share with us and the difference that volunteering makes to our Alzheimers Society activities. Adrian continued: The past two years has been tough for all of us. However, for people affected by dementia it has been a nightmare and people have told us of the isolation and the deterioration social exclusion has brought upon them. "People living with Dementia have deteriorated quickly because of the pandemic. Theres been frustration and loss brought about by lack of visiting in care environments by family members. "And requirements like face masks and maintaining social distancing are difficult to understand when you are living with dementia. This is the reality for the estimated 22,000 people living with dementia in Northern Ireland. Since the pandemic began, Alzheimers Society support services have been used six million times across the UK, showing that people affected by dementia need us now more than ever. Ed has also received recognition from Alzheimers Society CEO Kate Lee, who said: There has been enormous change over the time Ed has been with us, and Alzheimers Society would not be the organisation it is today without the contribution made by brilliant volunteers like Ed, giving their time to support people with dementia and their carers. A County Derry family, who have experienced a challenging year, have been treated to a special surprise, thanks to a local business. The McCallion family from Bellaghy were recently gifted a 1,000 hotel voucher and 500 spending money by the Magherafelt branch of Specsavers. The local family are one of several from across the UK who are being treated by the high street opticians and audiologists. Christina OKane, Operations Manager at Specsavers Magherafelt, nominated the McCallion family having seen the adversity they have experienced. Christina explained: In February, Deaglan McCallion attended our store after a negative experience with another opticians. Deaglan has Tourettes, so our manager and optometrist stayed late to ensure a nice quiet experience for him. Since then, the family now all attend our store. We see the work and passion Brian and Louise, Deaglans parents, put in to ensuring he is understood and can thrive in his environment. "We have also come to learn that the family works tirelessly for a Tourettes charity that helps Deaglan and have been so impressed by their efforts to raise awareness. Louise McCallion said the family were 'completely overwhelmed' by the firm's generous gesture. When we got the call I was lost for words; I just broke into tears and was completely overwhelmed! It was completely unexpected, and we could not be more thankful to Aiden and Christina for making our experience at Specsavers so special for Deaglan," she said. "It was the first time he felt comfortable and calm during his appointment, which never happens. We are so looking forward to our hotel break and cannot thank Specsavers in Magherafelt enough for their kindness and everything they have done for Deaglan. Brian OKane, Store Director, added: The past year has been another difficult one for many people and we felt it was important to try and give something back to our customers. "Many have had a really challenging 12 months and we have seen others devote their time and energy so selflessly to help others in the community and we wanted to recognise that and say thank you. 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 contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Call for illustrations for embassy's St. Patrick's Day greeting card 2022 News 2021 greeting card illustration by Sarah Kilcoyne Call for illustrations for St. Patrick's Day in Germany official greeting card St. Patricks Day, Irelands National Day, is celebrated annually in Germany and across the globe by all Irish, friends of Ireland and those of Irish descent. St. Patricks Day 2022 in Germany will once again, as in 2020 and 2021, be different. The large gatherings, receptions and parties, which normally mark the period, will not be possible. The Embassy is exploring alternative ways of marking St. Patricks Day 2022 and as part of this effort would like once again to commission a special St. Patricks Day in Germany greeting card. We will use this card to reach out to our many German contacts, whom we would have invited to our reception in Berlin in typical years but now cannot. Against this background we announce a competition for illustrators based in Germany to help us to create the artwork for the card. We are seeking artworks that reflect on St. Patricks Day, St. Patricks Day in Germany and broader Irish-German relations. Competition Guidelines: Applicants must be based in Germany. There is no lower or upper age limit on those who may submit artworks or illustrations but this is not conceived as a childrens art competition. Each illustrator/artist is allowed to submit a maximum of three illustrations. Applications should be submitted in digital format to the email address Berlin(at)dfa(dot)ie and marked St Patricks Day illustration applicants name The illustrations should be saved in JPEG or PNG format with a minimum resolution of 300dpi Illustrations should ideally be submitted in landscape format / widescreen ratio (16:9) Submissions must be received by close of business on Tuesday 15 February 2022 All submissions must be accompanied by full contact details, address and telephone numbers to ensure that all applicants may be contacted promptly should their illustration be used. Illustrations must be the original work of those submitting and not previously utilised in any similar campaign by the embassy or any other organisation or entity. The artist whose artwork is selected as the 2022 Embassy of Ireland, St. Patricks Day greeting card image, will be paid 400 for usage rights. Upon payment of 400, the Embassy of Ireland in Germany will retain usage rights to the selected image, for a maximum period of three years, for the stated purpose and related uses and platforms, without additional permissions or fees The artist will be credited on the back cover of the card/image whenever utilised. GDPR The Embassy of Ireland in Germany is committed to ensuring the security and protection of the personal information that we process, and to provide a compliant and consistent approach to data protection and will only store contact information for the duration of the competition. Previous Item | Next Item Announcing: St Brigid's Day in the United States 2022 News In Ireland, the first of February marks the beginning of Spring and the celebration of La Fheile Bride, St Brigids Day. Brigid, one of Ireland's three patron saints, can be translated as the exalted one. And, over recent years, her festival has come to be an exaltation of Irish women. From Washington to Warsaw, San Francisco to Sydney, Irelands diplomatic network, in partnership with local communities, host a series of festivals each February celebrating the contribution Irish women have made across the world. This year, the Embassy and Consulates of Ireland in the US present a host of events, a festival of Brigid across America. Along with our community and business partners, we have an incredible line up of events to celebrate the contributions of Irish and Irish-American women. See the full line up of St. Brigid's Day programming here. Previous Item | Subscriber content preview SEATTLE A small apartment building at 201 30th Ave. S. sold for $4.2 million, according to King County records. The seller was Leschi Eleven LLC, which acquired the property in 2019 for over $2.6 million. . . . Duncan, OK (73533) Today Strong thunderstorms likely. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 61F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall possibly over one inch.. Tonight Strong thunderstorms likely. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 61F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall possibly over one inch. In light of the recent easing of COVID-19 restrictions and plans around the phased return to work, Pure Telecom has announced survey findings which reveal that 97% of those aged 18 to 23 will be working from the office on a full or part-time basis. The survey also shows that office workers in Louth are among those less likely to be office based, with 73% saying they will return to the office in some capacity. On Friday last, the Government announced an easing of COVID-19 restrictions, which allows for a phased return to the office. Pure Telecoms survey of 500 office workers in Ireland, carried out by Censuswide, asked office workers about their plans when COVID restrictions were eased. The research found that the vast majority of Gen Z office workers plan to work from the office that includes the 4% who never worked remotely during the pandemic and 93% who did work remotely, but who plan to return in some capacity. Overall, 86% of office workers plan to spend at least some time in the office following the easing of restrictions. That figure is the same (86%) for Millennials, 84% for Gen X and 88% for Baby Boomers. Of the office workers who worked remotely during the pandemic, Gen Z is also the most likely generation to return to the office full-time, without any remote working. 23% of remote office workers will return to the office full-time following the easing of restrictions, rising to 35% for Gen Z. Just 18% of Baby Boomers who worked from home will return full-time, along with 20% of Millennials and 30% of Gen X. The survey also looked at the counties most likely to be based in the office following the easing of restrictions. The majority (94%) of office workers who live in Wicklow say that they will work from the office in some capacity, followed by 93% in Donegal and 92% in Cork. Office workers living in Tipperary (70%), Louth (73%) and Limerick (75%) are the least likely to be office based. Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: It has been a long two years and younger workers may be feeling that they are missing out on the social aspects of being in the office. But it is clear from our research that the future is in hybrid working and what works for one generation may not work for another. People have become used to a work-life balance that allows them to enjoy time with their families and friends, or take on extracurricular activities. These things are important for employees and many would find it very difficult to replace these with long, unnecessary commutes twice a day. But the learning, collaboration and social life that the office brings is important too and it is particularly valuable to younger generations who are just starting out in their careers, and who are looking to expand their social circles. As businesses continue to struggle to hire, they must make sure they are doing everything they can to attract and retain the best talent; many will not even consider a job that doesnt offer flexibility anymore. Its vital for companies to work with their employees on their individual needs and ensure that they have the policies and systems in place to make it work. More and more premises across the country are getting connected to high-speed broadband and the desire for hybrid working makes this even more of a necessity. Work needs to be accessible to all employees; whether they are working remotely from a rural village, or in an office building in a city, he concluded. Lisa Smith, a former Defence Forces member who denies membership of Islamic State, travelled to Turkey to become a student of a famous Islamic convert who wrote Isis propaganda, the Special Criminal Court has heard. Michael O'Higgins SC, for Ms Smith's defence, read out a message exchange in 2013 between Ms Smith and an American Islamic scholar named John Georgelas who was living in Egypt at the time. Mr O'Higgins said Mr Georgelas asked Ms Smith to travel to Egypt to study under him and said he would pay her to help his wife, Tania Joya, take care of their children. Ms Smith replied: "I wouldn't dream of accepting any money for looking after your children. If I can get the benefit of your knowledge as your student that would be more than enough payment for me." Georgelas left Egypt with his wife Tania Joya and arranged to meet Ms Smith in Turkey. Ms Joya, giving evidence for a second day, told Mr O'Higgins that her husband was clever and manipulative and in 2013 was communicating with Ms Smith every day over the internet. She said he was a respected scholar who could "overwhelm" people with his knowledge of scripture. She told Sean Gillane SC, for the prosecution, that Georgelas wrote for magazines Dabiq and Rumiyah that publish Isis propaganda. Ms Smith (39) from Dundalk, Co Louth has pleaded not (NOT) guilty to membership of an unlawful terrorist group, Islamic State, between October 28th, 2015 and December 1st, 2019. She has also pleaded not (NOT) guilty to financing terrorism by sending 800 in assistance, via a Western Union money transfer, to a named man on May 6th, 2015. Her trial is continuing in front of Mr Justice Tony Hunt, Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge Cormac Dunne at the three-judge, non-jury court. Lisa Smith, a former Irish soldier who denies membership of Islamic State, "threw her life away to go and join a violent extremist ideology", a witness has told the Special Criminal Court. Tania Joya, who knew Ms Smith when the accused first travelled to Turkey and Syria in 2013, told the three-judge, non-jury court about her own path to radicalisation and how she changed her opinions. She said Ms Smith had grown up in a society where she had "all the liberties I didn't have" and "threw all that away" because she had been rejected by her own people and was "embraced" by the Muslim community. She said that Islam, which she described as a "religion of hate", can be attractive for people with "low self-esteem and hate". She added that there was a "big difference" between Ms Smith's situation and her own, coming from a Muslim community where she was never exposed to criticism of Islam. Ms Smith, she said, "threw her life away to go and join a violent, extremist ideology." Ms Joya also said that when in the Middle East Ms Smith enjoyed the attention she got from Arab men, who the witness said have "this lust and craze for white people". She added: "Lisa didn't get that from her own people, so she liked it." Ms Smith (39) from Dundalk, Co Louth has pleaded not (NOT) guilty to membership of an unlawful terrorist group, Islamic State, between October 28th, 2015 and December 1st, 2019. She has also pleaded not (NOT) guilty to financing terrorism by sending 800 in assistance, via a Western Union money transfer, to a named man on May 6th, 2015. Ms Joya has told the court that she was married to an American convert to Islam known as John Georgelas. Georgelas, she said, became an Islamic scholar who wrote academic papers and for magazines including Rumiyah and Dabiq, which she said published Isis propaganda. She told defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC that in 2013 Ms Smith was communicating with Georgelas every day on the internet. She was, the witness said, obedient to Islam, listened to what Georgelas told her and discussed scripture with him at length. In 2013, when Ms Smith travelled to Turkey, she was Georgelas's student, Ms Joya said. When Ms Smith arrived in Turkey, Ms Joya said the accused wanted to travel to Syria to fight for Islamic rebels against the Assad regime. She said Ms Smith "felt an obligation to use her training to help the Syrians." She agreed that Georgelas told Ms Smith that there was no role for women but the witness said that what Georgelas told Ms Smith was not true. She said women did play a role including in helping to strap bombs to people. Georgelas' opinion, she said, was "just one opinion" and Ms Smith didn't just listen to Georgelas. She added: "There were other scholars and we know there were other women involved in the jihad." Ms Joya was asked by Mr O'Higgins, for the defence, if she remembered that when Ms Smith asked what she could do in Syria, she was laughed at and told that the only place for a woman was in the kitchen. The witness replied that she didn't remember hearing those things being said. Ms Smith married a Tunisian man shortly after arriving in Syria in 2013 and, Mr O'Higgins said, she got pregnant twice within six months. Ms Joya said Ms Smith may have felt pressure from her husband to have a child. She agreed with Mr O'Higgins that in Islam wives are expected to obey their husbands and their husbands can "chastise" their wives by beating them. She said that Islam teaches that to disobey your husband is to disobey god. Ms Joya spoke at length about Islam and Muslim communities, saying that even moderate Muslims don't understand secularism. There was, she said, a lot of support among Muslims for Islamic State when it was "doing well", but many had a change of heart when the caliphate began to retreat. She said Muslims don't like to live among non-Muslims and are obligated by their religion to move to Muslim areas, or make "hijrah", if they can. She described Islam as a "religion of intolerance" and a "religion of hate" and quoted Mohammad as warning Muslims that if they live among non-believers they will "smell like them". For many Muslims, she said, the obligation to make hijrah is too much of a hardship, so they don't comply. She agreed with Mr O'Higgins that when she was young and angry, Islam "provided a voice" for her pain. But she added: "If I hadn't been born a Muslim I wouldn't have felt that way." She said her community told her not to read anything non-Islamic and not to explore other religions or ideas. She had never been exposed to criticism of Islam, she said. She agreed that her own journey out of radicalisation took a long time. Georgelas, she said, held her back, telling her not to read certain books and preventing her from hearing alternative ideas. All her life, she said she had tried to be obedient to god and took her parents word for it that the Koran was the word of god. She didn't see the contradictions it contained, she said, and had been "indoctrinated" by Islamic teaching. As a young person she was told she was stupid and a "bimbo" and believed she needed god to tell her what to do. As she got older, she said, she got smarter. She had raised her two eldest children to be "warriors" or jihadists and leaders of the caliphate who would "kill and be killed". But as her children grew up her thinking changed. She recalled being "very angry" with her husband when her eldest boy was taken out for shooting practice without any safety training and recalled another incident when one of her children arrived at their house with a live grenade. It took many incidents like that for the "bubble to burst", she said. The court has also been watching two interviews Ms Smith conducted with journalist Norma Costello while Ms Smith was being held in a camp in Syria following the fall of Isis' last Syrian stronghold. The trial continues on Monday in front of Mr Justice Tony Hunt, Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge Cormac Dunne. BEIJING, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- China has been engaged with the international space community over the past five years, yielding fruitful results in space science, technology and application, a Chinese official said Friday. China launched a lunar research station project with Russia, and carried out extensive international cooperation in manned spaceflights, lunar exploration projects, Mars explorations and other missions, said Wu Yanhua, deputy director of the China National Space Administration. Wu made the remarks at a press conference on the release of a white paper, titled "China's Space Program: A 2021 Perspective." The official also highlighted the signing of the BRICS Remote-Sensing Satellite Constellation agreement, the launches of the China-France Oceanography Satellite and the China-Italy Electromagnetic Monitoring Experiment Satellite. China also pressed ahead the BeiDou system in the standard systems of many international organizations in fields such as civil aviation and maritime affairs. To improve the international community's capacity for disaster prevention and mitigation, data of the Chinese Gaofen-1 and Gaofen-6 remote sensing satellites have been offered free of charge 550,000 times in 158 countries and regions. The country has also provided data of Fengyun meteorological satellites to 121 countries and regions. Moreover, five Chinese satellites and three constellations have participated in the mechanism of the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters, Wu said. EBRD commits an additional 50 million in equity to its joint venture with Dimand JV focuses on brownfield redevelopment, deep refurbishment and regeneration projects in Greece EBRD-Dimand partnership promoting the decarbonisation of the countrys building sector The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is investing an additional 50 million in its joint partnership with Dimand SA in Greece, increasing its overall commitment to 71.5 million. The joint venture is 35 per cent owned by the EBRD and 65 per cent owned by Arcela Investments Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Dimand, a leading Greek real-estate developer and construction services provider with a track record of delivering major brownfield regeneration projects. The EBRD's additional equity commitment to the joint venture aims to fund a new pipeline of green buildings, with a focus on offices, mixed-use projects and city hotels. Alongside the increase in investment limit, the Bank is promoting a higher level of sustainability reporting and risk management by introducing GRESB reporting the global environmental, social and governance (ESG) benchmark for real-estate assets, at the level of Dimand. Since the joint ventures inception in 2017, the EBRD has invested in five green-certified projects in Greece, including the Piraeus Tower, the Piraeus Port Plaza 2 and 3 office buildings, the Importex office building and the Omonoia Moxy hotel. The built environment accounts for close to 40 per cent of all global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions and half of global resource extraction. Consequently, the need for sustainable building developments and the deep retrofit of existing buildings has never been more relevant. Notwithstanding a rise in local demand for sustainable buildings in Greece, there is still limited supply of quality new product and chronic underinvestment in the refurbishment of existing buildings. The Banks partnership with Dimand, which centres on brownfield redevelopment projects and deep refurbishments, can thus play a major role in fostering the markets low-carbon, climate-resilient transition. Vlaho Kojakovic, EBRD Head of Property and Tourism, said: We are very excited to continue our excellent partnership with Dimand and support the joint venture in financing a new stage of mature pipeline projects in Greece. The joint venture integrates sustainability and resource efficiency as a systematic and core element of its business strategy, while addressing a number of strategic priorities set by the EBRD, ultimately supporting the decarbonisation of the Greek building sector. Dimitris Andriopoulos, CEO and majority shareholder of Dimand, added: We are honoured by the EBRDs continued trust in and support for our company and business. Since 2017, the EBRD has helped us to grow and evolve and we look forward to further strengthening our strategic relationship and investing in a new pipeline of sustainable projects. To date, the EBRD has invested approximately 5.4 billion in more than 85 projects in the corporate, financial, energy and infrastructure sectors of the Greek economy. CORK primary schools are being invited to participate in a new Imagine the Future competition run by National Broadband Ireland. National Broadband Ireland (NBI), the company rolling out the new high-speed fibre broadband network under the Governments National Broadband Plan (NBP), has launched a new competition for nearly 700 primary schools across the Intervention Area of the NBP. Students participating in NBIs new Imagine the Future art, design, and imagination competition will have a chance to win a state-of-the-art interactive flat panel display for their school, as well as a number of other individual student prizes for county and national competition winners. Peter Hendrick, Chief Executive Officer of National Broadband Ireland, said: This competition affords young people across the country the opportunity to imagine the endless possibilities afforded to them through access to high-speed broadband. I wish all of the students the best of luck in their projects. Tara Collins, Chief Marketing Officer of National Broadband Ireland, said: Young people and schools will see some of the greatest benefits from the introduction of high-speed broadband across the country through the National Broadband Plan. "We hope that this competition will engage them to think about the variety of advantages and potential uses of high-speed broadband, as well as engaging their imagination through the creation of the projects," she added. National Broadband Ireland left to right: Tara Collins NBI Chief Marketing Officer, Peter Hendrick NBI Chief Executive Officer and Samantha Ecock Promethean Territory Manager, Ireland. Students will be asked to create a piece of art responding to the simple statement, Imagine the Future. Entries can take a variety of forms, including a sculpture, a photo, a painting, a song, a short movie, or even a dance. Entries can focus on the following themes: Transportation of the future, School of the future, Home of the future, Workplace of the future, Hospital of the future and Community of the future. The competition will go through three phases: a school, county, and national phase. Winners from each school will progress to the county phase, where a panel of judges selected by NBI will decide who will represent their county at the final national phase and be in with a chance to win an ActivPanel. To register and find out more about the Imagine the Future competition, please visit here The winner will be announced in May of this year. CANBERRA, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government on Friday announced an additional investment of 1 billion Australian dollars (703 million U.S. dollars) in saving the iconic Great Barrier Reef. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the funding over the next nine years is aimed at improving water quality, reef management and research. The government said the package, which increases the funding committed to the Reef 2050 Plan to more than 3 billion AUD (2.1 billion U.S. dollars), will support 64,000 jobs and the economic future of tourism operators. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef and one of Australia's biggest tourism attractions. It is facing threats from climate change, with mass coral bleaching events in recent years. More than half the new funding announced on Friday -- 579.9 million AUD (408 million U.S. dollars) -- will be planned to be spent on improving water quality in the area through remediating erosion. The announcement came weeks after Anthony Albanese, leader of the opposition Labor Party, said they would invest 163 million AUD (114 million U.S. dollars) to conserve the Great Barrier Reef and support the tens of thousands of jobs that depend on it if victorious at the 2022 election. IRISH fishermen have been given a guarantee by Russias ambassador to Ireland that their fishing grounds will not be affected by navy exercises. Representatives of the Irish fishing industry met with the Russian ambassador amid an ongoing row over planned military exercises off the Irish coast. It comes as the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee has issued an invitation to the Russian Embassy for the ambassador to appear before it to face questions on the navy exercises. Speaking after talks with Yury Filatov at the embassy in Dublin, Brendan Byrne, chief executive of the Irish Fish Processors and Exporters Association, said it was a very beneficial meeting. The Russian artillery drills at the start of February will take place in international waters but within Irish-controlled airspace and the countrys exclusive economic zone. The Department of Transport has also issued a marine notice that the Russian navy is set to carry out manoeuvres off the south-west coast of Ireland from next Thursday. Mr Byrne said he was very surprised by the wealth of knowledge of the ambassador about Irish fishing matters. He said an agreement was reached that there will be a buffer zone between Russian vessels and fishing trawlers when military exercises are under way. We have now come to an accommodation where there is a pathway for coexistence for the naval exercises and for our fishing fleet, Mr Byrne added. The operation has to go back to Moscow. There was a great undertaking of the pressures the Irish fishing industry is under. There is an appreciation of the value of this fishing ground to the overall fishing industry. There was in-depth discussion in relation to the scale of the military exercises, and we have given an undertaking that we wouldnt discuss those further. It has been a very good day for the Irish fishing industry. We explored our options there was a map at the meeting. The options are clear and they are going back to Moscow. There is an acknowledgement that there is a valuable fishing ground there. Its open on February 1 and there is a tradition that Irish fishing industry would fish those grounds. I was very impressed by the wealth of knowledge of the ambassador and the complexity of the situation. When you compare that to the lack of engagement of our own Government, a lot of questions needed to be asked. (Mr Filatov) was very frank as the regard of the scale of activity. Patrick Murphy, chief executive of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, said fishing trawlers will make the decision on whether they fish in the area next week. We will carry back the information today and the positivity we negotiated, Mr Murphy added. UNDERSTANDING We gave an understanding that the information is sensitive and we are not going to escalate or undermine the good work that was done. Well be communicating with our vessels and Im very happy we had this meeting and grateful the ambassador has given us details that allays our fears. He has given us a very guaranteed assurance that he will take this back to Moscow and explain in clear detail the importance of this area to our fishermen. He has given us assurances that common sense will prevail and that some of the rhetoric is not correct. We are not here to challenge the Russian nation, all we are here to do is ensure our boats get to fish in their traditional fishing ground and do so in a safe and fair manner. Mr Byrne added: Therell be a clear understanding of whos going to be where, so that both parties know theres going to be a buffer zone. This is the significant part. Theres an absolute guarantee that our traditional fishing grounds will not will not be impacted by the Russian naval exercises. Digital Desk Staff More than 800 jobs will be created by Eli Lilly as part of a new 400m investment into Ireland as part of its global expansion. As the Irish Examiner reports, the pharmaceutical giant has announced that the funding will be put into building a new facility in Co Limerick. If it secures planning approval, the facility will need 500 people in the construction phase, and will employ 300 pharma workers when finished. Planning for the site, at Raheen Business Park near Shannon Airport and just under 5km from Limerick City centre, is due to be submitted in the coming weeks. The new facility will expand the companys manufacturing network for biologic active ingredients, support increased demand for its existing products, and play a key role in bringing Lillys clinical pipeline including its Alzheimers portfolio to patients around the world. The proposed project is expected to create new jobs for skilled engineers, scientists, and operations personnel who, the company says, will use the latest biologics manufacturing technology to produce lifechanging treatments that patients need to address health challenges. Eli Lilly has been operating in Ireland since 1978 and currently has more than 2,500 employees at a manufacturing campus at Kinsale, a global business services centre at Little Island in Co Cork, and a commercial team dispersed across the country. Biopharma hub Tanaiste and Enterprise Minister Leo Varadkar said: This is fantastic news for Limerick, and indeed the entire region. The Mid-West has become a real hub for leading biopharma companies such as Lilly, and Im really pleased the company has chosen Limerick for its new manufacturing centre. Senior vice president and president of manufacturing operations Edgardo Hernandez said: Over the past 40 years, we have continued to invest in Ireland in part because of supportive government policies that value life science innovation. "This new Lilly campus in Limerick will allow us to expand our capacity to make innovative new medicines that can help treat some of the worlds most serious illnesses. This facility will use the latest technology to support advancements in science, productivity, and sustainability, further establishing Lilly as a global manufacturing leader. IDA Ireland chief executive Martin Shanahan said the investment is very welcome news for the Mid-West region. The decision to significantly expand its footprint into the region demonstrates the confidence Lilly has in Ireland and the regions strong talent pool," he said. Floridas manatees are in trouble, so much trouble that wildlife officials are considering an unprecedented intervention feeding them. It is currently illegal to feed manatees, which are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978. However, so many manatees have died of starvation this year that state and federal officials are ready to take drastic measures. We are considering a pilot program to do some supplemental feeding, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) chairman Rodney Barreto told the Miami Herald. We continue to rescue manatees, and we want to be able to rescue even more during this emergency. As of November 12, 1,003 manatees have died in the state of Florida this year, according to FWC figures reported by CNN. This means deaths have more than doubled since the same time last year, when 498 manatees had died. The 2021 death toll also represents more than 10 percent of Floridas entire manatee population, the Miami Herald reported. The deaths have been classed as an Unusual Mortality Event and are largely due to starvation. The most hard hit population are the manatees that live in Brevard Countys Indian River Lagoon, where around 58 percent of the seagrass that manatees feed on has died in the last 11 years. This loss in an important food is partly due to algal blooms caused by nutrient pollution, which block sunlight from reaching the seagrass. Nutrient pollution can come from wastewater, microplastics and factory farming, and scientists say the manatees distress indicates broader problems. A lot of our environments are under pressure, and if we do not relieve that pressure, those systems will break, Michael Walsh, a clinical associate professor of aquatic animal health at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, told CNN. This is a continual warning sign that this is a gigantic ecosystem problem, not just a manatee problem. However, to help the manatees right now, state and federal officials are working together on a response. The feeding proposal awaits permission from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Miami Herald reported. Then, officials need to figure out what foods are best for the manatees. One option is to add more algae to their ecosystem. The other is to feed them common land-grown vegetables. But we need to test all that, we dont know what foods they will accept. When you put lettuce in an estuarine environment, its going to wilt faster. So that may not work at all, we may need to use cabbage, Save the Manatee Club Executive Director Patrick Rose told the Miami Herald. In the longer term, Rose and other activists hope that manatees will once again be listed as endangered, after they were downgraded to threatened in 2017. Were hoping this will be a wake-up call for all of Florida and for the federal agencies, Rose said. Gas stoves emit methane even when they are not in use, a new study has found, and this makes them a bigger contributor to the climate crisis than previously believed. The research, published in Environmental Science & Technology Thursday, concluded that the annual methane emissions from gas stoves in the U.S. are equivalent to about half-a-million cars worth of carbon dioxide. Theyre constantly bleeding a little bit of methane into the atmosphere all the time, study co-author and Stanford University climate scientist Rob Jackson told AP News. The research team measured the methane and nitrogen oxide releases from 53 gas stoves in California homes, a Stanford University press release explained. They looked at 18 different brands ranging between three and 30 years old. Unlike most previous studies, the researchers measured the emissions when the stoves were turned off as well as when they were lit, in use and extinguished. Stanford graduate student Eric Lebel tests a gas stove. Image credit: Rob Jackson Surprisingly, there are very few measurements of how much natural gas escapes into the air from inside homes and buildings through leaks and incomplete combustion from appliances, study lead author Eric Lebel, who conducted the research as a graduate student in Stanfords School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences, said in the press release. Its probably the part of natural gas emissions we understand the least about, and it can have a big impact on both climate and indoor air quality. Specifically, the researchers found that more than three-fourths of the methane emissions that they measured occurred when the stoves were switched off. Since more than 40 million U.S. homes cook with gas, this is likely a major addition to the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calculates for residential appliances. The researchers calculated that the actual emissions were likely 15 percent higher than the EPA estimate from 2019, CNN reported. All told, the researchers calculated that gas stoves pump 2.6 million tons of methane into the atmosphere each year, or the equivalent of 500,000 cars, AP News reported. The findings come the same week that another report found that just 30 Permian Basin oil and gas facilities also leak half-a-million cars worth of methane emissions each year. The Stanford findings are another example of how methane leaks are a major climate concern. This new study confirms what environmental advocates have been saying for over a decade now, that there is no [such thing as] clean gas not for our homes, not for our communities and not for the climate, Sane Energy community engagement coordinator Lee Ziesche, who was not involved with the research, told CNN. From the drilling well to the stoves in our kitchens, fracked gas is harming our health and warming the planet. The study also has public health implications. The researchers found that using a gas stove without a hood or proper ventilation could expose you to levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution deemed unhealthy by the EPA in outdoor settings for one hour of exposure, the press release explained. Unlike methane, the nitrogen oxide (NOx) exposure depends more on the stoves use. So if you turn another burner on, use a bigger burner, or turn it higher, all these things will create more NOx, Lebel told CNN. The concentration of those gases is dependent on how big your kitchen is, what your ventilation is in your kitchen, all those things matter. The study adds weight behind electric stoves in the debate over which are better. A number of cities in states including California, New York and Massachusetts have begun to phase out natural gas hookups in new homes. But what if the decision isnt taken out of your hands by changing policy? From an emissions standpoint, cooking directly with gas is better than using a fossil fuel powered electric stove but worse than using a solar powered electric stove, Illinois Applied Research Institutes Indoor Climate Research & Training group research engineer Zachary Merrin, who was not involved with the study, told AP News. However, renewable energy advocates say that switching to electric no matter what will make the transition to clean energy sources easier, according to CNN. Further, Jackson said that electric stoves didnt pose the same health risks. I dont want to breathe any extra nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide or formaldehyde, Jackson said in the press release. Why not reduce the risk entirely? Switching to electric stoves will cut greenhouse gas emissions and indoor air pollution. 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. Sponsored By: St Anthony's Hospital Celtro uses semiconductor technology to turn implants into self-sufficient systems. Semiconductors are the basis of modern medical devices such as pacemakers, biosensors, and hearing aids. Today, technology advancements have reduced power consumption of chips to the extent that the energy supply of such systems can be powered by bodys own cell energy. Battery depletion, device replacement, replacement operations and charging stations will become obsolete in the future. Celtro GmbH was founded in Dresden, Germany in 2019 with the aim of supplying autonomous medical products from such cell power plants. Building on its portfolio of intellectual property rights in the field of nanowatt electronics, Celtro GmbH has started developing such medical products. Electrical energy harvesting replaces the battery as an energy storage, in view to supply medical applications such as patient monitoring and pacemakers. The basic idea is that living cells in an organism resemble biological batteries that constantly generate electrical energy. If it becomes possible to use a small part of this energy, implantable medical devices would become energy-self-sufficient. Even patients with previously incurable diseases, such as paraplegia, could be helped permanently in the future. Moore's Law is our friend, says Dr.-Ing. Gerd Teepe, Founder and CEO of Celtro GmbH. Today's semiconductor technologies are astonishingly powerful. 1000 billion computing operations per second can be performed with less than 1 watt of energy consumption. However, biological processes are much slower. This allows us to reduce the energy consumption down to several nanowatts. This is sufficient for biological functions and low enough to be generated by the tissue itself. Self-sufficient implantable systems become possible. Co-Founder, Dr.-med. Judith Piorkowski, cardiologist and electrophysiologist, explains this in more detail: A cell absorbs sugar as an energy source and converts it into electrical and mechanical energy. There are billions of cells in a heart. Only a small fraction of the energy converted there is needed for the operation of self-sufficient implants, such as pacemakers. Celtro GmbH successfully completed its first financing round in December 2021. Private investors come from Germany and the USA. The state of Saxony is also supporting the development project financially in the context of its technology support program and facilitated an early operational start. The current focus is on semiconductor development in cooperation with partners in Saxony. For 2022, an expansion of the staff in Dresden with experts from the fields of semiconductor development, system development and cell biology is planned. With the conclusion of the Seed financing round, the first phase of the NanoPower-BioChip development program is secured. It will lay the foundation for cellular energy harvesting and demonstrate its feasibility. We are very pleased that both private investors and the state of Saxony support our breakthrough vision of energy-self-sufficient medical devices. The possibility of combining advanced semiconductor, cell biology and medicine research is a unique advantage of the location in Dresden and perfectly supports the mission of our company, says Jarek Budny, Co-Founder of Celtro GmbH. In a current situation, in which Catalan political power has been intimidated by the wide scale of state repression, it must be acknowledged that the Spanish judiciary has, in the end, entered completely into the very bowels of the Catalan autonomous community's micropower, which, today, is absolutely emptied of real competencies. Four cases from this week, before it has even finished, serve to illustrate this: the courts give a five-day ultimatum for the application of the 25% Castilian language quota in classrooms; the Central Electoral Commission does the same, giving another five days to the speaker of parliament, Laura Borras, to withdraw the seat of the CUP deputy for Lleida, Pau Juvilla, and warns her that she will incur legal consequences, a phrase whose meaning we are all aware of; the National Audience refuses to investigate whether the imam of Ripoll is alive and did not die in the Alcanar accident prior to the terror attacks on the Rambla and Cambrils in August 2017; and, to put the icing on the cake and show that they are the ones who decide what can and cannot be done, the High Court of Catalonia has returned to the Francoist minister Rodolfo Martin Villa the gold medal of Barcelona that the Catalan capital's city council had decided to withdraw from him with the support of all municipal groups except Cs and the PP. And a final flourish: the Supreme Court will, on March 1st and 2nd, put on trial the CUP deputy Eulalia Reguant for refusing to respond to Vox in the Supreme Court trial of pro-independence leaders, when, surely, in no other European country would the far-right party have been accepted by the court as a private prosecution. Each of these cases in itself contains enough for a series of articles, as it is really difficult to make a positive reflection on the situation and the response that the institutions have managed to give to what is nothing other than an authentic storm that was seen approaching, and to which the pro-independence parties have been unable to offer a coordinated response. On the contrary: they are busy in their internal guerrilla war, trying to achieve hegemony in Catalonia when the real risk is that whoever ends up winning will not have a country to govern, since the Spanish state will have done its job: disarming the independence movement for quite a few years and, in practice, making its parliamentary majorities worthless as nothing important ends up in their hands. And when it does, they are cut off. Last Tuesday, Catalan vice president Jordi Puignero made public in Parliament some facts that are appalling and unacceptable. As he explained in the chamber, of the 334 million budgeted for 2021 by the Pedro Sanchez government for the Mediterranean transport corridor, only 12 million were actually spent. Meanwhile, of the 226 million budgeted for the Andalusian corridor, twice as much was spent, 537 million euros. In case it is not clear: 12 million were invested in the Mediterranean corridor and 537 in Andalusia. It is really impossible to fight against this dynamic in Spain, which takes away competencies and suffocates not only those supporting independence but the whole of the Catalan population making it impossible for the country to move forward to towards a prosperous country able to fulfill the real potential that its GDP shows. Of all the cases set out above, probably the most flagrant due to its political significance and the one that best exemplifies that the judges have decided everything is the one that affects the withdrawal of the Barcelona city gold medal from Martin Villa. Isn't it popular sovereignty and in this case its political representatives who should decide whether or not to withdraw a gold medal awarded by the city? It is not, in its deeper substance, a matter over which a decision has to be made by justice. An average citizen, someone who doesn't know about laws, finds it difficult to understand that one council can grant such a special recognition and another, years later, cannot withdraw it. When, in addition, we are talking about a minister of a Franco-era government. But in Spain, all this ends up acquiring an air of normality. And, in Catalonia, a tragic fatalism that cannot be combated. Thus, every day there is less capacity to respond while more and more fronts are open. Of course, we'll always send off a good tweet. No need to mention that. No sooner said than done. Spain's Central Electoral Commission (JEC) has not only refused to suspend the withdrawal of the seat of Catalan MP Pau Juvilla (CUP), but also, as indicated in the resolution it published yesterday, has already issued the MP credentials for the candidate appearing after Juvilla on the CUP candidature list for the Lleida constituency in last year's elections. All this reached the Catalan Parliament this morning, sent as an official burofax communication to the speaker of the Chamber, Laura Borras, who has a period of five working days to indicate "the measures she has taken" to withdraw the MP's seat. "Failure to comply with these resolutions may lead to the legal consequences provided for in current legislation," Borras was warned. On January 20th, when the electoral body announced that it was withdrawing the seat of the deputy Juvilla, it also announced that it had agreed to "issue the credentials for the next candidate on the list" of the pro-independence CUP party. However, it went any further than that announcement. Yesterday's resolution, on the other hand, announced the issuing of the credentials and stated that the procedure had to be carried out the same day. Accordingly, the credential of the new deputy reached Parliament this morning in the burofax. Juvilla ran in the 14th February elections last year as head of the CUP list for Lleida, and the number two candidate is Nogay Ndiaye. Seat removed These expeditious movements of the JEC are completely different to how the body behaved in the 2020 case of the withdrawal of the seat of Quim Torra, when the then-Catalan president was also banned from office for a very similar offence of disobedience to the JEC itself: the refusal to remove symbolic yellow ribbons and banners from a public building. Two years ago, the JEC sent a letter asking speaker Roger Torrent to proceed with the removal of Torra's seat and requesting that he also send the body all the documentation certifying that that had been done. In the case of Juvilla, the electoral commission itself withdrew the credentials of the deputy and has now moved to materialize his substitute, issuing the new credentials of the person who, it asserts, must now occupy the seat. Unlike Torrent, then, the JEC has not allowed Borras to decide whether or not to withdraw his seat, because he has already been removed. What the speaker of parliament will have to decide is whether to assume being disobedient of the JEC decision, which could lead to the imposition of other charges against her such as collaboration in the usurpation of functions and misuse of public funds, as it could also involve using the public purse to pay the salary of an MP whose seat has been withdrawn. All this complicates the situation for speaker Laura Borras, who came to the chamber with a court case of her pending, with regard to contractual irregularities in the Institute of Catalan Letters which she formerly headed, and in these 11 months in the job, has added eight more cases, following the appeal of the PSC to the Constitutional Court, for the acceptance of the delegation of exiled MP Lluis Puig's vote, in addition to various complaints from Ciudadanos (Cs) and Vox. Juvilla "contaminates democratic functioning" In fact, the burofax that the JEC sent to the parliamentary speaker's office also includes the submission presented by Cs to the electoral body, and gives five days to Borras to give explanations on the facts in relation to the alleged non-compliance with the electoral board's resolution, and "in particular to indicate the measures taken by this institution to implement the agreement" to withdraw Juvilla's seat. Cs' letter names Borras directly and refers to the "multiple public demonstrations in which she agrees to continue to prevent the execution of the agreement and the effectivity of the law, collaborating in the usurpation of functions initiated by the convicted Juvilla" . The Cs appeal also names the secretary general of parliament, Esther Andreu, along with the members of the Bureau who refused to comply with the decision of the JEC, as responsible for not initiating the procedure to replace the CUP deputy. It also warns that in the event that Juvilla continues to participate in the deliberations of the house, given that his credentials as a deputy have been formally withdrawn, he will "contaminate the democratic functioning" of Parliament. The Cs letter to the JEC is accompanied by documentation, including photographs of Borras with Juvilla and transcripts of plenary sessions. The speaker of parliament has five working days to respond, counting from Thursday 27th. Beyond the matter of how and when the Catalan chamber decides to respond, as the Ciudadanos text warns, from now, on the simple fact of Juvilla's participation in a meeting of the Bureau or any parliamentary activity, or the payment of his MP's salary, once the JEC has cancelled his accreditation as a deputy and issued a new one, will launch a new legal front and new accusations. And not just for disobedience. Five charities awarded funding for international development projects Five charities registered in the Isle of Man will receive a total of 473,000 though the Small Grants Scheme to support international development work. The Small Grants Scheme aims to support Isle of Man registered charities to deliver international development projects, with funding given over a two-year period. Applications for the 2021-23 funding period closed in July 2021, with 10 applications received and evaluated against the objectives of the grant. The applications addressed a wide range of issues aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including reducing inequality, promoting good health and wellbeing, and providing clean water and sanitation. The five charities selected for funding are: CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) will receive 96,986 to improve Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services and facilities for vulnerable host communities and out of camp South Sudanese Refugees in Al Jabalian locality, White Nile State, Sudan. Christian Aid will receive 100,000 for their project entitled Improved Cookstoves in Burundi - A Cleaner Climate Initiative (Dukingire Igiti). The project will improve access to sustainable cooking methods by stimulating the production, purchase and use of improved cleaner energy cook stoves in Burundi. Excellent Development will receive 82,868 to build sand dams in a project designed to restore degraded lands to reduce rural poverty in Ethiopia. Sand dams offer a sustainable rainwater harvesting technique, providing long-term water security. Pahar Trust Nepal will receive 95,112 to build new earthquake-resilient education facilities in rural Nepal. RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institute) will receive 97,746 towards their project in Bangladesh that aims to reduce drowning mortality and improve early childhood development of children in rural communities of Barishal Division. Charity receives 1.4m to help protect Syrian refugee children UNICEF UK has been awarded 1.4 million from the Isle of Man's International Development Fund to help create a safe environment for Syrian refugee children. The charity will receive 1,411,431 which will be used to provide care services to 12,500 children, education to 1,200 parents and caregivers and efforts to raise awareness of child protection issues of Syrian refugees in Iraq. This is the second of two charities selected to receive International Development Partnerships (IDP) funding in 2021 - Send a Cow was also awarded funding to help people affected by climate change issues in rural Africa. UNICEF UK and Send a Cow were selected from more than 30 charities and organisations which applied for support in 2021. The IDPs aim to create longer-term partnerships between the Isle of Man Government and a small number of respected international charities, to facilitate lasting and sustainable change. Netflix is learning that careless dialogue in its fictional shows can have serious implications. Its bid to get a recent defamation suit dismissed has been rejected, meaning it will have to face the plaintiff Georgian chess legend Nona Gaprindashvili in court. In September, Gaprindashvili filed a suit against the streaming giant, accusing the company of defamation and "false light invasion of privacy." As the world's first female grandmaster, Gaprindashvili was mentioned in Netflix's series The Queen's Gambit a period drama about a chess prodigy. In one scene during a chess match, a radio commentator says in passing "The only unusual thing about her, really, is her sex. And even that's not unique in Russia. There's Nona Gaprindashvili, but she's the female world champion and has never faced men." According to the suit, not only is the allegation that Gaprindashvili hadn't faced men at that time "manifestly false," it's also "grossly sexist and belittling." It states that "By 1968, the year in which this episode is set, she had competed against at least 59 male chess players (28 of them simultaneously in one game), including at least ten Grandmasters of that time." Stanley Sherman via Getty Images The show is based on a 1983 novel by Walter Tevis that also mentions Gaprindashvili. However, the part which Netflix appears to have based this particular bit of its script on says, "The only unusual thing about her was her sex; and even that wasn't unique in Russia. There was Nona Gaprindashvili, not up to the level of this tournament, but a player who had met all these Russian Grandmasters many times before." Netflix's version is clearly different. The streaming provider had moved to strike the case in November, saying in its filing that "the Series is a fictional work that a reasonable viewer would not construe as conveying fact." It also said that "a reasonable viewer would not draw the negative implication that Plaintiff alleges." However, US District Judge Virginia Philips denied that motion today, writing that "the fact that the Series was a fictional work does not insulate Netflix from liability for defamation if all the elements of defamation are otherwise present." The ruling also states that "at the very least, the line is dismissive of the accomplishments central to Plaintiffs reputation." It also points out that, when filing its motion to dismiss, "Netflixs own evidence demonstrates knowledge of the truth in its choice to deviate from the text of the Novel, which states that Plaintiff had faced the male Russian Grandmasters 'many times before.'" Gaprindashvili is seeking damages of at least $5 million, as well as for Netflix to remove the statement that she never played men from the show. Waymo has sued the California Department of Motor Vehicles. In a case first reported by The Los Angeles Times , the Alphabet subsidiary filed a complaint with the Sacramento County Superior Court on January 21st to prevent the agency from disclosing what it believes to be trade secrets. At the center of the lawsuit is a public records request an unidentified party made to obtain Waymos driverless deployment application. Before sharing the requested documents, the DMV allowed the company to redact any sections it believed would reveal its trade secrets, including questions that were asked by the agency. When the DMV eventually forwarded the package to the requester, that individual or group challenged the redactions. The agency then contacted Waymo and invited the company to sue it to resolve the matter. Some of the information Waymo wants to prevent from entering the public domain include details on how it plans to handle emergencies involving its autonomous vehicles. Another redacted section details the abilities of its Driver software to handle San Franciscos tricky one-way streets and hills . The company began offering taxi service to a limited number of customers in San Francisco in August . Those vehicles operate with a backup human driver. The company contends it has publicly shared almost all of the information contained in its application with the DMV. According to Waymo, the redactions involve technical details that touch on how it achieves the safety performance it has detailed in other public venues. Waymo claims that information could give a competitor an edge on it. The suit's purpose here is to either forestall or completely prevent the disclosure of the requested information. As The Los Angeles Times notes, resolution for these types of cases can take years. Every autonomous vehicle company has an obligation to demonstrate the safety of its technology, which is why weve transparently and consistently shared data on our safety readiness with the public, a spokesperson for Waymo told Engadget. We will continue to work with the DMV to determine what is appropriate for us to share publicly and hope to find a resolution soon. The DMV declined to comment on the case, but said it's currently reviewing the complaint. Click for the latest, full-access Enid News & Eagle headlines | Text Alerts | app downloads Malan is communications specialist at the Public Library of Enid and Garfield County and provides content for the Enid News & Eagle. The News & Eagle has traditionally published personal opinions of writers and readers through editorials, columns and letters to the editor on its Opinion and other pages. The opinions shared are those of the writers and not the newspaper. Submit your opinion for publication to editor@enidnews.com. Find out more about submitting letters to the editor at https://www.enidnews.com/opinion/. Have a question about this opinion piece? Do you see something we missed? Do you have a story idea for the News & Eagle? Send an email to enidnews@enidnews.com. Enid, OK (73701) Today Thunderstorms likely. A few storms may be severe. Low 53F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely. A few storms may be severe. Low 53F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. The Scrubs cast is gearing up for a reunion, and we can't wait! The cast of the well-beloved comedy series Scrubs has announced that they will be reuniting at the ATX Television Festival in the summer of 2022. The reunion was announced through an EW exclusive. At the event, there will be a Scrubs panel alongside the already announced panels for Parenthood and Justified. Scrubs has officially been off the air for twelve years. This panel was originally set to happen at the ATX Television Festival back in the summer of 2020 in order to celebrate the show's ten year anniversary since the final episode premiered. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the event was rescheduled for this coming summer. Several cast members that have already confirmed their appearance at the highly anticipated panel. Those that have confirmed include some of our iconic Scrubs favorites such as Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, John C. McGinley, Judy Reyes, Neil Flynn, and Christa Miller. We can't wait to see the hilarious hospital gang back together again! The show Scrubs chronicled the hilarious stories of nineteen employees at Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. People fell in love with the characters, the chaos, and the comedy for the entire nine seasons. The show originally streamed on NBC, but, for their final two seasons, they switched over to ABC. We are sure that this panel reunion will be an absolutely unmissable event. The ATX Television Festival will be held from June 2nd to June 5th in Austin Texas. Get your tickets now! Nicholas Cage is getting bullied by his pet crow. Nicholas Cage is gearing up to play Dracula in the film Renfield. He will be playing the character opposite The Great's Nicholas Hoult. It is a character known for its gothic aura. Capturing this essence will not be difficult for the actor. He is a self proclaimed goth in his own life. He has a pet crow named Hoobah. Hoobah, however, has taken up a very interesting habit: he has started calling Cage various names. The actor told Variety, "He has taken to calling me names...it's comical, at least, it is to me. When I leave the room, he'll say, 'Bye,' and then go, 'Ass.' Crows are intelligent. And I like their apperance, the Edgar Allan Poe aspect. I like the goth element. I am a goth." This is why he is attracted to this mysterious and dark role. He takes great care when it comes to playing these parts. He said, "The key, I think, is movement...I saw a movie called Malignant and the director James Wan and the actress...created this choreography that was terrifying. So I'm hoping to do something like that where Dracula can either glide or move like Sadako in Ringu." We are sure that the award winner is up to the challenge. He is determined to make his rendition of Dracula unique. "I want to see it pop uniquely from how we've seen it played," he said to Variety. We can't wait to see Renfield when it hits the big screen. After his success with the Spider-Man franchise, with No Way Home being in the top ten highest grossing films of all time, Tom Holland is going big in his next big budget blockbuster, Uncharted. And we have the final trailer to prove it. Based on the popular video game series, the plot synopsis goes as such, "Street-smart thief Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) is recruited by seasoned treasure hunter Victor "Sully" Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) to recover a fortune lost by Ferdinand Magellan 500 years ago. What starts as a heist job for the duo becomes a globe-trotting, white-knuckle race to reach the prize before the ruthless Moncada (Antonio Banderas), who believes he and his family are the rightful heirs. If Nate and Sully can decipher the clues and solve one of the world's oldest mysteries, they stand to find $5 billion in treasure and perhaps even Nate's long-lost brother...but only if they can learn to work together." In this new trailer we get a few yet to be seen action sequences, fights, and a ton of witty-banter between Holland and Wahlberg, who seem to be having a blast making the film. One of the most innovative and impressive set pieces has to be where two old wrecked ships are suspended from helicopters with thieves swinging from one to the other while in mid-air flight! Haven't seen that one before. This will be the final trailer for Uncharted before it's UK release on February 11th, with the US release not far behind on February 18th. So, if you're jonesing for your Tom Holland fix, strap in and check out the trailer. Hope you like heights! This paper is an empirical study of the consequences of the prolonged closure of schools and other educational institutions for adolescent tribal girls, migrating to the construction sector of Surat in search of work. It attempts to argue that, unlike financial hardship, disruption in education induced by the pandemic brought them to the informal labour market where the entry-level age group is now much younger, exacerbating their existing vulnerabilities. The COVID-19 pandemic raging for over two years now has disrupted the entire teachinglearning process across the country (Talesra 2020; Jena 2020). The lockdown-induced closure of schools had prompted the administration to conduct all sorts of teachinglearning activities and evaluation processes like exams in through the virtual medium, ignoring multiple problems, such as access to the internet, availability of appropriate gadgets, and the structural inequalities in access to education, which is already deep-rooted in the country. Most importantly, there exists the digital divide between rural and urban areas. According to the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) 201718 report, 23.8% households in the urban areas had internet access whereas in the rural areas only 14.9% had internet connectivity (Sahani 2020). Furthermore, across the rural communities in India, the worst affected are the tribals, fraught with the lowest literacy rate and lesser numbers of enrolments in schools, with highest dropout rates after the primary level of education (Brahamanandam and Bosu Babu 2016). Amongst the tribal communities, ownership of computing devices is as low as 2.47% (Ahmed and Siddiqui 2020). The paper looks at the phenomenon of forced resignations in the garment industry in Karnataka during the pandemic. It demonstrates how workers responses to forced resignations were determined by whether they were located in the city (Bengaluru) or a small town (Srirangapatna) and calls for an engagement with the local geographies to understand the experiences of women garment workers. The economic distress faced by garment workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns has sparked much global activism. Meticulous documentation has shown the extent to which workers were underpaid during the pandemic (Clean Clothes Campaign 2020), the ways in which brands abdicated on their commitments to workers (Khambay and Narayanaswamy 2020) and the impact of these actions on workers access to income and nutrition (Workers Rights Consortium 2020). Such work has rightly foregrounded the distressed woman worker and has sought amelioration from rich and powerful transnational apparel corporations. In doing so, such activism in the garment sector has continued its northward orientation, addressing apparel corporations and their consumers in the global Northan orientation that has borne fruit in some instances.1 Friday, January 28, 2022 Commentary From Crisis Management Expert Edward Segal, Author of the Award- Winning Book Crisis Ahead: 101 Ways to Prepare for and Bounce Back from Disasters, Scandals, and Other Emergencies (Nicholas Brealey) Criticism of President Joe Biden's recent comments about Russia's anticipated invasion of the Ukraine underscored an important reality for business leaders about responding to any crisis: all words matter. The BBC reported that President Biden said at his Wednesday press conference that Vladimir Putin would pay a "serious and dear price for invading Ukraine, but also indicated that it might depend on how Russia went about it." "What you're going to see is that Russia will be held accountable if it invades and it depends on what it does," he said. "It's one thing if it's a minor incursion, and then we end up having to fight about what to do and not do etc." According to the BBC, "His comments prompted questions over how the U.S. might respond to Russian aggression and officials have been rushing to clarify Washington's position. Ukraine's President Responds Ukraine's president pushed back on President Joe Biden's suggestion "that a 'minor incursion' by Russia into Ukraine might not merit a strong international response," USA Today reported. "We want to remind the great powers that there are no minor incursions and small nations," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote in a tweet Thursday morning. "Just as there are no minor casualties and little grief from the loss of loved ones. I say this as the President of a great power." Biden Backtracks Biden had to backtrack, saying that any Russian forces that crossed into Ukraine would constitute an invasion. "If any assembled Russian units move across the Ukrainian border, that is an invasion. Let there be no doubt if Putin makes this choice, Russia will pay a heavy price," Biden told reporters before a meeting with his infrastructure task force. "The Ukrainian foreign minister said this morning he's confident of our support and resolve, and he has a right to be," the president added. Damage Control Reuters reported that, "Biden's remarks on Wednesday sent his administration and allies quickly into damage control mode, with a stress on unity. "No matter which path Russia chooses, it will find the United States, Germany, and our allies, united," said Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking at a press conference with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during a visit to Berlin to meet ministers from Britain, France and Germany. "We urgently demand that Russia takes steps towards de-escalation. Any further aggressive behavior or aggression would result in serious consequences," Baerbock told the news conference. Advice For Business Leaders Philadelphia's Violence Crisis Immediately apologize for anything you said that causes a crisis to get worse or is criticized by those who are impacted by the crisis. Last month, Philadelphia's District Attorney Larry Krasner apologized for comments he made that the city does not have a violence crisis, surrounded by community supporters who accepted his admission of wrongdoing. According to WHYY-TV, " Krasner made a new statement during his weekly violence update, this time from the Love Zion Baptist Church in North Philadelphia not far from the scene of several carjackings in recent weeks, including one that resulted in the murder of the car owner." "My words unintentionally hurt people," Krasner said. "It was never what I wanted to do I know that those words were the wrong ones. I chose them. They came out of my mouth I failed in not acknowledging the pain and suffering that disproportionately affects people of color and poor people, so for that, I am truly sorry." The TV station reported that, "...in an exchange with reporters, Krasner acknowledged that the city does have a gun violence crisis, while insisting on pointing out that police statistics show overall violent crime is down in Philadelphia. "We don't have a crisis of lawlessness. We don't have a crisis of crime. We don't have a crisis of violence," he said. "The comments drew criticism from some community leaders, as well as former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, as [being] insensitive to the dangers and heartbreak faced especially by many Black and Latino residents as more than 500 people were murdered so far this year. The vast majority of homicide victims have been young Black men." Gulf Oil Spill In 2010, Tony Hayward, who was then the CEO of BP, had to apologize after making remarks about the company's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. "I'm sorry. We're sorry for the massive disruption it's caused their lives. There's no one who wants this over more than I do. I'd like my life back." In a post on Facebook, Hayward said that, "I made a hurtful and thoughtless comment on Sunday when I said that 'I wanted my life back.' When I read that recently, I was appalled. I apologize, especially to the families of the 11 men who lost their lives in this tragic accident. "Those words don't represent how I feel about this tragedy, and certainly don't represent the hearts of the people of BPmany of whom live and work in the Gulfwho are doing everything they can to make things right. My first priority is doing all we can to restore the lives of the people of the Gulf region and their familiesto restore their lives, not mine." ### Friday, January 28, 2022 Community Champion Volunteers are Stitch members who volunteer their time to host events that help other members connect and engage with others in the community, especially in areas where the community isnt active yet. Bill from Scotland is one of our superstar Community Champion Volunteers, dedicating hours of his time every week to connecting, entertaining, and educating Stitch members from all around the world (including the US, UK, and Australia). If you havent already, be sure to attend one of his many activities they range from nighttime chats to quizzes! Bill shares his Stitch journey with us below. Hi, my name is Bill, and I live in a small village outside Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. I joined Stitch about nine months ago as the COVID-19 lockdown was taking its toll, after losing my wife 11 months previously to this. After joining Stitch, it took a few weeks before I attended my first event. At my first event (which was virtual), I was made to feel very welcome. This was followed by many welcoming messages, inviting me to more virtual activities on Stitch. I then started participating more and more. After getting to know Stitch member Pam from Wales, we decided to start running supportive events for widows and widowers, which went on for quite a few months. I noticed that although men attended, they said very little, so we decided to split these events Pam would host the events for our widows, while I hosted events for our widowers. It was good to see that the men opened up more in these male-only events. I then started to run a quiz night every two to three weeks and have always got a good uptake on these activities. I now also help run activities for our Chatterbox UK group, and host virtual nighttime chats for members that find it hard to sleep. These nighttime events have really taken off. I also have a few discussion groups running as well. I was very lucky to recently be able to host an in-person weekend at my house. This was held in conjunction with a virtual event with members who could not attend. I have had a great nine months so far and have met a load of very nice and friendly people who I am proud to call friends. Long may this great institution last that a great man Andrew started with his wonderful staff. Want to become one of our superstar Community Champion Volunteers? Learn more or RSVP to an information session here. Or, if youd like to come along to one of the many activities held every week, sign up to Stitch today. Our activities are held all over the world! Not even a Donald Trump-supporting billionaire could stop the Texas Transportation Commission on Thursday from trashing a 2014 agreement to transfer control of a 2.2-mile stretch of Broadway from the state to the city of San Antonio. In a letter dated Jan. 26, Christopher Kit Goldsbury the original money behind Silver Ventures, developer of the Pearl and 36 other local business and political leaders called on Gov. Greg Abbott and commission Chairman J. Bruce Bugg, a San Antonio banker, to allow Broadway to prosper. Goldsbury and companys underlying message: Please back off and allow the city to proceed with plans to remake the Broadway corridor as a complete street. That means reducing the number of traffic lanes, adding bike paths and widening sidewalks. New landscaping, too. The idea is to accommodate pedestrians, bus riders and bicyclists not just motorists. Were talking about the portion of Broadway between Burr Road and I-35. On ExpressNews.com: Broadway corridor vote: State stops San Antonio's redevelopment plan The effort is largely underwritten by $42 million in bond financing San Antonio voters approved in 2017. The project was embedded in a $445-million street improvements package that won 78 percent of the vote. Traffic studies predict just a few minutes of extra drive time over this ... stretch of road, the letter writers noted. This is a small price to pay for the increased safety, job and business creation, the expected billions of dollars of new development, and the resulting increases in much-needed sales and property tax revenues. Other signatories included Rackspace Technology co-founder Graham Weston, NuStar Energy Chairman Bill Greehey and former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus. But Goldsbury literally topped the list. He contributed at least $33,000 to Trump between 2016 and 2020, and much more to other Republican candidates and officeholders, including Abbott, according to Open Secrets, a nonpartisan campaign-finance watchdog. That puts him in the mainstream of Texas GOP politics in spirit, anyway. His wealth sets him apart from most other conservatives. The Pearl is his brainchild and Broadway is its home. Its redevelopment is in keeping with the tony mixed-use developments pedestrian-friendly layout. None of it mattered Thursday. Not the arguments of Goldsbury and other Broadway developers and business owners, nor those of bicycle-safety and public-transportation advocates. City officials pleas to at least postpone its vote to rescind its order a move the commission predicated on the fact that a project acceptance letter hasnt been issued also went nowhere. Roadblock Bugg, an Abbott appointee, set the tone in his opening remarks. He heads up the holding company that owns the Bank of San Antonio and is chairman and trustee of the Tobin Endowment. The Transportation Commission he leads governs the Texas Department of Transportation. He noted San Antonios fast-growing population and Texans heavy dependence on their cars and truck to get from Point A to Point B. With that, the commissions responsibility is to plan for the transportation needs today and in the future, he said. A critical part of delivering for the people of the state of Texas is congestion relief. In a wide-ranging interview with Bugg in July 2020, he talked about his role at the commission and Abbotts dealings with it. On ExpressNews.com: Preacher of relationships San Antonio banker J. Bruce Bugg Jr. is an adviser to the governor, a force in the financial world, a patron of the arts Actually, the only thing that I can think of that Gov. Abbott publicly called on the commission to do was in September of 2015 he called on the commission to come up with a statewide strategic plan to address congestion, predominantly in the urban areas in Texas, Bugg said. I was appointed to lead that, and that turned into Texas Clear Lanes. That's a very robust plan focusing on congestion, predominantly in the five major urban areas of the state being Fort Worth, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Houston. About 67 percent of the population of Texas live in those five major metropolitan areas. He made the same point Thursday, adding that the Texas Clear Lanes program has completed a dozen projects that cost a combined $1 billion. Relieving congestion was the bottom line as mandated by Gov. Abbott. These two things werent in dispute Thursday: First, TxDOT hadnt relinquished control of the corridor. Its still a part of the Texas highway system, as bizarre as that seems to anyone who drives on Broadway. It sure looks and feels like a city street, with city speed limits to boot. But proof of ownership is in the spending. TxDOT has paid $1.3 million for maintenance of the roadway since 2014, according to Gina Gallego, the departments San Antonio district engineer. Second, TxDOT had played along with San Antonio officials for seven-plus years, not signaling until recently that a rescission was in the cards. No one contradicted Assistant City Manager Jeff Coyle when he stepped up to the podium Thursday in Austin and said the citys plans for Broadway warrant more than an abrupt, unilateral halt to this project. On ExpressNews.com: Transforming the Broadway Corridor After commissioners voted 3-1 to undo its 2014 order which was amended in 2015 City Manager Erik Walsh called the decision a complete about-face. The controversy didnt break into the open until Tuesday afternoon when Mayor Ron Nirenberg tweeted, inaccurately: Huh? State is preparing to claim Broadway is part of the TX highway system, 6 years after transferring control to the city. Abbotts fingerprints We cant say yet whether Abbott was or wasnt directly pulling the commissions strings. He clearly staked out his anti-congestion policy directive seven years ago. But the abruptness of the Transportation Commissions Broadway turnaround is fishy. Its also of a piece with Abbotts unrelenting attempts to wrest local control from Texas big cities, the only real Democratic strongholds in the state. Local tree ordinances? Too anti-development. A local fracking ban? Not gonna happen, hippie. As a fairly frequent driver on Broadway, I wasnt looking forward to longer drive times after the corridors rebirth as a complete street. But the future of urban transportation cant be all about cars, SUVs and pickups, which in combination with Texas farflung highway system have brought us a lot of sprawl and pollution. Also, Goldsbury and friends were right in saying, Since the redesign was conceived, developments costing several hundred million dollars have occurred along Broadway and much more is currently under design or construction. Ask Credit Human, which moved its headquarters to lower Broadway, or Jefferson Bank, which is building its new HQ nearby. No one knows yet whether the commissions decision will be the death of the citys Broadway project. For his part, Bugg said TxDOT and the city should continue talking, to find a way forward. The only stipulation is we cannot reduce capacity on Broadway, he added. The words were Buggs. But the naked exercise of power that they conveyed that was Abbott. greg.jefferson@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate COVID-19 is now so widespread that nearly 1 in 5 Bexar County residents contracted the virus at some point from the start of the pandemic through December. In an epidemiology report released this week, the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District noted that at least 18 percent of all county residents were known to have caught the virus at some point during the nearly two-year pandemic through the end of last month before the highly contagious omicron variant pushed the number of new cases and the positivity rate to staggering heights. Were going to have to consider that this may become endemic, meaning its just a part of our community, said Dr. Rita Espinoza, Metro Healths chief epidemiologist. And we will have to learn what does that mean moving forward. The total number of cases spiked dramatically in January, with more than 124,000 reports compared with 359,692 cases from the start of the pandemic through December. As COVID-19 has mutated, creating variants such as delta and omicron, the avalanche of COVID statistics released each day can be difficult to process. In recent weeks, the daily number of new cases drastically increased with omicron, yet hospitalizations arent as high as with the delta surge. Also, daily numbers of newly diagnosed cases include people who have only mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, while the number of hospitalized patients include those who were admitted for other medical reasons and incidentally tested positive for the virus. To gauge the virus true effect on the community, Espinoza suggests looking at three indicators: the case rate per 100,000 residents, the weekly positivity rate and the hospital stress score. Currently, theres a weekly average of 290.2 cases per 100,000 Bexar County residents. Thats a record high and marks an increase for an eighth consecutive week. The countys weekly positivity rate the share of people turning up positive for the virus among all those tested also stands at a record high of 39.4 percent. Thats the fifth consecutive week its gone up. That positivity rate surfaced during a week when more than 100,000 COVID tests were given. The communitys risk level and the hospitals stress score both are severe as hospitals continue to be bombarded by admissions of patients testing positive for COVID-19 and as hospital employees become infected or exposed to the virus and have to take off from work. Those indicators can help people gauge their own level of risk when they decide whether to go out or stay home, Espinoza said. /Jessica Phelps Its really to help individuals know whats happening out in the community, to make a better-informed decision about their own safety, she said. Its a way to figure out how much risk am I willing to take for my own well-being, for those that I care for? So the higher the level, hopefully, individuals are more in tune to take additional safety measures. Dr. Barbara Taylor, a UT Health San Antonio associate professor of infectious diseases who treats patients sick with COVID, said she looks at the seven-day moving average of daily cases, the percentage of people testing positive for the virus and the case rate per 100,000 residents. Bexar Countys seven-day moving average of newly diagnosed COVID cases reached a record high of 6,186 on Jan. 21 and had dropped to 5,063 as of Saturday. Still, that number remains much higher than those recorded during previous surges. I tend to look at the seven-day moving average of overall cases pretty closely. And I am still looking at that with this surge, said Taylor, who is also assistant dean of UT Health San Antonios Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health program. The seven-day moving average is a little bit smoother for us. ... I feel like it does reflect more of a where are we in our community at the moment? I think that overall case rates are still important because I see it as if everybody in our community had (the) flu at the same time. And that doesnt usually happen, she said. /Jessica Phelps Taylor noted that while some patients may have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, the number of people testing positive for the virus has now increased by more than threefold from levels recorded during previous surges. So I think the toll that omicron is taking in our community is still very present. ... It is still not insignificant in terms of how ill many people feel, she said. Taylor also noted that the numbers of people testing positive for the virus at home using self-administered rapid tests arent included in the data released by Metro Health. She also keeps track of the number of patients in intensive care units who have tested positive for the virus. The vast majority of those people are in the ICU because of COVID or complications from COVID, Taylor said. /Jessica Phelps The record number of COVID patients in ICUs 452 was set last January. As of Saturday, that number stood at 284. The daily numbers of COVID patients hospitalized are tricky to interpret because they include those admitted for other medical reasons and who happened to test positive for the virus upon admission. Some San Antonio hospital systems have hundreds of patients each day, so its difficult and time-consuming to review each patients records to determine if they were admitted for severe illness from COVID or something else particularly while a health care crisis is going on. During the omicron surge, local hospitals have seen higher percentages of patients admitted for other medical reasons turn up positive for COVID than they did during previous variants of the virus, said Eric Epley, executive director of the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council, which coordinates resources among medical centers in the region. On any given day, the share of patients admitted for other emergencies and found to be infected with the virus ranges from 30 percent to 65 percent of a hospitals total inpatient population, he said. There is still a significant percentage of patients admitted for COVID symptoms that are impacting our hospitals daily that normally wouldnt be there, and that is largely avoidable, Epley said. The high transmissibility of the omicron variant has infected more clinical staff from our hospitals than previous variants, so (staff absences) are up more than at any time in the pandemic, which has a huge impact on our health care systems. In the end, whether they are admitted for COVID symptoms or their COVID status is discovered during an admissions screening process, they are patients that need the appropriate level of care for their illness, and the COVID patients require additional measures for their hospital stay. Some states, such as New York and Massachusetts, have begun differentiating between patients admitted to hospitals for severe COVID illness and those hospitalized for other reasons who happen to test positive for the virus, Taylor said. Those two states are looking at which patients received steroids, which is one method of treating COVID pneumonia. This isnt a perfect means of calculating how many patients are truly sick with COVID because some patients may be given steroids for other medical reasons, while others may be suffering from COVID complications that arent treated with steroids, Taylor said. But do I wish that we had access to that information in our community? she said of the more specific hospital patient counts. Yes, I definitely do. pohare@express-news.net | Twitter: Peggy_OHare Texas is home to some oddly named cities and towns. The origins of some of these names are just as intriguing. For example, there is a crazy town in the Texas Panhandle. On ExpressNews.com: Here are the best places to cry in San Antonio, according to locals Loco, situated in Childress County, is named after the Spanish word for crazy or insane. The unincorporated community got its name after the locoweed, a common North American poisonous plant synonymous for causing livestock to grow weak and lose muscular control. With the help of Edward and Jean Callarys Texas Place Names, the Express-News compiled a list of some of the colorful city and town names in the state along with their origins and meanings: Bigfoot: The city is not named after the ape-like creature said to inhabit the forests of North America. However, William Bigfoot Wallace was a big man. The Texas Ranger is said to have been 6 feet, 2 inches and 240 pounds. Wallace got his nickname from his efforts to bring justice to a Native American from the Waco tribe, according to Texas Place Names. Wallace spent his later years in Frio County in the vicinity of a small village that later adapted his name. On ExpressNews.com: The most mispronounced Texas city names and your guide to pronouncing them correctly Blowout: This community in unincorporated Blanco County is named after a nearby spring and cave that shares the same name. Living in Blowout Cave were thousands of bats. According to Texas Place Names, it was given the name Blowout after a bolt of lightning struck the cave mouth and caused an explosion of gasses that had built up from years of accumulating bat guano. Bug Tussle: The community in Fannin County got its name from an incident in the 1890s, when a swarm of insects spoiled an ice cream social. Another local story says it was named after lazy Sunday School picnics where there was nothing to do but watch the bugs tussle among themselves, according to Texas Place Names. Cut and Shoot: About 40 miles east of Houston in Montgomery County, the town of less than 1,113 has several origin stories and they all involve violence in a church. Heres what Texas Place Names to say: The name arose from a dispute over church services in the summer of 1912. Some religious groups were welcome to conduct services in the community chapel and others were not. "Things came to a head one July morning when one group, determined to enter the building, was met by another, equally determined to keep them out. Tensions rose and when weapons were drawn, a young boy darted off exclaiming Im going to cut around the corner and shoot through the bushes. "Legal proceedings followed and one witness, when asked where the scuffle had occurred, is said to have replied where they had the cuttin and shootin scrape." By another account, a local preacher was accused of becoming too friendly with women of the congregation and men ran from the church "to their wagons and buggies to get knives and rifles to cut and shoot." Ding Dong: Aptly named for a city in Bell County, local legend says Ding Dong got its name in the 1920s. Two locals Isaac Bertram Bell and his cousin Zoilus Ozzias Bell, who was a music teacher asked a local painter to create a sign for their new general store. He painted two bells and underneath them wrote ding and dong. Dinero: This city has a rich history and its origins may involve buried treasure. The community was renamed in the 1870s from Barlows Ferry to Dinero the Spanish word for money. According to local legend, there is buried treasure or lost mines in the area. One local story says that Spanish silver miners were murdered by Native Americans for their dinero. Another rumor involves Mexican soldiers retreating after their loss at San Jacinto, the final battle of the Texas Revolution. Its said they buried their treasure somewhere in the area. Frognot: One origin story involves boys bringing frogs to school to scare the girls. When they were discovered, the teacher reprimanded the boys because Frogs are not to be brought to school. Another account says there was a plague of frogs of biblical proportions and the people went on a frog hunting campaign that reduced the frog population to zero. Thus, the name frognot, according to Texas Place Names. Girlstown: This city in Cochran County originated as a refuge for homeless girls in Buffalo Gap. The community moved to its present site in 1939. In 1987, Girlstown merged with Cal Farleys Boys Ranch, a city founded by a local wrestler who established a ranch for homeless boys. Gun Barrel City: The citys official slogan is We Shoot Straight With You. The citys name is fairly straightforward. The city took the name from Texas 198, known as Gun Barrel Lane, which ran in a straight line between Mabank and Payne Spring. Happy: The citys official slogan is The town without a frown. It takes its name from Happy Draw, which was named by thirsty cowboys who were happy to find fresh water after long cattle drives. Harmony: There are four cities called Harmony in Texas and they all have different origins stories. In Kent County, the city of Harmony got its name after founding families peacefully resolved a disagreement. In Hopkins County, the city of Harmony got its name because locals lived in harmony with their neighbors. Jot 'Em Down: Here is what Texas Place Names has to say about the towns origins: In 1936, Dion McDonald opened a general store that was familiarly known as the Jot Em Down Store, named after the fictional establishment co-owned by Lum Edwards and Abner Peabody on the immensely popular hillbilly comedy show Lum and Abner in the 1930s and 1940s. The name took root and Jot Em Down became the name of the local ginning corporation and then of the community. Rambo: This city is not named after the fictional Vietnam veteran John Rambo or Sylvester Stallone, who played the action hero in the films by the same name. The town gets its name from Gale Rambo, a white U.S. military officer, and his African American wife, Lydia, who established a community for free African Americans in the 1850s. Seclusion: This city in Lavaca County was aptly named in 1879 for its isolation. Stranger: The local story relayed in Texas Place Names is that a representative of the Post Office Department, while passing through, asked the village blacksmith the name of the town and the blacksmith, in poor English, replied that he was a stranger. The representative, sure of only one word, wrote Stranger on the application. Tarzan: This city in Martin County was named in 1927 to commemorate the work of a famous California writer Edgar Rice Burroughs. At the time, the "Tarzan" series was approaching dozens of volumes and was at the height of its popularity. Tarzana, Burroughs Southern California estate, may have inspired the choice of the Texas name, according to Texas Place Names. Uncertain: There are several stories that have attempted to explain the origin of Uncertain. But its origins are just as unclear as the name implies. According to Texas Place Names, one local story says settlers who arrived at the boundary between the US and the Republic of Texas at caddo lake had not been firmly established and residents were uncertain of where they lived. Another story says the town was incorporated to allow liquor sales, but it was uncertain if the ordinance would be approved. Weeping Mary: Weeping Mary was founded at the close of the Civil War as a community for emancipated African Americans. According to Texas Place Names, a local story relates the name to a freed woman named Mary who lost her land to a cheating plantation owner. A more likely source is that it is named after "Stabat Mater," a hymn that portrays a weeping Virgin Mary. White Settlement: Per Texas Place Names, White Settlement was so named to distinguish a community for Anglos from a nearby town of largely Native Americans. By others, the town was named for the many settlers with the family name White (more than 100) who moved to the county in the 1870s. A 2005 referendum to change the name to West Settlement failed by a ten-to-one margin. Yard: The local story is that when merchant Bruce Gray applied for a post office, his list of possible names inadvertently included a customers request for a yard of cloth. The Post Office Department dutifully approved the office as Yard in 1903. Timothy.Fanning@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Moments after police officers responded to a domestic disturbance in Fifth Ward Thursday afternoon, the routine call spiraled into chaos: a chase, a crash, a shootout that ended with three police officers wounded, a carjacking and then a barricaded suspect in a home on Lockwood Avenue. As police waited for hours before finally taking the man later identified as Roland Caballero into custody, Mayor Sylvester Turner said the wounded officers were in good spirits and expected to recover. But the shooting was a reminder of the dangers of police work, Turner said. We are living in inherently dangerous times, he said, and its going to take all of us working together to have a very safe city. On HoustonChronicle.com: K-9 stabbing suspect confessed to killing his father with dumbbell, Houston police say The fracas began about 2:42 p.m., officials said, when police responded to a disturbance at 1513 Tralle St., in Fifth Ward. Caballero spotted the officers and fled in a gray Dodge Charger. He eventually crashed on the 2100 block of McGowen Street and then unleashed a barrage of gunfire at the police pursuing him, striking three and sending a plume of smoke out of their vehicle. Video of the encounter showed three officers rushing toward the shooter, with two taking cover behind their cruiser, while another hid along a fence line and then firing at the suspect. Audio from the video captured the sounds of numerous gunshots, including what sounded like automatic fire. From there, Caballero carjacked a person in a white Mercedes-Benz and then drove to a house on Lockwood and barricaded himself inside the home, authorities said. Firefighters transported one of the officers to Memorial Hermann Hospital, while police officers drove the others there. The three were all relatively new police officers stationed to Northeast Patrol, Chief Troy Finner said. One officer was shot in the elbow, another in the leg, and the third in the foot. The three were identified as Officers Nate Gadson, 35, Daniel Hayden and Anthony Alvarez. Gadson has spent four years with the department; Hayden, three years, and Alvarez, two. All were on the mend Thursday afternoon, Finner and Turner said. We expressed our support of them, how appreciative we are of their service, and how grateful and thankful we are that their injuries were not worse, Turner said. On HoustonChronicle.com: Man accused of killing Houston deputy interrupts hearing, says law enforcement wants to kill him Doug Griffith, president of the Houston Police Officers Union, said he talked to two of the wounded officers at the scene. Their car is shot to st, Griffth said. How they made it out of there without being more severely injured is amazing. The immediate area was blocked off by police cruisers and yellow tape. Shivpal Vansadia, who lives in the nearby area and works as an analyst for NASA, was on a work Zoom call when he heard a succession of pops. His co-workers asked what it was, and he told them he thought it was gunfire. He ducked, then left the call and went to the roof of his townhome to see what was happening. From there, he saw a police car and a suspects vehicle. He said he saw police with their guns out, running toward a Dodge Charger. Most of the situation had already unfolded. As officers converged on the hospital to check on their wounded comrades, SWAT operators spent hours outside of a home on Lockwood near Interstate 10 where Caballero had barricaded himself. The 31-year-old man shot at police several times but did not hit anyone, Finner said. Thank God he didnt strike any officers, he said. The man who had a gunshot wound to his neck surrendered to authorities around 7:45 p.m., walking out of the home with his hands up, Finner said. He was sent to the hospital, Finner said. On HoustonChronicle.com: Oscar Rosales, man accused of killing Harris County deputy, had a prior identity in 1995 arrest Court records show a lengthy rap sheet dating back to 2008, with charges for deadly conduct, aggravated assault and unlawful possession of weapons. Thursdays shooting is the latest in a challenging week for Harris County law enforcement, who have seen two of their colleagues killed in the last several days and a police dog stabbed and nearly killed. It began on Saturday when Houston police had to rush one of their K-9s, Nate, to an animal hospital after he was stabbed by a man they were trying to arrest. The man accused of stabbing the K-9 on Wednesday was charged with murder in the death of a man police believe to be his father. On Sunday, a Precinct 5 deputy constable was shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop in west Houston. Cpl. Charles Galloway, 47, died at the scene. Oscar Rosales was charged with capital murder of a police officer and was captured in the border town of Ciudad Acuna after a manhunt that involved police agencies across the state. Early Monday, an off-duty Harris County sheriffs deputy, Sgt. Ramon Gutierrez, 48, died after being struck by a driver while escorting heavy machinery along Sam Houston Parkway in the northeast part of the county. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo stated she was saddened and absolutely outraged over this latest attack on our police. Gun violence is out of control and weapons of war have NO place on our streets. Im in touch with Mayor Turner and he has our full support for anything he or HPD needs. At a news conference at the Texas Medical Center, Turner also decried the toll gun violence has taken on the region and acknowledged the strain recent events have placed on the areas law enforcement community. There are a lot of guns on the street, he said. Quite frankly, there are just too many on the street and in hands of people who will use these guns at a second notice. Now we have 3 police officers in hospital with gunshot wounds. st.john.smith@chron.com leah.brennan@chron.com State Sen. Kel Seliger, an Amarillo Republican, swore in federal court that he believes his GOP colleagues violated federal voting laws when redrawing a state Senate seat in North Texas. Seligers sworn statement was submitted as part of a lawsuit seeking to throw out the new boundaries for Senate District 10, the Fort Worth seat represented by Democratic state Sen. Beverly Powell. Democrats and civil rights groups argue that the changes were calculated to discriminate against voters of color, shifting Black and Latino Texans across several districts to dilute their political impact. The blue-leaning district is currently confined within the borders of Tarrant County, but the new map redraws boundaries to make the seat whiter, more rural and more Republican. Having participated in the 2011 and 2013 Senate Select Redistricting Committee proceedings, and having read the prior federal court decision regarding SD10, it was obvious to me that the renewed effort to dismantle SD10 violated the Voting Rights Act and U.S. Constitution, Seligers statement reads. The longtime GOP lawmakers comments amplify months of complaints from Democrats and their allies, who noted repeatedly during the redistricting process that people of color comprised 95 percent of Texas 4 million-person population growth over the past decade. Still, the maps created no new majority-Black or majority-Latino districts anywhere across Texas. They have filed a raft of lawsuits challenging the new maps, but the litigation process could take months or years. Plus, this is the first redistricting cycle in which Texas does not need pre-approval from the Department of Justice to ensure its maps dont disenfranchise voters of color. IN-DEPTH: GOP lawmakers swear new Texas redistricting maps are race blind, as they did a decade ago State Sen. Joan Huffman, a Houston Republican who led the redistricting process, has said repeatedly that she drew the new maps race blind and did not discriminate against voters of color. Instead, Huffman said she focused on other criteria, including protecting incumbents, equalizing population, promoting geographic compactness and preserving communities of interest. Seligers statement, which surfaced in an El Paso court this week, calls that explanation pretext. It was first reported by the Texas Tribune. He notes that Texas Senate District 10 was already compact, and its population was the necessary size before the Senate proposed the changes last year. Every decade, population shifts dictate how many voters should be placed in each district to keep them roughly the same size. This year, the ideal population for state Senate seats was about 940,000; District 10s old boundaries would have included 945,000 voters. READ MORE: New Texas political maps face the least scrutiny of any since 1965, despite history of racial discrimination Currently, white voters comprise roughly 54 percent of the districts citizen voting age population, and President Joe Biden won the district in 2020 with a nearly 8-point margin over former President Donald Trump. The new map swells the white population to about 62 percent of eligible voters, while also flipping the political lean to give Trump a 16-point margin over Biden. Geographically, the new map pushes District 10 into seven new counties while moving some Black and Latino constituents into neighboring majority-white seats. When the map was first released last fall, Powell called the changes a direct assault on the voting rights of minority citizens in Senate District 10. In the declaration, Seliger said the entire redistricting process saw untrue, pretextual explanations given to rationalize the new district lines. He cited the reconfiguration of his own seat, which Huffman said was redrawn to create distinctive agricultural versus oil and gas districts between his 31st district and an adjacent one. But Seliger said the changes do not accomplish that goal, arguing instead that the lines shifted to benefit a potential Republican primary challenger from Midland preferred by the lieutenant governor. Seliger has been at odds with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick for years, and the senator previously told Hearst Newspapers that he believed the new map was drawn with some malice. Patrick endorsed conservative businessman Kevin Sparks for the 31st district, and Seliger decided to retire. cayla.harris@express-news.net A portion of Westrock Drive near Highway 90 West has received approval from the San Antonio City Council to be designated as the Jennifer Sue Delgado Memorial Way. Jennifer was 8 years old when was fatally stabbed on June 7, 1988, while she was with her mother at a laundromat on Westrock Drive. The San Antonio City Council on Thursday approved a variance to allow the removal of significant and heritage trees from the Stonegate Hill neighborhood for the development of a Microsoft data center. The variance allows developers to cut down more than 80 percent of the trees in the area, exceeding the limit of the citys tree ordinance. In return, Microsoft will plant more than 800 trees and pay $1.4 million to the citys tree mitigation fund to plant trees throughout the city. The approval, by an 8 to 3 vote, came after months of discussions between Stonegate Hill residents; Microsoft Corp., which was represented by the San Antonio law firm the Kaufman Group; and Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda, who represents District 6, in which the project lies. All three parties supported the tree variance. This decision was not entered into lightly. Stonegate Hill has historically fought hard for the trees and land around their neighborhood, [but] a compromise has been reached, Havrda said. In the end, this is not a trees-versus-business interest story. This is about listening to the community and neighbors at Stonegate Hill. In November, the citys director of development services, Michael Shannon, denied the request for a tree variance because of the number of trees to be removed. Microsoft appealed the decision, which was passed to the Planning Commission in December. After the Planning Commission recommended approval, Shannon recommended denial again because the removal would be significant and does not meet the intent and spirit of the tree ordinance. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News On ExpressNews.com: Everything was there and then it wasnt: Developers allowed to skirt tree ordinance The citys tree ordinance, adopted in 1997, is meant to protect all heritage trees and 35 percent of significant trees on a property. Heritage trees are old, large trees 24 inches in diameter or greater, while significant trees are 1 to 5 inches for small trees and 6 to 23 inches for large trees. In 2010, the city updated the plan so developers could only remove 10 to 20 percent of trees on a property. For developers to remove more than that, they must mitigate the impact by planting or paying to plant at least 25 percent canopy, or the percentage of shade provided, on the same property, in accordance with the citys unified development code. But in the past two years, the citys development office has consistently issued variances to developers without the City Councils knowledge, an investigation by the San Antonio Express-News found. That changed recently, when Shannon promised to share all proposed development variances. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News The plan for Microsofts project calls for removing 2,087 large significant trees, which would leave 68; 18 of 19 heritage trees; and 485 nonprotected trees. Microsoft will pay to plant enough trees to shade 32.42 percent of the property; the minimum requirement for the propertys tree canopy is 25 percent. This decision benefits our community in several ways, said James Eckburg, a Stonegate Hill community member and vice president of the Stonegate Hill board of directors. Although the proposed single-story footprint of the building necessitates this requested variance, the planting of over 800 new trees, both shade and ornamental, will increase our canopy and replace older unhealthy trees, while regrading and replanting of additional vegetation to help limit soil erosion. For residents at Stonegate Hill, approving the tree variance is better than having Microsoft build a structure aimed at limiting tree removal. Microsoft had otherwise proposed a 60-foot, two-story building, which residents said would be highly visible from the neighborhood and threaten the value of the 19 closest homes. Also, under that scenario, Eckburg said, no additional canopy would be added since it would comply with the tree ordinance and the unified development code. On ExpressNews.com: Finding a balance: River authority removes trees for native grassland to prevent flooding Nevertheless, Council Members Jalen McKee-Rodriguez of District 2, Teri Castillo of District 5 and Ana Sandoval of District 7 expressed concern about approving another variance for development. McKee-Rodriguez highlighted the number of variances that have been approved in the past 206 as of a year ago with hopes to restart a conversation to reverse the loss of tree canopy in San Antonio. Im concerned that this sets a big precedent for the tree ordinance, Castillo said. Its very concerning, as folks have brought up: Why this property? Im concerned that it sets the precedent that if you throw enough money into the tree mitigation plan, you can bypass the city ordinance. Bill Kaufman, from the Kaufman Group, said the location near Stonegate Hill was the best option for Microsoft to build because its close to another Microsoft data center. He also noted that the site is rocky with hardly any topsoil or severe changes in elevation. Sandoval expressed concern that the plan would also remove a large carbon sink for the community at a time when reducing the citys concentration of carbon dioxide is urgent. She said the carbon-reduction capacity of the trees cannot be replaced in a short time. Elena Bruess writes for the Express-News through Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. ReportforAmerica.org. elena.bruess@express-news.net. Photo taken with a mobile phone shows disaster relief materials loaded onto two Chinese air force transport aircrafts to head for Tonga at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Ding Zengyi) GUANGZHOU, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- China plans to send a second batch of disaster-relief supplies from its southern metropolis of Guangzhou to the tsunami-hit Tonga by sea on Jan. 31, according to the foreign affairs office of Guangdong Province. The supplies are being assembled at the Nansha port in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, and include donations from the Red Cross Society of China and the China-Pacific Island Countries Reserve of Emergency Supplies (Guangdong). The relief supplies weigh more than 60 tonnes and include 15 tonnes of drinking water, approximately 10 tonnes of food, and 3,000 packages of household necessities. The new batch of supplies is expected to reach Tonga in early February under the guidance of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The first batch of aid flew to Tonga on Friday and included drinking water, canned meat, masks, gloves, tents and walkie-talkies. Guangdong Province and Tonga have maintained close contact over the years, with frequent cultural exchanges and economic and trade cooperation, according to Li Hongzhi, an official of the provincial foreign affairs office, which works closely with the Chinese foreign ministry concerning the needs of the Tongan people following volcanic eruptions. Photo taken with a mobile phone shows staff members unloading disaster relief materials from Chinese air force transport aircrafts at an airport in Nuku'alofa, capital of Tonga, Jan. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Ding Zengyi) Photo taken with a mobile phone shows disaster relief materials loaded onto two Chinese air force transport aircrafts to head for Tonga at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Ding Zengyi) A group of activists gathered in Brackenridge Park Friday afternoon to protest against a city plan that involves removing more than 180 heritage oak trees as part of a 2017 bond project. About 25 people assembled behind the Brackenridge Park Conservancy office near Joske Pavillion, where officials with the city of San Antonios Parks and Recreation and Public Works departments were expected at 1 p.m. to present a preview for news media of the Brackenridge Park 2017 Bond Project. But the event was abruptly postponed to an unspecified date about 30 minutes before it was set to start. The 2017 GO Parks Improvement Bond has allocated $7.75 million for park improvements and rehabilitation, which may include the historic river wall, restroom, trails and historic structures, according to the citys website. Fridays protesters object to an element of the plan that calls for cutting down more than 180 trees to repair a retaining wall along the San Antonio River. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonios historic Brackenridge Park struggling with decline: Paddleboats, kayaking possible Parks and Recreation officials did not respond to a request for comment as to why the event was canceled as of Friday afternoon. Materials that appeared as though they were to be used during the presentation could be seen through a window of the Conservancy building, which was closed. The protest was organized by Molly Wright, a local activist who has held hunger strikes to draw attention to problems affecting homeless people. Activists held signs that read Trees = clean air for children and Save the trees. Protesters shouted Stop the chop. Wright walked around with a silver chain on her shoulders, ready to chain herself to a tree in protest. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 1 of 2 William Luther /San Antonio Express-News Show More Show Less 2 of 2 William Luther / Show More Show Less Environmental advocate Alesia Garlock said she visits Brackenridge Park for bird watching daily as a way to cope with pain from a stomach condition. In her five years observing wildlife at the park, she has seen many types of migratory birds, including water fowl from Canada, egrets and herons. She said she has also seen barn owls nesting in the area. On ExpressNews.com: Microsoft given OK to remove massive number of trees for data center Garlock said she was at a city Planning Commission meeting Wednesday to offer comment about the biodiversity of trees and their ecological benefits when she learned that the Brackenridge Park plan involved removing so many trees. They kept the agenda from the public, Garlock said. It wasnt available to anybody until that day. According to the agenda, a variance was submitted to mitigate removing significant trees in excess of the limits set in the citys tree ordinance intented for preserving heritage trees within floodplains and environmentally sensitive areas. Garlock said protecting every tree in the city is important, as air quality is a growing concern for the community. jbeltran@express-news.net Edwin Remsberg / Getty Images A West Texas A&M University biology professor was indicted Thursday for alleged wildlife trafficking, the Department of Justice said. Richard Kazmaier, 54, was charged with smuggling goods into the United States and two violations of the Endangered Species Act. San Antonio did TxDOT a favor. Thats the first thing to remember about a 2014 agreement to have the state turn over control of the Broadway Corridor to the city of San Antonio, a deal which the Texas Transportation Commission, the governing body for the states Department of Transportation, rescinded Thursday. The Transportation Commission upended the agreement with little notice, after San Antonio invested seven years worth of time and money into an ambitious plan to revitalize Broadway by widening sidewalks, creating protected bike paths, reducing traffic lanes and adding landscaping. Along the way, J. Bruce Bugg, the San Antonio banker who chairs the Transportation Commission, made two points, one concerned with policy and one with legal loopholes. Bugg argued that the citys plan to go from six to four lanes on the 2.2-mile stretch of Broadway running from Burr Road down to Interstate 35 would produce congestion problems for local drivers. He also contended that a Broadway transfer spelled out in a December 2014 Transportation Commission Minute Order had never been officially completed. San Antonio reps are not arguing that point. In order to understand the issue, however, its important to remember the genesis of the scuttled transfer. In the summer of 2013, TxDOT was in crisis mode. The agency was staring down the barrel of a $5 billion deficit. TxDOT officials hoped to trim $165 million a year from the departments budget by ceding control of 1,897 miles of roadways, which primarily served local traffic, over to municipalities. The turnback proposal met with hostility from city leaders across the state, who saw it as a transparent attempt by TxDOT to dump some of its financial burdens on local governments. Its not our fault they (TxDOT) are short of money, then-Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck said. For them to turn to cities and say, OK, its yours, is absolutely not right. In the face of such criticism, TxDOT made the turnback program voluntary. Where other cities saw burdens, San Antonio saw opportunities. San Antonio officials agreed to relieve the state of the responsibility for the Broadway Corridor, mindful of the fact that the agreement could allow San Antonio to enhance the roadway and spur economic development. Transportation commissioners couldnt have been happier. The 2014 Minute Order pointed out that Broadway, which had once served as part of the best route from this city to Austin, is no longer needed for state highway purposes. In an Aug. 27, 2013, op-ed for the Express-News, Phil Wilson, then the executive director of TxDOT, tried to sell the turnback program by defining the transportation roles taken by state, county and city entities. Wilson said TxDOT was responsible for connecting communities. Cities, he added, were tasked with providing local access and circulation within their communities. Decisions about the proper number of lanes on Broadway fall completely into the category of local access and circulation. It should be the business of the city, not the state. Thats why the Broadway transfer always made so much sense: it offered financial relief to the state and local control to the city. During Thursdays meeting, members of the San Antonio community made the case for protected bike lanes on Broadway, a major part of the city project. I agree that bike lanes would be a great addition to Broadway. But even if I didnt, I would resent the idea that state officials, who once asked the city to take over this roadway, now are finding an excuse to take it back. They allowed the city to proceed with a 2017 bond program, approved by more than 70 percent of San Antonio voters, that included $42 million for the Broadway project. They allowed businesses along the corridor to invest millions of dollars in new development, in anticipation of the projects impact. During Thursdays meeting, Bugg read a statement from Gov. Greg Abbott, which suggested that the real impetus behind this TxDOT power play is our Republican governors ongoing war against local control in this states (largely Democratic) urban areas. Abbotts statement emphasized his determination to maintain capacity on Texas roadways. Bugg dutifully used the same phrase over and over during Thursdays meeting. Bugg didnt seem fazed by the seven years of work and investment in his hometown that he was pouring down the drain. He also gave no indication that he was swayed by a letter from 37 San Antonio civic leaders including Pearl developer Christopher Kit Goldsbury Jr., Republican state Rep. Steve Allison and Republican former County Commissioner Trish DeBerry urging transportation commissioners not to block the citys Broadway redevelopment project. The lesson should be clear to the cities of Texas: TxDOT cant be trusted to follow through on agreements; even ones they beg you to take. ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470 If we have learned anything about indicted Attorney General Ken Paxton over the course of his tenure, its that he is in a constant state of free fall because he has no moral ground upon which to stand. There is no bottom with Paxton, only greater depths to plunge. The tragedy is compounding. Not only has he brought ignominy to his office, but voters have supported him and may do so again. I was reminded of this after watching a recent talk show exchange between Paxton, the indicted, and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, the pardoned, in which Paxton espoused a conspiracy theory in response to an adverse ruling in the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. In December, the Republican-controlled court ruled 8-1 that the attorney general cannot unilaterally prosecute election cases. This is due to the separation of powers in Texas government. The attorney general is part of the executive branch, and such prosecutions fall to county and district attorneys, which are in the judicial branch. The upshot is the attorney general cannot run point on voter fraud prosecutions. Such decisions fall to district attorneys, who could, of course, always ask the attorney general for help. Or as the court states in its opinion in Texas v. Zena Collins Stephens, the Attorney General lacks constitutional authority to independently prosecute a crime in a district or inferior court without the consent of the appropriate local county or district attorney by a deputization order. Did the judges get this right? Yes, I think they got it right, Gerald S. Reamey, a professor with St. Marys School of Law, said. The opinion from the Court of Criminal Appeals shouldnt have come as a surprise to anybody who is familiar with the Constitution of Texas or the statutes that govern the attorney generals office. But Paxton said he was surprised. It came as a complete surprise to me, he said to Bannon. And then came the conspiracy theory that progressive Democratic district attorneys, including Joe Gonzales in Bexar County, have somehow influenced Republican judges on the Court of Criminal Appeals to block Paxton from prosecuting voter fraud. This would, in turn, lead to a flood of illegal votes in the midterms, which would then turn Texas to the Democrats. I think this was planned, Paxton said. I think they have been working on this for probably a decade to get the DAs in the right place, and then to get the right people on the criminal court of appeals. Gonzales struggled to find words in response. Think about the conspiracy they are claiming, he said. Yes, think about it. While the conspiracy theory has the potential to sow doubt on any Democratic win statewide in November were Paxton to lose this year, would he accept defeat, and is this an outrageous question to wonder? it also has the more immediate effect of applying pressure on the Court of Criminal Appeals. As Paxton said: Theres one guy named Scott Walker who is up for re-election. Hopefully, defeat him. Hes the only one who got an opponent. Defeat him, and then every three years, you know, target the Court of Criminal Appeals to take those people out that voted the wrong way. There is also this chilling exchange at the end of the Bannon-Paxton segment: Bannon says of the judges: We are gonna make em all famous, and they have to understand they are going to be made famous, very famous on a global scale. Paxton responds: That is awesome. Thats exactly what they need. And so the phone lines for the Court of Criminal Appeals were flooded, and in at least one chat room/message board, a picture of the judges was posted along with several threatening comments. It'd be nice to see them all swinging lifeless from a thick branch as we see the life leave their eyes for their crimes against our country, says one of those comments. This should raise major ethical questions. Its one thing to disagree with a decision, quite another to encourage hostility via MAGA muscle. Not awesome. Hollow men whisper words that are quiet and meaningless, and Ken Paxton drones on and on about widespread voter fraud. His office spent $2.2 million in 2021 on an election integrity unit that closed three cases. A partial election audit of four counties by the state Harris, Dallas, Tarrant and Collin didnt turn up much of anything. Gonzales, who signed on to an amicus brief in support of this outcome, called the Stephens decision a very simple ruling that says the original jurisdiction of election fraud rests with the local district attorneys. Its a decision that shows judicial independence, honors the Texas Constitution and limits government. Paxtons agitation about the decision underscores its importance. Just imagine if, hypothetically, a person used the power of the attorney generals office to pursue politically motivated elections prosecutions across the state. It could never happen here, right? jbrodesky@express-news.net In his latest culture war campaign stunt, Gov. Greg Abbott has concocted or stolen a Parental Bill of Rights, a divisive absurdity straight out of other GOP-led states that is all wrong for parents, teachers and students. He unveiled his plan to amend the Texas Constitution at the Founders Academy of Lewisville, a charter school. In a Jan. 21 tweet, he shared event photos and proclaimed: Many parents in Texas have watched their roles in the classroom diminish. That must end. Under my Parental Bill of Rights, parents will be restored to their rightful place as the primary decision makers for their children. I cant think of another time when politicians and parents have so deeply disrupted education. Their fights against critical race theory that isnt even taught, the rights of LGBTQ+ students and access to books they deem inappropriate or obscene disrupt school board meetings, make headlines and creep into classrooms. Abbott, who didnt release details about his plan on his website, explained during the event he would expand parents access to course materials and curriculum, and ways to complain about them; ban the selling of student data, which parents can easily opt-out of; and let parents decide whether their child must repeat a course or grade after failing. Parents are already at the table for all of these decisions, and, of course, Abbott knows this. School districts will also be required to provide parents with information and options for charter schools, magnet schools and other public schools as alternatives for their children. The hostile tone and content paint teachers as the enemy, seeking to terminate and blacklist any teacher convicted of giving minors access to obscene content. Teachers and schools do all they can to work with parents. I speak from experience as a parent of a 21-year-old son and as a former teacher. Its clear Abbott got the blueprint for his plan from Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, who is pushing a federal version. Teachers and teacher organizations were understandably angry with Abbotts Parental Bill of Rights. Not only did they see it for what it was the governor once again using educators as pawns in an election they called him out, stating parents rights are already in the Texas Education Code. Title 2, Subtitle E, Chapter 26 covers parents quite generously. Section 26.008, added in 1995 by the 74th Texas Legislature: Right to full information concerning student. (a) A parent is entitled to full information regarding the school activities of a parents child except as provided by Section 38.004. (b) An attempt by any school district employee to encourage or coerce a child to withhold information from the childs parent is grounds for discipline under Section 21.104, 21.156, or 21.211, as applicable. Teachers deserve respect and trust. They are educated professionals in a profession that is extremely regulated. To become a certified Texas teacher, an applicant must earn a four-year-degree, complete an education preparation program, submit a state application, undergo a background check and obtain certificates for each area of teaching. They must teach to state curriculum standards and the Texas Administrative Code. They are evaluated each year by their supervisors using the Texas Teacher Evaluation & Support System, and they are required to get continuing professional education training. Abbotts actions could cause Texas to lose more teachers. Teachers are burned out and calling it quits. Why stick around for this? Surely, Abbott has heard our state already doesnt have enough teachers or substitute teachers. On ExpressNews.com: As omicron spreads in San Antonio, student and teacher absences surge On ExpressNews.com: Texas teachers leaving after the first year, study says The nonprofit Pastors for Texas Children tweeted Jan. 23 that public school teachers are heroes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and asked: Why isnt (Abbott) pushing a Teachers Bill of Rights? Because that doesnt help him politically. Nancy.Preyor-Johnson@express-news.net On Aug. 27, 2020, the Rwanda government kidnapped San Antonio resident Paul Rusesabagina and has imprisoned him there ever since. This would be outrage enough but Rusesabagina is also a recipient of the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor, bestowed by fellow Texan George W. Bush. Rusesabagina is a global humanitarian hero whose actions to save 1,268 people during the Rwandan genocide are portrayed in the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda. Youd think a foreign government abducting a fellow Texan, torturing him, trying him before a kangaroo court that obliterated his every legal right while his captors withhold medicines vital to his health, sent by his family, would have our elected representatives demanding his release. In fact, many have. In the U.S. House, Texas Democratic Reps. Joaquin Castro, Lloyd Doggett and Al Green have joined with Texas Republican Reps. Michael McCaul, Tony Gonzales, Roger Williams and Ronny Jackson at the vanguard. In the Senate, Republican John Cornyn organized a pointed, bipartisan, bicameral letter of protest holding Secretary of State Antony Blinken accountable for Rusesabaginas life. Cornyns letter drew signatures from two platoons of senators and House members. But not Sen. Ted Cruz. Constituent service is a primary job of a U.S. senator. Texans might wonder: What would happen if a foreign country kidnapped you and threw you in solitary confinement? Would Cruz lift a finger to help? Rusesabagina is guilty only of speaking out against repressive governments. Hes put his life on the line for those beliefs. Why does Cruz, the nominal champion of liberty and freedom who routinely holds up State Department nominees, fail to pressure Bidens State Department for the safe return to Texas of a winner of the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom? One of us, Zoellner, had a brief phone call with a Cruz staffer, then a series of nonreplies to every follow-up email. In contrast with his Texas colleagues, Cruz has neither reached out to the family nor signed Cornyns letter. The other of us, Israel, presided in a St. Marys classroom April 6 when two men who work with the Rwandan Embassy in Washington electronically deceived their way in to harass Paul Rusesabaginas wife, son and daughter. Recently at the Tobin Center downtown, the Rwandan ambassador to the United States called on Professor Israel by name, though theyd never met then tried to laugh off the direct question: Who authorized her embassys spying on the class? The ambassador circled the question for minutes without answering until her moderator cut it off. The Rwandans bugged the phone of another of Pauls daughters and sent agents to intimidate her. The St. Marys incident galvanized Cornyn. Texans dont agree about much these days except liberty and freedom, but about that were nearly indivisible. If were kidnapped or thrown into a foreign prison, wed expect a U.S. senator to defend our freedom. If Cruz wont defend Rusesabagina, what does that say about his commitment to liberty and freedom, his ability to stand up to foreign dictatorships, and his concern for Texas constituents who are lesser known? Bill Israel is former chair of the Department of Communications Studies and former associate dean at St. Marys University in San Antonio. Tom Zoellner is co-author of Paul Rusesabaginas 2006 book, An Ordinary Man. Could President Joe Biden and the Democrats be getting ready to launch their own version of Stop the Steal? Who had The Two Parties Merge Into One on their 2022 Bingo card? Last week, all Senate Republicans and two Democrats defeated a pair of Democratic-sponsored voting rights bills, and Biden raised the possibility that the upcoming midterm elections might not be on the level. At a White House press conference, Biden was asked if the November contests could still be considered legitimate if the Senate failed to pass the bills, which were intended to reform the voting process. In his response, Biden zeroed in on the stricter voting rules enacted last year by many Republican-controlled state legislatures. It all depends on whether or not were able to make the case to the American people that some of this is being set up to try to alter the outcome of the election, Biden said. Then the president was asked about the possibility of electoral fraud and voter intimidation in the midterm elections. Im not saying its going to be legit, Biden responded. The increase in the prospect of being illegitimate is in direct proportion to us not being able to get these reforms passed. These questions didnt do Biden any favors. Instead, they set him up for a gaffe a minute. To fully understand why the pair of voting rights bills the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act met their demise, we first have to understand why they were necessary. The story begins with Bidens trouncing of former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election, and media reports noting high turnout of African American and Latino voters. Its no surprise that voters of color were extra motivated to vote against a president they considered a racist. But for Republicans, higher turnouts for African Americans and Latinos meant something sinister was afoot. To tilt the scales back in their partys favor, and avoid future losses, Republican-led statehouses and legislatures quickly passed a flurry of new voting laws. Meanwhile, GOP governors signed one executive order after another including decrees that seemed designed to discourage nonwhite voters, especially the economically disadvantaged, from venturing out to the polls. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, 19 states passed 34 laws in 2021 restricting access to voting. Republicans at the state level were working overtime to try to get a political advantage. Politics never sleeps. It is no coincidence that three of the loudest Republican voices calling for changes to the U.S. electoral system belonged to a trio of GOP governors, each of whom is rumored to be interested in vying for the White House in 2024 and doubly interested if Trump doesnt run again. Greg Abbott of Texas, Ron DeSantis of Florida and Doug Ducey of Arizona were each trying to make the path to the Republican nomination a bit smoother. Conjuring up that much mischief while the whole country was watching was bound to have a seismic effect on the U.S. political system. And it sure did. In Washington, Senate Democrats tried to mitigate the damage by proposing the two voting rights bills. Listening to conservative radio hosts and podcasters talk about the bills, youd think the Democrats were proposing a major renovation of the U.S. political system from top to bottom. But all you had to do was actually read the bills to see that the Republicans doth protest too much. For instance, all the Freedom to Vote Act sought to do was expand voter participation with things like same-day registration and vote-by-mail. It would have also limited the power of local officials to remove voters from the rolls, established Election Day as a federal holiday, and restored voting privileges to individuals convicted of a crime who had paid their debt to society. Oh, yeah. Radical stuff. None of that explains why Republicans were so hellbent on scuttling the Freedom to Vote Act. But this does: The bill also would have made it a crime for someone to corruptly hinder, interfere with, or prevent another person from registering to vote or helping someone register to vote. There it is. Republicans were not about to own up to their evildoings and accept what they always demand from the rest of us: accountability. Democrats are no better at taking responsibility for their actions. The problem with our politics isnt a corrupt voting system. Its the fact that the parties are irreparably corrupted by their own self-interest. Soldiers disguised as civilians, they marched to the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, trying to crush what they claimed, perhaps even believed, they were saving democracy. In this bitterly divided era, it is easy to be jaded about attacks on our system, to view them as symptomatic of our age, just another tear in the national fabric. This was a stain not easily washed, however, and some government officials are not trying to wash it. They are trying to forget it or, worse, dismiss it, which exacerbates the original transgression. Whether they do so may determine the nature of our democracy for years, even decades, to come. This is why upcoming hearings on the Jan. 6 select committee are so crucial. They offer the hope of truth and accountability. We are going to do everything we can to subpoena all the information we need and to enforce our subpoenas, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who sits on the committee, told an audience of approximately 40,000 people who watched his remarks on Facebook. The panel plans televised hearings, which would shine a spotlight on the corruption and venality that led our democracy to the brink. I hope everybody will watch and I hope everybody will discuss it and then it will lead to a report that, I hope again, will be a game changer in terms of American history, Raskin said. One key question to answer is whether former President Donald Trump dismissed pleas from his his daughter, Ivanka, to intervene. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., has suggested this. He could have told (rioters) to stand down, she told ABC News. He could have told them to go home and he failed to do so. Its hard to imagine a more significant and more serious dereliction of duty than that. Ivanka Trump has been asked to speak to the panel. The select committee has been investigating the Jan. 6 assault for about eight months, but the intransigence of some Republican officials has undermined its effort. The officials, most of them members of the previous administration, have obviated loyalty to country in favor of loyalty to Trump. Some former Trump officials, including chief of staff Mark Meadows, are defying subpoenas to appear before the committee. They condemn the subpoenas as a witch hunt, an attempt to damage Republicans under the guise of truth-seeking. If the Founding Fathers could weep, their tears would flood the nation. To know the truth of Jan. 6 is a nonpartisan endeavor. Despite the stonewalling, the committee seems to be edging closer to the heart of darkness that sparked the siege. The Big Lie that Trump lost the election due to fraud triggered the assault, but once the attack began, duplicity fed the fire. It would last several hours. More than 40 full-time investigators, drawn from both parties, are probing the assault behind closed doors. Investigators have interviewed more than 350 witnesses, leading to at least 52 subpoenas for documents such as bank records and email correspondence. The committee has received 40,000 pages of records. So far, it seems like the committees being extremely robust and efficient in their time, David Rapallo, a former congressional investigator, told ABC News. It is the kind of energy and vigor required for the task rescuing the democracy the rioters sought to destroy. One of the prevailing criticisms of state officials is how they are quick to push back against the federal government as overreach, only to then trample on local control. Such hypocrisy hit home when the Texas Transportation Commission led by San Antonio banker J. Bruce Bugg voted 3-1 Thursday to crush a city plan to redevelop the Broadway corridor north of downtown. Even worse, this plan had the overwhelming approval of San Antonio voters. To sink the overhaul is to undercut significant private investment in our city core. The Broadway corridor is rapidly developing, and many private investors have included the planned changes to Broadway in their calculations. Thats shameful, especially in Texas, which prides itself on being good for business. Even worse is the disregard for voters. Redevelopment of Broadway was the signature piece of the 2017 city bond. Voters here agreed to dedicate $42 million to this project with a plan to turn what is technically a state highway into a complete street. This would mean fewer traffic lanes, protected bike paths and wider sidewalks. Its the kind of street setting that helps urban areas grow and thrive while also prioritizing bicycle and pedestrian safety. We were all in on this project, writing in December 2016: The Broadway corridor, north of downtown, will be enhanced to better serve bicycle riders and pedestrians. Its the right kind of streetscape for residents of that booming area. Anyone who has been to the Pearl can feel the infectious creative energy there. And we want more creative spirit in San Antonio not less. Until this vote, the state had been supportive of the plan. As Express-News journalist Brian Chasnoff outlined, the Texas Department of Transportation has been with the city on this for years. In 2014, TxDOT began the process of transferring the roadway to the city, although this was never completed, a haunting technicality. In 2016, a TxDOT engineer signed a letter supporting the citys plan and pledging $5 million. In 2017, the city brought this project to voters, thanks to support from the state, and voters approved it. But the state has since developed concerns about congestion. Bugg, citing a 2015 directive from Gov. Greg Abbott, said the state had to stop the redevelopment because the plan reduces traffic lanes. What were trying to do is stay consistent with our congestion relief initiative and not go backwards by reducing capacity, he said. A few points to consider: First, the reduction in traffic lanes is hardly a surprise. Its been that way all along. The idea was to create space for pedestrians and bike riders. Second, as Assistant City Manager Jeff Coyle said at the meeting, studies have shown congestion would decrease along the corridor and safety would increase. For the state to support the project, make a sudden reversal, run over voters and undercut private development is untenable. The city has spent millions on design work for this project for nothing. Mayor Ron Nirenberg tweeted: Deeply disappointed in the vote, but we hope the State is serious about working together to finish the project. Funny, until this week we thought thats what was happening. Our recent recommendation of Jessica Cisneros over longtime U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar generated a fair amount of buzz in the Twitterverse and beyond. This Democratic primary in the 28th Congressional District, which stretches from Laredo to San Antonio, is compelling. Cisneros is a promising, young, progressive candidate who pushed Cuellar to the limit two years ago. They offer markedly different views on border security, abortion and immigration, among other issues. The rematch was already receiving national attention, and then news broke about the FBI searching Cuellars home and campaign headquarters. Cuellar has vowed no wrongdoing. As we noted in our editorial, we had decided to recommend Cisneros before news of the FBI probe broke. In Cisneros, we see the promise of new leadership. She earned the recommendation. We weighed Cuellars congressional tenure and place on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. Cuellar lost us with his measured support of Remain in Mexico. On ExpressNews.com: Editorial: Cisneros and Vasquez Ng best in CD 28 As we have said in a past editorial, The only way to improve Remain in Mexico is to dismantle it. Less noticed, though, was our recommendation of Willie Vasquez Ng in the Republican primary. We recommended him two years ago in the Republican primary for Bexar County sheriff, and he remains one of the most impressive candidates in either party we have met with in recent years. You will be seeing many more candidate recommendations from us from governor to Bexar County races as we build to the start of early voting, Feb. 14. The Editorial Board has been meeting with candidates from both major parties this month including on Saturdays quizzing them about their views on key issues, policy ideas, professional backgrounds and aspirations. Beyond these meetings, we vet their backgrounds, review their social media feeds, fact-check their statements and sometimes speak with sources for additional information. The Editorial Board is comprised of Josh Brodesky, Nancy M. Preyor-Johnson, Cary Clack and Brandon Lingle. We are independent opinion journalists who are separate from the Express-News newsroom. We are also nonpartisan. While news reporters offer objectivity, its our job to arrive at conclusions and offer opinions. On ExpressNews.com: Editorial: New Remain in Mexico is no less cruel We do this as a public service. We hope our recommendations spark conversations and serve as a starting point for voters to do their own research. They also are an opportunity for our Editorial Board to demonstrate our civic values and policy priorities. The recommendation interview process is a form of accountability as we question the candidates and probe their records. Weve learned that Lee Merritt, a Democrat civil rights attorney running for attorney general, is not licensed with the state bar in Texas. We were surprised when Zach Vance, a Republican running for lieutenant governor, told us he wants to legalize all drugs. It matters when candidates tell us the presidential election was stolen and quite a few have. Finally, the recommendations can serve as a launchpad for deeper work. Our award-winning Unequal Justice project from several years ago arose from concerns judicial candidates raised with the Editorial Board during candidate meetings. What is it like to hold these recommendation meetings? Its a grind. In any given week this month, we are holding 12 to 15 candidate meetings. This is above and beyond our normal workflow. Its also special. We will meet with about 100 candidates from both major parties this spring. Nearly all will lose. Some are big names: Think Beto ORourke or Eva Guzman. Some are fringe. But with a few exceptions, we offer candidates a chance to articulate their views and share their desire to serve in office. Listening to such a range of candidates is a remarkable experience. These are some of the reasons we offer recommendations. Whether or not you agree with our takes, we hope you vote. Combo photo shows Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talking with Chinese peacekeepers posted overseas via video link during an inspection to the Central Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Jan. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Gang) BEIJING, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping urged Chinese peacekeepers to play a bigger role in defending world peace during an inspection to the Central Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Friday. When talking with Chinese peacekeepers posted overseas via video link, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, also told them to strengthen safety precautions and step up COVID-19 prevention and control amid complicated circumstances. Xi extended Spring Festival greetings to service personnel of the PLA and the People's Armed Police Force, civilian personnel posted in the military, and members of militia and reserve forces. Acknowledging the achievements made by the Central Theater Command, Xi stressed that all missions should be completed with excellence and progress must be made in the command's development and combat readiness. Noting that both the Spring Festival and the Beijing Winter Olympics are around the corner, Xi called on all the armed forces to stay ready and safeguard China's security and social stability. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, poses for a group photo with representatives of officers and soldiers during an inspection to the Central Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Jan. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Gang) The Texas Ethics Commission has launched a preliminary review into a complaint by Gov. Greg Abbotts campaign that likely Democratic opponent Beto ORourke misreported about $1.7 million in campaign funds. Abbotts campaign director, Gardner Pate, submitted the ethics complaint last week. It says the cash flow didnt add up, so ORourkes team must have either over-reported expenditures by about $1.7 million or under-reported campaign donations by the same amount. ORourkes campaign said it was a clerical error that was quickly corrected, and that the top-line fundraising numbers are unchanged after the correction. Earlier this month, ORourke announced his campaign had raised $7.2 million in less than two months. ORourke, a former El Paso-area congressman, is the leading Democratic candidate for governor. Abbott faces several Republican challengers in a March primary, but he has held a large and durable lead in all public polling over them. In a Thursday letter, the commission asked ORourkes campaign for an explanation within 10 business days. Abbotts campaign jumped on the news, categorizing the commissions letter as an investigation and sending a news release in all capital letters about it. The Texas Ethics Commission announced it is actively investigating Beto ORourke because he is either overstating his contributions or his expenditures by more than $1.7 million. Credibility-challenged Beto ORourkes unwillingness to release accurate campaign finance reports is shameful and yet another example of Beto deceiving the public, Mark Miner, the Abbott campaigns communications director, said in a statement. In fact, the commissions letter is considered a preliminary review under state law, and its a relatively minor alleged violation. Reviews or investigations from the commission can stretch on for years and often result in wrist-slap fines. And under state law, the commission is required to launch such an inquiry upon receiving any properly filed complaint. While Abbott continues to focus on playing political games, were continuing to focus on the things that people across Texas care about creating good jobs, expanding health care, fully funding our schools, and keeping the lights on, said Abhi Rahman, campaign spokesman for ORourke. Abbott, a former attorney general, also submitted an ethics complaint against ORourke in November for not including a required disclaimer on his website. ORourkes team then described the omission as a technical mistake made by a vendor. ORourke established himself as a prolific fundraiser during his unsuccessful 2018 bid to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz; ORourke lost by under 3 percentage points but broke fundraising records. During that campaign, ORourkes campaign also was flagged by the Federal Elections Commission at least three times for technical issues, although he never was disciplined or fined. edward.mckinley@chron.com Sterling, VA (20165) Today Some clouds. Low 56F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. Low 56F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. China's cooperation with int'l space community fruitful Xinhua) 15:45, January 28, 2022 BEIJING, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- China has been engaged with the international space community over the past five years, yielding fruitful results in space science, technology and application, a Chinese official said Friday. China launched a lunar research station project with Russia, and carried out extensive international cooperation in manned spaceflights, lunar exploration projects, Mars explorations and other missions, said Wu Yanhua, deputy director of the China National Space Administration. Wu made the remarks at a press conference on the release of a white paper, titled "China's Space Program: A 2021 Perspective." The official also highlighted the signing of the BRICS Remote-Sensing Satellite Constellation agreement, the launches of the China-France Oceanography Satellite and the China-Italy Electromagnetic Monitoring Experiment Satellite. China also pressed ahead the BeiDou system in the standard systems of many international organizations in fields such as civil aviation and maritime affairs. To improve the international community's capacity for disaster prevention and mitigation, data of the Chinese Gaofen-1 and Gaofen-6 remote sensing satellites have been offered free of charge 550,000 times in 158 countries and regions. The country has also provided data of Fengyun meteorological satellites to 121 countries and regions. Moreover, five Chinese satellites and three constellations have participated in the mechanism of the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters, Wu said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu) ISLAMABAD, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Ten soldiers were killed when terrorists attacked a security check post in Kech district of Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province, an army statement said. The incident happened "on night of Jan. 25/26. During intense exchange of fire, a terrorist was killed and several injured," the military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said in the statement on Thursday. Casualties on the security forces side happened while repulsing the terrorists' raid, the statement said, adding that three terrorists were apprehended in a follow-up clearance operation. A search operation is still underway in the area to hunt down perpetrators of the attack, said the statement. Though the statement did not reveal the identities of the attackers or the arrested terrorists, Balochistan Liberation Front, a banned organization, claimed the attack on social media earlier on Wednesday. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Several inches of snow accumulated Saturday as a powerful noreaster hit Connecticut, bringing heavy snowfall and possible blizzard-like conditions to parts of the state. The entire state received anywhere from two inches to two feet of snow, as well as wind speeds up to 48 mph, according to the National Weather Service. The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for New London County and a winter storm warning for the rest of the state. Both were in effect until 7 p.m. The weather service confirmed a blizzard in New London County. Additionally, experts estimated more than 100,000 customers could lose power during the storm, though few outages have occurred. For updated outage information, visit our map. Heres what you need to know: More for you Campbell (opinion): We owe a debt to generation drowning in them Live updates 10 a.m. Outages resolved Both major electricity providers, Eversource and United Illuminating, were reporting no outages through the morning on Sunday after a powerful noreaster swept through Connecticut. 9:45 p.m. Wind Chill Advisory remains in effect for parts of state The National Weather Service extended its Wind Chill Advisory for Litchfield County until 10 a.m. Sunday. Residents in Litchfield County and the surrounding areas can expect wind chills as low as 15 to 25 below zero. The cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes, the weather service said. 8:30 p.m. Preparations pay off for Valley Shore region Greg Prevost, a Captain with the Westbrook Fire Department and Chief of the Westbrook Ambulance Association, serves as the supervisor for Valley Shore Emergency Communications, which services the towns of Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Killingworth, Lyme, Old Lyme and Westbrook. He said throughout the Valley Shore area today there were a handful of power outages and a few motor vehicle accidents due to the storm, but nothing too serious. Its been busy today, but nothing too crazy, Prevost said. He said the region received between 12 and 18 inches of snow, which wasnt a problem because crews were preparing for two feet. Emergency crews were able to respond to incidents swiftly, and no serious injuries occurred in any incident, Prevost said. As of 8:30 p.m., he said all of the roads in the Valley Shore region are passable, but some of the backroads are still a bit icy. Only go out if you have to, Prevost said. Just to be safe. He also reminded resident to be cognizant of downed power lines, and to report them when spotted. 7:45 p.m. Update from NWS The National Weather Service issued weather statements for parts of Connecticut, detailing what to expect for the rest of the night. For Middlesex and New London counties, the weather service said to expect minor additional accumulations of snow, and that wind blowing the existing snow will cause hazardous conditions. At times, areas of blowing and drifting snow will limit visibility and further cover portions of roadways, weather service officials said. Wind chills will be around -5 to -10 tonight into early Sunday morning. Fairfield and New Haven counties can expect the same wind patterns. Anyone outside is advised to wear appropriate clothing, including a hat and gloves in order to minimize exposure to the wind. 7:15 p.m. Danbury to lift parking ban Danbury Mayor Dean Esposito announced that the city would be lifting its parking ban at 8 p.m. All vehicles parked in city garages during the ban must be removed by 10 a.m., Sunday, or fees will apply. The city is not expected to receive much more snow after 9 p.m., according to the weather service. 6:45 p.m. Tractor-trailer travel ban to end at midnight Gov. Ned Lamont announced on Twitter that the travel ban for tractor-trailers would be lifted at the end of the day on Saturday. In coordination with our neighboring states, we will be lifting the previously implemented tractor trailer travel ban at 11:59 p.m. tonight, Lamont tweeted. The roads are still slick, and we encourage everyone who can to stay home tonight while state and local plow crews clear them, he said. 6:15 p.m. Crews restoring power as others lose it Eversource and United Illuminating crews worked throughout the storm to restore power to customers that lost it due to the storm. More than 300 Stamford residents all had their power restored by 6:15 p.m. Meanwhile, 88 customers in Bridgeport, 84 in Easton, 52 in New Haven and 42 in Danbury are currently without power. 5:45 p.m. Vehicle stuck in snow? The states Department of Transportation shared a tip for anyone whos car ends up stuck in the snow. The following items/materials can be utilized to help your tires gain traction; Sand, kitty litter, floor mats and cardboard. This advice could be useful as DOT and town public works crews continue to work to remove snow from the states roads. 5 p.m. Metro-North Railroad announces regular schedule for Sunday Metro-North Railroad officials announced that transportation services would be operating on a regular schedule Sunday. If you are traveling tomorrow, please use extra caution on platforms and hold on to handrails when using stairs as surfaces may be slippery, officials said Saturday. Service was suspended Saturday for the Wassaic, Danbury, New Canaan and Waterbury branches. Trains are still running once an hour on the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines. 4:40 p.m. Naugatuck, Union, Eastford hit with more power outages Dozens of residents in Union and Eastford, and hundreds in Naugatuck lost power on Saturday, according to Eversource. As of 4:30 p.m., 67 households were without power in Eastford and 36 were without power in Union. Naugatuck so far had the most outages of any municipality with 258, followed by Stamford with 65. 4:05 p.m. Winter storm warning extended The Winter Storm Warning in place for parts of the state has been extended until midnight Saturday for Hartford, Tolland and Windham counties, the National Weather Service announced. Additional snow accumulations of up to three inches is expected, with wind gusts up to 40 mph. 3:40 p.m. NWS issues update for southeastern CT The National Weather Service issued an update for New London County and its surrounding area, saying blizzard conditions are expected to continue through the afternoon. Just before 3 p.m., radar showed one last heavy snow band extending from near Voluntown southward to Mystic across Long Island Sound. This snow band could produce a snowfall of up to two inches per hour, the weather service said. Residents in and around New London County can expect a combination of moderate, blowing and drifting snow and up to 50 mph winds that will reduce visibility to below one quarter mile at times. 3:15 p.m. So far, so good in Trumbull Trumbull First Selectman Vicki Tesoro issued an update Saturday afternoon, saying that everything, thank goodness, has been pretty smooth so far. She said her emergency management team has been meeting all week about this and had gathered twice earlier Saturday, with another meeting scheduled for later in the afternoon. Obviously the storm, the way it was forecast, nobody really knew what (it) was going to do, Tesoro said. Though impactful, Tesoro said Trumbull has been through worse, noting there were so far no power outages. Weve had pretty bad storms with a lot of outages, she said. Thank goodness that has not materialized. And hopefully it wont - its so cold outside. Leigh Goodman, chief of Trumbulls emergency medical services, agreed that she and her staff have not had to deal with any major crises. I dont want to jinx it but, so far, everythings going well, Goodman said. Weve gone through some big and challenging storms in the past and this one doesnt seem to be impacting our access in and out of calls at the moment. 3 p.m. Road plowing may take longer than expected The state Department of Transportation reported some issues trying to clear the snow Saturday due to its smaller workforce, weather conditions and other drivers behaviors. We are still short-staffed and the plowing and clearing of the highways and roads may take longer than expected, said DOT spokesperson Kafi Rouse. The state Department of Transportation prepared for a long-lasting, changing storm. Its crews got ready days before the storm and have been closely monitoring the weather forecast. We came in prepared and if conditions change, we will adjust accordingly and well be ready, Rouse said. State DOT crews have been working to clear the roadways since last night, and will continue throughout Saturday evening. Crews have also had issues with visibility as well as motorists who pass and crowd the plows. Our fleets are large and we need the room to work, Rouse said, adding that its helpful when there is less traffic on the roads. If a car does need to be on the road, Rouse said it should never pass the plows and give it space. 2:30 p.m. Fewer than 60 residents without power Eversource reported 56 outages as of 2:15 p.m. Of those, there are 15 in New Milford, 14 in Ashford, 11 in Branford, seven in Stamford, and five or fewer each in Bristol, Glastonbury, Ledyard, Madison, Manchester, Stonington, United Illuminating, which serves 342,000 customers in Connecticut, reported no outages as of 2:20 p.m. Were thankful the storm has had minimal impacts on our electrical grid, but were prepared for any impacts, said UIs Vice President of Electrical Operations Chuck Eves. The combination of snow and strong, sustained winds make being outdoors dangerous for anyone, but our crews have the right equipment and gear to stay warm and be prepared if they need to be outside. 2:15 p.m. Four-car crash in New Haven A four-car collision on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in New Haven left one person seriously injured, according to Rick Fontana, the citys director of emergency operations. The crash was called in shortly before 10 a.m. and occurred amid poor road conditions, he said. There was one serious injury and then there were three other individuals that had minor injuries and refused transport to the hospital, Fontana said. There was a firefighter on scene from Bridgeport who provided some care before responders arrived. The crash occurred on the northbound side of the parkway near exit 59 and the Woodbridge town line, according to Fontana. 2 p.m. Fairfield crews got early start clearing the roads Fairfield First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick said despite the tough storm conditions, Were good. Listen, everybody had a full heads up on this thing. You knew it was gonna snow. If you werent prepared, shame on you, she said. Public works crews arrived at the municipal garage between 1 and 2 a.m. and slept on cots to be ready for early shifts. Kupchick also noted that, for the first time ever, Fairfield issued a parking ban that was recently approved by the police commission with required alternate side parking to ensure the plows have room to work. People are listening and staying home, Kupchick said, noting there have been just a couple of minor accidents. That makes the job easier for the Department of Public Works guys. They can just get it done. Kupchick was also thankful that the power is, so far, holding out. UI (United Illuminating) had a lot of crews here, ready, because of the winds, she said. 1:45 p.m. Norwalk warns of icy roads Snow plows remained busy as the snow continued to fall on Saturday, with snowfall totals ranging from five to eight inches due to blowing snow. Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling and the Norwalk Police Department are cautioning residents to stay home as road conditions are icy and slick. The police asked residents to allow the citys public works and the states Department of Transportation plows to clear the roads before venturing out. The storm is predicted to continue throughout the day. If you must go out, please remember to drive with your headlights on, clear all snow from your windows and roof, and leave additional space between you and other vehicles. Stay safe and warm! Rilling said in statement. The city reported no coastal or tidal flooding. No accidents were reported nor any power outages. No specific problem areas reported or observed, but drivers are encouraged to avoid travel, especially hills, curves and pavement surfaces that tend to be colder north of the Merritt Parkway, city spokesperson Laoise King said. 1:30 p.m. Wind presents challenges in Ridgefield cleanup Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi said the snowstorm has been uneventful in town, with a light snowfall and about eight inches on the ground as of 11:30 a.m. We have been fortunate, Marconi said. We have no power outages, no power lines are down and no emergencies. With potential outages expected we were especially concerned with cold weather tomorrow (Sunday) and were preparing shelters in case they were needed. The wind has been more of a factor for us. Talking to our director of Public Works he said when a road is plowed the wind blows the snow back into the road causing snow drifts. Fortunately, few people are out and that helps. I dont want to jinx it but so far it has been a safe New England snowstorm for us. 1:15 p.m. Bridgeport following parking ban Rowena White, Bridgeports communications director, said just after 12:30 p.m. that the majority of residents were following the storm parking rules in order to keep streets passable for the plow crews. For the most party everybodys off the streets, which is good. Its allowing the guys to do the work they need to do. So a big thank you to both the residents (and) the guys, she said. White said officials were also thankful that, so far, there are no power outages. Were very fortunate to see there have not been any issues related to power or any other utility, she said. 1 p.m. Blizzard confirmed in New London County The National Weather Services New York office confirmed a blizzard in New London County Saturday. The National Weather Service in New York, NY can preliminarily confirm that blizzard criteria was met this morning across SuffolkCounty, New York and New London County, Connecticut, the agency said. Further analysis will be conducted in the days ahead to determine which additional zones, if any, reached blizzard criteria during this evening. Further analysis will also be conducted to determine the exact start and end times of blizzard conditions in the areas where such conditions have already been confirmed. Starting at 9 a.m., New London County had three hours of visibility at a quarter mile or less, as well as sustained winds of 35 mph, according to Gary Lessor, the chief meteorologist at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. As of 1 p.m., Lessor said the blizzard conditions are still occurring in the area. 12:45 p.m. Crashes reported on Wilbur Cross Parkway By late morning, officials in New Haven and neighboring towns reported that around six inches of snow had fallen, though wind gusts made it difficult to measure accumulation. Fifty trucks were working to clear the roads in New Haven, said Rick Fontana, the citys director of emergency operations. The crews were working in 12-hour shifts, he said, with the first lasting from about midnight to noon. People are listening, people are staying off the roads, which is a key element to get the roads plowed, Fontana said. As of 11 a.m., no power outages or downed trees had been reported. The good thing is, no power outages, Fontana said. We havent had any downed power lines. We havent even had any downed tree branches. But there were five motor vehicle collisions that morning, according to Fontana, who said a three-car crash on the Wilbur Cross Parkway at the Hamden line resulted in one severe injury. The city was expected to receive another five to six inches, Fontana said. 12:30 p.m. A wicked New England storm In a news conference Saturday, Gov. Ned Lamont reiterated his plea for drivers to stay off the roads. Were urging everybody to stay safe at home, he said. As snow heavily coats the state at three inches an hour in some locations - Lamont said, Snow plows cant come around fast enough to get that cleared. Snow plows have been out on the roads for more than 12 hours. Lamont said he has been extremely impressed with the emergency operations crew. This is not our first rodeo, he said. Weve been through these storms before. The snow accumulations seem to be lighter than previously predicted, but Lamont said the wind will pick up later which could pose issues and cause more outages. Its a wicked New England storm, Lamont added. The storm should lighten up in western Connecticut by the early afternoon and in eastern Connecticut by mid-evening, Lamont said. Lamont issued a tractor trailer ban on highways starting at 3 a.m. There have been some incidents, but state police have been enforcing the ban. James Rovella, the Commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, said there are exceptions to the ban, including trucks delivering medical and COVID-19 supplies. Since 6 a.m., state police have received more than 500 calls for service. 12:15 p.m. Despite few outages, 'There's still a lot of storm to come' Though Eversource had only about 40 outages as of 11:45 a.m., spokesperson Mitch Gross said Theres still a lot of storm to come. The power company has prepared with about 1,000 line and tree crews around the state. So far, Gross said the biggest issue has been travel conditions. Heavy snow and near whiteout conditions can hamper a crews response time, as they want to get to the site quickly but also safely. Once at a job location, unsafe weather conditions could also delay or interrupt a job, Gross said. Customers can report outages or other issues either online or by texting OUT to 23129. Customers should call 911 if its an emergency, like downed power lines or poles, damaged electrical equipment or the smell of gasoline. 12 p.m. Gov. Lamont giving storm update Gov. Ned Lamont is providing an update on the winter storm and the state's response. To watch the stream, click here. 11:45 a.m. Performance canceled The 2 p.m. performance of What the Constitution Means to Me at the Bushnell in Hartford is canceled due to the weather. The theater said the 8 p.m. performance will go on as scheduled. Ticket holders will receive an email with refund and exchange information. The theater encouraged ticket holders to exchange their 2 p.m. ticket for tonight or one of Sundays performances. Anyone with questions can go to Bushnell.org/Contact. 11:30 a.m. Danbury officials report no major issues or outages Roughly five inches accumulated in Danbury as of 11 a.m., with more snow expected before the end of the day for an expected total of six to 12 inches, according to weather predictions. I feel that were not going to get that heavy number in snowfall, said Danbury Mayor Dean Esposito. So, really positive for us in addressing the storm. The city had submitted a Level 3 snow emergency alert last night in preparation for a worse storm, and specifically for high wind speeds and low visibility, Esposito said. The declaration puts a parking ban in effect and requires vehicles without four-wheel drive to remain off the road. By mid-morning, the mayor had not heard reports of major outages or issues in the city. Emergency Services Director Matthew Cassavecchia has stayed in constant contact with Esposito and his team throughout the storm. 11:15 a.m. Outages reported Power companies are reporting fewer than 30 outages throughout the state. Eversource has 27 total outages as of 11 a.m. There were fewer than three outages in Stamford and fewer than two outages in Greenwich, Hartford, Killingworth, Meriden, Middletown, Prospect, Washington, Weston, Windsor. United Illuminating has one outage in New Haven as of 10:45 a.m. 11 a.m. Wind makes it hard to measure accumulation in Hamden, North Haven Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett said the town is not expecting as much snow as originally predicted, but advised residents to still stay off the roads as snow continued to fall. Winds made it difficult to determine precisely how much snow had aready accumulated in the area. Its definitely coming down. Theres a lot of blowing and drifting, said Garrett, who lives in northern Hamden. My road is completely covered and an interior road but there are spots where you can see the pavementand then there are other places where it looks like its snowed a foot. Those conditions also made it tough to say just how much snow had fallen in North Haven, but officials estimated the town had received six inches by 10 a.m., according to First Selectman Michael Freda. This storms a little bit difficult to measure, he said. We might see two inches on one street, eight inches on another because of the swirling winds. The town could receive up to a foot of snow, he said, and plows would work throughout the day to clear roads. The plows are still out there, Freda said. People seem to be staying home, which is good. People are complying with the parking ban. 10:45 a.m. Governor hosting briefing at noon Gov. Ned Lamont is holding a news briefing at noon to discuss updates on the winter storm. Around 9 a.m., Lamont tweeted that there is still heavy snow and dangerous wind ahead. Please stay off the road, he added. 10:30 a.m. Stamford and Greenwich report no issues despite several inches Officials were reporting four to five inches of snow in Stamford and Greenwich Saturday morning with more on the way. Stamford officials reported approximately five inches of snow just after 7:30 a.m., just short of the totals estimated by meteorologists Friday. However, Director of Public Safety Ted Jankowski added that the city still expects eight to 12 inches by mid-afternoon, with the snow beginning to taper off by 2:00 p.m. Greenwich Police Capt. Mark Zuccerella told Hearst Connecticut Media Group that officers were seeing four to give inches throughout the town. But despite the accumulations, neither place logged serious emergencies or threats to residents. As of the early Saturday, Eversource logged no power outages in Greenwich and fewer than three in Stamford. Jankowski said there had been two minor motor vehicle accidents in Stamford which did not result in any injuries; Zuccerella reported no collisions. 10:15 a.m. Closures and parking bans in Norwalk Norwalk Public Libraries, the transfer station and yard waste site are closed Saturday and Sunday due to the storm, as are Saturdays COVID vaccination and testing at Veterans Park and Shady Beach. There is no off-street parking on Saturday. The city is providing free parking in the Maritime and Yankee Doodle garages. 10 a.m. Hospital providing rides to employees who need help getting home St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport has been providing rides to staff who need assistance getting home in the storm. As of 9:40 a.m., 14 people have needed help getting home, according to a hospital spokesperson. 9:50 a.m. Wind speeds are picking up Wind speeds are staying consistent as heavy snow continues to fall. Connecticut saw anywhere from 17 to 38 mph wind gusts at 9 a.m. Meanwhile, around 5 a.m., the state saw gusts ranging from 18 to 43 mph, according to data from the National Weather Service office in New York. Eversource says winds are expected to pick up as the strongest part of the storm moves in. The power company anticipates more tree damage to come. Heres the complete list of wind speeds at 9 a.m. from the National Weather Service office in New York: Bridgeport: 18 mph winds with 30 mph gusts Chester: 18 mph winds with 28 mph gusts Danbury: 8 mph winds with 17 mph gusts Groton: 25 mph winds with 38 mph gusts Hartford: 15 mph winds with 28 mph gusts Meriden: 14 mph winds with 29 mph gusts New Haven: 23 mph winds with 31 mph gusts Norwalk: 20 mph winds with 35 mph gusts Waterbury: 25 mph wind with 32 mph gusts Williamantic: 17 mph winds with 28 mph gusts 9:30 a.m. Some outages restored, more than 80 without power United Illuminating has restored power to the 23 power outages in Bridgeport. As of 9:10 a.m., UI is reporting one outage each in Derby and Shelton. As of 9:15 a.m., Eversource is reporting 64 outages. Most of those, 41, are in Bethany. There are also 17 outages in Montville, and fewer than three outages each in Ledyard, New London, Stamford, Stonington and Windsor. 9:15 a.m. Snowfall predictions dropping in western CT Predictions for the big snowstorm expected to hit throughout Connecticut have now dropped, specifically in the western part of the state, from peaks of 17 inches of snow to a maximum of 12 as of Saturday morning. Roughly four inches accumulated in Danbury as of 9 a.m., with about four to six more inches expected by the end of the day for a total between six to 12 inches, according to weather predictions. The heaviest should be over by 2 p.m., and the storm should be over completely by 4 p.m., according to Gary Lessor, a meteorologist with the Weather Center at Western Connecticut State University. As of 7 a.m., Bethel was reporting three inches of snow, Lessor said. New Milford Mayor Pete Bass reported that on average, the town was getting about 3.5 inches. No other towns had posted measurements as of 8:30 a.m. Wind gusts are expected to hit 40 mph and possibly 45 for the peak. Our concern is also the winds that will be winding up to 45 mph wind gusts through tonight, said Basss notice to residents sent out Saturday morning. This may cause trees to fall and bring down power lines which may cause power outages. We have been in contact with our Eversource liaison and continue to monitor the storm. Bass said that fire department has responded to a few calls so far, but no major power outages have been reported. 9 a.m. Snowfall totals The National Weather Service has released snowfall reports for Connecticut, New Jersey and New York. Here are Connecticuts numbers: Fairfield County: Bridgeport: 6.9 inches as of 7 a.m. Norwalk: 3.7 inches as of 7 a.m. Bethel: 3 inches as of 7:10 a.m. New Haven County: Madison: 5 inches as of 7:20 a.m. Waterbury: 2.3 inches as of 6:45 a.m. New London County: Niantic: 5.7 inches as of 6:45 a.m. Norwich: 5 inches as of 7:30 a.m. Ledyard: 3 inches as of 6 a.m. 8:45 a.m. Bradley International Airport cancels all flights All arriving and departing flights today at Bradley International Airport have been canceled, according to the airports website. The airport is open and snow removal operations are ongoing, according to airport spokesperson Ryan Terry. Terry anticipates flights to resume tomorrow, but passengers scheduled to travel this weekend are strongly advised to contact their airline to confirm the status of their flight before heading to the airport, Terry said. 8:30 a.m. Less than 100 without power As of 8:13 a.m., United Illuminating reported 23 customers out of power in Bridgeport. The company serves 61,541 customers in the city. UI was also reporting one outage each in Derby and Shelton at that time. Eversource is reporting 72 outages 41 in Bethany, 17 in Montville, 10 in Meriden and fewer than two outages in Cromwell, New London, Stamford and Waterbury. 8:20 a.m. Five inches reported in Stamford Stamford officials reported approximately five inches of snow just after 7:30 a.m., just short of the totals estimated by meteorologists Friday. However, Director of Public Safety Ted Jankowski added that the city still expects up to eight to 12 inches by mid-afternoon, with the snow beginning to taper off by 2 p.m. As of the early morning, energy provider Eversource logged no power outages in Stamford. 8:05 a.m. Highways mostly empty Highways this morning are mostly barren of cars and covered in snow, according to state Department of Transportation traffic cameras. There are handfuls of cars driving on Interstate 84 near Waterbury, Hartford and Manchester, as well as Interstate 91 near New Haven, Wethersfield and Hartford, Interstate 95 near Stamford, Norwalk, Westport, Branford and Darien and Interstate 691 near Meriden. There is slight congestion reported on Interstate 84 near Southbury and Waterbury, on Interstate 691 near Meriden, on Route 20 near Windsor Locks and on Interstate 395 from Montville to Norwich. 8 a.m. Snow picks up in New Haven area Morning NWS forecasts for New Haven predicted six to 11 inches for the city, with most falling before 8 p.m. In southern Hamden, snowfall was light during the early morning hours, though noisy winds battered trees and kicked up snow. It began to pick up as the sun rose. The occasional plow drove along Whitney Avenue, which at 7 a.m. was clear enough to accommodate the occasional car. Fog and light snowfall were recorded at Tweed at 6:53 a.m., according to the a NWS forecast. The temperature was 24 degrees and expected to drop to 16 degrees by late afternoon. 7:50 a.m. Danbury snow emergency Danbury issued a level 3 snow emergency beginning Friday night ahead of the expected snowstorm. The declaration prohibits parking on city streets. Residents were required to move their vehicles to off-street parking by 10 p.m. Friday. Free parking is available at the Patriot Parking Garage at 1 Patriot Drive. Because of the expected snowfall totals, wind and rate of the falling snow, travel is also being limited throughout the city. Only emergency vehicles, public works vehicles, those with four-wheel drive and emergency personnel were allowed to be on the roads Saturday. 7:45 a.m. Overnight tractor trailer wrecks After a statewide tractor trailer ban on all limited access highways, state police have reported three incidents that partially or completely shut down highways overnight. Gov. Ned Lamont issued the ban, which went into effect at 3 a.m. Saturday. Interstate 84 westbound near Exit 40 in West Hartford is partially closed. Only the right lane is open. Crews have been working to remove a jackknifed tractor trailer since 3 a.m., according to state police. The westbound part of the highway has been shut down between exits 67 and 68 in Tolland since 2 a.m. for a separate tractor trailer incident, according to state police and the Department of Transportation. Around 2:30 a.m., a tractor trailer rolled over on Interstate 95 northbound before Exit 74 in East Lyme. The area reopened around 3:30 a.m., state police said. 7:30 a.m. Outages reported Eversource is reporting 42 outages in Bethany as of 7:15 a.m. United Illuminating is reporting zero outages as of 7:20 a.m. To check the latest outage map, click here. 7 a.m. Plows out, but few cars Few cars were on the streets in Norwalk Saturday morning while plows were out clearing the roads. So no major accidents or road closures were reported in the city. 5:45 a.m. Updated weather forecast The region is now expected to get a little less snow than previously anticipated. The Danbury area should see 5 to 10 inches, while Bridgeport will see 6 to 12 inches. The New Haven and Hartford areas will get about 10 to 20 inches, according to Gary Lessor, the chief meteorologist at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. Windham and New London counties are expected to get the most snow in the state at 16 to 26 inches, Lessor said. There arent many snow observations out yet. However, Staffordville has seen 2.4 inches and Westbrook has seen 3 inches as of 3:30 a.m., according to Lessor. The National Weather Service also said it observed 3 inches in Upton, N.Y. as of 1 a.m. Saturday. The bands of the storm are packing their punch east of the Connecticut River, bringing especially heavy snow in Norwich up to Storrs, Lessor added. Snowfall throughout the day is going to come sporadically as bands of the storm move through the region. The worst of the snow will be over by 2 p.m. in western Connecticut near Danbury, and will completely stop by 4 p.m. in that area. By 8 p.m., the snow should completely stop in New London county, Lessor said. 9:30 p.m. Snow starting to fall The National Weather Service said light snow is starting to fall down on the region. The intensity of both the snow and wind will increase closer to midnight. 8:30 p.m. Flight cancellations to New Haven Avelo Airlines has canceled 15 arriving and departing flights at Tweed-New Haven Airport for Saturday and Sunday. The airline said it has contacted customers with flight reservations and rebooked them on the next available flight. Customers with reservations to travel to or from the Tweed-New Haven Airport with Avelo on Friday, Saturday or Sunday can change their flights for no difference in air fare. To change a flight, contact the Avelo Customer Care Center at 346-616-9500. Customers can also check the status of their flights at AveloAir.com/Flight-Status. 7 p.m. Gov. Ned Lamont issues tractor trailer ban Gov. Ned Lamont is implementing a travel ban on tractor trailers for all limited access highways statewide starting at 3 a.m. Saturday. The ban will remain in effect until further notice. The governor also said the states Emergency Operations Center will be active starting at 6 a.m. Saturday. 6:30 p.m. Fairfield parking ban Fairfield has ordered a parking ban, effective at midnight. Street parking will only be allowed on even-numbered sides of any street. 5:53 p.m. Connecticut Transit buses canceled All Connecticut Transit bus service will be canceled Saturday ahead of the storm. The service is the state Department of Transportation-owned bus system. Bus service is scheduled to end at 2 a.m. Saturday and resume at 3 a.m. Sunday. 5:30 p.m. Bradley International Airport Bradley International Airport will remain open, though most of the airlines there have canceled the majority of the flights for Saturday, according to airport spokesperson Ryan Tenny. Tenny anticipates further cancellations as the storm approaches. Passengers scheduled to travel this weekend are strongly advised to contact their airline to confirm the status of their specific flight before heading to the airport, Tenny said. 5 p.m. State parks and forests will be closed Saturday The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is closing all state parks and forests Saturday. The areas will remain closed Sunday until snow removal is completed. 3 p.m. Parking bans A Bridgeport parking ban is in effect starting at 4 p.m. Residents must park on the even-numbred side of the street. Vehicles cannot park on snow emergency routes. Violations and towing will start shortly after 4 p.m. A parking ban went into effect in Norwalk at 3 p.m. Parking bans in Ansonia and East Hartford go into effect at 6 p.m. Parking bans in Hamden and Hartford start at 8 p.m., in Winchester at 9 p.m. and in New Haven at 10 p.m. By midnight, Manchester, New London, Wallingford and Torrington will have parking bans in place. Bristol will have a parking ban starting at 6 a.m. Saturday. The parking ban in East Haven will go into effect once the snowfall starts. There are also parking bans in effect in Derby, South Windsor and Fairfield, though no specific times were stated. Weather warnings The National Weather Services New York office has issued a blizzard warning for New London County, as well as the eastern two-thirds of Long Island, all of Rhode Island, parts of eastern Massachusetts and eastern New Hampshire. The warning is in effect until Saturday. Those areas could see wind gusts of up to 60 mph, as well as 11 to 15 inches of snow. The weather service has issued a winter storm warning for the rest of Connecticut. The storm is expected to last about 20 hours, bringing heavy snowfall through Saturday afternoon and evening. Check here for more detailed weather updates and information. Power outages Up to 125,0000 customers could lose power during the storm, according to the Eversource Energy Center at the University of Connecticut. Eversource customers can report outages online or by texting OUT to 23129. United Illuminating customers can report power outages online, on the UI mobile app or call 800-722-5584. Heres an interactive map that shows the latest outages in Connecticut. If you need shelter The states severe cold weather protocol is in effect through Feb. 3. Anyone in need of emergency shelter or a place to stay warm should call 211 to be connected with a shelter. Lists of warming centers and homeless shelters can also be found online. Parking bans and closures Check here to see if your town or city has issued a parking ban or other announcements. Emily Morgan contributed to this report. SPRINGFIELD, Ohio Inside one of Woodruff Enterprises cold storage warehouses, boxes of food are stacked on shrink-wrapped pallets and the pallets are stacked three stories high. Outside, semi-trailers are lined up, waiting to deliver the food to restaurants and grocery stores. The company provides storage and shipping for several big-name food companies, including Dole, Bob Evans and Gordon Food Service, but company head, Todd Woodruff, also sees an opportunity for farmers like himself. Id love to see this full of our food and us shipping it, he said. Woodruff is most often seen wearing a cowboy hat, but, figuratively speaking, he wears a variety of hats. Hes been working as an auctioneer for 34 years. He also helped his family build a livestock shipping business, sold that business, and started the refrigerated freight business, which now operates 47 trucks and 100-some trailers. Meanwhile, he has continued to work on his family farm, near Urbana, Ohio, raising Angus breeding stock and milking Jersey cows. At heart, hes a farmer, he said, Farmings my first love. Family business Todd, his wife, Teri, and their adult sons, Levi and Trevor, all work in the family businesses. In all, their various enterprises employ about 100 people. Nevertheless, Todd said, the family remains rooted in the small family farm. Inside a barn built by Todds great-grandfather, the family keeps a milking herd of 30 to 35 Jersey cows. Up until four years ago, the family sold milk through a co-op, but decided to process and market the milk to capture more income. Ive wanted to do that since high school, Todd Woodruff said. I dont like middlemen. The Woodruffs set up a processing facility to bottle the milk and began selling it under the Woodruff Jersey Farm brand. I have to admit, it has been a really slow process, Woodruff said. Currently, they are selling about 1,000 gallons of milk a week. Nearly all goes to daycare centers and coffee shops within a radius of about 100 miles. To meet the preferences of their customers, the Woodruffs are processing the milk using low-temp, long-time pasteurization. Some is homogenized and the rest is bottled as creamline milk. Local venture The milk processing venture was the start of a bigger effort to provide better marketing opportunities for locally produced food, Woodruff said. Originally, he had a long-term plan to expand into processing and sales of other local foods, but he moved up his timetable when a nearby food processing facility and restaurant came up for sale three years ago. The facilities were previously the headquarters of the Rothschild Berry Farm, but, after a series of corporate transitions, that business was liquidated. The facilities were in the right place even though it was the wrong time. It doesnt make sense to expand before youve ever sold anything, but we did, Woodruff said. The former Rothschild facilities are along busy State Route 36, just east of Urbana, so theyre visible and accessible to customers. The buildings also include space for processing, as well as room for a retail store and restaurant. It offered the full vision, Woodruff said. Expanding sales In 2020, the Woodruffs opened a retail store, the Farm Connection Market, at the former Rothschild farm. Besides their own milk products, theyre selling beef and pork produced on nearby farms, under the Woodruff Farms label. Theyre also selling other locally produced products, ranging from beef jerky and pasta to lavender-infused honey and candied jalapeno relish. The goal in here is to sell what we raise and also buy from other small farms that are producing something, Woodruff said. Theyre in the process of expanding their selection of local foods. I wanted to get it big enough that we could help the other little guys, he said. Milk uses The Woodruff milk processing venture is expanding as well. Theyve just perfected a recipe for ice cream and theyre gearing up to make Grana cheese. Thats a hard cheese similar to Parmesan, Woodruff explained. Its a good processing partner with ice cream because it can be made with the low-fat milk left after cream is skimmed off to make ice cream. Woodruff is applying the same waste-not philosophy to meat sales. In addition to selling meat through the retail store, he sells meat to area restaurants. Demand is higher for tenderloins, ribeyes and strip steaks than for ground meat, he explained. So, he recently bought a commercial oven and food packaging equipment to process the ground meat into foods such as meatballs and chili for pre-cooked packaged meals. Theyll be like high-end TV dinners, he explained. Scaling up When COVID-19 disrupted meat supply chains, small restaurants were especially hard hit, Woodruff said. Many distributors dropped their smallest customers first. As a result, he saw a quick increase in demand for his locally sourced meat. Woodruff has not experienced the problems some producers have seen in scheduling processing for livestock. He has a contract for processing with the Meat Processing Career Center at the Pickaway Correctional Institution in Orient. To fill the growing demand for local beef, Woodruff is hoping to work with more nearby beef producers. On his own farm, he raises Angus cattle, but they are breeding stock rather than market animals. Hes working on a plan to sell bulls to area farms and, then, buy their cattle for processing. Sustaining the demand for local meat will require a consistent, high-quality, local supply, he said. Woodruff is also renovating the former Rothschild restaurant facility to open his own restaurant with a menu-driven by Woodruff Farms products. That will provide another market outlet for their local foods and increase visibility for their brand. We hope the restaurant ties it all together, he said. Fire crews continue to battle a blaze on a Lincolnshire farm after more than 30,000 hay bales were set alight on Thursday. Crews from across the county are dealing with the substantial fire at an agriculture site on Learoyd Road, Hemswell Cliff. The blaze started on Thursday afternoon, at around 13:00 GMT. The site is a former RAF base which was converted into agricultural use, BBC News reported. In an update at 5.30am on Friday morning, Lincs Fire & Rescue (LFRS) said: "We still have 3 crews in attendance and our High Volume Pump continuing to dampen down and prevent fire spread. **Update Hemswell Cliff** We still have 3 crews in attendance and our High Volume Pump continuing to dampen down and prevent fire spread. Residents are advised to close doors and windows due to smoke drift. Lincs Fire & Rescue (@LincsFireRescue) January 28, 2022 "Residents are advised to close doors and windows due to smoke drift." It comes after NFU Mutual recently urged farmers to put in place new prevention and control plans as the cost of fires shot up a staggering 40% to over 69 million in 2020. Electrical faults were a major cause of farm fires in 2020, according to the rural insurer, which insures three quarters of UK farms. Extreme weather and dry conditions also contributed to the cost of farm blazes that year. The government has launched a new forum consisting of experts who will identify issues facing the farming industry, such as reducing emissions and supporting the growth of agri-tech. It is hoped the new UK Agriculture Partnership (UKAP) will improve collaborative working on shared issues facing the agricultural sector. Discussions will touch on farm water usage optimisation, the role of science and agri-tech in supporting food production, and solutions to reduce pollution. The UKAP will provide a platform for academics, experts and farming stakeholders to share knowledge and best practice to learn from each other to identify solutions to these problems. Findings will be shared across the UK. The first meeting of the UKAP took place on Thursday at the Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester, with a focus on water quality. Attendees heard from experts who set out the challenges the UK is facing, and discussed solutions for improving water quality across the agriculture sector. The meeting included researchers, water body representatives, farming organisations, NGOs, as well as the NI's agriculture minister Edwin Poots. Defra Secretary George Eustice welcomed the launch of UKAP, saying it would bring the sector together to tackle practical challenges. I am launching the UK Agriculture Partnership to share UK-wide best practice, ideas and innovation and to tackle some of the common challenges we face. We are bringing together farmers, farming unions, environmental groups, agricultural colleges and associations so that we can tackle practical challenges together. A petition which has so far gained over 1,500 signatures is demanding the government to regulate the loss of productive farmland to solar developments. Launched this month by the Solar Campaign Alliance, it warns that the growing number of solar farms will impact the availability of productive agricultural land. This, in turn, could eventually impact domestic food production and the UK's food security, the campaign group says. The government should produce a regulatory framework in the form of a National Policy Statement on Farmland Protection to "avoid losing a critical mass of productive land to solar". It comes as developers Windel Energy and Canadian Solar are aiming to create the UK's biggest solar farm within the next five years, covering more than 2,000 acres. The project is located on the Rutland and Lincolnshire border, and if approved, it could power over 90,000 homes. But opponents have warned that the solar farm could impact on productive agricultural land, as well as nearby habitats. Solar Campaign Alliance's petition, available to sign on the parliament.uk website, explains that agricultural land is a finite resource. "We believe there is currently a policy conflict where government seeks to protect and enhance our domestic production to maintain food security whilst also encouraging the growth of solar energy production. "New ground-mounted solar developments must be subject to increased regulation to ensure that they do not undermine UK food security, which could result in increasing food costs." BEIJING, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) - China will continue to explore the moon's polar regions and is mulling over a manned lunar landing in the coming five years, according to a white paper released on Friday. The white paper, titled "China's Space Program: A 2021 Perspective," said China will continue its studies and research "on the plan for a human lunar landing." A new-generation manned spacecraft will be developed to support its exploration of the cislunar space, according to the paper. It is part of the country's ambitious lunar exploration plan after its lunar probes landed on the far side of the moon in 2019 and brought back lunar samples last year, respectively. In the next five years, China is planning to bring two more probes onto the moon to explore its polar regions, a place believed to contain water ice, especially in the deep, permanent shadows of some mountains and craters. China will launch the Chang'e-6 lunar probe to collect and bring back samples from the moon's polar regions and launch the Chang'e-7 to perform a precise landing there and "a hopping detection" in lunar shadowed area, the paper said. Also, the country will complete R&D on the key technology of Chang'e-8 and push forward the building of an international research station on the moon with global collaboration, according to the paper. The program is a counterpart to NASA's Artemis lunar exploration plans that try to return astronauts to the Moon by 2024, and establishes a sustained human presence on and around the Moon by 2028. In the next five years, China will launch asteroid probes to sample near-Earth asteroids and probe main-belt comets. The paper also revealed the country's technological preparations for Mars sampling and return, exploration of Jupiter system and boundary exploration of the solar system. Back to near-Earth orbits, China plans to launch, in the next five years, two experimental modules and a space telescope, complete its space station, build a space lab onboard, and carry out large-scale scientific experiments with astronauts on long-term assignments. Minister for Exports Mike Freer has met with the NFU to discuss ways to help boost British dairy exports around the world. The visit took place at specialist Stilton makers, Long Clawson Dairy in Leicestershire, where they met managing director Bill Mathieson on a tour of the factory. Mr Freer, along with NFU President Minette Batters, saw the site's multi-million-pound expansion, which went ahead in 2018 to drive global sales. Long Clawson Dairy now exports its award-winning cheeses to Europe, the US and Australia. Mrs Batters told the government minister the sector had "ambitious plans to export more nutritious and great tasting British dairy products around the world". It follows the release of the NFU Dairy Export Strategy, with key asks including a new taskforce to improve and increase UK dairy exports. Government investment, in partnership with the industry, must drive dairy exports through trade deals, agriculture counsellors, and market development, it says. The strategy also calls for more investment in domestic dairy processing capacity to take advantage of new markets. Todays meeting with the minister gave us the opportunity to showcase the fantastic work that farmers and producers are already doing to export high quality dairy products around the globe," Mrs Batters said. Long Clawson Dairy is a prime example of how the British dairy industry is ambitious; producing a range of top-quality nutritious and sustainable products to world-leading standards like its award-winning Stilton thats sold across Europe, the US and Australia." Although the industry already exports over 1.6bn worth of dairy to more than 135 countries, the sector is looking to double that value within the next decade. The government has recently invested to boost on-going market development work and it has increased the number of agriculture counsellors around the world. "We can massively boost our dairy exports and help set the global standard when it comes to sustainable climate-friendly food," Mrs Batters said. Mr Freer added: The work that farmers do across the UK and here in the East Midlands is hugely important for the economy and a sector we should be proud to shout about overseas. Our newly-created Export Strategy and Export Support Service will help businesses across the region to kickstart and expand their exporting ambitions at a time when global interest in British produce is increasing. Campaigners are calling on the UK government to act on its promises to improve farm antibiotic laws amid new EU legislation banning all forms of routine antibiotic use for livestock. From today, farmers on the continent will no longer be allowed to give preventative group antibiotic treatments or use antibiotics to mask standards for farm animals. This will remain legal in the UK, with campaigners from the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics (ASOA) warning this threatens to undermine recent improvements and increases the risk of antibiotic resistance. Figures show that British farmers and veterinary officials have voluntarily reduced their antibiotic use by 52 percent in recent years. In Australia, a country the UK has sealed a trade deal with, antibiotic use in poultry is 16 times higher than in UK and use in pigs is nearly three times higher. But the new EU legislation goes a step further, banning imports of meat, dairy, fish and eggs that have been produced using antibiotics to stimulate rapid growth in the animals. This remains legal in the UK. Antibiotic resistance is increasing at a faster rate than previously reported. According to The Lancet, in 2019 it was directly responsible for the deaths of more than one and a quarter million people worldwide. The overuse of antibiotics in humans and farm animals is to blame for this crisis, scientists say. Worldwide, about two thirds of antibiotics are used in livestock. The EU legislation was agreed in 2018, and since then the UK government has repeatedly said that it largely supported the new rules and would introduce similar laws. However, over three years later the government has still not published its own legislative proposals for ending excessive farm antibiotic use. It remains legal in the UK to give antibiotics to farm animals routinely, rather than when they are sick or have an infection, and to import animal foods produced with antibiotic growth promoters. The ASOA has written to Defra Secretary George Eustice urging the government to act swiftly to improve the UKs farm antibiotic laws in line with the EU. Coilin Nunan, ASOA's scientific advisor, said that 'much larger' cuts in farm antibiotic use could still be achieved in the UK if the government introduced new laws. "If government pursues a trade policy which cuts tariffs on the importation of meat and dairy produced with high antibiotic use, including the use of antibiotic growth promoters, then in order to compete British farmers could be compelled to reduce their own standards and increase their use of antibiotics. The government said that this year, it would be consulting on making changes to the Veterinary Medicines Regulations, including changes to the rules governing farm antibiotic use. Only subscribers with PAID Print or E-Edition subscriptions please enter here to gain access. If you are not already a Paid subscriber do not go through this portal. Please return to the subscription page to purchase one of our offers. Thank you! The future of Fauquier Times now depends on community support. Your donation will help us continue to improve our journalism through in-depth local news coverage and expanded reader engagement. Support Boddess Green Leaf Nabhi Sutra WhiteHat Jr In the 21st century world of high-end technology and convenience, brands are engaged in a neck-to-neck battle to make an impact with their message and the services provided so that women serving as homemakers, corporate workers or donning any role in the world establish a connection with them.Brands are a part of our lives in many unrivaled ways. From the toothbrush we use in the morning to our comfortable beds we tuck ourselves into at night, they have literally become an integral part of our current lifestyle. Especially for today's urban and modern women, who deserve and demand nothing more than a world in which they are treated equally.Gone are the days when people had to look for the best option to buy any product or service. Today, one can find hundreds of substitutes for a single product and brands are racking their minds to set themselves apart from its competition.An initiative by Worldwide Media, Femina Power Brands 2022 aims to understand and analyse the choice of a modern Indian woman and uplift such brands which deserve to see the light of the day. The final 30 Power Brands have been picked as a combination of the outcome of a national survey and editorial discretion.World Wide Media conducted a study to determine the most popular brands among customers across numerous product categories, and the results thus observed were quite interesting. A total of 400 women from across the country participated in the poll, which rated products in 49 different categories.These women belonged to diverse groups, including students, housewives, part-time or full-time self-employed women, and entrepreneurs. SEC A includes those who are between the ages of 18 and 45.Karvy Insights created a structured questionnaire for the responders to fill out. Computer assisted web interviews (CAWI) or online surveys were used to collect data. After that, the data was analyzed, and the top brands were identified.The first 24 categories were examined by 200 people, while the following 25 categories were evaluated by another 200 people. Karvy Insights listed the top three brands named by respondents in each category after collecting the results."The event kicked off to an energetic start at 4pm with the registration process saw a healthy number of participants attending. After the welcome address, Shraddha Kamdar, Deputy Editor, Femina got in conversation with brand leader Neerja Birla, Founder and Chairperson of the Aditya Birla Education Trust. The philanthropist, educationist and mental health activist and chairman shared her journey from fame to famous and how she backed the choices she made. She talked of how she dedicatedly followed a few mantras in life to strive to bring about lasting progress in the lives of all sections of society.Next, Bollywood actor and UNEP Goodwill Ambassador and United Nations Secretary Generals Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals, Dia Mirza engaged in a one-on-one with Kamdar. She graced the platform by talking about how to take a brand to greater heights and give it a celebrity status. In todays day and age, where social media can either make or break the reputation of a brand, companies have to take extra measures to make themselves appealing to their target audience by maintaining a clean online and offline presence in the market. The Sanju actress also shed some light on the amount of efforts taken to create a robust foundation for its brand to stand upon and carve its name in gold for the whole world to see.Later, the duologue took the form of a panel discussion with leading experts in the field of corporate branding and marketing who talked about building a leadership brand for sustainable business. In the current era, business sustainability is the most important requirement for any CEO. Setting strategy, grooming personnel, evaluating circumstances, measuring progress, investing in product based effective leadership, and satisfying customer and investor expectations are all critical elements for all firms to follow in order to build a successful leadership brand. They also discussed how to build a strong leadership brand by embracing its core principles and implementing powerful and long-term plans.After a prospective panel discussion, the platform turned into a Firebrand Chat with the celeb entrepreneur Genelia Deshmukh, Co-founder of Imagine Meats, which provides plant-based alternatives for meat products. Genelia, along with her husband Riteish Deshmukh recently came up with Happy Bugs a vegan alternative to chicken nuggets which won the Best Vegan meat at the 2021 PETA India Vegan Food Awards. Kashika Saxena, Digital Editor, Femina led the session during which they discussed how sending an unconventional, yet powerful message creates a ripple effect among the masses, which gives the brand a unique image in the market and how it works well to set itself apart from its competitors. Deshmukh stressed on the importance of standing firm on ones own beliefs and going the extra mile to turn it into a potential vision of the organization to be carried forward by its brand.The event took yet another interesting turn with the unveiling of Femina Power Brands 2022 Coffee Table Book, an insightful, yet motivating stories of this years power-packed brands filled with ups and downs, milestones and challenges, failure and victories that embraced these brands and made them the shining faces in their respective categories.The unveiling was soon followed by the power brands being felicitated through their winning videos. It served as the highlight of the event since it became a source of inspiration for the budding brands to learn from them and follow their footsteps to create their own path to success in the future.The event eventually came to an ended with the felicitations of the chosen Power Brands. Femina proudly presents the top 30 power labels that made the cut this year: Aegte Artistry by Amway Bella Vita Organic Bio Oil Bryan and Candy Charles and Keith Dermatouch First Cry Inveda Keya Foods Layers Madhur pure & hygienic sugar Medimix Palmolive Physiogel Pilgrim Rey Naturals Senziwash Sephora, India Simple Sofy SUGAR Cosmetics Supradyn Urban Company Zivame Zomato Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Mouni Roy tied the knot with Suraj Nambiar on Thursday in Goa. As Suraj is a Malayali and Mouni is Bengali, the couple had a Malayali wedding in the morning and a Bengali wedding in the night. Mouni posted her Malayali wedding video on Instagram. In the video, Mouni can be seen dressed in a red and white silk saree and donned temple jewelry as she arrived in Mandap to marry Suraj. Sharing the video, Mouni wrote, So blessedso so happy. Several actors like Arjun Bijlani, Mandira Bedi, Jia Mustafa attended the wedding among others. In the video, Mandira, who shares a beautiful close bond with Mouni, can be seen making a gesture to ward off the evil eye as Mouni arrives with her bridesmaids. In the video, Mandira can also be heard hooting for the couple as they exchanged the wedding vows. The video ended with the couple posing for family pictures on the staircase and the groom lifting his beautiful bride for a picture-perfect. Mandira also shared pictures from Mouni Roy and Suraj Nambiars wedding. Sharing the pictures, she wrote, Ecstatic to be with and thrilled for my fav people Mr and Mrs Nambiar!! Beautiful ceremony! I love you @imouniroy @nambiar13. Mouni Roy married a Dubai-based businessman Suraj Nambiar in an intimate ceremony on Thursday. The couple married as per both Malayali and Bengali rituals. During the Bengali wedding, Mouni arrived in a red lehenga and bridal jewellery, on a stool that was carried by her brothers. The Royal Mint has unveiled an 8kg gold proof coin to celebrate the Year of the Tiger as part of its 'Masterworks' range and popular Sh e ngxi a o Collection. The 8kg gold proof coin is the largest coin ever produced as part of The Royal Mint's Sh e ngxi a o Collection. A team of master craftspeople produced the solid gold coin, which included 100 hours of hand polishing. The coins weight of 8kg coincides with the number 8 being considered one of the luckiest numbers in Chinese culture and one associated with wealth and prosperous. LLANTRISANT, Wales , Jan. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Royal Mint, has today unveiled an exclusive 8kg gold proof coin to celebrate the Year of the Tiger as part of its Masterworks coin range and popular Shengxiao collection. The 8kg gold proof coin featuring a design to celebrate Chinese New Year is a one-of-a-kind collector's item made using a combination of traditional skills and innovative technology and is the largest coin ever produced as part of The Royal Mint's Shengxiao collection. The impressive 8kg gold proof coin was created by a team of master craftspeople at The Royal Mint, using traditional minting skills alongside the latest innovative technology. Modern techniques are called upon in the beginning with engraving machines being used to carefully cut the design onto the 8kg coin over a period of 200 hours. A uniquely titled 'Master Toolmaker' then hand works the coin, carefully papering and burnishing the surface of the metal to remove any marks made by the cutting process to elevate the finish of the design, before undergoing 100 hours of hand polishing. Finally, the 185mm coin is laser frosted for 50 hours using the latest picosecond laser technology, to selectively texture the surface giving it a matt finish showcasing the detail of the coin design. The Lunar Year of the Tiger 8kg coin blends elements of traditional British design and craftsmanship with ancient Chinese culture. The coin design depicts the tiger face on, and its Chinese character positioned to the right. When inspecting the design closely, an additional Chinese character can be seen on the tiger's forehead. It represents the Chinese character for king - '?' - which is said to originate from the pattern on the tiger's head. The weight of the coin, 8kg, was selected due to the number 8 being considered the luckiest number in Chinese culture and one associated with wealth and prosperous. Clare Maclennan, Divisional Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint said: "The Royal Mint began our Shengxiao Collection in 2014, combining centuries of British craftsmanship and artistic skills with Chinese tradition - creating the first official UK Lunar coins. Ahead of Chinese New Year, we are thrilled to introduce the first ever 8kg coin as part of the collection celebrating the Year of the Tiger and the latest in our 'Masterworks' series which offer unique works of art for collectors, exclusively from The Royal Mint. The coin design is a beautiful fusion of British craftsmanship and Chinese tradition featuring the tiger prominently in the centre of the design." The Royal Mint's Shengxiao Collection is a celebration of the UK's diverse multi-cultural society, lending a unique British angle to this ancient custom. In addition to the 8kg gold proof coin, The Lunar Year of the Tiger collectable coins are also available in a range of precious metals and base metal finishes from 13. Visit www.royalmint.com/lunar to view the full collection. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1735684/Royal_Mint_Chinese_New_Year.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1492158/Royal_Mint_Logo.jpg The two companies have agreed to cooperate in innovation, development, and commercialization of pervasive multi-gigabit wireless connectivity for digital cities PETACH TIKVA, Israel and EINDHOVEN, Netherlands, Jan. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Siklu, a global leader in millimeter wave (mmWave) solutions for Digital City, Gigabit Wireless Access (GWA), and Mobile x-Haul, and Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, today announced a strategic partnership agreement to add Siklu's MultiHaul TG multi-gigabit wireless connectivity technology to Signify's BrightSites portfolio. This combination will result in an addition to the BrightSites portfolio, which will be known as Broadband luminaires. Signify's new innovative BrightSites solution is converting streetlights into a wireless connectivity grid which can facilitate a wide range of digital city services, such as: IoT, security and traffic monitoring, 4G/5G small cells, as well as "digital inclusion" initiatives including municipal Wi-Fi and residential broadband access. BrightSites helps cities to meet the needs of citizens, businesses, and visitors by delivering faster and more accessible broadband connectivity that helps ensure constant access to their digital world. The new broadband luminaires, integrate Siklu's Terragraph-compliant MultiHaul TG multi-gigabit wireless connectivity technology to significantly reduce the dependency on fiber deployment and enable municipalities to create a wireless mesh network by replacing their luminaires with Broadband luminaires. This will significantly accelerate city-wide scalability for secure and reliable multi-gigabit wireless connectivity, at a fraction of the cost and time compared to an all-fiber network deployment. Siklu's MultiHaul TG is Siklu's third generation 60 GHz point-to-multipoint product line and fifth generation overall of V-Band products. Overall, Siklu has hundreds of thousands of products installed in hundreds of cities around the world and offers advanced software tools to design and operate a network. Siklu's MultiHaul TG continues this tradition of excellence by creating secure and reliable fiber-like multi-gigabit wireless mesh networks to support any type of network topology from a small campus up to city and regional deployments. Both companies have collaborated over the past year in the development of the Broadband luminaire portfolio, based on Siklu's MultiHaul N366 TG node. Following successful market validation, the two companies have agreed to expand the collaboration to jointly develop and commercialize solutions for street lighting infrastructure. "We aim to radically accelerate the transition to smart cities by enabling the lighting infrastructure as a primary platform for cost-effective and scalable broadband connectivity. With our combined solution we overcome significant hurdles for the creation of dense networks by ensuring every light point acts as a data hub. This reduces time and cost, and most importantly, it improves the environmental impact as compared to legacy means. By integrating Siklu's Terragraph-compliant MultiHaul TG multi-gigabit wireless connectivity technology into our BrightSites portfolio, over the future of Smart Cities is a reality now," said Khalid Aziz, Head of Connectivity Solutions at Signify. "Siklu products are already enabling a wide range of urban and industrial services that require gigabit broadband access. With the increasing demand for high-speed internet connections everywhere, especially in the COVID era, we share Signify's vision of utilizing the lighting infrastructure as the connectivity grid of the future," said Ronen Ben-Hamou, CEO of Siklu. "Signify is the global leader in lighting infrastructure, and we are excited to collaborate in the digitalization of cities and transforming our vision into reality." About Signify Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals and consumers and lighting for the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact connected lighting systems and data-enabled services, deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings and public spaces. With 2020 sales of EUR 6.5 billion, we have approximately 37,000 employees and are present in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We achieved carbon neutrality in 2020, have been in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since our IPO for five consecutive years and were named Industry Leader in 2017, 2018 and 2019. News from Signify is located at the Newsroom, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Information for investors can be found on the Investor Relations page. About Siklu Siklu delivers multi-gigabit wireless fiber connectivity in urban, suburban and rural areas. Operating in the millimeter wave bands, Siklu's wireless solutions are used by leading service providers and system integrators to provide 5G Gigabit Wireless Access services. In addition, Siklu solutions are ideal for Smart City projects requiring extra capacity such as video security, WiFi backhaul and municipal network connectivity all over one network. Thousands of carrier-grade systems are delivering interference-free performance worldwide. Easily installed on street-fixtures or rooftops, these radios have been proven to be the ideal solution for networks requiring fast and simple deployment of secure, wireless fiber. www.siklu.com. Press Contact Tal Sacharov Head of Marketing, Siklu Tal.s@siklu.com BEER SHEVA, Israel, Jan. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SIGA announces its European HQ in Luxembourg to rapidly scale SIGA's services for the cyber defence of national infrastructure and manufacturing facilities across Europe. SIGA will leverage its new Luxembourg office to expand its customer base and distribution networks with industrial automation and OT cybersecurity partners. SIGA joined the House of DeepTech Roundtable with the Ministry of Economy of Luxembourg and Chief Information Security leaders in Europe last week to trade notes on best practices and lessons learned internationally. "Moving beyond the network security layer to level zero is critical to the effective cyber risk governance of our manufacturing hubs and critical infrastructure. We welcome SIGA into Luxembourg and to accelerate the company's impact across the European Union." - Francois Thill, Ministry of Economy, Director of Cybersecurity and Digital The global cybersecurity market, valued at USD 183.34 billion in 2020, has a CAGR of 11.6% from 2021-to 2030. Analysts predict it to reach USD 539.78 billion by 2030 (Research and Markets, Oct 6, 2021). Luxembourg was a natural choice for SIGA's European headquarters, as it was recently voted second most inclusive economy globally and second in the world for market access and infrastructure. The accelerating pace of cyber attacks on infrastructure poses greater public safety and economic risks to industry and the public and forces CISOs to anticipate a third-party risk. Accidents can be as catastrophic as attacks, as Chernobyl demonstrated so well. The high effectiveness of level zero detection of incipient attacks and accidents adds unique value to the cyber risk governance stack. As for every system connected to the Internet, CISOs must adequately secure their industrial control systems. Yet industrial physical processes are often overlooked in this mission because they are tied to legacy mission-critical systems and depend heavily on low-level sensor/actuator infrastructure. SIGA's mission in Europe is to expand its footprint to secure the integrity of critical OT processes by delivering AI-enhanced monitoring and in-depth operational situational awareness. SIGA's unique machine-learning-based solution is designed to monitor the most reliable level of process data within any operational environment, the physical layer, and detect anomalies that indicate cyberattacks or operational faults. Through SIGA's Incipient Failure Detection solution, SigaGuard, the company mission is to secure the integrity of critical OT physical processes by delivering AI-enhanced monitoring and uncovering in-depth operational perception for secure, safe, productive & continuous operation. SIGA's technology incorporates a comprehensive process anomaly detection system that monitors critical assets using LEVEL 0 ICS electrical signals-based predictive analysis and artificial intelligence. It is an autonomous and intelligent "out-of-band" solution and cannot be hacked or manipulated. "SIGA selected Luxembourg as our strategic gateway to the European Union. With the support of our partners at the House of DeepTech and the Ministry, we can accelerate our R&D development, investments, and commercial scale." - Amir Samilioff, CEO of SIGA OT Solutions. SIGA's investors include PureTerra Ventures, a Dutch fund that specialises in water and infrastructure investments, AWZ Ventures, SIBF, Moore Strategic Ventures, and a German electrical and control systems manufacturer, Phoenix Contact. In collaboration with its global industrial automation partners, SIGA will build on its global footprint of energy, oil and gas, water utilities, data centres, and heavy industrial and manufacturing clients. About SIGA OT Solutions SIGA OT Solutions is an Israeli OT Cybersecurity company providing critical infrastructure and industrial assets cybersecurity protection services. SIGA's technology incorporates a comprehensive process anomaly detection system that monitors critical assets using LEVEL 0 ICS electrical signals-based AI. https://www.sigasec.com Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d80215KSnlE Quarterly Exploration Report For the three months ended 31 December 2021 Red Chris and Havieron drilling continues to expand mineralisation At Red Chris, drilling continues to expand the footprint and continuity of the higher grade mineralisation at East Ridge. Drilling has expanded mineralisation to the east, hole RC740 returned 156m @ 0.73g/t Au & 0.71% Cu from 1,452m, including 86m @ 1.2g/t Au & 0.97% Cu from 1,522m and hole RC745^^ returned 366m @ 0.45g/t Au & 0.57% Cu from 728m, including 36m @ 1.4g/t Au & 1.2% Cu from 960m. RC740, located 100m east of RC745 is one of the most eastern holes drilled to date. Mineralisation remains open to the east. Holes RC739 and RC748 demonstrated continuity of higher grade. RC739^^ returned 390m @ 0.63g/t Au & 0.48% Cu from 1,088m, including 44m @ 2.0g/t Au & 1.3% Cu from 1,402m. This hole is located 100m east of RC727 (previously reported, returned 346m @ 1.1g/t Au & 0.79% Cu from 1,046m, including 56m @ 3.5g/t Au & 1.8% Cu from 1,336m) and extended the higher grade a further 100m to the east. RC748 returned 452m @ 0.60g/t Au & 0.54% Cu from 1,192m including 106m @ 1.2g/t Au & 1.0% Cu from 1,384m. The hole is located 100m below RC727 (previously reported) and extended the higher grade mineralisation a further 100m down dip. Drilling to define the extent of the East Ridge mineralised corridor is ongoing. At Havieron, growth drilling continues to identify high grade extensions to the South East Crescent Zone at depth as well as high grade crescent style mineralisation within extensions of the Eastern Breccia. Highlights include: South East Crescent extensions more than 250m below the current Mineral Resource estimate continued to return high grade results including HAD086W3^^ 44.7m @ 7.1g/t Au & 0.17% Cu from 1,412m including 20.2m @ 15g/t Au & 0.29% Cu from 1,421m. High grade extensions to the Eastern Breccia 200m to the SW of previous drilling include HAD104: 62.5m @ 5.9g/t Au & 0.30% Cu from 1,546.5m including 49.4m @ 7.1g/t Au & 0.38% Cu from 1,554.6m. This result is the most significant seen outside of the South East Crescent Zone to date, and confirms the potential for this separate NW trending Eastern Breccia corridor to host Crescent style high grade mineralisation. Drilling is now focussed on defining the extents of this higher-grade mineralisation which remains open in all directions. At the South East Crescent Zone the infill drilling completed validates both geological and grade continuity. Drill testing of new geophysical targets 2km outside of the Havieron system has commenced. Melbourne, Australia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 27, 2022) - Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) (TSX: NCM) (PNGX: NCM) Newcrest Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Sandeep Biswas, said, "Our drilling results across the quarter continue to demonstrate the quality of our Red Chris and Havieron assets. At Red Chris, results at East Ridge have expanded the footprint of the mineralised corridor, with the latest drilling intersecting higher grade mineralisation within the eastern extents of the prospect. The high grade mineralisation remains open to the east and at depth which provides exciting potential for the resource base at Red Chris to grow over time." "At Havieron, our exploration continues to demonstrate growth upside, with HAD104 in the Eastern Breccia intersecting the highest grade mineralisation observed to date outside the South East Crescent Zone. This Eastern Breccia corridor sits outside of the Inferred Mineral Resource estimate and confirms the prospectivity of the Havieron region to host additional high grade zones and the significant potential for further resource growth," said Mr Biswas. Red Chris - Significant results since the September 2021 Quarterly Exploration Report(1): RC735^^ 240m @ 0.49g/t Au & 0.53% Cu from 888m including 102m @ 0.82g/t Au & 0.59% Cu from 1,012m including 24m @ 1.4g/t Au & 0.68% Cu from 1,068m RC739^^ 390m @ 0.63g/t Au & 0.48% Cu from 1,088m including 70m @ 0.68g/t Au & 0.49% Cu from 1,302m including 44m @ 2.0g/t Au & 1.3% Cu from 1,402m RC740 156m @ 0.73g/t Au & 0.71% Cu from 1,452m including 86m @ 1.2g/t Au & 0.97% Cu from 1,522m including 46m @ 1.6g/t Au & 1.1% Cu from 1,556m RC745^^ 366m @ 0.45g/t Au & 0.57% Cu from 728m including 58m @ 1.1g/t Au & 1.0% Cu from 958m including 36m @ 1.4g/t Au & 1.2% Cu from 960m RC747^^ 306m @ 0.28g/t Au & 0.39% Cu from 706m including 46m @ 0.77g/t Au & 0.86% Cu from 880m including 20m @ 1.1g/t Au & 1.2% Cu from 896m RC748 452m @ 0.60g/t Au & 0.54% Cu from 1,192m including 106m @ 1.2g/t Au & 1.0% Cu from 1,384m including 98m @ 1.3g/t Au & 1.0% Cu from 1,386m Havieron - Significant results since the September 2021 Quarterly Exploration Report(1): HAD053W5^^ 119.7m @ 1.2g/t Au & 0.49% Cu from 1,041.4m HAD053W6^^ 164.3m @ 1.8g/t Au & 0.53% Cu from 1,065m including 14.3m @ 9.7g/t Au & 0.78% Cu from 1,065.7m HAD061W1^^ 144.7m @ 1.6g/t Au & 0.14% Cu from 856.3m HAD085W4 46.4m @ 11g/t Au & 0.26% Cu from 1,400.6m including 3.9m @ 98g/t Au and 0.04% Cu from 1,402.1m HAD086W3^^ 44.7m @ 7.1g/t Au & 0.17% Cu from 1,412m including 20.2m @ 15g/t Au & 0.29% Cu from 1,421m 48m @ 2.2g/t Au & 0.15% Cu from 1,525m including 26.9m @ 3.7g/t Au & 0.26% Cu from 1,538.1m HAD086W4^^ 102.3m @ 1.5g/t Au & 0.17% Cu from 1,404.3m HAD104 62.5m @ 5.9g/t Au & 0.30% Cu from 1546.5m including 49.4m @ 7.1g/t Au & 0.38% Cu from 1,554.6m HAD133W4^^ 69.8m @ 2.0g/t Au & 0.32% Cu from 1,329.2m HAD133W5^^ 110.4m @ 2.2g/t Au & 0.21% Cu from 1,418.6m including 62.8m @ 3.0g/t Au & 0.16% Cu from 1,460.5m HAD133W6** 168.1m @ 1.9g/t Au & 0.17% Cu from 1,424.6m including 43.1m @ 3.7g/t Au & 0.34% Cu from 1,425.9m HAD148W1^^ 89.3m @ 1.3g/t Au & 0.05% Cu from 807.8m HAD148W2^^ 35.4m @ 4.4g/t Au & 0.25% Cu from 938.1m HAD149W2^^ 45.1m @ 6.7g/t Au & 0.06% Cu from 919.5m HAD150W1^^ 140m @ 2.9g/t Au & 0.07% Cu from 909m HAD150W2^^ 113.8m @ 3.4g/t Au & 0.10% Cu from 996.2m including 14.2m @ 20g/t Au & 0.14% Cu from 1,035.8m Red Chris, British Columbia, Canada(2) Red Chris is a joint venture between Newcrest (70%) and Imperial Metals Corporation (30%) which is operated by Newcrest. The Brownfields Exploration program is focused on the discovery of additional zones of higher grade mineralisation within the Red Chris porphyry corridor, including targets outside of Newcrest's initial Mineral Resource estimate. During the period, there were up to eight diamond drill rigs in operation. A further 21,275m of drilling has been completed from 27 drill holes, with all drill holes intersecting mineralisation (except 15 drill holes which were dedicated geotechnical holes). This contributed to a total of 217,349m of drilling from 199 drill holes since Newcrest acquired its interest in the joint venture in August 2019. At East Ridge, located adjacent to the East Zone, drilling is ongoing with 18 holes completed and 4 in progress. The follow up drilling is being completed on a nominal 100m x 100m grid to determine the footprint of the mineralisation and demonstrate the continuity of the higher grade mineralisation. Drilling to date has tested a corridor 800m long and to a vertical extent of 1,000m. Results for the reporting period include: RC735^^ 240m @ 0.49g/t Au & 0.53% Cu from 888m including 102m @ 0.82g/t Au & 0.59% Cu from 1,012m including 24m @ 1.4g/t Au & 0.68% Cu from 1,068m RC739^^ 390m @ 0.63g/t Au & 0.48% Cu from 1,088m including 38m @ 1.8g/t Au & 0.71% Cu from 1,244m including 22m @ 2.6g/t Au & 1.0% Cu from 1,246m including 70m @ 0.68g/t Au & 0.49% Cu from 1,302m including 44m @ 2.0g/t Au & 1.3% Cu from 1,402m RC740 156m @ 0.73g/t Au & 0.71% Cu from 1,452m including 86m @ 1.2g/t Au & 0.97% Cu from 1,522m including 46m @ 1.6g/t Au & 1.1% Cu from 1,556m RC745^^ 366m @ 0.45g/t Au & 0.57% Cu from 728m including 58m @ 1.1g/t Au & 1.0% Cu from 958m including 36m @ 1.4g/t Au & 1.2% Cu from 960m RC747^^ 306m @ 0.28g/t Au & 0.39% Cu from 706m including 46m @ 0.77g/t Au & 0.86% Cu from 880m including 20m @ 1.1g/t Au & 1.2% Cu from 896m RC748 452m @ 0.60g/t Au & 0.54% Cu from 1,192m including 106m @ 1.2g/t Au & 1.0% Cu from 1,384m including 98m @ 1.3g/t Au & 1.0% Cu from 1,386m Drilling continues to expand the footprint and continuity of the higher grade. Holes RC740, RC745 and RC735 have extended the corridor to the east, with hole RC740 being the deepest hole drilled to date. Mineralisation remains open to the east and at depth. Holes RC739 and RC748 have demonstrated continuity of the higher grade, by extending higher grade mineralisation 100m to the east and 100m below RC727 (previously reported, returned 346m @ 1.1g/t Au & 0.79% Cu from 1,046m, including 56m @ 3.5g/t Au & 1.8% Cu from 1,336m). The East Ridge mineralised corridor (>0.4g/t Au and >0.4% Cu) now extends over 800m long, up to 1,000m high and 125m wide, with higher grade (>0.8g/t Au and >0.8% Cu) in several smaller pods over an area 500m high, 400m long and 100m wide. East Ridge is located east of East Zone and is outside of Newcrest's initial Mineral Resource estimate, supporting the potential for resource growth over time. Follow-up drilling is in progress to further define the extent and continuity of this high grade mineralisation. Approximately 50,000m of growth-related drilling is planned for calendar year 2022 from eight drill rigs. Refer to Appendix 1 for additional information, and the Drillhole data table for all results reported during the period. Figure 1. Schematic plan view map of the Red Chris porphyry corridor spanning East Ridge, East Zone, Main Zone and Gully Zone showing drill hole locations (Newcrest & Imperial) and significant Newcrest intercepts (drill intercepts have been reported in Appendix 1 of this report, and in prior Newcrest exploration releases) 0.3g/t Au, 1g/t Au, 0.3% Cu and 1% Cu shell projections generated from a LeapfrogTM model. To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/111915_5aa19461c4ce684c_003full.jpg Figure 2. Long section view (looking North West) of the Red Chris porphyry corridor showing drill hole locations and gold distribution. To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/111915_5aa19461c4ce684c_004full.jpg Figure 3. Oblique schematic section view of the Red Chris porphyry corridor showing gold distribution. 0.3 g/t Au,1 g/t Au, 0.3% Cu and 1% Cu shell projections generated from the LeapfrogTM model. To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/111915_5aa19461c4ce684c_005full.jpg Havieron Project, Western Australia, Australia(3) The Havieron Project is operated by Newcrest under a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with Greatland Gold. Following the delivery of the Pre-Feasibility Study on 12 October 2021, Newcrest is now entitled to an additional 10% interest in the Havieron Project, which would bring Newcrest's cumulative interest to 70%. Newcrest has an option to acquire an additional 5% Joint Venture interest for fair market value, exercisable during the 12 months from 12 December 2021. In December 2021, Newcrest provided notice to Greatland Gold to begin the process under the JVA to seek to agree the option price for the additional 5% Havieron Joint Venture interest. The JVA includes tolling principles reflecting the intention of the parties that, subject to a successful exploration program, Feasibility Study and a positive decision to mine, the resulting joint venture mineralised material will be processed at Telfer. The Havieron Project is centred on a deep magnetic anomaly located 45km east of Telfer in the Paterson Province. The deposit is overlain by more than 420m of post mineral Permian cover. A total of 14,481m of new drilling has been completed from 18 drill holes during the period. This report is covering results from 33 holes (including 5 holes completed this period, and 28 holes from the September quarter). Of the reported holes, 22 holes returned significant assay intercepts in excess of 50 gram metres Au (Au ppm x length m). A total of 226,492m of drilling from 272 drill holes has been completed since Newcrest commenced exploration activity (excluding holes in progress, abandoned holes, or drill holes which have not been sampled). Drilling in the reporting period was focused on potential resource growth at the South East Crescent Zone, Northern Breccia and Eastern Breccia, and infill drilling the South East Crescent Zone to support the potential conversion of the Inferred Resource to Indicated Resource. Drilling included: South East Crescent Deeps - assay results reported for six drill holes, two holes awaiting assays. Northern Breccia & North West Pod - assay results reported for one drill hole, two holes awaiting assays. Eastern Breccia - assay results reported for four drill holes, one hole awaiting assays. First pass testing of geophysical targets outboard of the Havieron system (at Havieron North and Zipa) -assay results reported for one drill hole, two holes awaiting assays. South East Crescent Zone Infill - assay results reported for twenty-one drill holes. At the South East Crescent Deeps, growth drilling targeting higher grade mineralisation at depth on 75m by 75m spacing has extended the mineralisation 250m below the initial Inferred Mineral Resource estimate. New results from six drill holes have been received, with results from five drill holes returning greater than 50 gram metre intercepts. Refer to Appendix 2 for all results reported. Results include: HAD086W3^^ 44.7m @ 7.1g/t Au & 0.17% Cu from 1,412m including 20.2m @ 15g/t Au & 0.29% Cu from 1,421m 48m @ 2.2g/t Au & 0.15% Cu from 1,525m including 26.9m @ 3.7g/t Au & 0.26% Cu from 1,538.1m HAD086W4^^ 102.3m @ 1.5g/t Au & 0.17% Cu from 1,404.3m HAD133W4^^ 69.8m @ 2.0g/t Au & 0.32% Cu from 1,329.2m HAD133W5^^ 110.4m @ 2.2g/t Au & 0.21% Cu from 1,418.6m including 62.8m @ 3.0g/t Au & 0.16% Cu from 1,460.5m HAD133W6** 168.1m @ 1.9g/t Au & 0.17% Cu from 1,424.6m including 43.1m @ 3.7g/t Au & 0.34% Cu from 1425.9m Further to results reported in the last period, HAD086W3 returned assays for the lower portion of the drill hole and reported a second high grade zone 200m below the existing resource of 48m^^ @ 2.2g/t Au & 0.15% Cu from 1,525m, including 26.9m^^ @ 3.7g/t Au & 0.26% Cu from 1,538.1m. A mineralised zone 100m below HAD086W3 was returned in HAD086W4, which confirmed extension of crescent mineralisation over 250m from the current Inferred Mineral Resource extents. These results are approximately 100m to the north-west of prior high grade hole HAD133W1 and continue to support extensions of the South East Crescent Zone at depth. Drilling continues to assess the depth extents of the South East Crescent Zone which now has a vertical extent of over 900m. At the Eastern Breccia, assays for an additional four holes targeting strike extensions from previously reported drill holes HAD083 and HAD084 have been received. Interpretation of the results indicate the potential for a separate north west trending corridor, with an alteration footprint of approximately 600m, with crescent like higher grade zones developed internal to this Eastern Breccia. The most significant intercept to date was returned during the reporting period in HAD104 returning 62.5m @ 5.9g/t Au & 0.30% Cu from 1546.5m, including 49.4m @ 7.1g/t Au & 0.38% Cu from 1,554.6m. The intercept is related to massive sulphide and quartz infill, which is characteristic of the Crescent zone, and is the first intercept on the eastern side of the dolerite. The intercept is ~200m SW of the previously reported initial eastern breccia drillholes HAD083 and HAD084. HAD104 has highlighted the potential for this separate NW trending eastern breccia corridor to host crescent style high grade mineralisation. Drilling is now focussed on defining the extents of this higher grade mineralisation seen in HAD104 which remains open in all directions. Drilling to test geophysical targets outside of the known Havieron system have commenced at Havieron North, and Zipa. The Havieron North target is located 2 km north of Havieron and is sited on a magnetic high anomaly. Zipa, is located approximately 1 km to the west of Havieron North and is centred on a prominent gravity high anomaly. The initial Havieron North drillhole did not return any significant results but did intercept alteration consistent with that seen at Havieron. Assay results are awaiting for the two completed Zipa drillholes. Drilling continues to test these and other targets outside of the main Havieron deposit. South East Crescent Zone Inferred Mineral Resource infill drilling was finalised during the period, with 3 further drill holes completed, and assays reported for all twenty-one drill holes (including 17 drill holes from the prior period). This drilling is designed to infill the South East Crescent Zone Inferred Mineral Resource volume to 50m x 50m spacing to support the potential upgrade of a significant portion of the Inferred Mineral Resource to an Indicated Mineral Resource. Results received from infill drilling support the modelled grade and thickness within the South East Crescent Zone Mineral Resource extents. Results include: HAD053W5^^ 119.7m @ 1.2g/t Au & 0.49% Cu from 1,041.4m HAD053W6^^ 164.3m @ 1.8g/t Au & 0.53% Cu from 1,065m including 14.3m @ 9.7g/t Au & 0.78% Cu from 1,065.7m HAD061W1^^ 144.7m @ 1.6g/t Au & 0.14% Cu from 856.3m HAD085W4 46.4m @ 11g/t Au & 0.26% Cu from 1400.6m including 3.9m @ 98g/t Au and 0.04% Cu from 1,402.1m HAD148W1^^ 89.3m @ 1.3g/t Au & 0.05% Cu from 807.8m HAD148W2^^ 35.4m @ 4.4g/t Au & 0.25% Cu from 938.1m HAD149W2^^ 45.1m @ 6.7g/t Au & 0.06% Cu from 919.5m HAD150W1^^ 140m @ 2.9g/t Au & 0.07% Cu from 909m HAD150W2^^ 113.8m @ 3.4g/t Au & 0.10% Cu from 996.2m including 14.2m @ 20g/t Au & 0.14% Cu from 1,035.8m All drill programs have now returned to growth targets with up to eight drill rigs operational. Growth drilling continues to show potential for resource additions outside of the existing Inferred Mineral Resource limits, including: Extension of the South East Crescent Zone at depth below the current Mineral Resource, where increasing grade and thickness of mineralisation has been observed from recent drilling; Expansion of multiple higher-grade targets including Northern Breccia and North West Pod; and Potential for additional North West trending structural corridors including the Eastern Breccia. Additionally, drilling is continuing to target geophysical targets outside of the main Havieron system. Refer to Appendix 2 for additional information and Drillhole data table for all results reported during the period. Figure 4. 3D Plan view schematic showing the spatial association of the South East Crescent, Northern Breccia, North West Pod and Eastern Breccia targets in relation to the Inferred Resource extents. Also highlighted are previously reported intercepts >100 gram metres (Au ppm x length) that have been intersected outside of the Inferred Mineral Resource. To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/111915_5aa19461c4ce684c_006full.jpg Figure 5. 3D section view schematic across section line A-A' on Figure 4, highlighting selected South East Crescent growth intercepts below the current Inferred Resource. To view an enhanced version of Figure 5, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/111915_5aa19461c4ce684c_007full.jpg Figure 6. Plan view schematic of a horizontal slice at 4700mRL through the Crescent Sulphide Zone and Breccia-hosted Zones, showing the extents of the 0.5 and 1.0 g/t Au LeapfrogTM grade shells with highlighted newly reported intercepts for this period. This diagram highlights >100gram metres intersections drilled during the period which are >1g/t Au, refer to inset diagram for relationship to all Havieron drilling. To view an enhanced version of Figure 6, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/111915_5aa19461c4ce684c_008full.jpg Wilki Project, Western Australia, Australia The Wilki Project is an exploration farm-in and joint venture with Antipa Minerals Limited (Antipa). The project area covers a strategic landholding of ~2,200km2 surrounding the Telfer operation and is adjacent to the Havieron Project. Newcrest entered into this exploration farm-in and joint venture agreement with Antipa on 11 March 2020. Newcrest currently has a 9.9% shareholding in Antipa. Newcrest has elected to proceed to the next stage (Stage 1) of the farm-in agreement following completion of the initial exploration expenditure commitment (A$6 million). Newcrest has the potential to earn a 51% joint venture interest in the Wilki Project through expenditure of a further A$10 million by March 2025 during Stage 14. Scout diamond drilling of the Tyama Prospect was completed during the period. Results returned low level Zn anomalism. In addition, ground electromagnetic surveys were completed over priority target areas during the period. Processing and interpretation has commenced. Juri Joint Venture, Western Australia, Australia The Juri Joint Venture is a farm-in and joint venture agreement with Greatland Gold with respect to the Black Hills and Paterson Range East projects, located within the Paterson Province approximately 50km from the Telfer operation and in proximity to the Havieron Project. The joint venture covers an area of approximately 248km2. Newcrest has met the Stage 1 exploration expenditure (A$3 million) and now holds a 51% interest in the Juri Joint Venture. Under the terms of the agreement, Newcrest has the potential to earn an additional 24% joint venture interest (for a cumulative 75% joint venture interest) through expenditure of a further A$17 million over three years during Stage 24. Follow up ground electromagnetic surveys over additional targets at both Paterson Range East and Black Hills were completed during the period. Tennant East, Northern Territory, Australia Work programs focussing on undercover targets at the Tennant East project (located 200km east of Tennant Creek) have been completed over the initial six target areas. Induced polarisation (IP) data processing is currently progressing. Scout drilling is planned to be completed on defined coincident gravity, magnetic and IP targets in calendar year 2022. Nevada, USA Drill activities were completed at the Jarbidge project in north-eastern Nevada during the period with testing focused on low sulfidation epithermal vein targets. Assay results are pending, but visually the targets are downgraded. As a result, Newcrest has provided notice of termination with respect to several of the option agreements underlying the Jarbidge project with the decision to retain any remaining option agreements pending the receipt of outstanding assay results and conducting required reclamation activities. Drilling has commenced at the Fortuity89 project in south-western Nevada. Central Andes, Northern Chile Drilling was conducted across Newcrest's Chilean exploration project portfolio with 2,654m drilled during the quarter at Atlas and El Dorado (Gorbea Option and Farm-in Agreement with Mirasol Resources Ltd.), Mioceno (Option and Farm-in Agreement with Cornerstone Capital Resources Inc.) and Esparta (Option Agreement with private individuals). Interpretation of the data is ongoing, with assay results pending. Northern Andes, Ecuador Scout drilling commenced in November at the Gamora Project, located within southeast Ecuador. This work is being conducted by Newcrest as the operator under an earn-in agreement with Lundin Gold. pursuant to which Newcrest can earn up to a 50% interest in eight exploration concessions. The concession area covers strategic landholdings to the north and south of Lundin Gold's Fruta del Norte mining operation. The program at Gamora is focused on testing priority copper-gold porphyry targets with two core holes completed with assays pending. Drilling is ongoing. Appendix 1 Red Chris (70% Newcrest): JORC Table 1 Section 1: Sampling Techniques and Data Criteria Commentary Sampling techniques Core samples are obtained from core drilling. HQ and NQ diameter diamond core was drilled on a 3, 4.5m or 6m run. Core was cut using an automatic core-cutter and half core sampled at 2m intervals. Cover sequences were not sampled. Drilling techniques Core drilling was advanced with HQ3, HQ, NQ3 and NQ diameter coring configuration. Core from inclined drill holes are oriented on 3, 4.5m or 6m runs using an electronic core orientation tool (Reflex ACTIII). At the end of each run, the bottom of hole position is marked by the driller, which is later transferred to the whole drill core run length with a bottom of hole reference line. Drill sample recovery Core recovery is systematically recorded from the commencement of coring to end of hole, by reconciling against driller's depth blocks in each core tray with data recorded in the database. Drillers depth blocks provided the depth, interval of core recovered, and interval of core drilled. Core recoveries were typically 100%, with isolated zones of lower recovery. Logging Geological logging recorded qualitative descriptions of lithology, alteration, mineralisation, veining, and structure (for all core drilled - 21,275m in 27 holes - all holes intersected mineralisation except for 15 dedicated geotechnical holes, including orientation of key geological features). Geotechnical measurements were recorded including Rock Quality Designation (RQD) fracture frequency, solid core recovery and qualitative rock strength measurements. Magnetic susceptibility measurements were recorded every metre. All geological and geotechnical logging was conducted at the Red Chris Mine. Digital data logging was captured, validated and stored in an acQuire database. All drill cores were photographed, prior to cutting and/or sampling the core. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation Sampling, sample preparation and quality control protocols are considered appropriate for the material being sampled. Core was cut and sampled at the Red Chris Mine core processing facility. Half core samples were collected in plastic bags together with pre-numbered sample tags and grouped in wood crates for dispatch to the laboratory. Sample weights typically varied from 5 to 10kg. Sample sizes are considered appropriate for the style of mineralisation. Drill core samples were freighted by road to the laboratory. Sample preparation was conducted at the independent ISO 9001 certified and ISO 17025 accredited Bureau Veritas Commodities Canada Ltd Laboratory, Vancouver (Bureau Veritas). Samples were dried at 650C, and crushed to 95% passing 4.75 mm, and the split to obtain up to 1kg sub-sample, which was pulverised (using LM2) to produce a pulped product with the minimum standard of 95% passing 106m. Duplicate samples were collected from crush and pulp samples at a rate of 1:20. Duplicate results show an acceptable level of variability for the material sampled and style of mineralisation. Periodic size checks (1:20) for crush and pulp samples and sample weights are provided by the laboratory and recorded in the acQuire database. Quality of assay data and laboratory tests Assaying of drill core samples was conducted at Bureau Veritas. All samples were assayed for 59 elements using a 4-acid digestion followed by ICP-AES/ICP-MS determination (method MA250). Gold analyses were determined by 50g fire assay with ICP-ES finish (method FA350). Carbon and Sulphur were determined by Leco (method TC000) and mercury using aqua regia digestion followed by ICP-ES/MS determination (method AQ200). Sampling and assaying quality control procedures consisted of inclusion of certified reference material (CRMs), coarse residue and pulp duplicates with each batch (at least 1:20). Assays of quality control samples were compared with reference samples in the acQuire database and verified as acceptable prior to use of data from analysed batches. Laboratory quality control data, including laboratory standards, blanks, duplicates, repeats and grind size results are captured in the acQuire database and assessed for accuracy and precision for recent data. Due to the limited extent of the drilling program to date, extended quality control programs are yet to be undertaken, whereby pulped samples will be submitted to an umpire laboratory and combined with more extensive re-submission programs. Analysis of the available quality control sample assay results indicates that an acceptable level of accuracy and precision has been achieved and the database contains no analytical data that has been numerically manipulated. The assaying techniques and quality control protocols used are considered appropriate for the data to be used for reporting exploration drilling results. Verification of sampling and assaying Sampling intervals defined by the geologist are electronically assigned sample identification numbers prior to core cutting. Corresponding sample numbers matching pre-labelled sample tags are assigned to each interval. All sampling and assay information were stored in a secure acQuire database with restricted access. Electronically generated sample submission forms providing the sample identification number accompany each submission to the laboratory. Assay results from the laboratory with corresponding sample identification are loaded directly into the acQuire database. Assessment of reported significant assay intervals was verified by re-logging of drill core intervals and assessment of high resolution core photography. The verification of significant intersections has been completed by company personnel and the Competent Person/Qualified Person. No adjustments are made to assay data, and no twinned holes have been completed. Drilling intersects mineralisation at various angles. There are no currently known drilling, sampling, recovery, or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data. Location of data points Drill collar locations were surveyed using a RTK GPS with GNSS with a stated accuracy of +/- 0.025m. Drill rig alignment was attained using an electronic azimuth aligner (Reflex TN14 GYROCOMPASS). Downhole survey was collected at 9 to 30m intervals of the drill hole using single shot survey (Reflex EZ-SHOT). At the end of hole, all holes have been surveyed using a continuous gyro survey to surface (Reflex EZ-GYRO). Topographic control is established from PhotoSat topographic data and derived digital elevation model. The topography is generally low relief to flat, with an average elevation of 1500 m, with several deep creek gullies. All collar coordinates are provided in the North American Datum (NAD83 Zone 9). Data spacing and distribution The drill hole spacing ranges from 100 - 200m in lateral extent within an area of 1.5km2 at the East Ridge, 1.5km2 at the East Zone, 1.5km2 at the Main Zone and 1.5km2 at the Gully Zone. No sample compositing is applied to samples. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Drilling of reported drill holes RC735, R739, RC740, RC745, RC746, RC747, RC748, RC752 and RC754 are oriented perpendicular to the intrusive complex. The intrusive complex has an east-northeast orientation, with drilling established on a north-northwest orientation. Drill holes exploring the extents of the East Ridge, East Zone, Main Zone and Gully Zone mineral system intersected moderately dipping volcanic and sedimentary units cut by sub-vertical intrusive lithologies. Steeply dipping mineralised zones with an east-northeast orientation have been interpreted from historic and Newcrest drill holes. Sample security The security of samples is controlled by tracking samples from drill rig to database. Drill core was delivered from the drill rig to the Red Chris Mine core yard every shift. Geological and geotechnical logging, high resolution core photography and cutting of drill core was undertaken at the Red Chris core processing facility. Samples were freighted in sealed bags with security tags by road to the laboratory, and in the custody of Newcrest representatives. Sample numbers are generated from pre-labelled sample tags. All samples are collected in pre-numbered plastic bags. Sample tags are inserted into prenumbered plastic bags together with the sample. Verification of sample numbers and identification is conducted by the laboratory on receipt of samples, and sample receipt advice issued to Newcrest. Details of all sample movement are recorded in a database table. Dates, Hole ID sample ranges, and the analytical suite requested are recorded with the dispatch of samples to the laboratory analytical services. Any discrepancies logged at the receipt of samples into the laboratory analytical services are validated. Audits or reviews Due to the limited duration of the program, no external audits or reviews have been undertaken. Internal verification and audit of Newcrest exploration procedures and databases are periodically undertaken. Section 2: Reporting of Exploration Results Criteria Commentary Mineral tenement and land tenure status Red Chris comprises 77 mineral tenures including five mining leases and is a joint venture between subsidiaries of Newcrest Mining Limited (70%) and Imperial Metals Corporation (30%). Newcrest Red Chris Mining Limited is the operator of Red Chris. Newcrest Red Chris Mining Limited and the Tahltan Nation (as represented by the Tahltan Central Government, the Tahltan Band and Iskut First Nation) signed an amended and restated updated Impact, Benefit and Co-Management Agreement (IBCA) covering Red Chris on 15 August 2019. All obligations with respect to legislative requirements including minimum expenditure are maintained in good standing. Exploration done by other parties Conwest Exploration Limited, Great Plains Development Co. of Canada, Silver Standard Mines Ltd, Texasgulf Canada Ltd. (formerly Ecstall Mining Limited), American Bullion Minerals Ltd and bcMetals Corporation conducted exploration in the areas between 1956 and 2006. Imperial Metals Corporation acquired the project in 2007 and completed deeper drilling at the East and Main Zones between 2007 and 2012. Geology The Red Chris Project is located in the Stikine terrane of north-western British Columbia, 80 km south of the town of Dease Lake. Late Triassic sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Stuhini Group host a series of Late Triassic to Early Jurassic (204-198 Ma) diorite to quartz monzonite stocks and dykes. Gold and copper mineralisation at Red Chris consists of vein, disseminated and breccia sulphide typical of porphyry-style mineralisation. Mineralisation is hosted by diorite to quartz monzonite stocks and dykes. The main mineral assemblage contains well developed pyrite-chalcopyrite-bornite sulphide mineral assemblages as vein and breccia infill, and disseminations. The main mineralisation event is associated with biotite and potassium feldspar-magnetite wall rock alteration. Drill hole information As provided. Data aggregation methods Significant assay intercepts are reported as (A) length-weighted averages exceeding 0.1g/t Au greater than or equal to 20m, with less than 10m of consecutive internal dilution; and (B) length-weighted averages exceeding 0.5g/t Au for greater than or equal to 10m, with less than 10m of consecutive internal dilution; and (C) length-weighted averages exceeding 1g/t Au for greater than or equal to 10m, with less than 10m of consecutive internal dilution; (D) length-weighted averages exceeding 5g/t Au greater than or equal to 10m, with less than 10m of consecutive internal dilution; and (E) length-weighted averages exceeding 10g/t Au for greater than or equal to 10m, with less than 10m of consecutive internal dilution. No top cuts are applied to intercept calculations. Relationship between mineralisation widths and intercept lengths Significant assay intervals reported represent apparent widths. Insufficient geological information is available to confirm the geological model and true width of significant assay intervals. Diagrams As provided. Balanced reporting This is the seventeenth release of Exploration Results for this project made by Newcrest. Previous release dates are 30 January 2020, 11 March 2020, 30 April 2020, 11 June 2020, 23 July 2020, 10 September 2020, 29 October 2020, 10 December 2020, 28 January 2021, 11 March 2021, 29 April 2021, 10 June 2021, 22 July 2021 9 September 2021, 28 October 2021, and 9 December 2021. Earlier reporting of exploration programs conducted by Newcrest and Imperial Metals Corporation have previously been reported. Exploration drilling programs are ongoing and further material results will be reported in subsequent Newcrest releases. Other substantive exploration data Nil. Further work Further drilling is planned to define the extents of the East Ridge, East Zone and Main Zone. Drillhole data(1) Red Chris Project, British Columbia, Canada Reporting Criteria: Intercepts reported are downhole drill width (not true width) Au >0.1ppm (0.1g/t Au) and minimum 20m downhole width with maximum consecutive internal dilution of 10m. Also highlighted are high grade intervals of Au >0.5ppm (0.5g/t Au), Au >1ppm (1g/t Au), Au > 5ppm (5g/t Au), Au >10ppm (10g/t Au) and minimum 10m downhole width with maximum consecutive internal dilution of 10m. Gold and copper grades are reported to two significant figures. Samples are from core drilling which is HQ or NQ in diameter. Core is photographed and logged by the geology team before being cut. Half core HQ and NQ samples are prepared for assay and the remaining material is retained in the core farm for future reference. Each assay batch is submitted with duplicates and standards to monitor laboratory quality. Total depth (end of hole) is rounded to one decimal place for reporting purposes. Hole ID Hole Type Easting (m) Northing (m) RL (m) Total Depth (m) Azimuth Dip From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (ppm) Cu (pct) Cut off RC735^^ DD 453568 6396656 1392 1501.8 147 -58 888 1128 240 0.49 0.53 0.1 incl. 972 986 14 0.52 0.77 0.5 incl. 1012 1114 102 0.82 0.59 0.5 incl. 1068 1092 24 1.4 0.68 1 1148 1170 22 0.33 0.45 0.1 1216 1296 80 0.25 0.35 0.1 RC739^^ DD 453383 6396811 1451 1681.5 146 -57 1088 1478 390 0.63 0.48 0.1 incl. 1244 1282 38 1.8 0.71 0.5 incl. 1246 1268 22 2.6 1.0 1 incl. 1302 1372 70 0.68 0.49 0.5 incl. 1402 1446 44 2.0 1.3 0.5 incl. 1402 1446 44 2.0 1.3 1 RC740 DD 453407 6397178 1465 2142.2 146 -45 1452 1608 156 0.73 0.71 0.1 incl. 1522 1608 86 1.2 0.97 0.5 incl. 1556 1602 46 1.6 1.1 1 1738 1994 256 0.32 0.43 0.1 incl. 1764 1864 100 0.51 0.62 0.5 RC745^^ DD 453624 6396544 1403 1364.3 145 -60 728 1094 366 0.45 0.57 0.1 incl. 880 944 64 0.64 0.53 0.5 incl. 958 1016 58 1.1 1.0 0.5 incl. 960 996 36 1.4 1.2 1 RC746^^ DD 453207 6396497 1432 1043.1 150 48 110 130 20 0.11 0.01 0.1 552 652 100 0.22 0.22 0.1 664 716 52 0.11 0.17 0.1 734 766 32 0.11 0.19 0.1 956 990 34 0.15 0.02 0.1 RC747^^ DD 453548 6396527 1403 1268.2 149 -59 706 1012 306 0.28 0.39 0.1 incl. 880 926 46 0.77 0.86 0.5 incl. 896 916 20 1.1 1.2 1 1094 1120 26 0.13 0.19 0.1 RC748 DD 453240 6396830 1461 1790.2 145 -60 1192 1644 452 0.60 0.54 0.1 incl. 1224 1250 26 0.51 0.48 0.5 incl. 1270 1330 60 0.53 0.61 0.5 incl. 1384 1490 106 1.2 1.0 0.5 incl. 1386 1484 98 1.3 1.0 1 incl. 1520 1564 44 1.3 1.0 0.5 incl. 1522 1536 14 2.6 2.0 1 RC750 DD 453340 6396870 1456 994.1 146 -58 No Significant Intercepts RC750W DD 453340 6396870 1456 1843.2 146 -58 Assays Pending RC751 DD 452126 6396252 1520 1200.6 123 -63 Geotechnical Hole - Not Sampled RC752 DD 451579 6395399 1532 764.7 157 -61 130 158 28 0.16 0.11 0.1 232 266 34 0.11 0.13 0.1 300 322 22 0.17 0.24 0.1 354 754 400 0.33 0.37 0.1 incl. 456 476 20 0.81 0.64 0.5 incl. 548 606 58 0.58 0.72 0.5 incl. 678 690 12 0.58 0.55 0.5 RC753 DD 452055 6395146 1531 674.6 323 -62 Assays Pending RC754 DD 453584 6396467 1409 1034.1 150 -57 666 870 204 0.16 0.28 0.1 incl. 826 842 16 0.55 0.67 0.5 884 914 30 0.13 0.14 0.1 RC755 DD 452579 6396361 1491 1218 134 -76 Geotechnical Hole - Not Sampled RC765 DD 451551 6395471 1522 1059.1 156 -65 Assays Pending RC769 DD 451939 6395148 1539 638.5 323 -56 Assays Pending RC770 DD 452705 6395448 1482 1128.7 357 -64 Assays Pending RC771 DD 452697 6396522 1463 1226.5 142 -66 Geotechnical Hole - Not Sampled RC772 DD 453128 6396855 1462 100 360 -90 Geotechnical Hole - Not Sampled RC773 DD 453651 6396726 1379 1634.5 148 -58 Assays Pending RC774 DD 453109 6396596 1443 1556.1 143 -62 Assays Pending RC775 DD 451965 6395069 1537 1052.3 328 -68 Assays Pending RC776 DD 451495 6395271 1530 649.9 148 -59 Assays Pending RC777 DD 453542 6396786 1377 1640.7 149 -58 Assays Pending RC778 DD 451495 6395271 1530 809.1 149 -70 Assays Pending RC779# DD 453419 6396887 1442 1631 144 -56 Assays Pending RC780 DD 453145 6396835 1460 530.4 252 -90 Geotechnical Hole - Not Sampled RC781 DD 452126 6396252 1519 1136.6 173 -77 Geotechnical Hole - Not Sampled RC782 DD 451506 6395556 1516 1103.3 159 -66 Assays Pending RC783 DD 451557 6395465 1529 1529.1 77 -54 Geotechnical Hole - Not Sampled RC784 DD 452698 6395444 1482 1056.5 339 -71 Geotechnical Hole - Not Sampled RC785# DD 453666 6396947 1370 1118.1 149 -58 Assays Pending RC786# DD 453717 6396634 1396 800 148 -59 Assays Pending RC787# DD 453125 6396510 1444 793.8 152 -50 Assays Pending #drilling in progress. **partial intercept, assays pending. ^updated intercept ^^previously reported intercept Figure 7. Schematic plan view map of the East Ridge showing drill hole locations (Newcrest & Imperial) and significant Newcrest intercepts (drill intercepts have been reported in Appendix 1 of this report, and in prior Newcrest exploration releases). 0.3 g/t Au, 1 g/t Au, 0.3% Cu and 1% Cu shell projections generated from a LeapfrogTM model. To view an enhanced version of Figure 7, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/111915_5aa19461c4ce684c_009full.jpg Figure 8. Schematic cross section of RC746 and RC774 (Section Line 33N - as shown on Figure 7) showing Newcrest and Imperial drill holes and Newcrest intercepts (drill intercepts have been reported in Appendix 1 of this report, and in prior Newcrest exploration releases) 0.1 g/t Au, 0.5 g/t Au and 1 g/t Au shell projections generated from LeapfrogTM model. Due to window size (+/- 50m) and section orientation (150) hole may appear on multiple sections. To view an enhanced version of Figure 8, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/111915_5aa19461c4ce684c_010full.jpg Figure 9. Schematic cross section of RC748 (Section Line 35N - as shown on Figure 7) showing Newcrest and Imperial drill holes and Newcrest intercepts (drill intercepts have been reported in Appendix 1 of this report, and in prior Newcrest exploration releases) 0.1g/t, 0.5g/t Au and 1g/t Au shell projections generated from LeapfrogTM model. Due to window size (+/- 50m) and section orientation (150) hole may appear on multiple sections. To view an enhanced version of Figure 9, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/111915_5aa19461c4ce684c_011full.jpg Figure 10. Schematic cross section of RC739, RC747 and RC754 (Section Line 36N - as shown on Figure 7) showing Newcrest and Imperial drill holes and Newcrest intercepts (drill intercepts have been reported in Appendix 1 of this report, and in prior Newcrest exploration releases) 0.1g/t, 0.5g/t Au and 1g/t Au shell projections generated from LeapfrogTM model. Due to window size (+/- 50m) and section orientation (150) hole may appear on multiple sections. To view an enhanced version of Figure 10, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/111915_5aa19461c4ce684c_012full.jpg Figure 11. Schematic cross section of RC735 and RC745 (Section Line 37N - as shown on Figure 7) showing Newcrest and Imperial drill holes and Newcrest intercepts (drill intercepts have been reported in Appendix 1 of this report, and in prior Newcrest exploration releases) 0.1g/t, 0.5g/t Au and 1g/t Au shell projections generated from LeapfrogTM model. Due to window size (+/- 50m) and section orientation (150) hole may appear on multiple sections. To view an enhanced version of Figure 11, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/111915_5aa19461c4ce684c_013full.jpg Figure 12. Schematic cross section of RC740 (Section Line 38N - as shown on Figure 7) showing Newcrest and Imperial drill holes and Newcrest intercepts (drill intercepts have been reported in Appendix 1 of this report, and in prior Newcrest exploration releases) 0.1g/t, 0.5g/t Au and 1g/t Au shell projections generated from LeapfrogTM model. Due to window size (+/- 50m) and section orientation (150) hole may appear on multiple sections. To view an enhanced version of Figure 12, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/111915_5aa19461c4ce684c_014full.jpg Figure 13. Schematic plan view map of the Main Zone showing drill hole locations (Newcrest & Imperial) and significant Newcrest intercepts (drill intercepts have been reported in Appendix 1 of this report, and in prior Newcrest exploration releases). 0.3 g/t Au, 1 g/t Au, 0.3% Cu and 1% Cu shell projections generated from a LeapfrogTM model. To view an enhanced version of Figure 13, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/111915_5aa19461c4ce684c_015full.jpg Figure 14. Schematic cross section of RC740 (Section Line 13N - as shown on Figure 13) showing Newcrest and Imperial drill holes and Newcrest intercepts (drill intercepts have been reported in Appendix 1 of this report, and in prior Newcrest exploration releases) 0.1g/t, 0.5g/t Au and 1g/t Au shell projections generated from LeapfrogTM model. Due to window size (+/- 50m) and section orientation (150) hole may appear on multiple sections. To view an enhanced version of Figure 14, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/111915_5aa19461c4ce684c_016full.jpg Appendix 2 Havieron Project (Greatland Gold Plc - Joint Venture Agreement): JORC Table 1 Section 1: Sampling Techniques and Data Criteria Commentary Sampling techniques Core samples are obtained from core drilling in Proterozoic basement lithologies. PQ-HQ and NQ diameter core was drilled on a 6m run. Core was cut using an automated core-cutter and half core sampled at 1m intervals with breaks for major geological changes. Sampling intervals range from 0.2 - 1.0m. Cover sequences were not sampled. Drilling techniques Permian Paterson Formation cover sequence was drilled using mud rotary drilling. Depths of cover typically observed to approximately 420m vertically below surface. Steel casing was emplaced to secure the pre-collar. Core drilling was advanced from the base of the cover sequence with PQ3, HQ3 and NQ2 diameter coring configuration. Core from inclined drill holes is oriented on 3m and 6m runs using an electronic core orientation tool (Reflex ACTIII). At the end of each run, the bottom of hole position is marked by the driller, which is later transferred to the whole drill core run length with a bottom of hole reference line. Drill sample recovery Core recovery is systematically recorded from the commencement of coring to end of hole, by reconciling against driller's depth blocks in each core tray with data recorded in the database. Drillers depth blocks provided the depth, interval of core recovered, and interval of core drilled. Core recoveries were typically 100%, with isolated zones of lower recovery. Cover sequence drilling by the mud-rotary drilling did not yield recoverable samples. Logging Geological logging recorded qualitative descriptions of lithology, alteration, mineralisation, veining, and structure (for all core drilled - 13,183 m for 21 drill holes, all intersecting mineralisation), including orientation of key geological features. Geotechnical measurements were recorded including Rock Quality Designation (RQD) fracture frequency, solid core recovery and qualitative rock strength measurements. Magnetic susceptibility measurements were recorded every metre. The bulk density of selected drill core intervals was determined at site on whole core samples. All geological and geotechnical logging was conducted at the Havieron site. Digital data logging was captured on diamond drill core intervals only, and all data validated and stored in an acQuire database. All drill cores were photographed, prior to cutting and/or sampling the core. The logging is of sufficient quality to support Mineral Resource estimates. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation Sampling, sample preparation and quality control protocols are considered appropriate for the material being sampled. Core was cut and sampled at the Havieron core processing facility. Half core samples of between 0.2 and 2.0 m were collected in pre-numbered calico bags and grouped in plastic bags for dispatch to the laboratory. Sample weights typically varied from 0.5 to 8kg. Sample sizes are considered appropriate for the style of mineralisation. Drill core samples were freighted by air and road to the laboratory. Sample preparation was conducted at the independent ISO17025 accredited Intertek Laboratory, Perth (Intertek). Samples were dried at 105oC, and crushed to 95% passing 4.75mm, and the split to obtain up to 3kg sub-sample, which was pulverised (using LM5) to produce a pulped product with the minimum standard of 95% passing 106m. Routine grind size analysis is conducted. Duplicate samples were collected from crush and pulp samples at a rate of 1:20. Duplicate results show an acceptable level of variability for the material sampled and style of mineralisation. Periodic size checks (1:20) for crush and pulp samples and sample weights are provided by the laboratory and recorded in the acQuire database. Quality of assay data and laboratory tests Assaying of drill core samples was conducted at Intertek. All samples were assayed for 48 elements using a 4-acid digestion followed by ICP-AES/ICP-MS determination (method 4A/MS907), which is considered to provide a total assay for copper. Gold analyses were determined by 50g fire assay with AAS finish (method FA50N/AA), which is considered to provide a total assay for gold. Sampling and assaying quality control procedures consisted of inclusion of certified reference material (CRMs), coarse residue and pulp duplicates with each batch (at least 1:20). Assays of quality control samples were compared with reference samples in acQuire database and verified as acceptable prior to use of data from analysed batches. Laboratory quality control data, including laboratory standards, blanks, duplicates, repeats and grind size results are captured in the acQuire database and assessed for accuracy and precision for recent data. Extended quality control programs including pulp samples submitted to an umpire laboratory and combined with more extensive re-submission programs have been completed. Analysis of the available quality control sample assay results indicates that an acceptable level of accuracy and precision has been achieved and the database contains no analytical data that has been numerically manipulated. The assaying techniques and quality control protocols used are considered appropriate for the data to be used for reporting exploration drilling results. Verification of sampling and assaying Sampling intervals defined by the geologist are electronically assigned sample identification numbers prior to core cutting. Corresponding sample numbers matching pre-labelled calico bags are assigned to each interval. All sampling and assay information were stored in a secure acQuire database with restricted access. Electronically generated sample submission forms providing the sample identification number accompany each submission to the laboratory. Assay results from the laboratory with corresponding sample identification are loaded directly into the acQuire database. Assessment of reported significant assay intervals was verified by re-logging of diamond drill core intervals and assessment of high resolution core photography. The verification of significant intersections has been completed by company personnel and the Competent Person/Qualified Person. No adjustments are made to assay data, and no twinned holes have been completed. There are no currently known drilling, sampling, recovery, or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data. Location of data points Drill collar locations were surveyed using a differential GPS with GNSS with a stated accuracy of +/- 0.5m for all drill holes reported. Drill rig alignment was attained using an electronic azimuth aligner. Downhole survey was collected at 6-12m intervals in the cover sequence, and every 6 to 30m in diamond drill core segments of the drill hole using single shot (Axis Mining Champ Gyro). The single shot surveys have been validated using continuous survey to surface (Axis Mining Champ) along with a selection of drill holes re-surveyed by an external survey contactor using a DeviGyro tool - confirming sufficient accuracy for downhole spatial recording. A LIDAR survey was completed over the project area in Nov 2019 which was used to prepare a DEM / topographic model for the project with a spatial accuracy of +/- 0.1m vertical and +/- 0.3m horizontal. The topography is generally low relief to flat, elevation within the dune corridors in ranges between 250-265m Australian Height Datum (AHD) steepening to the southeast. All collar coordinates are provided in the Geocentric Datum of Australian (GDA20 Zone 51). All relative depth information is reported in AHD +5000m. Data spacing and distribution Within the South-East Crescent and Breccia zone drill hole spacing ranges from 50 to 100m, to 50 by 50m within the resource extents. Outside the initial resource boundary drill hole spacing ranges from 50 to 200m in lateral extent within the breccia zone over an area of ~2km2. The data spacing is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity. Significant assay intercepts remain open. Further drilling is required to determine the extent of currently defined mineralisation. No sample compositing is applied to samples. Drilling intersects mineralisation at various angles. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Drill holes exploring the extents of the Havieron mineral system intersect moderately dipping carbonate and siliclastic sedimentary facies, mineralised breccia and sub-vertical intrusive lithologies. Geological modelling has been interpreted from historic and Newcrest drill holes. Variable brecciation, alteration and sulphide mineralisation is observed with a footprint with dimensions of 650m x 350m trending in a north west orientation and over 1000m in vertical extent below cover. The subvertical southeast high grade arcuate crescent sulphide zone has an average thickness of 20m and has been defined over a strike length of up to 550m, and extended to over 700m in vertical extent below cover. Drilling direction is oriented to intersect the steeply dipping high-grade sulphide mineralisation zones at an intersection angle of greater than 40 degrees. The drilled length of reported intersections is typically greater than true width of mineralisation. Sample security The security of samples is controlled by tracking samples from drill rig to database. Drill core was delivered from the drill rig to the Havieron core yard every shift. On completion of geological and geotechnical logging, core processing was completed by Newcrest personnel at the Havieron facility. High resolution core photography and cutting of drill core was undertaken at the Havieron core processing facilities. Samples were freighted in sealed bags by air and road to the Laboratory, and in the custody of Newcrest representatives. Sample numbers are generated directly from the database. All samples are collected in pre-numbered calico bags. Verification of sample numbers and identification is conducted by the laboratory on receipt of samples, and sample receipt advise issued to Newcrest. Details of all sample movement are recorded in a database table. Dates, Hole ID sample ranges, and the analytical suite requested are recorded with the dispatch of samples to analytical services. Any discrepancies logged at the receipt of samples into the analytical services are validated. Audits or reviews Internal reviews of core handling, sample preparation and assays laboratories were conducted on a regular basis by both project personnel and owner representatives. In the Competent Person's opinion, the sample preparation, security and analytical procedures are consistent with current industry standards and are entirely appropriate and acceptable for the styles of mineralisation identified and will be appropriate for use in the reporting of exploration results and Mineral Resource estimates. There are no identified drilling, sampling or recovery factors that materially impact the adequacy and reliability of the results of the drilling programme in place at the Havieron Project. Section 2: Reporting of Exploration Results Criteria Commentary Mineral tenement and land tenure status The Havieron Project is entirely contained within mining tenement M45/1287, which is jointly owned by Greatland Pty Ltd and Newcrest Operations Limited. Newcrest has entered into a Joint Venture Agreement (effective 30 November 2020) and Farm-In Agreement (effective 12 March 2019) with Greatland Pty Ltd and Greatland Gold plc. Newcrest is the Manager of the Havieron Project. Following the delivery of the PFS on 12 October 2021, Newcrest is entitled to earn an additional 10% joint venture interest, resulting in an overall joint venture interest of 70% (Greatland Gold 30%). Newcrest also has an option to acquire a further 5% at fair market value and in December 2021, Newcrest provided notice to Greatland Gold to start the process under the joint venture process to seek to agree the option exercise price for the 5% interest. Newcrest and WDLAC are parties to an ILUA which relates to the use of native title land for Newcrest's current operations at Telfer and its activities within a 60-km radius around Telfer and includes its exploration activities at Havieron. The parties have agreed that the ILUA will apply to any future development activities by the Joint Venture Participants (Newcrest and Greatland Gold) at Havieron. The mining tenement M45/1287 wholly replaces the 12 sub-blocks of exploration tenement E45/4701 (former exploration tenement on which the Havieron Project is based) and was granted on 10 September 2020. All obligations with respect to legislative requirements including minimum expenditure are maintained in good standing for prior exploration tenement E45/4701. Exploration done by other parties Newcrest completed six core holes in the vicinity of the Havieron Project from 1991 to 2003. Greatland Gold completed drill targeting and drilling of nine Reverse Circulation (RC) drill holes with core tails for a total of approximately 6,800m in 2018. Results of drilling programs conducted by Greatland Gold have previously been reported on the Greatland Gold website. Drilling has defined an intrusion-related mineral system with evidence of breccia and massive sulphide-hosted higher-grade gold-copper mineralisation. Geology The Havieron Project is located within the north-western exposure of the Palaeo-Proterozoic to Neoproterozoic Paterson Orogen (formerly Paterson Province), 45 km east of Telfer. The Yeneena Supergroup hosts the Havieron prospect and consists of a 9km thick sequence of marine sedimentary rocks and is entirely overlain by approximately 420m of Phanerozoic sediments of the Paterson Formation and Quaternary aeolian sediments. Gold and copper mineralisation at Havieron consist of breccia, vein and massive sulphide replacement gold and copper mineralisation typical of intrusion-related and skarn styles of mineralisation. Mineralisation is hosted by metasedimentary rocks (meta-sandstones, meta-siltstones and meta-carbonate) and intrusive rocks of an undetermined age. The main mineral assemblage contains well developed pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite and pyrite sulphide mineral assemblages as breccia and vein infill, and massive sulphide lenses. The main mineralisation event is associated with amphibole-carbonate-biotite-sericite-chlorite wall rock alteration. Drilling has partially defined the extents of mineralisation which are observed over 650m by 350m within an arcuate shaped mineralised zone, and to depths of up to 1400m below surface. Drill hole Information As provided. Data aggregation methods Significant assay intercepts are reported as (A) length-weighted averages exceeding 1.0g/t Au greater than or equal to 10m, with a maximum of 5m consecutive internal dilution; and (B) length-weighted averages exceeding 0.2g/t Au for greater than or equal to 20m, with a maximum of 10m consecutive internal dilution, and (C) intervals of >30g/t which are greater or equal to 30 gram metres (Au_ppm x length). No top cuts are applied to intercept calculations. Relationship between mineralisation widths and intercept lengths Significant assay intervals reported represent apparent widths. Drilling is not always perpendicular to the dip of mineralisation and true widths are less than downhole widths. Estimates of true widths will only be possible when all results are received, and final geological interpretations have been completed. Diagrams As provided. Balanced reporting This is the twenty-first release of Exploration Results for this project made by Newcrest. Previous release dates are 25 July 2019, 10 September 2019, 24 October 2019, 2 December 2019, 30 January 2020, 11 March 2020, 30 April 2020, 11 June 2020, 23 July 2020, 10 September 2020, 29 October 2020, 10 December 2020, 28 January 2021, 11 March 2021, 29 April 2021, 10 June 2021, 22 July 2021, 9 September 2021, 28 October 2021 and 9 December 2021. Earlier reporting of exploration programs conducted by Newcrest and Greatland Gold have previously been reported. Exploration drilling programs are ongoing and further material results will be reported in subsequent Newcrest releases. Other substantive exploration data Nil Further work Growth drilling is planned to extend the December 2020 Inferred Mineral Resource estimate and define the limits of the Havieron mineralised system. Drillhole data(1) Havieron Project, Paterson Province, Western Australia Reporting Criteria: Intercepts reported are downhole drill width (not true width) Au >0.20ppm (0.2g/t Au) and minimum 20m downhole width with maximum consecutive internal dilution of 10m. Average grades are based on length-weighting of samples grades. Also highlighted are high grade intervals of Au >1.0ppm (1g/t Au) and minimum 10m downhole width with maximum consecutive internal dilution of 5m, and intervals of >30g/t which are greater or equal to 30 gram metres (Au_ppm x length) are tabled. Gold and copper grades are reported to two significant figures, the downhole lengths are rounded to 0.1m which may cause some apparent discrepancies in interval widths. Samples are from core drilling which is PQ, HQ or NQ in diameter. Core is photographed and logged by the geology team before being cut. Half core PQ, HQ and NQ samples are prepared for assay and the remaining material is retained in the core farm for future reference. Each assay batch is submitted with duplicates and standards to monitor laboratory quality. Total depth (end of hole) is rounded to one decimal place for reporting purposes. Collars denoted with a * show partial results, with further significant assays to be reported in subsequent exploration updates. Hole ID Hole Type Easting (m) Northing (m) RL (m) Total Depth (m) Azimuth Dip From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (ppm) Cu (pct) Cut off HAD053W5^^ MR-DD 463846 7598077 256 1207 132 -61 568.8 589.8 21 0.21 0.08 0.2 g/t Au 636.2 718.2 82 0.55 0.21 0.2 g/t Au 777.3 802.6 25.3 0.21 0.09 0.2 g/t Au 886.2 927.6 41.4 1.6 0.11 0.2 g/t Au 957.7 958.5 0.8 94 4.2 30 g.m. Au 1041.4 1161.1 119.7 1.2 0.49 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 1041.4 1052 10.6 5.3 0.26 1.0 g/t Au Incl. 1119 1132.5 13.5 4.1 0.61 1.0 g/t Au HAD053W6^^ MR-DD 463845 7598075 256 1302.4 132 -61 609.3 722 112.7 0.21 0.12 0.2 g/t Au 958.4 981.2 22.8 1.6 0.19 0.2 g/t Au 1008.4 1054.8 46.4 0.75 0.18 0.2 g/t Au 1065 1229.3 164.3 1.8 0.53 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 1065.7 1080 14.3 9.7 0.78 1.0 g/t Au Incl. 1072 1074 2 26 0.73 30 g.m. Au Incl. 1086 1098.8 12.8 2.7 0.64 1.0 g/t Au Incl. 1165.1 1177.7 12.6 2.9 0.78 1.0 g/t Au HAD058W1 MR-DD 463718 7597439 260 1325.6 43 -50 823 883 60 0.26 0.19 0.2 g/t Au 968 990.7 22.7 0.58 0.21 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 968 979.7 11.7 1.1 0.39 1.0 g/t Au HAD061W1^^ MR-DD 464367 7598038 257 1010.1 206 -61 557.6 589.5 31.9 0.49 0.04 0.2 g/t Au 774.6 842.9 68.3 0.63 0.11 0.2 g/t Au 856.3 1001 144.7 1.6 0.14 0.2 g/t Au HAD061W2^^ MR-DD 464367 7598038 257 997.3 206 -61 535.1 593.3 58.2 1.7 0.42 0.2 g/t Au 622.4 676.6 54.2 0.14 0.02 0.2 g/t Au 686.8 729.2 42.4 0.84 0.03 0.2 g/t Au 824.8 847.4 22.6 0.48 0.18 0.2 g/t Au 868.4 936.4 68 0.67 0.27 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 886.6 899.6 13 1.6 0.44 1.0 g/t Au HAD061W3^^ MR-DD 464367 7598038 257 540 206 -61 Hole Abandoned HAD061W4^^ MR-DD 464368 7598039 257 1082.4 206 -61 615.8 644 28.2 0.63 0.01 0.2 g/t Au 708.4 741 32.6 0.91 0.07 0.2 g/t Au 884.1 912 27.9 0.44 0.29 0.2 g/t Au 925.4 1053.5 128.1 0.66 0.09 0.2 g/t Au HAD068W4^^ MR-DD 464547 7597081 261 1170.1 323 -55 1082 1129 47 0.77 0.35 0.2 g/t Au 1140.7 1168.8 28.1 0.31 0.11 0.2 g/t Au HAD076W1^^ MR-DD 464373 7598130 257 1122.3 227 -55 613 633.8 20.8 0.16 0.20 0.2 g/t Au 689.2 730.3 41.1 1.0 0.06 0.2 g/t Au 742 792.4 50.4 0.18 0.03 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 900.2 900.5 0.3 121 0.01 30 g.m. Au 964.4 1025.1 60.7 0.17 0.05 0.2 g/t Au HAD084W3 MR-DD 463271 7597843 256 1311 83 -65 926 947.1 21.1 0.61 0.37 0.2 g/t Au 1076 1108.2 32.2 0.46 0.07 0.2 g/t Au HAD085W1^^ MR-DD 463488 7598056 255 1580.4 111 -63 1434.9 1438 3.1 73 0.29 30 g.m. Au 1466 1496 30 1.1 0.19 0.2 g/t Au 1507 1568 61 1.1 0.17 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 1527.8 1539 11.2 5.3 0.39 1.0 g/t Au Incl. 1531.9 1532.7 0.8 43 0.01 30 g.m. Au HAD085W2^^ MR-DD 463488 7598056 255 1397.1 112 -63 607.6 636.5 28.9 0.85 0.09 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 614.5 628.3 13.8 1.3 0.14 1.0 g/t Au 648 771.5 123.5 0.41 0.07 0.2 g/t Au 813.6 814.8 1.2 25 0.31 30 g.m. Au 940.4 967.9 27.5 0.26 0.05 0.2 g/t Au 1066.8 1120.2 53.4 0.33 0.02 0.2 g/t Au 1134 1163.2 29.2 0.39 0.14 0.2 g/t Au 1256.2 1333.4 77.2 0.36 0.16 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 1256.2 1269.2 13 1.3 0.12 1.0 g/t Au HAD085W3^^ MR-DD 463489 7598058 255 1267.8 111 -63 Hole Abandoned HAD085W4 MR-DD 463489 7598058 255 1534.2 111 -63 1130.8 1245 114.2 1.6 0.05 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 1203.7 1204.6 0.9 128 0.37 30 g.m. Au 1272.8 1345.3 72.5 0.61 0.20 0.2 g/t Au 1400.6 1447 46.4 11 0.26 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 1402.1 1406 3.9 98 0.04 30 g.m. Au 1433.2 1434.7 1.5 70 0.68 30 g.m. Au HAD085W5 MR-DD 463489 7598058 255 1435.1 111 -63 Assays Pending HAD086W2 MR-DD 464623 7598148 258 1629.6 225 -65 1298 1331 33 0.30 0.01 0.2 g/t Au 1605.4 1627.3 21.9 0.20 0.01 0.2 g/t Au HAD086W3^^ MR-DD 464623 7598148 258 1624 225 -65 1373 1398.7 25.7 2.0 0.11 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 1373.8 1375 1.2 29 0.76 30 g.m. Au 1412 1456.7 44.7 7.1 0.17 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 1421 1441.2 20.2 15 0.29 1.0 g/t Au Incl. 1421 1424.9 3.9 47 0.33 30 g.m. Au Incl. 1431.7 1433.5 1.8 50 0.45 30 g.m. Au 1525 1573 48 2.2 0.15 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 1538.1 1565 26.9 3.7 0.26 1.0 g/t Au HAD086W4^^ MR-DD 464623 7598148 258 2115.3 225 -65 1404.3 1506.6 102.3 1.5 0.17 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 1437.3 1438.8 1.5 72 0.20 30 g.m. Au 1602 1638 36 0.41 0.17 0.2 g/t Au HAD089W4 MR-DD 464300 7597747 258 1489.9 290 -61 Assays Pending HAD104** MR-DD 463522 7597782 257 1913.6 87 -63 642.9 677.6 34.7 1.1 0.06 0.2 g/t Au 792.1 819.9 27.8 0.29 0.06 0.2 g/t Au 835 855.1 20.1 3.4 0.43 0.2 g/t Au 866.9 895.3 28.4 0.63 0.15 0.2 g/t Au 956.2 1092.6 136.4 0.72 0.09 0.2 g/t Au 1267 1459.8 Assays Pending 1546.5 1609 62.5 5.9 0.30 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 1554.6 1604 49.4 7.1 0.38 1.0 g/t Au Incl. 1566.6 1567.6 1.0 82 0.52 30 g.m. Au 1717 1795 78 1.2 0.37 0.2 g/t Au 1795 1913.6 Assays Pending HAD133W4^^ MR-DD 464071 7598315 257 1468.5 171 -65 1153.2 1181.4 28.2 0.08 0.05 0.2 g/t Au 1329.2 1399 69.8 2.0 0.32 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 1334 1344.1 10.1 5.8 0.18 1.0 g/t Au Incl. 1339.8 1341 1.2 27 0.01 30 g.m. Au Incl. 1368.4 1392.9 24.5 3.0 0.62 1.0 g/t Au HAD133W5^^ MR-DD 464071 7598315 257 1543.9 171 -65 1339.3 1381 41.7 0.31 0.03 0.2 g/t Au 1418.6 1529 110.4 2.2 0.21 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 1460.5 1523.3 62.8 3.0 0.16 1.0 g/t Au Incl. 1478.2 1478.5 0.3 100 0.02 30 g.m. Au HAD133W6** MR-DD 464072 7598317 257 1639.5 171 -65 1367 1413 46 0.92 0.01 0.2 g/t Au 1424.6 1592.7 168.1 1.9 0.17 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 1425.9 1469 43.1 3.7 0.34 1.0 g/t Au Incl. 1441 1442 1.0 64 0.20 30 g.m. Au Incl. 1531.8 1550 18.2 2.6 0.31 1.0 g/t Au Incl. 1555.5 1567 11.5 5.4 0.04 1.0 g/t Au 1595.4 1639.5 Assays Pending HAD133W7 MR-DD 464072 7598317 257 1692.5 171 -65 Assays Pending HAD141W1 MR-DD 463362 7597504 264 1985.9 27 -65 1195.6 1248 52.4 0.57 0.05 0.2 g/t Au HAD145 MR-DD 463201 7597816 256 1824.5 75 -65 Assays Pending HAD146 MR-DD 463451 7597873 253 1121.7 68 -62 771.7 826 54.3 0.29 0.04 0.2 g/t Au 877.7 918 40.3 0.39 0.06 0.2 g/t Au HAD146W1 MR-DD 463451 7597873 253 1189.4 69 -60 Assays Pending HAD148^^ MR-DD 464317 7598100 257 990.7 222 -55 574.1 617.8 43.7 0.24 0.04 0.2 g/t Au 733.4 760.1 26.7 0.13 0.01 0.2 g/t Au 781.2 813.2 32 0.48 0.02 0.2 g/t Au 829.3 914.6 85.3 0.41 0.08 0.2 g/t Au HAD148W1^^ MR-DD 464317 7598100 257 1008.5 222 -55 729 784.4 55.4 0.29 0.03 0.2 g/t Au 807.8 897.1 89.3 1.3 0.05 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 839.3 840.1 0.8 39 1.0 30 g.m. Au Incl. 867.2 883.1 15.9 3.9 0.14 1.0 g/t Au Incl. 872.5 874.5 2.0 18 0.23 30 g.m. Au 915.4 952 36.6 2 0.11 0.2 g/t Au 967.3 996 28.7 0.59 0.11 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 967.3 978.9 11.6 1.3 0.23 1.0 g/t Au HAD148W2^^ MR-DD 464317 7598100 257 1049.3 222 -55 576 623.8 47.8 0.92 0.05 0.2 g/t Au 680 681.1 1.1 29 3.6 30 g.m. Au 800.2 853.3 53.1 0.36 0.09 0.2 g/t Au 867 900 33 1.9 0.05 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 874.4 875 0.6 52 0.08 30 g.m. Au 938.1 973.5 35.4 4.4 0.25 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 955.9 957.8 2 70 2.6 30 g.m. Au 984.5 1005.9 21.4 0.14 0.02 0.2 g/t Au HAD149^^ MR-DD 464243 7598106 256 1282.7 209 -60 807.6 863.9 56.3 0.61 0.11 0.2 g/t Au 881.3 913.8 32.5 0.25 0.03 0.2 g/t Au 952.6 992.9 40.3 0.28 0.02 0.2 g/t Au HAD149W1^^ MR-DD 464243 7598106 256 1002.3 209 -60 572 653 81 0.42 0.04 0.2 g/t Au 750.4 773 22.6 0.18 0.02 0.2 g/t Au 819 861.2 42.2 0.27 0.04 0.2 g/t Au 875.5 932 56.5 0.33 0.02 0.2 g/t Au 950.5 952 1.5 36 0.11 30 g.m. Au HAD149W2^^ MR-DD 464245 7598108 256 1283.3 209 -60 510.5 545 34.5 0.18 0.23 0.2 g/t Au 663.9 720 56.1 0.18 0.05 0.2 g/t Au 841.3 908 66.7 0.42 0.07 0.2 g/t Au 919.5 964.6 45.1 6.7 0.06 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 961.7 962.7 1.0 244 0.85 30 g.m. Au HAD150^^ MR-DD 464078 7598228 256 1128.7 172 -58 590.8 647.8 57 0.20 0.03 0.2 g/t Au 663 756.7 93.7 0.25 0.10 0.2 g/t Au 784.2 832.1 47.9 0.14 0.02 0.2 g/t Au 885.1 972 86.9 0.41 0.05 0.2 g/t Au 985.8 1015.6 29.8 1.9 0.22 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 988.8 989.1 0.3 175 0.07 30 g.m. Au HAD150W1^^ MR-DD 464078 7598228 256 1155 172 -58 658.8 699.4 40.6 0.19 0.14 0.2 g/t Au 710 737.9 27.9 0.24 0.37 0.2 g/t Au 805.7 856.5 50.8 0.62 0.06 0.2 g/t Au 909 1049 140 2.9 0.07 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 952.4 955.1 2.7 50 0.07 30 g.m. Au Incl. 966 979 13 5.1 0.09 1.0 g/t Au Incl. 974.7 975.1 0.4 74 0.22 30 g.m. Au Incl. 986 998.9 12.9 2.9 0.17 1.0 g/t Au Incl. 1023.6 1034.3 10.7 5.6 0.16 1.0 g/t Au 1061 1093.1 32.1 1.1 0.26 0.2 g/t Au HAD150W2^^ MR-DD 464080 7598231 256 1230.1 172 -58 767.6 813.2 45.6 1.9 0.20 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 802 802.8 0.8 40 0.71 30 g.m. Au 940.9 983 42.1 1.4 0.07 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 975.7 976.8 1.1 33 0.49 30 g.m. Au 996.2 1110 113.8 3.4 0.10 0.2 g/t Au Incl. 1011.4 1023.3 11.9 5.7 0.11 1.0 g/t Au Incl. 1021 1022 1 37 0.14 30 g.m. Au incl. 1035.8 1050 14.2 20 0.14 1.0 g/t Au Incl. 1035.8 1043 7.2 36 0.14 30 g.m. Au HAD151^^ MR-DD 463591 7597377 263 794.3 48 -55 708.6 794.3 85.7 0.31 0.07 0.2 g/t Au HAD151W1^^ MR-DD 463591 7597377 263 808 48 -55 692.2 772 79.8 0.68 0.08 0.2 g/t Au 705 719 14 2.3 0.08 1.0 g/t Au NOR001 MR-DD 464122 7599991 264 1248.4 90 -70 No Significant Assays ZIP001 MR-DD 463055 7599813 258 900.8 45 -70 Assays Pending ZIP002 MR-DD 463606 7599618 264 883 45 -75 Assays Pending #drilling in progress. **partial intercept, assays pending. ^updated intercept. ^^previously reported intercept. Figure 15. Schematic plan view map showing drill hole locations and significant intercepts reported in this release superimposed on the interpreted geology. Previously reported holes are not shown for the sake of clarity. Note some holes and results appear on multiple sections due to the sections orientation and sections overlap. To view an enhanced version of Figure 15, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/111915_5aa19461c4ce684c_017full.jpg Figure 16. Schematic cross section of geology and significant new drillhole intercepts (looking northwest, Section Line S1, +/-50m section width, as shown in Figure 15). Due to section window size and orientation holes may appear on multiple sections. This diagram highlights >100gram metres intersections drilled during the period which are >1g/t Au. To view an enhanced version of Figure 16, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/111915_5aa19461c4ce684c_018full.jpg Figure 17. Schematic cross section of geology and significant new drillhole intercepts (looking northwest, Section Line S2, +/-50m section width, as shown in Figure 15). Due to section window size and orientation holes may appear on multiple sections. This diagram highlights >100gram metres intersections drilled during the period which are >1g/t Au. To view an enhanced version of Figure 17, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/111915_5aa19461c4ce684c_019full.jpg Figure 18. Schematic cross section of geology and significant new drillhole intercepts (looking northeast, Section Line S3, +/-50m section width, as shown in Figure 15). Due to section window size and orientation holes may appear on multiple sections. This diagram highlights >100gram metres intersections drilled during the period which are >1g/t Au. To view an enhanced version of Figure 18, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/111915_5aa19461c4ce684c_020full.jpg Figure 19. Schematic cross section of geology and significant new drillhole intercepts (looking northeast, Section Line S4, +/-50m section width, as shown in Figure 15). Due to section window size and orientation holes may appear on multiple sections. This diagram highlights >100gram metres intersections drilled during the quarter which are >1g/t Au. To view an enhanced version of Figure 19, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/111915_5aa19461c4ce684c_021full.jpg Figure 20. Schematic cross section of geology and significant new drillhole intercepts (looking northeast, Section Line S5, +/-50m section width, as shown in Figure 15). Due to section window size and orientation holes may appear on multiple sections. This diagram highlights >100gram metres intersections drilled during the quarter which are >1g/t Au. To view an enhanced version of Figure 20, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/111915_5aa19461c4ce684c_022full.jpg Forward Looking Statements This document includes forward looking statements and forward looking information within the meaning of securities laws of applicable jurisdictions. Forward looking statements can generally be identified by the use of words such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "plan", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "objectives", "targets", "outlook" and "guidance", or other similar words and may include, without limitation, statements regarding estimated reserves and resources, certain plans, strategies, aspirations and objectives of management, anticipated production, study or construction dates, expected costs, cash flow or production outputs and anticipated productive lives of projects and mines. Newcrest continues to distinguish between outlook and guidance. Guidance statements relate to the current financial year. Outlook statements relate to years subsequent to the current financial year. These forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Newcrest's actual results, performance and achievements or industry results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements, or industry results, expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Relevant factors may include, but are not limited to, changes in commodity prices, foreign exchange fluctuations and general economic conditions, increased costs and demand for production inputs, the speculative nature of exploration and project development, including the risks of obtaining necessary licences and permits and diminishing quantities or grades of reserves, political and social risks, changes to the regulatory framework within which Newcrest operates or may in the future operate, environmental conditions including extreme weather conditions, recruitment and retention of personnel, industrial relations issues and litigation. For further information as to the risks which may impact on Newcrest's results and performance, please see the risk factors included in the Operating and Financial Review included in the Appendix 4E and Financial Report for the year ended 30 June 2021 and the Annual Information Form dated 6 December 2021 which are available to view at www.asx.com.au under the code "NCM" and on Newcrest's SEDAR profile. Forward looking statements are based on Newcrest's good faith assumptions as to the financial, market, regulatory and other relevant environments that will exist and affect Newcrest's business and operations in the future. Newcrest does not give any assurance that the assumptions will prove to be correct. There may be other factors that could cause actual results or events not to be as anticipated, and many events are beyond the reasonable control of Newcrest. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements, particularly in the current economic climate with the significant volatility, uncertainty and disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Forward looking statements in this document speak only at the date of issue. Except as required by applicable laws or regulations, Newcrest does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any of the forward looking statements or to advise of any change in assumptions on which any such statement is based. Ore Reserves and Mineral Resources Reporting Requirements As an Australian Company with securities listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), Newcrest is subject to Australian disclosure requirements and standards, including the requirements of the Corporations Act 2001 and the ASX. Investors should note that it is a requirement of the ASX listing rules that the reporting of Ore Reserves and Mineral Resources in Australia is in accordance with the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (the JORC Code) and that Newcrest's Ore Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates comply with the JORC Code. Newcrest is also subject to certain Canadian disclosure requirements and standards, as a result of its secondary listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), including the requirements of National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101). Investors should note that it is a requirement of Canadian securities law that the reporting of Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources in Canada and the disclosure of scientific and technical information concerning a mineral project on a property material to Newcrest comply with NI 43-101. Newcrest's material properties are currently Cadia, Lihir, Red Chris and Wafi-Golpu. Copies of the NI 43-101 Reports for Cadia, Lihir and Wafi-Golpu, which were released on 14 October 2020 and the NI43-101 Report for Red Chris which was released on 29 November 2021, are available at www.newcrest.com.au and on Newcrest's SEDAR profile. Competent Person's Statement The information in this document that relates to Exploration Targets, Exploration Results, and related scientific and technical information, is based on and fairly represents information compiled by Mr F. MacCorquodale. Mr MacCorquodale is the General Manager - Greenfields Exploration and a full-time employee of Newcrest Mining Limited. He is a shareholder in Newcrest Mining Limited and is entitled to participate in Newcrest's executive equity long term incentive plan, details of which are included in Newcrest's 2020 Remuneration Report. He is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Mr MacCorquodale has sufficient experience which is relevant to the styles of mineralisation and types of deposits under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the JORC Code and as a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Mr MacCorquodale approves the disclosure of scientific and technical information contained in this document and consents to the inclusion of material of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears. Authorised by the Newcrest Disclosure Committee For further information please contact Investor Enquiries Tom Dixon +61 3 9522 5570 +61 450 541 389 Tom.Dixon@newcrest.com.au North American Investor Enquiries Ryan Skaleskog +1 866 396 0242 +61 403 435 222 Ryan.Skaleskog@newcrest.com.au Media Enquiries Tim Salathiel +61 3 9522 4263 +61 407 885 272 Tim.Salathiel@newcrest.com.au This information is available on our website at www.newcrest.com ____________________________ 1 # drilling in progress ** partial intercept, assays pending ^ updated intercept or ^^ previously reported. 2 # drilling in progress ** partial intercept, assays pending ^ updated intercept or ^^ previously reported. 3 # drilling in progress ** partial intercept, assays pending ^ updated intercept or ^^ previously reported. 4 Newcrest can elect to extend this period by up to 2 years. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/111915 BEIJING, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- With one week to go, athletes from around the world will gather at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics under the motto "Together for a Shared Future." As the Beijing 2022 organizers explained, "Together" depicts how mankind stays strong when facing adversity and points out the solution to overcome those difficulties and create a better future, while "for a Shared Future" embodies a vision for a better life and conveys hope and confidence. The motto echoes the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind. "Instead of riding separately in some 190 small boats, countries around the world should stay together in one giant ship and sail toward a brighter future, and this is why we came up with 'Together for a Shared Future' as the official motto for Beijing 2022," Chinese President Xi Jinping said when meeting International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach in Beijing on Tuesday. China will make new and greater contributions to the Olympic Movement and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi said. As athletes with various cultural backgrounds come to Beijing for competition and exchanges in ice and snow sports, they also participate in the event to show solidarity. Mankind is in an era of major development as well as profound transformation and change, and is also in an era of numerous challenges and increasing risks. Unity, cooperation, and dialogue clamor in the face of global challenges, particularly COVID-19 claiming millions of lives across the globe. Official figures show China has provided more than 2 billion doses of COVID vaccines to over 120 countries and international organizations as of Dec. 26, 2021, becoming the biggest provider of outbound vaccines among all nations. In April 2020, when the COVID-19 situation in Uzbekistan worsened, the Chinese government immediately sent a medical team to assist in the local fight against the virus. Upon hearing the news, Kenjebaev Murodjon immediately traveled over 100 km to Tashkent, Uzbekistan's capital, and volunteered as an interpreter for the Chinese medical team. The Uzbek studied in China's Guangdong Province in 2014 and later married a Chinese woman. "I'm deeply moved and impressed by the professionalism of Chinese medics, who unselfishly shared their anti-virus experiences," said Murodjon, adding that the fight against COVID-19 has brought the two countries even closer. With an ardent passion for traditional Chinese culture, Murodjon and his wife started a class in February 2020 to teach locals Chinese for free, the first of its kind in Gulistan, his home city. "Now studying Chinese has become a new trend among local Uzbek youngsters boosted by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)," he said. The BRI, proposed by Xi in 2013, aims to achieve policy, infrastructure, trade, financial and people-to-people connectivity along and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes. So far, 147 countries and 32 international organizations have signed more than 200 cooperation documents with China under this framework. It has become a paradigm of civilization diversity and collective prosperity under the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. "Diversity spurs interaction among civilizations, which in turn promotes mutual learning and their further development," said Xi in May 2019 at the opening ceremony of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations in Beijing. "We need to promote exchanges and mutual learning among countries, nations and cultures around the world, and strengthen popular support for jointly building a community with a shared future for both Asia and humanity as a whole," Xi added. At the beginning of 2022, NIHPLOD, a high-end niche skincare brand, was redefined by its new Chief Executive, John Morrell. The company will rename its membership business as N7 Plus, aiming to provide more customized services for its high-net-worth individuals. Morrell will now take over the business center based in France with his team of directors, including Thomas Bernstein, Melissa Schnauz, Moira Porter, Peter Katt and so on. They have rich experience in skincare products and private member management since they previously worked at L'Oreal, Coutts, TWK and other companies. Morrell said at an earlier press conference: "Discussions about N7 Plus have been going on for quite some time. The ongoing pandemic has gradually set new trends for the lifestyles of high-net-worth individuals we served before. In this connection, we should not only embrace this situation, but also adjust as soon as possible, which mark a new chapter for our employees, partners and customers. "We firmly believe that beauty and skincare are only part of the lifestyles, so more diverse visions and experiences should be added to make our lives exquisite and interesting. Hence, NIHPLOD has always been committed to offering better skincare services for customers. "N7 Plus not only provides members with customized services such as skin care, beauty and image consulting, but also tailors a better lifestyle for members from seven areas including fitness, food, fashion, art, travel and socializing. If necessary, we can arrange for Ms. Mavis in London to take a private jet to Paris Fashion Week at noon the next day, or invite Alberto Dura, the top chef in Barcelona, to design an exquisite dinner for her birthday party." NIHPLOD was founded in Monaco United Skincare Laboratory in 2008. Based on advanced biotechnologies, it aims to provide customers with efficient, healthy, safe and exquisite skincare experiences. Under the guidance of co-founder Dr. Stefan, NIHPLOD combines liposome and nanoemulsion technology with carefully selected natural active ingredients to guarantee better daily skincare after undergoing extensive clinical trials and research. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220127005638/en/ Contacts: Company Name: Union Skincare Labs Official Website: www.nihplod.net Contact Person: John Morrell E-mail: contact@nihplod.net STOCKHOLM, Jan. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EQT AB (publ) is pleased to announce that Bear Logi, a value-add logistics investment manager headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and Seoul, Korea, will join EQT Exeter to further strengthen its footprint in Asia. Bear Logi, founded in Tokyo, Japan in 2009, is a value-add logistics investment manager with around 25 employees focused on acquisitions, development, construction and leasing, with extensive knowledge of the Japanese and Korean logistics markets. To date, Bear Logi has invested capital based on single asset funding, and will as part of EQT Exeter create a fund-setup within logistics properties similar to EQT Exeter's existing structure in the US and Europe. The Bear Logi team, including its co-CEOs Matthew Zann and James Muir will, together with EQT Exeter's China Logistics team, create an EQT Exeter APAC Logistics platform. The ambition is to build on existing strategies of acquiring and developing logistics properties in Tier 1 cities and logistic hubs across Japan, Korea and China. Strategic rationale Bear Logi's skilled team, with deep local market knowledge and relationships, will provide EQT Exeter with direct access to the attractive logistics markets in Japan and Korea, with strong scalability potential in the broader APAC region, for example, Australia and Korea, with strong scalability potential in the broader APAC region, for example, Australia Bear Logi will leverage EQT Exeter's global track record and 1,200+ strong tenant relationships, as well as EQT's 2,000+ corporate relationships and broader platform, including fundraising support, sustainability and digitalization expertise, and operating platform benefits The combination with EQT Exeter's existing operations in China will provide larger investment opportunities, with an integrated development and investor operating platform, in APAC logistics for EQT's fund investors will provide larger investment opportunities, with an integrated development and investor operating platform, in APAC logistics for EQT's fund investors EQT Exeter and Bear Logi have a strong cultural fit and similar investment philosophies, focused on vertically integrated real estate investments and a commitment to sustainability and ESG principles Ward Fitzgerald, Partner and Head of EQT Exeter, said, "We are thrilled to welcome Matthew, James and the rest of the Bear Logi team to the EQT Exeter family, as we continue to expand our logistics real estate platform in the APAC region. With their complementary local market knowledge and expansive industry relationships, our combination with Bear Logi is the next step in EQT Exeter's journey, strengthening our position as a multi-strategy, global real estate leader." Matthew Zann, co-CEO of Bear Logi, said, "We are excited to join forces with Ward, EQT Exeter, and the broader EQT platform to further build out the APAC logistics platform. The partnership will create new growth opportunities in the region as we leverage our local insights and relationships and combine it with EQT Exeter's global expertise within logistics real estate." James Muir, co-CEO of Bear Logi, added, "The partnership with EQT Exeter not only accelerates our opportunities, but also strengthens our operating platform and ability to offer a broader set of clients access to the growing APAC logistics market." Bear Logi is estimated to generate approximately USD 1 million in revenues during 2021. The transaction is not deemed to have a material impact on EQT AB's financial numbers and will not add any assets under management to EQT AB at closing. Closing took place on 27 January 2022. Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward- looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," or "potential" or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases that are predictions of or indicate future events or trends and that do not relate solely to historical matters. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and contingencies, many of which are beyond EQT's control, which may cause actual results to differ significantly from those expressed in any forward- looking statement. All forward-looking statements reflect EQT's good faith beliefs, assumptions and expectations, but they are not guarantees of future performance. Furthermore, EQT disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, of new information, data or methods, future events or other changes. Contact EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com, +46 8 506 55 33 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/eqt/r/eqt-exeter-strengthens-footprint-in-asia---adds-logistics-real-estate-specialists-in-japan-and-korea,c3493836 The following files are available for download: Photovoltaic installation, Zhongshan, China ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, Jan 28, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi Energy today announced that it has achieved the first-step target set out in its Sustainability 2030(1) plan - the use of 100% fossil-free electricity in its own operations(2). The company is driving towards being carbon-neutral in its own operations by 2030(3), in line with its Purpose, 'Advancing a sustainable energy future for all'."By achieving 100% fossil-free electricity in our own operations, we have reduced our CO2 equivalent emissions by over 50% compared to 2019," says Claudio Facchin, CEO of Hitachi Energy. He continued, "The Net Zero challenge is global and it's about acting now, innovating and collaborating across countries, industries and societies. Together with customers, partners, and all stakeholders, we are advancing the world's energy system to be more sustainable, flexible and secure."The targeted 50% reduction achieved ahead of plan will amount to approximately 175 kilo tonnes of CO2e per year, equivalent to removing over 35,000 passenger cars off the road.To achieve 100% fossil-free electricity in its own operations - and in support of the Hitachi Group's carbon-neutrality goal(4) - the company has pursued a number of pathways including supporting projects to generate its own fossil-free electricity, such as installing solar roof panels combined with e-mesh digital solutions for distributed energy resources maximizing energy efficiency and minimizing CO2 emissions. In its Zhongshan factory in China(5), the company is generating nearly 20% of its total energy consumption from solar panels. In its first year of operation, the power generated at the factory is expected to reach 1,510 megawatt hours (MWh), contributing to the reduction in annual carbon emissions by more than 1,000 tonnes.To achieve 100% fossil-free electricity, Hitachi Energy has also switched to green tariffs, bought Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs), and signed Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) across its operations and facilities in 90 countries.Looking ahead, Hitachi Energy is continuing to invest in its journey towards carbon-neutrality by further increasing energy efficiency, as well as electrifying its own operations. In Ludvika, Sweden, the company is now using 100% renewable electricity generated from hydropower and from solar panels to support its operations. Ludvika, which is one of Hitachi Energy's largest production facilities, has gone beyond tackling its electricity supply and is now close to removing the use of all fossil fuels from the whole of its operations.The company has a track record of implementing its own technologies in its operations to enable the integration of renewable energy. For example, in 2015 its South Africa operations installed a 750 kW rooftop photovoltaic plant and a 1 MVA/380 kWh battery-based PowerStoreTM for enhancing the use of renewables and providing a continuous supply of power.Through its Sustainability 2030 plan and targets, the company reinforces its commitment to accelerating actions driving business in a sustainable way. Based around four pillars - Planet, People, Peace, and Partnerships - the strategy draws from the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with specific focus on the following eight: 3 (Good health and well-being), 4 (Quality education), 5 (Gender equality), 6 (Clean water and sanitation), 7 (Affordable and clean energy), 12 (Responsible consumption and production), 16 (Peace, justice and strong institutions); and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). In line with these SDGs, each pillar has corresponding targets that drive the business to contribute social, environmental, and economic value.(1) Hitachi ABB Power Grids announces Sustainability 2030(2) The contract for its South Korea operations (equivalent to 0.4% total electricity usage) is expected to be signed in February 2022 retrospectively through green tariffs.(3) Discover more about Hitachi Energy's approach to Sustainability 2030(4) Hitachi Sustainability Report 2021(5) Hitachi Energy builds green factory with smart energy solutionsAbout Hitachi Energy Ltd.Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. We are advancing the world's energy system to become more sustainable, flexible and secure whilst balancing social, environmental and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ around 38,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of approximately $10 billion USD. https://www.hitachienergy.comAbout Hitachi, Ltd.Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, contributes to a sustainable society with a higher quality of life by driving innovation through data and technology as the Social Innovation Business. Hitachi is focused on strengthening its contribution to the Environment, the Resilience of business and social infrastructure as well as comprehensive programs to enhance Security & Safety. Hitachi resolves the issues faced by customers and society across six domains: IT, Energy, Mobility, Industry, Smart Life and Automotive Systems through its proprietary Lumada solutions. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2020 (ended March 31, 2021) totaled 8,729.1 billion yen ($78.6 billion), with 871 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 350,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at https://www.hitachi.com.Source: Hitachi, Ltd.Copyright 2022 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States of America. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. Securities laws TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 27, 2022 / Sparta Group (TSX.V:SAY) (the "Corporation" the "Company", "Sparta Group", "Sparta Capital", "SAY.V" or "Sparta") is announcing that further to its January 26, 2022 news release (the "Default Announcement") it has completed the filing of an application seeking a Management Cease Trade Order (the "MCTO") under National Policy 12-203, from the Alberta Securities Commission ("ASC"). In the Default Announcement, Sparta reported that it was preparing an application seeking an order for an MCTO from the ASC because the Company was unable to file its annual financial statements for the year ending September 30, 2021 ("Annual Filings"), in time to meet the January 28, 2022 filing deadline. The delay in filing is related to senior management involved in audit preparation work contracting COVID-19 during the holiday season. The Company has agreed to file the Annual Filings on or before March 1, 2022. While the MCTO restricts all trading in securities of the Company by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company until the MCTO is no longer in effect, regular trading by current and future investors outside the Company, continues as normal. The MCTO will be in effect until the Annual Filings are filed. Until the Annual Filings are filed, the Company intends to satisfy the provisions of the Alternative Information Guidelines set out in National Policy 12-203 - Management Cease Trade Orders. The Company confirms that, other than what was disclosed in prior press releases, there have been no material business developments since the filing of the Company's latest interim financial report and while the delay in filing is largely due to COVID-19, the Company continues to operate as usual and generate revenue. About Sparta Sparta Group (a.k.a. Sparta Capital Ltd.) is a technology-based company that owns or holds a controlling interest in a network of independent businesses that supply energy saving technologies designed to reduce energy inefficiencies, achieve reduced emissions, and increase operating efficiencies in various industries. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Sparta has also expanded its scope to help facilitate supply of necessary materials while assisting talented inventors who are looking to introduce innovative technical solutions that will bring greater normalcy to the post COVID-19 world. Sparta's network of independent businesses provides a wide range of specialized energy capturing, converting, optimizing, and related services to the commercial sector. Sparta provides capital, technical and engineering expertise, legal support, financial and accounting knowledge, strategic planning, and other shared services to its independent businesses. Sparta is a publicly traded company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. under the symbol "SAY" (TSX.V:SAY). Additional information is available at www.spartagroup.ca or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. For more information contact: John O'Bireck, President & CTO Email: jobireck@spartagroup.ca Telephone: (905) 751-8004 This above may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. When used in this address, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Although the Corporation believes in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information because the Corporation can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date of publication of this information and the Corporation undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change. Furthermore, the Corporation undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of the Corporation. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release). SOURCE: Sparta Group View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/685995/Sparta-Provides-Status-Report-on-Delay-in-Filing-Annual-Financial-Statements Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Hamilton Global Opportunities plc completes its second capital raising following continued support from qualified European investors by way of private placement Proceeds of the issue primarily intended to strengthen Hamilton Global Opportunities' investment capabilities, following the listing on Euronext Growth Paris in April 2021 to provide investors with access to the return on investment of growth equity Favourable timing to support continued active investment in high growth, Tech, Fintech, and Medtech companies in the US and Israel Not for publication, distribution or release, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, in the United States, Canada, Japan or Australia. Regulatory News: Hamilton Global Opportunities plc (ALHGO.PA) announces that on the 27 January it successfully raised 4.5 million from European investors at a price of 49 per share which is in line with the closing price on 26 January 2022. These new resources strengthen the investment capacity of the listed vehicle Hamilton Global Opportunities plc to accelerate the deployment of its strategic investments in late growth stage companies in the US and Israel. This capital raising comes after several successful strategic investments in 2021. In July 2021, Hamilton Global Opportunities plc invested $3 million in Exos Financial, which is developing a data-driven platform offering a full range of innovative services to meet the needs of the investment banking industry. In October 2021, Hamilton Global Opportunities plc announced a $3 million investment in Miami International Holdings, Inc, a leading US multi-platform exchange operator. Gustavo Perrotta, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hamilton Global Opportunities plc, declared:"We are very pleased with the success of this capital raising which will allow us to accelerate the deployment of our investment strategy, at an ideal time when many transaction opportunities should arise. This transaction reflects the success of our listing strategy to increase access to regular sources of funding in order to progressively expand our portfolio while strictly adhering to a clearly defined and proven business process. We therefore reiterate our confidence for the year 2022, which should benefit from a favourable transaction dynamic allowing us to capture sustainable value creation alongside innovative growth companies. Main terms of the operation A total number of 91,835 new ordinary shares, with a nominal value of 0.0001 euro per share, were issued to qualified investors in accordance with resolution of the Company's Shareholders' Meeting held on 19th April 2021. The new shares were issued by decision of the Board of Directors on 25 January 2022 to implement the delegation of authority granted to it by the Company's General Meeting dated 19 April 2021. The new shares are fungible with the existing shares and will be admitted to trading on the Euronext growth market under the same ISIN code GB00BMDXQ672 ALHGO. The settlement and delivery of the new shares and their admission to trading on Euronext Growth is expected to take place on the 01 February 2022. Pursuant to the provisions of Article 1.4 of Regulation (EU) No. 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council meeting of June 14, 2017, the offering did not and will not require a prospectus to be submitted for approval to the French financial markets' authority. The Company's share capital will consist of 410,399 shares once settlement-delivery is complete. Post-operation capital structure Pre-operation Post operation Number of shares Number of voting rights % of capital Number of shares Number of voting rights % of capital Gustavo PERROTTA 88,571 88,571 27.8% 88,571 88,571 21.6% Sir Peter MIDDLETON 2,500 2,500 0.8% 2,500 2,500 0.6% Bianca COSTANZA GRANARA 2,500 2,500 0.8% 2,500 2,500 0.6% Institutional investors Free-float 224,993 224,993 70.6% 316,828 316,828 77.2% TOTAL 318,564 318,564 100.0% 410,399 410,399 100.0% Risk factors The reader's attention is drawn on the risk factors relating to the Company and its business, presented in Section 3 "Risk Factors" of Part 1 of the Company's information document. The occurrence of some or all of those risks could have an adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations, development or prospects. About Hamilton Global Opportunities Hamilton Global Opportunities PLC ("HGO") is an investment company listed on the Euronext Growth Market focusing on investments in Tech, Fintech and MedTech principally in the United States and Israel. The HGO management team has significant relevant experience in structuring direct investments in the areas above mentioned. For more information, please visit: hamiltongo.eu IMPORTANT INFORMATION This press release and the information it contains are not an offer to sell or subscribe to, or a solicitation of an order to buy or subscribe to the shares of Hamilton Global Opportunities Plc in any country. This press release constitutes promotional material and is not a prospectus within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No. 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council meeting of June 14, 2017 (the "Prospectus Regulation"). In the Member States of the European Economic Area and in the United Kingdom, this communication and any offering made hereunder are directed only at persons who are "qualified investors" within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation. This press release does not constitute an offer of securities for sale nor the solicitation of an offer to purchase securities in the United States. The shares or any other securities of Hamilton Global Opportunities Plc may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to a registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or pursuant to an exemption from such registration requirement, it being specified that the shares of Hamilton Global Opportunities Plc have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act. Hamilton Global Opportunities Plc does not intend to register the offering in whole or in part in the United States or to make a public offer in the United States. In the United Kingdom, this press release has not been distributed by and has not been approved by an "authorized person" within the meaning of section 21(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Accordingly, this press release is directed only at persons who (i) are investment professionals within the meaning of section 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as currently in force, the "Financial Promotion Order"), (ii) are persons falling within Article 49(2) (a) to (d) ("high net worth companies, unincorporated associations etc.") or (iii) are persons falling within Article 49(2) (a) to (d) ("high net worth companies, unincorporated associations etc.") of the Financial Promotion Order, (iii) are outside the United Kingdom (all such persons being together referred to as the "Authorized Persons"). This press release is addressed only to Authorized Persons and may not be used by any person other than an Authorized Person. This press release contains guidance on Hamilton Global Opportunities Plc's objectives and forward-looking statements. This information is not historical data and should not be construed as a guarantee that the stated facts and data will occur. The information is based on data, assumptions and estimates considered reasonable by Hamilton Global Opportunities Plc. The Company operates in a competitive and rapidly changing environment. It is therefore unable to anticipate all of the risks, uncertainties or other factors that may affect its business, their potential impact on its business or the extent to which the materialization of a risk or combination of risks could cause results to differ materially from those mentioned in any forward-looking information. The information is given only as of the date of this press release. Hamilton Global Opportunities Plc makes no commitment to publish updates to this information or to the assumptions on which it is based, except for any legal or regulatory obligation applicable to it. The distribution of this press release may, in certain countries, be subject to specific regulations. Consequently, persons physically present in these countries and in which the press release is disseminated, published or distributed must inform themselves and comply with these laws and regulations. This press release must not be published, transmitted or distributed, directly or indirectly, in the United States, Australia, Canada or Japan. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220127006084/en/ Contacts: Hamilton Global Opportunities Gustavo Perrotta Founder CEO gp@hamiltongo.eu Gavin Alexander Partner ga@hamiltongo.eu Andrew Wynn Partner aw@hamiltongo.eu NewCap Louis-Victor Delouvrier Investor Relations hamilton@newcap.eu +33 (0)1 44 71 98 53 NewCap Nicolas Merigeau Media Relations hamilton@newcap.eu +33 (0)1 44 71 94 98 Oslo, January 28, 2022: Today, Yara announces the signing of a contract with Linde Engineering for the construction and delivery of a green hydrogen demonstration plant at Yara's ammonia production facility at Herya Industripark in Porsgrunn, Norway. The project, which is supported by a NOK 283 million grant from Enova (announced in December 2021), will demonstrate that ammonia produced using renewable energy can reduce the impact of carbon dioxide in fertilizer production. The project will be realized by water electrolysis which will produce green hydrogen to partially replace the hydrocarbon-based hydrogen production in Yara's plant, using proton exchange membrane (PEM) technology. This will be the second 24 MW PEM electrolysis plant designed and constructed by Linde Engineering; the first is now being built at the Leuna Chemical Complex in Germany. "The project aims to supply the first green ammonia products to the market as early as mid-2023, both as fossil-free fertilizers, as well as emissions-free shipping fuel. Green ammonia is the key to reducing emissions from world food production and long-distance shipping. With this project, we move from intention to actions together with Linde Engineering and local contractors", says Magnus Ankarstrand, President Yara Clean Ammonia. The plant will have an annual capacity of around 10,000 kg/day of hydrogen. It will replace ethane as raw material in production, thereby reducing 41,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, the same amount as emitted by roughly 16,000 passenger vehicles. The electricity will be delivered from renewable energy sources and will provide enough hydrogen to produce 20,500 tonnes of ammonia per year which can be converted to between 60,000 and 80,000 tonnes of green fertilizer, roughly five times the annual production of food grade wheat in Norway.The project will be Yara's first step towards decarbonization of the ammonia industry. "This project showcases Linde Engineering's market leadership in electrolysis projects. Given the growing demand from the fertilizer industry for green hydrogen, this plant is a step towards further upscaling and increasing the size of these projects worldwide," said John van der Velden, Senior Vice President Global Sales & Technology, Linde Engineering. Yara will in addition to Linde work with a significant number of local suppliers in the Grenland region on this project. This will contribute to creating new jobs and build valuable competence and experience for the green transition locally. Media Contacts Yara: Kristin Nordal Vice President Corporate Communications Mobile: +47 900 15 550 E-mail: kristin.nordal@yara.com Linde Engineering: Elitsa Kateva Marketing & Communications Mobile: +49 173 420 4003 E-mail: elitsa.kateva@linde.com About Yara Yara grows knowledge to responsibly feed the world and protect the planet. Supporting our vision of a world without hunger and a planet respected, we pursue a strategy of sustainable value growth, promoting climate-friendly crop nutrition and zero-emission energy solutions. Yara's ambition is focused on growing a climate positive food future that creates value for our customers, shareholders and society at large and delivers a more sustainable food value chain. To achieve our ambition, we have taken the lead in developing digital farming tools for precision farming and work closely with partners throughout the food value chain to improve the efficiency and sustainability of food production. Through our focus on clean ammonia production, we aim to enable the hydrogen economy, driving a green transition of shipping, fertilizer production and other energy intensive industries. Founded in 1905 to solve the emerging famine in Europe, Yara has established a unique position as the industry's only global crop nutrition company. We operate an integrated business model with around 17,000 employees and operations in over 60 countries, with a proven track record of strong returns. In 2020, Yara reported revenues of USD 11.6 billion. For more information about the company, please visit www.yara.com About Linde Linde is a leading global industrial gases and engineering company with 2020 sales of $27 billion (24 billion). We live our mission of making our world more productive every day by providing high-quality solutions, technologies and services which are making our customers more successful and helping to sustain and protect our planet. The company serves a variety of end markets including chemicals & energy, food & beverage, electronics, healthcare, manufacturing, metals and mining. Linde's industrial gases are used in countless applications, from life-saving oxygen for hospitals to high-purity & specialty gases for electronics manufacturing, hydrogen for clean fuels and much more. Linde also delivers state-of-the-art gas processing solutions to support customer expansion, efficiency improvements and emissions reductions. For more information about the company and its products and services, please visit www.linde.com Attachments Venissieux, January 28, 2022 At its meeting of Wednesday, 26 January 2022, BOOSTHEAT's Board of Directors noted a bond issue of 3 million subscribed entirely by the company HOLDIGAZ to support BOOSTHEAT's action plan implementation. The financing of 3 million will be in the form of a bond issue with the option of redemption in cash or in shares at the company's discretion. The bond subscribed will bear interest at a rate of 1% and mature on 31 December 2024. In addition, the Board of Directors has decided to align at the same date the maturity date of the bonds issued in July 2021, which were subscribed by the main shareholders[1]. The Company will have the option of early redemption of the principal amount of the bonds and interest either in cash or, subject to the necessary authorizations, in the Company shares by means of offsetting receivables. The price of the shares has been set at 1.1507, corresponding to the weighted average share price during the 20 trading sessions preceding the date of the Board of Director 's decision concerning the bond issue. As of 31 December 2021, the company had 3.5 million of cash available, the same level as of June 30, 2021. At the same date, the company also had 8 million available on its equity financing line[2]. With this new financing, BOOSTHEAT estimates that it has resources needed to cover all of its needs in 2022. "After 6 months of a structuring and ambitious roadmap implementation and after having demonstrated very good results of reliability and performance in laboratory and on the field, this financing is a mark of confidence and an incentive encouragement from our historical shareholder ", says Eric Lambert, CEO of BOOSTHEAT. ABOUT BOOSTHEAT Founded in 2011, BOOSTHEAT operates in the energy efficiency sector. The company's mission is to accelerate energy transition by integrating its technology into energy-intensive applications. BOOSTHEAT has designed and developed a thermal compressor protected by 7 patent families that significantly improves energy consumption in order to promote the reasonable and appropriate use of resources. BOOSTHEAT has its head office, research center and manufacturing plant in Venissieux, near Lyon (historically an HVAC* industrial zone). The company holds the Entreprise Innovante (Bpifrance) and French Fab labels. The BOOSTHEAT share is listed on Euronext Growth Paris (ISIN: FR0011814938). * Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning ABOUT HOLDIGAZ HOLDIGAZ is a Swiss holding company that is majority owned by private investors and specializes in energy and building technology in Switzerland. The group comprises nineteen companies operating in the fields of natural gas and related technologies, renewables (production of biogas, thermal and photovoltaic solar, district heating), and building technologies (heating, ventilation and air conditioning, sanitary installation and heat-power coupling). In addition, the Vevey-based company has many direct and indirect shareholdings in the fields of high-pressure gas transportation, deep natural gas exploration and FLUXSWISS through the company SWISS GAS INVEST, in which it holds a majority stake. HOLDIGAZ is a leading partner in natural gas supply, the production of biogas, natural gas mobility, renewable heat production, the realization of building infrastructures, and regional and national distribution and sale (NOVOGAZ SA). As such, its partnership with BOOSTHEAT make perfect sense. I CONTACTS ACTUS finance & communication - Anne-Pauline Petureaux Investor Relations Tel: +33 (0)1 53 67 36 72 / boostheat@actus.fr ACTUS finance & communication - Serena Boni Press Relations Tel: +33 (0)4 72 18 04 92 / sboni@actus.fr BOOSTHEAT - Sabrina Ferre Tel: 09 82 99 16 13 / sabrina.ferre@boostheat.com * * * For more information on BOOSTHEAT, visit www.boostheat-group.com [1] See press release of July 19, 2021. This deferral will be subject to approval by the General Assembly of Bondholders. [2] See press release of May 21, 2021 ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: mpqalcptlGjFx56aYstlbWeUamdpk5ObbpPKmmNtZprJaXCUlZpnacrLZnBjnmxo - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-72972-pr_financing_holdigaz_en.pdf TOKYO, Jan 28, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu Limited today announced the decision to establish a new organization to strengthen its governance of AI ethics.Building and maintaining trust remains central to all of Fujitsu's business activities, forming the basis of its Purpose--"to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation." To realize the vision of a sustainable world through its global business brand "FUJITSU Uvance" which focuses on the solution of social issues, both services and technologies as well as trust in the Fujitsu Group will play an essential role.In March 2019, Fujitsu formulated the "Fujitsu Group AI Commitment" to create greater value for customers and society while honoring its promise to deliver safe, secure, and transparent AI technology. With this commitment as a point of departure, in September 2019 Fujitsu further established the "Fujitsu Group External Advisory Committee on AI Ethics" to ensure an objective evaluation of Fujitsu's AI ethics framework by an impartial third party. Since then, Fujitsu has continuously and proactively worked to enhance its corporate governance to enforce the principles of ethical AI.On February 1, Fujitsu will newly establish the "AI Ethics and Governance Office" (Head: Junichi Arahori) to accelerate the safe and secure deployment of leading-edge technologies including artificial intelligence (AI) and other machine learning applications in society.This marks the next step in Fujitsu's ongoing efforts to strengthen and enforce comprehensive, company-wide measures to achieve robust AI ethics governance based on international best-practices, policies, and legal frameworks. The new office will focus on implementing measures to actively promote ethics related to the research, development, and implementation of advanced technologies.About FujitsuFujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company offering a full range of technology products, solutions and services. Approximately 126,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.6 trillion yen (US$34 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. For more information, please see www.fujitsu.com.Source: Fujitsu LtdCopyright 2022 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. HELSINKI, Jan. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The range of tenants at Lippulaiva, which will open at the end of March, is increasing with several new additions. Terveystalo, Lindex, Clas Ohlson, Normal and Dosva Decor, a completely new interior design company on the Finnish market, will add to a strong tenant mix in the new urban centre at Espoonlahti. The supply of health services in the Espoonlahti area will be strengthened when Terveystalo, one of the largest private health care companies in Finland, opens a 750 square metre clinic in Lippulaiva. Terveystalo will be located on the second floor of the centre. Lippulaiva will also house the clothing chain Lindex, electronics and home hardware store Clas Ohlson, and the grocery chain Normal. Clas Ohlson's 700 square metre store will be located on the first floor of the centre, as will Normal and Lindex. Dosva Decor, a brand-new interior design company in the Finnish market, is a family-owned company founded in 1995. The company sells exclusive home decor products with unique designs and materials. Dosva Decor will be located on the first floor of Lippulaiva. A wide range of well-known operators and new brands The first Finnish juice and smoothie bar chain, Jungle Juice Bar will be one of more than 20 Finnish and International restaurant operators. Another new addition is Chatime, an international tea chain from Taiwan, currently operating in 38 countries. "The newly announced tenants will complement and diversify Lippulaiva's strong offering. We are pleased that we can offer Lippulaiva's community a wide range of well-known brands and new brands. Lippulaiva is a prime example of our strategy to offer a full service urban centre with great transportation connections" says Mari Laaksonen, Commercial Director of Citycon. Lippulaiva will be one of the biggest grocery store clusters in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. The anchor tenants will include K-Supermarket, Prisma, Lidl and Tokmanni. In addition to retail, the centre will offer a wide range of services, such as the Espoonlahti regional library, the English kindergarten Pilke Playschool and the fitness centre Elixia. The new Espoonlahti metro station and bus terminal as well as eight residential towers will also be located at Lippulaiva. For more information, please contact: Mari Laaksonen Commercial Director Tel. +358 20 766 4434 mari.laaksonen@citycon.com Citycon is the leading owner, developer and manager of multipurpose urban centres. Our centres in key urban areas combine retail, office premises and housing with well-functioning traffic connections. We are committed to sustainable property maintenance, and the total value of the property portfolio in the Nordic countries managed by Citycon is approximately EUR 4.5 billion. Our centres offer daily consumer goods, health care services as well as other services to meet the daily needs of our customers. www.citycon.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/citycon-oyj/r/lippulaiva-s-full-service-offer-will-expand-to-include-a-private-medical-centre-and-more-necessity-b,c3493939 The following files are available for download: THE HAGUE, The Netherlands, Jan. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Micreos announced that it has appointed Joost Goderie to the management board as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Joost will be working closely together with the other members of the management team to help drive Micreos's growth and deliver its targeted antibacterial technology to the world. He will be responsible for Finance, Tax and Legal, and will coordinate the company's legal restructuring, which will result in the separation of its pharma and OTC businesses. Joost brings over 30 years of finance and leadership experience in various CFO and general management roles and has extensive experience in building and growing businesses. He was formerly CFO and CEO of Eurofiber, a European fiber optic communication provider, that he co-founded in 2000 and was one of the initiators and Managing Director of Rabo's Bouwfonds Communication Infrastructure Fund. Micreos CEO Mark Offerhaus said: "We are very pleased to welcome Joost on board. He has a strategic and practical mind, and his M&A and private equity background will be invaluable as we bring our game-changing anti-bacterial technology out to the world, in the face of the 'hidden pandemic' of antibiotic resistance." "I am privileged to join an innovative leadership team focused on inventing health solutions that contribute to the future of humanity. Thanks to its outstanding technology, Micreos is already the leader in the field of targeted biological therapies and I am excited to work with the team to realize the company's growth strategy and financial goals," said Joost Goderie. About Micreos Micreos develops targeted antibacterial technology set to replace antibiotics. Looking for safer, healthier and more sustainable solutions, the company's researchers, in close collaboration with the Swiss Federal Technology Institute ETH Zurich, turned to nature's own precision anti-bacterials, called endolysins. These highly-specific enzymes target only unwanted bacteria while preserving the microbiome, comprising of billions of 'good' bacteria essential to our health. With headquarters in The Hague, The Netherlands, Micreos runs its Endolysin Technology Centre Zurich in Wadenswil (CH) and operates three business units in The Netherlands and Switzerland: Pharma, OTC and Food. Micreos Pharma focuses on anti S. aureus endolysins for atopic dermatitis, diabetic wound infections, bloodstream infections and CTCL, a type of skin cancer associated with the colonisation of S. aureus. Gladskin is Micreos's game-changing OTC brand for people with inflammatory skin conditions such as acne, eczema and rosacea. Phageguard represents Micreos Food Safety's contribution to safer food, based on targeted prevention of dangerous food pathogens such as Salmonella and Listeria. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1735806/Joost_Goderie.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1278645/Micreos_Logo.jpg Press release Sainte-Marie, January 28, 2022, 11:00 Change of control in HENDIGO, CBoTerritoria's reference shareholder TOLEFI S.A. increased its share in CBo Territoria up to 27.2% TOLEFI S.A. took over the HENDIGO shares hold by Mr Diricq and Heynderickx, both CBo Territoria's members of the board. As at 31/12/2021 HENDIGO's shares in CBo Territoria amount to 9 090 360 shares. The purchase price subject to the transaction is set at 4.10 per share. Upon completion of the transaction, TOLEFI S.A.'s stake in CBo will be up to 24.87% of the shares and 25.39% of voting rights. Together with its other subsidiary named Financiere des Mascareignes S.A, owning 2.33% of CBo Territoria shares , TOLEFI S.A. becomes the controlling shareholder of CBo Territoria totaling circa 28 % of voting rights. CBo Territoria thanks Mr Diricq and Heynderickx for having supported the growth of the company since 2007 and especially since 2013 when they set up HENDIGO with Serge Goblet to become the CBo's reference shareholder. CBo Territoria looks forward to TOLEFI SA takeover. Indeed TOLEFI has been subscribing the vision and the strategy of the company for many years. TOELAFI sa holds many companies in the real estate industry such as TOLEFI Promotions, TOLEFI France, TOLEFI Armor, TOLEFI Espana. Jerome Goblet, board member of TOLEFI S.A and of CBo T since 2013, will keep on chairing the board of CBo T . " I first would like to thank Mr Diricq and Heynderickx for having supported HENDIGO and CBo Territoria all these years. TOLEFI SA signs up for a long term partnership, in line with the strategy of the company and its management. We want to be part of the local economic development, through a strong and responsible growth. We are confident in the high potential and value creation of CBo Territoria." Next financial agenda release 2021 revenues: Wednesday, February 16, 2022, after market close About CBo Territoria Leading property developer and planner in Reunion Island and Mayotte, CBo Territoria is a real estate operator listed on Euronext C (FR0010193979, CBOT), and eligible for the PEA PME (Leveraged Share Savings Plan for the SME). The Group has been in the Top 10 (compartment C) of the Gaia Index for 5 years for its ESG approach and relies on best practices for its governance. Owner of 2950 hectares, the Group aims mostly to become a multi-regional Tertiary Property company, whose development is co-funded by its promotional activity. www.cboterritoria.com Contacts INVESTOR RELATIONS TEAM Caroline Clapier Administrative and Financial Manager direction@cboterritoria.com PARIS MEDIA RELATIONS TEAM dmorin@capvalue.fr REUNION MEDIA RELATIONS TEAM Catherine Galatoire 06 92 65 65 79 cgalatoire@cboterritoria.com ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: lGdrlZdnapqVxpxulp1pbWSUl29jm2aUZmnHxJNxY5zFZ5timmdlZ8WWZnBjnm1n - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-72981-220128-cp_cbot_actionnariat-vang.pdf LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Abrdn Plc, a British investment company, on Friday said it will sell around 40 million shares, from its shareholding in Phoenix Group Holdings Plc (PHNX.L), an insurance service provider, to institutional investors. The price per placing share will be fixed by an accelerated book-building process to institutional investors facilitated by Goldman Sachs. The book-building may be closed at any time and the results of the placing will be announced as soon as practicable thereafter, the company said in a statement. With the move, Abrdn intends to return the net proceeds of the transaction to its shareholders. The investment firm currently owns 144.1 million shares in Phoenix, which represents around 14.4 percent of Phoenix's issued share capital. Following completion of the sale, Abrdn's holding will represent approximately 10.4 percent of Phoenix's issued share capital. Despite the move, the Edinburgh-headquartered investment company will continue to appoint a director to Phoenix's Board. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. HIROSHIMA, Japan, Jan 28, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Mazda Motor Corporation's production and sales results for December 2021 and for January through December 2021 are summarized below.I. Production1. Domestic Production(1) December 2021Mazda's domestic production volume in December 2021 decreased 0.5% year on year due to decreased production of passenger vehicles.[Domestic production of key models in December 2021]CX-5: 39,548 units (up 23.6% year on year)MAZDA3: 9,689 units (down 34.4%)CX-9: 6,829 units (up 35.4%)(2) January through December 2021Mazda's total domestic production volume in the period from January through December 2021 decreased 1.5% year on year due to decreased production of passenger and commercial vehicles.[Domestic production of key models in the period from January through December 2021]CX-5: 322,982 units (up 3.4% year on year)MAZDA3: 101,393 units (down 9.5%)CX-30: 70,744 units (down 1.8%)2. Overseas Production(1) December 2021Mazda's overseas production volume in December 2021 decreased 37.7% year on year, reflecting decreased production of passenger and commercial vehicles.[Overseas production of key models in December 2021]MAZDA3: 6,591 units (down 26.1% year on year)CX-30: 6,266 units (down 39.0%)MAZDA2: 3,116 units (down 38.6%)(2) January through December 2021Mazda's total overseas production volume in the period from January through December 2021 decreased 20.7% year on year due to decreased production of passenger and commercial vehicles.[Overseas production of key models in the period from January through December 2021]CX-30: 116,748 units (down 6.9% year on year)MAZDA3: 109,482 units (down 0.9%)MAZDA2: 43,604 units (down 22.0%)II. Domestic Sales(1) December 2021Mazda's domestic sales volume in December 2021 increased 9.7% year on year due to increased sales of passenger vehicles.Mazda's registered vehicle market share was 5.6% (up 1.3 points year on year), with a 1.6% share of the micro-mini segment (down 0.2 points) and a 4.2% total market share (up 0.8 points).[Domestic sales of key models in December 2021]CX-5: 3,251 units (up 45.7% year on year)MAZDA2: 2,329 units (up 31.6%)CX-30: 1,971 units (up 66.9%)(2) January through December 2021Mazda's domestic sales volume in the period from January through December 2021 decreased 11.2% year on year due to decreased sales of passenger and commercial vehicles.Mazda's registered vehicle market share was 4.5% (down 0.4 points), with a 1.9% share of the micro-mini segment (down 0.2 points) and a 3.5% total market share (down 0.4 points year on year).[Domestic sales of key models in the period from January through December 2021]MAZDA2: 24,659 units (down 13.4% year on year)CX-5: 22,414 units (down 7.4%)CX-30: 19,338 units (down 28.3%)III. Exports(1) December 2021Mazda's export volume in December 2021 increased 14.4% year on year due to increased shipments to North America and Europe.[Exports of key models in December 2021]CX-5: 37,794 units (up 22.5% year on year)MAZDA3: 13,115 units (up 63.2%)CX-9: 9,278 units (up 85.8%)(2) January through December 2021Mazda's export volume in the period from January through December 2021 increased 1.9% year on year due to increased shipments to Oceania and other regions.[Exports of key models in the period from January through December 2021]CX-5: 298,981 units (up 3.8% year on year)MAZDA3: 89,768 units (up 1.2%)CX-9: 55,377 units (up 15.7%)IV. Global Sales(1) December 2021Mazda's global sales volume in December 2021 decreased 28.8% year on year due to decreased sales in the U.S., China, Europe and other regions.[Global sales of key models in December 2021]CX-5: 28,184 units (down 29.2% year on year)MAZDA3: 17,964 units (down 19.8%)CX-30: 17,922 units (down 0.8%)(2) January through December 2021Mazda's global sales volume in the period from January through December 2021 increased 3.6% year on year due to increased sales in the U.S, Europe and other regions.[Global sales of key models in the period from January through December 2021]CX-5: 381,800 units (up 5.7% year on year)MAZDA3: 234,485 units (down 2.1%)CX-30: 222,617 units (up 24.4%)For more information, visit https://newsroom.mazda.com/en/publicity/release/2022/202201/220128a.html.Source: MazdaCopyright 2022 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. Most of the deployed capacity comes from utility scale solar plants selected in the country's tender scheme for renewables.Russia registered a newly installed PV capacity of 233 MW last year, which means the country reached a cumulative installed solar power capacity of over 2 GW at the end of December. "This capacity matches with Russia's first incentive program started in 2014 and that is set to end in 2024," Anton Usachev, president of the Russian Solar Energy Association, told pv magazine. "Apart from grid-connected PV, off-grid solar installations totaling 17 MW were also deployed last ... Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. (NYSE: FSM) (TSX: FVI) regrets to report that a fatality involving a worker employed by the Company occurred yesterday at the Lindero Mine located in Salta, Argentina. The unfortunate accident occurred at the conveyor stacking system and there were no other injuries associated with the incident. The Company has notified the appropriate government and local authorities and an investigation to determine the cause of the accident is currently underway. Stacking activities at the heap leach pad have been temporarily suspended for approximately 48 hours and the operation is also taking a safety stop for a day. The Company will provide support, assistance and counseling to the worker's family as they go through this difficult time. Jorge A. Ganoza, President, CEO and Director of Fortuna, commented, "On behalf of Fortuna, we would like to extend our utmost sincere thoughts and sympathies to the worker's family, friends and colleagues during this time." Mr. Ganoza added, "The health and safety for everyone at our mine sites is our highest priority and we are committed to maintaining our objective of zero harm." About Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. is a Canadian precious metals mining company with four operating mines in Argentina, Burkina Faso, Mexico and Peru, and a fifth mine under construction in Cote d'Ivoire. Sustainability is integral to all our operations and relationships. We produce gold and silver and generate shared value over the long-term for our stakeholders through efficient production, environmental protection, and social responsibility. For more information, please visit our website (https://fortunasilver.com/). ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Jorge A. Ganoza President, CEO and Director Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. Investor Relations: Carlos Baca | info@fortunasilver.com (mailto:info@fortunasilver.com) GLASGOW, Scotland, Jan. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- XRdoge has announced a brand new utility project. It is going from meme coin to green coin. Since it burst onto the scene last year, XRdoge has already added utility to its memetics - a web payment portal and DEX interface. Now XRdoge is tapping into one of the fastest growing crypto markets - the green revolution. XRdoge: Come for the memes; stay for the utility. XRdoge is transforming into the green meme coin. The new green utility project will automate householders' carbon offset requirements. Using an innovative, patent-pending hardware device, with XRdoge as the intermediary utility token, the customer will be able to transfer real world value and offset their carbon footprint. Raymond Thomson, Co-Founder of XRdoge: "The goal is for the XRdoge cryptocurrency to serve as a bridge of utility and value between a patented hardware device in the home, and real world carbon offsetting programmes. "The automated system will make being green hassle-free. And the memes will make the process fun and engaging. Being green doesn't have to be boring!" Whilst some coins remain forever meme coins. And some utility coins forget the importance of memes in capturing the consumer's imagination, XRdoge has been leading the way in a new synthesis of memes and utility. Raymond Thomson, Co-Founder of XRdoge: "XRdoge used memes to create a strong base in global crypto world, now we will use our memetic base to show how XRdoge's utility can help transform the world." With the hardware patent pending, and new green carbon offsetting partnerships to be announced shortly, XRdoge seems to be carving out a unique space in the cryptosphere - using memes and utility to make the world a greener and better place. When asked why XRdoge decided to build their cryptocurrency on the XRP Ledger network, Raymond Thomson said: "The XRP Ledger network is already one of the fastest and greenest crypto networks. Compared to Bitcoin and Ethereum tokens, the carbon footprint for transactions is tiny. This made it the perfect network for XRdoge to help bring about the green revolution." XRdoge is a token built on the decentralised, public, XRP Ledger. For further details on the new XRdoge green utility project see the whitepaper. For further details on the full XRdoge project see the website. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1735752/XRdoge.jpg Contact: Victoria Pallot +44 (0)7797 777051 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Oil prices rose on Friday and headed for a sixth weekly gain amid concerns of tight supplies. Brent crude futures for April delivery rose 17 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $88.34 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures for March settlement were up 32 cents, or 0.4 percent, at $86.93, after having reached a seven-year high earlier in the session. Brent oil prices moved above long-term resistance level after Russia said it was clear the United States was not willing to address its main security concerns in their standoff over Ukraine. Both sides kept the door open to further dialogue, but big gaps remain. Russia is not rejecting the U.S. and NATO responses out of hand. Washington says it and its allies hope Russia will study their responses and come back to the negotiating table. 'We are unified, unified in our preference for diplomacy. But we are also unified in our resolve that if Moscow rejects our offer of dialogue, the costs must be swift and severe,' U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland told reporters. Supply is expected to remain tight as major producers continue their policy of limited output increases amid rising fuel demand. The OPEC+ is expected to stick to its current agreement to raise monthly production by 400,000 barrels at the Feb. 2 meeting. Meanwhile, analysts say that crude oil imports in China, the world's biggest importer of the commodity, could rebound by 6-7 percent this year, reversing 2021's rare decline. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. DGAP Post-admission Duties announcement: Haier Smart Home Co.,Ltd. / Third country release according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 of the WpHG [the German Securities Trading Act] Haier Smart Home Co.,Ltd.: Announcement on the Change in Share Capital of H-Share 28.01.2022 / 11:43 Dissemination of a Post-admission Duties announcement according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 WpHG transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Third country release according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 of the WpHG Announcement on the Change in Share Capital of H-Share Qingdao / Shanghai / Frankfurt / Hongkong, 28 January 2022 - Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. (the "Company" or "Haier Smart Home", D-share 690D.DE, A-share 600690.SH, H-share 06690.HK) published an announcement on the Shanghai Stock Exchange with regard to the Change in Share Capital of H-Share. The details are set out as follows: Conversion status of H-share related convertible bonds: From 1 January to 28 January 2022, a cumulative amount of HKD 60,000,000 H-share related convertible bonds were converted into H-shares of the Company, and the cumulative number of H-shares formed as a result of the conversion was 3,229,278 shares, accounting for 0.03% of the total share capital of the Company before the conversion of H-share related convertible bonds in this month. As of 28 January 2022, a cumulative amount of HKD 7,654,000,000 H-share related convertible bonds were converted into H-shares of the Company, and the cumulative number of H-shares formed as a result of the conversion was 406,440,167 shares, accounting for 4.31% of the total share capital of the Company before the conversion of H-share related convertible bonds in this month. Status of outstanding convertible bonds: As of 28 January 2022, the amount of H-share related convertible bonds not yet converted was HKD 339,000,000, accounting for 4.24% of the total number of H-share related convertible bonds issued. I. Background of the issuance and listing of convertible bonds On 27 October 2020, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) issued the Approval of Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. to Issue Overseas Listed Foreign Shares and Convertible Corporate Bonds (CSRC License [2020] No. 2768), approving: (1) Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the "Company") to issue not more than 2,856,526,138 overseas listed foreign shares (including additional shares issued upon exercise of conversion rights by holders of convertible bonds of not more than HKD 8 billion or equivalent in foreign currencies), with a par value of RMB 1 per share, all of which are ordinary shares. Upon completion of this issuance, the Company may list on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (hereinafter referred to as "HKSE"); (2) The Company's wholly-owned overseas subsidiaries, guaranteed by the Company, will issue overseas corporate bonds not exceeding HKD 8 billion or its equivalent in foreign currency convertible into overseas listed foreign shares of the Company (hereinafter referred to as "H-share convertible bonds"). On 23 December 2020, 2,448,279,814 H-shares of the Company were listed and traded on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited and the relevant exchangeable bonds to convertible bonds program became effective and operational after the listing, the total amount of effective H-share convertible bonds was HKD 7,993,000,000. II. Changes in Share Capital From 21 January 2022 (being the date of the latest shareholding structure change, details of which have been disclosed in the announcement dated 21 January 2022 in relation to the completion of new H-shares under general mandate) to 28 January 2022, the changes in the Company's share capital were as follows: Class of shares Before the changes 21 January 2022 Number of the current changes (shares) After the changes 28 January 2022 Number of shares (shares) Proportion Number of convertible bonds to shares Number of shares (shares) Proportion Listed domestic shares (A-shares) 6,308,552,654 66.83% - 6,308,552,654 66.80% Overseas-listed shares (D-shares) 271,013,973 2.87% - 271,013,973 2.87% Overseas-listed shares (H-shares) 2,860,551,503 30.30% +3,229,278 2,863,780,781 30.33% Total number of shares 9,440,118,130 100.00% +3,229,278 9,443,347,408 100.00% Note: This Announcement has been prepared in both Chinese and English. Should there be any discrepancies or misunderstandings between the two versions, the Chinese version shall prevail. IR Contact: Haier Smart Home Hong Kong T: +852 2169 0000 Email: ir@haier.hk Press Contact: CROSS ALLIANCE communication GmbH Sven Pauly Sara Pinto sp@crossalliance.de T: +49 (0) 89 1250903 35 About Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd.: Haier is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household appliances with a focus on smart home solutions and customized mass production. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. develops, produces and distributes a wide range of household appliances. These include refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, air conditioners, water heaters, kitchen appliances as well as smaller household appliances and an extensive range of intelligent household appliances. The Company distributes its products through leading household brands such as Haier, Casarte, Leader, Candy, GE Appliances, AQUA and Fisher & Paykel. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. has launched Smart Home Experiential Cloud, which connects homes, users, enterprises and ecosystem partners, and facilitates the integration of Haier's online, offline and micro-store businesses and supports user interaction to further optimize the user experience. 28.01.2022 The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - United Airlines has opened its flight training school, United Aviate Academy, to bring out new pilots with a view to mainly empower women and people of color. The institute's first class of students is 80 percent women or people of color. This outpaces the airline's earlier goal to train about 5,000 new pilots at the school by 2030 with at least half being women or people of color. In a statement, the only major U.S. airline to own a flight school said the Academy expects to train at least 500 students annually. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 5.6 percent of pilots are women and 6 percent are people of color. Earning a commercial pilot's license in the U.S. can cost about $100,000, while an Airline Transport Pilot requires 1,500 hours of flight time. United has teamed with its credit card partner, JPMorgan Chase & Co., to renew last year's commitment to fund nearly $2.4 million in scholarships to support those who are accepted to the Academy. Many organizations, including the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, Sisters of the Skies, the Latino Pilots Association and the Professional Asian Pilots Association, help the company select the applicants to receive the scholarships and grants funded by United and JPMorgan Chase. United Aviate Academy's first class is taking a year-long training program. Following this, they can work within the Aviate pilot development ecosystem at partner universities, professional flight training organizations and United Express carriers on their way to becoming United pilots. The 340,000 square-foot United Aviate Academy facility at Phoenix Goodyear Airport has leased a fleet of late-model Cirrus SR-20 series single-engine aircraft, which feature advanced safety characteristics. The academy has nearly 50,000 square feet of office space, and multiple aircraft hangars. United currently has about 12,000 pilots. Captains of United's Boeing 787s and 777s can earn more than $350,000 per year. Last summer, the company had launched its United Next strategy to introduce more than 500 new, narrow-body aircraft into its fleet to match the anticipated resurgence in air travel. United plans to hire at least 10,000 new pilots by 2030 to meet this need with about 5,000 of those coming from United Aviate Academy. According to aviation consulting firm Oliver Wyman, a worldwide pilot shortage of 34,000 aviators is expected by 2025. United has recently announced a goal to create 25,000 unionized jobs by 2026 that includes careers as pilots, flight attendants, agents, technicians, and dispatchers. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX UNITED AIRLINES-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de CHENGDU, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition of antiques from six Asian countries opened to the public free of charge Friday in Sichuan Museum in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province. Titled The Splendor of Asia: An Exhibition of Ancient Asian Civilizations, the exhibition demonstrates the stupendous Asian civilizations with 270 pieces or sets of cultural relics from China, Pakistan, Syria, Japan, Cambodia, and Lebanon. This exhibition is divided into three units themed respectively on the civilization of Mesopotamia, the civilization of the Indus and Ganges Rivers, and the civilization of the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers. The Department of Archaeology and Museums of Pakistan provided a number of precious cultural relics such as painted pottery pots, bronze oil lamps, and Gandhara Buddha statues for the exhibition, allowing Chinese visitors to understand the long and splendid ancient civilization of Pakistan. "This exhibition connects three major civilizations that originated in river basins in Asia, reflecting the Asian culture that features geographical proximity, cultural affinity, harmony, and difference," said Xie Dan, deputy director of Sichuan Museum. The exhibition will last until the end of March. - The positive opinion is based on the landmark EMPEROR-Preserved Phase III trial, which showed significant outcomes in patients with heart failure with left ventricular ejection fraction over 40%1 If approved, Jardiance would be the first and only clinically proven treatment approved for all adults with symptomatic chronic heart failure including those with preserved ejection fraction Heart failure is a leading cause of hospitalization in Europe.2 Its prevalence is increasing, and it is estimated to affect over 60 million people worldwide.3 The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has granted a positive opinion recommending Jardiance (empagliflozin) for the treatment of adults with symptomatic chronic heart failure, Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company announced today.1 Empagliflozin was previously approved for the treatment of adults with symptomatic chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).4 If approved, the positive opinion would expand this indication to be applicable for adults across the full spectrum of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), including preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220127005861/en/ "For the very first time, we now have a treatment that will improve clinical results across the full spectrum of heart failure patients regardless of ejection fraction," said Professor Stefan Anker, Heart Failure Cardiologist at Charite Berlin, Germany, and EMPEROR-Preserved Principal Investigator. "Half of all heart failure patients are those with a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. They suffer symptomatically and have poor outcomes due to the absence of any approved beneficial therapies. Today's positive opinion of EMA is a significant step forward in redefining clinical practice and will provide an additional lifeline to the millions of patients in Europe diagnosed with HFpEF." The positive opinion is based on results from the landmark EMPEROR-Preserved Phase III trial, which investigated the effect of empagliflozin 10 mg compared with placebo once-daily, both added to standard of care, in 5,988 adults with heart failure with LVEF over 40%.5 In the trial, empagliflozin demonstrated an impressive 21% relative risk reduction (3.3% absolute risk reduction, 0.79 HR, 0.69-0.90 95% CI) for the composite primary endpoint of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure. The benefit was regardless of ejection fraction or diabetes status.5 "We are delighted with the CHMP's decision to recommend empagliflozin as a treatment for adults with chronic heart failure," said Waheed Jamal, M.D., Corporate Vice President and Head of CardioMetabolic Medicine, Boehringer Ingelheim. "Understanding of the interconnected cardio, renal and metabolic systems enabled us to broaden from diabetes to heart failure, following the science to provide solutions to medicine's greatest challenge. We are proud to provide renewed hope to underserved patients, underscored by the unprecedented clinical benefit seen in the EMPEROR-Preserved clinical trial." "Today's positive opinion addresses the single largest unmet need in cardiovascular medicine, confirming the potential of empagliflozin across the full spectrum of ejection fraction. We are committed to ongoing research in these underserved areas, and look forward to the results from the EMPA-KIDNEY trial, exploring the potential of empagliflozin in chronic kidney disease," continued Jeff Emmick, M.D., Ph.D., Vice President, Product Development, Lilly. The EMPEROR-Preserved trial is part of the EMPOWER clinical program, the broadest and most comprehensive of any SGLT2 inhibitor, exploring the impact of empagliflozin on the lives of people across the spectrum of cardio-renal-metabolic conditions. ENDS About the EMPEROR heart failure clinical trials6,7 The EMPEROR (EMPagliflozin outcomE tRial in patients with chrOnic heaRt failure) chronic heart failure trials were two Phase III, randomized, double-blind trials that investigated once-daily empagliflozin compared to placebo in adults with chronic HFrEF or HFpEF, with or without diabetes: EMPEROR-Reduced [NCT03057977] investigated the safety and efficacy of empagliflozin in patients with chronic HFrEF. Primary endpoint: time to first event of adjudicated cardiovascular death or adjudicated hospitalization for heart failure Number of patients: 3,730 Completion: 2020 [NCT03057977] investigated the safety and efficacy of empagliflozin in patients with chronic HFrEF. EMPEROR-Preserved [NCT03057951] investigated the safety and efficacy of empagliflozin in patients with chronic HFpEF. Primary endpoint: time to first event of adjudicated cardiovascular death or adjudicated hospitalization for heart failure Number of patients: 5,988 Completion: 2021 [NCT03057951] investigated the safety and efficacy of empagliflozin in patients with chronic HFpEF. About the EMPOWER program The Alliance has developed the EMPOWER program to explore the impact of empagliflozin on major clinical cardiovascular and renal outcomes in a spectrum of cardio-renal-metabolic conditions. Cardio-renal-metabolic conditions are the leading cause of mortality worldwide and account for up to 20 million deaths annually.8 Through the EMPOWER program, Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly are working to advance knowledge of these interconnected systems and create care which offers integrated, multi-organ benefits. Comprised of nine clinical trials and two real-world evidence studies, EMPOWER reinforces the long-term commitment of the Alliance to improve outcomes for people living with cardio-renal-metabolic conditions. With more than 400,000 adults enrolled worldwide in clinical trials, it is one of the broadest and most comprehensive clinical programs for an SGLT2 inhibitor to date. About Heart Failure Heart failure is a progressive, debilitating and potentially fatal condition that occurs when the heart cannot supply adequate circulation to meet the body's demands for oxygenated blood, or to do so, requires increased blood volume leading to fluid accumulation (congestion) in the lungs and peripheral tissues.9,10 It is a widespread condition affecting over 60 million people worldwide and expected to increase as the population ages. 3,11 Heart failure is highly prevalent in people with diabetes; however, approximately half of all people with heart failure do not have diabetes.12,13 About cardio-renal-metabolic conditions Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly are driven to transform care for people with cardio-renal-metabolic conditions, a group of interconnected disorders that affect more than one billion people worldwide and are a leading cause of death.11,14 The cardiovascular, renal and metabolic systems are interconnected, and share many of the same risk factors and pathological pathways along the disease continuum. Dysfunction in one system may accelerate the onset of others, resulting in progression of interconnected diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, heart failure, and kidney disease, which in turn leads to an increased risk of cardiovascular death. Conversely, improvements in one system can lead to positive effects throughout the others. 14,15,16 Through our research and treatments, our goal is to support people's health, restoring the balance between the interconnected cardio-renal-metabolic systems and reducing their risk of serious complications. As part of our commitment to those whose health is jeopardized by cardio-renal-metabolic conditions, we will continue embracing a multidisciplinary approach towards care and focusing our resources on filling treatment gaps. About empagliflozin Empagliflozin (marketed as Jardiance) is an oral, once-daily, highly selective sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor and the first type 2 diabetes medicine to include cardiovascular death risk reduction data in its label in several countries.17,18 Please click on the following link for 'Notes to Editors' and 'References' https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/human-health/heart-diseases/heart-failure/emperor-preserved-chmp-positive-opinion View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220127005861/en/ Contacts: Stefanie Molkenthin Boehringer Ingelheim Email: press@boehringer-ingelheim.com Phone: +49 (6132) 77 172 209 Stephan Thalen Eli Lilly and Company Email: stephan.thalen@lilly.com Phone: (317) 903-5640 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 28, 2022) - Graph Blockchain Inc. (CSE: GBLC) (OTC Pink: REGRF) (FSE: RT5A) (the "Company" or "Graph ") is pleased to announce that further to its press release dated January 24, 2022, the Company has completed its acquisition Niftable Inc. ("Nifable"), a charity focused non-fungible token ("NFT") company. Niftable now is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Graph. Niftable connects charities and artists to the NFT world providing a platform and expertise for the sale and post-sale NFTs on behalf of charities. Pursuant to the Share Exchange Agreement (the "Exchange Agreement") between the Company, Niftable, and the shareholders of Niftable, the purchase price of $2,600,000 was satisfied through the issuance of an aggregate of 52,000,000 Consideration Shares (the "Shares") in the capital of the Company, at a deemed price of $0.05 per Share. Issuance of the Shares was subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals including, without limitation, the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") and other conditions, and will be subject to any statutory hold periods under applicable securities legislation. Michael Yeung, Founder and President of Niftable, commented, "While NFTs were created to give artists management over their work, this has generated a flurry for art collectors looking to participate. As NFT art speculation increases, a growing number of charities have begun to explore fundraising efforts tied to NFTs. Niftables marries the charities with artists as a way to both reach a broader audience. We are excited to be joining the Graph family of companies adding another element of NFTs to their business." "Graph's acquisition of Niftable provides us exposure to the charity NFT market, with hundreds of thousands registered charities globally, and will benefit artists to digitally showcase their talents and give them a segue into the world of charities," said Paul Haber, Chief Executive Officer of the Company. About Niftable Inc. Niftable's core business is to connect charities and their artists to the NFT (non-fungible token) world. Niftable provides the expertise and execution of NFTs from the creation of the NFT to the sale and post-sale of NFTs on behalf of their charity clients. Most charities rely on volunteers and lack expertise in the emerging NFT world and that is where Niftable fills that void. Additional information on Niftable is available at www.niftable.org About Graph Blockchain Inc. Graph Blockchain provides shareholders with exposure to various areas of Decentralized Finance (DeFI). Focusing on altcoins through its wholly-owned subsidiaries Babbage Mining Corp., a Proof of Stake ("POS") miner, and Beyond the Moon Inc. an IDO focused company, Graph gives investors exposure to the vast emerging market of cryptocurrencies with the significant technological disruption and potential gains altcoins represent. In addition, through its investment in New World, Graph is providing its shareholders with exposure to the rapidly growing and emerging NFT market. Additional information on the Company is available at www.graphblockchain.com www.newworldinc.io and www.niftable.org For further information, please contact: Investor Relations Jamie Hyland Phone: 604.442.2425 Email: jamie@graphblockchain.com Media Relations Joshua Greenwald / Kristin Cwalinski Phone: 646.379.7971 / 603.475.3550 Email: gblc@kcsa.com Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not historical in nature may constitute forward-looking statements. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the continued growth of the blockchain market. Forward-looking information in this news release is based on certain assumptions and expected future events. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the potential inability of the Company to continue as a going concern; the potential inability of Niftable to continue as a going concern; the risks associated with the blockchain industry in general; increased competition in the blockchain market; the potential future unviability of the blockchain in general. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions, or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results, or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. ### To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/111908 Last year, Yili embarked upon a new journey and achieved the best operating performance ever Yili has achieved high-quality development and rewarded its employees, the industry chain and society HUHHOT, China, Jan. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 25, 2022, Yili held its 2021 annual meeting online. More than 100,000 participants gathered at this XR-based futuristic online meeting, including Yili employees, their families, and partners from around the world. Pan Gang, Chairman and President of Yili Group, said, "With love for a healthy life, we will keep bringing more products of nutrition and health to customers worldwide by continuous innovation, and bringing warmth and love to people in need by doing good. With love for our career, we will let our staff feel more of a sense of fulfillment and happiness by helping them grow, we will join hands with our partners in the industry chain to open an era of greater prosperity by keeping moving forward." Yili's rapid growth benefits its employees With continued efforts to support the professional development of its employees, Yili has established a system covering talent cultivation and employee care. This provides an effective platform for individual employees' development, extensive training resources, and a well-developed reward mechanism. Over 100 awards were granted at this meeting to outstanding employees and teams, recognizing their achievements in talent cultivation, process building, safe production, quality management, and innovations. On top of base pay and merit pay, Yili provided more than RMB 1.2 billion in employee incentives throughout 2021. Yili is also dedicated to offering diversified career paths for its employees. It provided growth and development opportunities for over 2,000 employees last year alone. Yili boosts common prosperity throughout the industrial chain As one of the top five players in the global dairy industry, Yili has been advancing its technological upgrading and fostering value chains in the industry to facilitate the continued development of its upstream and downstream partners, both technologically and financially. Yili has also helped over five million dairy farmers to raise their incomes and improve their livelihoods. As of December 31, 2021, Yili had invested RMB 90 billion in financing 8,590 of its upstream and downstream partners in the industrial chain, with RMB 7.596 billion extended in 2021. With the aim of jointly building the Global Health Ecosystem and serving consumers worldwide, Yili invested approximately RMB 100 million in rewarding its outstanding dealers at the Top Partners Conference 2022. Currently, Yili has teamed up with partners in 33 countries across five continents. Yili supports public welfare to help improve people's lives Over the years, Yili has always fulfilled its social responsibilities. By the end of 2021, the "Yili Nutrition 2030" project had covered 12,000 Chinese schools, with a total investment of more than RMB 92 million, benefiting nearly 700,000 children. In addition, with the aim of ensuring children's safety, the "Yili Ark" project had covered 25 provinces and cities across the country, benefiting 300,000 children, teachers and parents. Yili is also committed to promoting the development of a green industrial chain. Yili recently received a carbon neutral verification statement from Bureau Veritas, marking the first such verification in the local dairy industry. Its industry-leading practices around realizing peak emissions and carbon neutrality were also featured as the only case study from the food and agriculture sector in the United Nations Global Compact's Corporate Net Zero Pathway. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1736072/Pan_Gang_addresses_the_2021_annual_meeting_online.jpg DUBLIN (dpa-AFX) - Ireland's retail sales declined at a faster pace in December, figures from the Central Statistics Office showed on Friday. The volume of retail sales decreased a seasonally adjusted 3.2 percent month-on-month in December, after a 0.3 percent fall in November. Sales of electrical goods decreased 22.5 percent monthly in December and those of clothing and footwear fell by 11.3 percent. Retail sales fell 2.2 percent year-on-year in December, after a 14.4 percent rise in the previous month. Excluding automobile trade, the volume of retail sales declined by 3.1 percent monthly and rose 0.3 percent yearly in December. The retail sales value rose 3.7 percent annually in December and declined 2.9 percent from the previous month. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Eczacibasi-Monrol Nuclear Products Co. (Monrol) has today announced it has signed an agreement with Curium Netherlands B.V (Curium) to license its GMP grade medical radioisotope, no-carrier-added 177Lu (n.c.a. 177Lu) cutting-edge production technology LuMagic. This agreement will enable transfer of relevant equipment and supply from Monrol to Curium. Monrol is one of the few producers of Lutetium-177 n.c.a worldwide, having uninterrupted worldwide supply capabilities. Monrol Lu-177 n.c.a production process is an exclusive processing technology having cleaner and safer production method with stable isotope enrichment capability. Curium planning to manufacture the product Lu-177 n.c.a in its Petten production facility, Netherlands. This licence is offering significant opportunities both for Curium; one of the world's largest nuclear medicine companies and Monrol; a company which develops, manufactures, and distributes world-class radiopharmaceutical products, radioisotopes to improve quality of life of cancer patients globally. Lutetium-177 n.c.a is a radioisotope of choice for targeted radionuclide therapy. Lu-177 n.c.a production process enables treatment options that have the potential to improve treatment outcomes for certain cancer patients today and more potential treatment options in future under clinical development. Unique properties of Lutetium-177 n.c.a makes it a theranostically desirable radioisotope for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) to treat certain cancers like Neuro Endocrine Tumors (NET) and Prostate cancer. In line with our mission to improve the quality of life of cancer patients globally, Monrol is establishing strategic partnerships with multinational pharmaceutical companies and constructing a new production facility compliant with FDA 21 CFR Part 211 quality standards which will have an annual production capacity of 60 thousand doses. With its location close to Istanbul's transportation hub, the new facility will benefit from a worldwide logistics network and agreements with cargo services to 320 destinations worldwide. "Lu-177 n.c.a contributes to our mission to improve quality of life of cancer patients globally. Our new GMP certified facility exclusively designed for theranostic R&D and production with cutting edge technology will enable us to maximize supply of high-quality Lutetium. We are committed to working closely with Curium to potentially bring new therapeutic radiopharmaceutical agents into market soon to improve patients' lives having life threatening diseases" said Monrol General Manager Aydin Kucuk". John Sylvester CEO of Curium's SPECT and International businesses commented "We are delighted with Monrol as a technology partner, after extensive benchmarking this technology gave both the highest quality product with the most efficient process, as it is already proven and 'plug and play' in nature the time to market will be very short". About Monrol Monrol is one of the world's largest nuclear medicine companies leading innovation for the development and manufacturing of GMP grade radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals having headquarters in Istanbul. Monrol is distributing its world-class radiopharmaceutical products portfolio with excellence in global markets. Monrol is a CDMO, providing early development support to its customers as well as offering fully integrated services for today's nimble, lean, virtual companies effectively taking new product concepts into clinical trials and demonstrating proof of concept and going into first-in-human studies. Monrol is committed to transform and improve patient journey in cancer treatment with its radiopharmaceutical products portfolio distributing to more than 50 countries around the globe. To learn more, visit www.monrol.com About Curium Curium is the world's largest nuclear medicine company. We develop, manufacture and distribute world-class radiopharmaceutical products to help patients around the globe. Our proven heritage combined with a pioneering approach are the hallmarks to deliver innovation, excellence and unparalleled service. With manufacturing facilities across Europe and the United States, Curium delivers SPECT, PET and therapeutic radiopharmaceutical solutions for life-threatening diseases to over 14 million patients annually. The name 'Curium' honors the legacy of pioneering radioactive materials researchers Marie and Pierre Curie, after whom the radioactive element curium was named and emphasizes our focus on nuclear medicine. To learn more, visit www.curiumpharma.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220128005174/en/ Contacts: Eczacibasi Monrol Mr. Aydin Kucuk General Manager Email: aydin.kucuk@monrol.com PARIS (dpa-AFX) - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (REGN), and French drug maker Sanofi, said Friday that they voluntarily withdrew the supplemental Biologics License Application or sBLA, filed for Libtayo or Cemiplimab-rwlc, as a second-line treatment for advanced cervical cancer. The move follows after the both parties and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were not able to align on certain post-marketing studies. However, the discussions on the drug are continuing with regulatory authorities outside of the U.S. 'Libtayo is a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting the immune checkpoint receptor PD-1 on T-cells. By binding to PD-1, Libtayo has been shown to block cancer cells from using the PD-1 pathway to suppress T-cell activation,' the companies said in a joint statement. Libtayo is currently prescribed for certain patients with advanced basal cell carcinoma (BCC), advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC), and advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The drug is also currently being investigated in trials as a monotherapy, as well as in combination with either conventional or novel therapeutic approaches for other solid tumors and blood cancers. However, the companies added that these potential uses are investigational, and their safety and efficacy have not been evaluated by any regulatory authority. Libtayo was invented using Regeneron's proprietary VelocImmune technology, is being jointly developed by Regeneron and Sanofi under a global collaboration. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. IRVINE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / January 28, 2022 / CardieX Limited (ASX:CDX)(OTC PINK:CDEXF) ("CardieX" or the "Company",) a global health-technology company and world leader in medical devices and digital solutions that target vascular and arterial health, today announce that it has retained Integrous Communications ("Integrous") as its investor relations advisor. Integrous will lead the Company's financial communications and strategic investor relations initiatives for North America. "We are excited to be partnering with Integrous to expand our investor audience in North America," stated Craig Cooper, Chief Executive Officer of CardieX. "As we focus on our large North American client orders, associated revenue growth, and new product launches, we look forward to sharing our milestones with an expanding institutional investor audience. Integrous' experience, relationships and expertise provides us with the partner we need to communicate growth initiatives to the world's largest capital markets audience." "We are pleased to be serving CardieX's communications and investor relations needs," stated Benjamin Jacobson, III, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Integrous Communications. "CardieX's product line of patented, FDA-approved devices for consumers and healthcare providers that monitor hypertension, arterial stiffness, and other vascular health disorders like stroke, Alzheimer's, and kidney disease, are the kind of disruptive and innovative medical technologies that the North American investor audience is seeking. We look forward to assisting management with all aspects of their communications and investor relations strategies." About CardieX CardieX is a global health technology company. Its ACTOR subsidiary is a world leader in medical devices and digital solutions for hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and other vascular health disorders. Its CONNEQT subsidiary develops and markets consumer home health devices and wearables. CardieX is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX:CDX). Additional information is available at https://cardiex.com/ About Integrous Communications Integrous Communications is an independent communications and investor relations consulting firm providing a single source solution for financial, corporate governance, applied technology, and integrated corporate communications services. Headquartered in North America with offices in Austin, Texas, New York area, California, Vancouver and Alberta, Canada, the firm's diverse team of professionals has more than 100 years of combined experience. Integrous serves both domestic and international clients, including companies listed on the U.S., Canadian, Australian and European exchanges. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements. The words "believe," "expect," "should," "intend," "estimate," "projects," variations of such words and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not a forward-looking statement. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Company's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements are risks that are detailed in the Company's filings. Contact Mathew Selinger Managing Director Integrous Communications Tel: 415-572-8152 mselinger@integcom.us SOURCE: CardieX Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/685991/CardieX-Engages-Integrous-Communications-as-North-American-Investor-Relations-Advisor HIGHLIGHTS Drilling underway at Eastmain testing both brownfield and greenfield targets 25,000m of drilling planned for first 6 months (Q1 and Q2) of 2022 Follow up infill and extensional drilling of NW Zone from areas which previously returned: 7.8m at 8.7g/t gold including 1.0m at 32.6g/t gold (EM21-146) 5.5m at 6.1g/t gold including 1.5m at 19.2g/t gold (83CH029) 6.0m at 3.6g/t gold including 1.0m at 10.2g/t gold (EM21-145) 6.0 at 3.3g/t gold including 2.0m at 9.3g/t gold (EM17-126) 3.0m at 5.2g/t gold including 1.0m at 15.0g/t gold (EM21-159) Placer Lake electromagnetic conductors, spread out over 2km of strike modelled from 2021 winter survey, to be drilled in early February. Historical rock chips sample from the Placer Lake area returned: 8.3 g/t gold, 2.7 % copper and 7.3 g/t silver Drilling of DHEM conductors at Michel, modelled from the 2021 winter survey, to be undertaken this winter to follow up historical drill intercepts of: 0.8m at 13.9g/t gold, 0.5m at 11.8g/t gold and 0.91m at 4.1g/t gold (EM10-13) 1.0m at 8.2g/t gold, 2.2m at 1.4 g/t gold (EM10-12) Drilling in the Julien area is underway on targets defined using IP chargeability and following up on historical results of: 10.5m at 42.4 g/t gold and 1.5m at 6.0g/t gold (EM16-76) 1.1m at 80.6 g/t gold (EM17-107) 10.75m at 5.5 g/t gold (EM16-93) 0.5m at 46.8 g/t gold (EM17-101) Ground electromagnetics (TDEM - Crone Deep) over strong VTEM anomalies located south of the Eastmain Mine (Southern Anomalies) are underway. Assays for lithium spodumene pegmatite samples taken last September from Ruby Hill West still pending, following up on historical samples of: 4.72%Li 2 O , 1720 ppm Rb (>100ppm Ta, >500ppm Cs) 2.15% Li 2 O , 990 ppm Rb (>100ppm Ta, >500ppm Cs) 1.97% Li 2 O , 3660 ppm Rb (>100ppm Ta, >500ppm Cs) 1.10% Li 2 O , 710 ppm Rb (>100ppm Ta, >500ppm Cs) Assays for 62 drillholes from 2021 drilling still pending including 16 with logged visible gold Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 28, 2022) - Benz Mining Corp. (TSXV: BZ) (ASX: BNZ) (the Company or Benz) is pleased to announce that, following on from successfully proving the Company's electromagnetic (EM) strategy in 2021 (targeting high grade gold mineralisation via electro magnetic conductors) , Benz's Eastmain belt exploration program for 2022 has commenced, aiming to build upon the multiple discoveries made to date. Personnel and equipment have returned to the Eastmain camp and drilling has restarted. Drillholes for D and E Zones commenced before the festive season have now been completed with one more visible gold interval from E Zone intercepted in the first days of drilling. Benz Mining CEO, Xavier Braud, commented: "It is fantastic to kick off 2022 with more visible gold from E Zone. 2022 should be filled with exciting news - both from our recently commenced 2022 exploration program and the remaining results from the substantial work program we conducted last year. We are eagerly anticipating gold assay results from 62 of the holes drilled last year, including 16 where our geologists have seen visible gold. We are also awaiting results from lithium pegmatite rock chips sampling and surface sampling. For 2022, we expect our exclusivity deal with MSA Laboratories for the use of their Val d'Or PhotonAssay laboratory to speed up assay turnaround. The laboratory will be commissioned later this quarter and we will be able to submit our core samples then. During the winter months, when drill rig access is easier, we are stepping out to Michel and Placer Lake, two new targets where we have identified electromagnetic conductors. Notably, these are the same type of conductors which helped us discover NW, D and E Zones, as well as 2 new mineralised horizons and substantial extensions to A, B and C Zones. We will also be testing some of the IP chargeability anomalies coincident with excellent gold intersections and surface occurrences in the Julien, Suzanna and MEG areas. In parallel, we are also drilling the high-grade part of NW Zone which we discovered early last year, infilling on 50m x 50m last year's wide spaced intercepts (100m x 100m) and drilling potential extensions indicated by strong off-hole DHEM conductors. Importantly, all of the drilling we have planned for 2022 is away from the current resource; we have not yet started infill drilling all the new zones we discovered over the past 18 months. We are continuing our successful strategy of stepping out wide on new targets, potentially bringing additional mineralisation to the growing inventory. We are still waiting for results from our rock chips sampling campaign at the Ruby Hill West lithium pegmatite. The presence of visible spodumene throughout is sufficient to indicate lithium mineralisation and Benz is preparing for helicopter supported drilling of the pegmatite toward the end of March (weather depending). We have a very busy year ahead with strong gold and lithium targets. The results from last year's field campaigns should also help us identify new targets this year, progressively unlocking the immense potential of 250km2 of completely underexplored greenstone belt." 2022 Exploration Campaign Drilling is underway at Eastmain testing both brownfield and greenfield targets, with 25,000m of drilling planned for first 6 months of 2022. The focus of the Company's 2022 exploration campaign is to progressively unlock the immense potential of 250km2 of underexplored greenstone belt, building upon the multiple discoveries and the substantial increase in the mineralised footprint achieved by Benz to date (since commencing work at the Project in mid-2020). As results are received for assays still pending from the substantial 2021 exploration work, further targets will be identified - focusing on both gold and lithium. Initial high-priority exploration targets for 2022 are illustrated in Figure 1 and listed below: Follow up infill and extensional drilling of NW Zone from areas which returned: 7.8m at 8.7g/t gold including 1.0m at 32.6g/t gold (EM21-146) 5.5m at 6.1g/t gold including 1.5m at 19.2g/t gold (83CH029) 6.0m at 3.6g/t gold including 1.0m at 10.2g/t gold (EM21-145) 6.0 at 3.3g/t gold including 2.0m at 9.3g/t gold (EM17-126) 3.0m at 5.2g/t gold including 1.0m at 15.0g/t gold (EM21-159) Drilling in Julien area is already underway, with targets identified using IP chargeability, following up on historical results of: 10.5m at 42.4 g/t gold and 1.5m at 6 g/t gold (EM16-76) 1.1m at 80.61 g/t gold (EM17-107) 10.75m at 5.5 g/t gold (EM16-93) 0.5m at 46.8 g/t gold (EM17-101) Ground electromagnetics over the strong southern VTEM anomalies are underway. Magnetics at the Southern Anomalies show patterns of magnetite destruction very similar to the ones observed at the Eastmain deposit. Michel area drilling of DHEM conductors modelled from the 2021 winter survey to be conducted this winter, following up on historical drill intercept of: 0.8m at 13.9g/t gold Drilling of Placer Lake electromagnetic conductors spread out over 2km of strike modelled from 2021 winter survey. Historical rock chips sample from the Placer Lake area returned: 8.3 g/t gold, 2.7 % copper and 7.3 g/t silver Drilling of Ruby Hill West lithium pegmatite outcrop planned for the end of March (weather permitting). Assays for samples taken last September from Ruby Hill West are still pending. Benz's work was following up on historical samples of: 4.72%Li 2 O, 1720 ppm Rb (>100ppm Ta, >500ppm Cs) 2.15% Li 2 O, 990 ppm Rb (>100ppm Ta, >500ppm Cs) 1.97% Li 2 O, 3660 ppm Rb (>100ppm Ta, >500ppm Cs) 1.10% Li 2 O, 710 ppm Rb (>100ppm Ta, >500ppm Cs) Figure 1: simplified geology of the Eastmain project area with electromagnetic conductors, significant drill collars, simplified geology and 2022 winter exploration areas To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1818/111928_77353e5f246a4a1f_001full.jpg Figure 2: Benz tenure over Upper Eastmain Greenstone Belt simplified geology. To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1818/111928_77353e5f246a4a1f_002full.jpg Following the Omicron variant outbreak and the Quebec CNSST's recommendations, camp capacity has been slightly reduced to allow for further distancing. The Company does not anticipate this will impact operations. This press release was prepared under supervision and approved by Dr. Danielle Giovenazzo, P.Geo, acting as Benz's qualified person under National Instrument 43-101. About Benz Mining Corp. Benz Mining Corp. (TSXV: BZ) (ASX: BNZ) brings together an experienced team of geoscientists and finance professionals with a focused strategy to unlock the immense mineral potential of the Upper Eastmain Greenstone Belt in Northern Quebec, which is prospective for gold, lithium, nickel, copper and other high-value minerals. Benz is earning a 100% interest in the former producing high grade Eastmain gold mine, Ruby Hill West and Ruby Hill East projects in Quebec and owns 100% of the Windy Mountain project. The Eastmain Gold Project is situated within the Upper Eastmain Greenstone Belt in Quebec, Canada and currently hosts a NI 43-101 and JORC (2012) compliant resource of 376,000oz at 7.9g/t gold (Indicated: 236,500oz at 8.2g/t Au - Inferred: 139,300oz at 7.5g/t Au). The existing gold mineralization is associated with 15-20% semi-massive to massive pyrrhotite, pyrite and chalcopyrite making it amenable to detection by electromagnetics. Multiple gold occurrences have been identified by previous explorers over a 10km long zone along strike from the Eastmain Mine with very limited but highly encouraging testing outside the existing resource area. Benz has subsequently identified over 180 DHEM conductors over a strike length of 6km which is open in all directions. In 2021, Benz identified presence of visible spodumene in a pegmatite at the Ruby Hill West project, indicating lithium mineralisation which Benz intends to further explore in 2022. This announcement has been approved for release by the Board of Directors of Benz Mining Corp. For more information please contact: Paul Fowler Head of Corporate Development (Canada) Benz Mining Corp. Telephone: +1 416 356 8165 Email: info@benzmining.com Xavier Braud CEO, Head of Corporate Development (Aus) Benz Mining Corp. Telephone +61 8 6143 6702 email: info@benzmining.com Forward-Looking Information: Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information is based on plans, expectations and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is subject to certain factors and assumptions, including, that the Company's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events and that the Company obtains regulatory approval. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause plans, estimates and actual results to vary materially from those projected in such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause the forward-looking information in this news release to change or to be inaccurate include, but are not limited to, the risk that any of the assumptions referred to prove not to be valid or reliable, that occurrences such as those referred to above are realized and result in delays, or cessation in planned work, that the Company's financial condition and development plans change, and delays in regulatory approval, as well as the other risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company as set forth in the Company's continuous disclosure filings filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable law. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE. Competent Person's Statements: The information in this report that relates to Exploration Results is based on and fairly represents information and supporting information compiled by Mr Xavier Braud, who is a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG membership ID:6963). Mr Braud is a consultant to the Company and has sufficient experience in the style of mineralization and type of deposits under consideration and qualifies as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 edition of the "Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves". Mr Braud holds securities in Benz Mining Corp and consents to the inclusion of all technical statements based on his information in the form and context in which they appear. The Company confirms there are no material changes from when the results were first reported. The information in this announcement that relates to the Inferred Mineral Resource was first reported under the JORC Code by the Company in its prospectus released to the ASX on 21 December 2020. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in the original market announcement and confirms that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimate continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company confirms that the form and context in which the Competent Person's findings are presented have not been materially modified from the original market announcement. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/111928 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 28, 2022) - World Copper Ltd. (TSXV: WCU) (OTCQB: WCUFF) ("World Copper" or the "Company"), announces that the previously announced plan of arrangement whereby World Copper and Cardero Resource Corp. ("Cardero") agreed to combine their respective businesses (the "Arrangement") has now closed. Pursuant to the Arrangement, a total of 29,389,236 common shares of World Copper have been issued to Cardero shareholders based on an exchange ratio of 0.200795, and Cardero has amalgamated with 1302172 B.C. Ltd. to become "Zonia Holdings Corp.", a wholly-owned subsidiary of World Copper. "The team at World Copper has been eagerly awaiting the addition of the Zonia property to our portfolio and we welcome the completion of this merger," stated Nolan Peterson, CEO of World Copper. "Zonia will be an integral part of our development plans as we pursue our strategy of advancing and de-risking our portfolio of assets in premier copper jurisdictions." ABOUT ZONIA Zonia is located in the Walnut Grove Mining District, Yavapai County, Arizona, and consists of 261 patented (96) and unpatented (185) mineral claims, and 566.85 acres of surface rights acquired from the State of Arizona, all totaling 4,279.55 acres. Zonia is a near-surface, copper-oxide resource and a brownfields site having already been mined in the late 1960s and '70s. The project has been significantly de-risked with over 50,000 metres of drilling completed to date and with substantial amounts of detailed engineering completed. Zonia contains Measured resources of 15.6 million short tons grading 0.43% copper (129.3 million pounds of copper), Indicated resources of 61.4 million short tons grading 0.31% copper (380.6 million pounds of copper) and Inferred resources of 27.2 million short tons grading 0.28% copper (154.6 million pounds of copper) at a 0.2% total copper cut-off grade. A preliminary economic assessment dated April 17, 2018, effective date March 22, 2018 (the "PEA") was prepared by Global Resource Engineering Ltd., which suggests that the project can be advanced utilizing low-cost open pit mining and heap leach with SX-EW processing to produce pure copper cathode (a copy of the PEA technical report is available on Cardero's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com). Zonia was pre-stripped during mining in the late 1960s and 1970s so that, as described in the PEA, the strip ratio is a low 1:1. Furthermore, GRE outlines a mine plan and development strategy entirely on private land, which significantly reduces the timeline for permitting. At a copper price of $3.00/lb, Zonia shows an after-tax NPV@6% of $225 million, and an internal rate of return ("IRR") of 29.0%. The PEA is preliminary in nature, it includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and, as such, there is no certainty that the PEA results will be realized. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability as there is no certainty that all or any part of the resources will be converted into reserves. In addition to the established resource, the Zonia land position contains a copper-molybdenum geochemical anomaly (associated with depressed manganese values) that is similar in intensity and scale (1000 by 1500 metres) to the main resource, and within the same prospective geology. This anomaly is located two kilometers northeast of the resource and represents a high-priority copper-oxide porphyry exploration drill target. BOARD UPDATE Concurrent with the closing of the Arrangement, Mr. Robert Kopple and Mr. Keith Henderson have been appointed as directors of World Copper. Nolan Peterson commented, "The addition of Mr. Kopple and Mr. Henderson to the Board of Directors of World Copper strengthens and enhances our already impressive Board. Mr. Kopple brings a wealth of legal, business and transaction experience to the Board, and is a committed long-term value investor. Mr. Henderson's considerable experience in mining will be a strong asset to the Company, and will benefit the Board as we commit to advancing our assets, and especially our flagship asset, Escalones, in as sustainable a manner as possible. I look forward to working with Mr. Kopple and Mr. Henderson more closely as we grow the Company". Mr. Robert Kopple Robert C. Kopple is an experienced investor, businessman and lawyer. He is involved in a broad range of corporate financing activities with public companies. Mr. Kopple is a senior partner in a law firm based in Los Angeles specializing in estate planning, tax law and business transactions. His investments include diverse interests in real estate and in several operating companies in mining, healthcare and technology. Mr. Kopple is a significant investor in World Copper. Mr. Keith Henderson Mr. Henderson is a mining industry executive with 25 years' experience throughout Africa, Europe, and North and South America. He was educated in Europe, graduating with B.Sc. (Hons) and M.Sc. in geology and has extensive experience in multiple mineral deposit types and commodities. The Company also makes the following announcement in accordance with National Instrument 62-103 The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues and National Instrument 62-104 Take-Over Bids and Issuer Bids. Pursuant to the Arrangement, the Company acquired one (1) common share of Zonia Holdings Corp. (the "Amalco Share") for each common share of 1302172 B.C. Ltd. ("Subco") held by it prior to the closing of the Arrangement. Immediately prior to the closing of the Arrangement, the Company did not beneficially own or have control and direction over any Amalco Shares. Immediately after the closing of the Arrangement, the Company beneficially owns and has control and direction over one (1) share of Amalco, representing 100% of the issued and outstanding Amalco Shares. The Company acquired the Amalco Share pursuant to the Arrangement. However, the Company will review its holdings from time to time and may, in the future, increase or decrease its ownership or control over securities of Amalco as circumstances dictate. An early warning report will be filed under Amalco's profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com . A copy of the early warning report can also be obtained by contacting Marla Ritchie, Corporate Secretary, World Copper Ltd., at 604-638-3287 (#2710 - 200 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6C 1S4). QUALIFIED PERSON John Drobe, P.Geo., a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Drobe is not independent of World Copper as he is a consultant of World Copper. ABOUT WORLD COPPER LTD. World Copper Ltd., headquartered in Vancouver, BC, is a Canadian resource company focused on the exploration and development of its copper porphyry projects: Escalones and Cristal in Chile, and Zonia in Arizona. Two of these projects have estimated resources with significant soluble copper mineralization, and there are at least two other copper porphyry targets with exciting potential to expand the resource base. The Zonia project was acquired as part of the previously announced merger transaction with Cardero Resource Corp. Please refer to news releases dated April 20, 2021; June 9, 2021; September 20, 2021; November 9, 2021 and December 13, 2021 for more details. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of WORLD COPPER LTD. "Nolan Peterson" Nolan Peterson Chief Executive Officer For further information, or to schedule a Zoom meeting with Management, please contact: Nolan Peterson or Michael Pound Phone: 604-638-3665 E-mail: info@worldcopperltd.com For all Investor Relations inquiries, please contact: John Liviakis Liviakis Financial Communications Inc. Phone: 415-389-4670 For all Public Relations inquiries, please contact: Nancy Thompson Vorticom, Inc. Office: 212-532-2208 | Mobile: 917-371-4053 Follow Us: Twitter: https://twitter.com/WorldCopperLtd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WorldCopperLtd LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/worldcopperltd Neither TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements. Although World Copper believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "would", "will", "potential", "scheduled" or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of World Copper to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, statements as to the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of World Copper, the ability of World Copper to obtain sufficient financing to fund its business activities and plans, delays in obtaining governmental and regulatory approvals (including of the TSXV), permits or financing, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, currency fluctuations, title disputes or claims, environmental issues and liabilities, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics such as COVID-19, including the impact of COVID-19 on World Copper's business, financial condition and results of operations, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, title disputes, the inability of World Copper to obtain any necessary permits, consents, approvals or authorizations, the timing and possible outcome of any pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, and risks related to joint venture operations, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in World Copper's continuous disclosure documents. All of World Copper's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. World Copper does not undertake any obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this news release or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/111930 DGAP-News: 4finance S.A. / Key word(s): Bond 4finance S.A.: 4finance EUR 2025 bond put option notification 28.01.2022 / 14:43 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. 4finance EUR 2025 bond put option notification 28 January 2022. 4finance S.A. ("4finance" or the "Company") notifies investors that it has published a put option notice in respect of its 11.25% EUR 2025 bonds, as per the Terms and Conditions amended in August 2021. Upon request from investors the Company may repurchase up to a total of EUR 15 million of the EUR 2025 bonds at par. Given the EUR 2025 bonds are currently trading above par, the Company does not expect significant investor participation. The put option notice and relevant forms to submit a repurchase request are available at https://www.4finance.com/investors-and-media/bonds For more information, please contact: investorrelations@4finance.com or Aalto Capital (manfred.steinbeisser@aaltocapital.com / +49 89 8986777-0) Certain statements in this document are "forward-looking statements". These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from those included in these statements. About 4finance Established in 2008, 4finance is one of Europe's largest digital consumer lending groups with operations in 9 countries. Leveraging automation and data-driven insights across the business, 4finance has grown rapidly, issuing over 9 billion since inception in instalment loans, lines of credit and single payment loans. 4finance operates a portfolio of market-leading brands offering simple, useful and transparent products to millions of customers. The Group provides convenient products in a responsible way to the many consumers who are often underserved by conventional providers. The Group also offers deposits, in addition to consumer and SME loans through its TBI Bank subsidiary, an EU licensed institution with operations in Bulgaria and Romania. www.4finance.com 28.01.2022 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de BEIJING, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China published a white paper titled "China's Space Program: A 2021 Perspective" on Friday. Following is the full text of the white paper: China's Space Program: A 2021 Perspective The State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China January 2022 Preamble "To explore the vast cosmos, develop the space industry and build China into a space power is our eternal dream," stated President Xi Jinping. The space industry is a critical element of the overall national strategy, and China upholds the principle of exploration and utilization of outer space for peaceful purposes. Since 2016, China's space industry has made rapid and innovative progress, manifested by a steady improvement in space infrastructure, the completion and operation of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, the completion of the high-resolution earth observation system, steady improvement of the service ability of satellite communications and broadcasting, the conclusion of the last step of the three-step lunar exploration program ("orbit, land, and return"), the first stages in building the space station, and a smooth interplanetary voyage and landing beyond the earth-moon system by Tianwen-1, followed by the exploration of Mars. These achievements have attracted worldwide attention. In the next five years, China will integrate space science, technology and applications while pursuing the new development philosophy, building a new development model and meeting the requirements for high-quality development. It will start a new journey towards a space power. The space industry will contribute more to China's growth as a whole, to global consensus and common effort with regard to outer space exploration and utilization, and to human progress. We are publishing this white paper to offer a brief introduction to China's major achievements in this field since 2016 and its main tasks in the next five years, in order to help the international community better understand China's space industry. I. A New Journey Towards a Strong Space Presence 1. Mission The mission of China's space program is: to explore outer space to expand humanity's understanding of the earth and the cosmos; to facilitate global consensus on our shared responsibility in utilizing outer space for peaceful purposes and safeguarding its security for the benefit of all humanity; to meet the demands of economic, scientific and technological development, national security and social progress; and to raise the scientific and cultural levels of the Chinese people, protect China's national rights and interests, and build up its overall strength. 2. Vision China aims to strengthen its space presence in an all-round manner: to enhance its capacity to better understand, freely access, efficiently use, and effectively manage space; to defend national security, lead self-reliance and self-improvement efforts in science and technology, and promote high-quality economic and social development; to advocate sound and efficient governance of outer space, and pioneer human progress; and to make a positive contribution to China's socialist modernization and to peace and progress for all humanity. 3. Principles China's space industry is subject to and serves the overall national strategy. China adheres to the principles of innovation-driven, coordinated, efficient, and peaceful progress based on cooperation and sharing to ensure a high-quality space industry. - Innovation-driven development China puts innovation at the core of its space industry. It boosts state strategic scientific and technological strength in the space industry, implements major space programs, strengthens original innovation, optimizes the environment for innovation, achieves industrial production as early as possible, and grows China's independent capacity to build a safe space industry. - Coordination and efficiency China adopts a holistic approach in building its space industry. It mobilizes and guides different sectors to take part in and contribute to this key industry, and coordinates all relevant activities under an overall plan. It ensures that technology plays a greater role in promoting and guiding space science and applications, and it facilitates the growth of new forms and models of business for the industry. These measures aim to raise the quality and overall performance of China's space industry. - For peaceful purposes China has always advocated the use of outer space for peaceful purposes, and opposes any attempt to turn outer space into a weapon or battlefield or launch an arms race in outer space. China develops and utilizes space resources in a prudent manner, takes effective measures to protect the space environment, ensures that space remains peaceful and clean, and guarantees that its space activities benefit humanity. - Cooperation and sharing China always combines independence and self-reliance with opening to the outside world. It actively engages in high-level international exchanges and cooperation, and expands global public services for space technology and products. It takes an active part in solving major challenges facing humanity, helps to realize the goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and facilitates global consensus and common effort with regard to outer space exploration and utilization. II. Development of Space Technology and Systems China's space industry serves its major strategic needs, and targets cutting-edge technology that leads the world. Spearheaded by the major space projects, the country has accelerated research into core technologies, stepped up their application, and redoubled its efforts to develop space technology and systems. As a result, China's capacity to enter and return from space, and its ability to engage in space exploration, utilization and governance have grown markedly along a sustainable path. 1. Space Transport System From 2016 to December 2021, 207 launch missions were completed, including 183 by the Long March carrier rocket series. The total launch attempts exceeded 400. The Long March carrier rockets are being upgraded towards non-toxic and pollution-free launch, and they are becoming smarter boosted by modular technology. The Long March-5 and Long March-5B carrier rockets have been employed for regular launches; Long March-8 and Long March-7A have made their maiden flights, with increased payload capacity. China now provides a variety of launch vehicle services. The Long March-11 carrier rocket has achieved commercial launch from the sea; the Smart Dragon-1, Kuaizhou-1A, Hyperbola-1, CERES-1 and other commercial vehicles have been successfully launched; successful demonstration flight tests on reusable launch vehicles have been carried out. In the next five years, China will continue to improve the capacity and performance of its space transport system, and move faster to upgrade launch vehicles. It will further expand the launch vehicle family, send into space new-generation manned carrier rockets and high-thrust solid-fuel carrier rockets, and speed up the R&D of heavy-lift launch vehicles. It will continue to strengthen research into key technologies for reusable space transport systems, and conduct test flights accordingly. In response to the growing need for regular launches, China will develop new rocket engines, combined cycle propulsion, and upper stage technologies to improve its capacity to enter and return from space, and make space entry and exit more efficient. 2. Space Infrastructure (1) Satellite remote-sensing system The space-based section of the China High-resolution Earth Observation System has been largely completed, enabling high-spatial-resolution, high-temporal-resolution and high-spectrum-resolution earth observation. China now provides improved land observation services, having launched the Ziyuan-3 03 earth resources satellite, the Huanjing Jianzai-2A/2B satellites for environmental disaster management, a high-resolution multi-mode imaging satellite, a hyper-spectral observation satellite, and a number of commercial remote-sensing satellites. In ocean observation, China is now able to view multiple indexes of contiguous waters around the globe on all scales, with high-resolution images from the Haiyang-1C/1D satellites and the Haiyang-2B/2C/2D satellites. China's ability to observe the global atmosphere has achieved a significant increase. Its new-generation Fengyun-4A/4B meteorological satellites in the geostationary orbit are able to perform all-weather, precise and uninterrupted atmospheric monitoring and disaster monitoring to boost response capability. The successful launches of Fengyun-3D/3E satellites enable coordinated morning, afternoon and twilight monitoring, and the Fengyun-2H satellite provides monitoring services for countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. With further improvements to the ground system of its remote-sensing satellites, China is now able to provide remote-sensing satellite data receiving and quick processing services across the world. (2) Satellite communications and broadcasting system China has made steady progress in developing fixed communications and broadcasting satellite network, which now covers more areas with greater capacity. The Zhongxing-6C and Zhongxing-9B satellites ensure the uninterrupted, stable operation of broadcasting and television services. The Zhongxing-16 and APSTAR-6D satellites, each with a 50Gbps capacity, signify that satellite communications in China have reached the stage of high-capacity service. The mobile communications and broadcasting satellite network has expanded with the launch of the Tiantong-1 02/03 satellites, operating in tandem with the Tiantong-1 01 satellite, to provide voice, short message and data services for hand-held terminal users in China, its neighboring areas, and certain parts of the Asia-Pacific. The relay satellite system is being upgraded with the launch of the Tianlian-1 05 and Tianlian-2 01 satellites, giving a powerful boost to capacity. The satellite communications and broadcasting ground system has been improved, to form a space-ground integrated network that provides satellite communications and broadcasting, internet, Internet of Things, and information services around the globe. (3) Satellite navigation system The completion and operation of the 30-satellite BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3) represents the successful conclusion of the system's three-step strategy and its capacity to serve the world. BeiDou's world-leading services include positioning, navigation, timing, regional and global short-message communication, global search and rescue, ground-based and satellite-based augmentation, and precise point positioning. In the next five years, China will continue to improve its space infrastructure, and integrate remote-sensing, communications, navigation, and positioning satellite technologies. It will: Upgrade its spatial information services featuring extensive connection, precise timing and positioning, and all dimension sensoring; Develop satellites for geostationary microwave monitoring, new-type ocean color observation, carbon monitoring of the territorial ecosystem, and atmospheric environmental monitoring; Develop dual-antenna X-band interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), land water resources and other satellite technology, for efficient, comprehensive earth observation and data acquisition across the globe; Build a satellite communications network with high and low orbit coordination, test new communications satellites for commercial application, and build a second-generation data relay satellite system; Study and research navigation-communications integration, low-orbit augmentation and other key technologies for the next-generation BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, and develop a more extensive, more integrated and smarter national positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) system; Continue to improve the ground systems for remote-sensing, communications and navigation satellites. 3. Manned Spaceflight The Tianzhou-1 cargo spacecraft has docked with the earth-orbiting Tiangong-2 space laboratory. With breakthroughs in key technologies for cargo transport and in-orbit propellant replenishment, China has successfully completed the second phase of its manned spaceflight project. The launch of the Tianhe core module marks a solid step in building China's space station. The Tianzhou-2 and Tianzhou-3 cargo spacecraft and the Shenzhou-12 and Shenzhou-13 manned spacecraft, together with the Tianhe core module to which they have docked, form an assembly in steady operation. Six astronauts have worked in China's space station, performing extravehicular activities, in-orbit maintenance, and scientific experiments. In the next five years, China will continue to implement its manned spaceflight project. It plans to: Launch the Wentian and Mengtian experimental modules, the Xuntian space telescope, the Shenzhou manned spacecraft, and the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft; Complete China's space station and continue operations, build a space laboratory on board, and have astronauts on long-term assignments performing large-scale scientific experiments and maintenance; Continue studies and research on the plan for a human lunar landing, develop new-generation manned spacecraft, and research key technologies to lay a foundation for exploring and developing cislunar space. 4. Deep Space Exploration (1) Lunar exploration Achieving relay communications through the Queqiao satellite, the Chang'e-4 lunar probe performed humanity's first soft landing on the far side of the moon, and conducted roving exploration. The Chang'e-5 lunar probe brought back 1,731 g of samples from the moon, marking China's first successful extraterrestrial sampling and return, and the completion of its three-step lunar exploration program of orbiting, landing and return. (2) Planetary exploration The Tianwen-1 Mars probe orbited and landed on Mars; the Zhurong Mars rover explored the planet and left China's first mark there. China has achieved a leap from cislunar to interplanetary exploration. In the next five years, China will continue with lunar and planetary exploration. It will: Launch the Chang'e-6 lunar probe to collect and bring back samples from the polar regions of the moon; Launch the Chang'e-7 lunar probe to perform a precise landing in the moon's polar regions and a hopping detection in lunar shadowed area; Complete R&D on the key technology of Chang'e-8, and work with other countries, international organizations and partners to build an international research station on the moon; Launch asteroid probes to sample near-earth asteroids and probe main-belt comets; Complete key technological research on Mars sampling and return, exploration of the Jupiter system, and so forth; Study plans for boundary exploration of the solar system. 5. Space Launch Sites and Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TT&C) (1) Space launch sites Adaptive improvements have been completed at the Jiuquan, Taiyuan and Xichang launch sites, with new launch pads installed at Jiuquan for the commercial launch of liquid fuel rockets, and the Wenchang Launch Site entering service. China has formed a launch site network covering both coastal and inland areas, high and low altitudes, and various trajectories to satisfy the launch needs of manned spaceships, space station modules, deep space probes and all kinds of satellites. In addition, its first sea launch site has begun operation. (2) Space TT&C China's leap from cislunar to interplanetary TT&C communications, with growing space-based TT&C capacity, represents a significant progress. Its space TT&C network has improved to form an integrated space-ground TT&C network providing security, reliability, quick response, flexible access, efficient operation and diverse services. TT&C missions of the Shenzhou and Tianzhou spacecraft series, Tianhe core module, Chang'e lunar probe series, and Tianwen-1 Mars probe have been completed successfully. TT&C station networks for commercial satellites are growing quickly. In the next five years, China will strengthen unified technical standard-setting for its space products, and on this basis will: Further adapt the existing launch site system to better serve most launch missions, and make launch sites smarter, more reliable and more cost-effective to support high-intensity and diversified launch missions; Build commercial launch pads and launch sites to meet different commercial launch needs; Improve the space TT&C network in terms of organization, technology and methodology, grow the capacity to utilize and integrate space- and ground-based TT&C resources, and build a space TT&C network providing ubiquitous coverage and connections; Coordinate the operation and management of the national space system for greater efficiency; Strengthen the deep-space TT&C communications network to support missions probing the moon and Mars. 6. Experiments on New Technologies China has launched a number of new technological test satellites, and tested new technologies such as the common platforms of new-generation communications satellites, very high throughput satellites' telecommunication payload, Ka-band communications, satellite-ground high-speed laser communications, and new electric propulsion. In the next five years, China will focus on new technology engineering and application, conduct in-orbit tests of new space materials, devices and techniques, and test new technologies in these areas: Smart self-management of spacecraft; Space mission extension vehicle; Innovative space propulsion; In-orbit service and maintenance of spacecraft; Space debris cleaning. 7. Space Environment Governance With a growing database, China's space debris monitoring system is becoming more capable of collision warning and space event perception and response, effectively ensuring the safety of in-orbit spacecraft. In compliance with the Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines and the Guidelines for the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities, China has applied upper stage passivation to all its carrier rockets, and completed end of life active deorbit of the Tiangong-2 and other spacecraft, making a positive contribution to mitigating space debris. Progress has been made in the search and tracking of near-earth objects and in data analysis. A basic space climate service system is now in place, capable of providing services in space climate monitoring, early warning, and forecasting, and is providing broader applications. In the next five years, China will continue to expand its space environment governance system. It will: Strengthen space traffic control; Improve its space debris monitoring system, cataloguing database, and early warning services; Conduct in-orbit maintenance of spacecraft, collision avoidance and control, and space debris mitigation, to ensure the safe, stable and orderly operation of the space system; Strengthen the protection of its space activities, assets and other interests by boosting capacity in disaster backup and information protection, and increasing invulnerability and survivability; Study plans for building a near-earth object defense system, and increase the capacity of near-earth object monitoring, cataloguing, early warning, and response; Build an integrated space-ground space climate monitoring system, and continue to improve relevant services to effectively respond to catastrophic space climate events. III. Developing and Expanding Space Application Industry To serve the economy and society, China has promoted public and commercial application of its satellites and space technology, growing the industry towards greater efficiency. 1. Boosting Public Services with Satellites The service capacity of satellite applications has markedly improved. The significant role of satellites is seen in the protection of resources and the eco-environment, disaster prevention and mitigation, management of emergencies, weather forecasting and climate change response, and also felt in social management and public services, urbanization, coordinated regional development, and poverty eradication. The space industry helps to improve people's lives. The satellite remote-sensing system has been used by almost all departments at national and provincial levels to conduct emergency monitoring of over 100 major and catastrophic natural disasters around the country. It provides services to tens of thousands of domestic users and over 100 countries, having distributed over 100 million scenes of data. The communications and broadcasting satellite network has made direct services available to over 140 million households in China's rural and remote areas, provided returned data for over 500 mobile phone base stations, and ensured efficient emergency communications during the responses to the forest fire in Liangshan, Sichuan province, to the heavy rainstorm in Zhengzhou, Henan province and to other major disaster relief work. The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System has guaranteed the safety of over seven million operating vehicles, provided positioning and short message communication services to over 40,000 seagoing fishing vessels, and offered precise positioning services for the freighting of supplies and tracking of individual movement for Covid-19 control, and for hospital construction. In the next five years, under the overarching goal of building a safe, healthy, beautiful and digital China, we will intensify the integration of satellite application with the development of industries and regions, and space information with new-generation information technology such as big data and Internet of Things. We will also extend the integrated application of remote-sensing satellite data on land, ocean and meteorology, advance the construction of infrastructure for integrated application of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, satellite communications, and the ground communications network, and improve our capacity to tailor and refine professional services. All these efforts will help to achieve the goals of peaking carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality, to revitalize rural areas, and to realize new-type urbanization, coordinated development between regions and eco-environmental progress. 2. Space Application Industry The commercial use of satellite technology is thriving, which expands the applications market for governments, enterprises and individuals. A group of competitive commercial space enterprises are emerging and realizing industrialized large-scale operation. A variety of products and services such as high-accuracy maps using remote-sensing data, full dimensional images, data processing, and application software are improving the service to users in transport, e-commerce, trading of agricultural products, assessment of disaster losses and insurance claims, and the registration of real estate. The ability to commercialize satellite communications and broadcasting services has further improved. Four 4K Ultra HD television channels in China were launched and TV viewers now have access to over 100 HD channels. Internet access is also available on board ocean vessels and passenger aircraft. Tiantong-1, a satellite mobile communication system, is in commercial operation. The satellite navigation industry has witnessed rapid growth as evidenced by sales of over 100 million chips compatible with the BeiDou system. Its industrial applications have been widely introduced into mass consumption, the sharing economy, and daily life. Achievements in space technology have helped traditional industries transform and upgrade, supported emerging industries such as new energy, new materials and environmental protection, enabled new business models such as smart cities, smart agriculture and unmanned driving to grow, making a great contribution to building China's strengths in science and technology, manufacturing, cyberspace and transport. In the next five years, China's space industry will seize the opportunities presented by the expanding digital industry and the digital transformation of traditional industries, to promote the application and transfer of space technology. Through innovative business models and the deep integration of space application with digital economy, more efforts will be made to expand and extend the scope for applying satellite remote-sensing and satellite communications technologies, and realizing the industrialized operation of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System. This will provide more advanced, economical, high-quality products and convenient services for all industries and sectors and for mass consumption. New business models for upscaling the space economy such as travel, biomedicine, debris removal and experiment services will be developed to expand the industry. (More) Strong interest in PARA OPS from U.S. distributors, international representatives, Homeland Security and law enforcement agencies Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 28, 2022) - KWESST Micro Systems Inc. (TSXV: KWE) (OTCQB: KWEMF) ("KWESST" or the "Company") is pleased to report on the results of the 2022 SHOT Show, held January 18-21 in Las Vegas, at which KWESST displayed and demonstrated its single-shot and multiple-shot PARA OPS non-lethal products for personal defense. Also on display were samples of the ARWEN product line, recently acquired by KWESST. "As expected, the SHOT Show confirmed strong interest in our non-lethal PARA OPS technology and products," said Jeff MacLeod, Founder, President, and CEO of KWESST. This year's SHOT Show was held as recent reports have indicated that the violent crime rate rose significantly across the United States in 2021, including increases in incidents of property crime, violent assaults and even homicides. As crime rates have ticked up in numerous communities over the past year, there remains a distinct need for an effective, non-lethal system to better help law enforcement officers perform their everyday duties. The Company anticipates the new PARA OPS system will transform both the non-lethal personal defense category and the broader law enforcement industry. "Distributors from across the U.S., as well as overseas, expressed strong interest in carrying PARA OPS products and are anxiously awaiting classification from Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, commonly known as the ATF," said MacLeod. "ATF classification remains pending but is expected in the coming weeks. Orders for product may only be solicited and accepted once ATF classification is received." Interest in the Company's presence at the SHOT Show was heightened by the inclusion of PARA OPS products in the New Product Showcase and by the previously announced appearance of Brandon Tatum, famous for his popular Officer Tatum show, who drew attention from his following in the law enforcement community with signings of his new book, Beaten Black and Blue, at the Company's booth. Invited guests, including Tatum, also attended an invitation-only firing demonstration of the PARA OPS products, which highlighted the system's deterrent capability utilizing inert powder rounds. As one guest remarked on the accuracy: "the round certainly goes where the laser points." There was also pronounced interest at the show from the law enforcement community, with many commenting on the advantages of the PARA OPS low energy cartridge approach when compared with current alternatives. Interested agencies included some of the largest metro police agencies in the U.S., Homeland Security agencies and a key military agency with responsibility for less-lethal systems. Commercial representatives from Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia, with an established base of foreign customers, also expressed interest in the Company's unique PARA OPS solutions. "We have a great deal of follow-up in front of us now from the extensive interest at the show," added MacLeod, "including from agencies that have requested further information and product trials." The SHOT Show was also an opportunity to meet with strategic suppliers and partners in the industry as part of the Company's finalizing of plans for outsourced full production in the U.S. as order quantities eventually build. Prospective pricing is US $99 for the single shot unit and US $325 for the five-shot flashlight model. Image: First product introduction To view an enhanced version of this image, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7366/111926_90dd5c4f340d29a8_002full.jpg In conjunction with the SHOT Show, the Company also released its web site for PARA OPS at www.para-ops.com . The Company also reported that in accordance with its Long-Term Incentive Plan, on January 4, 2022, KWESST granted 72,580 Restricted Stock Units ("RSUs") to an officer, vesting 25% each quarter from the grant date. About PARA OPS The patent-pending PARA OPS technology is a breakthrough in non-lethal systems. It combines the reliability of a cartridge with a polymer projectile in a low-energy self-stabilizing configuration for accuracy. There is no gunpowder, compressed air or CO2. Projectiles come in a choice of payloads appropriate to the mission, whether personal defense, public order or realistic tactical simulation. Cartridges fire from a low-cost dedicated launcher that can look like a firearm, a TV remote control, a flashlight, or any hybrid or custom design. Launchers fire only PARA OPS cartridges and will not accept live ammunition. Projectile payloads include incapacitating pepper powder, inert colored powder for training, and solid slugs for practice or pain compliance. About KWESST KWESST develops and commercializes breakthrough next-generation tactical systems that meet the requirements of security forces and personal defense for overmatch capability against adversaries. The company's current portfolio of unique proprietary offerings include its unique non-lethal Low Energy Cartridge (LEC) system with application across all segments of the non-lethal market, including law enforcement and personal defence. KWESST is also engaged in the digitization of tactical forces for shared situational awareness and targeting with its signature TASCSTM (Tactical Awareness and Situational Control System) for real-time awareness and targeting information from any source (including drones) streamed directly to users' smart devices and weapons. Other KWESST products include counter-measures against threats such as drones, lasers and electronic detection. These include the autonomous GreyGhostTM soldier-portable micro drone missile system that defends against small hostile drones including swarms using high-speed kinetic impact; a Ground Laser Defence system to counter the emerging threat of weaponized lasers against personnel and the PhantomTM electronic battlefield decoy system to mask the electromagnetic signature of friendly forces with decoy signatures at false locations to deceive and confuse adversaries. These systems can operate stand-alone or integrate seamlessly with OEM products and battlefield management systems. The Company is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with operations in Stafford, VA and representative offices in London, UK and Abu Dhabi, UAE. KWESST trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol KWE and on the U.S. OTCQB under the symbol KWEMF. Contact: Jason Frame, Investor Relations: frame@kwesst.com For more information, please visit https://kwesst.com/ Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. KWESST disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/111926 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 28, 2022) - Red Light Holland Corp. (CSE: TRIP) (FSE: 4YX) (OTC Pink: TRUFF) ("Red Light Holland" or the "Company"), an Ontario-based corporation engaged in the production, growth, and sale of a premium brand of magic truffles, is pleased to congratulate its partner CCrest Lab for being approved by Health Canada to supply Psilocybin to the new Special Access Program that would allow patients with conditions that are not treatable by other medication to get access to Psilocybin. Red Light Holland has successfully imported their psilocybin truffles from the Netherlands to CCrest Laboratories twice where they were tested. Red Light Holland and CCrest Laboratories have continuously demonstrated their strong commitment to the highest regulatory compliance standards. Red Light Holland hopes to continue to provide CCrest Laboratories with a source of their naturally occurring Psilocybin truffles, that would then be made available free of charge for patients who are eligible under the Special Access Program based on compassionate need. "The new special access program is a great first step to increase access to psilocybin responsibly in Canada and our partners, CCrest Laboratories, have done amazing work to be approved by Health Canada as a supplier," said Todd Shapiro, Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Company. "As a company we want to make a positive difference in this world, which is why we'd like to offer our lab tested Truffles via CCrest Labs, free of charge, to patients who are granted Special Access in Canada." "CCrest Labs and Red Light Holland are aiming to continue to work with the Canadian Government to ensure the success of this program, showcasing the groundbreaking naturally occurring psilocybin research we have been doing which has provided us extra knowledge on Red Light Holland's products in the Netherlands. CCrest Labs and Red Light Holland have formed a great allegiance and we are completely aligned in the 'compassionate need and free supply' approach," said Alex Grenier, CEO of Shaman Pharma and President of CCrest Laboratories. "We'd like to thank Health Canada as well for their progressive views and continued support for allowing us to get two Psilocybin import licences to ship Red Light Holland products over international borders and for approving us to supply Psilocybin to the new Special Access Program." About Red Light Holland Red Light Holland is an Ontario-based corporation engaged in the production, growth and sale (through existing Smart Shops operators and an advanced e-commerce platform) of a premium brand of magic truffles. For additional information on the Company: Todd Shapiro Chief Executive Officer & Director Tel: 647-643-TRIP (8747) Email: todd@redlighttruffles.com Website: https://redlighttruffles.com/ About Shaman Pharma Corp. Shaman Pharma is an R&D incubator, strategic partner, and full-service laboratory to the global Psychedelics industry. Through its CDSA Narcotics Licence and regulatory/distribution expertise, the Company's platform is helping emerging biotech entreprises to accelerate their innovations to market. A federally registered private corporation headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Shaman Pharma Corp. operates a growing portfolio of assets including Ccrest Laboratories and CBD Export Global. Visit www.shamanpharma.com for more information. Forward-Looking Statements Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of Red Light Holland. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: statements with respect to the evaluation and testing of the Company's naturally occurring psilocybe truffles by CCrest Laboratories for scientific and medical purposes; the potential of the Company's products being used for scientific and medical purposes; the potential to supply the Company's naturally occurring truffles for the Special Access Program; the potential for the Company to supply naturally occurring truffles via CCrest Labs for the Special Access Program through compassionate grounds; statements with respect to the Company's expansion into the mental wellness pharmaceutical sector; the future sharing of the test results with the Company's customers and shareholders; the Company and CCrest labs to get more of the Company's product into Canada via a Health Canada approve Psilocybin import License, and the Company's ability to establish itself as the leader in the recreational psychedelics sector. Forward-looking information is based on a number of key expectations and assumptions made by Red Light Holland, including without limitation: the COVID-19 pandemic impact on the Canadian economy and Red Light Holland's business, and the extent and duration of such impact; no change to laws or regulations that negatively affect Red Light Holland's business; there will be a demand for Red Light Holland's products in the future; no unanticipated expenses or costs arise; the Company will be able to continue to develop products that are allowed to be imported and sold under Health Canada's import permit; and the partnership with Shaman Pharma Corp. will help Red Light Holland to achieve its business goals. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what the Company believes to be reasonable assumptions, it cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with such information. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the inability of the Company to continue as a going concern; the inability of the Company to obtain all necessary governmental and/or other regulatory approvals, licenses, and permits necessary to operate and expand the Company's facilities; the effect of regulatory and/or political change and its effect on the legislation and regulations surrounding the psychedelics industry; negative perception of the medical-use and adult-use psilocybin industry; the inability of CCrest to complete the planned testing of the Company's products; the potential unviability of psilocybin for medical and/or scientific purposes; the inability of the Company to continue its growth; the Company's limited operating history; reliance on management; the Company's requirements for additional financing; and competition for mental health and wellness investments. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/111947 LONDON, Jan. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Financial brokers saw an overall surge in client registrations in 2020, primarily due to pandemic restrictions, resulting in individuals having to source other ways to supplement their income. Furthermore, the digital asset markets saw a rapid expansion with the launch of new coins and digital networks. This presented an excellent advantage for digital asset brokers like Winiford , a leader in the field, to increase its clientele by updating their financial blog for 2022 and offering present market insights along with revised digital asset offerings. "This is how financial brokerages should offer educational assistance in 2022," stated Rudy Garmand, spokesperson for Winiford, "We know how exhausting it can get for newbies to understand this dynamic market and its associated risks, and to keep up to date with the constant changes in this industry. On the other hand, diving in right away without any basic knowledge about this world is very risky. That's why we're updating our financial blog for 2022 to help our clients make better decisions, considering the present market scenario." Knowledge is key Winiford is an online digital assets broker that offers a safe environment for customers to explore these markets. The brand facilitates easy-to-use tools via its friendly and responsible web-based platform. With round-the-clock customer support and secure access to various digital coins, the brand also offers educational materials like its well-curated glossary and blogs on some trending topics for 2022. "All of our core values revolve around our client-centric vision. We believe that a company without satisfied customers cannot grow and endure the competition in this expanding sector. We are always upgrading our offers and features, and I assure you that we intend to stick to this approach in the future as well," stated Garmand. About Winiford Established with a goal of providing the optimal exposure to digital assets by implementing the highest security standards, Winiford offers dedicated account assistance, faster transaction executions, reliable knowledge gateways, an exhaustive digital asset list, and much more to all its clients. Users can quickly contact the brand's representatives via email and live chat for clear communications regarding accounts, platform, and personal details. Newbies can also go through the broker's FAQ section and obtain answers for some basic queries without any difficulty. Furthermore, Winiford offers access to the market 24/7, which gives clients the flexibility to perform transactions on weekends. JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kerry, the world's leading taste and nutrition company, has officially opened a new 21,500-square-foot state of the art facility at its Jeddah operation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The company has invested over 80m in the region over the past four years and this new facility, which is Kerry's largest in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (MENAT) region, is one of the most modern and efficient in the world and will produce great tasting, nutritious and sustainable food ingredients which will be distributed across the Middle East. Through the new facility, which currently employs 130 people, Kerry will utilise its global innovation technologies that are adapted to local tastes to help food and beverage companies meet the growing consumer demand in the region for healthier, tastier and more sustainable food and beverages, particularly in snack, meat and bakery sectors. Commenting on the announcement, Edmond Scanlon, Chief Executive of Kerry Group, said: "Today's consumer-led food revolution and the world's environmental challenges are driving accelerated change and reshaping the entire food industry. The opening of our new facility at our Jeddah site is part of our commitment to continuing to grow our presence across the Middle East where we have invested over 80m since 2018. Our continued growth and investment reflect the growing number of consumers in the region who are adopting a more proactive approach to their health and wellbeing and want to be able to consume food and beverage products that support their goals while also being respectful of our environment. This new facility is the first of its kind in the Middle East and is one of the most modern and efficient in the world offering top-in-class sustainable nutrition technology platforms, laboratories equipped with unique testing capabilities while also being sustainable." Peter Dillane, Vice President and General Manager, Kerry Middle East, India, Sub-Saharan Africa (MISA) added: "Our customers are our priority, and our commitment is to bring local solutions to the Saudi market. We believe in global capability, executed locally, as seen in our local insight and team backed by Kerry's global technical and operational expertise. Our deep understanding of retail and foodservice channels enhances our ability to partner customers with greater success and make it easier and more valuable for them to do business with us." As part of Kerry's Beyond the Horizon sustainability commitment, the new facility is also making an important environmental difference. Since 2018, the factory carbon footprint has been reduced by 35% and there has been a 40% reduction in water usage. Food safety is paramount and the new facility was built on state-of-the-art Ready To Eat (RTE) standard of design and construction to uphold the strictest customer requirements for hygiene and food safety. Its stringent humidity and temperature-controlled environment ensures all materials are always fresh and ready to use anytime. The facility is FSSC 22000, HACCP, ISO 22000 and AIBI certified. About Kerry Group Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition partner for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets. We innovate with our customers to create great tasting products, with improved nutrition and functionality, while ensuring better impact for the planet. Our leading consumer insights, global RD&A team of 1,100+ food scientists and extensive global footprint enable us to solve our customers complex challenges with differentiated solutions. At Kerry, we are driven to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition, and will reach over 2 billion consumers with sustainable nutrition solutions by 2030. Kerry currently employs 133 people from 16 nationalities in Jeddah. Kerry is committed to increase the number of local employees and on building the Saudi talent pipeline in technical fields like engineering and production through establishing partnerships with the Kingdom's top universities. For more information, visit www.kerrygroup.com. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1736126/Kerry_Group.jpg The Korean company is equipped with cutting-edge technology to prevent cyberattacks. SEOUL, KOREA / ACCESSWIRE / January 28, 2022 / Modern warfare is better expressed by the term 'cyberwarfare'. That means that the level of information technology is the key in dictating who wins the next war. As cyberattack and eavesdropping are often seen in the information war, each country is intensely seeking better technology to gain competitiveness over potential intrusion. It is becoming extremely difficult to detect intrusions when the spy chip is being brought in to the data center through a supplier. This renders the traditional security systems useless and will leave data centers vulnerable to wireless hacking attacks. If an insider is involved, one can meddle with the detection device in advance knowing when and how the screening process will be conducted. It seems the screening process is not quite similar in South Korea. GITSN is Korea's leading Technical Surveillance Counter Measures (TSCM) company with 22 years of experience. They have been providing counter-surveillance solutions to a number of government entities including the police and the military as well as major Korean corporations. GITSN's R&D focuses on creating detection system against eavesdropping, wireless hacking and spy cameras. Its '24/7 Intelligent Eavesdropping Detection System (SMART-D)' can be installed in office areas and conference rooms to provide the work environment entirely free of eavesdropping threat. Also, its user-friendly interface offers easy and efficient management of its systems. GITSN's recent development detects potential threat of wireless hacking attacks via spy chips. This new 'Wireless Hacking Detection System (ALPHA-H)' will finds spy chips that can infiltrate your private network. It not only scans the perimeter in real time for abnormal radio frequency signals, but it can also trace and locate the source by cross-measuring the signal strength between multiple detectors. The Korean company, led by Dr. Han, Dong Jin, is equipped with cutting-edge counter-surveillance technology and continues to provide solutions to its customers. Their patented ultra-wideband (UWB) signal detection technology is a proof of their technological prowess, only matched by similar technologies from six other countries worldwide. GITSN seeks to create a safer society where your information is well-protected. War on spy cameras: TSCM company to go public in the Korean stock market Last year, the counter-surveillance company came up with an idea that their technology, with a little modification, can be applied to detect and prevent the usage of illegal spy cameras from public places. Their newly launched '24/7 Hidden Camera Detection System (ALPHA-C)' scans the area in real time for any source of heat being emitted from the spy camera and analyzes its heat signature. Whether it is an ordinary spy camera, switchable camera, micro-size camera or wirelessly-controlled camera, this brand-new technology will be able to detect the illegal device. Dr. Han, the head of the company, said "GITSN's motto is 'to be virtuous rather than being just good', meaning we can and will make the world a better and safer place with our technology. GITSN's growth will bring upon a healthier society." The company is looking to list on the Korean stock market this year. "Last year, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we reached our all-time high revenue figures, and this year the numbers are expected to double," the CEO said. "With the rapid growth of the TSCM industry, we expect to see a lot of new customers and investors both domestically and internationally" he added. Due to their 20+ years of innovation, GITSN has received many honorable awards from the Korean government, including the Presidential Award for Future Unicorn Company in 2020. For more information, visit www.gitsn.com Contact: Company: GITSN, INC. Contact: Sales Contact Email: sales@gitsn.com Telephone: +82 2 852 3560 Website: https://www.gitsn.com/ SOURCE: GITSN, INC. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/686036/One-Smart-Way-to-Cybersecurity-GITSN-Releases-the-Detection-System-against-Cyberattacks-Eavesdropping-and-Spy-Cameras causaLens, the London deep tech company delivering the future of AI, has raised a $45m Series A round. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220126005888/en/ The causaLens co-founders, Dr. Maksim Sipos, CTO, on the left, and Dr. Darko Matovski, CEO, on the right. (Photo: Business Wire) causaLens is the pioneer of Causal AI the only AI technology quantifying cause-and-effect relationships to reason alongside humans in a manner that is trustworthy, explainable, and fair. Causal AI represents a giant leap ahead of current correlation-based AI technologies, which blindly extrapolate historical data and are unable to ask counterfactual questions the 'what ifs' at the core of human imagination and creativity. causaLens's no-code platform delivers far more accurate and reliable results, and allows humans and machines to work together for the first time. It is trusted by decision makers across finance, industry, technology, and government. The round was led by Dorilton Ventures and Molten Ventures, with sizable participation from existing investors Generation Ventures and IQ Capital. GP Bullhound and others also joined the round, which was oversubscribed. Daniel Freeman of Dorilton Ventures has joined causaLens's board of directors. Since emerging from stealth mode in January 2021, causaLens has seen annual revenue grow by more than 500%, winning marquee clients including Tier1 banks, hedge funds, governments and Fortune 500 companies. After considering more than 50,000 CVs, causaLens has the strongest group of AI scientists and engineers ever assembled to implement Causal AI. The new funding will allow causaLens to double its team in 2022 while investing aggressively to maintain its competitive technology lead. causaLens CEO and co-founder, Darko Matovski, said: "Our vision is to create a world in which humans can trust machines with the greatest challenges in the economy, society, and healthcare. Our customers are seeing transformative results with our no-code platform and we now have the resources to bring our platform to everyone." causaLens is delivering transformational outcomes across a range of sectors. In financial services, the insurer and asset manager Aviva uses the company's platform to improve portfolio returns. Pension funds, including TIAA, with $1T under management, also trust causaLens with some of its most important decisions. Beyond financial services, causaLens' platform has helped mitigate supply chain disruptions, navigate public health crises and discover novel biomarkers for cancer. Supported by $45M in the first close of this Series A round, causaLens is now able to help organizations across more sectors and geographies to create human-centered AI systems they can fully trust. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220126005888/en/ Contacts: Alejandro Ortega Ancel alejo@causaLens.com WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - DBS Bank Ltd said that it has agreed to buy the consumer banking business of Citigroup Inc in Taiwan. It will pay Citi cash for the net assets of Citi Consumer Taiwan plus a premium of S$956 million. DBS plans to make offers to take all about 3,500 employees from Citi Consumer Taiwan. Citigroup said in April 2021 that it would exit its consumer-banking operations in 13 countries across Asia and parts of Europe to focus more on wealth management outside the U.S. Citi Consumer Taiwan has been operating in Taiwan since 1985, and currently has 2.7 million credit cards and unsecured accounts, 0.5 million deposit and wealth customers and 45 branches. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. SINGAPORE, Jan. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BingX is proud to announce its partnership with Sumsub, an all-in-one suite for identity verification, compliance, and automated fraud protection. As a social crypto exchange, BingX operates in a regulatorily sensitive space where safety, compliance, and KYC are paramount. To rise to this challenge, BingX will be integrating Sumsub's KYC system, which uses advanced AI technology to detect and prevent potential cybercrime. BingX users will now go through a two-step verification process by 1) providing a photo of their ID and 2) passing a biometric liveness check. For users, this process is fast, transparent, and easy. For BingX, it promises to build trust and accelerate global expansion. "One of BingX's overarching objectives this year is to make its services more easily accessible. At times, the KYC and compliance requirements can be tiring and could dissuade new users from completing registration. We want our users to have the best experience from start to finish. What better way to start the year, than making our KYC steps for our users easier to complete. This partnership between Sumsub and BingX will serve as a strategic move that will simplify the KYC process; attracting more users to our platform while giving us a competitive edge in the crypto market space." - Communication & Partnership Manager at BingX, Elvisco Carrington "We are happy to support BingX's mission to create a leading social crypto exchange network by providing verification procedures compliant with local and international AML regulations. We are here so that BingX can entirely focus on enhancing their products and services for their growing customer base." - Co-founder of Sumsub, Jacob Sever About BingX Founded in 2018, BingX ( www.bingx.com ) is a global digital asset, spot, and derivatives trading platform that provides a user-centric and open ecosystem with intuitive social trading features. Created to enrich the entire cryptocurrency industry, BingX is a safe, reliable, and user-friendly venue for users to trade their favourite assets, such as Cosmos , AXS , Chiliz & DAO . About Sumsub Founded in 2015, Sumsub is a leading identity verification platform providing an all-in-one technical and legal toolkit to cover KYC/AML needs. Sumsub helps businesses convert more customers, speed up verification, reduce costs, and fight digital fraud. Relying on machine learning and artificial intelligence, its solution works globally, with support for 6,500 document types from over 220 countries and territories. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1735986/Bing_X___Sumsub___Partnership_1_Twitter.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1690963/BingX_Logo.jpg ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, Jan. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- How can we celebrate sustainably? Artist Daan Roosegaarde became inspired by the magical light of fireflies, and a desire to update the culturally ingrained ritual of fireworks. The result is SPARK Bilbao, a poetic performance of thousands of biodegradable light sparks which organically float through the air, designed by Studio Roosegaarde. The Wellbeing Summit for Social Change in Bilbao-Biscay, Spain, is the first in the world to showcase this innovative solution for sustainable community celebrations. SPARK is now launched just before the Chinese New Year. SPARK Bilbao transforms traditional and polluting methods of celebration such as fireworks, balloons, drones and confetti into a new sustainable celebration. You can view the premiere of SPARK Bilbao today at https://studioroosegaarde.net/project/spark. Through a combination of design and technology, thousands of light sparks made of biodegradable bubbles are moved silently by the ever-changing wind. In Bilbao's central park, this dynamic 50 x 30 x 50 metres cloud of SPARK inspires visitors to wonder and reflect on their connection to each other, themselves and nature. SPARK will be exhibited June 1-3, 2022 in Bilbao-Biscay. Artist Daan Roosegaarde is inherently motivated to transform our fear of the future into curiosity by designing realistic alternatives. During the growing collaboration between Studio Roosegaarde, Draiflessen Collection and The Wellbeing Summit, the artist developed this groundbreaking and enchanting landscape artwork. SPARK Bilbao invites everyone to become part of the journey to an environmentally-friendly future. With SPARK the interconnectedness between humans and nature is celebrated, and traditions can be maintained in a new way. Moreover, it is a sustainable alternative for community events that want to promote reflection and celebration, such as the Olympics, the Fourth of July, New Year's Eve or other communal celebrations. Pressroom high-res images and movie: https://pressroom.studioroosegaarde.net. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1734641/SPARK_Bilbao.jpg Laboratoires Thea SAS ("Thea"), Europe's leading independent pharmaceutical company specializing in the research, development, and commercialization of eye-care products, today announced an agreement to purchase seven branded ophthalmic products from Akorn Operating Company LLC. The transaction will make Thea a best-in-class provider of products designed to fill the needs of eye-care professionals across the United States. The purchase will add seven established brands, including Akorn's leading glaucoma therapy, Zioptan, to Thea's portfolio. Thea will also welcome Akorn's nearly 50-person sales force, which Thea expects to expand in support of anticipated growth and launches of additional products in the U.S. "The significance of this milestone purchase can be felt across our entire organization, which has been operating for 28 years and is a driving force for treatment in eye care with products available in 75 countries," said Thea's President, Jean-Frederic Chibret. "As a fifth-generation member of a family that has spent more than 150 years dedicated to eye care, I'm always excited to extend Thea's unique expertise and passion into new markets, where our goal is to improve patient quality of life by providing innovative offerings across a full range of therapeutic areas, including glaucoma, dry eye, allergy and inflammation." Thea will add the following Akorn branded products to its portfolio: Zioptan (tafluprost ophthalmic solution), a prostaglandin analog indicated for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. (tafluprost ophthalmic solution), a prostaglandin analog indicated for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. AcellFX (acellular amniotic membrane), which provides a protective environment or covering for repair to the ocular surface. (acellular amniotic membrane), which provides a protective environment or covering for repair to the ocular surface. Betimol (timolol ophthalmic solution), indicated in the treatment of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with ocular hypertension or open angle glaucoma. (timolol ophthalmic solution), indicated in the treatment of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with ocular hypertension or open angle glaucoma. Cosopt (dorzolamide HCl and timolol maleate ophthalmic solution), indicated for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension that is insufficiently responsive to beta blockers. (dorzolamide HCl and timolol maleate ophthalmic solution), indicated for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension that is insufficiently responsive to beta blockers. Cosopt PF (dorzolamide HCl and timolol maleate ophthalmic solution), indicated for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension that is insufficiently responsive to beta blockers. (dorzolamide HCl and timolol maleate ophthalmic solution), indicated for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension that is insufficiently responsive to beta blockers. AzaSite (azithromycin ophthalmic solution), a macrolide antibiotic indicated for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis caused by susceptible isolates of certain microorganisms; and (azithromycin ophthalmic solution), a macrolide antibiotic indicated for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis caused by susceptible isolates of certain microorganisms; and Akten (lidocaine HCl ophthalmic gel), a local anesthetic indicated for ocular surface anesthesia during ophthalmologic procedures. Thea is committed to developing innovative products for the U.S. market in areas of unmet need, and expects to file its first New Drug Application (NDA) with the FDA in the first quarter of 2022 for a version of the glaucoma treatment latanoprost. At the end of the first quarter of 2022, Thea also plans to launch a new line of branded OTC evidenced-based dry-eye drops and eyelid hygiene products through its partnership with Similasan Corporation. Similasan is the No. 1 global maker of eye drops with natural active ingredients and offers around 40 homeopathic remedies in the U.S. "We are thrilled to expand our presence in the U.S. eye care community with a portfolio of products that are widely recognized and frequently used because they make a difference in patients' lives," said Susan Benton, Thea's General Manager, Head of U.S. "As we introduce additional product lines and bring new innovations to market through our dedicated research and development programs, we are looking forward to engaging with stakeholders to expand our leadership presence on a global scale." The transaction is subject to the expiration or termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 and other customary closing conditions. [Thea expects the transaction to close in Q1, 2022.] Perella Weinberg Partners are acting as financial advisers to Thea and Weil, Gotshal Manges LLP is acting as legal adviser to Thea. About Thea Thea is the leading independent European pharmaceutical group in ophthalmology. Based in Clermont-Ferrand, France, it has thirty-five affiliates offices in Europe, North and South America, North Africa, and the Middle East. Today, its network includes nearly 1,500 employees, and its products are available in 75 countries around the world. In 2021, Thea had global revenues of approximately $773 million. The independent and family-owned and run group, founded from a Research and Development start-up by Henri Chibret, has been chaired since 2008 by Jean-Frederic Chibret, his nephew. To learn more about Thea, visit https://www.laboratoires-thea.com/en About Thea Pharma, Inc. Established in Lexington, Massachusetts in 2019, Thea Pharma, Inc., is the United States subsidiary of Thea. Once the transaction with Akorn is completed, its products will comprise a portfolio of seven leading eye-care brands including Zioptan, AcellFx, Cosopt, Cosopt PF, Azasite, Akten, and Betimol. In addition, Thea Pharma is developing a version of the glaucoma drug latanoprost, for which it will submit an NDA to the FDA in the first quarter of 2022. Also, in Q1, the company will launch a new line of branded preservative-free evidenced-based OTC dry-eye drops and eyelid hygiene products through its partnership with Similasan Corporation. By focusing its parent company's passion and expertise on the U.S. market, Thea Pharma's goal is to deliver uncompromising care that allows all stakeholders to envision the future of ophthalmic treatment with eyes wide open. To learn more, visit https://theapharmainc.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220128005021/en/ Contacts: Thea US Media Inquiries Please Contact: PRECISION effect Jamie Hall Jamie.hall@precisionvh.com +1 724.417.0167 Thea Global Media Inquiries Please Contact: Susan Benton General Manager, Thea Pharma Inc. susan.benton@theapharma.inc +1 617.725.2601 FORMER Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) commissioner Goodson Nguni has filed a joinder at the High Court in a case where President Emmerson Mnangagwas legitimacy is being challenged by a Zanu PF member, Sybeth Musengezi. Nguni, who leads the Federation of Non-Governmental Organisations Trust, filed the joinder supporting Mnangagwas ascendancy as legal, before accusing Musengezi of being bogus. In his founding affidavit filed before the High Court, Nguni accused Musengezi of deliberately misrepresenting facts to support his claim to Mnangagwas alleged illegitimacy. The fact that Musengezis founding affidavit is riddled with perjured averments, I urge this honourable court to grant an order of joinder of the applicants such that those critical areas I wish to lay bare to this honourable court will demonstrate the legality of Mnangagwas assumption of Zanu PF presidency and first secretary of the same, Nguni submitted. Many other reasons as can publicly be observed from the parliamentary records of 2017, and court orders then, three contemporaneous processes, ensued namely, that the Zimbabwe Defence Forces obtained a court order in their favour validating Operation Restore Legacy, whereas the dismissal of Mnangagwa from government was invalidated too by order of the High Court whereas, Zanu PF as a party from whom the former President was elected into government commenced processes to correct what clearly was amounting to a constitutional crisis arising from apparent illegalities that had been caused in Zanu PF and government by people aforesaid, generally identified as G40. He said the court could take judicial notice of the fact that the late former President Robert Mugabe later resigned from office after Parliament commenced impeachment proceedings against him. Nguni accused Musengezi of having a hidden agenda aimed at soiling Mnangagwas image. He said Musengezi had membership in different districts around Harare, and used addresses of people who had also filed affidavits confirming he did not stay at their places of residence. Musengezi filed papers at the High Court in October seeking a ruling declaring null and void a November 19, 2017 Zanu PF central committee meeting that elevated Mnangagwa to acting party president. Zanu PF, Mnangagwa, Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu, Zanu PF finance secretary Patrick Chinamasa, former Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko and ex-Zanu PF administration secretary Ignatius Chombo were cited as respondents in the case. Newsday Regulatory News: Under the liquidity agreement between Legrand (Paris:LR) and Exane BNP Paribas, the following assets were held in the liquidity account at December 31st, 2021: 32,946 shares - 25,338,450 In the second half of 2021, it has been negotiated a total of: Number of executions on buy side on semester: 9,587 - Number of executions on sell side on semester: 9,950 - Traded volume on buy side on semester: 1,339,907 shares for 108,437,185 - Traded volume on sell side on semester: 1,171,762 shares for 111,640,972 Recap: At the previous statement date (June 30th, 2021), the following assets were held in the liquidity account: 64,801 shares - 22,134,633 In the first half of 2021, it has been negotiated a total of: Number of executions on buy side on semester: 10,731 - Number of executions on sell side on semester: 12,641 - Traded volume on buy side on semester: 1,262,866 shares for 101,660,496 - Traded volume on sell side on semester: 1,295,792 shares for 104,417,380 When the agreement was first put in place, the following assets were held in the liquidity account: 90,346 shares - 19,880,644 The liquidity agreement complies with AMF Decision no. 2018-01 dated July 2nd, 2018, introducing liquidity agreements on equity securities as permitted market practice. The reader is invited to verify authenticity of press releases by Legrand with the CertiDox app. More information on www.certidox.com Date Buy Sell Quantity Number of executions Traded volume Quantity Number of executions Traded volume 01/07/2021 11 500 100 1 033 071 10 500 85 944 964 02/07/2021 11 000 142 993 272 11 000 131 994 050 05/07/2021 10 050 96 914 687 12 500 84 1 138 823 06/07/2021 7 500 65 683 350 5 222 63 476 046 07/07/2021 14 000 112 1 281 786 16 000 130 1 466 782 08/07/2021 6 649 45 605 741 2 649 18 241 589 09/07/2021 6 250 35 569 750 12/07/2021 2 500 40 230 050 13/07/2021 6 732 41 624 124 14/07/2021 7 500 66 695 250 15/07/2021 14 500 125 1 337 836 12 200 150 1 127 205 16/07/2021 12 500 119 1 150 599 7 750 81 714 148 19/07/2021 10 000 64 905 000 20/07/2021 10 000 55 906 500 21/07/2021 8 129 110 745 392 15 000 101 1 379 400 22/07/2021 10 000 94 931 350 12 500 141 1 165 650 23/07/2021 2 500 13 234 900 2 500 25 235 000 26/07/2021 10 000 97 932 600 10 000 60 933 446 27/07/2021 10 000 110 930 057 7 500 105 698 011 28/07/2021 10 000 72 925 050 12 500 83 1 157 300 29/07/2021 10 000 76 929 188 12 500 92 1 162 752 30/07/2021 16 000 88 1 487 125 18 500 151 1 725 150 02/08/2021 10 000 80 952 650 5 315 52 508 119 03/08/2021 5 000 32 473 000 7 500 95 711 150 04/08/2021 5 430 47 517 542 9 382 68 896 645 05/08/2021 18 000 158 1 727 396 18 000 144 1 728 716 06/08/2021 10 897 110 1 043 322 10 896 116 1 044 295 09/08/2021 16 500 158 1 574 472 13 774 192 1 316 026 10/08/2021 5 000 79 476 276 7 500 91 715 500 11/08/2021 3 865 42 371 827 7 500 44 723 600 12/08/2021 6 495 79 629 502 8 995 90 872 906 13/08/2021 2 503 40 243 941 2 503 21 244 041 16/08/2021 2 500 15 243 500 2 500 18 244 000 17/08/2021 5 000 31 485 500 5 000 15 486 500 18/08/2021 7 500 48 731 200 7 500 35 732 350 19/08/2021 10 000 71 961 750 10 000 43 964 345 20/08/2021 7 500 45 722 750 7 500 41 724 200 23/08/2021 4 280 30 415 478 4 280 19 416 334 24/08/2021 4 528 40 439 270 4 528 35 439 723 25/08/2021 10 000 102 967 650 2 500 18 242 800 26/08/2021 2 500 18 239 750 7 500 68 722 650 27/08/2021 7 500 53 726 150 7 500 53 727 400 30/08/2021 5 000 31 485 600 7 500 49 730 550 31/08/2021 7 500 59 731 500 7 500 37 734 650 01/09/2021 2 500 15 242 950 2 500 17 243 200 02/09/2021 7 500 9 731 989 7 500 59 732 700 03/09/2021 10 000 56 974 550 10 000 63 975 950 06/09/2021 7 856 68 764 774 7 500 98 730 807 07/09/2021 5 202 39 508 355 7 690 58 752 576 08/09/2021 14 000 95 1 366 284 9 500 108 927 463 09/09/2021 11 250 107 1 085 175 13 750 135 1 329 625 10/09/2021 10 000 57 971 090 10 000 137 972 810 13/09/2021 10 677 157 1 042 596 5 677 56 554 879 14/09/2021 10 000 104 974 157 12 500 148 1 219 000 15/09/2021 14 250 127 1 386 720 14 250 203 1 387 548 16/09/2021 848 10 82 934 10 000 70 980 450 17/09/2021 14 152 106 1 390 303 2 500 25 248 600 20/09/2021 15 000 101 1 427 750 2 500 37 237 350 21/09/2021 16 000 98 1 517 395 14 138 62 1 342 970 22/09/2021 4 188 39 401 016 7 069 32 678 221 23/09/2021 5 000 25 483 000 5 000 51 484 100 24/09/2021 12 500 74 1 196 850 27/09/2021 10 500 153 989 534 5 600 65 530 160 28/09/2021 10 000 92 927 626 10 000 143 928 349 29/09/2021 9 500 57 891 230 12 000 71 1 128 160 30/09/2021 16 452 147 1 536 160 16 452 111 1 538 421 01/10/2021 20 000 148 1 825 290 19 835 228 1 81 1 134 04/10/2021 17 500 111 1 583 200 19 500 224 1 768 750 05/10/2021 7 528 67 678 574 12 500 111 1 131 729 06/10/2021 16 507 132 1 488 685 13 500 69 1 218 080 07/10/2021 5 050 58 458 114 7 050 53 641 301 08/10/2021 7 500 49 682 750 11/10/2021 6 200 49 554 146 6 200 45 555 036 12/10/2021 10 000 88 886 050 12 500 92 1 110 400 13/10/2021 12 500 105 1 119 150 15 000 147 1 345 350 14/10/2021 13 750 154 1 259 612 13 750 99 1 260 259 15/10/2021 10 100 98 929 494 11 500 145 1 060 334 18/10/2021 14 650 110 1 354 673 17 500 132 1 620 504 19/10/2021 2 500 9 233 000 5 000 41 467 000 20/10/2021 12 500 121 1 176 950 15 000 77 1 414 700 21/10/2021 15 000 76 1 400 800 22/10/2021 5 000 43 463 300 25/10/2021 7 500 51 696 400 7 500 75 696 750 26/10/2021 8 750 64 820 200 8 750 64 820 625 27/10/2021 5 000 20 471 000 5 000 27 471 500 28/10/2021 5 000 34 472 550 7 500 46 709 600 29/10/2021 15 000 86 1 412 800 7 500 55 707 250 01/11/2021 10 000 94 949 250 02/11/2021 18 750 243 1 808 087 19 500 147 1 882 770 03/11/2021 6 100 60 594 259 7 527 58 734 384 04/11/2021 19 500 80 1 885 703 14 735 130 1 426 805 05/11/2021 20 300 113 1 924 957 9 300 92 882 300 08/11/2021 6 500 42 616 804 17 500 160 1 662 457 09/11/2021 15 000 122 1 420 750 17 500 130 1 660 600 10/11/2021 17 500 102 1 648 549 18 500 233 1 745 351 11/11/2021 6 335 48 599 264 5 241 38 496 623 12/11/2021 5 000 41 473 266 5 000 24 474 400 15/11/2021 11 500 81 1 086 696 11 500 61 1 087 762 16/11/2021 12 500 89 1 185 800 10 000 82 949 200 17/11/2021 5 724 69 544 442 7 500 61 714 787 18/11/2021 7 500 67 726 750 7 500 53 727 562 19/11/2021 2 500 13 243 995 7 500 54 732 850 22/11/2021 5 950 44 582 496 8 005 53 790 843 23/11/2021 14 055 85 1 382 379 11 555 89 1 138 201 24/11/2021 15 000 95 1 456 613 15 000 120 1 458 300 25/11/2021 7 500 74 730 350 7 500 78 731 000 26/11/2021 7 500 89 713 046 7 500 46 714 000 29/11/2021 2 484 39 237 746 9 484 87 910 974 30/11/2021 7 000 85 672 350 10 700 71 1 028 167 01/12/2021 6 250 102 612 759 8 750 68 858 875 02/12/2021 21 500 136 2 092 033 21 000 195 2 047 012 03/12/2021 13 750 140 1 349 563 14 607 176 1 435 969 06/12/2021 4 200 35 410 207 12 500 77 1 221 360 07/12/2021 5 000 31 496 000 08/12/2021 8 500 103 851 118 9 000 57 904 147 09/12/2021 7 500 58 757 250 10/12/2021 6 500 71 653 655 1 500 20 151 500 13/12/2021 5 000 81 508 250 5 000 58 508 875 14/12/2021 15 500 165 1 565 299 6 496 53 659 300 15/12/2021 2 500 15 250 000 16/12/2021 6 300 94 634 081 6 300 94 636 658 17/12/2021 15 000 119 1 504 050 16 348 151 1 641 608 20/12/2021 7 500 52 735 550 7 500 66 737 152 21/12/2021 8 000 56 792 600 8 000 49 794 519 22/12/2021 6 250 58 620 875 8 750 50 872 600 23/12/2021 7 500 64 754 000 24/12/2021 5 000 40 507 000 2 800 15 284 765 27/12/2021 5 792 111 587 645 7 546 46 767 680 28/12/2021 5 431 93 559 715 5 431 38 560 001 29/12/2021 6 000 26 615 700 6 000 25 616 685 30/12/2021 7 500 67 774 125 2 500 17 258 625 31/12/2021 2 500 29 256 500 5 000 29 513 625 Key financial dates: 2021 annual results: February 10, 2022 "Quiet period 1 " starts January 11, 2022 "Quiet period " starts January 11, 2022 ESG Capital Markets day: March 29, 2022 2022 first-quarter results: May 5, 2022 "Quiet period 1 " starts April 5, 2022 "Quiet period " starts April 5, 2022 General Meeting of Shareholders: May 25, 2022 About Legrand Legrand is the global specialist in electrical and digital building infrastructures. Its comprehensive offering of solutions for commercial, industrial and residential markets makes it a benchmark for customers worldwide. The Group harnesses technological and societal trends with lasting impacts on buildings with the purpose of improving life by transforming the spaces where people live, work and meet with electrical, digital infrastructures and connected solutions that are simple, innovative and sustainable. Drawing on an approach that involves all teams and stakeholders, Legrand is pursuing its strategy of profitable and sustainable growth driven by acquisitions and innovation, with a steady flow of new offerings-including Eliot* connected products with enhanced value in use. Legrand reported sales of 6.1 billion in 2020. The company is listed on Euronext Paris and is notably a component stock of the CAC 40 and CAC 40 ESG indexes. (code ISIN FR0010307819). https://www.legrandgroup.com *Eliot is a program launched in 2015 by Legrand to speed up deployment of the Internet of Things in its offering. A result of the group's innovation strategy, Eliot aims to develop connected and interoperable solutions that deliver lasting benefits to private individual users and professionals. https://www.legrandgroup.com/en/group/eliot-legrands-connected-objects-program 1 Period of time when all communication is suspended in the run-up to publication of results. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220128005026/en/ Contacts: Investor relations Legrand Ronan Marc Tel: +33 (0)1 49 72 53 53 ronan.marc@legrand.fr Press relations Publicis Consultants Charles-Etienne Lebatard Mob: +33 (0)7 86 65 03 94 charlesetienne.lebatard@publicisconsultants.com Lea Jacquin Mob: +33 (0)6 33 63 18 29 lea.jacquin@publicisconsultants.com Regulatory News: NOXXON Pharma N.V. (Euronext Growth Paris: ALNOX) (Paris:ALNOX), a biotechnology company focused on improving cancer treatments by targeting the tumor microenvironment (TME), announced today that it has drawn down additional financing tranches from its financing agreement with Atlas Special Opportunities, LLC (ASO), for a total consideration of 2,375,000, and issued 2,419 convertible bonds (including 44 convertible bonds issued in relation to the transaction fee) with a nominal value of EUR 1,000 each. The remaining availability under the ASO facility extends the company's cash runway into December 2022. The characteristics, terms and conditions of the ASO financing may be found in the April 23, 2020 and October 14, 2020 press releases. The expansion of the financing capacity and the dilutive potential have been published in the press release on January 3, 2022. NOXXON maintains an updated summary table of issued convertible bonds in the Investors' section of its website. About NOXXON NOXXON's oncology-focused pipeline acts on the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the cancer immunity cycle by breaking the tumor protection barrier and blocking tumor repair. By neutralizing chemokines in the TME, NOXXON's approach works in combination with other forms of treatment to weaken tumor defenses against the immune system and enable greater therapeutic impact. NOXXON's lead program NOX-A12 has delivered final top-line data from a Keytruda combination trial in metastatic colorectal and pancreatic cancer patients published at the ESMO conference in September 2020 and in July 2021 the company announced its Phase 2 study, OPTIMUS, to further evaluate safety and efficacy of NOX-A12 in combination with Merck's Keytruda and two different chemotherapy regimens as second-line therapy in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. NOXXON is also studying NOX-A12 in brain cancer in combination with radiotherapy which has been granted orphan drug status in the US and EU for the treatment of certain brain cancers. GLORIA, a trial of NOX-A12 in combination with radiotherapy in newly diagnosed brain cancer patients who will not benefit clinically from standard chemotherapy has delivered interim data from the first two cohorts showing consistent tumor reductions and objective tumor responses. Additionally, GLORIA has been expanded to assess the benefit of NOX-A12 with other treatment combinations, radiotherapy bevacizumab and radiotherapy pembrolizumab. The company's second clinical-stage asset NOX-E36 is a Phase 2 TME asset targeting the innate immune system. NOXXON plans to test NOX-E36 in patients with solid tumors. Further information can be found at: www.noxxon.com. Keytruda is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp Dohme Corp. Visit NOXXON on LinkedIn and Twitter. About the GLORIA Study GLORIA (NCT04121455) is NOXXON's dose-escalation, phase 1/2 study of NOX-A12 in combination with irradiation in first-line partially resected or unresected glioblastoma (brain cancer) patients with unmethylated MGMT promoter (resistant to standard chemotherapy). GLORIA further evaluates safety and efficacy of NOX-A12 three additional arms combining NOX-A12 with: A. radiotherapy in patients with complete tumor resection; B. radiotherapy and bevacizumab in patients with incomplete tumor resection; and C. radiotherapy and pembrolizumab in patients with incomplete tumor resection. About the OPTIMUS Study OPTIMUS (NCT04901741) is NOXXON's open-label two-arm phase 2 study of NOX-A12 combined with pembrolizumab and nanoliposomal irinotecan/5-FU/leucovorin or gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel in microsatellite-stable metastatic pancreatic cancer patients. Disclaimer Certain statements in this communication contain formulations or terms referring to the future or future developments, as well as negations of such formulations or terms, or similar terminology. These are described as forward-looking statements. In addition, all information in this communication regarding planned or future results of business segments, financial indicators, developments of the financial situation or other financial or statistical data contains such forward-looking statements. The company cautions prospective investors not to rely on such forward-looking statements as certain prognoses of actual future events and developments. The company is neither responsible nor liable for updating such information, which only represents the state of affairs on the day of publication. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220128005381/en/ Contacts: For more information, please contact: NOXXON Pharma N.V. Aram Mangasarian, Ph.D. Chief Executive Officer Tel. +49 (0) 30 726247 0 amangasarian@noxxon.com Investor and Media Relations: LifeSci Advisors Guillaume van Renterghem Tel. +41 (0) 76 735 01 31 gvanrenterghem@lifesciadvisors.com NewCap Arthur Rouille Tel. +33 (0) 1 44 71 00 15 arouille@newcap.fr $125 million refinancing substantially improves Innocoll's liquidity, enabling further investment in pharmaceutical technology portfolio and growth plan Innocoll Biotherapeutics plc, a specialty pharmaceutical company and portfolio business of Gurnet Point Capital, announced today the successful refinancing of its existing term loan facility with a new $125 million term loan provided by funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. ("Oaktree"). The new term loan meaningfully strengthens Innocoll's financial flexibility and enables the Company to further invest in its R&D program and commercial organization for its innovative products. "The refinancing of our debt significantly improves our liquidity position, which enables us to invest even further into the crucial research and clinical studies required to expand the use of our innovative products in soft tissue surgeries," said Louis Pascarella, Chief Executive Officer of Innocoll. "By continuing to invest in our R&D and building our commercial organization, we are confident that we will position our innovative post-surgical, non-opioid pain products XARACOLL (bupivacaine hydrochloride implant) and POSIMIR (bupivacaine solution) for long-term success. I'm thrilled for our company's future and look forward to the positive impact we will have on hospitals, surgeons and patients by reinvesting this increased liquidity directly into our portfolio." Aman Kumar, Co-Portfolio Manager of Life Sciences Lending at Oaktree, said, "We are pleased to partner with Innocoll at this exciting stage in the company's development. We see tremendous opportunity in the business, its portfolio and the leadership team, and believe in its mission to help solve unmet needs in the acute care setting." About Innocoll Holdings Limited Innocoll Biotherapeutics plc is a global specialty pharmaceutical company headquartered in Athlone, Ireland. Innocoll Biotherapeutics plc and its subsidiaries Innocoll Holdings Limited and Innocoll Pharmaceuticals Limited, are focused on the development and commercialization of pharmaceutical technologies to meet some of today's most important healthcare challenges. Innocoll Biotherapeutics plc is a portfolio business of Gurnet Point Capital. www.innocoll.com About Gurnet Point Capital Gurnet Point Capital is a unique healthcare investment platform within the B-Flexion Group and led by a team with deep expertise in an industry for which they share a passion, both as investors and senior executives. GPC invests long-term capital and supports entrepreneurs in building a new generation of companies that deliver outsized returns through active ownership. Based in Cambridge, MA, its remit encompasses life sciences and health care focused businesses, with a particular emphasis on businesses that have high growth potential in the product development and commercialization stages of their evolution. With its strategy of driving best in class operational transformation for these businesses, to create social impact while generating significant economic value, Gurnet is able to deliver differentiated results for its investors and partners. www.gurnetpointcapital.com About Oaktree Oaktree is a leader among global investment managers specializing in alternative investments, with $166 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2021. The firm emphasizes an opportunistic, value-oriented and risk-controlled approach to investments in credit, private equity, real assets and listed equities. The firm has over 1,000 employees and offices in 19 cities worldwide. For additional information, please visit Oaktree's website at http://www.oaktreecapital.com/. About XARACOLL Xaracoll (bupivacaine HCl) implant is a bioresorbable collagen implant providing postsurgical pain relief through the delivery of bupivacaine, a local anesthetic, at the surgical site. XARACOLL implant releases bupivacaine after placement at the surgical site through diffusion from the porous collagen implant, which dissolves over time. XARACOLL was approved in August 2020 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). XARACOLL is a registered trademark of Innocoll Pharmaceuticals Limited. Further Information About XARACOLL INDICATIONS AND USAGE XARACOLL contains an amide local anesthetic and is indicated in adults for placement into the surgical site to produce postsurgical analgesia for up to 24 hours following open inguinal hernia repair. Limitations of Use Safety and effectiveness have not been established in other surgical procedures, including orthopedic and boney procedures. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION CONTRAINDICATIONS Known hypersensitivity to bupivacaine or to any local anesthetic agent of the amide-typeor to other components of XARACOLL Obstetrical paracervical block anesthesia. The use of bupivacaine in this technique has resulted in fetal bradycardia and death WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Dose-Related Toxicity: Monitor cardiovascular and respiratory vital signs and patient's state of consciousness after placement of XARACOLL Methemoglobinemia: Cases of methemoglobinemia have been reported in association with local anesthetic use. See full Prescribing Information for more detail on managing these risks ADVERSE REACTIONS Most common adverse reactions in clinical trials (incidence =2% and higher than placebo) included incision site swelling, dysgeusia, headache, tremor, blurred vision, seroma, scrotal swelling, pyrexia, oral hypoesthesia, and post procedural discharge. To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Innocoll at 1-833-606-1421 or the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. DRUG INTERACTIONS Local Anesthetics: The toxic effects of local anesthetics are additive. Avoid additional local anesthetic administration within 96 hours following XARACOLL implantation. If additional local anesthetic administration with XARACOLL cannot be avoided, monitor patients for neurologic and cardiovascular effects related to local anesthetic systemic toxicity. USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS Pregnancy: Based on animal data, may cause fetal harm Moderate to Severe Hepatic Impairment: Consider increased monitoring for bupivacaine systemic toxicity Please see full Prescribing Information. www.xaracoll.com/xaracoll_pi.pdf About POSIMIR POSIMIR (bupivacaine solution) for infiltration use is a novel and proprietary product that combines the strength of 660 mg of bupivacaine base with the innovative SABER platform technology, enabling continuous sustained delivery of a non-opioid local analgesic over 3 days in adults. POSIMIR contains more bupivacaine than any other approved single-dose sustained-release bupivacaine product. At the end of surgery, POSIMIR is administered into the subacromial space under direct arthroscopic visualization, where it continuously releases bupivacaine for 72 hours or more. Indications and Usage POSIMIR (bupivacaine solution) for infiltration use is indicated in adults for administration into the subacromial space under direct arthroscopic visualization to produce post-surgical analgesia for up to 72 hours following arthroscopic subacromial decompression. Limitations of Use Safety and effectiveness have not been established in other surgical procedures, including soft tissue surgical procedures, other orthopedic procedures, including for intra-articular administration, and boney procedures, or when used for neuraxial or peripheral nerve blockade. Full Prescribing Information, including the Boxed Warning, is available at www.POSIMIR.com. Important Safety Information BOXED WARNING: Risk of Potential Adverse Embolic Effects Resulting From Inadvertent Intravascaular Injection. Inadvertent intravascular injection could cause POSIMIR droplets to be deposited in the pulmonary and other capillary beds. Administer POSIMIR into the subacromial space at the end of arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Direct arthroscopic visualization must be used to confirm proper placement of the needle tip before injecting POSIMIR. In POSIMIR clinical studies, no inadvertent intravascular injections were observed. Do not inject POSIMIR intravascularly. POSIMIR is contraindicated in patients with a known hypersensitivity to any amide local anesthetic, or other components of POSIMIR, as well as in patients undergoing obstetrical paracervical block anesthesia. There is a risk of joint cartilage necrosis with unapproved intra-articular use of POSIMIR. Unintended intravascular injection of POSIMIR may be associated with systemic toxicities, including CNS or cardiorespiratory depression and coma, progressing ultimately to respiratory arrest. As with other local anesthetics, patients should be monitored for central nervous system, cardiovascular, and allergic reactions. Avoid additional use of local anesthetics within 168 hours following administration of POSIMIR. Cases of methemoglobinemia have been reported in association with use of local anesthetics. There have been reports of chondrolysis (mostly in the shoulder joint) following intra-articular infusion of local anesthetics, which is an unapproved use. POSIMIR should be used cautiously in patients with impaired hepatic and cardiovascular function. Adverse events reported with an incidence greater than or equal to 10% and greater than control following POSIMIR administration in shoulder surgery were dizziness, dysgeusia, dysuria, headache, hypoesthesia, paresthesia, tinnitus, and vomiting. Adverse events reported with an incidence greater than or equal to 10% and greater than control following POSIMIR administration in soft tissue surgical procedures were anemia, bradycardia, constipation, C-reactive protein increased, diarrhea, dizziness, dysgeusia, headache, nausea, oropharyngeal pain, post-procedural contusion (bruising), procedural pain, pruritus, pyrexia, somnolence, surgical site bleeding, visible bruising and vomiting. To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact DURECT Corporation at 1-844-767-4647 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220128005490/en/ Contacts: Media Blair Hennessy (212) 371-5999 bth@abmac.com Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 28, 2022) - Psyched Wellness Ltd. (CSE: PSYC) (OTCQB: PSYCF) (FSE: 5U9) (the "Company" or "Psyched") a life sciences company focused on the production and distribution of artisanal functional and psychedelic mushrooms, announced today that it has implemented a restricted share unit award plan (the "RSU Plan"). The following is a summary of the material provisions of the RSU Plan. It is not a comprehensive discussion of all of the terms and conditions of the RSU Plan and it is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the RSU Plan, a copy of which can be accessed on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are advised to review the full text of the RSU Plan to fully understand all terms and conditions of the RSU Plan. Adoption of RSU Plan In order to further align the interests of the Company's officers, directors, employees, and consultants with those of the shareholders of the Company, the board of directors the Company (the "Board") have approved the implementation of the RSU Plan effective January 24, 2022 (the "Effective Date"). Under the RSU Plan, Eligible Persons (as such term is defined in the RSU Plan) may at the discretion of the Compensation Committee (as such term is defined in the RSU Plan), if so constituted, be allocated a number of restricted share units ("RSU") as the Compensation Committee deems appropriate, with such vesting provisions to be determined by the Compensation Committee, subject to a maximum vesting term of three years from the end of the calendar year in which RSUs were granted. Upon vesting, Eligible Persons shall be entitled to receive common shares of the Company (the "Common Shares") from treasury to satisfy all or any portion of a vested RSU award. The maximum number of RSUs issuable under the RSU Plan is fixed at 13,058,969 (being 10% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares as of the Effective Date calculated on a non-diluted basis). RSU Grants In connection with implementing the RSU Plan, the Company announces that it has granted 9,300,000 RSUs to the certain Eligible Persons in accordance with the terms of the RSU Plan. Half of the RSUs granted vest immediately, with the other half vesting upon launch of the Company's products. The Common Shares underlying the RSUs are subject to a four month hold period in accordance with the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE"). For further information, please contact: Jeffrey Stevens Chief Executive Officer Psyched Wellness Ltd. Tel: 647-400-8494 Email: jstevens@psyched-wellness.com Website: http://www.psyched-wellness.com For media relations, please contact: Anne Graf KCSA Strategic Communications agraf@kcsa.com 786-390-2644 Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider have reviewed or accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. About Psyched Wellness Ltd.: Psyched Wellness Ltd. is a Canadian-based health supplements company dedicated to the distribution of mushroom-derived products and associated consumer packaged goods. The Company's objective is to create premium mushroom-derived products that have the potential to become a leading North American brand in the emerging functional food category. The Company is in the process of developing a line of Amanita muscaria-derived water-based extracts, teas and capsules designed to help with three health objectives: promote stress relief, relaxation and assist with restful sleeping. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the ability of the Company to develop Amanita Muscaria-derived products; the safety of Amanita Muscaria consumption and the safety and purity of any extracts thereof; the uses and potential benefits of Amanita Muscaria; the Company becoming a leading North American brand in the emerging functional food category; and the future RSU grants made pursuant to the terms and conditions of the RSU Plan. Forward-looking information in this news release are based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely: the Company's ability to continue as a going concern; the Company's ability to continue to develop its mushroom-derived products and associated consumer packaged goods; continued approval of the Company's activities by the relevant governmental and/or regulatory authorities; the continued growth of the Company; the Company becoming a leading North American brand in the emerging functional food category; and the Company granting future RSU awards to Eligible Persons pursuant to the terms and conditions of the RSU Plan. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the potential inability of the Company to continue as a going concern; risks associated with potential governmental and/or regulatory action with respect to the Company's operations; competition within the psychedelics market; risks with respect to the safety of Amanita Muscaria consumption and the safety and purity of any extracts thereof; the risk that there is no potential benefit of Amanita Muscaria consumption; risks that the Company will not become a leading North American brand in the emerging functional food category; and risks of the dilution to Common Shares and any other adverse risks resulting from the adoption of the RSU Plan and issuance of awards thereunder. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/111961 Specifica, a privately held antibody engineering company focused on innovative in vitro antibody library and discovery tools, announced the publication of two peer-reviewed articles describing its Generation 3 Antibody Discovery Platform1,2 Antibodies are the fastest growing class of therapeutics, representing nine of the top twenty best-selling drugs3. The global antibody therapy market is projected to grow from $178.50 billion in 2021 to $451.89 billion in 2028 at a CAGR of 14.1%4. Traditionally, therapeutic antibodies have been generated by harvesting immune responses, either from in-bred or transgenic mice, or from immune human subjects. Although there has been a long-standing interest in using in vitro antibody library approaches that avoid the use of animals, there have been two main concerns with antibodies from in vitro libraries: binding affinities tend to be lower, and poor developability characteristics are common, complicating their development as successful drugs. As described in these articles, Specifica has overcome both of these concerns. In the Mabs article1, Specifica explains the scientific rationale behind the new Gen 3 platform. Specifica's Gen 3 antibody libraries combine the use of well-behaved antibodies already validated in the clinic as frameworks, with scaffold-compatible binding loop sequences (CDRs) from natural antibodies, devoid of most sequence liabilities to improve developability. In selection campaigns with the Gen 3 platform, both phage and yeast display are employed. The results described in this article demonstrate the power of the platform to directly generate a broad diversity of specific antibodies (100-1000 different clusters) with high affinity (20% subnanomolar) and few developability issues. The Nature Communications article2, published this week, compares antibodies generated against SARS-CoV-2 using the Gen 3 platform with hundreds of other antibodies described in the literature, from over 50 different laboratories. Specifica's Gen 3 antibodies out-performed all other antibodies sourced from naive libraries, showed better performance than the majority of immune-sourced antibodies, and were comparable to the very best immune SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in terms of affinity and viral neutralization, with developability properties as good as the best already approved antibodies. "These two papers validate the Gen 3 platform's best-in-class status, fulfilling the original promise of naive antibody libraries made over 30 years ago, namely, to eliminate the use of animals or immune sources to generate powerful antibodies," said Andrew Bradbury, co-founder and CSO of Specifica. About Specifica Specifica is a rapidly growing antibody engineering company providing best-in-class in vitro antibody discovery libraries, selection and informatics tools, and discovery and optimization services to the pharmaceutical industry. Specifica's patented5 Generation 3 Antibody Library Discovery Platform yields drug-like antibodies, with broad diversity, high affinities, and few biophysical liabilities directly from selections, minimizing the need for downstream affinity and biophysical engineering. In addition to in-house antibody library designs, Specifica also collaborates closely with partners to create custom libraries in which essential elements are optimized according to partner needs. The power of the Gen 3 platform may be accessed by engaging Specifica to execute antibody discovery campaigns, or by full transfer of the platform technology in-house. In 2021, Specifica executed agreements with 10 new companies, and initiated 16 new discovery and optimization programs, expanding on 5 of its existing partnerships. Additionally, in cooperation with its software partner OpenEye, Specifica lauched AbXtract, a new suite of antibody informatics tools. Specifica is headquartered in Santa Fe, New Mexico. For more information, please visit www.specifica.bio and follow Specifica on Twitter and LinkedIn. 1 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19420862.2021.1980942 (2021) 2 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-27799-z (2022). 3 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41573-021-00079-7 (2021). 4 https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/monoclonal-antibody-therapy-market-102734 (2021). 5 US patent 10,954,508 (2020). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220128005496/en/ Contacts: Andrew Bradbury, CSO Specifica, Inc. 505-216-2445 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 28, 2022) - Mijem Newcomm Tech Inc. (CSE: MJEM), a North American social media and technology company, announces that it has launched its Bitcoin SV (BSV) crypto loyalty program on Mijem's community buy & sell platform. For each US$1 transacted through Mijem's platform, the loyalty program rewards users with 1 point, which can be converted to BSV for purchase of goods or services outside the app. Users selecting BSV can save their rewards via an in-app crypto wallet. There is no cap on the number of points users can accumulate. "Gen Z university and college students are Mijem's target market, and over 50% of Gen Z believe cryptocurrencies will become widely used in the future, and about 17% of the entire cryptocurrency market is occupied by Gen Z," said Mijem CEO Phuong Dinh. "This is why Mijem is offering BSV on our community buy & sell platform. Bitcoin SV transacts quickly and inexpensively, scales easily, and is far more environmentally friendly than many other cryptos - all features that are important to Gen Z." BSV is a growing platform with a market cap of over $2,850,000,000 as of September 2021 [1], making it among the largest cryptocurrencies on the market. BSV charges much lower transaction fees when compared to Bitcoin (BTC). The average fee per transaction is only $0.00045 versus the much higher rate of Bitcoin at $0.477 per transaction [2]. https://coinmarketcap.com/ https://micky.com.au/bitcoin_sv_overtakes_btcs-24hr-transactions-makes-125-in-fees/ Mijem also announces that it has issued an aggregate of 931,939 shares (consisting of 93,196 Common Shares, 279,581 Class A Shares, 279,581 Class B Shares and 279,581 Class C Shares) to correct a calculation error that was made when determining the number of shares of Mijem Newcomm Tech Inc. issuable on the closing of its reverse take-over transaction to holders of the $750,000 convertible promissory notes issued by Mijem Inc. in March 2021. For further information, please contact: Corporate Gord Tomkin, Chief Financial Officer Mijem Newcomm Tech Inc. gtomkin@mijem.com 416 915-4747 Media Laurie Freudenberg media@mijem.com Investor Relations Sean Peasgood sean@sophiccapital.com (437) 253-9222 About Mijem Inc. Mijem is a Canadian-based social media and technology company that provides innovative solutions to create a vibrant social marketplace for Generation Z to connect and to efficiently buy, sell and trade goods and services. Mijem's patent-pending flagship technology currently permits thousands of university and college students across the United States and Canada to both connect on-line and engage in consumer-to-consumer commerce. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking statements. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". Forward-looking information in this news release is based on certain assumptions and expected future events. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities, in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/112033 Ethical hacking is an unauthorized practice used for detecting potential data breaches and threats in a system, application, or organizations infrastructure. Companies use these practices on their own system to identify the weak points that can work in favor of malicious hackers or cybercriminals. The activities performed by the Cyber Security engineers are entirely legal, approved, and planned. Ethical or white-hat hackers aim to investigate the network for weak points that malicious hackers can destroy or exploit. They analyze and collect the information to find out ways to strengthen security. How does Ethical Hacking work? Ethical hacker aims to investigate the system using the same hacking skills that cyber attackers use to hack. Following are the five phases involved in this process: Reconnaissance : The first step involves gathering information about the target system. It could be about the organization or its people associated with the target. This step intends to engineer a hack according to the security measures implemented on the target. : The first step involves gathering information about the target system. It could be about the organization or its people associated with the target. This step intends to engineer a hack according to the security measures implemented on the target. Scanning : Mostly, hacking is done via network access. Most devices are connected through a common Wi-Fi or WLAN network. Hackers take advantage of this and focus on gaining unauthorized access to the targeted network host. This process reveals the network topology and vulnerability. : Mostly, hacking is done via network access. Most devices are connected through a common Wi-Fi or WLAN network. Hackers take advantage of this and focus on gaining unauthorized access to the targeted network host. This process reveals the network topology and vulnerability. Gaining Access : After the above step gathering stages, hacking starts. It involves bypassing the security measures or breaking into the target system by cracking the password. : After the above step gathering stages, hacking starts. It involves bypassing the security measures or breaking into the target system by cracking the password. Maintaining Access : After gaining access, cybercriminals make sure that they keep access to the target system. They create a backdoor for this that they use for exploiting or hacking the system in the future. : After gaining access, cybercriminals make sure that they keep access to the target system. They create a backdoor for this that they use for exploiting or hacking the system in the future. Clearing Tracks: It is necessary to remove the traces of your incursion after hacking. It involves removing any logs, executables or backdoors that may lead to tracking the hacker. What Can a Person/Company Do To Stay Safe From Hacking? Following are some ways that can help the companies safeguard their devices or network from hacking: Flagler College Education Program Ranks First in the State Flagler College is preparing the next generation of teachers for success with its top-tier education program, which tied for first in the state of Florida. Flagler College graduate showcases her love for teaching by decorating her graduation cap Flagler College's Elementary/Exceptional Student Education/ESOL/Reading program was ranked #1 in Florida with four other colleges and universities based on the 2021 "Florida Teacher Preparation Programs" annual performance report by the FL Dept. of Education. In addition, Flagler College and FAU received the highest score for student learning and growth. The rankings were based on placement rate, retention rate, student performance on statewide assessments, and teacher evaluations. The education program, which is offered at both the St. Augustine campus and the Tallahassee campus, prepares the future teachers of Florida to successfully transition into a full-time teaching position and lead a classroom of young students to bright futures. The Flagler College Elementary Education program provides a state-of-the-art curriculum paired with hands-on experiences that link content, theory, and practice from day one. "This highest ranking for Flagler College is evidence that our students go on to teach, stay as teachers in their field, and have high annual evaluations by their principals. The Flagler College Education Department faculty is proud of our students' success and their impact on K-12 students, communities, and families in the Tallahassee and St. Augustine areas as teachers. We hope to build more partnership schools and expand our teacher preparation program throughout the state. Beginning in fall 2022, Flagler students now have the opportunity to have a full semester student teaching internship anywhere in the state of Florida if they meet the criteria for out-of-area student teaching," said Education Professor and Department Chair at the Tallahassee campus, Shelly Haser. Flagler College offers majors in elementary education with ESOL and reading endorsements, elementary and exceptional student education with ESOL and reading endorsements, secondary English with ESOL and reading endorsements, education of the deaf and hard of hearing, and secondary mathematics. The Florida Department of Education report can be viewed here. Tagged As SCHOOLS will open for the first term on Monday February 7 following a decline in Covid-19 cases and deaths recorded countrywide over the past two weeks, Acting President Dr Constantino Chiwenga said yesterday. Dr Chiwenga also announced that curfew hours had been reviewed to start from midnight to 5.30AM and encouraged businesses to allow all their employees to resume working from their offices. Restaurants and hotels offering catering services can now operate from 8AM to 10PM. Bars and nightclubs can also open for vaccinated persons only during the same operating hours as hotels and restaurants. Quarantine for returning locals has been lifted as long as they are fully vaccinated. By Wednesday, the average daily Covid-19 infection rate had fallen to 235, still well above the rate seen between waves of infection, but just 15 percent of the 1 500 a day plateau that was prevailing when President Mnangagwa ordered schools not to open. This is also just 35 percent of the rates that were prevailing when the closure was extended for another two weeks a fortnight ago by Acting President Chiwenga. At the time, it was made clear that a weeks notice would be given to ensure that all measures required for the safest possible learning environment were fully implemented. In a statement yesterday, Acting Health and Child Care Minister Professor Amon Murwira said the national Covid-19 epidemic curve is indicating that the fourth wave is at its tail end and appears to have been brought under control. The general school calendar starts on 7 February 2022 following one week of finalising all reopening preparations by both school administrators and parents. The business community to go back to working from their offices whilst continuing to observe Covid-19 prevention measures such as social distancing and also continuing to encourage their employees and patrons to get vaccinated, said Prof Murwira. Curfew shall now begin at midnight and end at 5.30AM. Restaurants and hotels offering catering services to operate from 8AM and close at 10PM and allow sit-ins only for fully vaccinated persons. He said all persons entering Zimbabwe must undergo a valid Covid-19 PCR test not more than 48 hours from the time of their departure for Zimbabwe. Those without a valid negative PCR test and a certificate to that effect shall be denied entry into Zimbabwe, said Prof Murwira. He also said quarantine for locals, returning residents and visitors is lifted for those fully vaccinated. The wearing of face masks in public places, especially public transport and closed space gatherings, remain mandatory and must be enforced. Eligible members of the public are encouraged to get vaccinated while the provincial Covid-19 taskforce teams are urged to increase their efforts in mobilising eligible members of the public to get vaccinated. The practice of WHO recommended Covid-19 preventive public health and social measures that include washing of hands, sanitising, social distancing, avoiding crowds and gatherings to continue. All of the measures are subject to periodic review depending on the prevailing Covid-19 situation, Prof Murwira said. Herald Tampa, FL (33646) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 68F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 68F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. On January 11, 2022, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. Zayani first conveyed the cordial greetings from King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa to Chinese leaders and wished China prosperity. Zayani said, Bahrain and China enjoy time-honored relations and solid friendship. Bahrain attaches great importance to strengthening and deepening relations with China and stands ready to comprehensively expand bilateral cooperation in various fields. Wang Yi conveyed President Xi Jinping's best wishes to King Hamad, saying that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Bahrain relations have developed steadily and soundly and pragmatic cooperation has achieved positive results. The two sides have always understood and supported each other and treated each other as equals, setting a good example of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation among countries of different sizes and social systems. China appreciates Bahrain's firm adherence to its friendly policy towards China and thanks Bahrain for its firm support on issues concerning China's core interests and major concerns. In the face of the retrogressive trend of unilateralism and protectionism, China firmly opposes the practice of the big oppressing the small, the strong bullying the weak and the law of the jungle. China firmly advocates and practices the concept of multilateralism and firmly upholds the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. China will always stand with developing countries and small and medium-sized countries to jointly safeguard international fairness and justice. China is willing to be Bahrain's long-term and reliable strategic partner, further deepen bilateral mutual trust and friendship, and keep adding new dimensions to bilateral relations. Wang Yi said, China will continue to provide vaccines for Bahrain in accordance with its needs, jointly uphold the right direction of international anti-pandemic cooperation, and hold the ground that global origin-tracing research must be conducted in a science-based and fair manner. China supports Bahrain in advancing its "Economic Vision 2030", and is ready to strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas such as 5G telecommunications, e-commerce, digital economy and big data, actively participate in Bahrain's major development projects, steadily advance infrastructure, photovoltaic and other projects, and explore cooperation in areas such as new energy and aerospace. China encourages more competent Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Bahrain, and hopes that Bahrain will continue to provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises. Zayani said, Bahrain highly recognizes the basic norms governing international relations such as non-interference in internal affairs, mutual respect, good-neighborliness and peaceful settlement of disputes, opposes politicizing human rights issues, and supports China's efforts to maintain unity and stability. The Chinese government has a high approval rating of over 90 percent of the people, which fully testifies to the success of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the positive results of China's efforts to improve people's livelihood, develop democracy and protect human rights. Bahrain and China have successfully carried out the phase III clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine. The Bahraini side thanks China for boosting Bahrain's efforts to realize two-dose vaccinations, and stands ready to continue to strengthen cooperation with China to jointly address challenges. The two sides agreed to further enrich people-to-people and cultural exchanges, support Chinese language teaching in Bahrain, and facilitate personnel exchanges. Zayani said Bahrain supports China in hosting the Beijing Olympic Winter Games and opposes politicizing sports. The two sides exchanged views on cooperation between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Wang Yi said, China appreciates Bahrain's positive role in the development of China-GCC relations and is ready to work with Bahrain to upgrade China-GCC cooperation. Both sides also exchanged views on the Iranian nuclear issue and the situation in the Middle East. Zayani spoke highly of China's commitment to promoting regional peace and stability and highly appreciated the China-proposed five-point initiative on achieving security and stability in the Middle East, saying that it demonstrates China's key and positive role and its sense of responsibility as a major country. Airtel today announced that it signed a long-term, multi-year agreement with Google to accelerate the growth of Indias digital ecosystem. As a part of the deal, Google as a part of Google for India Digitization Fund will make an investment in Airtel, which will include a $700M equity investment (1.28% ownership in Airtel) and a corpus of up to $300M that will go towards implementing mutually agreed commercial initiatives over the course of the next five years. As a part of the first commercial agreement under this deal, Google will work to scale Airtels extensive offerings that cover a range of devices to consumers via innovative affordability programs. Under the larger strategic goals of the collaboration, both companies will also plan to co-create India-specific network domain use cases for 5G and other standards, and also focus on shaping and growing the cloud ecosystem in India by helping accelerate the digital transformation journeys of small and medium businesses across the country. This deal will be subject to necessary regulatory approvals. Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Airtel, said: Airtel and Google share the vision to grow Indias digital dividend through innovative products. With our future ready network, digital platforms, last mile distribution and payments ecosystem, we look forward to working closely with Google to increase the depth and breadth of Indias digital ecosystem. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, said: Airtel is a leading pioneer shaping Indias digital future, and we are proud to partner on a shared vision for expanding connectivity and ensuring equitable access to the Internet for more Indians. Our commercial and equity investment in Airtel is a continuation of our Google for India Digitization Funds efforts to increase access to smartphones, enhance connectivity to support new business models, and help companies on their digital transformation journey. Michael Avenatti threw the kitchen sink at his former client Stormy Daniels on Friday, questioning her about sex with former President Donald Trump, poltergeists, Game of Thrones, and Michael Cohens podcast as the disgraced lawyers fraud trial took a bizarre turn. Avenatti is accused of stealing $300,000 of book advance payments from Daniels, 42, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, when he represented her in litigation against then-President Trump in 2018. Advertisement Acting as his own lawyer, the bulldog barrister took a leaf out of Trumps playbook and sought to portray her as an untrustworthy, delusional woman with a grudge. In this courtroom sketch, Michael Avenatti, left, representing himself, holds a copy of the book that Stormy Daniels authored as he questions her, seated right, Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams/AP) During one forceful line of questioning, Avenatti asked Daniels about denying having sex with Trump in a January 2018 statement before she retained him as an attorney. Advertisement And in the letter, you stated that you had become aware that certain news outlets were alleging that you had had a romantic affair with Mr. Trump, Donald Trump, and that that was absolutely false; right, thats what you said? asked Avenatti. Because it was not romantic, replied Daniels. I dont consider getting cornered coming out of a bathroom to be an affair. Donald Trump and Stormy Daniels. The adult film actress says she slept with Trump in 2006 after she met him at a charity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe. Trump denies the encounter. Avenatti rose to prominence while representing Daniels in her legal effort to void a contract that bought her silence about the alleged liaison 11 days before the 2016 presidential election. Avenatti asked Daniels about discussing the case against him on Cohens podcast, Mea Culpa. Cohen, Trumps former personal attorney, who notoriously arranged the $130,000 hush money payment, sat in the courtrooms back row, chuckling. Adult film actress Stormy Daniels with Michael Avenatti outside Manhattan Federal Court in New York, on April 16, 2018. (Mary Altaffer/AP) Judge Jesse Furman didnt allow Avenatti to probe Daniels unlikely friendship with Cohen, who served three years in prison for the back door deal and has since apologized to her. Cohen called Avenattis mention of him, A weak attempt to impeach Stormys credibility and challenge her mental faculties. What Avenatti fails to understand and accept is that he is the one on trial for his illegalities specifically, forgery and theft of funds. In this courtroom sketch, Michael Cohen, seated left in the back row of the courtroom, turns and looks at Stormy Daniels as she enters court to testify, in New York, Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. (Elizabeth Williams/AP) During a rapid-fire line of questioning, Avenatti grilled Daniels about her belief in the supernatural and mocking him online as he stewed behind bars. Avenatti asked Daniels about saying that her eponymous lubricant line, Tempest by Stormy, might come in handy while he awaited trial in federal lockup. Advertisement Because you could just bring me a gift basket in prison? asked Avenatti. You said that, right? I believe it was on Twitter, Daniels quipped in response. The porn star said she made the scathing jibes after she learned that Avenatti had stolen her money and lied about it for months. Adult film actress Stormy Daniels (Ethan Miller/Getty Images) Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > Inquiring about her online show Spooky Babes, which showcases Daniels work as a paranormal investigator, Avenatti asked his ex-client how she communicated with the dead. I dont know. It just happens sometimes, said Daniels. The nonliving. Prosecutors say Avenatti forged Daniels signature and directed advance payments for her book, Full Disclosure, to accounts he controlled. If convicted, he faces up to 22 years in prison. He is also yet to serve a 2 1/2-year sentence for trying to extort Nike of $25 million. Advertisement During another back and forth, the actress turned author told the court she referred to her security guards as her dragons in a nod to Queen Daenerys Targaryens character in the HBO show Game of Thrones. Former attorney Michael Avenatti arrives at a federal court in Manhattan for his criminal trial on January 27, 2022 in New York. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images) During one tense exchange when Avenatti was pressing his old client on their retainer agreement, which addressed his assistance with potential book and documentary opportunities, Daniels let her true feelings about the loudmouth lawyer be known. Attorney and client agree that attorney shall be entitled you understood that that meant that I would be entitled if those things occurred, right? Avenatti asked. Youre very entitled, yes, Daniels said. Abortion should be legal in all circumstances Abortion should be legal in most circumstances Abortion should be legal in a few circumstances Abortion should never be legal in any circumstances Vote View Results This is our best offer! You get home delivery Monday through Saturday plus full digital access any time, on any device with our six-day subscription delivery membership. This membership plan includes member-only benefits like our popular ticket giveaways, all of our email newsletters and access to the daily digital replica of the printed paper. Also, you can share digital access with up to four other household members at no additional cost. Subscriptions renew automatically every 30 days. Call 240-215-8600 to cancel auto-renewal. Most subscribers are served by News-Post carriers; households in some outlying areas receive same-day delivery through the US Postal Service. If your household falls in a postal delivery area, you will be notified by our customer service team. China beefs up COVID-19 alert at community level during Chinese New Year holiday Xinhua) 15:50, January 28, 2022 BEIJING, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- China has asked its community medical institutions to improve their ability of early identification of COVID-19 cases as the country is seeing more cross-regional trips during the coming Spring Festival holiday. Warning against the grave and complex situation in the fight against COVID-19 at present, the National Health Commission said in a circular that the country is facing heightened pressure in epidemic response that comes with the festival travel rush. Local authorities are urged to guide primary health centers in both urban and rural areas to strengthen the management of fever clinics, report suspicious cases as soon as possible, and take measures to prevent transmission within hospitals. Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, falls on Feb. 1 this year. This year's Spring Festival travel season began on Jan. 17 and will continue until Feb. 25, with the number of passenger trips expected to reach 1.18 billion, up 35.6 percent year on year, official data shows. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu) Hundreds of thousands of Police Officers from all over the country attend the funeral services for NYPD detective Wilbert Mora, posthumously promoted at his funeral on Wednesday at St. Patricks Cathedral. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/for New York Daily News) A slain young NYPD officer was remembered for his ever-present smile and love of the job Friday at a packed St. Patricks Cathedral funeral where his sobbing widow shared the sad details of their last day together. On a snowy Manhattan day of mourning and heartache, NYPD Officer Jason Rivera was fondly recalled in eulogies as a man who followed his dreams into the department before his weeping spouse of three months recounted how the couple argued only hours before his fatal shooting inside a Harlem apartment. Advertisement When the 22-year-old Rivera offered to drive her home after the Jan. 21 spat, Dominique Luzuriaga instead opted for an Uber probably the biggest mistake I ever made, she said as her sobs washed over the silent mourners. Dominique Luzuriaga, left, eulogizes her husband New York City Police Officer Jason Rivera during his funeral service at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. (MARY ALTAFFER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Hours later, his iPhone locator showed her husband was in Harlem Hospital and she began making frantic calls as Riveras cell phone rang unanswered. Advertisement I called and called again, said the slain cops childhood sweetheart. I called one more time. And this time I felt something wasnt right. All of this seems so unreal. Like Im having one of those nightmares that you never think youre going to have. NYPD Officer Jason Rivera (AP) A somber crowd of family members, fellow officers and elected officials filled the venerable Manhattan house of worship to remember a man of great promise whose career ended after just 14 months. Cardinal Timothy Dolan opened the Mass with the reading of prayers in Spanish as he stood alongside Riveras casket, followed by a playing of the song Amazing Grace. A floral wreath of Riveras shield number 25738 stood at the front of the church, along with a large NYPD photo of the beaming young cop. Rivera was hailed for his 1,000-watt smile and dedication to the job that was his childhood goal before its nightmarish ending. Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell posthumously promoted Rivera to detective first grade after a rousing remembrance of the slain officer. This has always been a city of light, and Officer Jason Rivera was one of its brightest, said Sewell. This is a job he always wanted to do. Officer Jason Rivera's brother touches his casket after a eulogy. (MARY ALTAFFER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) His older brother Jeffrey Rivera offered a heartfelt sendoff to a sibling obsessed with the TV show Cops as a kid and equally intent on joining the NYPD as an adult. He knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life and he knew who he wanted to spend it with, said Rivera, referring to his brother by the family nickname of Tata. My brother was the definition of integrity, he continued before placing his hand on the officers casket while leaving the altar. He was joy. He could light up this whole church ... I cant put into words how broken, how empty, we feel. Advertisement Officer Jason Rivera's widow, Dominique Luzuriaga, clutches a crucifix after the funeral for her slain husband, Officer Jason Rivera. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) The massive Fifth Ave. cathedral was packed as the city paid its final respects to the heroic officer murdered with his partner while answering a domestic dispute call. This is exactly as he would have wanted to be remembered, as a true hero, said Luzuriaga. Or as I used to call him, Big P.O. Rivera. A wake and funeral honoring Riveras partner Wilbert Mora, 27, was set for next week. NYPD officer Jason Rivera's family grieves his casket is transferred to a hearse following his funeral Friday at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Jan. 28, 2022, in Manhattan. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) Luzuriaga brought the crowd of police officers, including colleagues from her husbands 32nd Precinct, to their feet in applause with her criticism of the recent policies announced by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg that critics have slammed as too soft on crime. The system continues to fail us, the widow said, addressing her slain spouse. Were not safe anymore. I know you were tired of these laws, especially the ones from the new DA. I hope hes watching you speak through me right now.' From left, Gov. Hochul, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell, and Mayor Adams leave the funeral of NYPD Officer Jason Rivera Friday at St. Patrick's Cathedral. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) Luzuriaga, clutching a large crucifix, was later presented with the American flag from her husbands casket as snow flakes fell on Fifth Ave. Advertisement Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > He lived his dream, although for too short a time, said the family friend and Yonkers pastor Rev. Robert Abbatiello. And he made a difference ... He was a police officer, a public servant, a loving son who wanted to make his parents proud. NYPD Officer Jason Rivera's casket is loaded into a hearse. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) The mourners stood and applauded as Sewell, less than a month into the job, said the loss of Rivera and would only reinforce the NYPDs commitment to keeping New York safe. The NYPD will never give up this city, she said to cheers. We will always prevail. An emotional Mayor Adams recalled the slain officers love of his childhood sweetheart and his devotion to the job. Today we salute Officer Jason Rivera for the last time, said the one-time NYPD captain. His journey by our side has ended. He can still hear us from a distance ... He wanted to make a difference. He wanted to become a police officer. Officer Jason Rivera's funeral procession makes its way south on Fifth Ave. in Manhattan following his funeral at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Friday. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) The slain officer joined the force in November 2020, quickly earning the respect of his colleagues during his too-short career. Advertisement We will keep his memory alive, and assure that his sacrifice and that of his partner will never be forgotten, promised Inspector Amir Yakatally, head of the 32nd Precinct. Rest in eternal peace, Jason. Your watch has ended. 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. Gainesville, TX (76240) Today Thunderstorms - some may contain locally heavy rain, especially this evening. A few storms may be severe. Low near 65F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 2 to 3 inches of rain expected.. Tonight Thunderstorms - some may contain locally heavy rain, especially this evening. A few storms may be severe. Low near 65F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 2 to 3 inches of rain expected. The killer wanted for fatally blasting a man near his Bronx home during a wild shootout has been arrested, police said Friday. Luis Padro-Rosario, 35, was busted Thursday and charged with the murder of Ryan Chambers, 40, during a Dec. 22 firefight down the block from the victims Allerton home. Advertisement The pair, who had previously fought with each other, fired more than a dozen shots in the fatal confrontation on Holland Ave. near Waring Ave. Chambers, struck in the chest, was found unconscious on the ground, a .22 caliber handgun by his side, police said. Advertisement Padro-Rosario has 12 prior arrests, including an attempted murder charge on Dec. 10, 2019 when he was picked up for stabbing a 27-year-old man in the same neighborhood where Chambers was killed, police said. Prosecutors arraigned Padro-Rosario on assault charges for the stabbing and he was released without bail. Hes pleaded not guilty in that case, which is still pending. Two years earlier, in December 2017, Padro-Rosario was paroled after serving prison time for attempted robbery in Brooklyn, records show. Chambers had eight prior arrests, including for assault, weapon possession, driving without a license and acting in a manner injurious to a child, police said. Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. An off-duty cop shot and wounded a man armed with a knife on the Upper West Side Friday morning as thousands of mourners prepared to pay their final respects to an NYPD officer fatally shot in Harlem last week. The officer was working a paid security detail at a Duane Reade on Broadway at W. 94th St. about 7 a.m. when two men, ages 42 and 66, began arguing with each other at the entranceway, police said. Advertisement Duane Reade had hired the off-duty cop to deter shoplifting, a source with knowledge of the incident said. A knife is pictured on the ground at the scene of the shooting Friday morning. (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News) The cop had just asked the two men to exit the store when the younger man pulled a silver kitchen knife and jammed it into the older mans arm, cops said. Advertisement The off-duty cop ran after the armed suspect to Amsterdam Ave. and W. 94th St. When the man turned with the knife in hand, the officer opened fire, striking him in the left arm and leg, police said. At least five shots were fired. I was in my house laying down when I heard some gunshots. Pop! Pop! Pop! neighbor Michael Jacobs, 58, said. I saw a man in the street, squirming the [officer] standing there with him. There were no cop cars around. All of a sudden, the rest of the cops started coming. The knife allegedly brandished by a man in a fight at an Upper West Side Duane Reade. (NYPD) EMS rushed the suspect to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital where he is expected to survive. The officer was also taken to an area hospital. Charges against the stabber were pending Friday. The shooting was being probed by the NYPDs Force Investigation Division. The man stabbed at the Duane Reade was also taken to Mount Sinai Morningside and is expected to survive. Investigators were still trying to determine what sparked the fight. Cops had roped off Amsterdam Ave. by W. 94th St. as they continued their investigation. The knife still lay on the ground at the scene of the shooting. The officer was working a paid security detail at a Duane Reade at W. 94th St. and Broadway about 7 a.m. when two men, ages 42 and 66, began fighting with each other at the entranceway, police said. (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News) An area doorman who only gave his name as Daniel said hed noticed in the last month a uniformed cop posted at the Duane Reade. Advertisement With the shoplifting that goes on here, that (was) a new thing, the doorman said. The shooting took place as mourners filed into St. Patricks Cathedral in Midtown to attend the funeral for Police Officer Jason Rivera, who was shot and killed responding to a domestic disturbance call in Harlem last Friday. Rivera was fatally wounded alongside Officer Wilbert Mora, 27, in the deadly confrontation with an unhinged ex-con. Moras wake and funeral will be held next week. Police officers dressed in ceremonial garb were working the scene of the shooting, having been unexpectedly pulled away from the funeral. The scene at Duane Reade on Friday. (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News) The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > Cops enrolled in the paid detail program are allowed to work armed and in uniform while off duty for extra cash. The program was started under then-Police Commissioner Howard Safir in 1998. Previously, the NYPD barred officers from working in uniform while off-duty. Fridays clash comes as the city grapples with an uptick in shoplifting in chain pharmacies like Duane Reade a rash of thefts that employees and customers say contributed to at least one Manhattan Rite Aid being forced to close. Advertisement Last week Rite Aid officials confirmed that a location at Eighth Ave. and W. 50th St. is shutting down for good next month. Customers and one employee said the move was in response to rampant shoplifting, though the corporation only said the reason had to do with business conditions and viability specific to that store. Police said there were 74 complaints at that single Rite Aid store since Jan. 1, 2020, including 45 reports of petty larceny, or shoplifting, according to NYPD data. The other complaints included nine grand larcenies and eight robberies. Earlier this week, actor Michael Rappaport witnessed the pillaging first hand at a different Rite Aid on the Upper East Side. Rapaport posted on Instagram that he saw a man shoplifting items from the pharmacy and walking out past a security guard with no repercussions. This f---ing guy just filled his two bags up with everything in Rite Aid, right here on 80th and First Avenue [and] is walking down the street like s--t is Gucci, Rappaport wrote. I was watching him the whole time. HOUSTON, Jan. 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The International Association of Geophysical Contractors (IAGC) proudly revealed its new name, EnerGeo Alliance (EnerGeo) today. Uniting the energy and geoscience industries, the name change conveys a recharged and ongoing commitment to providing solutions for the energy evolution as its members continue to discover, develop, and deliver the mainstay, low-carbon and alternative energy the world demands. EnerGeo and its members help countries meet their energy needs and progress to the next step of their energy evolution. EnerGeo Alliance will continue representing its members across 50 countries, bringing unmatched global expertise and knowledge to the industry by guiding informed policy decisions on the process of energy exploration, operations, and production. As a trusted leader in science-based regulatory information and advocacy for energy companies and energy explorers, as well as the governments that regulate them, EnerGeo is positioned as the voice of the energy geoscience industry through its regional and global structures. This pivotal time period in the global energy evolution marks a need for change and an opportunity for us to become the EnerGeo Alliance, Nikki Martin, President of the EnerGeo Alliance said. This new name reflects our commitment to delivering solutions at a critical time in history with higher energy demands from growing economies and evolving energy standards from developed nations pushing this transformation forward. Alongside the EnerGeo Alliance name, the organization now boasts a new member category of Regional Industry Partners, in addition to Professional Services; Entrepreneur; and Individual Consultant that were announced late last year to further promote the broader energy geoscience industry. The expansion of EnerGeos offering sets goals for accelerating value within the industry by generating new investment opportunities including low-carbon solutions and additional scientific, technical, and legal analysis to support member operations. We are excited to expand upon our organizations deep history of providing reliable global advocacy and resources for our dedicated members, Martin added. As the world continues to evolve, the EnerGeo Alliance will maintain its mission of raising the energy geoscience industrys visibility as an irreplaceable partner in the energy evolution and leading the way for the safe exploration and development of a wide range of environmentally responsible energies ranging from low-carbon to hydrocarbons. About the EnerGeo Alliance Founded in 1971, the EnerGeo Alliance is a global trade association for the energy geoscience industry, the intersection where earth science and energy meet. Providing solutions to revolutionize the energy evolution, the EnerGeo Alliance and its member companies span more than 50 countries, representing onshore and offshore survey operators and acquisition companies, energy data and processing providers, energy companies, equipment and software manufacturers, industry suppliers, service providers, and consultancies. Together, our member companies unify to open the gateway to the safe discovery, development and delivery of mainstay sources of energy, alternative energy and low-carbon energy solutions that meet our growing worlds needs. Media Contact Gail Adams EnerGeo Alliance, VP of Communications & External Affairs gadams@energeoalliance.org O: 713-957-8080 M: 281-702-4201 New York, US, Jan. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Market Overview: According to a comprehensive research report by Market Research Future (MRFR), Industrial Sensors Market information by Sensor Type, by Type, by End User and Region forecast to 2030 market size to reach USD 53.2 billion, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 9.06% by 2030. Market Scope: Various technological advances like the development of the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) enabled sensors will offer robust opportunities for the market over the forecast period. Such sensors come with signal processing capabilities, real-time decision making, and on-chip processing that assists to improve different industrial processes. Besides, the rapid use of smart sensors in the energy industry to obtain real-time power consumption data & remote monitoring of equipment like power lines and transformers that helps to enhance efficiency in power generation is also fuelling market growth. Dominant Key Players on Industrial Sensors Market Covered are: Rockwell Automation (US) Honeywell International (US) Texas Instruments (US) Panasonic Corporation (Japan) STMicroelectronics (Switzerland) TE Connectivity (Switzerland) Siemens (Germany) Amphenol Corporation (US) Dwyer Instruments (US) Bosch Sensortec (Germany) OMEGA ENGINEERING (US) SENSIRION AG (Switzerland) AMS AG (Austria) MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC. (US) ABB LTD. (Switzerland) Get Free Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/10776 Market USP Exclusively Encompassed: Market Drivers Movement towards Industry 4.0 in Manufacturing Sector to Boost Market Growth The movement towards industry 4.0 and also factory automation has indeed made sensors a vital tool in the manufacturing industry for their ability of maximizing operational equipment effectiveness and efficiency and boost machine uptime. With the rise in industrial automation, sensing technology is likely to stay as the foundation for data collection for transforming manufacturing floors into reliable, connected, and cost-effective facilities. High Cost of Ownership to act as Market Restraint The high cost of ownership and technical issues may act as market restraints over the forecast period. Reluctance to Adopt Sensor Technology in Old Industries to act as Market Challenge The reluctance to adopt sensor technology in old industries may act as a market challenge over the forecast period. Browse In-depth Market Research Report (141 Pages) on Industrial Sensors Market: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/industrial-sensors-market-10776 Segmentation of Market Covered in the Research: The global industrial sensors market is bifurcated based on sensor type, type, and end user industry. By sensor type, pressure sensors will lead the market over the forecast period for the increasing need of such sensors in the food and beverage processing unit. By type, the contact segment will dominate the market over the forecast period. Contact level sensors include physical contact amid the device and media. The technologies utilized in contact type level sensors are weight and chain, resistive chain, rotating paddle, pneumatic, magnetic and mechanical float, hydrostatic, vibratory probe, and magneto-resistive. The common forms of contact type sensors are flow sensors, force sensors, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, amid others. By end user industry, the manufacturing industry will spearhead the market over the forecast period for the growing adoption of IoT sensors in processing plants and manufacturing plants. Regional Analysis APAC to Spearhead Industrial Sensors Market The APAC region will spearhead the industrial sensors market over the forecast period. Growing industrial sector, increasing presence of SMEs in developed countries- India, China, and Japan, the growing need for sensors in pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and automobiles industry, rapid industrialization, growing electronics industry, burgeoning population, growing automobile industry, rapid technological advances, the emergence of industry 4.0, and the increasing foreign investments are adding to the global industrial sensors market growth in the region. Besides, the increase in manufacturing units, the presence of the largest number of semiconductor manufacturing units, rapidly growing industrial sector, increasing adoption in China, favorable government initiatives, growing need for automobiles, strong manufacturing sector, rising government initiatives for enhancing the manufacturing sector, the automation of traditional manufacturing and industrial activities through modern smart technologies, Japan, India, and China being leading manufacturers that are integrating AI in the manufacturing facilities, and growth in the electronics and automobile industry are also adding market growth. Talk to Expert: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/ask_for_schedule_call/10776 North America to Have Admirable Growth in Industrial Sensors Market North America will have admirable growth in the industrial sensors market over the forecast period. Increasing use of IoT devices & communication networks in the manufacturing and energy industries, growing demand for such sensors in different end use industries such as healthcare, textile, oil and gas, packaging, and automotive industries, the presence of strong automotive and electronic industries, high investments in technology, early adoption of advanced technologies, increasing investments by key players like Rockwell Automation, Honeywell International Inc., Texas Instruments, Amphenol Corporation, Bosch Sensortec, and Omega Engineering to improve the accuracy and performance of industrial sensors, and technologically enhanced manufacturing facilities are adding to the global industrial sensors market growth in the region. COVID-19 Impact on the Global Industrial Sensors Market The COVID-19 pandemic possessed a huge impact on the economy and the consumer alike. Manufacturing hubs have been working temporarily at low efficiency for containing the COVID-19 spread. This has affected the supply chain majorly by creating shortages of materials, finished goods, and components. Lack of business continuity has ensured a negative effect on shareholder returns and revenue that are likely to create financial disruptions in the industrial sensors industry. The effect of COVID-19 on the manufacturing industry has significantly impacted the global economy. The electronic components like ICs, LED chips and wafers, PCBs, sensors, and other semiconductor devices, are mostly imported from China. Owing to the temporary halt in manufacturing plants, the costs of semiconductor components have gone up by 2-3% for the shortage of supplies. The shortages of materials and critical components have significantly affected the global supply chains. Besides, the reductions in different capital budgets and delay in different planned projects in different end use industries have affected the global economy. Competitive Landscape The global industrial sensors market is both competitive along with being fragmented on account of the presence of several international and also domestic industry players. Such industry players have utilized an assorted innovative strategies for being at the top along with sufficing to the burgeoning requirement of the esteemed clients including geographic expansions, collaborations, joint ventures, new product launches, partnerships, contracts, and much more. Besides, the players are also investing in different research & development activities. Related Reports: 3D Sensor Market Research Report: By Technology (Projected Light/Structured Light, Stereo Vision, Time-of-Flight and Ultrasound), Type (Acoustic Sensor, Accelerometer, Image Sensor and others), End User (Industrial, Automotive, Logistics, Aerospace & Defense, Consumer Electronics and Healthcare and Medical Devices) and Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World) - Forecast till 2027 Europe Advance CO2 Sensor Market, By Manufacturers, By Type (NDIR Sensor, Chemical Sensor), By Application (Medical, Petrochemical, Automotive, Environmental), Forecast 2027 About Market Research Future: Market Research Future (MRFR) is a global market research company that takes pride in its services, offering a complete and accurate analysis regarding diverse markets and consumers worldwide. Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing the optimal quality research and granular research to clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help answer your most important questions. Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter MIAMI, FL, Jan. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Progressive Care Inc. (OTCQB:RXMD) (Progressive Care or the Company), a personalized healthcare services and technology company, is pleased to announce that the Company has partnered with Aimpoint Digital (www.aimpointdigital.com), a premier Alteryx consulting partner, to accelerate value realization from their analytic investments. Alteryx (www.alteryx.com) is an Analytics Automation company that delivers breakthrough business outcomes via its user-friendly, code free platform. Thanks to our partnership with Aimpoint Digital, we were able to not only get the most of our Alteryx investment, but also get a wide knowledge base related to best practices, infrastructure, and processes. Our data team at Progressive Care has become more agile in working with any company equipped with API data transfer capabilities, stated Carlos Rangel, Head of Digital Transformation at Progressive Care. Without question, having access to the large community of developers at Alteryx added to Aimpoint Digitals support simplifies how we handle large datasets as it allows us to quickly and seamlessly identify errors and troubleshoot key systems. Management notes that Alteryx enables the Progressive Care team to handle large data sets to identify insights related to prescription delivery, including how often the Company services each patient, which medications patients receive, and the key dates of fulfillment for each prescription customer. Alteryx also provides for a 35% improvement in database run-time for pharmacy data reporting. Alteryx has also allowed the Companys data management team to identify 340B claims on its SQL server and to automate reports showing a comprehensive record of dispensed prescriptions for each 340B client, reducing time, energy, and capital expenditures for all involved parties. Alteryx allows us to transfer data from independent servers into a centralized data warehouse, commented Alan Jay Weisberg, CEO of Progressive Care. That creates access to immediate reports from all locations, providing for decisions based on insights driven by accurate real-time information across our entire organization. Our partnership with Alteryx enables us to automate our internal processes, making our data management and data analytical teams much more efficient. Joe Lipski, Alteryx ACE & Analytics Leader at Aimpoint Digital commented; At Aimpoint Digital, we were delighted to be selected as Progressive Cares analytics partner to help accelerate their Alteryx adoption through enablement, innovation workshops and solution design. We have a passionate team of the highest skilled Alteryx users taking advantage of the Alteryx platform every day to deliver innovative and high value analytics process automation solutions across the globe. For more information about Progressive Care, please visit the companys website. Connect and stay in touch with us on social media: Progressive Care Inc. https://www.progressivecareus.com/ https://twitter.com/ProgressCareUS PharmCoRx https://www.pharmcorx.com/ https://twitter.com/PharmCoRx ClearMetrX https://www.clearmetrx.com/ https://www.facebook.com/clearmetrx/ About Progressive Care Inc. Progressive Care Inc. (OTCQB: RXMD), through its subsidiaries, is a Florida health services organization and provider of prescription pharmaceuticals, compounded medications, provider of tele-pharmacy services, the sale of anti-retroviral medications, medication therapy management (MTM), the supply of prescription medications to long-term care facilities, and health practice risk management. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements. Statements contained herein that are not based upon current or historical fact are forward-looking in nature and constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements reflect the Companys expectations about its future operating results, performance, and opportunities that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. When used herein, the words anticipate, believe, estimate, upcoming, plan, target, intend and expect and similar expressions, as they relate to Progressive Care Inc., its subsidiaries, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the Companys actual results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Public Relations Contact: Carlos Rangel carlosr@pharmcorx.com About Aimpoint Digital Aimpoint Digital focuses on being the trusted advisor for companies looking to extract tangible value from data and develop into analytics-driven organizations. Our deep industry, technical, and analytic expertise has enabled us to construct an extensive client roster across multiple industries; From early-stage startups to Fortune 500 companies, our solutions are tailored based upon our clients specific data and analytic needs and their transformational aspirations. We pride ourselves in executing an approach that combines expert advice with actionable results and integrity. For more information about Aimpoint Digital, please visit our website: https://aimpointdigital.com/ or contact: joe.lipski@aimpointdigital.com Delhi, Jan. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Asia-Pacific generator sales market is growing at a high CAGR because of the increasing demand for continuous power supply in commercial and industrial sectors of the region. Furthermore, the flourishing manufacturing and construction sectors in Asian countries are also propelling the market forward A recent study conducted by the strategic consulting and market research firm BlueWeave Consulting, revealed that the Asia-Pacific generator sales market was worth USD 7.1 billion in 2021. According to the study, the market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.4%, earning revenue of around USD 10.9 billion by the end of 2028. A growing demand for continuous power supply in commercial and industrial sectors, such as IT & telecom, healthcare, utilities & power generation, etc., can be attributed to the growth of the Asia-Pacific generator sales market. Furthermore, the development of the manufacturing and construction sectors in Asian countries, such as China, India, Japan, South Korea, etc., is another major factor driving the generator sales market. However, the growing trend toward greener energy sources has emerged as a major hindrance to market growth. Asia-Pacific Generator Sales Market is Driven by Growing Construction Activities The Asia-Pacific region has some of the fastest-growing economies in the world including India, China, Australia, Japan, South Korea, etc. These nations are significantly investing in construction activities to boost their infrastructural development. For instance, by September 2020, China had resumed construction on approximately 90% of its all ongoing key projects, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). Southeast-Asia, a cluster of several fast-emerging economies has also registered increased construction activities in the recent years. In the last days of 2021, Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee approved the construction of the eco-smart city projectby Lotte Group in Thu Thiem New Urban Area of Thu Duc city. Lotte Group is expected to invest USD 1.0 billion in the project. Various other countries like South Korea, Australia, Japan, India, and others have approved various construction projects recently to support the development of infrastructure in the country. Generators are employed at construction sites to provide reliable and portable power which is used to provide motive power to various construction machinery such as hand drill, chain saw, air compressors, etc. These also act as an important source of electricity at construction sites. As countries look to develop infrastructure for smart cities and other services, the construction activities are expected to increase even more in the coming years. Therefore, owing to all these factors, the generator sales market is gaining significant traction in the Asia Pacific region. Asia-Pacific Generator Sales Market - By End User Based on end-users, the Asia-Pacific generator sales market is grouped into industrial, commercial, and residential segments. Among these, the industrial segment accounted for the largest market share in 2021. The Asia-Pacific region is emerging as a manufacturing hub worldwide. In addition, the ongoing construction activities for infrastructural development are also increasing the demand for a continuous power supply, which is driving the growth of generator sales. On the other hand, the commercial segment is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period since countries such as India and South Korea are significantly investing in their service sector. Request for Sample Report @ https://www.blueweaveconsulting.com/report/asia-pacific-generator-sales-market/report-sample Asia-Pacific Generator Sales Market - By Application Based on applications, the Asia-Pacific generator sales market is grouped into standby, prime & continuous, and peak shaving segments. The standby power generators segment holds the largest market share. Generators of this type provide backup power in the event of a power outage. Additionally, there is a high demand for standby power generators in India due to the frequent power outages in different parts of the country caused by overloading. Furthermore, due to its widespread use on construction and mining sites, the prime and continuous segment also holds a substantial share of the market. Impact of COVID-19 on Asia-Pacific Generator Sales Market The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the growth of the Asia-Pacific generator sales market. As the countries had to impose a lockdown to mitigate the virus spread, the operations of the major end-users of generators, including manufacturing, construction, mining, marine, etc., were halted. This resulted in a sharp decline in the sales of generators across the Asia-Pacific, incurring huge losses to the manufacturers. The sales declined as manufacturing and construction activities went down in 2020 owing to non-availability of labor, lockdown restriction, difficulties in raw material procurement, and severe second wave of the COVID-19. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), energy consumption accounted for 27% of the entire energy consumption in ASEAN, China and India in 2018. As countries announced lockdown, the demand for energy went down drastically as companies shifted to work from home and offices closed, leading to reduced demand for generators in the region. The sales of generators picked up in 2021 as countries like China and India faced energy crunch. China issued orders to manufacturers in various regions to reduce their operating capacity amid worsening energy crisis in during October-November 2021. Indonesia, worlds fourth largest coal producer, has announced temporary ban on coal exports to ease the worsening energy crisis the country. With growing demand for energy, the demand for generators is expected to go up and support the recovery of the Asia-Pacific generator sales market. Asia-Pacific Generator Sales Market - Regional Insights Geographically, the Asia-Pacific generator sales market is segmented into China, India, Japan, Australia, South Korea, and the rest of Asia-Pacific. China dominates the Asia-Pacific generator sales market. However, India is also emerging as a potential market for generator sales. India is among the fastest-growing economies in the world and is significantly investing in infrastructural development, which in turn is driving the growth of the countrys generator sales market. Moreover, due to frequent power cuts, the demand for generator sales is surging in the commercial and industrial facilities of the country to ensure the smooth flow of the operations. Please visit press release of Asia-Pacific generator sales market: https://www.blueweaveconsulting.com/press-release/asia-pacific-generator-sales-market-growth-forecast-to-grow-at-a-cagr-of-6-4-during-2022-2028 Asia-Pacific Generator Sales Market: Competitive Landscape Some of the leading players in the Asia-Pacific generator sales market are Cummins Inc., Doosan Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Siemens AG, Honda Siel Power Products Ltd, Caterpillar Inc, Kohler Co., ABB Ltd., Generac Power Systems, Weichai Group, and other prominent players. The market is highly fragmented and consolidated due to the presence of multinational conglomerates as well as regional industry players. The market participants offer and launch a wide range of generators with different power ratings to match the needs of various end-users. They also significantly invest in research and development activities to improve their offerings in the competitive market. Furthermore, the adoption of competitive strategies, such as partnerships, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, etc., is also prominent in this market. Recent Development In January 2022, Honda announced its plans to begin sales of an all-new EU32i portable generator. The new generator is equipped with a newly designed dedicated engine with a maximum output of 3.2kVA. The generator features Hondas original sine wave inverter technology and can provide a stable supply of high-quality electrical output with smooth waveform, which makes it compatible with precision instruments that require high-quality electricity. In January 2022, General Motors announced its plans to manufacture mobile power generators using its Hydrotec-branded hydrogen fuel cells. The company is aiming to replace polluting gas- and diesel-powered generators with zero-emission hydrogen-powered ones. The company is aiming to provide these generators in several sizes and capacities with power output ranging from 60kW to 600kW. Dont miss the business opportunity of the Asia-Pacific generator sales market. Consult our analysts to gain crucial insights and facilitate your business growth. The in-depth analysis of the report provides information about growth potential, upcoming trends, and statistics of the Asia-Pacific generator sales market. It also highlights the factors driving forecasts of total market size. The report promises to provide recent technology trends of the Asia-Pacific generator sales market and industry insights to help decision-makers make sound strategic decisions. Furthermore, the report also analyses the growth drivers, challenges, and competitive dynamics of the market. Scope of the Report Attributes Details Years Considered Historical data 2018-2021 Base Year 2021 Forecast 2022 2028 Facts Covered Revenue in USD Billion Market Coverage China, India, Japan, Australia, South Korea, and the rest of Asia-Pacific Product Service/Segmentation By Fuel Type, By Power Rating, By Application, By End-User, By Region Key Players Cummins Inc., Doosan Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Siemens AG, Honda Siel Power Products Ltd., Caterpillar Inc, Kohler Co., ABB Ltd., Generac Power Systems, Weichai Group, and other prominent players. Please find below some related report: Global Fuel Cells Market, Opportunity and Forecast, 2017-2027 Global Lithium-Ion Battery Anode Market, Opportunity and Forecast, 2017-2027 Global Flow Battery Market, Opportunity and Forecast, 2017-2027 Global Portable Solar Charger Market, Opportunity and Forecast, 2017-2027 Global Concentrating Solar Power Market, Opportunity and Forecast, 2017-2027 About Us BlueWeave Consulting provides comprehensive Market Intelligence (MI) Solutions to businesses regarding various products and services online and offline. We offer all-inclusive market research reports by analyzing both qualitative and quantitative data to boost up the performance of your business solutions. BWC has built its reputation from the scratch by delivering quality inputs and nourishing long-lasting relationships with its clients. We are one of the promising digital MI solutions companies providing agile assistance to make your business endeavors successful. Contact Us: BlueWeave Consulting & Research Pvt. Ltd +1 866 658 6826 | +1 425 320 4776 | +44 1865 60 0662 info@blueweaveconsulting.com https://www.blueweaveconsulting.com/ TORONTO, Jan. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Topicus.com Inc. (the Company) (TSXV: TOI) announced today the resignation of Steve Scotchmer from, and the appointment of Jeff Bender to, the Companys Board of Directors. Mr. Bender has been a director of Constellation Software Inc. (TSX: CSU) since 2013 and the Chief Executive Officer for Constellations Harris Operating Group since 2002. About Topicus.com Inc. Topicus.com Inc. is a leading pan-European provider of vertical market software and vertical market platforms to clients in public and private sector markets. Operating and investing in countries and markets across Europe with long-term growth potential, Topicus.com Inc. acquires, builds and manages leading software companies providing specialized, mission-critical and high-impact software solutions that address the particular needs of customers. For further information, contact: Topicus.com Inc. Jamal Baksh, Chief Financial Officer Tel: (416) 861-9677 jbaksh@csisoftware.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Search Minerals Inc. (TSXV: SMY | OTCQB: SHCMF) (Search or the Company), is pleased to announce that, further to its news release dated December 23, 2021, it has closed the second and final tranche (the Second Tranche) of its non-brokered private placement (the Private Placement). The Private Placement raised a total aggregate gross proceeds of $6,322,239. Under the Second Tranche, the Company issued 120,000 flow-through common shares of the Company (the FT Shares) at a price of $0.25 per FT Share (the FT Offering), and 5,495,777 units of the Company (the Units) at a price of $0.18 per Unit (the Unit Offering) for aggregate gross proceeds of $1,019,239.86. Each Unit consists of one common share (each, a Share) and one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant") in the capital of the Company. Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share (a "Warrant Share") of the Company for a period of 24 months from the date of issue at an exercise price of $0.25 per Warrant Share, subject to adjustment pursuant to the terms of the Warrant. The Company intends to use the proceeds from the FT Offering to incur eligible Canadian Exploration Expenses and flow-through mining expenditures, as defined under the Income Tax Act (Canada), that will be renounced in favour of the purchasers with an effective date of no later than December 31, 2022. The Company intents to use the proceeds from the Unit Offering for general working capital purposes. All securities issued pursuant to the Second Tranche are subject to a statutory four-month hold period expiring on May 28, 2022. The Private Placement is subject to receipt of final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. About Search Minerals Inc. Led by a proven management team and board of directors, Search is focused on finding and developing Critical Rare Earths Elements (CREE), Zirconium (Zr) and Hafnium (Hf) resources within the emerging Port Hope Simpson St. Lewis CREE District of South East Labrador. The Company controls a belt 63 km long and 2 km wide and is road accessible, on tidewater, and located within 3 local communities. Search has completed a preliminary economic assessment report for FOXTROT, and a resource estimate for DEEP FOX. Search is also working on three exploration prospects along the belt which include: FOX MEADOW, SILVER FOX and AWESOME FOX. Search has continued to optimize our patented Direct Extraction Process technology with the generous support from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and from the Atlantic Canada Opportunity Agency. We have completed two pilot plant operations and produced highly purified mixed rare earth carbonate concentrate and mixed REO concentrate for separation and refining. For further information, please contact: Greg Andrews President and CEO Tel: 604-998-3432 E-mail: info@searchminerals.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Except for the statements of historical fact, this news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation that is based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. "Forward-looking information" in this news release includes information about the Companys closing of the Private Placement, and the timing thereof, the anticipated use of proceeds, and other forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, the inability to obtain the necessary Exchange approvals to complete the Private Placement or to apply the proceeds of the Private Placement as anticipated by management. The forward-looking information in this news release reflects the current expectations, assumptions and/or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. In connection with the forward-looking information contained in this news release, the Company has made assumptions about the Company's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events, and that the Company will receive all required regulatory approvals, including Exchange approval, for the Private Placement. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such information due to the inherent uncertainty therein. The Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, unless and until required by applicable securities laws. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com. SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hagens Berman notifies Gatos Silver, Inc. (NYSE: GATO) investors that the Firm is investigating possible securities law violations by Gatos, senior management, and others. The firm urges investors with significant losses to submit your losses now. Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/GATO Contact An Attorney Now: GATO@hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895 Gatos Silver, Inc. (GATO) Investigation: The investigation focuses on statements concerning Gatos Cerro Los Gatos (CLG) mine located in Chihuahua, Mexico. Specifically, as recently as July 15, 2021, Gatos affirmed the Companys estimates in its July 1, 2020 Technical Report (2020 Technical Report) that the CLG deposit contains approximately 9.6 million diluted tonnes of proven and probable mineral reserves. This and other statements allowed Company insiders to sell 11.4 million shares to the investing public at $14 per share for total proceeds of about $159 million. But on Jan. 25, 2022, Gatos disclosed that during a resource and reserve update process, which included a detailed reconciliation of recent production performance, the Company concluded that there were errors in the 2020 Technical Report, as well as indications that there is an overestimation in the existing resource model. As a result, the Company estimated a potential reduction of the metal content of CLG mineral reserve ranging from 30% to 50% of the metal content and warned that the mineral resource and reserve estimates in the 2020 Technical Report should not be relied upon. This revelation drove the price of Gatos shares as much as 70% lower on Jan. 26, 2022. Were focused on investors losses and when Gatos knew of the 2020 Technical Report flaws, said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation. If you invested in Gatos and have significant losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firms investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman. Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Gatos should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email GATO@hbsslaw.com. About Hagens Berman Hagens Berman is a national law firm with eight offices in eight cities around the country and over eighty attorneys. The firm represents investors, whistleblowers, workers and consumers in complex litigation. More about the firm and its successes is located at hbsslaw.com. For the latest news visit our newsroom or follow us on Twitter at @classactionlaw . Vancouver, BC, Jan. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- International Iconic Gold Exploration Corporation (Iconic Gold or the Company) (TSXV:ICON) (OTC:MFMLF) announces that Richard Dick Walters has retired from his position as Executive Vice President to the Company. Mr. Walters has served the Company as an officer and director for 21 years from 2000 to June 2021, when he stepped down as a director and up until December 31, 2021, when he retired from his officer position. After an illustrious career spanning some 55 years, Mr. Walters has decided to retire but will remain as an Advisor to Iconic Gold. The Company thanks Mr. Walters for his services and is delighted to retain his expertise on ongoing projects. It has been an honor and a privilege working with Dick over the past five years, commented President and CEO, Robert Abenante. The Company has been incredibly fortunate to enjoy the fruits of his expertise and experience and we hope to continue to work with him for years to come in a less intensive capacity so he can enjoy well-deserved retirement. We wish him the very best, concluded Mr. Abenante. ON BEHALF OF INTERNATIONAL ICONIC GOLD EXPLORATION CORP. "Rob Abenante" Robert Abenante, President & CEO Contact Information: Email:info@iconicgold.com Website: www.iconicgold.com For further information regarding International Iconic Gold Exploration Corp., please refer to the Companys filings available on SEDAR (http://www.sedar.com) or at ICONs Website (http://www.iconicgold.com) Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Former NYPD top cop Dermot Shea has been hired by the real estate goliath that runs the Hudson Yards, company officials announced Friday. Related Companies named Shea, 52, their new president of commercial property management a position created for the ex-police commissioner. Advertisement Shea stepped down as police commissioner on Dec. 31 after two years on the job. He put in his retirement papers when incoming Mayor Adams named Keechant Sewell as Sheas successor. Former NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) He led the NYPD during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a spike in shootings and homicides and city-wide protests following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Advertisement Shea spent 30 years at the NYPD and was widely credited for innovative, data-driven management strategies, Related Companies said in a statement. Dermot Shea is an accomplished and experienced leader who will bring unparalleled integrity to our commercial property management operation, said Jeff Blau, CEO of Related Companies. We are thrilled to welcome him to the team and look forward to leveraging his management skills and expertise. Hudson Yards (Luiz C. Ribeiro/for New York Daily News) Shea wont be providing security, but will oversee all of Related Companies commercial office and mixed-use properties in the city. That includes the Hudson Yards and the Vessel, a 150-foot-tall spiraling modern ziggurat of interlocking staircases near W. 33rd St. and 10th Ave. where four suicides have occurred since opening two years ago. Joining Related represents an exciting new chapter in my career and Im looking forward to working with this already incredibly strong team, Shea said. Property management is a new challenge, and one that Im looking forward to leveraging my management skills and data-driven strategies to deliver the best experience for tenants, customers, and visitors to our properties. Singapore, Jan. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spurwing Communications, an award-winning leader in strategic healthcare communications, has strengthened its team with the appointment of Emma Jenkins-Lee to its newly created role of Managing Director. In her new role, Jenkins-Lee will spearhead Spurwings next phase of growth, drive client relationships and lead the team to consistently deliver communication campaigns that drive positive change and have tangible business impact. She will work closely with Spurwings founder and CEO, Emma Thompson, to shape the business. Commenting on the appointment, Thompson said, I am thrilled to welcome someone of Emmas calibre to the team. She brings solid communications counsel and experience evident through her impressive client tenure track record and the agency growth she has delivered in the region over the past decade. The breadth and depth of the work Emma has done in the technology sector, and many others, will be invaluable to strengthening our offering, leading our team of integrated experts and taking the business to the next level. Were hugely excited to benefit from her expertise and fresh perspective as we prioritise growth in 2022 and beyond. Spurwing delivers strategic communications programmes for clients in the healthcare, nutrition and food sectors and has grown rapidly since it was founded in 2015. From its headquarters in Singapore, and through its Global Health PR network, the team of 15 applies its specialist industry expertise to strategic corporate communications, medical communications and creative briefs. I wanted my next role to be something different, and the chance to lead an agency like Spurwing, which was seeking fresh thinking and operational expertise, is a brilliant, new opportunity for me. The agencys journey so far is impressive and its mission is clear to help clients motivate the people that matter. Spurwing has a great client roster that includes some of the most innovative healthcare and agribusinesses in Asia Pacific and the team is delivering fantastic campaigns that are truly inspiring change. Im eager to bring my experience to current clients, and lead the team and agency through the next stage of growth. Jenkins-Lee was previously Senior Vice President of Asia Pacific at LEWIS, where she was responsible for the strategic development and growth of the region. During her tenure she diversified the companys offerings to include a full spectrum of integrated marketing services and grew its geographical presence, leading the launch of two new offices. She has extensive communications experience in the Asia Pacific region, advising senior level clients on briefs spanning Greater China, Southeast Asia and Australia. In the last 18 years she has led strategic communications programmes for numerous high-profile clients in the technology, FMCG, automotive and travel and tourism sectors. For more information, please contact: Spurwing Communications Samuel Tan +65 9649 4971 samuel@spurwingcomms.com Follow us: LinkedIn Attachment January 28, 2022 Major German University Hospital secures long-term access to the latest health technology through renewal of diagnostic and image-guided therapy solutions Philips to deliver new and upgraded hybrid operating room and interventional suites Agreement includes training and education for hospitals clinicians and medical technologists Amsterdam, the Netherlands Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, and the University Hospital Brandenburg an der Havel (Brandenburg, Germany) have signed a 10-year strategic partnership to renew and expand the hospitals diagnostic and therapy options through the delivery of advanced technology solutions. The approximately EUR 18 million agreement includes the supply of diagnostic imaging solutions including ultrasound, MR and mobile X-ray, as well as image-guided therapy suites and patient monitoring solutions. The long-term cooperation will provide University Hospital Brandenburg an der Havel with optimum flexibility and a needs-based approach to technology selection and financing. "We have decided to partner with Philips in order to ensure high-quality, economical medical care for the population of our region into the future," said Gabriele Wolter, Managing Director of University Hospital Brandenburg an der Havel. Our joint activities will go well beyond device procurement and financing. There will be a uniform operating philosophy across devices and departments for renewal of our equipment inventory. In this way, we can speed up processes, minimize operating errors, and make its use easier throughout the clinic. With around 500 beds, University Hospital Brandenburg an der Havel provides specialist care both locally and nationally for around 26,000 inpatients and 48,000 ambulatory patients in 15 specialized clinics. With medical excellence, innovative therapies and interdisciplinary teams, more than 2,000 employees work toward a common goal: ensuring first-class treatment quality by linking teaching, research and patient care. Advanced diagnostic and therapy options, together with a modern standardized equipment inventory, are an important part of the hospitals development for the future. A significant strategic element of the agreement with Philips is enhancement of the hospitals vascular and cardiology specialist services. This includes the upgrading of two existing interventional suites for cardiac and vascular procedures and installation of a new hybrid operating room equipped with Philips Image-Guided Therapy System - Azurion - for minimally-invasive interventions. Minimally invasive techniques offer significant benefits for healthcare systems and patients, including reduced patient trauma (less patient risk), shorter recovery times and hospital stays (faster patient throughput), and lower health care costs. "The aim of our cooperation is to take a holistic approach to the design and organization of healthcare along the full treatment pathways in the hospital, with our top priorities being improving outcomes, enhancing the patient and staff experience, and reducing the cost of care," said Heiko Borwieck, Health Systems Sales Leader, Philips Germany. Well-trained medical and nursing staff are an important part of comprehensive patient care. Philips ICARUS learning academy for medical and technical staff will be integrated into the hospitals existing training and education program as part of the cooperation. Combining digital and face-to-face teaching methods, the platform will allow the hospitals radiology team to be trained individually or in groups, independent of their location. The aim is to meet the daily challenges of the radiology workplace through the training of all employees so that the hospital can deliver a high-quality standard of care. For further information, please contact: Mark Groves Philips Global Press Office Tel: +31 631 639 916 Email: mark.groves@philips.com Annette Halstrick PR Manager Health Systems Philips GmbH DACH Phone: +49 152 2280 0529 Email: annette.halstrick@philips.com About Royal Philips Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and well-being, and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2021 sales of EUR 17.2 billion and employs approximately 78,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter . Attachment MONTREAL, Jan. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Combining over 30 years of experience pricing, grading, and validating product's authenticity, Two Authenticators Inc. (2a) supports luxury vintage retail operations through innovative methods and impeccable customer experience. Packaged to optimize retailers' gross margins, companies' top-selling brands, such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, are shipped within five business days. In collaboration with Montreal-based Skoop Agency, and household name Melissa Soldera, Two Authenticators Inc. (2a) will host a one-time, by-invitation-only, limited edition pop-up. This event will showcase the team's ability to provide the best product with the best service in the industry. The event is to take place in Montreal's Chabanel district before Valentine's Day. Vintage industry expert and the corporation's CEO, Fred Mannella, declared "We have the most in-demand product in stock, at a fair price, all the time. Authenticity guaranteed. We developed a sustained supply chain. The system works, saves our customers time, and streamlines the buying." Disclaimer: Two Authenticators Inc. (2a) is not related to any of the brands it sells. Brands are not responsible and do not guarantee the authenticity of goods sold. Authenticity is certified by Two Authenticators inc. (2a) For further information, reach out to Fred Mannella here: fred@2a.co / (866)351-4221 website: 2a.co Related Images Image 1 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Dania Beach, FL, Jan. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Drone Nerds, one of the largest North American drone solutions providers, has partnered with Hextronics to showcase its latest enterprise release at the Natural Disasters Expo on Feb. 7-8, in Miami, FL. Hextronics flagship product, the Hextronics Global Advanced, is a compact and affordable drone docking station that has gained popularity among various industries like security and public safety. Its robotic battery-swapping mechanism and 24/7 operation capability have contributed to the implementation of successful drone programs in numerous enterprises throughout the world. Hextronics drone-charging solutions come pre-integrated with FlytNow Auto software that allows drones to fly autonomously, capture live video, respond to alarms, and communicate with the dock. By combining the expertise of our drone specialists, who craft the ideal solution based on the needs of each organization, with the autonomy and scalability enabled by Hextronics Global, natural disaster teams have a huge opportunity to take their operations to the next level, says Jeremy Schneiderman, CEO at Drone Nerds. The Hextronics Global Advanced also comes in a mobile form factor, called the HexTruck. Tightly integrable with a pickup truck, the HexTruck has been designed to charge drones on the move and facilitates fully automated operations such as take-off, landing, battery swapping and remote flight management. This is invaluable during emergencies, adds Curt Lary, CEO at Hextronics. Drone Nerds and Hextronics will exhibit at Natural Disasters Expo with the display of various drone solutions for disaster response, in addition to showcasing the HexTruck and Hextronics Global Advanced. Disaster preparation specialists and emergency response professionals will have the chance to learn more about implementing successful drone programs using this cutting-edge technology. ### About Drone Nerds: Drone Nerds provides comprehensive drone solutions for enterprise, private, and recreational needs. The company focuses on providing the right UAV solution for each of its customers unique needs. With its proprietary Always Flying program, Drone Nerds provides reliability and assurance for enterprise implementations across industry verticals, including public safety, government, agriculture, construction, energy, inspection, and more. For more information, visit www.dronenerds.com. About Hextronics: Hextronics is an engineering company that builds products that facilitate autonomous functionality for the growing drone industry. Its drone docking station, the Hextronics Global Advanced, incorporates a robotic battery-swapping mechanism capable of 24/7 operation. It promotes battery longevity ensuring that your drone is always ready to fly. For more information, visit www.hextronics.tech. MIAMI, Jan. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Industry-leading Bitcoin & cryptocurrency payroll company Bitwage has formally announced the launch of its new user platform. Since 2014, the company has worked to become a leader in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency payroll, invoicing, and benefits services. The launch of their new system hopes to further establish themselves as an innovative market leader. Bitwages team of engineers worked for over a year to launch an entirely new platform for all users with a host of new features. They expect that these features will make the Bitwage experience more convenient for those who believe in leveraging their salaries into Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. Bitwage's bread-and-butter service, Bitcoin and cryptocurrency payroll, will look and feel different for both companies and individuals. For individuals, a host of new changes have been brought forth: setting crypto payroll distributions is now much easier, legal invoices can now be generated and emailed to clients, redesigned dashboard with simplicity and ease of use in mind, and more transparent receipt details. Company accounts will see a number of new changes as well: company accounts will be able to use invoicing features, employers will now be able to easily invite their employees, employee onboarding status can be checked, a unique reminder system to streamline onboarding, beautifully-designed reports and analytics, and the ability to combine multiple invoices from contractors into a single transaction. These changes mark the beginning of a new era for Bitwage. They're excited to continually serve their customers with the best Bitcoin payroll product on the market. Jonathan Chester, CEO stated "Our goal is to enable people to get paid the way they need to, whether this means faster and cheaper direct deposit globally or in currencies that help them hedge against local volatility. Our new system launch is part of a 2-year effort to create a simple, yet seamless experience to delight companies and workers alike. In addition to crafting a beautiful interface, we've created new features needed for international freelancers, such as the ability to generate invoices and email directly to clients. Freelancers can now create business accounts. Companies can now easily manage invoices, aggregating multiple into a single transaction." About Bitwage Bitwage is the global leader in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency and stablecoin payroll with services across invoicing and benefits services. The company also offers resources to employers, employees, and freelancers with their robust, online platform. Bitwage is headquartered in San Francisco, California with operations in the US, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. After a simple sign-up process, employees and freelancers are able to receive any percentage of their wage in Bitcoin with unique bank accounts offered in US, EU, and UK. International users can also receive their wages faster and cheaper than traditional banking channels through blockchain technology, receiving Bitcoin or fiat on the other end. Bitwage has processed $150MM in transactions with over 50,000 users and 2,000 companies. Since their inception in 2014, Bitwage has received $4MM in funding from Draper Associates, BnkToTheFuture, Overton VC, Candela Reach Capital, Plug and Play, BPI France and many others. Media Contact: Kwasi Asare kwasi@thefeedia.com Related Images Image 1 Image 2 Image 3 Image 4 Image 5 Image 6 Image 7 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Montreal, Jan. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Montreal, Quebec - Frank And Oak is one of the most recognized sustainable fashion brands in North America. Known for its eco-friendly manufacturing practices, the company prioritizes the well-being of the planet and produces products that reflect these values. The recent launch of their Capital parka for women gives conscientious consumers access to a sophisticated coat that is as warm and stylish as it is functional and environmentally responsible. More information is available at: https://ca.frankandoak.com/pages/womens-sustainable-winter-outerwear The team at Frank And Oak is determined to do its part for the planet. With the recent launch of their womens Capital parka, the company offers an expression of style made to the highest ethical and sustainability standards without sacrificing contemporary utility or durability. The womens Capital is considered one of Frank And Oaks most technically impressive products. Knee-length and roomy, the coat is seam-sealed and completely waterproof. The shell and lining of the coat are made from 100% recycled polyester and the insulation is made from featherless Primaloft PowerPlume, an innovative lightweight product manufactured to offer softer, ultra-fine fibres that trap warmth, regulate body temperature, and repel water. The coats 20K/20K rating means it is designed to withstand 20,000 mm of water pressure while offering maximum breathability. An inside media pocket is styled to accommodate earphones and a front closure with zipper and magnets as well as a jersey extension with thumbholes inside the sleeves - all of these work to prevent raindrops or snow from seeping in. As previously announced, the coat comes in black, rosin and white pepper, in sizes ranging from XS to XL, and is washable and suitable for tumble dry. A customer who bought her coat online says, Im really happy with my purchase. The coat is very comfortable and warm. I can comfortably wear a bulky sweater under it, and I really appreciate all the pocket details and the magnetic buttons. Five stars. With the launch of their ethically designed, fully waterproof, and technically superior Capital parka, the team at Frank And Oak is giving outdoor enthusiasts the style and functionality they need from their apparel while helping them remain true to their eco-friendly values. https://youtu.be/Cj7fYol5L_s Visit https://ca.frankandoak.com to find out more. ### For more information about Frank And Oak, contact the company here: Frank And Oak Anne Gael Plante +1-514-889-8701 anne-gael.plante@frankandoak.com 702 St-Viateur E, Suite 702, Montreal, QC H2T 1A8, Canada English French PRESS RELEASE Arcueil, 28 January 2022 Half-yearly statement of the company's liquidity contract Under the liquidity contract entrusted by Aramis Group to Rothschild Martin Maurel, the following resources were included in the liquidity account at 31 December 2021: 22.500 shares 1,140,644.00 For reference, the following resources were recorded in the liquidity account on 22 July 2021, date of its implementation: No shares 1,500,000.00 Between 1 July and 31 December 2021 total transactions were: Number of transactions Number of shares Amount in euros Purchases 2,298 190,475 3,303,884.65 Sales 1,988 167,975 2,945,934.09 *** About Aramis Group Aramis Group is a leading European B2C platform to acquire a used car online and brings together four brands: Aramisauto, Cardoen, Clicars and CarSupermarket, in France, Belgium, Spain and the UK respectively. The Group is transforming the used car market and is putting digital technology at the service of customer satisfaction with a fully vertically integrated business model. For the full 2021 fiscal year, Aramis Group generated revenues of 1.36 billion, sold more than 80,000 B2C vehicles, and recorded more than 73 million visits to its websites. At the end of September 2021, the Group had more than 1,800 employees, a network of 60 agencies and three industrial refurbishing sites. Aramis Group is listed on compartment A of the Euronext Paris stock exchange (Ticker: ARAMI ISIN: FR0014003U94). For more information, visit www.aramis.group. Investors contact Alexandre Leroy Head of investor relations alexandre.leroy@aramis.group +33 (0)6 58 80 50 24 Attachment Washington, Jan. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and the voice for Americas 32.5 million small businesses in President Bidens Cabinet signed the Agency's Tribal Consultation Policy of 2022. The Agreement, which directs the SBAs coordination with Tribal governments, also recognizes the Federal Governments unique relationship with Native American governments and its responsibility to ensure small businesses from Tribal communities are fully considered and can equitably benefit from all of the resources offered by the American government, a priority under the Biden-Harris Administration and Administrator Guzman. Through its Office of Native American Affairs , the SBA has taken proactive steps to honor our Nations responsibilities and update policies affecting the Agencys ability to operate within a government-to-government relationship with federally recognized indigenous Tribes and Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) and to consult with tribal governments and ANCs before finalizing SBA policies that have implications for these stakeholders. As President Biden said during his first week in office: History demonstrates that we best serve Native American people when Tribal governments are empowered to lead their communities, and when Federal officials speak with and listen to Tribal leaders in formulating Federal policy that affects Tribal Nations. The SBA is committed to establishing strong nation-to-nation relationships with every Tribe that seeks to engage with the federal government, said Administrator Guzman. Were focused on making Tribal consultation an important component of our broader Tribal outreach and engagement while creating opportunities for meaningful dialogue. We know this will advance our efforts to build bridges to entrepreneurs across Indian Country so that we can better connect them to the funding, market opportunities, and networks they need to start and grow. The SBA understands that supporting Native-owned small businesses is vital to our shared economic interests. We look forward to the dialogues that help inform our policy and programs to begin addressing the systemic inequities that continue to plague Indigenous peoples. Since taking office, Administrator Guzman has directed the SBA to explore ways to deepen and expand the Agencys connections to entrepreneurs and continue raising awareness of the wide range of government resources available to help small businesses - a critical element of the American Rescue Plans Community Navigator Pilot Program . While work continues to level the playing field for underserved communities and counter the struggles many faced in accessing relief in the early days of the pandemic, under the Biden-Harris Administration Native American entrepreneurs received nearly $700 million in SBA funding . Additionally, there are approximately 4,000 Native American entrepreneurs engaged in federal procurement a number the SBA is aiming to increase by strengthening its business development programs, such as 8a and HubZone, and helping small business owners navigate new contracting opportunities through recently announced procurement reforms . All Indian Country is HubZone certified. Jackson S. Brossy, Assistant Administrator, Office of Native American Affairs said, Supporting Native-owned small businesses is vital to our shared economic future. And that begins with addressing the systemic inequities that continue to plague Indigenous peoples. Along with Administrator Guzman, I am committed to ensuring that all our programs and services help ALL our small businesses gain access to the capital, markets, and networks they need to start and grow. The Assistant Administrator/Office of Native American Affairs (AA/ONAA) will be the designated official with principal responsibility for SBAs implementation of Executive Order 13175 and will lead and coordinate tribal consultations for the Agency. This will be accomplished through the following: Developing an Information Package for Prospective Tribal Consultation Participants Designing the Consultation Process Selecting Appropriate Meeting Sites Providing Notice to Tribal Governments Identifying the Participants in the Consultation Process For small businesses, connection to and awareness of resources is critical. This is a priority to develop new ways to effectively raise awareness about the wide range of SBA resources available to help small businesses. This effort will counter the struggles so many underserved small businesses faced accessing critical relief early in the pandemic. Right now, there are 4,000 Native entrepreneurs engaged in federal procurement the SBA aim to bring that number up by strengthening business development programs such as 8a and HubZone all of Indian Country is HubZone certified. Following the consultation, if practicable and appropriate, the written record will remain open for a specified time to allow tribal officials the opportunity to submit additional comments. All follow-up comments should be submitted via e-mail to tribalconsultation@sba.gov or mailed to: Attn: AA/ONAA 409 3rd Street, SW Washington DC, 20416 The complete, signed U.S. Small Business Administration Tribal Consultation Policy can be view here: https://www.sba.gov/document/support--us-sba-tribal-consultation-policy ### About the U.S. Small Business Administration The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov . Attachment BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., Jan. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stephen Shaya, M.D., Managing Director of Akkad Holdings and Executive Servant Leader at J & B Medical, is speaking at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai. For 170 years, World Expos have provided a platform to showcase some of the most significant innovations that have truly shaped the world we live in, and this will be the first-ever expo hosted in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. This year's World Expo focuses on inspiring and meaningful actions to address the world's most crucial challenges and opportunities. Commenting on his participation, Dr. Stephen Shaya quoted Harriet Tubman. "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world." Jan. 30, 2022, in the USA pavilion at the World Expo Dubai, Stephen Shaya, M.D., and other world leaders involved in the global supply chain industry, will discuss and offer a solution to one of the biggest challenges the world is currently facing, the medical supply shortage. The COVID-19 Pandemic has caused chaos, panic, and widespread loss, but it also brought to light the overwhelming and dangerous inadequacies of the global supply chain for medical equipment, supplies, and personal protective equipment. This event will highlight the outdated and inefficient state of the current global supply chain and offer a refreshing new take on how to reimagine and remodel the global supply chain to face 21st-century challenges by leveraging strategic partnerships in the UAE. Malek El Husseini, Healthcare consultant and Asset Manager for SEE CAPITAL, added, "We are gathering key opinion leaders in the supply chain management to identify the lessons learned from COVID19 Pandemic. We are keen not to repeat the same mistakes when we have another disruption. Supply Chain management issues are global, and most countries are seeking to localize manufacturing so they can have better surveillance on the full supply chain from production until distribution, which is being characterized recently by resilience, transparency, use of new technologies such as A.I., and collaboration with different stakeholders." Karim Attiyah, Group CEO and Managing Director of Emirates Specialized Group (ESG), added, "ESG is excited to be a part of this new strategic partnership with Akkad Holdings. Our goal is to help bring much-needed technology and innovation to the antiquated global medical supply chain. This joint venture will create value by leveraging the strengths of our individual entities from expertise and experience to resources and support. Our unique value proposition will disrupt the status quo. Akkad Holdings is the family office of Stephen Shaya, M.D., whose family owns J & B Medical. J & B is a world-class family of businesses that span across all aspects of medical-related care, including the following: insurance covered products, national managed care contracts, medical-surgical products, retail home-care products, technology solutions, and serves as one of the largest third-party billers of consumable medical products in the United States. J&B owns HNC Virtual Care Solutions, which manages a telehealth company serving customers worldwide. stephen@akkadholdings.com This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Gloucester, MA (01930) Today Rain showers this evening with clearing overnight. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. Low 46F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Rain showers this evening with clearing overnight. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. Low 46F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Two cops were fatally shot next door to the Laundry Works laundromat on W. 135th St., and as one of them was given a proper funeral at St. Patricks Cathedral on Friday, the washing, drying and folding went on as usual. Not to say the deaths of officers Jason Rivera, 22, and Wilbert Mora, 27, werent on everyones minds. Advertisement I was just watching the funeral upstairs, said Kamitra Murphy, a 38-year-old mom of two, as she waited for her dryer cycle to finish. The casket of NYPD officer Jason Rivera is transferred to a waiting hearse Friday at St. Patrick's Cathedral. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) Murphy said she was home when the gunfire erupted and cops from the nearby 32nd Precinct flooded the block. Advertisement It was heart-breaking, she said. I have an 11-year-old son and I dont let him come out by himself. I tell him, Dont talk to nobody. Dont look at people, cause you might feed into whatever craziness they have going on. At the end of the day, Im a parent, Murphy said. Its sad for everyone at the end of the day. The cops and media trucks were a memory, and the halls of the building where Rivera and Mora were fatally shot were church silent as tenants like Odelle Ellensburg watched the funeral unfold on television. Ellensburg, 71, was home in bed in her second-floor apartment when the shooting started one floor below. An NYPD officer investigates at the scene of shooting Jan. 22 on W. 135th St. in Harlem. (Yuki Iwamura/AP) The whole house shook from all those bullets! she said. I heard shouting and two shots, and I got under the comforter. Oh God. For Ellensburg, a retired home health aide, it was about whether the deaths could have been avoided. Im so angry with that woman, she said, speaking of McNeils mother, who initially called 911. She should have told the police he had guns and he was on parole. Dont you think she would have known? Police sources previously said the mom did not say McNeil was armed when she called for help. Advertisement The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > All they did was come for a domestic, said Ellensburg, who has lived in the building for 30 years. Can you imagine my 13-year-old granddaughter going to school and that gun had gone off? Calvin Hunt holds a photo of NYPD officer Jason Rivera outside the officer's funeral Friday at St. Patrick's Cathedral. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) Theres so much crime in the neighborhood lately that a 49-year-old man who gave his name as David L said he only leaves his apartment to buy cigarettes. Over here, all you see is, its popping off. 136th. 137th. Somebody killed, somebody robbed. Gunpoint. Knifepoint. He related to the death of Rivera, whose funeral at St. Patricks was Friday. Hes Dominican, Im Dominican. Hes Catholic, Im Catholic. So I know that loss, David said. Some in the neighborhood worried cops will be quicker to their guns after the tragedy. Whats going through my mind is that the cops are going to be like, if they get a call in Harlem, maybe theyll be more aggressive, said a laundry customer who gave her name as Chi-Chi. Advertisement I wouldnt want that. Were law-abiding citizens. I feel bad about the cops, but you worry about the response. Kyle and Rachel Zwieg were named the 2022 Wisconsin Outstanding Young Farmers during the 68th annual awards weekend. Four people have been arrested in connection with what authorities believe was a targeted attack on a home in Wisconsin, which left six dead. Police discovered the bodies of five men and a woman inside the residence in Milwaukee during a welfare check on Sunday. All six of them suffered gunshot wounds, according to authorities. Advertisement The Milwaukee County Medical Examiners Office identified the victims on Monday as Caleb Jordan, 23, Javoni Liddell, 31, Charles Hardy, 42, Donald Smith, 43, Donta Williams, 44, and Michelle Williams, 49. A final autopsy has not been completed, but family members told WISN they were shot execution-style. Police investigate the scene where five people were found dead in a Milwaukee, Wisc., home, Sunday. (Mike De Sisti/AP) Police previously said they believed there were multiple suspects and on Thursday announced they have detained four people of interest in connection with the sextuple homicide. Advertisement We are still trying to determine what their involvement was, if any, in this homicide, Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said during a press briefing. He added that no one has yet been charged in the case. While a motive in the deadly incident remained unclear, Norman told reporters evidence recovered from the scene indicated that its was a targeted attack. It does not appear to have been a murder-suicide, he added. Police investigate the scene where five people were found dead in a Milwaukee, Wisc., home, Sunday, Jan. 23. (Mike De Sisti/AP) According to court documents obtained by WISN, three of the six victims names appear on a witness list for a pending homicide case in Milwaukee County Court. We are still looking into all angles. Obviously, you never want to use one explanation for a particular incident and stick to that; understanding that there might be some other angles we have to explore, Norman said when asked whether their status as witnesses played at role. At this time, were pretty sure that that is not relative to this particular incident, but we never want to take away any particular explanation for what were finding in this investigation. Formula One teams are busy preparing for the new season. However, due to the new regulations, there is still plenty of work to be done, leaving them with interesting considerations, as stated by Auto, Motor und Sport. Since it takes a lot of work for the teams to send a good car to the track, every day to work on the car seems to be an advantage. Therefore, several teams are reportedly considering sending a base car onto the track during the winter tests in Barcelona to give them extra time to work on the car. However, the teams opting for the base car know that they will lose more money. Therefore, the decision is almost impossible for teams such as Mercedes, Red Bull Racing and Ferrari, but McLaren could well opt for this variant. Therefore, the British racing stable is said to be considering the option. Top teams keep their nerve For the top teams, it doesn't have to be a big problem right away. By testing the new car in Spain, they have the opportunity to already work on the details. Therefore, the teams would not fear another decision from McLaren. The first race is scheduled in just under two months, when the Formula One teams travel to Bahrain. Authorities in Florida used popular gay dating apps to conduct a six-month-long undercover investigation that led to the arrest of 60 people on drug charges. According to Polk County Sheriffs Office, the investigation, dubbed Swipe Left for Meth, focused on the sale and/or possession of illegal narcotics on three dating mobile apps that are popular among gay and bisexual men. Advertisement The investigation began in July 2021 when detectives received a tip indicating that people were openly selling drugs on the well-known app Grindr. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd briefs the media. (Facebook) Further investigation led police to target two other apps that also cater to men who have sex with men: Scruff and Taimi. Advertisement PCSO detectives created fake profiles within the apps, seeking to establish contact with people who might be selling any illegal substances. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > They found that it was relatively easy to strike up conversations with those who were selling methamphetamine, cocaine, Ecstasy, LSD, Fentanyl, and marijuana in Polk County, authorities said in a news release. It was clear during the conversations and ensuing undercover drug buys that the suspects primary purposes for being on the dating app were to sell drugs not to find a date. Suspects that were arrested by the Polk County Sheriff's Office in a drug sting. (Polk County Sherriff ) During a press conference Thursday, Sheriff Grady Judd said that detectives filed 159 felony and 72 misdemeanor charges. We discovered exactly what we were told: that they were selling dope, he said. A lot of dope. A lot of street dope on these dating apps. This is something we are seeing more and more of in Polk County suspects who are using dating apps to sell illegal narcotics, Judd said. Suspects are getting more creative, but so are our detectives. Were working with these mobile app companies to raise awareness, and asking for their cooperation during our investigations, he added. During the investigation, detectives seized 14 firearms, around 280 grams of methamphetamine, 3 grams of cocaine, 130 pills of Ecstasy (MDMA), approximately 1.5 grams of Fentanyl/heroin, 1 gram of LSD, around 28 grams of psychedelic mushrooms, as well as 645 grams of marijuana. Besides the 60 arrests, authorities also obtained warrants for eight people who are currently at large. Theyre gonna need a bigger umbrella. While the New York City area, New England and Mid-Atlantic states braced for a powerful noreaster slated to pound the region with snow this weekend, Floridians were being warned to watch out for something entirely different falling from above: iguanas. Advertisement The same Canadian cold front thats helping fuel the blockbuster storm forming in the Atlantic is going to bring frigid temps to the Sunshine State cold enough to knock iguanas from the trees. A strong cold front, with an air mass originating from northern Canada, will push through South Florida Friday night, and move off the southeast Florida coast during the pre-dawn hours of Saturday, the National Weather Service in Miami said in an advisory. Advertisement A man bikes at Matheson Hammock Park with PortMiami and Miami Beach seen in the background, as South Florida experiences its coldest weather so far this winter. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP) Were going to hear about temperatures down in Florida in the low 30s even in parts of central and south Florida, with frost and freeze possibility, Accuweather senior meteorologist Paul Walker told the Daily News on Thursday. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > Very cold weather is expected this weekend, with low temperatures dropping below freezing across the interior on Saturday night, the National Weather Service said. Wind chills could dip into the upper 20s across a large portion of the interior. Frost will also be a concern, especially Sunday night. Saturday night into Sunday morning will be the coldest temperatures, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported. The Everglades and western Palm Beach County could see freezing or below. Frigid weekend ahead starting with a Freeze Watch for Fri night, the National Weather Service in Jacksonville tweeted with a warning for southeastern Georgia and much of northeastern Florida. Frigid weekend ahead starting with a Freeze Watch for Fri Night across SE GA and much of NE FL. Lows: Upper 20s - low 30s Lowest wind chills: Upper Teens to mid 20s Remember 5 Ps: Protect People, Pets, Pipes, Plants & Practice Fire Safety#flwx #gawx #jaxwx pic.twitter.com/A76LbwUTJw NWS Jacksonville (@NWSJacksonville) January 27, 2022 The possibly record-setting temperatures generated all kinds of safety warnings, ranging from safeguarding outdoor water pipes and sprinkler systems to checking on elders and protecting pets and plants. One animal particularly vulnerable to the chill is the iguana, since the reptiles are cold-blooded and thus rely on their environment to keep them warm. Most of the time, that works. It only takes temperatures falling into the 40s to stun the lizards until they seize up, lose their grip and plummet to the ground until things warm up, wildlife experts told the Tallahassee Democrat. Unlike the ex-parrot in the Monty Python sketch, these creatures actually are just resting. They will reanimate once they are kissed by the sun. They slow down or become immobile when temps drop & could fall from trees, but they are not dead, tweeted WSVN-TV weather anchor Vivian Gonzalez earlier in the week. Dont approach. Once the sun is out, they will move. The gun used by Kyle Rittenhouse to kill two people and wound a third at a 2020 racial justice protest can be destroyed, a Wisconsin court said Friday. Kenosha County judge Bruce Schroeder, who presided over the murder trial in which the teenage gunman was found not guilty, also ruled that Rittenhouses $2 million bail should be split between his lawyer, a foundation that raised money for the defense and Silver Spoons actor Ricky Schroder, who also supported the defendant financially. Advertisement Schroder will receive $150,000. The appropriation of funds was in dispute. [ SEE IT: Actor Ricky Schroder films himself harassing Costco worker over mask in California ] FILE - Kyle Rittenhouse walks along Sheridan Road in Kenosha, Wis., in this Aug. 25, 2020 file photo. (Adam Rogan/AP) Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger, who unsuccessfully prosecuted the Rittenhouse case in November, said Rittenhouses Smith & Wesson M&P 15 semiautomatic rifle will probably be destroyed in April by a Wisconsin crime lab. Advertisement A spokesman for Rittenhouse said his client wanted the weapon destroyed so that it wouldnt be used by political opportunists to celebrate the killings. Rittenhouse has been lionized by right-wing politicians and media figures since opening fire on demonstrators during an Aug. 25, 2020 protest in Kenosha, Wis., that followed the police shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake. Some protests around that shooting led to serious property damage. A jury ruled that Rittenhouse, who said he attended the demonstration to protect area businesses, acted in self-defense. Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old charged with gunning down two people during Jacob Blake protests in Kenosha, Wis., poses for a photo with his attorney, left, and actor Ricky Schroder, right. (Twitter) Dominick Black pleaded no contest to purchasing the AR-15 style rifle for Rittenhouse, who was 17 years old and legally prohibited from buying the firearm in 2020. The friends had agreed the weapon would become Rittenhouses property in January 2021, after his 18th birthday. Rittenhouses attorney Mark Richards claimed lots of people had inquired about purchasing the weapon. We didnt think anyone should profit from it, he said. Ricky Schroder supported Kyle Rittenhouse. (Willy Sanjuan/Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP) [ Tucker Carlson books Kyle Rittenhouse immediately after teen gunmans acquittal ] After Florida man George Zimmerman was acquitted after fatally shooting unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012, the gun he used was reportedly auctioned for $250,000. With News Wire Services The writer is the host of S.E. Cupp Unfiltered on CNN. Copyright 2022 S.E. Cupp. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. 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. Former president Donald Trump and Mike Pence have seen better days in their relationship. The former vice president told Fox News host Jesse Waters Thursday that he and his former boss most recently spoke last summer and have since gone their separate ways. Advertisement FILE - In this Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, file photo, President-elect Donald Trump, left, and Vice President-elect Mike Pence acknowledge the crowd during the first stop of his post-election tour, in Cincinnati. (John Minchillo/AP) January 6 was difficult, it was a tragic day in the life of the nation, Pence said of that dates attack on the Capitol last year. I know I did my duty under the constitution of the United States. Pence was referring to the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, when Trump supporters hoping to stop the certification of the 2020 election clashed with law enforcement officers. Gallows were erected on Capitol Hill by Trump loyalists who chanted Hang Mike Pence after Trump complained his second-in-command would not help him overturn President Bidens electoral win. Advertisement When was the last time Former Vice President Mike Pence spoke to Former President Trump? WATCH #FoxNews pic.twitter.com/4LWKvK3B0c Jesse Watters Primetime (@jesseprimetime) January 28, 2022 Mike Pence didnt have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our county and our constitution, Trump tweeted shortly before being banned from Twitter, which he used to falsely claim that the election wasnt legitimate. The vice president was taken to a safe location until law enforcement officials, with help from the National Guard, were able to regain control of Capitol Hill. Pence then returned to the Senate floor and famously said Lets get back to work, and certified Bidens victory. The president and I sat down on the days that followed that, we spoke about it, talked through it, we parted amicably, Pence said Thursday. Theres been speculation that Trump and Pence will both seek the Republican partys nomination in the 2024 election. A YouGov poll conducted in November showed that 44% of voters would support Trump in a GOP primary while only 4% would cast a ballot for Pence. GREENWICH New cases of COVID-19 are declining in schools across Connecticut, and Greenwich is following that trend, with just 40 new cases reported on Friday, according to the latest statistics on the districts online tracker. That brings the total number of COVID-19 cases among students, staff and service providers for January to 1,422 in the Greenwich schools and 1,966 cases since classes began Sept. 1, 2020. That compares with 700 cases of COVID-19 in the entire 2020-21 school year. Also, the number of active cases is down to just 37 across the district, compared with 36 active cases reported Tuesday, 83 active cases on Jan. 22 and 89 active cases on Jan. 19, according to the tracker. Active cases of COVID were reported in 13 school buildings, with all reports in single digits. The most active cases were reported at North Mianus, the districts largest elementary school, with seven cases, and at Greenwich High, the districts largest school, with six cases, according to the tracker. Among the other schools, North Street reported five active cases; Riverside reported four active cases; Eastern and Glenville reported three active cases each; International School at Dundee and New Lebanon reported two active cases each; and Central, Western, Cos Cob, Hamilton Avenue and Julian Curtiss reported one active case each, according to the tracker. No active cases were reported at Old Greenwich and Parkway. Declines statewide The drop in new cases of COVID-19 reflects the latest state data on schools across Connecticut. Preliminary data released Thursday showed that the number of new student cases was almost cut in half this week. New infections reported by teachers and staff also declined. I dont want to overstate, said Kate Dias, president of the Connecticut Education Association, the states largest teachers union. But I think we are in a much better place. Early state data on Thursday showed 6,024 students and 1,138 school staff reported COVID-19 infections over the past week decreases of 46 percent and 35 percent, respectively, from the week prior. The state Department of Public Health also routinely updates data that, as the surge subsides, could suggest cases peaked in Connecticut schools the first two weeks after the winter break. Of the 37 currently active cases of COVID-19 in the Greenwich Public Schools, there were 31 cases among students, five among teachers and one case in a service provider, according to the tracker. No cases were reported in administrators and nonteaching staff members. A number of families in the Greenwich school district are heavily impacted by COVID-19, with 313 families reporting 685 cases during the school year, according to the information on the tracker. Monthly numbers January 2022 has seen the most active cases of COVID-19 in the Greenwich schools since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. In fact, the 1,422 cases reported this month are more than twice the number of cases reported in all of the 2020-21 school year in Greenwich, according to the districts statistics. When students returned to the classrooms after the holiday recess, reports of new cases of COVID-19 spiked in the district as well as across the town and the state, according to Jonathan Supranowitz, director of communications for Greenwich Public Schools. Classrooms were closed for 11 days for the holidays, during a time when COVID-19 surged in the community. When classes restarted on Jan. 3, there was a increase in reports of cases from the holidays. In the twice-a-week updates, Greenwich schools reported 392 new cases on Jan. 4 the largest single report during the entire pandemic. That was followed by 349 new cases reported on Jan. 7; 227 new cases reported on Jan. 11; 168 new cases reported on Jan. 14; 71 new cases reported on Jan. 19; and 61 new cases reported on Jan. 25. The district updates the online tracker every Tuesday and Friday to keep the community informed on the pandemic. The totals were smaller in the first four months of the year in the Greenwich schools, with 392 cases of COVID-19 reported in December, 65 cases reported in November, 29 cases reported in October and 58 reported cases in September. From Jan. 9 to Jan. 22, the test positivity rate in Greenwich was 18.7 percent, down from 23.5 percent from Jan. 2 to Jan. 15. Since students returned to classes in January, the district had not updated some of the data points on the tracker, with the section empty for statistics related to transmission of active cases. This week, the Greenwich Public Schools made a change in the online tracker, eliminating the detailing sections on how the virus was transmitted. The tracker now lists only current active cases at the top left, with the number of resolved reported cases below that. It then lists the total number of reported cases in the 2021-22 school year, which now totals 1,966. Staff Writer Cayla Bamberger contributed to this story. Smartphone shipments increased on a yearly basis during 2021, revealed Omdia in its latest market analysis. Over 1.3 billion units were pushed by makers, which is 3.4% more than 2020, despite a 6.7% dip in sales during the Q4 period. Samsung remained on top, ahead of Apple and Xiaomi. Huawei, which used to be third in sales back in 2020, slipped to 9th position overall, falling behind its former subsidiary Honor after a major 81% decline. The biggest winner in this pandemic year was Realme, increasing its sales 48.6%, more than any other major manufacturer. LGs decision to pull out of the smartphone market helped Motorola, Omdia revealed. The Lenovo-owned brand grew shipments as it expanded its market in North America and Latin America regions. Tecno is another brand that did well over the past 12 months. It managed to sell devices at competitive prices in developing regions so well, it increased its overall result by 31.7%. The year might have been positive overall, but the last three months weren't as great as the 2020 Holiday season. Omdias report shows that Xiaomi, vivo, and Oppo declined, while Samsung, Apple, and Realme increased their volumes. Zaker Li, Principal Analyst at Omdia said the reason is lack of components supply because it impacted the production of low-end smartphones. Expectations for the new year are for the uncertainties to continue, and the supply chain issues to continue causing disruptions. We've come across multiple reports about the Samsung Galaxy S22 lineup's charging speeds since last year, with some saying the S22 phones will stick to 25W charging, while others claimed the S22 series will mark the return of 45W speed to the Galaxy S flagships. China's 3C even certified the S22 (SM-S9010), S22+ (SM-S9060), and S22 Ultra (SM-S9080) with 25W charging, but Denmark's DEMKO has certified the Plus and Ultra models with 45W charging. That suggests the Galaxy S22+ (SM/S906E/DS, SM-906E, SM-S9060) and S22 Ultra (SM-S908E/DS, SM-908E, SM-S9080, SC-52C, SCG14) will have different charging speeds in different regions, but the vanilla model (SM-S901E/DS, SM-901E, SM-S9010, SC-51C, SCG13) will go only up to 25W no matter where you buy it from. Samsung Galaxy S22 Samsung Galaxy S22+ Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra The Danish certifying authority doesn't tell us about the batteries of these smartphones. However, a recent leak revealed the S22 will pack a 3,700 mAh battery while the S22+ and S22 Ultra will ship with 4,500 mAh and 5,000 mAh cells, respectively. The leak also revealed the rest of the specs of the S22 trio along with pricing and availability. You can head this way for more details. Samsung is yet to divulge anything about the Galaxy S22 series, but the company is hosting a Galaxy Unpacked event on February 9 where it's expected to unveil the Galaxy S22 smartphones and the Galaxy Tab S8 series. Via Guam has a surplus of dogs and cats that need furever homes, and various organizations have stepped up to help match pets to loving homes. To assist in these efforts, the Lifestyle section will begin featuring another set of Pets of the Week from Guahan Paws for Pets. Formed as a Facebook group four years ago by Tina Guzman, the volunteer group works to rescue, rehabilitate and restore animals in need. The group adopted the Dededo Dog Park last year, and now maintains the park and holds adoption events there. This week we are featuring four adorable pets theyve rescued, but there are many more that need homes. To view the ones currently available for adoption, go to the groups Facebook page @guahanpawsforpets. Adopting a pet To inquire about adopting a pet, email guahanpaws4pets@gmail.com. The group requires a home check to ensure the home is safe, Guzman said. Potential owners are required to sign an adoption contract and pay a fee of $75 for puppies or kittens, and $125 for adult animals. The fees are used to provide medical attention, food and the animals other needs. January promotion Guahan Paws for Pets is encouraging adoptions of adult rescues this month with some special promotions. Adopt an adult dog and receive a puplid, or cap. Those who adopt an adult cat will receive a free scooper and litter pan. Find out where and how you can get vaccines and testing for COVID-19 and mAb therapy updates this week, based on information provided by Joint Information Center. United Airlines introduced United Premium Plus to Guam-Honolulu flights, as well as the return of complimentary Economy Class in-flight meal service effective Jan. 4, 2022. A 32-year-old man wanted in connection with two family violence cases from 2021 was charged in the Superior Court of Guam Friday. Daniel Davis was charged with aggravated assault as a second-degree felony, family violence as a third-degree felony, strangulation as a third-degree felony, two counts of misdemeanor family violence and misdemeanor child abuse. On Sept. 24, 2021, Guam Police Department officers received a report from a woman who said she was assaulted by Davis. The woman told police that after an argument, Davis walked behind her, grabbed her hair and slapped her face. Then he dragged her by the hair into their bedroom, according to a magistrates complaint filed in Superior Court. A child told Davis to leave the woman alone, and Davis struck the child in the face, causing a bloody nose, the complaint stated. Davis left the home, and officers noted the child had dried blood in his nose and a blood spot on his right eye. On Nov. 16, 2021, officers received another report from the home. When police arrived, they saw a man running from the residence, and a woman ran out and yelled that the man had beaten a female relative. Officers questioned the victim, who said she and Davis had argued earlier in the day. Davis woke up and yelled at the children for being too loud, then followed the woman in the bedroom where he punched her in the face, according to the complaint. The complaint stated Davis continued to punch the woman until she blacked out, and he began to stomp on the back of her head causing her head to bounce off the ground. The woman yelled for someone to call police, and Davis grabbed a pillow and placed it over the womans face to restrict her from breathing. He stopped when someone was on the phone with the police, the complaint stated. Officers noted the woman had redness and swelling around her face. They were unable to locate Davis at the time. According to documents, officers found Davis at 11:23 a.m. Thursday. The Guam National Guard marked the one-year anniversary of conducting its Operation Liberate Guam mission this week. A year ago, COVID-19 vaccinations were just rolling out, and the Guam National Guard was brought in to help give shots. According to the Joint Information Center, a total of 132,643 of Guams eligible population are fully vaccinated, and 50,108 booster shots have been administered to eligible residents since Sept. 29, 2021. Not all the shots were given by the Guam National Guard as personnel worked alongside the Department of Public Health and Social Services, along with other groups and volunteers at the University of Guam. Administering over 170,000 doses to our people has made a lasting impact to our community, both in saving lives and in getting our island one step closer to recovery, acting Gov. Joshua Tenorio said in a news release sent by the Guard. Although our job is not finished, I know you will keep up the good work and the reputation of professionalism, efficiency, and respect that you have earned, he added. During these difficult times, you have showcased the very best our island has to offer, and on behalf of Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and our administration, we are all so very proud. Maj. Gen. Esther Aguigui, adjutant general of the Guam National Guard, praised the troops for helping save lives in the face of imminent danger, uncertainty, recurring surges and ever-changing missions. She also thanked and recognized the Guards partners at Public Health, UOG, AmeriCorps, and volunteer nurses and staff. One year ago today, in the midst of the rush to get our most vulnerable vaccinated against COVID-19, the Guam National Guard opened the UOG Field House for vaccinations under the mission name Operation Liberate Guam. Since then, weve given over 170,000 total doses at various locations, including 54 Strike Team missions, said Capt. Denise Chargualaf. Clad in reflective vests and protective gear against COVID-19, organizers and volunteers from the Guam Homeless Coalition are going to each village to survey and offer services to Guams street homeless. Thursday was the first day of the annual point-in-time count, which is conducted across the U.S. and mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD. The coalition is the Continuum of Care provider for Guam the regional planning body for HUD that coordinates housing and service funds for homeless people. Teams were assigned to cover routes in one or multiple villages where homeless people were known to spend time or live in makeshift housing. The coalition defines street homeless as people who dont have a permanent place to stay. The information gathered will help the coalition develop its strategic plan, said Samantha Taitano, coalition chairperson. The information also will help determine how much money to request from the federal housing agency to assist Guams homeless and to prevent homelessness. The count this year is being done over a two-day period to protect against the spread of COVID-19. The count was canceled last year because of the pandemic. One day focuses on the street homeless and the next day on those in shelters, or more settled locations. Volunteers Volunteer Hide Ichimori, with a map in hand that highlighted spots in Yona and Talofofo, led fellow members of Manelu through neighborhoods. While conducting the survey, they also distributed bags with toiletries, COVID-19 protective equipment and canned food. Throughout the stops, abandoned plywood-and-tin structures were seen tucked away in between houses. Team members stopped at these places, even if they were not listed on the map, just in case there were people who needed to be counted. The experience has been really good, Ichimori said. We had some good turnout this morning, about three households responded to the survey, and we still have a bunch more to go. For Jacqueline Thinom-pong, a member of Manelu, this is the second time participating in the count. When she helped in the 2020 count, it was in a supportive role. This year, it was hands on. When it comes to the homeless, its one of the times when you dont want your case load to increase because that means there are more homeless individuals. So it is sad to see a lot of people that are struggling, Thinom-pong said. Im just glad we are able to do the survey to better assist in the future. Mafnas Carrie Mafnas, 47, from Talofofo, was interviewed for the survey in front of the house that she said was inherited from her husbands grandmother. The house, which she shares with her family of six, is under construction. While Mafnas does not consider herself or her family homeless, she participated in the count because the house is considered substandard by the housing and urban development agency, because it was a mix of plywood with some concrete and a tin roof. Weve been working on it, and we havent been here long. Were just starting off, but were doing good, Mafnas said proudly, adding that they have water and electricity installed. They plan to expand the house once they are able to get more building materials to include a bathroom and shower room. Next The second and final day of the point-in-time count will be from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. today. Senators Friday evening passed 10 bills that would, among other things, provide $10 million for a war claims program, update local election laws and allow commercial trucks to carry heavier loads on certain roads. Bill 230 would use authorize the use of $10 million in excess General Fund money from fiscal 2021 to pay for a local war claims program. It will be reimbursed with Section 30 money paid to Guam from fiscal 2023, if possible. The bill also authorizes a 12-month filing window and addresses privacy concerns for claimants. The measure was introduced by the Office of the Governor. Sen. Joanne Brown, who has opposed the use of local money for war claims, was the lone senator to vote against the bill. Two measures to adjust election laws, introduced by Sen. James Moylan, passed with no opposition. Both go into effect next year. Bill 174 would push the primary election up from the last Saturday of August to the first Saturday and change filing deadlines for candidates to bring Guam in line with federal laws for overseas voters. Bill 173 would cancel any unneeded primary for the Legislature, governor, delegate, mayor, vice mayor, public auditor or attorney general. Primaries would only be held when there are more candidates than seats available to advance to the General Election. It would also call for a special election if the office of the congressional delegate becomes vacant. Vice Speaker Tina Muna Barnes Bill 83 would designate Routes 1, 8, 11, and 16 as haul-road highways, with higher load carrying standards for commercial trucks. Proponents have said increasing the amount of cargo that can be hauled will help control the price of goods on island, but several senators were concerned about increased damage to roadways. The measure passed, with Sens. Sabina Perez and Brown voting against. The following measures also passed with no opposition: Kyrgyz president congratulates Chinese business community on Spring Festival Xinhua) 16:16, January 28, 2022 BISHKEK, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov on Thursday sent a letter to the Chinese embassy, congratulating the Chinese business community in Kyrgyzstan on the upcoming Lunar New Year. "In the light of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kyrgyzstan and China, we especially note that we highly appreciate the activities of the Chinese business community in the market of Kyrgyzstan, which today continues to make a significant contribution to the development of the economy of our country," said Zhaparov in the letter. The president stressed that he would continue to support the Chinese business community in doing business in the country. "The government of Kyrgyzstan will continue to support your activity for the benefit of the people of the two countries, and I also call on you to participate in new projects in Kyrgyzstan and close economic cooperation in 2022," read the letter. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu) Three people were indicted on arson charges Thursday in connection with the burning of a Wendys in Atlanta where police killed Rayshard Brooks in June 2020. Natalie White, 31; John Wade, 35; and Chisom Kingston, 24, are accused of starting a fire that resulted in the fast food restaurant being reduced to a pile of rubble. All three were charged with arson within weeks of the blaze and released on bond. Advertisement Attorneys for White and Kingston both said video of the incident would prove their clients innocence. White was the highest profile defendant because Brooks was heard saying her name shortly before he was killed. Wade organized many protests in and around Atlanta following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. The remains the Wendy's are seen on June 14, 2020. (ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP via Getty Images) Brooks, a 27-year-old Black man, fell asleep in his car at the Wendys drive-thru on June 12, 2020, and police were called. Officer Garrett Rolfe attempted to arrest Brooks for DUI. Advertisement Brooks grabbed Rolfes Taser and ran away, firing a haphazard electroshock charge as he ran. Rolfe responded by fatally shooting Brooks in the back. He then walked up to the dying man and kicked him, delaying any medical aid for at least two minutes. Rolfe was charged with felony murder. The killing sparked weeks of charged protests near the Wendys, including an impromptu rally set up by Wade on June 13, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The fast food establishment burned down that same day. White, Wade and Kingston were each charged with two counts of first-degree arson and one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree arson. Kingstons attorney confirmed his client was at the protest but said he had nothing to do with the fire. Brooks was heard describing White as his girlfriend in body-camera video. Her attorneys have said the two were close but declined to confirm any relationship. With News Wire Services Jeffrey Quinata, Kenny Quinata and Shane Aguon were charged in connection with a riot on Sunday night at a Humatak residence. Another person has died from COVID-19. A 45-year-old vaccinated man who had unknown underlying health conditions was pronounced dead on arrival at Guam Regional Medical City Wednesday, according to a news release from the Joint Information Center. He tested positive the same day. The man was Guams 285th virus-related fatality. Passings such as (this) remind us just how deep we remain in the clenches of this pandemic and how important it is to not let our guard down, acting Gov. Josh Tenorio stated in the release. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 climbed to 40. However, according to the Joint Information Center, only one patient required intensive care unit care. Guam Memorial Hospital had 24 patients. There were 14 patients at Guam Regional Medical City, including the ICU patient. Naval Hospital Guam had two COVID patients. Of the 40 patients hospitalized with the virus, 29 were vaccinated. New cases The high positive case rates from the January surge continue. On Friday night, the Department of Public Health and Social Services reported 817 new cases of COVID-19 from 2,173 specimens analyzed Thursday. Of that total, 94 were reported Friday from the Department of Defense. Since the start of the pandemic, Guam has recorded 31,038 cases of COVID-19, with 7,384 people in active isolation. Guam has recorded 285 people who died due to the virus. The Mangilao Solar Project, currently under construction by Samsung E&C America Inc., near Marbo Cave Jan. 29, 2021. Haiti - Tourism : Return of the first cruise ship in Haiti Thursday, January 27, the Municipal Commission of Cap-Haitien welcomed the arrival of the cruise ship "Harmony of the Seas" which inaugurates the resumption of cruises in Haiti after 2 years of interruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30268-haiti-tourism-royal-caribbean-suspends-all-its-cruises-around-the-world.html . The "Harmony of the Seas" made a stopover in Haiti and docked in Labadie at 9:00 a.m. and left the same day at 6:00 p.m.. The cruise ship had 4,975 people on board 2,896 tourists and 1,979 crew members. Excellent news not only for the entire community of Labadie, but also for the North Department and the State coffers https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29873-haiti-tourism-721-000-cruise-passengers-in-labadee-in-2019.html Recall that the seaside resort of Labadee is located on the northern coast of Haiti, 5 km northwest of the city of Cap-Haitien and northeast of the bay of Acul. The arrival of other cruise ships is expected in the coming days, assures the Municipal Commission. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30268-haiti-tourism-royal-caribbean-suspends-all-its-cruises-around-the-world.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29873-haiti-tourism-721-000-cruise-passengers-in-labadee-in-2019.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... EDH is looking for solutions The engineer Rosemond Pradel, Minister of Public Works, accompanied by his Chief of Staff, the engineer Revel Mompremier, met on January 26, 2022, the engineer Jean Errol Morose Director General of Electricity of Haiti (EDH) and the engineer Evenson Calixte, Director General of the National Authority for the Regulation of the Energy Sector (ANARSE), to discuss the measures and means to be put in place to increase EDH's production capacity. Arnel Belizaire creates the "Delivrans" Party On Wednesday January 26, on the sidelines of his meeting with armed political activists from Raboteau's "Nou se revolisyone" structure, former deputy Arnel Belizaire announced the creation of a new political structure called "Delivrans". 8 ex-Senators still own State cars Two years after leaving the Senate, 8 former senators (Carl Murat Cantave, Herve Foucand, Dieudonne Luma Etienne, Ronald Lareche, Onondieu Louis, Willot Joseph, Nenel Cassy and Ricard Pierre) are still illegally in possession of State vehicles. The Senate Office reminds these former Senators that they have until February 15 to return them. Mexico : Passport Renewal The Embassy of Haiti in Mexico following the publication of the list of documents required by the Haitian immigration for the renewal of a passport, informed that it is not mandatory for a compatriot to have a copy of the Tax Identification Number (NIF) or that of the National Identification Card (CIN) to start the renewal process. However, we would like to remind our nationals that they can always go to the Embassy to apply for a CIN. For other cities like Tapachula and Tijuana, the Embassy is studying the possibility of implementing a CIN application system in the near future. senators that they have until February 15 to return the vehicles concerned. USA : PM after February 7, no objection The American Charge d'Affaires in Haiti Kenneth Merten once again pleaded yesterday in favor of an agreement between the Haitian actors to resolve the crisis. He recalled that the United States is in favor of a Haitian solution. On the question of February 7, he cited as an example prime ministers who remained in office after the departure of the Presidents. DR : Arrest of a Haitian in possession of 26 passports On Thursday, soldiers from the Specialized Land Border Security Corps (CESFRONT) arrested a Haitian national who was carrying 26 Haitian passports without the required visas and 1,490 US dollars in cash. HL/ HaitiLibre Romney, WV (26757) Today Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 49F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 49F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Friday the buildup of Russian forces along Ukraines border has reached the point where President Vladimir Putin now has a complete range of military options, including actions short of a full-scale invasion. While we dont believe that President Putin has made a final decision to use these forces against Ukraine, he clearly now has the capability, Austin told a Pentagon news conference. Advertisement In Moscow, the Kremlin said Putin told French President Emmanuel Macron that the West has failed to take Russian security concerns into account, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a radio interviewer that Russia doesnt want war but sees no room for compromise on its demands. Austin said Putin could use any portion of his force of an estimated 100,000 troops to seize Ukrainian cities and significant territories or to carry out coercive acts or provocative political acts like the recognition of breakaway territories inside Ukraine. He urged Putin to de-escalate tensions, and appeared to warn Moscow against what the White House recently said was Russias intent to paint Ukraine as the aggressor using a false-flag operation to justify an attack. Advertisement We remain focused on Russian disinformation, including the potential creation of pretext for further invasion or strikes on Donbas, said Austin. This is straight out of the Russian playbook. Theyre not fooling us. Austin spoke alongside Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in what were their first extensive public comments about the crisis, marking a subtle shift in the administrations approach to public communications about the escalating situation. While both have consulted regularly with their NATO and Ukrainian counterparts, the public discourse has focused on the diplomatic efforts. In this photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, Russian troops fire howitzers during drills in the Rostov region during a military exercise. (AP) The U.S. has put 8,500 troops on higher alert for potential deployment to support and reassure NATO allies, and Austin and Milley said Friday that no U.S. forces have yet been deployed or moved around Europe. President Biden, however, signaled a possible move soon. Returning to Washington after a trip Friday to Pennsylvania, Biden was asked if he had decided when he would move U.S. troops to eastern Europe. Ill be moving U.S. troops to eastern Europe and the NATO countries in the near term. Not a lot, Biden said. Earlier this week Biden said he might move them in the nearer term, just because it takes time. Austin and Milley said the U.S. has taken into account the risk that any troop movements could inflame the situation, but stressed the need for America to reassure its allies. Moving large units with heavy equipment and weapons often requires more time due to travel and logistical challenges. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin turns to Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley as he speaks during a media briefing at the Pentagon on Friday. (Alex Brandon/AP) Milley painted a grim picture of Russian military capabilities around Ukraine, saying there are not only ground troops and naval and air forces but also cyber and electronic warfare capabilities, as well as special operations forces. He said the buildup is the largest hes seen in recent memory, and he urged Putin to choose a diplomatic path over conflict. If Russia chooses to invade Ukraine, it will not be cost-free, in terms of casualties and other significant effects, Milley said. He was referring to Russian costs, while also noting that Ukraines armed forces are more capable today than in 2014, when Russia seized Ukraines Crimean Peninsula and intervened in support of pro-Russian separatists in the eastern industrial heartland. Earlier Friday, the Kremlin said Putin told Macron that the West has failed to consider Russias key conditions of halting further NATO expansion, stopping the deployment of alliance weapons near Russian borders, and rolling back its forces from Eastern Europe. Advertisement Ukrainian soldiers take part in an exercise for the use of NLAW anti-tank missiles at the Yavoriv military training ground, close to Lviv, on Friday. (Pavlo Palamarchuk/AP) Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > The U.S. and NATO formally rejected those demands this week, although Washington outlined areas where discussions are possible, offering hope that there could be a way to avoid war. Despite that, Biden on Thursday warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that there is a distinct possibility that Russia could take military action against the former Soviet state in February. Russia has repeatedly denied having any such plans. Zelenskyy sought to play down the war fears, saying Western alarm over an imminent invasion has prompted many investors in the countrys financial markets to cash out. A Ukrainian serviceman pats a dog sitting in a shelter on the front line in the Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine, on Friday. (Vadim Ghirda/AP) We dont need this panic, he said at a news conference. It cost Ukrainians dearly. Putin told Macron that Moscow will study the U.S. and NATO response before deciding its next move, according to a Kremlin account of their call. The Russian president has made no public remarks about the Western response, but Lavrov said it leaves little chance for reaching agreement. While they say they wont change their positions, we wont change ours, Lavrov told Russian radio stations in a live interview. I dont see any room for compromise here. Advertisement There wont be a war as far as it depends on the Russian Federation, we dont want a war, he added. But we wont let our interests be rudely trampled on and ignored. Published on 2022/01/27 | Source A French luxury brand unveiled a new collection pictorial with actress Go Min-si through a fashion magazine. Advertisement Actress Go Min-si in the pictorial wore various products such as rings, bracelets, earrings, and neckless in her own way to complete the seductive style. The elegance of Go Min-si shines. The spectacular visuals of Go Min-si draw praise from viewers. Photoshoots with actress Go Min-si, who stands out in various styles, can be found in the February issue of Vogue and Vogue's website. Quincy, IL (62301) Today Cloudy with occasional rain late. Low 53F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Cloudy with occasional rain late. Low 53F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Hastings, NE (68901) Today Cloudy with occasional showers. Low near 45F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Cloudy with occasional showers. Low near 45F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%. This page contains all of Today's News-Herald's coverage of the novel coronavirus outbreak, and the illness it causes, called COVID-19. Because this outbreak impacts public health, our coverage of the coronavirus is available to all readers. Our journalists are working hard to bring you the verified information below. Please consider supporting important local journalism with a subscription. (Click Here) Are you a Lake Havasu City resident whos been affected by the illness? Send us an email: news@havasunews.com. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit U.S. gross domestic product shrank 1.4% in the first quarter at the same time infl Press release Attention quilters: We just want to give you a heads up that we are again going to have a Quilt Show. This will be at the 72nd Annual Montana Seed Show, which will be held March 10,11 and12. It is the 29th year for the Nimble Thimble Quilt Show. The dates for our show are Friday, March 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, March 12, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The show will be held in the band room at the Harlem High School. Entry forms are available at Blaine County Library in Chinook; Harlem Public Library, Havre/Hill County Library; Ben Franklin Crafts in Havre; Bearly Square Quilting in Havre; Gone to Pieces in Malta; Crazy Quilts in Glasgow, and the Richman Insurance office in Harlem. Quilts and entry forms must be returned to the Richman Insurance Office in Harlem by 5 p.m. Friday, March 4. No late entries will be accepted. Great cash prizes will be awarded. Winners are chosen by popular vote. Peoples Choice is voted by members of the Nimble Thimble Quilt Guild. Entries are not judged. You can enter quilts, quilted wall hangings, decorator items, clothing, etc. There will also be a silent auction with many items for sale that are made by members of the guild. For more information, people can call Sharon Goodrich at 406-379-2663 or Carla Becker at 406-353-2256 or 406-353-2213. The Kremlin said Thursday that there was little ground for optimism in resolving the crisis over Ukraine after the U.S. rejected Russias main demands, but that dialogue was still possible. Tensions have soared in recent weeks, as the United States and its NATO allies expressed concern that a buildup of about 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine signaled that Moscow planned to invade its neighbor. Russia denies having any such designs and has laid out a series of demands it says will improve security in Europe. Advertisement A Ukrainian serviceman walks through a trench on the front line in the Luhansk area of eastern Ukraine on Thursday. (VADIM GHIRDA/AP) But as expected, the U.S. and the Western alliance firmly rejected any concessions on Moscows main points Wednesday, refusing to permanently ban Ukraine from joining NATO and saying allied deployments of troops and military equipment in Eastern Europe are nonnegotiable. The U.S. did outline areas in which some of Russias concerns might be addressed, possibly offering a path to de-escalation. But, as it has done repeatedly for the past several weeks, Washington also warned Moscow of devastating sanctions if it invades Ukraine. In addition to penalties targeting Russian people and key economic sectors, several senior U.S. officials said Thursday with certainty that Germany would not allow a newly constructed gas pipeline to begin operations in the event of an incursion. Advertisement Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a wreath laying commemoration ceremony at the Piskaryovskoye Cemetery where most of the Leningrad Siege victims were buried during World War II, in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Thursday. (Alexei Nikolsky/AP) All eyes are now on President Vladimir Putin, who will decide how Russia will respond amid fears that Europe could again be plunged into war. In the meantime, President Biden spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodmyr Zelenskyy on Thursday to reiterate American and allied support, including recent deliveries of U.S. military aid. Had a long phone conversation with POTUS, Zelenskyy tweeted. Discussed recent diplomatic efforts on de-escalation and agreed on joint actions for the future. Thanked President Joe Biden for the ongoing military assistance. Possibilities for financial support to Ukraine were also discussed. The White House said in a statement that Biden told Zelenskyy he was exploring additional macroeconomic support to help Ukraines economy as it comes under pressure as a result of Russias military buildup. Meanwhile, the United States announced that the UN Security Council will hold an open meeting Monday on what U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called Russias threatening behavior. She said the deployment of more than 100,000 troops along Ukraines border and other destabilizing acts pose a clear threat to international peace and security and the U.N. Charter. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier that the response from the U.S. and a similar one from NATO left little ground for optimism. But he added that there always are prospects for continuing a dialogue, its in the interests of both us and the Americans. White House press secretary Jen Psaki was circumspect when asked whether the Biden administration saw a sliver of hope in that the Russians said they would keep communications open even as they said that they lacked optimism.. We dont know if the Russians are playing games on diplomacy. We hope not, Psaki said. Advertisement In this photo taken from video and released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Thursday, Russian S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile systems attend a military drills in Sverdlovsk region, Ural, in Russia. (AP) Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the U.S. response contained some elements that could lead to the start of a serious talk on secondary issues, but emphasized that the document contains no positive response on the main issue. Those are Moscows demands that NATO not expand and that the alliance refrain from deploying weapons that might threaten Russia. Lavrov said top officials will submit proposals to Putin. Peskov said the Russian reaction would come soon. The evasive official comments reflect the fact that it is Putin who will singlehandedly determine Russias next moves. He has warned of unspecified military-technical measures if the West refuses to heed the demands. Peskov added that Putin and Biden will decide whether they need to have another conversation following two calls last month. Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Kyiv had seen the U.S. response before it was delivered to Russia and had no objections. He tweeted it was important that the U.S. remains in close contact with Ukraine before and after all contacts with Russia. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > On a visit to Denmark, Kuleba emphasized his countrys need to strengthen its defenses. Advertisement This crisis is a moment of truth, and this is why we speak about weapons, he said. This is why we speak about economic sanctions. This is why we speak about the consolidated position of all of us, so that President Putin sees that there are no weak links in our defensive chain. An armed serviceman walks along a trench on the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants on the frontline with Ukrainian government forces in eastern Ukraine on Thursday. (Alexei Alexandrov/AP) Germanys Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said during a parliamentary debate on Ukraine that her government is closely coordinating its policy with allies, considering a range of options that could include the new Nord Stream 2 Russian gas pipeline to Germany. While the diplomacy sputters on, so too do maneuvers that have escalated tensions. Russia has launched a series of military drills involving motorized infantry and artillery units in southwestern Russia, warplanes in Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, dozens of warships in the Black Sea and the Arctic, and Russian fighter jets and paratroopers in Belarus. NATO said it was bolstering its deterrence in the Baltic Sea region, and the U.S. ordered 8,500 troops on higher alert for potential deployment to Europe. Amid the tensions, thousands of Ukrainians expressed their resolve to stand up to the Russian pressure under the hashtag #UkrainiansWillResist on Twitter and Facebook. No one will force Ukrainians to accept the Kremlin ultimatum, wrote Andrii Levus, who initiated the campaign. FRIDAY, Jan. 28, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- When delivering a liver cancer diagnosis, Dr. Thomas Marron pulls no punches: "Liver cancer is one of the deadliest cancers," he tells patients. Jeffrey Foster heard a similar message loud and clear when he was first diagnosed by another doctor with hepatocellular carcinoma the most common type of liver cancer back in 2020. At the time, the 68-year-old retired vet was told by his surgeon that "cutting out the mass then found on my liver doesn't mean the cancer wouldn't come back." But at the same time, "the surgeon also told me about Dr. Marron and his immunotherapy trial," Foster recalled. Marron, an associate professor of medicine, hematology and medical oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, had begun to research whether immunotherapy could boost survival in those with less advanced liver cancer. "Immunotherapy is a bit of an umbrella term for many different types of medicine that help the immune system do its job and attack cancer," Marron noted. "For liver cancer and many other types of cancer immunotherapies are now the mainstay of treatment for people with advanced disease, meaning for patients in whom surgery is not a potential cure." Marron's idea was to start offering immunotherapy infusions to patients like Foster who have less advanced disease before they go under the knife. The goal was "to help kill the tumor that we see," explained Marron, "as well as teach the immune system to recognize and kill any residual tumor cells that remain hidden after surgery that will [otherwise] eventually grow into new tumors." Foster was told he would be "a good candidate" for the study's eight-session immunotherapy program, involving a medication called "neoadjuvant cemiplimab." Immunotherapy before surgery a powerful strategy "Dr. Marron explained they would do two infusion therapies before my surgery, three weeks apart," Foster said. "And then after the surgery there would be six more, also three weeks apart. So, a total of eight." But the Long Island native hesitated at first, worried about the two-hour home-to-hospital commute each way and the long treatment slog. "Each infusion takes about a couple of hours of time actually in the hospital at the infusion center," Foster added. "Because they have to do blood work, taking probably eight vials of my blood every time. And I have to wait for the drug to be mixed on the spot. And then the therapy itself was about a half hour of the infusion. And then I had to wait an hour afterwards to make sure I was OK." In the end, a friend of Foster's a neonatal nurse familiar with medical lingo and hospital protocols asked him a simple question: "If the hospital was around the corner from your home, would you do it?" The answer was yes. So, Foster began immunotherapy treatment, followed by surgery. By May 2021, all eight infusions were under his belt. "They really monitored me very closely, and I only had two side effects," he noted. "A rash on my back and arms, which was very itchy, but which they told me about prior to doing it. And I lost some appetite a little bit. I probably lost about 20 pounds, and I'm a thin person." Since then, Foster has regained all the weight, and the rashes have disappeared. And the results, he said, speak for themselves. "The doctors are all pretty much through the roof," he said. "They're very encouraged. I just made an appointment for another MRI, but I had one about six months ago and it came back perfect. As far as the last MRI, I'm cancer-free. And they're pretty sure I don't know if it's 100% sure but they're pretty sure that it won't come back." Marron, who serves as assistant director of Mount Sinai's Immunotherapy and Phase 1 Trials, explained that "if liver cancer is going to come back, it typically does so within two years." So, Foster will continue to be monitored for any potential cancer recurrence. New approaches needed to tackle liver cancer But the trial results so far suggest that the first two sessions of immunotherapy administered before surgery effectively kill off liver cancer tumors in about one-third of patients. And Marron predicts that "nearly all the patients whose cancer was [already] dead when we cut it out will remain cancer-free." In addition, the team also identified some degree of immunotherapy-triggered benefit among the remaining patients. But Marron stressed that firm answers as to precisely which liver cancer patients might be ideal immunotherapy candidates and what might predict long-term remission awaits completion of his team's ongoing post-surgical analysis. The study findings were published online recently in The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Dr. Julie Gralow, executive vice president and chief medical officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, said the impetus behind studies like this is that when it comes to liver cancer treatment, "we need to do better." "If diagnosed with liver cancer at an early stage, the five-year survival rate is 34%," she noted. "If the cancer has spread to surrounding tissues, the five-year survival rate is 12%. If the cancer has spread to a distant part of the body, the five-year survival rate is 3%." As an effort to improve on these numbers, Gralow said the latest findings are "promising." But she said more and bigger studies will be needed to determine how best to design immunotherapy treatment, which patients will truly benefit, and whether the treatment really reduces the risk for recurrence and death. Foster, however, thinks he already has all the information he needs. "This was absolutely a no-brainer," he said. "It was worth it. It was worth getting up at 5 o-clock every morning, and driving into the city for two hours. And I would do it again in a heartbeat, if I had to." More information There's more about liver cancer and immunotherapy at the American Cancer Society. SOURCES: Thomas Marron, MD, PhD, associate professor, medicine, hematology, and medical oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, and assistant director, Immunotherapy and Phase 1 Trials, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City; Julie Gralow, MD, executive vice president and chief medical officer, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, Va.; Jeffrey Foster, liver cancer patient; The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Jan. 19, 2022, online ShareBar Comments must be on-topic and civil in tone (with no name calling or personal attacks). Any promotional language or urls will be removed immediately. Your comment may be edited for clarity and length. Free access for current print subscribers As a home delivery subscriber, you get free unlimited digital access to premium content on HenryHerald.com, including local news, local sports, obituaries, legal notices, local features, and the e-edition. All you need is your print subscription account number and your last name. Don't know your subscription number? Email access@henryherald.com with your delivery address. Activate your account now. ALBANY Gov. Hochul is again asking the feds for more rent money as her primary opponents seek to make housing a central campaign issue. The governor made yet another appeal Thursday to the Treasury Department, calling for an additional $1.6 billion in funds for struggling tenants and landlords who have applied for pandemic rental assistance. Advertisement New York Governor Kathy Hochul (Kevin P. Coughlin/Kevin P. Coughlin / Office of the Governor) Hochul has made several similar overtures in recent weeks as New Yorks eviction moratorium expired and a court order forced officials to reopen the application portal for the states COVID rent relief program. New York State continues to demonstrate a large need for this federal funding, the governor said in a statement. We need to ensure that all eligible tenants and landlords are able to tap into this critical assistance. Advertisement The states overburdened Emergency Rental Assistance Program exhausted its initial allotment of $2 billion earlier this month, distributed nearly $1.4 billion to landlords via 109,000 direct payments after receiving just under 300,000 applications, according to the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. The remaining funds are tied to approved applications. [ Gov. Hochul, NYC Mayor Adams ask for more federal COVID funds ] Reopening the application portal earlier this month offered only short-term protections against evictions for struggling tenants but little else with no funds to cover the additional claims. The Treasury Department ponied up only $27 million late last year after Hochul requested $996 million to cover the underfunded program. Earlier this month, the governor joined several other states in requesting a reallocation of federal COVID relief left unspent. New York City Public Advocate and Democratic candidate for Governor of New York, Jumaane Williams (Luiz C. Ribeiro/for New York Daily News) Hochuls continued push received plaudits from across the political spectrum as both the Legal Aid Society and the Rent Stabilization Association, the citys largest landlord organization, voiced support. Her challengers, meanwhile, hammered the incumbent governor over her housing platform. Earlier Thursday, New York Communities for Change, a progressive advocacy group, staged an endorsement event outside of Brooklyn housing court as members rallied behind city Public Advocate Jumaane Williams gubernatorial bid. Hochul will face Williams, who joined advocates in calling for greater eviction protections, as well as Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) in Junes Democratic primary. Housing activists march across town towards New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's office, calling for an extension of pandemic era eviction protections in Manhattan, New York. (Mary Altaffer/AP) Suozzi, meanwhile, attacked Hochul over a proposal put forth earlier this month that would legalize accessory dwelling units in single-family zoned areas. Advertisement The governors plan would require local governments to allow basement apartments, backyard cottages, garages, attics and other so-called accessory dwelling units in neighborhoods zoned for only single-family homes. Governor Hochuls radical proposal would take away zoning control from municipal governments, erode local government authority, and end single family housing across New York, Suozzi said. Greenville, TX (75401) Today Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 68F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 68F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, we've all known individuals who have done more than their share to help their neighbors and communities with food, comfort, care, companionship and dozens of other needs. If you know of such a person, you can nominate them to be featured in our upcoming H The mourning widow of slain NYPD cop Jason Rivera called out Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Friday over what critics have cast as his lax approach to prosecuting crime. Dominique Luzuriaga shared touching memories of her hero husband, in a heart-wrenching eulogy describing the devastating moment she found out he had been killed. Advertisement The she took aim at Bragg. The system continues to fail us. We are not safe anymore, not even the members of the service, Luzuriaga told a crowd of thousands gathered at St. Patricks Cathedral in Midtown for Riveras funeral service. I know you were tired of these laws, especially the ones from the new DA. Advertisement Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg (left) and NYPD Officer Jason Rivera's widow, Dominique Luzuriaga (right) I hope hes watching you speak through me right now, she continued, clearly speaking to Bragg as he sat in a pew just a few yards away. The crowded Cathedral, steeped in respectful silence a moment earlier, echoed with applause as Luzuriaga wiped tears from her eyes. Im sure all of our blue family is tired too, she concluded. But I promise, we promise, that your death wont be in vain. NYPD Officer Jason Rivera was killed in the line of duty on Friday, Jan. 21, 2022, in Manhattan, New York. (NYPD) Rivera was shot and killed while responding to a domestic incident last Friday in Harlem. During his funeral service, the 22-year-old rookie was posthumously promoted to detective first grade during his funeral service. A second officer, Wilbert Mora, 27, died earlier this week. Front page for Jan. 5, 2022: New DA's policy angers some cop unions. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg (left) says he won't seek jail for crimes like fare-beating and resisting arrest, but will target sex trafficking and other felonies. (New York Daily News) Bragg has faced intensifying criticism after issuing a Day 1 policy memo outlining prosecutorial policies, such as charging robbery in a commercial setting as petty larceny in certain circumstances and not seeking pretrial detention except for the most violent cases. [ New Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg wont pursue fare beating, resisting arrest, other non-violent, non-felony charges, angering cop union ] His policies have been met with condemnation from NYPD brass and police unions as well as Republican politicians who have called on Gov. Hochul to remove the newly elected prosecutor from office. In a statement released following Riveras funeral, Bragg said he is grieving and praying for Detective Rivera and Officer Mora today and every day, and my thoughts are with their families and the NYPD. Advertisement Violence against police officers will never be tolerated, he added. My office will vigorously prosecute cases of violence against police and work to prevent senseless acts like this from ever happening again. Bragg, who took office on Jan. 1, was scheduled to sit down with Hochul Friday afternoon to discuss his approach to prosecuting amid the citys recent spate of violent crime. During an afternoon storm briefing on Long Island, the governor said she was brought to tears earlier as Luzuriaga recounted her lifetime of love with Rivera, whom she met in elementary school. Her pain was real, it was searing to hear, and its going to be enduring for a long time, Hochul said. The governor added that she would speak to Bragg about balancing public safety with progressive policies. We need alignment with our men and women in uniform and yes, we have to protect peoples rights and ensure theres fairness and justice in the criminal justice system ... and we need to address them, but these are not mutually exclusive objectives, she said. Advertisement Following their sit down, Hochul said the two had a productive conversation. In a separate statement, Bragg said topics covered during the meeting included the importance of accountability, preventing shoplifting by breaking up burglary rings, keeping the trains safe, deterring brazen conduct and reducing gun violence. NYPD officer Jason Rivera's widow, Dominique Luzuriaga, clutches a crucifix after Rivera's funeral Friday at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) Earlier this month, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell criticized Braggs policies in a message to cops. She wrote that she feared specific Bragg policies will invite violence against police officers and will have deleterious effects on our relationship with the communities we protect. Bragg has vowed to stay the course despite the criticism. On Sunday, I went with a couple of my family members to a baseball game in Milwaukee between the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers. Everything was going well. I used my phone to get driving directions to the stadium from St. Joseph, and the Apple Maps app got us to the exact location on Offer a personal message of sympathy... By sharing a fond memory or writing a kind tribute, you will be providing a comforting keepsake to those in mourning. If you have an existing account with this site, please log in to leave your message. Otherwise, you can create an account by clicking on the Log In button at the top of the page and then register to create your account. The same day the widow of fallen NYPD Officer Jason Rivera called out the Manhattan District Attorney for his lenient approach to crime, Mayor Adams voiced outrage over news that a teen suspected of shooting another cop was released on bond Friday. The suspect, Camrin Williams, was let go from a Brooklyn juvenile lock-up after posting $250,000 bond. Williams, 16, is an up-and-coming rapper known as C Blu and is accused of shooting Officer Kaseem Penman in the Bronx last week. Advertisement The suspect, Camrin Williams (pictured), was let go from a Brooklyn juvenile lock-up after posting $250,000 bond. Williams, 16, is an up-and-coming rapper known as C Blu and is accused of shooting Officer Kaseem Penman in the Bronx last week. New Yorkers should all be outraged that a repeat offender, accused of shooting at a police officer, is today walking free on bond because judges are precluded from even considering danger to the community, like every other state and our federal courts, Adams said in a written statement. It is further proof that our current system is failing us. His broadside at the court system came just hours after he attended a St. Patricks Cathedral funeral service for Rivera, who was killed late last Friday night responding to a domestic disturbance call. Riveras partner, Officer Wilbert Mora, was also shot and died days later. Advertisement The man who killed them, Lashawn McNeil, died days later from gun shot wounds he suffered that night. New York City Mayor Eric Adams addresses mourners during a funeral service for NYPD Officer Jason Rivera Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan, New York. (Mary Altaffer/AP) Since the tragic shoot-out in Harlem, the mayor has argued that when setting bail, judges need to be given the ability to consider the level of danger a suspect could pose upon release. On Friday, he pointed to the release of Williams as another example of why. Williams attorney Dawn Florio pushed back, saying she doesnt think the mayor even knows what happened. My client didnt shoot a police officer. He never pointed a gun. He never had a gun in his hand, she said. Police officers jumped on top of him and thats how the gun went off and the bullet hit my client in the groin and went out through his thigh and grazed the leg of the police officer. My client is a victim as well as the police officer, she said. Florio noted that she has received body camera footage of the incident from Bronx prosecutors, but cannot share it as it is under a protective order. NYPD are pictured at the scene on Lorillard Place in the Bronx, New York where a police officer was shot on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022. (Sam Costanza/for New York Daily News) Adams has not just focused on how judges set bail for suspects. He has called for the citys district attorneys to step up in the effort to stem gun violence. And though he has not criticized Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg directly, he has said that DAs need to do their part, too just weeks after Bragg released a statement saying he would refrain from prosecuting certain offenses in an effort to make the criminal justice system more fair. Those policies have come under fire from critics who believe they are too lenient. And one of those critics is Dominique Luzuriaga, the widow of Rivera, who called out Bragg at her slain husbands funeral Friday. Advertisement Front page for Jan. 25, 2022: Eric vows more cops on street, quick return of active anti-gun units. Cop shooter dies of his wounds. Mayor Adams, confronting surge of violence capped by killing of a cop - by Lashawn McNeil (above, who died Monday) - promises "boots on the ground" and a quick revival of plainclothes anti-gun units. (New York Daily News) Luzuriaga said she hoped Bragg was watching Rivera speak through me right now as the DA sat silent just steps away from her as she eulogized her husband in the cathedral. The system continues to fail us. We are not safe anymore, not even the members of the service, she said through tears. I know you were tired of these laws, especially the ones from the new DA. Adams made no mention of Bragg at Riveras funeral. Instead, he reserved his criticism for the courts. Today of all days, with the city in mourning over the deaths of Detective First-Grade Jason Rivera and Police Officer Wilbert Mora, we all must come together and agree that changes are needed, he said. We cannot allow those who carry guns to walk free. We can pursue safety and justice at the same time, and we must, for the safety of all of us. Its not a picture of success. Photos and video have surfaced of an F-35C stealth fighter that crash-landed in the South China Sea on Monday. Advertisement The F-35 was approaching the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, but it came in too fast, hit the deck of the ship and skittered into the ocean, CNN reported. Meet the poor Lockheed F-35C Lightning II of #USNavy that crashed near the northwest coast of Philippines 3 days ago. This happened due to pilot's mistake during landing on USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) aircraft carrier on January 24, 2022. VFA-147 Argonauts now has eight F-35Cs left. pic.twitter.com/sJf54FMhXu Babak Taghvaee - - (@BabakTaghvaee) January 27, 2022 Seven people, including the pilot, were injured. The pilot was able to eject in time, and all sailors were in stable condition by Friday, according to CNN. The Navy confirmed that the leaked images are legitimate. Advertisement A video, also confirmed as real, showed the plane approaching the ship before disappearing from view behind a cloud of smoke, with a crash heard shortly after. Someone has now leaked video of the accident for F-35C Lightning II of #USNavy's VFA-147 Argonauts a few days ago. Due to pilot's mistake, the aircraft landed early on USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) Aircraft Carrier and slipped into sea with severed landing gears! https://t.co/UXPObZR8P3 pic.twitter.com/bZhf88Wq50 Babak Taghvaee - - (@BabakTaghvaee) January 28, 2022 The F-35C is the militarys newest stealth fighter and each one reportedly costs $100 million. While the photos have surfaced, the plane has not, and the Navy is hoping to recover it from the South China Sea floor. Officials said they dont want it to fall into Chinas hands. China claimed to be indifferent. We have no interest in their aircraft, China foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Thursday. We urge the country concerned to do things that are conducive to regional peace and stability, rather than flex muscles in the region. The parents of an 8-week-old baby who was found dead nearly three years ago in London have been jailed, U.K. police said Friday. Naomi Johnson, 24, was sentenced to seven years and two months, while Benjamin OShea, 26, was sentenced to eight years and eight months behind bars. Advertisement They had previously been found guilty of causing or allowing a child to suffer serious physical harm in relation to their baby girl Amina-Faye Johnson, who died in April 2019, and was later found to have 65 broken bones. They were also found guilty of cruelty to a person under the age of 16 in relation to another child, who remained anonymous. Advertisement Amina-Faye (Metropolitan Police) The two were sentenced Friday at Inner London Crown Court. No jail term will ever be worth the life of baby Amina-Faye, Detective Inspector Melanie Pressley, who led the investigation, said in a statement. However, I hope that todays sentence is a clear message that the children in this case mattered and those who think they can get away with inflicting such abuse will be punished. I know I speak for everyone involved in this investigation when I say it has been truly heart-breaking to investigate and Amina Faye and the other child in this case will stay with us all, she added. The baby died on April 26, 2019. According to police, her parents called U.K.s national emergency number, 999, but paramedics werent able to save her. At the time, the baby showed no observable injuries, and medics originally thought that she had died from a condition known as Sudden Unexpected Infant Death. However, X-rays later showed injuries the child had suffered in her short life. She was found to have more than 60 fractured bones in her body, including 41 identified fractures to her ribs, as well as 24 limb bone fractures. Experts say that the fractures indicate that the baby suffered continued physical abuse, according to police. Advertisement Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > Some of the fractures were relatively recent while others had begun to heal suggesting that over the course of her eight-week life Amina-Faye had been subject to multiple episodes of abuse, officials added. In interviews with the police, the couple denied injuring their daughter. Naomi Johnson (left) and Benjamin O'Shea (Metropolitan Police) Detectives said that they also found text messages between the couple in which they both admitted to mistreating the other child. Johnson and OShea have rightly been jailed for the monstrous abuse they subjected these children to, Pressley said. Throughout our investigation, Johnson and OShea have been steadfast in their refusal to answer our questions. Thanks to the expertise of doctors who assisted us in this case, we know the trauma Amina-Faye suffered in her all too short life. Johnson and OShea betrayed everything that children deserve from adults, the detective added. There is no doubt that this is a case of the highest seriousness in terms of cruelty to children in terms of the injuries, judge Nigel Peters said Friday during sentencing, according to the BBC. Advertisement He described the case as harrowing. Ajman Hotel by Blazon Hotels has a new executive chef. Nicolai Schleifer steps into the emirate with 20 years of experience, having worked across the globe. Schleifer has worked at the property before when it was managed by Kempinski Hotels. The chef got his start in hospitality through Kempinski, working with Kempinski Hotel Airport Munich as a sous chef before moving to Kempinski Hotel in Soma Bay as executive sous chef. Next he worked at Kilimanjaro Hotel Kempinski as executive sous chef, taking up his first executive chef role a year later at Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz. After working at The Stafford London, he went on to hold positons in both Ajman and Al Ain before moving to Bucharest Romania as executive chef of the Radisson Blu and Park Inn hotels in the city. Kimpton The Rowan Palm Springs announces the appointment of Brick Loomis as Director of Restaurants, Bars & Events for the celebrated culinary and bar concepts within the 153-room downtown Palm Springs hotel: 4 Saints, Juniper Table, High Bar and Window Bar. In his new role, Loomis is responsible for leading the operational strategy, development and management of the award-winning hotel's culinary, beverage and events programming including the signature 4 Saints rooftop restaurant, recently relaunched by Executive Chef Ysaac Ramirez; the lobby-adjacent Juniper Table, an all-day dining concept debuting new menus this winter; High Bar, located poolside on the rooftop; Window Bar, an intimate, laid-back lounge; and hotel banquets and catering. Loomis brings more than 20 years of food & beverage leadership experience to the team at Kimpton The Rowan Palm Springs. He most recently served as Director of Outlets at Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica, Calif. Prior to that, he was Assistant Director of Food & Beverage at Silicon Valley's Rosewood Sand Hill where he helped Madera restaurant regain its Michelin star and earn a Wine Spectator Grand Award of Excellence. Loomis' resume also includes a six-year tenure at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, during which he opened new restaurant concepts at properties in Washington D.C. and Los Angeles as Sommelier and Wine Director, in addition to director-level positions at acclaimed San Francisco landmark restaurants, the three-Michelin-starred COI and former Jardiniere. Key Takeaways For the seventh year, Airbnb Earns a Perfect '100' From the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Annual Assessment on LGBTQ+ Workplace Equality Airbnb has been recognized by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) as a top place to work for LGBTQ+ equality, scoring 100 percent on the organizations annual Corporate Equality Index (CEI). We are proud to receive this designation for the seventh year in a row, joining the ranks of over 840 major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks this year. The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars: Non-discrimination policies across business entities Equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families Supporting an inclusive culture Corporate social responsibility "When the Human Rights Campaign Foundation created the Corporate Equality Index 20 years ago, we dreamed that LGBTQ+ workers from the factory floor to corporate headquarters, in big cities and small towns could have access to the policies and benefits needed to thrive and live life authentically. We are proud that the Corporate Equality Index paved the way to that reality for countless LGBTQ+ workers in America and abroad. But there is still more to do, which is why we are raising the bar yet again to create more equitable workplaces and a better tomorrow for LGBTQ+ workers everywhere." - Jay Brown, Human Rights Campaign Senior Vice President of Programs, Research and Training. Airbnb is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable company for everyone. We continue working hard to find ways to support our LGBTQ+ employees. Last year, Airbnb employee resource groups [email protected] and AirPride, shared a Guide for LTGBTQ+ Allyship with our employees to deepen our collective understanding of gender diversity, and the ways we can act in stronger allyship towards the LGBTQ+ community. This included common terms and guidance for being an ally everyday, spotlighted the importance of pronoun allyship, and encouraged self-education to advance inclusion through intentional, positive and conscious efforts. We are so proud and thankful for the hard work of the AirPride and [email protected] employee resource groups and for their dedication to making Airbnb a great place to work for LGBTQ+ employees. AirPrides mission is to celebrate the diversity of gender identity and sexual orientation and empower Airbnb to be a positive force for both its own LGBTQ+ employees and the world. The mission of [email protected] is to support trans and gender non-conforming employees and advocate for improvements to Airbnb that will benefit the trans community. Along with supporting our employee community, Airbnb is committed to partnering with companies owned by minorities, women, veterans, members of the LGBTQ+ community and people with disabilities through our dedicated Supplier Diversity program. In 2020, we exceeded our goal of 10 percent US spend with diverse suppliers, and in 2021, we added the goal that 20 percent of businesses in our US supply chain will be diverse as of 2025. As of August 2021, 13.5 percent of businesses in our US supply chain are owned by minorities, women, veterans, members of the LGBTQ+ community and people with disabilities. Were also proud to celebrate LGBTQ+ culture. To help guests mark a year of Pride celebrations unlike any other, Airbnb curated a special wishlist, featuring stays and experiences in top trending US destinations. The Celebrate Pride from around the world wishlist is a collection of natural retreats and outdoor experiences (including those led by local LGBTQ+ communities) where guests can disconnect as they reconnect with friends and loved ones and it even received a special seal of approval from Americas fiercest sweetheart, Jonathan Van Ness. About Airbnb Airbnb was born in 2007 when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to 4 million Hosts who have welcomed more than 1 billion guest arrivals across over 220 countries and regions. Travel on Airbnb keeps more of the financial benefits of tourism with the people and places that make it happen. Airbnb has generated billions of dollars in earnings for Hosts, most of whom are individuals listing the homes in which they live. Among Hosts who report their gender, more than half are women, and one in five employed Hosts are either teachers or healthcare workers. Travel on Airbnb also has generated more than $4 billion in tax revenue around the world. Airbnb has helped advance more than 1,000 regulatory frameworks for short-term rentals, including in 80% of our top 200 geographies. In late 2020, to support our continued expansion and diversification, we launched the City Portal to provide governments with a one-stop shop that supports data sharing and compliance with local registration rules. We continue to invest in innovations and tools to support our ongoing work with governments around the world to advance travel that best serves communities. About Airbnb.org Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating temporary stays for people in times of crisis around the world. Airbnb.org operates independently and leverages Airbnb, Inc."s technology, services, and other resources at no charge to carry out Airbnb.org"s charitable purpose. The inspiration for Airbnb.org began in 2012 with a single host named Shell who opened up her home to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. This sparked a movement and marked the beginning of a program that allows Hosts on Airbnb to provide stays for people in times of need. Since then, the program has evolved to focus on emergency response and to help provide stays to evacuees, relief workers, refugees, asylum seekers, and frontline workers fighting the spread of COVID-19. Since then, Hosts have offered to open up their homes and helped provide accommodations to 100,000 people in times of need. Airbnb.org is a separate and independent entity from Airbnb, Inc. Airbnb, Inc. does not charge service fees for Airbnb.org supported stays on its platform. Airbnb Press Airbnb Press Office Airbnb LAS VEGAS - BirchStreet Systems (BirchStreet or the Company), a leading provider of procure-to-pay software to the hospitality sector, today announced an investment from Parthenon Capital (Parthenon), a leading growth-oriented private equity firm with deep technology and payments investing experience. Parthenons investment, in conjunction with existing investor Serent Capital, will further accelerate BirchStreets growth as the Company continues to deliver innovative solutions to its customers within the procure-to-pay software suite. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 2002, BirchStreets software platform powers procurement and supplier payments programs for some of the largest and most well-recognized brands in hospitality. Approximately 100,000 users at more than 13,000 customer locations leverage the Companys platform and broad ERP and accounting system integrations to manage billions of dollars of spend across a wide variety of categories, including food and beverage, operating supplies, maintenance services and capital projects. Brendan Reidy, a seasoned technology executive with extensive experience in hospitality and foodservice and BirchStreets executive chairman, will assume the additional role of CEO. Prior to joining BirchStreet, Brendan served in a variety of senior executive positions with both publicly traded and privately held technology companies. Most recently, Brendan served as the CEO of Compeat prior to its sale to Restaurant365 in June 2021. BirchStreet has grown rapidly in recent years because of its specialized product offering, end market knowledge and customer service, Reidy said. I have tremendous respect for what the team at BirchStreet has accomplished to date and look forward to building upon that success in this next chapter. It has been a pleasure partnering with Serent Capital over the last four years to expand BirchStreets leadership position in the hospitality market. We are excited to extend our growth trajectory in partnership with Parthenon and Serent, with a focus on continued organic growth as well as M&A, said Sushil Garg, BirchStreets founder and board member. Both Parthenon and Serent have a great track record of scaling technology companies, and we remain committed to developing innovative solutions that solve our customers problems across sourcing, procurement and supplier payments. Zach Sadek, a partner with Parthenon, commented, We are impressed with BirchStreets clear market leadership position, compelling customer value proposition, and exciting opportunities for future growth. The growing demand for industry expertise, spend visibility and end-to-end functionality in hospitality procurement has created a unique opportunity for specialized platforms like BirchStreet. Brian Golson, managing partner and co-CEO of Parthenon Capital, continued, We are looking forward to partnering with BirchStreet and Serent to build upon the Companys success and support its continued growth. Lance Fenton, a partner with Serent, added, Were thrilled to welcome Parthenon as an investor in BirchStreet. We look forward to working with both Parthenon and the BirchStreet team to expand on the Companys leadership position in the procure-to-pay software suite. BirchStreet was advised by William Blair & Company and Choate Hall & Stewart LLP. Kirkland & Ellis LLP provided legal advice to Parthenon Capital in connection with the transaction. About Parthenon Capital Parthenon Capital is a leading mid-market private equity firm with offices in Boston, San Francisco and Austin. Parthenon utilizes niche industry expertise and a deep execution team to invest in growth companies in service and technology industries. Parthenon seeks to be an active and aligned partner to management, either through recapitalization transactions or by backing new executives. Parthenon has particular expertise in financial and insurance services, healthcare and business services, but seeks any service, technology or delivery business with a strong value proposition and proprietary know-how. About Serent Capital Serent Capital is a growth-focused firm that invests in technology companies with offices in San Francisco and Austin. Serent invests in growing businesses that have developed compelling solutions that address their customers needs. As those businesses grow and evolve, the opportunities and challenges that they face change with them. Principals at Serent Capital have firsthand experience at capturing those opportunities and navigating these difficulties through their experiences as CEOs, strategic advisors, and board members to successful growing businesses. By bringing its expertise and capital to bear, Serent seeks to help growing businesses thrive. About BirchStreet Systems BirchStreet Systems powers hospitality and food and beverage enterprises with a comprehensive procure-to-pay business solution. As the global leading provider of spend management solutions in the hospitality industry, 15,500 enterprises in over 130 countries subscribe to BirchStreet to connect with a network of more than 450,000 suppliers. Established in 2002, BirchStreet is privately held and is headquartered in Las Vegas, NV with offices in California, China, Singapore, India, and the UK. For more information, please visit www.birchstreetsystems.com. Request Demonstration Led by Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC, Dutch pension fund manager APG Asset Management and citizenM founder Rattan Chadhas KRC Capital, CitizenM hotels, Amsterdam, in November raised US$1 billion in new capital for further growth. The lifestyle brand launched in 2008 finished 2021 with 24 hotels open and reportedly wants to add 40 or more by the end of 2024. It is also focused on introducing initiatives that include fully contactless operations and creative subscription products. citizenM, known for its dedication to design, art, technology and comfort, also demonstrated its continuing commitment to ESG transparency and improved performance by participating in the 2021 Real Estate Assessment. In fact, it achieved the highest rating available, attained by only 20% of entrants, 5 stars. More than half of the money raised in November is being set aside for hotel development and the balance will be used to complete existing development projects and make up for revenue lost during the pandemic, according to Chief Executive Officer Klaas van Lookeren Campagne. Despite the impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry, citizenM is continuing with its ambitious global expansion with the support of its investors. GIC acquired a 25% stake in citizenM in March 2019 at a 2 billion (US$2.3 billion) valuation. As it increases its growth trajectory in the United States, citizenM was most recently opening properties in Miami, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and San Francisco, doubling U.S. presence to 10 hotels. HOTELS recently spoke to citizen Chief Growth Officer Ernest Lee about the state of the brand and plans for the way forward. Read the full article at HOTELS Magazine Building on the pillars of Panamanian pride and sustainable tourism, Panama is offering stimulating, regenerative experiences for purpose-driven travelers. To inspire travelers to experience the Central American countrys unique history, geography, and culture, its destination marketing organization (DMO), Visit Panama, has been busy rebranding the nations image and vision. They partnered with us at Expedia Group Media Solutions to help communicate their vision: to put Panamanians at the heart of their offering, while encouraging travelers to connect in a meaningful way. In this post, well describe this vision plus the ways our marketing campaign highlighted the diversity of this dynamic and exciting destination. Targeting the Conscious Traveler For much of the last two years, many of us have dreamed of venturing to a tropical shoreline or a distant, exotic city. Well, Panama has both. Travelers of all types will find what theyre looking for in this diverse place, while at the same time avoiding the crowds that can be found in other Central American destinations. Although recent findings have suggested that some travelers are looking forward to taking their GOAT trip (AKA the Greatest of All Trips), not all are interested in checking off that over-visited destination on most peoples bucket lists. Instead, some travel shoppers are interested in taking a new kind of trip, where they can experience an often-overlooked locale, a place that is rich in experiences but not overrun with tourists. Visit Panama knows this, and is eager to reach this significant market segment known as El Viajero Consciente, or the Conscious Traveler. As we share in our recent Traveler Value Index: 2022 Outlook, sustainability continues to be front of mind with a lot of travel shoppers, so travel marketers would be wise to promote the place less traveled, a place like Panama. Showcasing Panamas Diverse Experiences To communicate this to prospective visitors, Visit Panama collaborated with our award-winning Creative Partnerships team. Visit Panama wanted to best illustrate all that the destination has to offer and used a Travel Spotlight to combine informative content with stunning visuals. The result is a co-branded listicle showcasing key experiences10 once-in-a-lifetime momentsincluding the worlds first biodiversity museum, a tropical rainforest minutes from Panama City, whale watching and scuba diving, and, of course, the Panama Canal. Source: Expedia Group Media Solutions A separate promotional landing page was built that includes select flight and hotel offers, activities, COVID-19 travel guidelines, as well as the DMOs latest promotional video inviting visitors to live for more. In addition, the campaign was supported by display ads, email marketing, and social media takeovers to drive traffic to the landing page, while integrated booking capabilities help potential visitors plan and book their Panamanian vacation. Future Promotions to Help Inspire Travelers This campaign is just the beginning of our relationship with Visit Panama. The Creative Partnerships team is currently working on a three-episode video series called The Next Turn, which will feature social media influencers experiencing the nations rich diversity, from beach to mountain to culture. Even though the campaign was only launched in November, weve already seen impressive results. So far, the campaign has generated 5.1 million impressions and delivered an overall return on ad spend (ROAS) of nearly 10 to 1. Learn more about how you can inspire and convert travel shoppers with a Creative Partnership. You can also gain insights into the latest traveler sentimentincluding their views on sustainable travelby downloading and reading the Traveler Value Index: 2022 Outlook report. Download Report. About Expedia Group Media Solutions Expedia Group Media Solutions, the advertising organization of Expedia Group, offers industry expertise and digital marketing solutions that allow brands to reach, engage and influence its qualified audience of travelers around the world. Through its vast network of leading travel brands and global points of sale, Expedia Group Media Solutions provides marketing partners with proprietary data-driven insights about traveler behaviors during every stage of the purchase journey, along with dynamic advertising solutions, to deliver strategic campaigns and measurable results. For more information, visit www.advertising.expedia.com. 2022 Expedia, Inc., an Expedia Group company. All rights reserved. Trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners. CST: 2029030-50 View source Long stays have become one of the biggest trends in hospitality during the last two years. In their Report on Travel & Living, Airbnb mentions the share of long stays (reservations longer than 28 nights) increased from 14% in 2019 to 24% in 2021. Companies like Sonder built their entire post-covid business strategy around extended stays. The Student Hotel has closed a massive 300M funding round to expand its concept, blurring lines between hotel and student accommodation around Europe. And of course, we at Mews have been betting on long stays with our development. Early in 2021, we described our vision for a hybrid model of hospitality, offering various services in various time frames, all of them supported by a single system. What have we learned about the long stay vertical since then? Let us share it with you. The value and the resilience of long stay business Reading about these trends and company strategies, one might be wondering: Is it really a good idea to start offering long-term accommodation? To this, we say yes! Its a great idea. Weve even got the data to back it up. Cancellation rate data First, we looked at the resilience of long stay business and compared cancellation rates for stays of 1-7 days with those longer than 27 days in countries recently impacted by strict covid measures. Specially, this data covers Austria, the Netherlands, and Germany in 2021 between July 1 and the end of the year. Measures such as closed non-essential shops, restaurants and bars were introduced in the second half of November 2021 in these countries. The cancellation rate shown below is calculated as reservations cancelled/reservations created in each week. The first graph shows long stay reservations, the second shows short stays. Source: Mews Systems Ltd Source: Mews Systems Ltd What does the chart tell us? Guests booking stays longer than 27 days are much less likely to let Covid measures change their decision to travel. These people are very often relocating for business or studies and once they book their stay, its likely that they will actually arrive. For short term stays, the cancellation rate in these countries is currently three times higher. Put plainly, people will cancel their weekend trip to Amsterdam because of Covid measures, but they wont cancel their job or university studies. Financial data Now that we understand the resilience of the long stay business, we should look at the financial metrics. Firstly, the average daily rate (ADR). Again, were looking at data from Austria, the Netherlands, and Germany and comparing stays of 1-7 days with stays longer than 27 days. Source: Mews Systems Ltd Source: Mews Systems Ltd The difference is clear: the ADR for short stays (around 100) is approximately double the ADR of long stays (40-50). Yes, that looks a lot better in the Manager Report. In the next metric, however, the long stays win. Heres the average value of reservation (additional products and services are not considered). Source: Mews Systems Ltd Source: Mews Systems Ltd The average value of reservation for long stays is 15 to 20 times higher. If you manage to attract guests for this type of stay, they are golden eggs, bringing in an average of 4000. Operations data and more There are other metrics suggesting that long stay business can be very beneficial. If we consider occupancy and operations costs, long stay business is more efficient. The average length of long stays in our data is around 100 days. For these 100 days, your room is 100% occupied as there are no gaps between reservations. This can probably never be achieved with short stays. Therefore, the real metric you should focus on should be the revenue from an available space for a period of three or four months. Housekeeping is another good example for operational costs. Short stay guests expect the room to be cleaned, if not on daily basis, then at least once in three to four days. When they check out, the entire room needs to be deep cleaned. The long stay guest, on the other hand, does not expect this frequency of housekeeping. You can extend the interval to one or two weeks, and they can always request on-demand cleaning for an additional cost. Finally, the long stay guests also have some special needs. They might want to book a meeting room in your hotel or hire transport from/to the airport as they have more luggage than a regular guest. Well cover these upsell opportunities in the next section of this article. To sum up our findings, long stay business is much more resilient in uncertain times. The total value of the long reservation tends to be very high. The ADR is lower than for short stays, but it can be compensated by higher long-term occupancy, more efficient operations, and new opportunities for upselling and cross-selling the guests. Who are long stay guests and what do they need? Weve spent a lot of time learning about the guests booking long stays. What is their motivation to book and what are their needs and expectations? If you saw any of the recent presentations by Airbnb, Sonder, or Selina, youll have noticed that they focus on communities of remote workers and digital nomads. They roam the world, lightweight and independent, working remotely and enjoying life in exciting locations. Our own research focused on two other types of guests: students and relocating professionals. These professionals also have special requirements and are sometimes are willing to pay a premium to have them addressed. We interviewed dozens of guests from these two groups and gathered many interesting insights. Reasons for travel Students are coming to cities like Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Vienna from all around the world. They typically spend one to four years there, but the housing situation in these cities often doesnt allow them to rent an entire place for themselves. And in many cases, theyre not even interested in that. They enjoy the community spirit in properties like The Student Hotel, Casa or The Fizz. Relocating professionals are slightly older (typically around 30) and are brought to a new city by their company usually to start a new job or move to a different office and their hotel is often paid for. Theyre looking for a cozy place to stay that allows them to fully focus on their new role while they search for permanent accommodation. Looking for a perfect example of a brand focused on this market? Check out Zoku. Upselling opportunities These two groups may differ in terms of age, expectations, and budget, but they also have many things in common and they bring some exciting opportunities to upsell new services and products. It starts with the arrival. Imagine youre moving to a city you barely know, most likely for several years. Youll want to bring more than just a backpack and carry-on luggage. Many of the students and professionals travel with up to eight suitcases and the trip from the airport to the hotel is an unpleasant process for them. But this is a perfect opportunity for the hotel: offer your long stay guests a transport from the airport with all their possessions for a fair price and they will love you forever. Your guests will have a smooth arrival, and youll generate extra revenue while delivering a great first experience to your guests. Its a win-win. Space to study or work will be appreciated by both students and professionals. Adjust the rooms and provide a desk where they can work comfortably, and youll increase the time they spend in your property. Do you have a lobby that could be transformed into a collaborative space, offices, or meeting rooms? Consider offering them as an upsell or in packages with the accommodation. Zoku Lofts are 100% optimized for both living and working. Photo by Mews Systems Ltd Laundry and kitchen needs are also similar for both groups. Make sure that the laundry machine is easily bookable at a fair price and guests will happily use it. Provide all the basic stuff in the kitchen (knives, plates, detergents etc.) and consider upsells such as coffee machines or smoothie makers. Additional housekeeping can be also offered as an on-demand service. Guests staying for a longer period will also appreciate options for free-time activities. Dont forget, theyre in a new city with a very limited social network. Offer them yoga classes or running groups, organize tech talks or music evenings. They will use the opportunity to spend their time in a meaningful way and build new friendships. Finally, think about the long-term value you can offer to these guests. Theyll spend a long time and a significant amount of money in your hotel. Theyll have built new friendships and professional contacts there. How will you bring them back in the future? You can achieve this through a loyalty program or through services such as co-working space or office/meeting room. Those meetups and music evenings are also a good option. Based on our findings, long stay guests tend to build a very strong connection with the place where they spent the first weeks and months in the new city. Think about it while they are checking out, make them feel special. Give them reasons to come back in the future and they will! Give your guests a space to socialize and they will come back in the future (The Student Hotel, The Hague). Photo by Mews Systems Ltd How Mews helps with your long stay services Now that we explained the business potential of long stays and some of the specifics of long stay guests, its time to look at Mews roadmap. How are we going to make the management of long stays in our system effortless and smooth? There are multiple ongoing initiatives around this topic. We already have many customers using the Mews platform to manage long stays, and so we reached out to these users to see how we could improve. The timeline, rates management, and billing were the most common pain points, and weve already pushed the first improvements live. In early December, monthly grouping on bills was released. The functionality allows the user to select and process all items (nights, products, taxes etc.) in each month. Moving all December nights is now a matter of two or three clicks. Previously, each item had to be selected separately; 31 nights meant 31 clicks. With this functionality, the billing process is speeded up significantly. Source: Mews Systems Ltd Another improvement and optimization for long stay management is coming to the timeline: were adding a new, monthly view. This will be particularly useful for properties with large number of reservations longer than one month. Previously, the maximum view on the timeline was seven to ten days; with this improvement, the user will be able to see 12-15 months in a single view. Our ultimate goal for 2022 will be the introduction of monthly time units. Hotels will be able to price and report on monthly basis. Guests will book months instead of nights or days. The entire system will be optimized for monthly services. In our October survey, we asked customers to what extent do they agree or disagree with the following statement: "Mews makes it easy for me to handle reservations longer than 30 days." Only 7 percent of our customers agreed that we make the management of long stays effortless. 93 percent didnt. There's huge room for improvement in this area and were fully committed to get there. We already have the necessary understanding of the market and the guests needs and preferences. Now its time to build the solutions. If you already see the potential of long stays, make sure to read our guide on how to set up a new bookable service in Mews and then go ahead and do it. You can welcome your new guests immediately! About Mews Founded by ex-hoteliers, Mews is a next-generation hospitality cloud for hotels, hostels, apartments and more. Mews gives hoteliers the power to provide a remarkable guest experience while improving the operations and performance of their property, thanks to smart automation and an innovative, user-friendly set of products and features. Mews serves over 2,500 properties across more than 70 countries in all five continents and works with a huge number of hospitality tech companies to provide hoteliers with an unbeatable platform no other PMS offers as many integrations. At the 2020 HotelTechAwards, Mews was voted Best PMS by industry peers, was a Finalist in 2021 and 2022, and won Best Place to Work in Hotel Tech in 2021 and 2022. Customers include Accor Group, Nordic Choice Hotels, The Student Hotel and Generator-Freehand. For more information, please visit mews.com George Barker Director of Communications Mews Systems Ltd View source Former zoo owner and reality TV superstar Joe Exotic has been resentenced to 21 years in prison for his role in a murder-for-hire plot. Fridays resentencing a shortening of just one year came despite pleas from his lawyers after an appeals court ordered a new sentence. Supporters were hoping the zookeeper would be freed from prison. Advertisement The star of the hit Netflix show Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, was sentenced to 22 years in January 2020 after he was convicted of hiring two men to kill animal rights activist Carole Baskin. He was also convicted on 17 wildlife charges. Baskin, the CEO of Big Cat Rescue and a former Dancing with the Stars contestant, was also featured in the show, as Maldonado-Passages archrival. Advertisement "Tiger King" star Joe Exotic had his sentence shortened by just one year. (NETFLIX) In July a federal appeals court ruled that the trial court shouldve treated his two murder-for-hire convictions as one when calculating his prison sentence, since both involved the same goal. Maldonado-Passage, 58, whos currently housed in a federal medical center in Butner, N.C., announced late last year that he had prostate cancer. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > Please dont make me die in prison waiting for a chance to be free, Maldonado-Passage, wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, said during the sentencing hearing in Oklahoma City. Last month, his attorneys said Maldonado-Passage was delaying treatment for prostate cancer until after the resentencing. Baskin was also at the proceeding and says she still is afraid of Maldonado-Passage. He continues to harbor intense feelings of ill will toward me, she said. Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness became a national obsession during the first weeks of the pandemic in 2020. It told the story of the flamboyant zookeeper, described as a gay, gun-toting cowboy with a mullet, who married two husbands at the same time, owned nearly 90 big cats, and was accused of hiring someone to murder Baskin. Advertisement With News Wire Services This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The highest inflation in decades is undermining purchasing power, so would-be buyers at the Houston Boat and Auto shows adopted a wait-and-see attitude as they browsed the hall at NRG Center. Local dealerships inventories are so depleted that it made more sense to combine the boat and auto shows this year rather than pay to have cars shipped in from across the nation to fill the hall, said Roshelle Salinas, executive vice president of the Houston Automobile Dealers Association With the pandemic still shutting factories around the world and labor shortages delaying shipping, automobile and boat manufactures have been unable to get components from computer chips to boat motors, forcing them to cut production and leaving dealers with fewer cars and boats to sell. The lack of inventory has depressed sales despite strong demand. Houston area auto sales fell 4 percent in November from the previous year, according to data firm InfoNation. WeWork acquires competitor The commercial real estate company WeWork will acquire Common Desk, a Dallas-based flexible workspace provider with 23 locations in Texas and North Carolina, the companies said. WeWork, a leader in the shared-workplace sector, said the deal will give it six locations in Houston, including space at two recent redevelopment projects: the Ion, a Midtown tech hub developed by Rice University, and Post Houston, a mixed-use development at the site of former Barbara Jordan Post Office downtown. Following the acquisition, which is slated to close in March, the company will be known as Common Desk, a WeWork Company. Pain at the gas pump increases Gasoline prices in Houston and across the country rose as crude oil prices neared seven-year highs. In Houston, the average price of a gallon of gasoline was up six cents to $2.86 a gallon, according to GasBuddy. The area prices are nearly 10 cents higher than a month ago and 80 cents higher than a year ago. At the start of last week , the cheapest price at the pump was $2.63 in Houston, while the most expensive station charged $3.69, GasBuddy reported. Nationally, gasoline prices averaged $3.32 a gallon, up a penny over the week. Walmart building Baytown center Walmart is investing in a new $22 million distribution center in Baytown as e-commerce continues to light up the citys industrial real estate market. Walmart is developing 1 million square feet of warehouse space in Baytown at 4633 Borusan Road at Cedar Port Trade Center, an distribution facility developed by Dallas-based Hunt Southwest, according to data from the commercial real estate information firm CoStar and two commercial real estate professionals familiar with the transaction. Contractors are expected to start building out the interior of the existing warehouse space in February with construction expected to wrap up in early 2023, according state permitting documents. The build out is estimated to cost $22 million, according to estimates in the permitting documents. Wound care clinic comes to region R3 Wound Care and Hyperbarics, a provider of advanced wound care and hyperbaric oxygen therapy services, entered the Houston market with clinics at 215 Kingwood Executive Drive in Kingwood and 8540 Broadway in Pearland. Each location has three single-patient clear acrylic hyperbaric chambers. The therapy delivers pressurized oxygen to injured areas of the body to aid in the healing process. Combatting vaccine hesitancy The Houston Health Department partnered with marketing firm 9thWonder Agency for a campaign to address vaccine hesitancy in areas with low vaccination rates. The mission is to build trust and awareness among the vaccine-skeptical population and slow the spread of COVID-19. From staff reports. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Oil prices could skyrocket to $200 a barrel and launch gasoline prices to $8 a gallon if Russia invades Ukraine and the United States and European Union impose a full suite of diplomatic and economic sanctions. The mere prospect of a new war in Europe has raised gasoline prices as geopolitics have trumped supply and demand fundamentals. Putin is forcing democratically-elected leaders to choose between the prices their voters pay for energy and the human rights of 41 million Ukrainians. Russia is the worlds third-largest supplier of crude. A third of Europes oil comes from Russia, much of it passing through pipelines in Ukraine. Losing those barrels would send prices higher and crater the global economy. TOMLINSONS TAKE: Lawsuit accuses Exxon of reneging on environmental promises in Guyana This potential nightmare undergirds Russian President Vladimir Putins demand that the United States and European Union capitulate to his treacherous desire to reassemble the Soviet Unions empire. Putins plan is a clear and present danger to U.S. national security and another reason why we must end our reliance on fossil fuels, a lesson we should have learned in 1956. Traders of all stripes are gyrating markets over the potential fallout from Russia invading a significant energy transit point. Germans are particularly worried since they inadvisably shut down their nuclear plants and rely on Russian natural gas to keep warm. The White House on Tuesday promised to find Europe alternative energy supplies to offset Putins power to demand acquiescence. But Texas and Qatar cannot replace all of Russias natural gas exports, whose loss to global markets would also send gas prices through the roof. OPEC, which cooperates with Russia to limit oil production, is slow-rolling additional supply. Saudi Arabia and other members are enjoying the higher prices, and until North American producers restart drilling, OPEC is in no danger of losing market share. U.S. oil companies might complain about President Joe Bidens climate policies, but the only thing keeping them from drilling is market sentiment. After a decade of losing money on oil companies, investors will not finance new wells until they see guaranteed profits over the next five years. We have the perfect recipe for a politically-induced energy crisis, which could spin out of control. If Putin orders troops into Ukraine, he will trigger U.S. and European sanctions against Russian businesses and him personally. If that occurs, he has threatened to retaliate and rupture relations, presumably by ending oil and natural gas flows to global markets. While this would hurt Russia in the short term, Putins authoritarian regime doesnt have to worry about elections. Hes betting the West, where politicians worry about their popularity, will give up first. No dictator has attempted such a stunt in a generation, but there are plenty of precedents. The foolishness of relying on a hostile regime for our economic health is a lesson we should have learned by now. Former President Dwight Eisenhower first called on the U.S. to reduce reliance on foreign oil in 1956, when Arab nations embargoed oil to protest the invasion of Egypt by Israel, Britain and France. Arab countries used oil as a weapon again in 1967, 1973 and 1979. The United States, though, has never managed to become self-sufficient in oil. First, crude is an international commodity, and our refineries and production are intertwined in the global market. Second, we dont have enough crude reserves to meet our current needs. New technology, though, could allow America to become energy independent through electrification. About two-thirds of the oil consumed in the United States powers cars, trucks and trains, according to the Energy Information Administration. Russia exports 4 million barrels a day. If we cut the 12 million barrels of petroleum a day we burn for transportation by a third, Putin would be powerless. TOMLINSONS TAKE: Texas needs to move faster to become clean, green hydrogen hub Today, the world cannot quickly cut demand by 4 million barrels, but we can finally learn our lesson. We can switch to electric vehicles with some investment and rely on locally-sourced natural gas, wind and solar energy instead. The process is already underway, and a bonus: it helps with climate change. Tesla is expanding electric vehicle production to 1.5 million units this year. Ford expects to sell 600,000 EVs in 2023, and General Motors is investing $35 billion to produce 1 million EVs a year in North America by 2025. If you think giving Putin what he wants is the solution, consider the precedent it would set. How would the United States fare if China invades Taiwan and imposes a computer chip embargo? The world is filled with dangerous dictators; we rely on them at our peril. We need to concentrate on greater resiliency now. Tomlinson writes commentary about business, economics and politics. twitter.com/cltomlinson chris.tomlinson@chron.com WASHINGTON While the Biden administration says it is not considering a ban on natural gas exports, the Department of Energy continues to look into the connection between the increase in liquefied natural gas exports and a recent rise in domestic natural gas prices. The Energy Information Administration, an agency within the Energy Department that monitors the U.S. energy system, is conducting a multi-year study of natural gas prices, including the impact of the U.S. LNG industry, an EIA spokesman said. The impact of LNG on gas prices has long been a contentious issue, dividing domestic gas buyers and exporters located primarily along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast. On HoustonChronicle.com: Natural gas prices are soaring. How long will it last? In a briefing with reporters this week, Paul Cicio, president of the trade group Industrial Energy Consumers of America, which represents the manufacturing and industrial sectors, said the U.S. government has too long ignored the effects of shipping increasing amounts of natural gas abroad. Administrations have put in place policies all about exporting without any consideration to the public interest, he said. Were going to see how (the Department of Energy) responds to this. Theyre doing a fresh review of this internally right now. Last week, U.S. natural gas averaged $4.50 per million British thermal units 60 percent higher than 12 months ago. And with prices in Europe and Asia at all-time records, there is a fear that more U.S. gas will be shipped overseas, further driving up bills for homes and businesses. Oil and gas companies have long downplayed the impact of LNG exports on U.S. gas prices, arguing that factors such as weather and the amount of natural gas in storage are far more important in determining prices. This has been a pretty well studied issue. Were now in year six of LNG exports and what weve seen so far is pretty consistent, a rise in exports has a fairly small impact on prices, said Dustin Meyer, a vice president at the American Petroleum Institute. I dont see a huge need for another study, but we would never discourage it. I understand. Theres a lot of interest in this subject. For U.S. manufacturers competing with log-wage operations abroad, any increase in energy prices can ripple through the entire domestic supply chain, Cicio said. In November, he wrote a letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm asking the administration to create a safety valve that would limit LNG shipments when domestic gas prices rise, arguing, exports must be limited to surplus supply of natural gas. Environmentalists have long pushed back against the development of LNG terminals. When Freeport LNG applied to expand its export license in December, the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council protested, arguing LNG exports were driving up prices and harming Americans now. At a minimum, recent trends call into question the continuing validity of the analyses (the Energy Department) has relied upon in approving prior export applications, they wrote. At a Senate hearing on natural gas prices in November, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, asked energy experts whether LNG was putting an extra burden on the American consumer. Among the experts was Acting EIA Administrator Stephen Nalley, who said, Prices are higher now than they have been in a long time. Clearly, its putting pressure on residents and industry. The Biden administration has also come under pressure from some Democrats to ban LNG exports, in a bid to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Earlier this month, Deputy Energy Secretary David Turk told members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee the Biden administration was not considering such a ban but added, were looking at the full range of what you all are giving us to look at. james.osborne@chron.com Texas Sen. John Cornyn met with port officials and industry leaders Thursday to outline his vision for three bills he has introduced that would pay to help grow the hydrogen industry in Houston and the nation. The Hydrogen Infrastructure Initiative, sponsored by Cornyn and Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy along with three Democrats, would create grant programs to encourage building hydrogen infrastructure at ports and heavy industrial facilities. It also would launch a financing program to provide grants and loans to support hydrogen transport infrastructure, such as storage and vehicle refueling stations. Cornyn, who spoke at the Manchester cargo terminal along the Houston Ship Channel, said hydrogen has taken on a new significance as a potential fuel source. He cited Toyota, which has held up hydrogen fuel cell technology as an example of how it could be used in day-to-day transportation. It indicates there may be greater opportunities to use hydrogen in places like port facilities, like this, and industrial applications that will require a build-out of infrastructure, Cornyn said. If you can provide that option in places like the Port of Houston, its a huge game-changer. CHRIS TOMLINSON: Texas needs to move faster to become clean, green hydrogen hub Cornyns plan would help build momentum toward increasing the use of hydrogen as a fuel for industries such as petrochemical production, oil refining and transportation. Civic leaders have said Houston is an ideal testing ground for hydrogen thanks to the regions existing oil and gas infrastructure that includes hundreds of miles of pipelines, chemical refineries and engineering talent. Already, Houston is the largest producer of hydrogen in the country, churning out about one third of the annual U.S. total. There are 48 hydrogen production plants here, along with more than 900 miles of pipelines specifically designed for hydrogen about one-third of all hydrogen pipelines globally. Jim Teague, co-CEO of midstream giant Enterprise Products Partners, said his company is well-versed in repurposing pipelines for various chemicals and gases. Already, he said, some of Enterprises facilities produce hydrogen as a byproduct when making other petrochemicals, but they have usually sold off the gas. Now the company is looking at how to keep and use the gas. Enterprises newest plant will recycle the hydrogen byproduct and use it instead of natural gas as a fuel source, preventing about 450,000 tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere, Teague said. OPINION: Houston can lead Earthshot to cheap, clean hydrogen If youre going to do something it has to make money too. Were not going to do something for the fun of it were going to need the type of legislation youre using to get to where we need to go, he said, referring to Cornyn. Monty Heines, Dow Chemicals director of Houston operations, said companies like his have made pledges to become carbon neutral in the coming decades and that hydrogen could be a key tool to achieve those goals. But the use of hydrogen would have to be financially feasible to encourage companies to make the switch from natural gas, he said. How can we make hydrogen more competitive with other fuels like natural gas? If you can get the infrastructure in place, that really gives us a leg up to get there, Heines said. Teague said he was loath to call adopting more hydrogen technologies part of an energy transition, and Cornyn said adding hydrogen would become part of Texas all-of-the-above approach to energy. Hydrocarbons would remain an important part of the states energy ecosystem for decades to come, Cornyn said, but that federal financial incentives would be needed to diversify the energy produced in Texas and that nation. Cornyn said he would pull his support for the measure if it were lumped in with the Biden Administrations proposed Build Back Better Act. The comprehensive legislation is slated to cost $1.75 trillion and would include subsidies for energy technology but also measures to combat climate change, would hurt Texas energy economy, he said. Instead, Cornyn said, he hoped to incorporate it in the tax code through the Senates finance committee. He likened it to the grants and tax credits that have been given to wind and solar projects. shelby.webb@chron.com The sale of offshore oil and gas leases on more than 80 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico was canceled by a U.S. judge who ordered regulators to take a harder look at the impact on climate change. U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras in Washington vacated the lease sale in a 67-page decision, issued Thursday. The judge found that the Interior Department underestimated the climate impacts of the leases and doing a further analysis wouldnt overly harm the companies seeking the leases. The leases have not become effective and no activity on them is taking place, the judge wrote. If the leases were to take effect, it would be much harder to cancel them, Contreras said. The judge also criticized the Interior Department -- writing that it acted arbitrarily -- for failing to factor into its assessment the climate effect of the burning of oil and gas from the leases in countries outside the U.S. The courts decision throws into doubt the November sale of some 308 tracts spanning 1.7 million acres (688,000 hectares) of the Gulf of Mexico. Thirty-three oil companies spent about $192 million buying the drilling rights in the auction, the second-to-last scheduled under a five-year program drawn up by the Obama administration. And it raises questions about a possible Gulf auction in spring. In one of his first acts as president, Joe Biden put a temporary halt on all new oil and gas leasing. But last year, a federal judge in Louisiana ordered the Biden administration to move ahead with the leases. Environmental groups then sued to halt the sale. The Interior Department said in a statement that it was compelled to proceed with the state by the Louisiana court and is reviewing the latest ruling. Our public lands and waters must be protected for generations to come, the department said. Thats why the president called for a pause on leasing in his Executive Order, and why we are appealing the decision enjoining implementation of the pause. By vacating Interiors decision to hold the lease sale, the court has ensured that no harm will result from it, the environmental groups, including Earthjustice and Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement after the ruling. Whatever Interior decides to do, it must start with a blank slate on the lease program and consider the full environmental costs associated with auctioning off public waters to the fossil-fuel industry, the groups said. This is a huge victory for our climate, Rices whales and Gulf communities, said Kristen Monsell, oceans legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. Im thrilled the court saw through the Biden administrations horribly reckless decision to hold the largest oil lease sale in U.S. history without carefully studying the risks. The National Ocean Industries Association, which represents offshore oil and gas drillers, called on the Biden administration to pursue the development of more offshore production. American investment, jobs, and infrastructure development continue to suffer because of the continued expansion of the bounds of the National Environmental Policy Act by the judiciary, NOIA President Erik Milito said in a statement. Uncertainty around the future of the U.S. federal offshore leasing program may only strengthen the geopolitical influence of higher emitting -- and adversarial -- nations, such as Russia. Scott Lauermann, a spokesman for the American Petroleum Institute, called the ruling disappointing and said the group is considering its options. Offshore energy development plays a critical role in strengthening our nations economy and energy security, Lauermann said in a statement. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Permian oil producers are facing hundreds of millions of dollars in additional costs to address the growing problem of earthquakes in the nations most productive oil field. Shale companies operating in earthquake-prone areas of West Texas could pay at least $207 million more to transport large volumes of saltwater produced from oil wells to distant disposal sites as state regulators crack down on deep water injection. If all the disposal wells in earthquake-prone areas are curtailed or shut down by regulators, the increase in disposal costs could climb to $763 million, according to an analysis by Sourcenergy, a Houston-based energy data firm. Youre going to see much bigger cost impacts, especially for Delaware basin operators, Sourcenergy CEO Josh Adler said. Theres a lot more water and theres a lot less infrastructure. The Delaware Basin is the western lobe of the Permian Basin in West Texas. The cost of producing oil in Texas is rising as shale companies face the expense of transporting large volumes of saltwater by truck or building new water pipelines to disposal wells beyond earthquake-prone areas. At best, these rising costs and logistical challenges of finding new disposal sites are a minor inconvenience. At worst, companies unable to dispose of their saltwater could curtail tens of thousands of barrels of daily crude production, hitting bottom lines. The cost of inaction, however, is even higher. Oil companies already face mounting criticism from the public over greenhouse gas emissions, oil spills and abandoned wells. Earthquakes - which have immediate impact on public safety - only adds to the pressure on one of the largest industries in Texas. On HoustonChronicle.com: Permian Basin was hit by a record number of earthquakes last year. What does that mean for oil and gas? Seismologists attribute the increasing frequency and intensity of West Texas earthquakes to the oil industrys routine practice of injecting saltwater a byproduct of oil production into deep disposal wells. For each of the roughly 4 million barrels of crude pumped daily from the ground in West Texas, at least four barrels of extremely salty water are produced. A decade of saltwater injections into disposal wells 10,000 feet deep has intensified pressure and caused movement along ancient fault lines. The number of earthquakes stronger than a 3 on the Richter scale - enough to crack walls and foundations - increased 88-fold over the past three years to 176 last year, up from two in 2018, according to data from the University of Texas at Austins TexNet Seismic Monitoring and analyzed by Sourcenergy. The Texas Railroad Commission, the states oil and gas regulator, has taken action to limit the amount of saltwater that can be injected into disposal wells to curb what it called an unprecedented increase in earthquakes. In September and October, the commission mandated that oil producers in two seismic response areas in the Permian Basin cut by half the amount of saltwater they put into disposal wells, and imposed a one-year moratorium on new permits that would allow producers to inject saltwater into disposal wells in these areas. Last month, the commission ordered the suspension of deep saltwater injections in a particularly seismic area of the Midland basin, pulling permits for 33 disposal wells indefinitely. This action stripped 14 companies, including Houston-based ConocoPhillips and Midland-based Rattler Midstream, owned by Diamondback Energy, of the ability to dispose of nearly 1 million barrels of saltwater. After 4.2- and 4.6-magnitude earthquakes rocked the Midland area last month, the Railroad Commission said it would impose more restrictions on oil companies injecting saltwater into deep disposal wells in the area. Sourcenergy estimates some 250,000 barrels per day of Texas oil production worth about $7 billion could be at risk of disruption from saltwater disposal restrictions. Until more water pipelines are built, oil companies affected by saltwater restrictions will have to rely on water trucks to transport saltwater away from earthquake-prone areas, a prospect complicated by a national shortage of truck drivers and oil company pledges to reduce their carbon footprint. The cost to dispose of saltwater by trucks can be as high as 10 times that of pipelines. Theres going to be a lot of trucking (of saltwater), and its going to be really expensive, Adler said. paul.takahashi@chron.com twitter.com/paultakahashi Walmart is investing in a new distribution center in the southeast Houston area as e-commerce continues to light up the citys industrial real estate market. Walmart is developing 1 million square feet of warehouse space in Baytown at 4633 Borusan Road at Cedar Port Trade Center, a distribution facility developed by Dallas-based Hunt Southwest, according to data from the commercial real estate information firm CoStar and three commercial real estate professionals familiar with the transaction. Contractors in February are expected to start building out the interior of the existing warehouse space, with construction expected to wrap up in early 2023, according state permitting documents. The build-out is estimated to cost $22 million, according to initial estimates in the permitting documents; however, Chambers County economic development officials have said they expect tenant improvements to tally about $50 million. Walmart and the buildings developer, Hunt Southwest, declined to comment. The retailer has rapidly expanded its warehousing nationally as it vies with e-commerce rival Amazon to gain market share in growing population centers. Surging e-commerce demand during the pandemic has fueled a boom in industrial real estate as companies invest millions of dollars into warehouses to fulfill online orders in the age of same-day and next-day shipping. In December, Walmart announced plans for a fulfillment center with more than 1 million square feet in Salt Lake City and a 925,000-square-foot high-tech facility in Lebanon, Tenn. The Salt Lake City warehouse similar in size to the planned Houston warehouse is expected to support 450 jobs, while the Tennessee warehouse is expected to create 300 jobs. On HoustonChronicle.com: Industrial projects emerge on growing U.S. 290 corridor In Houston, the retailer is planning the 1 million-square-foot warehouse in a business park where it already has a 4.2 million-square-foot distribution hub in buildings that it owns. The distribution centers are in Cedar Port Industrial Park, a sprawling complex described as the worlds fifth-biggest industrial park. Home Depot and Ikea also have a major presence in the 15,000-acre industrial park located about 33 miles east of downtown. Retailer Floor & Decor moved into a 1.5 million-square-foot regional distribution center in the park, according to research by the international commercial real estate firm CBRE. The park gives tenants access to the Port of Houstons Bayport and Barbours Cut container terminals as well as Texas 99 (also known as the Grand Parkway), Interstate 10, Texas 225 and 146, and FM 1045. Hunt Southwest made a bet on the park when it built the 1.02 million-square-foot building on a speculative basis, meaning it started construction without a tenant. Construction on the building, designed by Powers Brown Architecture, was completed last year. Chamber County commissioners have approved a Chapter 312 agreement with Hunt Southwest for the project that would abate a portion of property taxes on the site for the next several years, offering tax savings over time. The dollar value of those incentives was not immediately clear, and county economic development officials were not available to comment Friday. In exchange for tax incentives, the project would support at least 150 permanent jobs and the tenant would maintain about $50 million in inventory on the property, B.J. Simon, CEO of the Baytown West Chambers County Economic Development Foundation, said in a Dec. 14 Commissioners Court meeting. marissa.luck@chron.com, @marissaluck7 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A prolific Houston commercial real estate developer best known for industrial projects is getting into the fast-growing build to rent business with plans to bring 1,000 single-family and duplex rental homes to Texas. Clay Residential, a newly formed affiliate of Houston-based Clay Development & Construction, has started construction on Willow at Sierra Vista, a neighborhood of 97 single-family rental homes in Iowa Colony. The first homes in the Brazoria County development will be available in April. At the southwest corner of Crystal View and Ponderosa Pines Drive, the development is the first of four projects planned so far in 2022. The lots were acquired from Land Tejas, the Houston-based developer of Sierra Vista, an 850-acre master-planned community along the Texas 288 corridor. Clay Development President Robert Clay has teamed with Clay Residential cofounders Josh Anderson, president, and Ryan Smidt, chief investment officer, on the new venture. Clay and Smidt met more than 15 years ago when Smidt, a former managing director of global investment manager BlackRock, was investing in Houston industrial properties. They had independently been thinking about entering the build to rent market and decided to join forces, bringing in Josh Anderson, who was head of investments for Value Builders, a developer of multifamily and duplex rentals based in the Dallas area. We want to build a very Texas-heavy portfolio, said Smidt. Our initial focus is on the major Texas markets, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio. The first few Houston projects will be in Land Tejas communities with amenities such as Crystal Lagoons, playgrounds, dedicated sport courts and walking trails. Willow at Sierra Vista will offer houses ranging from 1,548 to 1,980 square feet with three or four bedrooms, two baths and attached garages. Rents will start at $2,220. The homes will have 10-foot ceilings, smart home technology, brick or stone exteriors and fenced backyards. The community will have full-service, on-site management and maintenance. Next, the developers will build in two sections of Marvida, a community in Cypress. One section is planned for 133 single-family detached rental home and another will have 234 units in duplexes. Clay Residential is negotiating with Land Tejas to acquire lots for 266 duplex units in Sunterra, a new community in Katy. Another project in the planning stages in San Marcos is expected to bring 220 rental units in late 2022, Smidt said. The focus will turn to Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth in 2023. Buying a home has become increasingly challenging for many families. With Texass steady population growth, the housing market has experienced double-digit home-price appreciation and bidding wars for many homes on the market, Anderson said in an announcement. Single-family rentals offer an alternative with the benefits of a free-standing home, suburban amenities and nearby schools without the drawbacks of maintenance and down payments for ownership. Clay Residential is targeting a hold period of five to seven years and could sell the communities most likely as a portfolio, said Smidt, who has closed more than $4.5 billion in private equity real estate transactions over the last 23 years. Since 1998, Clay Development has developed more than 290 industrial and office buildings, totaling 17 million square feet. The company builds about 2 million square feet of industrial space a year, and that wont change, Clay said. Robert Clay has a history of picking the right spots for large scale industrial developments, with past successes in pioneering projects in the Deer Park, La Porte and Baytown areas. Its kind of a new real estate play for me, for sure, Clay said. Im just excited about it. Bob Sagets daughter Lara is paying tribute to the beloved comic following his sudden death earlier this month. Lara Saget, the late Full House stars middle daughter, shared a black and white photo of herself and her father on Instagram Thursday, along with what shell remember him for. Advertisement To anyone afraid to love, Lara, 32, captioned the tender photo, Unconditional love is the greatest of gifts. My dad loved with everything he had, she continued. He had so many reasons to be scared to love. So many loved ones kept dropping the body. Instead of being scared, he loved more. I am beyond grateful to receive and to give that love. Love completely and be kind. Of all the lessons he taught me, these feel the biggest. Advertisement The late Bob Saget and his daughter Lara in 2012. (Shawn Ehlers) Her stepmom Kelly Rizzo responded in the comments section to say: I love you forever, Lara. Melissa Coulier, wife of Sagets fellow Full House alum Dave Coulier, wrote: I love you so much! " Bob Saget was found dead in his Orlando hotel room on Jan. 9. He was 65. Food and travel blogger Rizzo, 42, opened up last week about her last conversation with Saget, which she said was just all love. Stars across the board have paid tribute in recent weeks to Saget, who reprised his role as Full House patriarch Danny Tanner in Netflixs Fuller House. Survived by Rizzo, Lara, as well as daughters Aubrey, 34, and Jennifer, 29, Sagets devastated family released a statement confirming his death. He was everything to us and we want you to know how much he loved his fans, performing live and bringing people from all walks of life together with laughter, read the statement. Kim Christensen, Freelance / Special to the Chronicle A Texas City man was arrested and charged Thursday in connection to a fatal shooting the day before of a Bayou Vista business owner, according to police. Messiah Pickens-McCoy, 23, is charged with murder in the shooting of 67-year-old Gregory Sharretts, evading arrest with a motor vehicle and unlawful possession of a firearm, court documents show. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate As Harris County lawmen escorted the body of Pct. 5 Cpl. Charles Galloway to a funeral home, a state judge ordered the man accused of killing him be held behind bars until further notice. Oscar Rosales, 51, is charged with capital murder after police said he shot Galloway to death just after midnight Sunday morning after Galloway pulled him over in west Houston. During the brief court hearing, Rosales sat, hunched, at a table as several bailiffs loomed nearby. 'GUN VIOLENCE IS OUT OF CONTROL': 6 Harris County police officers wounded, killed in one deadly week In arguing for no bail, Assistant District Attorney Sean Teare told Judge Maritza Antu that dashcam and bodycam captured Rosales stepping out of his white Avalon and shooting Galloway repeatedly. Galloway who was calling the stop in to dispatch when Rosales shot at him died after a bullet struck the left side of his face, Teare said. This has all the hallmarks of a death penalty case, he said. Rosales arrest comes after a days-long manhunt that ended in Mexico. Since then, authorities have charged four other people with crimes related to the case: Rosales wife and brother-in-law, and two men who either assisted him or did not provide information to police as they were trying to track the man down. In the aftermath of the shooting, police interviewed Rosales wife, Reina Marquez, who told them that Rosales took two long guns out of a safe in their house and told her that he and some friends were going hunting. Prosecutors have since charged Marquez and Henri Mauricio Pereira-Marquez, Rosales brother-in-law, with tampering with evidence after they allegedly wiped down the white Avalon Rosales was driving at the time of the traffic stop. And two men a father and son are accused of assisting the accused killer pawn his jewelry after he asked for help to flee the country. Jose Santos Gutierrez Cruz, 68, and son Jose Romel Hernandez Cruz, 43, have been charged with hindering apprehension or prosecution in the capital murder case against Rosales. MORE ON ROSALES: Siblings cleaned car used in slaying of Precinct 5 deputy amid manhunt, investigators say But numerous questions remain about his motivation, his past, and even his identity. Teare said that Rosales is suspected of stabbing another person back in 1995, then fleeing the country. He is also a suspect in a 2008 murder in El Salvador, Teare said. When you put it all together, you paint a picture of an individual who, over decades, has proven to be both a huge danger and violent to the entire community and the definition of a flight risk, Teare said. Rosales next court appearance is set for Feb. 23. The killing was one of several in the last several days. st.john.smith@chron.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate EL PASOGoogle is partnering with the University of Texas at El Paso, the University of Texas at San Antonio and other Hispanic-serving institutions to help Latino students increase their digital skills and job options. The UT campuses and Grow with Google are partnering for the HSI Career Readiness Program to prepare Latinos to pursue digital-skills-based jobs through career workshops and counseling, programs about design thinking, project management and professional brand building. Hispanic-serving institution career centers will get grant money and an in-person and online digital skills program for one semester. The program aims to train up to 200,000 Latino students at 20 Hispanic-serving institutions by 2025, via a $2 million investment to the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. The association will begin distributing the funding for the program this year. HIGHER ED: Latino alum donates $3M for new diversity center at law school The University Career Center in San Antonio will partner with the UTSA Honors College to pilot the new workforce readiness program this semester, the university said in a release. Honors students in the semester-long digital skills program will complete five flexible learning paths that focus on building digital skills, exploring career paths, succeeding in the workplace and starting businesses. Every student in our community deserves equal access to job-readiness training and digital skills to help build strong foundations for the future, said Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, said in a UTSA release. In partnership with HACU, the expansion of the Google Career Readiness program to Hispanic-Serving Institutions like the University of Texas at San Antonio will connect Latino students to these tools and more. Further ensuring they have the training and support they need to thrive in todays digital economy. More than two-thirds of Latino college students in the U.S. attend institutions that are members of Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, according to a Grow with Google news release Monday. Its more important than ever that students have access to the training and job-readiness skills that will set them up for success in the 21st century economy, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, said in the release. LATINO CULTURE: Plan for Latino cultural complex in Houston gets $1M+ in seed money That is why I am glad to see the Google Career Readiness program include UTEP my alma mater as part of the Hispanic-serving institutions to receive funding that will help ensure students in the El Paso region have the strong foundations they need to thrive well into the future, Escobar said. Googles philanthropy arm also will grant $5 million to UnidosUS, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the Hispanic Federation toward Latino-serving workforce development efforts to help workers prepare for high-demand jobs. The three organizations will work to provide additional training opportunities to more than 5,000 Latino jobseekers. MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Meet 10 of Houstons extraordinary Latino leaders Google is proud to work with leading Latino-serving organizations to advance access to digital skills and workforce training in the Latino community, Ana Corrales, chief operating officer for Googles Devices and Services, said in the release. We aim to help bridge wealth and opportunity gaps in the Latino community, so that everyone has an opportunity to succeed in todays digital economy. By the numbers According to a report from the independent nonprofit research group the Brookings Institute last year, more than 70% of jobs in the U.S. now require middle to high-level digital skills. A National Skills Coalition report found more than half of Latino workers between 16 and 64 years old had no or limited digital skills compared to a third of all American workers regardless of ethnicity or race. The 2020 survey Latino Parent Voice: What Our Families Need Now also found 33% of Latino families did not have regular access to internet and many had access only through their mobile phones. Grow with Google was established in 2017 to help Americans update their skills and improve their careers and businesses. ccarreon@elpasotimes.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Hy Penn gave his tour group a minute to take in the Memorial Room at Holocaust Museum Houston. On one side stood a panel of 600 tiles, each with a teardrop painted on its surface. On the other, the Cemetery Wall, where plaques are inscribed with the names of Holocaust survivors who settled in Houston. Then Penn posed a question to his group of 15, ranging from a 10-year-old boy to people in their 80s. Think what you might have done if you were alive then. Would you stand up in protest, or would you sit back and watch? Because this relates very much to the situation going on today, he said. Penn asked the question again as guests walked through a German train car that likely transported thousands of Jewish people to concentration camps, and once more as the group looked upon a Danish boat used by fishermen to smuggle Jews to safety in Sweden. Would you have been an upstander, or a bystander? This question appeared to resonate as much today as it would have in the early 1930s when Adolf Hitler began his rise to power. If such an atrocity is to be prevented from ever happening again, the thinking goes, it must first be understood. The museum hosted multiple survivors and Andrei Muraru, the Romanian ambassador to the United States, Thursday morning for a ceremony honoring those who lost their lives in the Holocaust. During the ceremony, Muraru announced that the Romanian government was instituting a mandate requiring schools to teach all students about the Holocaust. Approximately 220,000 Romanian Jews died during the Holocaust, according to United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston Holocaust Survivor Joins Frances Legion of Honor One of the central tenets of the Holocaust Museum Houston is that the genocide did not start with the invasion of Poland or the death of the first Jew. The Holocaust started with words, and were hearing a lot of words in our country and in the world today and we need to learn how to speak to each other in a civil way, because theres so much hate speech around and its hard to exist and to see a future for all of us, Penn explained away from the tour group. Recent debates in the United States about book banning and critical race theory and comparisons between COVID-19 restrictions and the Nuremberg Laws have particularly incensed educators who have worked to teach young people about this terrible era of human history. Its disturbing because its part of history and soon, the eyewitnesses are not going to be with us anymore, said Penn, a longtime docent at the museum whose parents both survived the Holocaust. Its important for people to understand because theres so many similarities between what happened then and whats going on today, Penn said. On HoustonChronicle.com: Teachers told to include opposing views with Holocaust books in Southlake, Dallas suburb That, in part, is why Paul Davis of Katy brought his youngest children, Elizabeth, 15, and Daniel, 10, to the museum on Thursday. I think this can instill in my kids a greater desire to be more proactive rather than be a bystander, Davis, 53, said. Ultimately, thats my greatest hope for my kids is to not be bystanders in life, whether its a bully at school or someone being demeaned because of their beliefs, Davis said. The message resonated with both children, who agreed the knowledge was valuable, according to Daniel, so that it doesnt happen again. sam.kelly@chron.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 1 of 2 SUZANNE MAPES/AP Show More Show Less 2 of 2 PRN Show More Show Less Fans of Blue's Clues will soon have the opportunity to learn what Steve has been up to since his final episode aired. Steve Burns, the former host of the popular animated children's show, is slated to speak at the Texas A&M University Kingsville's Jones Auditorium on Wednesday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. Burns will be speaking about his life since leaving the show in 2002, according to TAMUK Director of Marketing and Communications Adriana Garza-Flores. The historic 6666 Ranch -- a more than 142,000-acre west Texas property featured on Paramount drama "Yellowstone" -- has a new owner. The massive Guthrie-area ranch was purchased by a group led by Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan, according to Fort Worth Report. The historic Texas property, often dubbed the Four Sixes Ranch, first appeared in season four of "Yellowstone." It could be the central location for new "Yellowstone" spinoff "6666." Texans used to be so audacious. Consider the fast and furious response in the wake of the Sharpstown stock fraud and bribery scandal in the early 1970s that toppled the upper echelons of the ruling political establishment, from Democratic Party leadership to the governors mansion to the House of Representatives. Voters threw the bums out, even some who had nothing to do with the shameful imbroglio, and elected honest leaders who helped pass the most significant ethics and open government legislation in Texas history, including our first open records law. How far weve fallen. Texans have twice elected, and may do so again this year, an attorney general who despite his own long-hovering indictment and other scandals, has repeatedly made a mockery of the Texas Public Information Act. Plenty of Ken Paxtons predecessors took pride in enforcing it. Fellow Republican John Cornyn focused much of his first U.S. Senate campaign on his record championing Texas sunshine law and at least early on during his tenure as attorney general, Gov. Greg Abbott did the job admirably, too. Both Cornyn and Abbott were awarded the prestigious Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas James Madison Award. Paxtons lack of passion, and perhaps even disdain, for the publics right to know has been so obvious that local governments and law enforcement agencies looking to hide documents or slow-walk records requests have found an ally in the attorney general. Even in cases where hes defended the Texas Public Information Act against those looking to weaken it, including Boeing and the Greater Houston Partnership, he lost the cases. And now, Paxton, the states top enforcer of Texas open records law, has been found to have violated it himself. Last spring, five Texas newspapers, including the Houston Chronicle, asked Paxtons office for all work-related texts and emails sent and received while he was in Washington on Jan. 6. Paxton, who remains one of the former presidents most ardent sycophants, was on the bill that ignominious morning, rousing the crowd as a Trump warm-up act during the White House rally a few hours before the Capitol invasion. His wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, stood beside him as he urged the crowd never to quit fighting. The newspapers wanted to know whether Paxton was in communication with any of the rallys organizers or whether he had been in touch with former President Donald Trumps inner circle. Not surprisingly, the AG resisted the request. Last week, Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza ruled that Paxton was in violation of the law and gave him four days to comply with the newspapers request. The DA is still waiting. While state law says the newspapers, on behalf of the public, have a right to the information, Paxton says, in effect, that his reputation, however tattered, trumps the publics right to know. The Texas Public Information Act, once considered a model among state sunshine laws although it has been considerably eroded by the Legislature and unfavorable court rulings, is designed to make information available to the public, even if its information that officials keep on their phones or their online accounts. The attorney generals duty to enforce the open records law a classic fox-in-the-hen house scenario under this AG has an exception when it comes to complaints that involve state agencies. They can either be handled by the attorney general or the Travis County district attorney. The newspapers filed their complaint with the Travis County DA, since their complaint was against the AG himself. The Travis County district attorney took an important step today by holding Attorney General Ken Paxton accountable for failing to release public records involving his office records that we believe are important for the public to know, Maria Reeve, the Chronicles executive editor, said last week. The free flow of public information and records helps keep our democracy functioning, helps ensure transparency and keeps government leaders such as Mr. Paxton accountable to taxpayers. Although politicians and public officials invariably nose around for loopholes, the Texas Public Information Act and the Texas Open Meetings Act are relatively stringent. Theyve been on the books for more than 40 years. A Chronicle editorial last month underscored how open-government requirements are supposed to work. The focus of the editorial was Chapter 313, a state program that allows wealthy corporations to keep a portion of their property values off school district tax rolls for a decade, when property values are often at their peak. The program, while benefiting some districts, has been a $10 billion boondoggle for the state overall. Abbott and state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, were among state officials who were aware the program was rife with abuse, and, to their credit, had so acknowledged it before the Legislature killed it last session. Chronicle reporters John Tedesco and Mike Morris also were aware. How? Because a paper trail of public records existed to prove it. It was a trail paved with disclosure forms that companies were required by law to submit to the Texas Comptrollers Office. But, as the Chronicle reported, after the Legislature passed a bill to phase out the wasteful Chapter 313 program, Comptroller Glenn Hegar proposed reducing information his office collects and makes publicly available on it. The news was troubling because companies were still flooding the office with applications. Reducing scrutiny by cutting off information in the programs final days could be a prelude to reviving the program in a future session. Without robust, recent data, it would be hard for journalists and concerned lawmakers to push back. Hegar, a former Republican state legislator from Katy, has been a largely estimable elected official especially by Paxtons standards but on this issue he was wrong. Hes also a politician open to reason and the law. We were delighted to learn Friday when we checked in with him that hes changed his mind about the rule curtailing access to Chapter 313 data. Im not going to adopt it as proposed, he told the editorial board. We are working through trying to find a way of trying to make this process transparent but more efficient. He said moving data collection online may help ease the burden on his staff but, bottom line: The data that people are concerned about or want is still going to be available. Good move, Mr. Comptroller. Can you talk some sense into your fellow Republican in the AGs office? We wont hold our breath. Even as Paxton resists the Travis County DAs request, hes dragging his feet on disclosing campaign donations from the past six months. Its been more than a week since he was required to report them to the Texas Ethics Commission. Paxtons penchant for secrecy, and for disregarding the law, is a reminder that democracy is a participatory enterprise. We, the people, choose our representatives and have a right to know how they govern. Maybe its a bother to public officials, but public information is an integral part of their jobs. We, the people, must be able to find out what theyre doing as they conduct business on our behalf. Paxton may not know it, but thats how democracy works. South Africa: Didiza pleased with SA summer crop planting Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister, Thoko Didiza, is pleased with South Africa's summer crop plantings estimates despite the heavy rains. Didiza said that the 2021/22 agricultural season started with rising concerns that floods would damage crops in provinces, including North West, Free State, and parts of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Also, farmers in various regions worried they wouldn't complete the usual area for their produce, [and] negatively affect the agricultural economy. Through their resilience and dedication, South African farmers pushed through the heavy rains and continued to plant even beyond the usual optimal planting windows, which ends in November for the eastern regions of South Africa and in December for the western areas, Didiza said. The estimates released by the departments Crop Estimates Committee, shows that the 2021/22 summer crop plantings are 4,21 million hectares, which is 0,4% more than the 2020/21 production season. It also shows that there is a relatively decent area across summer crops and well above the average area for some. This data is comforting and the first bit of information that suggests that while the recent rains have been destructive in many regions, South Africa's food security is still protected. The weather conditions for the next two months remain critical for the ultimate crop yields for the 2021/22 season. We remain optimistic that there will be reasonably good yields and, after that, sufficient crop harvest for our needs and neighbouring countries. I thank all the farmers that planted in these challenging past few weeks [and] our thoughts are also with the farmers that lost crops due to floods, the Minister said. She added that the department is collecting information on the areas that have experienced damage, and will work tirelessly to assist within the limits of available resources. Summer crops comprise maize, sunflower seed, soybeans, groundnut, sorghum, and dry beans. - SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-01-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. NFTs featuring Chinese culture heat up as Chinese Lunar New Year nears People's Daily Online) 16:32, January 28, 2022 Many Chinese technology and Internet companies are launching non-fungible tokens (NFTs) associated with traditional Chinese culture these days as the Chinese Lunar New Year draws near, igniting Chinese buyers enthusiasm. Photo shows NFTs featuring the warriors on the Xian City Wall. (Photo/Xian City Wall scenic spot) A total of 24 museums have launched 3D digital collectibles or will join the bandwagon before the Chinese Lunar New Year on the Jingtan app developed by Alibaba's fintech affiliate Ant Group. Besides, a total of 36 NFTs of museum collection items and one item themed on Chinas aerospace industry have been and will be launched on the platform between Jan. 19 and Jan. 31, which falls on Chinese New Year's eve. Chinas tech giant Baidu has launched and will continue launching special edition collector NFTs. Digital collectibles from Henan Museum in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, the Nanjing Museum Administration in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, and the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province will feature different cultural relics related to the tiger, in this way welcoming the Year of the Tiger. These collectibles are available for purchase on the Jingtan platform. Buyers can also obtain these collectibles by collecting five different virtual cards of the Chinese character Fu on Alibabas Alipay app. The burgeoning market for NFTs has triggered a shopping spree. A total of 10,000 copies of a NFT featuring a green jade vase from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) with a bird pattern on it were sold out immediately after being made available on Ant Groups Jingtan platform on Jan. 25. Baidu, which initiated plans to launch one item from a NFT series every day from Jan. 22 to Jan. 31, has also attracted many participants. There are some key factors driving the recent digital collectibles craze. According to Su Xiaorui, a senior analyst with Beijing-based market research consultancy Analysys, the NFTs are the brainchild of their creator, and are therefore worth collecting. In addition, NFTs are unique cryptographic tokens that exist on a blockchain and cannot be replicated. The shift towards the Metaverse has also somehow fueled the craze, too. The NFT industry continued to expand rapidly in 2021, with both Internet and traditional companies venturing into this newfangled area. Some large companies, such as Chinese tech giants Ant Group and Tencent, have launched their own platforms, while other players in the field such as Baidu, tech company Xiaomi, e-commerce giant JD.com, and ByteDance, the parent company of the popular video platform TikTok, have also launched their own digital collectibles. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) No one is quite sure when (and if) Wendy Williams will return to her eponymous chatfest. But in the meantime, the show will go on with a new line up of guest hosts throughout the month of February, following the extended absence of the daytime diva due to ongoing health issues. Advertisement Wendy Williams is out through February at least. (Dominik Bindl/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows) Producers of the nationally syndicated talk show announced that Williams hiatus will continue through February and into early March, as the slate of the month-long slate of guest hosts kick off with comedian Michael Rapaport Jan. 31 through Feb. 4. The 51-year-old Atypical actor had to abruptly cancel a near-week long guest host stint earlier this month after contracting COVID. Advertisement Hip hop stars Fat Joe and Remy Ma will also return as guest hosts from Feb. 7-11, followed by the vivacious multi-hyphenate Bevy Smith and former TV personality Terrence J from February 14-18. Emmy Award-winning funnywoman Sherri Shepherd, who previously scored high ratings as a guest host and has been talked of as a possible permanent replacement, will return from Feb. 21 through Feb. 25. From left to right: Bevy Smith, Sherri Shepherd and Remy Ma (Getty Images) Rapaport is scheduled to return as a guest host from Feb. 28 through March 4. Williams has been absent from the Debmar-Mercury-produced show since the start of its 13th season; she was originally expected to return on for the Sept. 20 premiere, which ended up postponed three times due to her alleged COVID-19 diagnosis, as well as ongoing medical issues. The 57-year-old Asbury Park, N.J., native has openly discussed her cocaine habit and battle with Graves disease, an autoimmune disease that causes an overactive thyroid. The former Black radio shock jock was last seen publicly during a December paparazzi opportunity as she exited a Miami wellness facility and making her way to an SUV. It can be easy to criticize cops these days. Too easy. Yes, of course, what happened at Harding Street and other cases of police corruption and brutality deserve condemnation. But for every such case, there are many thousands of sworn officers strapping on their guns every morning, or every night, in cities and rural areas across America, risking their own lives so the rest of us can lead ours in peace. The men and women who wear the badge get too little thanks for that a failing painfully brought home this week in Harris County, where Precinct 5 constables deputy Cpl. Charles Galloway was shot to death on Sunday during a traffic stop. The bitter tide continued through Thursday, when three Houston Police Department officers were shot near Third Ward as they sought to arrest a man said to have shot up his girlfriends house. Mayor Sylvester Turner said late Thursday afternoon all three officers were in stable condition following the shootings, and said all are expected to survive. For that we must all be deeply grateful. Those who swear the oath know that violence is part of the job, especially in a state where its easier to buy a gun than to vote. But increasingly in Houston and across the country, the risk of death or injury in the line of duty seems greater than any officer should have to face. The day before Galloways murder, a man who later confessed to killing his father stabbed one of HPDs police dogs, Nate, during an arrest. Also on Saturday, Texas DPS Special Agent Anthony Salas died in what authorities called a tragic accident while working an operation along the border. The day before, in New York City, two NYPD officers in their 20s were shot as they responded to a domestic call. Officer Jason Rivera died at the scene and his partner, Wilbert Mora died Thursday of his injuries. Thirty-eight years of law enforcement, I've never seen the challenges that we are facing now, Harris County Precinct 5 Constable Ted Heap said this week on Fox & Friends. It may be too easy to say things are fundamentally different for police officers now. Certainly, its too early in the new year to draw any conclusions about 2022. And officers have always performed under enormous risks. Just five years ago last summer, five police officers in Dallas were murdered by a lone gunman, to cite just one dreadful example. But things do feel different. Data show that violence against officers was much higher last year than in previous years. The FBI database of attacks on law enforcement says that 73 officers were feloniously killed in 2021. That compares to 46 the year before. Only twice in the eight years before had the number reached into the 50s. We live in dangerous times, Mayor Turner said in a statement Thursday just before he headed to the hospital, and it will take all of us working together to make our city safe." Thats the truth. And all of us means both citizens who have been protesting for better policing at least since the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, and those who have condemned the Black Lives Matter protests. Both sides and all of us must recognize that any violent attack against one another or against officers is unacceptable in a peaceful society. Its a breach of the covenant that allows us all to lead lives of meaning and safety. Another thing thats unacceptable is a hobbled criminal justice system like weve got in Harris County where weve seemed to go from an abusive, lock em all up culture that discriminated against the poor and petty offenders to a culture of too many chances, where massive court backlogs and some overly lenient judges are allowing dangerous people to roam our streets and offend again. Theres a middle ground called justice and weve got to find it. Otherwise, we will all continue to live in danger, but especially the police officers on the front lines. Chief Troy Finner of the HPD called on everyone to take an active role. Get intentional in doing whatever you can do to fight gun violence in our city, he said at a Thursday evening press conference. No more excuses. This week, our sympathies and concerns are with the officers who risk so much. They need our support as they struggle against a rising tide of violent crime. Those of us who care about improving policing can and must do two things at the same time: demand fairness and accountability in the ranks and also demand that officers have the resources they need to protect our communities, and themselves. Regarding Latino leaders plan lawsuit to change 'gross' underrepresentation in Houston City Council, (Jan. 24): All I can say about the suit against Houston by LULAC is great idea and about time! It's true that Latinos are badly underrepresented, but so is everyone else except real estate developers. Chicago is only 15 percent larger than Houston, but instead of having 11 neighborhood representatives there are 50. Say what you want about Chicago corruption, the alderman's office was walking distance from everyone in the district. My representative Abbie Kamin has a district that stretches from south of Bellaire to north of Brookhollow and bears an uncanny resemblance to an amphibian. Doubling the size of City Council and eliminating at-large positions would be a good start to having better representation for all Houstonians. Susan Miller Jackson, Houston Police shootings Regarding Editorial: Harris County shouldn't toss misdemeanor bail reform, (Jan. 26) and 3 Houston police officers wounded in shootout near Third Ward, (Jan. 27): I am sitting here watching the live reports about the three HPD officers who were shot. While watching this, I went back and reread your editorial, where you praised voters who tossed out every Republican judge on the district bench, civil and criminal, and elected a Democratic majority on the Commissioners Court. These new officials had campaigned in support of bail reform, and once elected made haste in reaching a settlement, saying that they did the right thing in addressing Harris Countys overreliance on cash bail. I agree that misdemeanor bail reform was necessary. However, I dont agree with these social justice warrior judges and commissioners who seem to be blurring the distinction between misdemeanor and felony crimes. Homicides and other felonious crimes are on the rise, and the police cant finish their arrest paperwork before these judges are releasing them. Sam Kamas, Houston Supreme Court Regarding Biden's high court pledge shows growing power of Black women, (Jan. 27): Another Biden blunder - declaring that he would only nominate a black woman as a candidate for Supreme Court. Talk about discrimination! It is ironic that in his effort to promote equality, he shunned it. He could have, after interviewing many candidates, put up his recommendation, who happened to be a Black woman justice. I guess he never heard of the Bakke decision from the Supreme Court. It has been ruled that racial quotas are unconstitutional. (This applies to all races.) Tommye Torian, Houston Russia Regarding Opinion: No to war with Russia. We just got out of Afghanistan. (Jan. 27): For anyone paying attention, Putin, who stays in power by killing and locking up those who oppose him, is a master at causing and funding chaos in democracies while appeasing dictatorships. So far, his actions have come at little cost. By not having to pay for his interference in our 2016 presidential election and by Trump bowing to him in Helsinki, his ego and power have been elevated. He continues to play his games by threatening Ukraine. It may be just another stunt to cause chaos and division, if so the hell with him. But, if not, we we should come together as a nation with our allies and finally make him pay. Robert Lange, Houston Immigration Regarding Editorial: Abbott's play wall made the border worse. Real reform starts in D.C. (Jan. 25): I will preface my statements by stating I am opposed to illegal immigration. Politicians are once again basing their platform on controlling or eradicating illegal immigration. What they are not addressing are sources, such as hotel chains, construction and landscaping companies, produce farmers, and restaurants that create the demand for these individuals. The basic tenet of Economics 101 is supply and demand. Aforementioned businesses create the demand and illegal immigration creates the supply. As long as lawmakers refuse to acknowledge businesses' ongoing contribution to demand, there will be no cessation of illegal supply of workers. Businesses must be held accountable through heavy fines and/or jail sentences. Laws must be enacted to enforce this issue. Left unregulated, this demand will continue to exacerbate the problem at our border. Rogelio Saucedo, Montgomery Sundays essay about the International Space Station gave an incorrect date for Axiom Spaces Ax-1 orbital flight. The launch date is March 31. While Justice Stephen G. Breyer has not given his reasons for leaving the court, he may have learned some lessons from Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburgs fateful decision to remain on the bench into President Donald Trumps term. Despite his desire that the court not be viewed as a political body, Breyer appears to have bowed, in the end, to political reality. Ginsburg reportedly said in her last days in 2020 that it was her most fervent wish that Trumps successor, not Trump, select her replacement. Among other reasons, Ginsburg may have had in mind Trumps promise to appoint justices who would overrule Roe v. Wade. While Ginsburg had nuanced thoughts about Roe, in a dissent in a 2007 case she wrote that womens ability to realize their full potential . . . is intimately connected to their ability to control their reproductive lives. But Ginsburg chose not to retire while President Barack Obama was in office despite frequent calls for her to do so. So, when Ginsburg died in September 2020, Trump got to nominate Amy Coney Barrett to replace her, and Republican senators quickly confirmed Barrett (even as absentee ballots were being cast in the presidential race). Sure enough, with Barrett on the court, the court allowed Texas to effectively nullify the right to an abortion. The court left in place and continues to leave in place a law that makes it impossible for women in the nationals second most populous state to obtain abortions more than six weeks after their last period. Breyer had a front-row seat at that tragedy. He saw firsthand the vigor with which a Republican-chosen successor (and her fellow conservative justices) quickly undid so much jurisprudence that Ginsburg held dear in ways that went well beyond womens reproductive autonomy. Consider voting rights. In 2013, when the Supreme Court invalidated a key piece of the Voting Rights Act, the so-called preclearance requirement (which required certain states with histories of racial discrimination to obtain permission before changing their voting laws), Ginsburg warned about a resurgence of second-generation barriers to minority voting, such as voter identification requirements or discriminatory legislative districting. Sure enough, after the dismantling of the preclearance requirement, states enacted a host of voting restrictions. Then, with Barrett in the majority, the Supreme Court made it easier for states to keep those restrictions in place by watering down the remaining protections in the Voting Rights Act. Breyers judicial philosophy overlaps considerably with Ginsburgs, and he has watched as his conservative colleagues have set about tearing down legal structures he helped to build. He, too, has written opinions protecting womens ability to procure an abortion. But he also has his own areas of special interest. Before he arrived on the bench, he was a scholar of the administrative state and federal agencies. Breyer believes that the political branches that is, Congress and the president should be the ones to decide how policies are made, including through federal agencies, and that courts should largely get out of their way. As a justice, he has defended agencies authority to enact rules and regulations regarding health, safety and the environment, arguing that Congresss choice to give agencies decision-making authority reflects the reality that agencies, not Congress, often have the relevant expertise. They are also often the institutions best placed to act quickly and deftly in response to changing circumstances. Yet the newly appointed Republican justices appear interested in dismantling the modern administrative state. Earlier this month, the Republican-appointed justices invalidated a Occupational Safety and Health Administrations policy designed to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the workplace (a mandate that employees be vaccinated or tested regularly). At the beginning of this term, the Republican-appointed justices invalidated another federal policy created in response to the pandemic: the Center for Disease Controls moratorium on evictions. And the court is slated to hear a major case that will determine whether the Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to regulate greenhouse gases to address the looming threat of climate change. Breyer has also written impassioned dissents arguing that the government has the constitutional authority to consider race when it seeks to address the persistent effects of racial discrimination in this country. He believes that universities may consider an applicants race in admissions decisions and that school districts may consider race in assigning children to schools, describing these issues as touching on the nature of a democracy that must work for all Americans. Yet last week, the court ominously said it would hear two cases addressing the question of whether universities may consider an applicants race as part of an holistic admissions decision. The court may be preparing to rule that public and private universities are forbidden to consider race even when trying to rectify past racial discrimination. As Ginsburg did, Breyer has resisted calls for him to retire. But hes surely seen the writing on the wall: Any Republican-selected successor would enthusiastically reverse decisions Breyer believes in, and undermine aspects of our government that he thinks helps it to function. Granted, Breyers retirement will not stop the Supreme Court from destroying the administrative state, as Breyer understands it, or curtailing reproductive rights or outlawing race-conscious remedies for racial discrimination. But the timing of his decision ensures that he wont be replaced by someone who rejects ideals and legal values that he stands for. It ensures that he wont repeat the error of his friend Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Leah Litman is an assistant professor of law at the University of Michigan and host of the Supreme Court podcast Strict Scrutiny. This piece was published by the Washington Post. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate More than 200,000 people have petitioned for the release of three Rio Grande Valley teenagers accused of beating to death a man they believed had sexually assaulted an underage family member. An online petition on Change.org which obtained 230,000 signatures as of 9 a.m. Friday asks Gov. Greg Abbott and the state to release Alejandro Trevino, Christian Trevino and Juan Eduardo Melendez. The three 18-year-olds were arrested Sunday in Pharr in connection with the death of 42-year-old Gabriel Quintanilla. Police found Quintanillas body in a McAllen field on Jan. 20. Pharr Police Chief Juan Gonzalez, speaking at a press conference posted on YouTube, said an underage girl related to Alejandro and Christian Trevino made an outcry earlier on Jan. 20 that Quintanilla had touched her inappropriately at an RV park. Read more: Brothers accused of fatally beating stepfather for allegedly sexually abusing girl Quintanilla was Christian and Alejandro Trevinos stepfather, the chief said. Gonzalez said the brothers became enraged when they heard about the accusations and confronted their stepfather at their home. Several assaults occurred, resulting in Quintanilla suffering severe head trauma. Gonzalez said the teenagers left him possibly alive and badly beaten in the field, where he was found dead. Christian Trevino and Melendez, who are accused of delivering the fatal blows, were charged with capital murder, aggravated assault and engaging in organized criminal activity. Alejandro Trevino was charged with aggravated assault and engaging in organized criminal activity. Bail for each of the suspects is set at over $1 million. People commenting on the online petition were united in saying that the three should not be punished for killing Quintanilla. When everyday citizens act to protect innocent people from these monsters they should not be punished. Let these boys go now, one person said. Petitions on Change.org carry no legal obligation for authorities to act. According to the site, its purpose is to engage decision-makers to compel them to respond to the public demand generated by each campaign. taylor.pettaway@express-news.net Wait! Before you go Please sign up for our Evening Digest and Breaking Newsletters Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. 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. ACPI / x86: Drop PWM2 device on Lenovo Yoga Book from always present table The only single release checklist youll ever need Learn some tips and tricks on how to release your next single from an experienced professional. A guest post by Brian Hazard frpom Passive Promotion. Ive been releasing a new track every 4-6 weeks for some time now, and I daresay Ive got it down to a science. I upload the track to DistroKid a month or so before release, then work my way through the checklist below. Many of the items wont apply to you, but theyre sure to give you some ideas! Solicit Spotify Canvas A canvas is a 3-8 second video that loops during the song on the Spotify mobile app. You can see how many users viewed your canvas in Spotify for Artists: 28-day new album stats (click to enlarge) Youll notice that views dont always scale with streams or listeners, maybe because playlist streams tend to be background listening? I dont know what to make of the data, and I dont know that having a canvas helps in any meaningful way. My doubts notwithstanding, I routinely hire Walker Dunn to create a canvas for new songs, which he repurposes for YouTube. Heres a recent example:https://www.youtube.com/embed/uOceLf8cuNw?feature=oembedrepurposed canvas by Walker Dunn Visuals Ill often test out the canvas in ad campaigns too, though videos with less motion tend to perform better. Pitch to Spotify and Amazon Music Ive never once been added to an editorial playlist, but I still pitch every track as soon as I can. You probably know by now that you can pitch to Spotify editors through Spotify for Artists, but did you know you can pitch to Amazon Music too? Amazon for Artists Spotify URI to Rise Ive been promising a review of Rise for some time now, but theyre in the process of a nearly complete overhaul. In the meantime, Ive paid $225 per month for eight months, and here are my results: That one screenshot ambiguously captures the entirety of their current reporting. Some of the numbers refer to a single track while others reflect my entire eight months on the platform. Rise executes pre-saves for each of my new tracks if I provide the Spotify URI ahead of the release date. The last single before my album release went through that pre-save cycle twice, for 9.2K pre-saves in total! I cant tell if it helps or hurts. They forgot to execute pre-saves for one of my singles, yet it performed about the same as the rest. Upload to SoundCloud, YouTube, Bandcamp I generally use the same track description across platforms, so its convenient to just upload to all three of them in one fell swoop. For SoundCloud and YouTube, I use a Mac text expansion app called aText to quickly append my social media links after the lyrics. I set YouTube to unlisted and SoundCloud and Bandcamp to private, then copy the SoundCloud share URL for pitching. Test Facebook Ads with Captions I like to have a fully-optimized ad campaign ready to launch on release day. To make that happen, I test out my ad copy and creative with a traffic campaign directing to my DistroKid Hyperfollow page. To keep costs low, I only target India, Indonesia, and The Philippines. Sometimes I get a few pre-saves, but mostly Im just trying to piece together a winning ad from multiple headlines, descriptions, and video assets using different parts of the song. In my limited testing, lyrics captions performed slightly better than without, so I use Rev to create them for a couple of bucks. They provide an SRT file that needs to be renamed to a Facebook-friendly format, like so: thelimitverse1.en_US.srt Once my testing is complete, I create a new campaign with a single ad, ready to turn on when the release goes live. For more on the subject, check out my Facebook Ads for Spotify Best Practices. Announce Pre-Save Most artists spend a lot of time and effort on this step, but these days, I rarely bother. I already get thousands of pre-saves through Rise, and I cant tell if it makes any difference. Even before Rise, I felt uncomfortable asking fans to grant control of their Spotify accounts to a company theyd never heard of. Recently I read a deep dive on the topic by RootNote that finally convinced me its not worth it. Pitch to SubmitHub Ive written twice about SubmitHub, most recently here. So many emotions! Discomfort, embarrassment, anger, humiliation, and every once in a while, jubilation. Still, it has to be done. My best performing song got a 22% acceptance rate: Id argue that this is the single most important step on the checklist. If your track gets universally shot down, at least you know not to waste your money on ads. One important piece of advice: upload your song as a high-quality mp3. The audio quality through SoundCloud is poor and YouTube is even worse. To my admittedly picky ears, its so bad that when Im curating Ill often just look up the song on Spotify. Early Spreadsheet Pitches I maintain a song pitching spreadsheet with the following columns: Outlet Name, Type, Followers, Listeners, Contact Name, Contact Email or Link, Date of Last Contact, Approvals, Notes Not every column applies to every outlet, depending on what type it is (blog, radio/podcast, YouTube, Spotify) The spreadsheet is separated into three main sections: Early Pitches, Release Day Pitches, Retired My approval percentage through direct pitches is roughly on par with SubmitHub. My only consistent acceptances come from a handful of genre-specific radio shows. Share YouTube with Mailing List As a perk for my mailing list subscribers, I like to share the song on YouTube a day early. Ill usually say something like, Ill be hanging out in the comments all day, so let me know what you think! With any luck, the video will have a solid chunk of likes and comments before I turn it loose on the public. Compose Email Blast I craft a short and sweet email with the same description I used for SoundCloud, YouTube, and Bandcamp, plus a too-big-to-miss LISTEN NOW button, followed by a special thanks to my producer-tier patrons. The button directs to a ToneDen Smart Link that I havent created yet because I dont have the Spotify URL. But thats okay because Ive got a custom domain set up! I can create the Smart Link later and point it to go.colortheory.com/songname. You may wonder why I dont just use my DistroKid Hyperfollow link. I prefer to use ToneDen for my ads and I want to send everyone to the same place. I schedule the email blast to fire at 6 a.m. PST on release day so that I can double-check that everything works the minute I wake up. Set SoundCloud, YouTube, and Bandcamp Public I usually do this before dinner, a few hours before the track goes live on Spotify at midnight EST. After setting the YouTube video public, I add it to any of my relevant playlists. I cant do it ahead of time because when I add unlisted videos to public playlists, people find them! I also add a pinned comment with a link to my ToneDen Smart Link. Bandcamp automatically sends out an email announcement shortly after setting the release to public, which usually generates a few sales. Update Show.co Once the track is live on SoundCloud, I update my Show.co campaign to swap in the new track. At one point the widget registered a stream upon each page load. I was getting thousands of plays every month via the blog embed, which was great social proof! Sadly, it looks like they fixed it. Now that the stream count is accurate, I could just as easily swap in a SoundCloud player and ditch Show.co entirely. Add Spotify Link to SubmitHub Weve reached the point where I need a Spotify URL to continue. I can usually snag it early via the profile tab of Spotify for Artists. I add the Spotify URL to SubmitHub by going to Submissions Submissions Ive Sent Edit This Song Additional Sources In a pinch, curators can always look up the URL themselves when they add your track to a playlist. But why risk it? Im an active SubmitHub curator myself, for my Vocal Synthwave Retrowave playlist. Apropos of nothing, here are my 2021 stats: You listened to 4,494 minutes of music You wrote 83,282 words of feedback You approved 475 songs and declined 1,399 Your most-approved genre was Synthwave (294) Update Spotify Playlists & Bio While Im at the Spotify for Artists profile tab, I can usually click through to my upcoming release and add it to my playlists. I add the song to the top of my Vocal Synthwave Retrowave playlist and my Color Theory Official Playlist. Then Ill copy the song description to my Spotify bio which links back to my aforementioned official playlist. Create ToneDen Smart Link Now that Ive got my Spotify URL, I can finally create a Smart Link for my scheduled email blast and Facebook ads. Check out an example here. Update Feature.fm Bio Link I prefer a Feature.fm bio link over Linktree for social media. Heres about half of mine: One of the features I like the most is the ability to embed a YouTube video at the bottom, which is where Ill usually swap in my latest release. Launch Facebook and Google Ads Okay, now its 9 p.m. my time = Midnight EST. The track is officially live on Spotify! The ads for my Facebook campaign should all be approved by now, so I flip the switch and let er rip. I also maintain a YouTube (Google Ads) campaign at $10 per day. When I release a new song, I duplicate the ad for my last one and swap in the new URL. Google Ads is messy and confusing, which is why Ive never written about it. As luck would have it, Ive got a review of YouTube Growth Engine lined up for next week. Stay tuned! Announce on Social Media Fast forward to 6 a.m. on release day. I check my phone in bed to make sure my email blast fired and that the link works. Next up, its time to tell the world about my new song! I share my ToneDen Smart Link on: Twitter Ill pin the tweet unless Ive got something more important going on Instagram post + story shared directly from Spotify, then added to my highlights YouTube under my community tab Facebook on my page, shared by my profile to my news feed + groups Bandcamp even though they already got a new release announcement yesterday Reddit just the r/newretrowave subreddit Discord a fan reliably shares my new releases, but if he didnt, I would Release Day Spreadsheet Pitches Some outlets cant be pitched to until the track is already released. The biggest category is Spotify curators that arent on SubmitHub like Indiemono, but theres also one particular blogger that prefers release-day pitches. If I were to attempt another influencer campaign, now would be the time. Ive previously reviewed Breakr and SpaceLoud, but Id likely do it on the cheap with SubmitHub. Add Song to Songtrust I wait to register each new song with Songtrust until its live on Spotify so that I can link to the recording. Songtrust will then register the song with ASCAP and 200+ other societies around the world. At some point, I also need to register the song with SoundExchange, but tend to do that in batches. Sync Lyrics in Musixmatch If you want lyrics to appear in Spotify, the easiest way to make that happen is the Musixmatch artist portal. You can also add them through DistroKid or through the regular Musixmatch site, but its more work. If youre looking for even more work, you can perform a word-by-word sync with the iPhone app. Personally, I think thats overkill, but maybe thats just my perfectionism talking. Its really hard to move your finger in time with the lyrics, and as a listener, I find it distracting to see individual words light up mostly in time. Email Follow-Up The following Tuesday I might send out another email blast asking if fans heard the song. More often itll end up as a p.s. at the bottom of a message on another topic. At this point, you could re-announce on social media or even to Bandcamp with some other angle. You could tell a story about how you created the song, what inspired it, what the lyrics mean, how its performing on Spotify so far, what playlists it got added to, etc. That would absolutely be my advice, but I rarely follow it. Ive already mentally moved on to the next piece in my content calendar. Check on Ads After four days, I usually have a pretty good idea of how my ads are performing. If theyre not doing well, I may turn them off. If theyre really not doing well, I may swap in the previous track at the top of my playlists. To put it in concrete terms, lets say Im paying $0.30 per conversion to send people to my official playlist with my new song at the top. If Ive got another song that only costs $0.10 per conversion, Id be better off swapping in that one and moving the new song further down the playlist. Tweet Download Codes Two weeks after release, Bandcamp sales have ground to a halt, so I like to share download codes on Twitter.https://twitter.com/colortheory/status/1459262959826264067 These tweets always generate ample profile views and link clicks. Even if they didnt, having a few more faces on my Bandcamp release page is always a good thing! Rinse & Repeat We made it! Now we get to do it all again and again, and again, every 4-6 weeks until we die. By that time, well have automated the entire process so that it can continue indefinitely, with our own personalized AI creating the songs. As ridiculously long as this checklist is, Im sure Ive skipped over plenty of opportunities. Maybe not in the early stages, but certainly post-release. Brian Hazard is a recording artist with over twenty years of experience promoting his eleven Color Theory albums, and head mastering engineer and owner of Resonance Mastering in Huntington Beach, California. His Passive Promotion blog emphasizes set it and forget it methods of music promotion. Catch more of his promotional escapades in his How Im Promoting My Music This Month email newsletter. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Brian get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Share on: Letter: Religious Liberty and Christian Nationalism To the Editor: For those of you who were able to stand with us on Jan. 6, in witness against the rising tide of Christian Nationalism (Christianity as the one state religion) and in favor of freedom of religion and voting rights for all, we extend a huge thank you for doing so. The threats are real. The danger to religious freedom is growing. At a Texas rally, Michael Flynn, a Trump ally, vigorously advocated: "If we are going to have one nation under God, which we must, we have to have one religion, one nation under God, and one religion under God." Speakers like Byron Fox, an evangelist touring with an organization called Faith Wins, sees the church as a battleship, that Christians are the persecuted ones, instilling fear of the Bible being outlawed, urging all Christians to be soldiers for Christ. Other speakers at national conferences and rallies are adherents of the Seven Mountains Dominionism, an ideology that calls explicitly for the domination of government and education by Christians. Signed: First Congregational Church Williamstown, Committee for Religious Liberty Betsy Burris Adrian Dunn Sherwood Guernsey David Langston Bridget Spann Molly the poodle appears at Wednesday's comfort dog presentation to the School Committee, which was broadcast on Pittsfield Community Television. Pittsfield School Committee OKs Comfort Dog Pilot Program PITTSFIELD, Mass. The School Committee has approved a comfort dog pilot program to support the well-being of students. Through a partnership between Berkshire Poodles, Berkshire Dogs Unleashed, and the school district, one to three dogs will be deployed to select schools by springtime. If that goes well, there is a possibility to have a four-legged friend in every school. The district's Health and Safety Coordinator Eric Lamoureaux and owner of both businesses Lee Kohlenberger presented a program overview to the committee on Wednesday. Molly the poodle joined them to vouch for the importance of pups in schools. She didn't have to do much persuading, as the proposal was approved unanimously. "I happen to believe that dogs have magical healing powers, so I really do support this," Mayor Linda Tyer said. "Especially at a time when we know that kids are struggling to readjust being back in school, for their social-emotional well being this is a way for them to find some comfort and friendship, and I just think it's really powerful." Similar to the Pittsfield Police Department's Officer Winston who was also donated by Berkshire Poodles the comfort dogs will be owned by the city and will live with a handler. Kohlenberger and his wife have also donated poodles to the Lenox Public School District and the Dalton Police Department. Comfort dogs are trained to be very calm, to lie quiet, and to sit to assist a person in emotional distress who is not a physical threat. Kohlenberger shared that a selectively mute child spoke for the first time in three years while holding Teddy, Lenox's comfort dog. "That's worth every donation, just helping one kid," he said. Poodles are ideal candidates because they are hypoallergenic and thrive on mental stimulation rather than physical exercise, he added. "Berkshire Poodles has been around breeding since 2010 and specifically looking at, as they raise the puppies, picking the right puppies for the program like this that go through that series of tests and then go through the training to specifically say, 'that's why we're picking these puppies, they're going to be what we're looking for,' and if they don't meet that, then they won't be part of the program," Lamoureaux said. Berkshire Dogs Unleashed will provide medical care expenses, boarding, and grooming and the district will be responsible for about $500 to $600 a year for food. There is a possibility that a non-profit will be able to cover that expense. Robotic Assistance Devices staff pose with ROAMEO, a security and concierge robot, at the 2021 IAAPA Expo. This unit is branded and destined for two Six Flags locations, where it will patrol the parking lot during the day and the park after hours (photo courtesy of RAD) Soon, guests strolling through Orlandos theme parks might find themselves walking alongside an unusual companion: a robotic security guard. If the machine is from Robotic Assistance Devices, as CEO Steve Reinharz hopes, it wont be easily mistaken for a person. Shaped more like the Mars Rover than the humanoid T-800 from Terminator, ROAMEO 2.0 short for the Rugged Observation Assistance Mobile Electronic Officer stands 6-and-a-half feet tall and gracefully cruises on four wheels despite its 750-pound mass. Advertisement But as these machines begin patrolling at amusement parks, they raise questions about employment, security and ethics. Though experts say robocops wont be taking human jobs anytime soon, they acknowledge their use has to be closely monitored. ROAMEO is fully autonomous and designed to work as a security and concierge service all in one. It includes cameras, a touch screen, speakers, a communication system and a call button. Advertisement Its artificial intelligence can sense when people are in restricted areas and even detect when they arent wearing face masks. Outside of security, ROAMEO can also act as a tour guide, giving directions and displaying information on ride wait times, Reinharz said. In the theme park environment, theyre going to look great, he said. Were going to put smiles on peoples faces. A ROAMEO unit is making the products theme park debut in Arlington, Texas, at Six Flags Over Texas this week as part of a pilot project, said Jason Freeman, Six Flags vice president of security and safety. Another robot is headed to Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, next week. Reinharz plans to deploy 100 of them this year, and his sights are set on Orlando. He said RAD is in talks with Orlando theme park companies but did not disclose specifics. I expect to be in at least one theme park in Orlando by the end of the calendar year, he said. Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Wahler said Disney is not in contact with RAD. Representatives for Central Floridas other major theme parks, including Universal, SeaWorld and Legoland, did not respond when asked about the possibility of autonomous security robots coming to their parks. Robotic Assistance Devices staff pose with ROAMEO, a security and concierge robot, at the 2021 IAAPA Expo. This unit is branded and destined for two Six Flags locations, where it will patrol the parking lot during the day and the park after hours (photo courtesy of RAD) Robot coworkers, not replacements ROAMEO and the rest of RADs security robotics line are designed to supplement human security personnel but can also perform the same duties as regular security staff, Reinharz said. We dont have some kind of mission of replacing security guards, he said. ... [I hope] the existing security guards who then have to use technology, their jobs and their careers get uplifted by that. Advertisement RADs security dealers have told Reinharz they are having trouble filling security positions, so he sees this technology as a way to close those gaps and fill security guard jobs that cant be filled by anybody else, he said. ROAMEO has an expected five-year lifespan, according to the company. The US. Bureau of Labor Statistics latest occupational outlook shows security guard jobs are projected to grow 15% from 2020 to 2030, adding 155,600 positions to the 1,067,700 tracked in 2020. These jobs pay around $15 per hour on average, BLS data show. RAD has not disclosed how much each ROAMEO costs. Recent public security job postings at Central Floridas theme parks show starting wages for security jobs range in compensation, from $13.50 per hour at Legoland to $16.50 at SeaWorld. At Six Flags, seasonal security worker wages range between $16 and $20 regionally, Freeman said. We are not looking to cut personnel, he said in an interview. Were looking to become efficient with what technology is out there. Advertisement Ronald Arkin, a leading roboticist and robo-ethics researcher, said it is unlikely security robots will completely replace human staff in the next few years, but they could lead to employee cuts. You still need efficient security people, just as you have right now, in a booth somewhere to do analysis of the data, he said. During its pilot program with RAD, Six Flags will deploy ROAMEO units to patrol parking lots during operational hours and let them roam the theme parks after close, Freeman said. The company has dubbed their units Parker and has given them nametags. Potential for abuse While autonomous security robots are a relatively new invention, some question their effectiveness and impact on privacy when used in public spaces. A June 2021 NBC News report on security robotics company Knightscope found little evidence its robots directly reduced crime when used by municipal police departments. Advertisement Robotic security is generally mundane and has been used since the 1980s, said Arkin, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. These machines increasing complexities also increase the opportunities for privacy issues. Unlike a human security guard, it does [generally] generate [and] store data, and the potential for abuse of any surveillance data is there, he said. But he said what robots gather is likely similar to data collected by security cameras, which are already widely used in public spaces. Freeman called ROAMEO a more intelligent security camera. Arkin said issues could arise if robots analyze their collected data and automatically react based on their own conclusions. Freeman said Six Flags robots are programmed to recognize when people are in a restricted area, but they will not be responding or collecting information on specific individuals. Its not looking at the person themselves, its looking at the activity that the persons doing and then notifying that theres a potential issue with that. And then our security folks will respond, he said. Advertisement With security robots starting their theme park shifts this week, Arkin said he would be interested to see how people respond. Theme parks attract global visitors of all ages, so they make a unique testing environment. Different cultures react differently to robots [and] different people react differently even within the same culture. Some might be afraid, some might be curious, some might be aggressive, some might be standoffish all kinds of potential reactions, he said. Itd be interesting to do a study in that particular space. krice@orlandosentinel.com and @katievrice on Twitter Molly the poodle attends Wednesday's presentation on a pilot comfort dog program for the Pittsfield Public Schools shown on Pittsfield Community Television. Pittsfield School Committee OKs Comfort Dog Pilot Program PITTSFIELD, Mass. The School Committee has approved a comfort dog pilot program to support the well-being of students. Through a partnership between Berkshire Poodles, Berkshire Dogs Unleashed, and the district, one to three dogs will be deployed to select schools by springtime. If that goes well, there is a possibility to have a four-legged friend in every school. The district's Health and Safety Coordinator Eric Lamoureaux and owner of both businesses Lee Kohlenberger presented a program overview to the committee on Wednesday. Molly the poodle joined them to vouch for the importance of pups in schools. She didn't have to do much persuading, as the proposal was approved unanimously. "I happen to believe that dogs have magical healing powers, so I really do support this," Mayor Linda Tyer said. "Especially at a time when we know that kids are struggling to readjust being back in school, for their social-emotional well being this is a way for them to find some comfort and friendship, and I just think it's really powerful." Similar to the Pittsfield Police Department's Officer Winston -- who was also donated by Berkshire Poodles -- the comfort dogs will be owned by the city and will live with a handler. Kohlenberger and his wife have also donated poodles to the Lenox Public School District and the Dalton Police Department. Comfort dogs are specifically trained to be very calm, to lie quietly, and to assist a person in emotional distress who is not a physical threat. Kohlenberger shared that a selectively mute child spoke for the first time in three years while holding Teddy, Lenox's comfort dog. "That's worth every donation, just helping one kid," he said. Poodles are ideal candidates because they are hypoallergenic and thrive on mental stimulation rather than physical exercise, he added. "Berkshire Poodles has been around breeding since 2010 and specifically looking at, as they raise the puppies, picking the right puppies for the program like this that go through that series of tests and then go through the training to specifically say, 'that's why we're picking these puppies, they're going to be what we're looking for,' and if they don't meet that, then they won't be part of the program," Lamoureaux said. Berkshire Dogs Unleashed will provide medical care expenses, boarding, and grooming and the district will be responsible for about $500 to $600 a year for food. There is a possibility that a non-profit will be able to cover that expense. Lamoureaux explained that two handlers would be ideal: a primary handler who assumes most of the responsibility and a secondary handler for backup. The primary handler -- and ideally the secondary handler -- will go through 24 weeks of training from the American Kennel Club to ensure the pup is a good canine citizen and to obtain a therapy dog title. District staff who are interested in becoming a handler will go through an interview process to determine the best fit. Lamoureaux cautioned that the title is much more than just having a dog. "It really has to be somebody committed that is going to not only do all these hours, you're taking this dog into your home, you have to do the homework that comes with training each week," he explained. "There is homework that's given, you're expected to do that so when you go back the next week, the dog is ready to go there." Superintendent Joseph Curtis said that as the district works through the pilot program, it will develop policies and regulations to bring back to the committee for consideration. Student representative William Garrity said that when Winston visited Taconic High School, students were excited and responded well. "I believe adding this program to our schools will be extremely beneficial for our students," he said. Vice Chair Daniel Elias did research on comfort dog programs after they became popular in the county and has found that it has a profound impact on students and adults. "I've just seen so much positive data just coming from other areas, not just only for the students, but for the staff, the anxiety, the stress, making them feel more welcome," he explained. "I think Winston has done an unbelievable job so far and I could only imagine what the possibilities for Pittsfield would be with it." Jeffrey J. Kellogg Joins SVMC Pownal Campus BENNINGTON, Vt. Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) welcomes Jeffrey J. Kellogg, PA-C, to the SVMC Pownal Campus and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Putnam Physicians. Kellogg holds a master's in Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Nebraska, an associate's in Physician Assistant Studies from Albany Medical College and Hudson Valley Community College, a master's in business administration from the University of Massachusetts, and a bachelor's in business administration from Saint Michael's College in Vermont. He proudly served in the United States Air Force 1994 1998 as an F-15 Fighter Crew Chief. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and certified by the National Committee on Certification of Physician Assistants. Since 2002, Kellogg has worked as a PA in a variety of internal medicine settings. He has worked in the primary and urgent care settings at Pittsfield Medical Associates since 2019. For 5 years previously, he was the lead provider at the Berkshire County Jail and House of Corrections. SVMC's Pownal Campus offers comprehensive medical care for the whole family. Its services include care for children and adults, obstetrics, health promotion and wellness programs, and on-site blood draw services. The office is located at 7237 Route 7 in Pownal. Appointments are available 8 a.m. 5 p.m. Monday Friday. Call 802-681-2780 for an appointment. MassDOT Launching New Speed Management Tools for Local Partners BOSTON MassDOT announced the launch of a new Safe Speed Website and municipal toolkit to help local partners address saftey issues. Additionally, Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) launched a new round of Shared Streets and Spaces grant funding for implementation of speed management, and free technical assistance is available too. Preliminary information for 2021 indicates more than 400 people died due to traffic-related crashes in Massachusetts the most roadway fatalities in one year in over a decade, and thousands of more people seriously injured. Evaluating the safety of streets and crash prevention are important regardless of roadway ownership, and MassDOT has worked in various communities across the Commonwealth to serve as a resource for municipalities looking to address local safety issues. "Working together with local partners, Massachusetts can reduce crashes, their severity, and design safer modern roadways that prevent serious injuries and save lives. MassDOT is proud to serve as a resource for municipalities to address any safety concerns," said Transportation Secretary and CEO Jamey Tesler, "Whether it's the technical and engineering expertise, or municipal grant funding to advance design and construction, MassDOT is continually developing more tools for communities like the new Safe Speed website to better address speed as the root cause of many crashes and their severity." Speed management is an approach to address safety issues as the speed people drive correlates to the likelihood of severe injuries or fatalities. Additionally, effective speed management is critical for creating streets that work for everyone, making streets comfortable for people to be able to travel by car, and wheelchair, bicycle, stroller, foot, bus, or other mobility device. A few miles per hour difference can make a big impact on a person's chance of survival in a crash. Higher speed crashes are more forceful than lower speed crashes, resulting in more damage to the driver, passengers, the vehicle, and people and property outside of the vehicle. As speed increases, people driving lose the ability to properly observe their immediate surroundings as their field of vision narrows, and drivers require longer distances to come to a stop. The leading threat to the safety of pedestrians is the speed of vehicles and every person is a pedestrian at some point in their travels even if they are just walking from their parked car to their destination. "MassDOT is excited to be launching this speed management website as the site will offer new ideas for communities seeking to make their roads safer," said Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. "The new resources will help identify risks and support more rapid implementation of meaningful solutions." The website includes detailed information about speed management and steps on collecting information, establishing target speeds, implementing roadway treatments, educational information about the relationship between speed and safety, and funding resources. The website has recommended steps for municipalities to implement speed management in communities: Collect information and analyze data. Collect information on current speeds, roadway uses, adjacent land use, and safety. It is important to review existing speed limits to identify places where speed limits no longer match the land use context, roadway design, and safety for all existing and potential roadway users. Establish a target speed. Determine a target speed, the highest operating speed at which drivers should operate on a roadway in a specific context. Design for speed control and separation through roadway treatments. Select roadway treatments based on target speed, existing speeds, and use of the roadway to effectively self-enforce driving speeds, bringing all vehicle speeds closer to the target speed. Where land use and context support higher operating speeds, more separation is needed to reduce the risk of high-speed collision by keeping vulnerable road users those not protected by an enclosed vehicle apart from cars and trucks. Raise awareness. Promote a community-wide safe-speed culture by crafting educational messages that raise awareness about the relationship between speed and safety, implementing roadway treatment changes and safety zones. Conveying the risks of speed and the benefits of speed management design is especially important with new drivers. Set speed limits. Set speed limits through speed zoning. Learn how MassDOT works with municipalities to set enforceable speed limits. If the enforceable speed limit is higher than the target speed plan for speed management implementation and an iterative approach to achieve the best results. Funding to help with projects leading to speed management: Shared Streets and Spaces Program: A growing competitive grant program for municipalities and transit authorities in support of public health, safe mobility, and renewed commerce in municipalities. The program funds a broad range of projects, allowing municipalities to easily rethink their transportation networks and implement unique improvements that suit their needs. Project types include bicycle and pedestrian facilities, outdoor dining, and programing infrastructure, to transit improvements. Launched a new funding round Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, with applications due March 1, 2022. Includes project type focused on speed management for implementation of new municipal tool kit. Program funded with $20 million and continues the partnership with the Barr Foundation to provide municipalities with free Technical Assistance throughout the application process. The Complete Streets Funding Program: Encourages, educates, and provides funding to communities to incorporate Complete Streets principles into regular local planning and design practices, ensuring safe and accessible travel for all local roadway users regardless of age or ability. The program offers technical assistance and construction project grants to incentivize permanent change. Since 2016, the program has awarded a total of $77.4 million through 418 grant awards. Funded $50 million Municipal Small Bridge Program: Provides financial support for the replacement, preservation, and rehabilitation of small bridges across the Commonwealth. Program offers grants for both design and construction funding. Will relaunch and begin accepting new applications from February 1, 2022, through April 1, 2022. Program relaunch, funded at $95 million, will offer communities more support than ever before by connecting design awardees directly with MassDOT design consultants. This is just another example of MassDOT providing support to municipalities beyond just funding. Municipal Pavement Program: A new funding program that targets improvements to the condition of municipally owned state numbered routes. Project types include resurfacing, mill and overlay, preservation, and other pavement improvement work on local roadways. Based on pavement condition data, MassDOT annually selects the roadway segments to be improved, in coordination with the municipality, by MassDOT contractors to make the process as easy as possible for communities. This new program, funded at $125 million, will fund and perform the work. Starting this year, with a $15 million investment, will improve over 100 miles of pavement this year alone. The Local Bottleneck Reduction Program: A new program that funds innovative solutions to local congestion bottlenecks at signalized intersections to improve traffic flow and safety. Typical projects could include signal retiming, Transit Signal Priority equipment, vehicle detection, and wireless coordination. Through this competitive grant program, MassDOT will work with municipalities and provide resources to complete and implement awarded projects. New program funded with $50 million. Candidates from the first round of applications are being evaluated via site visits in 20 communities. The Enzian theater is the only place to see the National Theatre Live series in Central Florida. If youre a British theater fan, youll definitely want to check out the 2022 Spring Season of the National Theatre Live series, which kicks off next weekend at Enzian and includes professionally shot versions of some of the most popular National Theatre stage productions of recent years. The lineup this year includes high definition encore screenings of 2012s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time on Feb. 9 and 2015s A View From the Bridge starring Mark Strong on March 5. New for 2022 is The Book of Dust which takes place inside Phillip Pullmans fantastical His Dark Materials universe it will be broadcast on April 30. Advertisement In an email, Enzian Programming Director Matthew Curtis said, We are thrilled to present this new season of National Theatre Live at Enzian over the next 3 months. He added that the theater is especially proud to present the first new National Theatre Live production in several years with The Book of Dust. Everyones looking forward to this dark fantasy from the creator of the legendary His Dark Materials trilogy! Enzian is the only theater in Central Florida showing the National Theater Live series, so if you are interested in any of these titles, youll want to make sure you reserve your seats early. Each one-day-only showing begins at 11 a.m. Tickets are now on sale and are $20 (plus fees) per performance when purchased online. Advertisement Season passes to attend all National Theatre Live performances are now available as well, and offer not only discounted admission ($49.50 for the three-performance series) but also include a complimentary glass of house wine at each show. All screenings take place at Enzian Theater, 1300 S. Orlando Ave. in Maitland. For more information and to purchase tickets, you can visit enzian.org/films/special-programs/national-theatre-live. Want to reach out? Email me at akondolojy@orlandosentinel.com. For more fun things, follow @fun.things.orlando on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter State Attorney Monique H. Worrell holds a press conference to announce the results of the investigation into the Salaythis Melvin shooting, on Friday, January 28, 2022. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel) The Orange County deputy sheriff who shot 22-year-old Salaythis Melvin in the back as he fled through the Florida Malls parking lot in August 2020 sparking weeks of protests will not be prosecuted for the killing, Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell said Friday. During an afternoon press conference, Worrell said there was no evidence to disprove that Deputy James Montiel was in fear for his safety when he fired at Melvin. She said video evidence in the case also backed up the deputys claim that Melvin had a gun in his hand. Advertisement We have concluded that we cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Cpl. Montiel committed a crime in this case, Worrell said. My deepest sympathies go out to Salaythis Melvins family. I know this is not the result that theyve been looking for and that they feel that they have been denied justice. Worrell said she believes Montiel and all the parties involved could have taken different actions that could have resulted in Salaythis Melvin being alive today. Advertisement She said her decision was a legal decision and not a moral one, adding that she knew it would disappoint some but she was elected to conduct a fair and unbiased review of cases involving police accountability, which may not always result in prosecution. As a Black woman who is the mother of Black sons, I understand that anger and I understand that frustration, she said. ... I stand before you with a heavy heart more committed than ever to bringing positive and meaningful change to our community. Carius Haynes, attorney for Salaythis Melvin's family, talks to the media following a press conference by State Attorney Monique H. Worrell on Friday, January 28, 2022. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel) The frustration she anticipated was apparent among activists and supporters of Melvins family who gathered at the courthouse complex to denounce Worrells decision with some calling for her removal from office. You cant shoot me in the back when Im running from you and I cant shoot you in the back, so why does the officer get a pass? said Carlus Haynes, an attorney for Melvins family. Because our prosecutor doesnt have the cojones to say, Im filing these charges. Haynes said members of the State Attorneys Office informed the family of Worrells decision about an hour before the press conference but the state attorney wasnt on the call. Salaythis Melvin, 22 You couldnt look this mother in the eye and say, Maam, Im sorry, Haynes said. You sent somebody to do it, but now youre gonna stand in front of the press and make it look like you did such a thorough job. They made it much more complicated than it had to be. In a statement, Sheriff John Mina said he agreed with Worrells decision. Ultimately, while this brings the criminal portion to a close, a young man in our community lost his life, and we continue to extend our condolences to his family and all who have been affected by his death, Mina said. Advertisement Montiel and several other deputies, who were in plainclothes and driving unmarked vehicles, converged on Melvin and three of his friends as they exited the mall about noon Aug. 7, 2020. Three of the four fled, but two were soon caught, while Melvin kept running. As Montiel exited his vehicle, Melvin ran from him. Body-worn camera footage appeared to show the deputy halted his pursuit and took a shooting stance before firing at Melvin from about 30 feet away. Melvin collapsed to the pavement and later died at an area hospital. A Sheriffs Office report based on Montiels account said that Melvin turned his head toward the deputy as he fled while his hand was on a pistol in his waistband, which prompted Montiel to fire. Deputies said the gun Melvin was carrying was loaded and had been reported stolen. Worrell said Friday no witnesses aside from Montiel saw the full interaction and no footage exists to confirm or refute it. The state attorney presented a blurry still from a body-worn camera she said showed an object falling from Melvins hand when he was shot, which deputies later discovered was a tan firearm. Mr. Melvin not only had a gun but had removed the gun from his waistband and was holding it in his hand, she said. The Sheriffs Office released a photo of the gun on social media the day of Melvins killing but initially withheld the body-worn camera footage of the incident, before relenting after 11 days of protests outside the mall and mounting pressure from activists. Advertisement The videos that were eventually released did not clearly show what occurred prior to the shooting, and Montiel was not equipped with a camera. It was not immediately clear which footage prompted Worrells conclusions. Experts who reviewed the footage of Melvins shooting for the Orlando Sentinel questioned the law enforcement tactics it revealed, including Montiels decision to shoot at someone who was running toward an empty parking lot, rather than regroup with his colleagues. Body camera footage appeared to show Deputy James Montiel, left, stop his foot pursuit of Salaythis Melvin and shift into a shooting stance, as Melvin continued to flee. The experts said the involvement of deputies in marked cars could have helped prevent Melvins killing his family has questioned whether he knew the men chasing him were law enforcement and he could have been tracked by helicopter as he fled. However, they also noted courts have ruled officers can use deadly force if they perceive they are in danger. The Florida Supreme Court bolstered that position when it ruled in 2018 that police can be immune from prosecution under the states stand your ground law. We understand that there is heightened scrutiny in cases like these, Mina said in his statement Friday. But our deputies dont have the luxury to pore over or analyze a video hundreds of times ... to make a life or death decision. They must act in the moment to protect themselves and others, and thats what our deputy did in this case. Melvins killing came amid a summer of nationwide demonstrations against police violence following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. Activists in Orlando, who had already been demanding reforms for months, rallied around seeking justice for Melvin. Advertisement Worrell, who at the time was running for office on a progressive platform, was present at many of the marches in downtown Orlando, speaking before crowds of thousands and promising police accountability. Protesters yell at police after gathering and blocking traffic at several intersections near the Florida Mall in Orlando on Friday, August 21, 2020. The protest was for the shooting death of Salaythis Melvin by an Orange County Sheriffs deputy. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel) She had a George Floyd case right in her backyard, and she did nothing, Haynes said Friday. He argued that Worrell could have been brought the case before a grand jury, rather than refuse to pursue charges. As Haynes spoke, activists Aston Mack and Lawanna Gelzer held signs demanding a recall election to replace Worrell. Activists have felt slighted by Worrell during her investigation of Melvins case and that of Taylor Bracey, the Liberty High School student slammed to the ground by Osceola County Deputy Ethan Fournier. Despite viral video of the encounter, Worrell decided against filing charges against Fournier. We knew before today what was going to happen because weve been here watching with the family, and weve noticed theres a pattern, Gelzer said. She needs to go. On Friday, Worrell acknowledged that as a candidate in fall 2020 she believed, based on media reports, that Montiel would be prosecuted. Advertisement This incident shocked me, she said. Attorneys for Melvins family and experts who reviewed the case also questioned whether the confrontation that ended in gunfire at Florida Mall was necessary at all. Though he was the one who was killed, Melvin was not the person deputies went to the mall that day to arrest. They had a warrant for his friend Vanshawn Sands, who was wanted for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, a charge that stemmed from a July 7, 2020 shooting in Pine Hills home that left another man dead part of what authorities said was then a heated gang dispute. According to court records, Sands, described as a leader in the 438 gang, fired in self-defense, killing a member of the rival All Family No Friends gang who had ambushed him. In an interview with detectives, he admitted to having a gun but was not arrested at the time. Detectives instead got a warrant to arrest him Aug. 4 and began following him about 8:30 a.m. the morning of Melvins killing, tracking him as he and his girlfriend left a hotel, went to breakfast and picked up Melvin and another friend, before driving to the Florida Mall. Worrell said although Melvin wasnt the target of the operation, Montiels pursuit of him was legal. Advertisement Florida law clearly permits officers to detain any companion of a person who is subject to unlawful police investigation and arrest, she said. Mina on Friday cited the gang violence occurring at the time of Melvins killing as context from a law enforcement perspective. In the summer of 2020, after a spike in gang-related homicides and drive-by shootings one in which a 3-year-old was killed our deputies were out there, risking their lives to stop the violence, he said. Through their efforts, unlike many places across the country, Orange County experienced a significant decline in gang violence and homicide. He said the Sheriffs Office will now begin an internal investigation to determine if any deputies violated policy during the incident. Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. > The state attorney said her office has recommended changes to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, OCSO and the Orlando Police Department on their investigative practices in police shootings. We hope these changes increase the communitys trust that we take these cases seriously, she said. Advertisement While Worrells decision means Montiel will not face criminal culpability, it also clears the way for a federal lawsuit filed by Melvins family to move forward. Melvins mother, Michelin McKee, filed a civil rights lawsuit on the behalf of her sons estate against Montiel, Mina and several other deputies in June 2021, but the proceedings have repeatedly been put on hold while Worrells review was still pending. Court filings show the most-recent stay on the suit, granted in November, is slated to expire Tuesday. Our civil rights suit can now go forward, Haynes said. mcordeiro@orlandosentinel.com; creyes-rios@orlandosentinel.com; jeweiner@orlandosentinel.com 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. Should the Supreme Court overturn Roe vs. Wade and allow states to make their own abortion laws? Let us know in this week's poll question below. You voted: Bank statements, phone records and a credit report belonging to a former state lawmaker accused of bribing a friend to run as an independent candidate in a South Florida state senate race will be released as public records, a judge ruled Friday. Attorneys representing former state Sen. Frank Artiles tried to prevent the release of those documents, which the Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office collected as evidence, arguing they contained irrelevant personal information and could hamper Artiles ability to get a fair trial. Advertisement But several media organizations, including the Orlando Sentinel, argued the documents should be available to the public, as state law typically requires when prosecutors provide evidence to a defendants attorneys during a criminal case. Circuit Judge Ariana Fajardo Orshan determined during Fridays hearing the records should be partially redacted, including scrubbing all but the last four digits from phone numbers appearing in Artiles call records. Advertisement Artiles has been accused of paying a friend nearly $45,000 to file as an independent candidate in a South Florida Senate race in 2020 to siphon votes from his Democratic opponent. Though Alex Rodriguez did no campaigning, he received more than 6,000 votes, while Republican Ileana Garcia defeated Jose Javier Rodriguez by 32 votes. The South Florida election was one of three key state Senate races that year including one in Central Florida won by Republican Sen. Jason Brodeur of Sanford in which so-called ghost candidates filed to run as independents but did no campaigning. Two political committees that received all of their funding from a dark money nonprofit organization called Grow United, sent ads promoting the independent candidates, portraying them as progressives in an apparent attempt to undermine the Democrats in those races. Artiles attorneys also objected to the public release of files stored on his laptops, saying they contained information about Artiles clients unrelated to the states case. Fajardo Orshan said Artiles and his attorneys have until Feb. 15 to review the computer files and notify people that information about them might be publicly released. Those clients will then have until March 1 to object to the release of information about them stored on Artiles computers. Attorneys representing a nonprofit organization connected to the case called Lets Preserve the American Dream also filed a motion seeking to block the public disclosure of the organizations bank statements after the Orlando Sentinel submitted a public records request for the documents. Prosecutors in the Artiles case recently informed Lets Preserve the American Dream that it is being investigated for potential violations of elections and campaign finance laws. Releasing the entitys bank records would publicly reveal its donors. Fajardo Orshan did not determine Friday whether to release the bank records for Lets Preserve the American Dream, which in 2020 contributed nearly $1.1 million to Grow United, the dark money entity that paid for the ads promoting the independent candidates. Advertisement Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. > Lets Preserve the American Dream, which is closely linked to the big-business lobbying organization Associated Industries of Florida, also was paying Artiles for consulting services at the same time he was paying his Alex Rodriguez to run for the Senate seat. Tim VanderGiesen, a public-corruption prosecutor in the Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office, acknowledged last week during a hearing that the bank records arent relevant to the case against Artiles. Rather, he said, theyre part of a parallel investigation into Lets Preserve the American Dream and several people who have a business relationship with Artiles. The Sentinel has requested several other documents that are part of that related investigation, which have not yet been made public. Those records include transcripts of statements from Abbie MacIver, who helped coordinate contributions to Grow United; and the chief financial officer for Data Targeting, a top Republican political consulting firm that paid $15,000 per month plus expenses to Artiles to work on South Florida state Senate races in 2020 and oversaw the GOPs state Senate campaigns. In addition to Lets Preserve the American Dream, three people have received prior to letters alerting them they are the targets of a criminal investigation. Those people are Alex Alvarado, who ran the political committees that sent ads championing the apparent spoiler candidates; Richard Alexander, the chairman of Grow United; and former Democratic fundraiser Dan Newman, who raised nearly $1 million into Grow United in 2020. Advertisement anmartin@orlandosentinel.com India and Central Asia held their first summit on January 27 and agreed to hold the next one in 2024. Changing realities in Afghanistan, Chinas outsized presence, and the need for more export markets provide India with renewed impetus to seriously engage with the five Central Asian countries. By holding these summits every two years, India wants to strengthen connectivity links to the land-locked Central Asian region and boost regional trade and commerce. Moreover, investment prospects exist in Central Asias tourism, healthcare, and education sectors, besides sustainable development goals. On January 27, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted a virtual summit with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The inaugural India-Central Asia summit establishes ground for future institutionalized cooperation and will be followed by a summit-level meeting every two years. The five Central Asian leaders Kazakhstans Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyzstans Sadyr Japarov, Tajikistans Emomali Rahmon, Turkmenistans Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and Uzbekistans Shavkat Mirziyoyevwere had initially been invited as guests of honor at Indias 73rd Republic Day celebrations on January 26, but this was cancelled after a fresh wave of coronavirus cases hit the country. Geopolitical developments necessitate summit mechanism The joint summit marked 30 years of India establishing diplomatic ties with the Central Asian region. Several regional developments in recent years have shifted New Delhis priorities when assessing its ties to the region. On one hand, China has continued to build upon its already expansive trade and economic relations with Central Asian countries, including through infrastructure investments along the Belt & Road Initiative and Eurasian engagement. During a virtual meeting of the China plus Central Asia grouping, on January 25, Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that he was prepared to open the vast China market to Central Asian exporters and that China would import more quality goods and agricultural products from countries in the region besides continuing to hold the China-Central Asia economic and trade cooperation forum and working to increase bilateral trade to reach US$70 billion by 2030. Xi also proposed the setting up of a dialogue mechanism on e-commerce cooperation between China and the Central Asian region. On the other hand, closer home, a Taliban-led government has taken force in Afghanistan creating new potential for security disturbances and posing vulnerabilities for regional trade and connectivity. Central Asian countries have also established closer ties with Pakistan and do not share New Delhis priorities on Afghanistan. Together, these developments have dramatically changed stakes for Indias engagement with Central Asia. And, irrespective of their differences, all stakeholders would agree on the need for a peaceful, secure, and stable neighborhood. Consequently, holding biennial summit-level talks should increase Indias relevance to Central Asian countries as a reliable economic partner whose security concerns need to be considered during future regional security and diplomatic talks. Outcomes of inaugural India Central Asia Summit In speaking directly with the Central Asian presidents, Modi offered to boost Indias connectivity links and trade with the region and foster people-to-people contacts. He also remarked on Indias existing partnerships with Central Asian countries partnership with Kazakhstan on energy security, with Kyrgyzstan in the field of education and high-altitude research, with Tajikistan on security, and with Turkmenistan in the field of regional connectivity via the Asghgabat Agreement. During the summit, India and Central Asian leaders agreed to regular meetings of Foreign Ministers, Trade Ministers, Culture Ministers, and Secretaries of the Security Council to prepare the groundwork for future summits. An India-Central Asia Secretariat in New Delhi will be set up to facilitate the new summit mechanism. India also decided to set up Joint Working Groups at the senior official level on Afghanistan and regarding the use of Chabahar Port. As per the Delhi Declaration following the Summit: India and the Central Asian member countries of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) as well as the Ashgabat Agreement on International Transport and Transit Corridor called upon the other Central Asian countries to consider joining these connectivity initiatives. The sides supported Indias proposal to include the Chabahar Port and noted Turkmenistans proposal to include the Turkmenbashi Port within the framework of INSTC. India also welcomed the interest of Central Asian countries to utilize the services of Shahid Beheshti Terminal at Chabahar Port for facilitating their trade with India and other external markets. Modi suggested that stakeholders prepare a roadmap for the next 30 years, as per comments from Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West) Reenat Sandhu. Joint counter-terrorism exercises can be held between India and Central Asian countries should they indicate interest. In the background India-EAEU FTA talks New Delhi is engaged in free trade agreement (FTA) talks with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). So far, Russia has backed Indias initiatives to improve its presence in Central Asia and Eurasia. India-Uzbekistan relations Preparing ground to explore a preferential trade agreement India and Uzbekistan fast-tracked talks for a bilateral trade pact ahead of the India Central Asia summit. If concluded, this would be Indias first trade agreement with a Central Asian country, though much ground has to be covered to reach that point. In September 2019, India and Uzbekistan agreed to conduct a joint feasibility study that would set the base for negotiations for a preferential trade agreement (PTA). An India-Uzbekistan PTA would speed up linkage to the landlocked Central Asian region as well as create access to markets in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Trade in 2021 In 2021, in the period between April to November, Indian exports to Uzbekistan reportedly amounted to US$176.22 million and imports from Uzbekistan were worth US$14.58 million. Key export items were pharmaceuticals, mechanical equipment, auto parts, services, and optical instruments and equipment. India mostly imported fruits and vegetable products, juice products and extracts, lubricants, fertilizers, and services from Uzbekistan. Bilateral agreements for sector-wise cooperation In December 2020, the two countries inked nine agreements for cooperation in a range of areas, including new and renewable energy, digital technologies, cyber security, community development projects, and in sharing of information on movement of goods. India and Uzbekistan are also working on a fresh bilateral investment treaty (BIT) as their previous BIT (2000-2017) was terminated. Indian firms invested in Uzbekistan Indian investments in Uzbekistan cover pharmaceuticals, auto components, and the hospitality industries. Indian firms like GMR are interested in developing airports, air corridor, and cargo infrastructure in Uzbekistan. In the education sector, Indias Amity University has set up a campus in Tashkent and Sharda University has opened a campus in Andijan. India has also made moves to develop the start-up ecosystem in Uzbekistan, such as through cooperation with Indian institutions like iCreate. Another player involved in the field of research, technology, start-up, and innovation is DevIT, which has entered into agreements with partners in Uzbekistan. In the energy domain, Indias NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation Limited) has participated in tenders in Uzbekistan for solar PV power plants and consultancy assignments for gas projects. 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. 84% of Indian Consumers Feel Like Service Is An Afterthought: Zendesk Study Annual Zendesk Customer Experience (CX) Trends Report highlights CX as an imperative for growth 88% of indian Companies See A Direct Link Between Customer Service and Business Performance Consistent Truths - Customer Service Can Drive Growth 94% of Indian consumers say a positive customer service experience makes them more likely to make another purchase 99% of consumers are willing to spend more money on businesses that offer personalized and streamlined experiences 73% of Indian companies report having a three-year strategic plan for customer service 98% of Indian consumers say they are willing to spend more to buy from companies that offer them the chance to find the answers they need themselves Nearly half of Indian companies (46%) view CX as a revenue-generating engine for growth, while only 28% view CX as a cost centre. The Agent X Factor Nearly half of consumers say that helpful and empathetic agents are what matters most when they want to resolve a customer service issue. 73% of APAC consumers are open to product recommendations from service agents. On the other hand, only 59.7% of agents in India are extremely satisfied with their workloads. 48% of Indian company leaders expect an increase in the amount of training offered to agents by a great extent 69% of Indian businesses expect to focus training their agents in providing service across multiple channels 68% of Indian companies plan to develop flexible work team to resolve specialized problems Closing Gaps and Mapping Paths To Growth The future hinges on AI and Conversational Experiences Customers want on-demand service that's available when they need it. 100% of Indian customers surveyed say they are willing to spend money on businesses that offer them the freedom to communicate over whatever channel they choose and dont want to waste valuable time getting agents up to speed on their order or issue. Customers want on-demand service that's available when they need it. 100% of Indian customers surveyed say they are willing to spend money on businesses that offer them the freedom to communicate over whatever channel they choose and dont want to waste valuable time getting agents up to speed on their order or issue. Key insights: 90% of Indian customers expect AI to save time when contacting a company 88% of Indian customers expect AI to keep them from having to repeat themselves after contacting a company for support 87% of Indian customers expect a majority of customer service interactions to be automated at the same time increase the quality of service This means that businesses looking to drive and sustain growthboth now and in the futureneed to focus on two emerging customer service capabilities: artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, and conversational customer service. More than half (56%) of Indian business plan to speed up adoption of AI in customer service, while 43% have already implemented conversational customer service and 38% plan to implement it in the future. This means that businesses looking to drive and sustain growthboth now and in the futureneed to focus on two emerging customer service capabilities: artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, and conversational customer service. More than half (56%) of Indian business plan to speed up adoption of AI in customer service, while 43% have already implemented conversational customer service and 38% plan to implement it in the future. Zendesks customers in India include ITC Foods, Ola, 1MG, DevFactory, Dream11, Slice, Magicbricks.com, etc. For more information, download the report, CX Trends 2022 Access the interactive report Methodology Zendesks 2022 CX Trends Report surveyed more than 3,511 consumers and 4,670 customer service leaders, agents and technology buyers from 21 countries and organizations ranging from small business to enterprise during July and August 2021. Results from each survey were weighted to remove bias from the survey samples. Zendesk Benchmark product usage data came from over 97,500 Zendesk customers worldwide who participate in the Zendesk Benchmark. Zendesk Benchmark data is based on product usage from July 2020 to July 2021. About Zendesk Zendesk started the customer experience revolution in 2007 by enabling any business around the world to take their customer service online. Today, Zendesk is the champion of great service everywhere for everyone, and powers billions of conversations, connecting more than 100,000 brands with hundreds of millions of customers over telephony, chat, email, messaging, social channels, communities, review sites and help centers. Zendesk products are built with love to be loved. The company was conceived in Copenhagen, Denmark, built and grown in California, taken public in New York City, and today employs more than 5,000 people across the world. Learn more at "The business case for customer service is clearer than ever and getting buy-in from the top is a critical first step. Getting this engagement relies on evolving the key metrics - look beyond CSAT and identify the broader business impact that can tell a compelling story, McDermott adds. This years findings bring into sharp focus the need for there to be a more concerted effort across the organization - including better integration of systems and a regular review of metrics. In short, let the insights lead you.Zendesks customers in India include ITC Foods, Ola, 1MG, DevFactory, Dream11, Slice, Magicbricks.com, etc. For more information, download the report, CX Trends 2022 here Access the interactive report here Zendesks 2022 CX Trends Report surveyed more than 3,511 consumers and 4,670 customer service leaders, agents and technology buyers from 21 countries and organizations ranging from small business to enterprise during July and August 2021. Results from each survey were weighted to remove bias from the survey samples.Zendesk Benchmark product usage data came from over 97,500 Zendesk customers worldwide who participate in the Zendesk Benchmark. Zendesk Benchmark data is based on product usage from July 2020 to July 2021.Zendesk started the customer experience revolution in 2007 by enabling any business around the world to take their customer service online. Today, Zendesk is the champion of great service everywhere for everyone, and powers billions of conversations, connecting more than 100,000 brands with hundreds of millions of customers over telephony, chat, email, messaging, social channels, communities, review sites and help centers. Zendesk products are built with love to be loved. The company was conceived in Copenhagen, Denmark, built and grown in California, taken public in New York City, and today employs more than 5,000 people across the world. Learn more at www.zendesk.com While the insights clearly indicate a business case for investments in customer experience, this isnt necessarily being followed through with executive sponsorship or the right tools or programs, such as training for agents. Alongside this is the need for customer service metrics to be mission critical and reviewed with the appropriate frequency and gravitas. 60% of leaders say ROI has been positive over the past 12 months. However, only 23% strongly agree that customer service spending has kept pace with company growth. Eight in ten Indian businesses view customer service as a critical business priority and only 29.5% report that its not owned by the C-suite. Indian businesses fared better in identifying customer service as a board-level priority compared to companies in Australia (44.9%), Japan (55.3%), Singapore (40.3%) and Korea (54.9%), where it is not owned by the C-suite. [All Graphical and Chart Images taken from report here Advertisements Zendesks landmark annual research has highlighted the potential for businesses to drive business success with a focus on customer experiences as 94% of Indian consumers report making purchase decisions based on the quality of customer service they receive. The global Zendesk (NYSE: ZEN) Customer Experience (CX) Trends Report 2022 shows that a majority of Indian businesses surveyed (88%) agree that there is a direct link between customer service and business performance. Despite this, many Indian consumers (84%) feel like customer service is an afterthought for businesses, indicating a gap between consumer expectation and company actions.Customer expectations grew over the past year as 88% of Indian consumers say their customer service standards have increased over the last 12 months. CX is a determining factor for retention and loyalty as 85% of Indian customers are willing to switch brands after one bad experience. Indian businesses recognize the need for having a standout customer service team, with 61% saying that it has an impact on retention. It is perhaps why 65% of Indian companies expect funding for their customer service teams to rise by 25% in the next 12 months.Businesses cannot afford to take a transactional approach to their relationships with their customers. Customer service is now a key differentiator, but this years report reveals some gaps exist between expectation and delivery, said Adrian McDermott, Chief Technology Officer, Zendesk. Customers are noticing this gap and voting with their business - and thats perhaps the clearest signal to businesses that change needs to happen, and fast.Businesses need an institution-wide shift where investments into tools and processes that enhance CX become a priority. The insights are clear on the competitive advantage and scalability that Indian businesses can achieve through these investments. All thats required now is for businesses to take action on these insights to unlock the returns that positive customer experiences can deliver, said Vasudeva Rao Munnaluri, Regional Vice President India & SAARC, Zendesk.The report draws on input from customers, agents, customer service leaders, and business leaders from across 21 countries. Data was also gathered from more than 97,500 Zendesk customers who participated in the companys Benchmark program. As customers call out increased expectations and the readiness to switch after just one bad experience, the need to close the gap between these expectations and the customer experience delivered has never been more urgent. The opportunity cost for many is nothing short of revenue loss and missed opportunities for growth.A majority of Indian businesses surveyed (88%) see a direct link between customer service and business performance compared to their counterparts in Korea (57.7%), Japan (59%), Singapore (66%) and Australia (76%). Most businesses in India (85%) estimate that customer service has a positive impact on business growth. The opportunity is not simply to deliver a single solution-based interaction with the consumer, but to use that point of engagement as an opportunity to deepen the relationship. Customer engagement is up 14% globally from the previous year, with 69% of Indian companies saying that it presented more opportunities for cross-selling.This cuts both ways though, and the insights reveal that customer expectations can drive or stifle growth plans. As consumers spend more online, a majority say that their customer service expectations have increased in the past year. Channels play a big part in meeting these increased expectations and particularly, being where the customer is. However almost half the companies surveyed did not have a strategic plan for customer service over the immediate to medium term.Increased expectations leads to increased pressure on agents, who act as the front line. In fact the research found that 90% of Indian organizations agree that customer service agents are essential to retaining customers.When it comes to resolving issues, almost half the consumers surveyed worldwide are looking for agents who are helpful and empathetic. And customers will parlay this goodwill in a positive experience to being open to recommendations from service agents. Many businesses, though, have yet to recalibrate their view of customer service as a cost center. This has meant that investments in optimizing the function have not kept pace with growth, let alone with increasing customer expectations. So while a majority of businesses acknowledge customer service agents as being pivotal to driving sales, a very small number of those same agents are extremely satisfied with their workloads.Agent empowerment is a clear focus area for 2022, as agent burnout continues to be a challenge. Nearly half (49%) of agents in India are extremely satisfied with the quality of training they receive compared to agents in Australia (10%), Japan (2.5%), Singapore (12%) and Korea (12.2%). Pair this with the fact that 89% of customers in India, 50% in Australia, 46% in Japan, 69% in Singapore and 37% in Korea feel that businesses need to improve agent training, and you have the first case for investing in what agents need. These also include better performance metrics, clear advancement opportunities and, fundamentally, more respect. Researchers from the Washington School of Medicine in Seattle have found minute structural changes in the spike protein of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus. Unsplash Also Read: Epidemiologist Lists 5 Reasons Why India Should Take Omicron Threat Seriously This could act as a blueprint for researchers to design new countermeasures to take down the new variant effectively. The Omicron variant was first identified last year in November, South Africa and today its the main culprit behind the re-emergence of COVID-19 cases. Not only has the variant been termed highly infectious, it is also able to bypass those who are vaccinated or previously infected by the novel coronavirus. The virus, luckily, isn't as infectious partly due to the large number of mutations that were found in the amino acid sequences of the viruss spike protein. The protein grabs on to and breaches the cell it infects. The new variant has 37 mutations from the first SARS CoV-2 variant from 2020. To better understand how Omicron was able to accumulate so many mutations while maintaining effective interactions with ACE2, they decided to look deeper. Researchers used cryo-electron microscopic and X-ray crystallographic studies to look at the 3D structure of Omicrons spike protein. The end result allowed them to reach a resolution of 3 angstroms that made it possible to understand the shape of individual amino acids that formed the spike protein. Researchers also learned how the structural changes in the spike protein altered the effectiveness of the antibodies against earlier variants to fuse to Omicron. iStock Also Read: Omicron Variant Might Have Come From Covid-19 Mutation In Mice, Claim Scientists Based on these techniques, scientists were able to show how the mutations altered the way the protein reacts with the antibodies so that the ability of almost all monoclonal antibodies against it is reduced, while simultaneously enhancing the ability of the spike receptor-binding domain to fuse ACE2. The end result is that it makes it possible for the receptor-binding domain to go past antibodies targeting it and fuse to ACE2 even more strongly than before. David Veesler, an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and associate professor of biochemistry, explained, "This virus has incredible plasticity: It can change a lot and still maintain all the functions it needs to infect and replicate. And it's almost guaranteed Omicron is not the last variant we're going to see. He added, The findings provide a blueprint that researchers can use to design new countermeasures, whether they be vaccines or therapeutics, against omicron and other coronavirus variants that may emerge. For more science and technology stories, keep reading Indiatimes.com. A long-running Mars mission has suggested that liquid water may have flowed on the planet around two billion years ago, which is much later than scientists believed, according to a report by LiveScience. NASA Also Read: NASA Curiosity Rover Has Found Unknown Organic Molecules On Mars Scientists discovered the existence of chloride salt deposits left behind by flowing water based on years of data being collected from NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter that has been taking rounds of the planet since 2006. This was possible by studying several images of salt deposits taken from the orbiters Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM). They interpreted a younger age for the salt deposits using a method dubbed crater counting -- basically, if a region is younger, it has fewer craters in -- along with adjustments for other parameters like the atmosphere of the planet, to help scientists better gauge its age. The new results push the existence of water on Mars from earlier believed three billion years to as little as two billion years ago. This could offer more insight on life on Mars as well as its geological history. Leslie Tamppari, MRO's deputy project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, explains, "Part of the value of MRO is that our view of the planet keeps getting more detailed over time. The more of the planet we map with our instruments, the better we can understand its history." Representative Image: NASA Also Read: NASA's Perseverance Rover Finds Organic Chemicals On Mars: Proof Of Life? Scientists also generated elevation maps using the orbiters wide-angle context camera and the imagery provided by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) that can spot craters as tiny as the Perseverance rover. Salt minerals were first discovered by Mars Odyssey around 14 years ago, but MRO, with its higher resolution hardware, offers a more in-depth look. For more science and technology stories, keep reading Indiatimes.com. A thief who is known as a "snake burglar" for crawling on the floor to avoid any alarm systems detecting him is in action in California, USA. The burglar was seen stealing $50,000 in silver but only on camera, the motion detectors couldn't catch him. The store owner Cesar Meyer told KTLA that the surveillance footage shows the burglar wriggling on the carpeted floor of Crown Gold Exchange in Riverside, California. He went through items in a back room for five minutes. The burglar's approach is virtually the same as the one used in at least six robberies in Riverside in recent months, police say. Last week this burglar apparently used a hammer to break into the drywall of a vacant storefront next door and got into the gold exchange business from there. A video of that was out which showed a man in a dark hoodie, dark pants and sneakers opening drawers while on the floor and taking items, then sliding out. Google Maps Cesar Meyer said, This guy slithered in, crawled on the ground, kind of like Lt Dan-style, hand over hand, didnt move his legs, and was able to rummage through my entire back room for a full five minutes, Meyer said. He blamed his ADT alarm system for not detecting the burglary in progress. "Theres definitely something faulty, something going on with the ADT motion detectors, because if theyre designed to detect motion, this guy is moving around a lot in all of these businesses, and ADTs motion detectors are not picking it up," Meyer told the TV station. KTLA Well, this burglar sure knows how things are done. For the latest from trending, click here If you are even minutely interested in finance or go through the financial news occasionally, one name that you must have come across often is Masayoshi Son. He is the Chairman and CEO of Softbank Group, a Japanese multinational conglomerate holding company that also includes the Softbank Vision Fund that focuses on investing globally across various sectors and industries like technology, energy, financial etc. Also Read: Swiggy Turns Into A Decacorn With $10.7 Billion Valuation After Latest Funding shutterstock Also Read: This Company Is Allowing All Its Employees To Work From Abroad For 6 Weeks Every Year Although Masayoshi Son is certainly renowned globally for the wide range of investments and deals that he has cracked, not many are aware of a unique feat that he achieved a few years back in 2016. Also Read: 10 Bollywood Celebrities And Their Startup Investments The $45 Billion Funding In 2016, Masayoshi Son, who is a 3rd generation 'Zainichi Korean', met the then Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. And by the end of that meeting, Son managed to convince Mohammed bin Salman, MBS, as he is known, to commit $45bn from Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund (PIF) to Sons Vision Fund. And a year later, Son opened up about that meeting in an interview with Bloombergs David Rubenstein. When asked if he got the money from MBS in one hour, Son replied No, thats not true. I got $45bn in 45 minutes, thats $1bn per minute. On being asked how he had pulled off this remarkable feat, Son said that he had told MBS I am going to give you a gift, a Masa gift, a $1 trillion gift. OK, now its interesting. You invest $100bn, I give you $1 trillion. Mohammed bin Salman went ahead to settle on the amount of $45bn as an initial investment in Masayoshi Sons fund. The Saudi crown prince had previously grabbed the headlines after he reportedly spent $500m on a yacht, $300m on a chateau in France and a mammoth $450m on a painting. Also Read: Saudi Prince Planning A Staggering 3 Billion Bid To Takeover Manchester United Son Believes The IQ Of AI Will Surpass Human IQ shutterstock Also Read: 10 Hollywood Stars Who Have Invested In Their Tequila Brands At the Future Investment Initiative held in Riyadh in October of 2017, Softbank Group's CEO Masayoshi Son stated that AI will be the greatest tool in humanitys history, one that will disrupt and redefine every industry. And thats not all. After reminding the audience that Einstein had an IQ of 200, Son spoke about a future where AI measured by IQ will expand to 10,000. He talked about a world where humans would live with 10 billion robots with superintelligence, also stating that they maybe will laugh at us. Son further went on to tell his audience that the chip manufacturer ARM which he purchased for $32bn in 2016 and which is part of his SoftBank Holdings empire will come to control up to 99% of the global market. When speaking about MBS at that event, Son lauded the crown prince as a visionary who already had the understanding, the vision which happened to meet the mind in 45 minutes. Thats how we create friendship, partnership, and the bonding of minds. Also Read: Why Reliance Paid Over Rs 900 Crore For Robotics Startup Addverb For more of such interesting financial content and the latest news, click here. Click here to download CRED. 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. Wekiva High School graduates celebrate as streamers fall at the end of their graduation ceremony at UCF Arena on May 30, 2013. (Jacob Langston/Orlando Sentinel) (Jacob Langston / Orlando Sentinel) Floridas high school class of 2022 is the first facing the higher hurdle to graduation state leaders erected four years ago. Given the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, many educators fear it will be an unfair obstacle. In Central Florida alone, more than 10,000 teenagers are struggling to meet test score requirements needed for a diploma just months before graduation. Advertisement The State Board of Education may decide to help by delaying a rule adopted in 2018. At its Feb. 9 meeting, the board will consider whether to put off implementation of a tougher test score rule that kicks in for this years seniors, said Cassie Palelis, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Education, in an email. In my opinion, that would be fair, said Harold Border, chief of high schools for Orange County Public Schools. Advertisement OCPS, the regions largest school system, has more than 8,200 seniors who havent yet met the math or reading test score requirements needed to earn a diploma. The Lake County school district has about 1,270 and the Seminole County school district about 930. Across the state, educators say many of these teenagers would meet the test-score requirements in place previously. They think that because the pandemic led to lost class time and missed testing opportunities these seniors should earn diplomas under the older rules. But unsure if the state will act, local high schools have been offering extra help after school and in class and extra testing sessions to high school seniors still missing a required score. Were giving our kids every opportunity, said Jordan Rodriguez, principal of Seminole High School in Sanford. At least 74 of the 214 Seminole High seniors missing a needed test score would have passed under the old rules, school officials said, and others likely would have if the state hadnt eliminated an alternative test previously used to earn math scores, they added. Every high school principal in the district is worried about seniors still missing scores, said Mike Rice, assistant superintendent over high schools for Seminole County Public Schools. We are very focused on our 12th graders and trying to ensure they make it across the stage, he added. After the graduation ceremony, seniors at Hagerty High School in Seminole County leave the UCF Bounce House in Orlando, Fla., Friday, May 14, 2021. (Orlando Sentinel Photo/Willie J. Allen Jr.) (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel) Florida waived all the consequences of state testing last year, meaning the class of 2021 seniors could graduate even if they had not passed the required tests. Last spring, 8.5% of the class of 2021, or more than 15,780 students, graduated though they had not passed at least one of the needed tests, the Florida Department of Education said. In 2020, state testing was canceled, and the state also allowed seniors to graduate without required test scores. Advertisement Some school leaders want to see another such waiver this year, with the state scrapping all consequences tied to testing, from graduation to A-to-F school grades. Both the Hillsborough and Miami-Dade school districts sent letters requesting such action to Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, according to the Tampa Bay Times and the Miami Herald. The Seminole County School Board expects to discuss at a Feb. 8 meeting whether to send a similar appeal. Palelis, the education department spokesperson, did not immediately respond to follow-up questions about whether Corcoran might issue a broad waiver again this year. The State Board, according to her email, will take up only the narrower issue of whether to delay its 2018 rule, meaning this years seniors would need test scores to graduate but not the higher ones required by the boards vote four years ago. Educators say even that change would help. Florida high school students must pass the states Algebra 1 and 10th-grade language arts exam to earn a high school diploma and get multiple chances to take those tests. If they do not pass those Florida Standards Assessments, or FSA, exams, they can use concordant scores from the ACT or SAT, the national college admissions exams, in their place. In May 2018, the state board voted to require higher ACT and SAT scores higher, an effort to match the challenge of achieving those scores to that of passing the FSA tests. It also eliminated using math scores from the Post Secondary Education Readiness Test, or PERT, as a substitute for the state algebra exam. That new rule was to start with students in the class of 2022. Advertisement At the time, some educators, including an administrator from Seminole, pleaded with the state board not to raise that bar, saying those alternatives provided a needed option for students who struggled on FSA. Hiking the scores then would prevent students from graduating who would otherwise earn diplomas and find success after high school. In 2017, more than 35,000 of the more than 168,000 students who earned diplomas that year used used scores from the ACT, SAT or PERT to graduate, state figures showed. Now educators see those worries playing out and view the change as particularly unfair given the pandemic. Current 12th graders missed their first testing opportunity when Florida shut down schools and then canceled FSA testing in the spring of 2020 when they were in 10th grade. Last school year, many attended school at least partly online and some, again, missed testing chances. This year schools are wrestling with both student and teacher absences because of COVID. All of it has impacted academics. Its been the perfect storm, said Tina Calderone, a member of the Seminole County School Board, who last week suggested the board consider asking the state for a waiver. Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. > I dont mind having tougher standards, she said, but implementing them for students who have had most of their high school years disrupted by the pandemic seems unwise. Guidance counselor Meg Durshimer agrees. She works at a high school in Manatee County on the gulf coast and has had heartbreaking conversations with seniors who have the needed credits and grade-point average to graduate but are still missing the test scores. Advertisement One girl broke down in her office at Palmetto High School. She couldnt even speak. The tears were just streaming down her face, Durshimer said. The guidance counselor wrote state leaders in December asking them to put off the tougher test requirements. Students are trying to come back from a year and half of COVID education, she wrote, and are anxious, depressed, and terrified they will not get their diploma. Under the rules that kick in for the class of 2022, students who did not pass the FSA algebra exam need 16 out of 36 on ACT math, 420 out of 800 on SAT math or 430 out of 760 on the PSAT math section. Those who didnt pass the FSA language arts exam need a 480 on the SAT or an average score of 18 on ACT reading and English. lpostal@orlandosentinel.com At their March Board Meeting, downtown development district Rio Nuevo announced plans to fund and advance multiple real estate projects. The announcements come as Rio Nuevo reports it is back to pre-pandemic sales tax revenue and is seeing strong requests for new construction downtown. With omicron swarming the world, officials have identified BA.2. as an offshoot of that highly transmissible variant. A Democrat-led House committee voted mostly along party lines Wednesday to release a bill legalizing recreational marijuana use by adults in Delaware. A lone Republican joined Democrats on the Health and Human Development committee in voting to release the bill, which will now likely head to an appropriations committee for consideration. The bill creates a state-controlled and licensed pot industry that supporters say will eliminate the black market while creating jobs and boosting the states tax coffers. The measure is the third iteration of legislation that was first introduced in 2019 but which has never received a floor vote. The bill legalizes possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by adults 21 and older, but it prohibits people from growing their own pot. The state would instead oversee a manufacturing and distribution industry and levy a 15% tax on retail sales. Chief sponsor Rep. Ed Osienski, a Newark Democrat, said the bill will create good-paying jobs for Delawareans while striking a blow against the criminal element which profits from the thriving illegal market in our state. Opponents argue that legalization will lead to increased marijuana use among teens and young adults, expose business owners to liability, and result in more traffic deaths and injuries. They also say it will do little to eliminate illegal sales. The Associated Press reported earlier this month that the legalization of marijuana in California has done little to discourage black market sales in that state, and that some California licensees are simultaneously participating in the black market _ whose estimated value of $8 billion is roughly double the amount of legal sales _ in order to make a profit. Rep. Charles Postles, a Milford Republican, suggested that the best approach to marijuana lies somewhere between legalization and excessive punitiveness. He argued, however, that use of marijuana with high THC content has been proven to have permanent detrimental effects on brain development among teens and young adults. Why would we want to saddle our kids and our grandkids and limit their potential, their lifelong earnings even, by exposing them to this harmful drug that would impair their brain development? Postles asked. To me, that eclipses all the other discussions. 19 States Currently, 18 states, along with the District of Columbia, have legalized marijuana. But supporters of legalization have faced an uphill battle in Delaware, given opposition by Democratic Gov. John Carney and officials in the law enforcement and medical communities. Carney administration officials expressed several concerns about the legislation Wednesday, despite changes made to last years version. Public health officials are concerned, for example, that lower licensing fees for recreational pot facilities compared to fees for existing medical marijuana facilities will lead to a shift to recreational production, to the detriment of medical marijuana patients. Agriculture and public health officials also argue that outdoor production of recreational marijuana poses security and product safety risks, and that any production should be indoors only. Agricultural officials also say the bill raises questions about agency jurisdiction over crop production, processing and sales. The bill states that the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement would be responsible for marijuana enforcement and calls for the creation of a new Office of Marijuana Control Commissioner within the Department of Safety and Homeland Security. State finance officials, meanwhile, say the bill still does not address important issues including tax enforcement, banking and indemnification of state employees who would be regulating the sale of a product that is still illegal under federal law. In an effort to broaden support for his bill, Osienski made several changes to last years version. They include adding the requirement of a comprehensive business plan to the scoring criteria for licenses and directing 7% of marijuana tax revenue to a Justice Reinvestment Fund. The fund would be focused on criminal justice reform and services for economically disadvantaged persons in areas disproportionately affected by enforcement of drug laws. The revised legislation also eliminates a proposed Social Equity Loan fund to provide grants and low-interest loans to social equity license applicants. That provision meant the previous bill needed a three-fourths supermajority votes in the House and Senate, making passage extremely unlikely. The revised bill requires smaller three-fifths majority votes while still providing special considerations, including reduced fees, for social equity and microbusiness applicants. The social equity applicant pool would be limited to those who live in a disproportionately affected area, have been convicted of a marijuana-related offense, or are the child of a person convicted of a marijuana-related offense. The new version of the bill proposed by Osienski, a retired business agent for a sprinkler fitters union, also eliminates a requirement that applicants for cultivation and manufacturing licenses use union labor to build or renovate facilities. The current version instead requires a license applicant to enter into a labor peace agreement that would prevent a union from engaging in picketing, boycotts or other economic interference with a licensees business, while prohibiting the business from disrupting any union efforts to organize workers. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Legislation Cannabis Delaware New York Attorney General Letitia James said the state will receive the maximum amount of $230 million available under the $26 billion settlement agreement.with the nations three major pharmaceutical distributors Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen and Johnson & Johnson over the companies role in the nationwide opioid crisis. Since the agreement in July, which included 52 states and territories, thousands of local governments across the country have joined during the subdivision sign-on period, according to James. New York has secured full subdivision participation, ensuring that it will receive the maximum amount of $230 million available to it. Every region across New York has been impacted by the opioid crisis and every community has been devastated in its wake, said James. We went after these manufacturers and distributors because they must pay for their roles in this crisis and for the lives they have forever harmed. While no amount of money will ever bring back the New Yorkers weve tragically lost to opioids, with full participation from all of New Yorks political subdivisions, we are doing all we can to get the most money possible for our state to put into treatment and prevention efforts. Drug Distributors Signal $26B Opioid Settlement with States to Proceed Last September, the thee large U.S. drug distributors and drugmaker Johnson & Johnson said they would proceed with a proposed $26 billion settlement resolving claims that they fueled the opioid epidemic after enough states joined. Cities and counties within participating states havdthrough Jan. 2 to join as well. The companies deny wrongdoing. Along with James, the attorneys general of North Carolina, Tennessee, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas led the negotiations for the multistate agreement. Under a new law, all funds collected by the state from opioid settlements or litigation victories will be allocated specifically for abatement efforts in communities devastated by the opioid epidemic and will not go towards the states general fund. Cases against Mallinckrodt and Rochester Drug Cooperative are now moving separately through U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Topics New York Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) Director Anita Fox announced that a Michigan resident who pled guilty to auto insurance fraud has been sentenced to pay restitution and fines of more than $15,000. Over the course of several months in 2016, Amelia Zea-Behnke, of Delta Township, submitted fraudulent automobile insurance claims seeking reimbursement for providing attendant care services to her son, who had previously been injured in an auto accident. A subsequent joint investigation by the DIFS Fraud Investigation Unit (FIU) and the Michigan Department of Attorney General proved that Ms. Zea-Behnke did not provide those attendant care services during the claimed time period and was therefore not entitled to the payments she had received. As a result of the investigation, Ms. Zea-Behnke was charged with the following: four counts of insurance fraud; and four counts of false pretenses $1,000 $20,000. Ms. Zea-Behnke pled guilty to one count of false pretenses on October 27, 2021. Her plea bargain included the payment of $15,498.75 in restitution to the defrauded insurance company and the dismissal of the other pending charges. On January 12, 2022, Zea-Behnke was officially sentenced to pay that restitution as well as fines and costs, by Judge Rosemarie Aquilina in 30th Circuit Court, bringing the case to a close. Source: Michigan DIFS Topics Auto Fraud Michigan A new lawsuit alleging negligence by school officials and a Michigan school shooting suspects parents was filed Thursday over the attack at Oxford High School that killed four students and wounded six other students and a teacher. The lawsuit was announced by Detroit-area attorney Ven Johnson on behalf of the parents of Tate Myer, who was slain Nov. 30, and other students who witnessed the shootings. Were sad and heartbroken _ our lives forever changed, William Myre said at a news conference. Our family will never be the same. Were not doing good. All we do is walk around the house and think about Tate. The lawsuit, which seeks at least $25,000, names Oxford High Schools dean of students, two counselors and three teachers as defendants. The shooting suspect and his parents also are named as defendants. The Associated Press sent an email seeking comment from the school district. The suspects parents are accused of intentional, reckless and negligent conduct that led to the mass shooting. The Oxford High School staff and teachers are accused of gross negligence that led to the shooting by not removing the shooter from the school building earlier. The lawsuit was filed Jan. 27 in Oakland County Circuit Court on behalf of Tate Myers parents, William and Sheri. Also named as plaintiffs are Chad and Meghan Gregory, whose son, Keegan, was hiding in a school bathroom with Justin Shilling when Shilling was fatally shot. The lawsuit also was filed on behalf of Lauren Aliano, whose daughters, Sophia Kempen and Grace Kempen, were hiding in classrooms during the shooting. A fellow student, Ethan Crumbley, 15, is charged as an adult with murder and other crimes. His parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, later were charged with involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors have said the gun used in the shooting was bought days before by James Crumbley and their son had full access to it. The lawsuit filed Thursday says Keegan Gregory was texting his family from the bathroom stall and describing these horrific events as Shilling was shot. Ethan Crumbley then ordered Keegan out of the stall and onto the floor, whereupon Keegan instead dashed out the bathroom door to safety, the lawsuit read. The school, in Oakland County, is about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Detroit. It reopened Monday with its interior renovated since the shooting. In December, Jeffrey and Brandi Franz filed a pair of lawsuits in federal court and county circuit court seeking $100 million each against the district. Their 17-year-old daughter, Riley, was shot in the neck. Her 14-year-old sister, Bella, a ninth grader, was next to her at the time she was shot. Their lawsuit says school officials and high school staff didnt do enough to prevent the shooting and protect students. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Legislation Michigan K-12 Sixty years after he found out he was adopted, Richard Berglund has multiplied his family ties by three-fold through the help of the DNA website 23andMe. He stands outside of his boat club business in Fort Lauderdale on the New River. (Scott Luxor/Contributor) The founder of a Fort Lauderdale-based boat club recently met his biological family after he didnt know who they were for 75 years. But his story isnt only about the amount of time it has taken. The meeting of Richard Berglund and his sister, older brother and niece involves an adoption, a close encounter during a vacation and a search on the DNA database website 23andMe. Advertisement Berglund was born in 1946 and was fostered by a couple. In 1948, after spending about a year and a half with them, the couple decided to adopt him. Berglunds mother preferred not to tell him about his adoption until he was 15. But even after that, she asked him to avoid looking into the history of his birth parents, and he agreed not to. Now, 60 years after he found out he was adopted, Berglund has multiplied his family ties three-fold. Advertisement Three years ago, I decided to submit a 23andMe DNA kit to see if it might uncover some valuable information, he said. Initially, I didnt discover much that was helpful until September of 2021, when I received a message through the site from a woman saying that we are probably family. Within 24 hours, I realized that suddenly I had found my missing sister, her daughter and an older brother. This photo is of Richard Berglund at 11 when he was with his adopted family. (Richard Berglund/Courtesy ) Berglund originally started searching for any signs of his family through 23andMe about six months before the September revelation that missing family might be out there. During those months, he basically had given up hope of finding his biological relatives. Then a woman named Melissa Hurd contacted him because she discovered a high DNA compatibility between them. Melissa also told me that if the high percentage match that 23andMe indicated was true, then her mother would be my sister, he said. I was just floored! I couldnt believe it. I mean, I just never dreamed that all of a sudden this was going to pop up out of nowhere. Hurd asked Berglund if he would make a phone call to her mother. Berglund agreed and made the phone call to Danielle Blattner to see if it could be true. Danielle is just the most wonderful, sweetest person youd ever want to talk to, he said. We talked for almost an hour and a half. Then she started telling me stories about our parents and what happened and that they had a child back in 1946 in Denver, Colorado, which is where Im from. She told me that her mother sent a child out to a foster home. I said to her, Oh, my God, this is starting to sound way, way, way too close to my story. Blattner had mentioned a name that rang a bell for Berglund. Her fathers last name was Ledkins. Berglund said to his wife that he was sure he had seen that name before. So he and his wife went to check out documents in their home. His wife pulled out the adoption papers. Beside his own name on the papers, there was another one Robert Harron Ledkins, which turned out to be his original birth name. I told her that I thought that was the name of the guy that did the original paperwork, he said. But my wife said, No, thats you! I couldnt believe it. Once it finally sunk in that the whole experience was real, Berglund ordered a new birth certificate from the state of Colorado because he now knew not only his fathers name but his birth mother Margarets name as well. Ironically, Margaret was also the name of his adoptive mother. Advertisement The one who started it all Hurd, Berglunds niece, now lives in El Paso. Hurds mother is Blattner, Berglunds sister. I was really just involved at the start of it, Hurd said. I did the 23andMe DNA test for health reasons, because I wanted to find out if I had certain genes. But as you do the test, theres an application you can put on your phone and your computer and it gives you just a ton of other information. Melissa Hurd is Richard Berglund's long-lost niece. (Melissa Hurd/Courtesy ) While the web-based service wont tell you who your relatives are, there is a threshold of a matching percentage that is a strong indicator about who might be someone to check out. There was one person who had a 12.9% DNA match, which was quite a bit, she said. She found out that his name was Richard Berglund. It showed his birthday, and that he lives in Florida. I read his bio, and theres just a short paragraph that says that hes been searching for his real family his entire life, and that he was hoping that by doing this, hell find some information, Hurd said. Advertisement But she didnt contact him at first. She said she sat on it for a while and thought about who he could be. Out of the blue, two or three days later, I had the thought that I remember mom talking about our family history, she said. Grandma had told her that she had given up two baby boys for adoption. I did the math in my head and I realized that this must be my uncle. It had got to be one of the long-lost brothers. This is a photo of the family's late mother. (Danielle Blattner/Courtesy ) Hurd decided to send Berglund a message and let him know that she thought they might be related and asked if he would be willing to talk to her mom to exchange information to see if they might be siblings. A sister finds her long-lost brother Blattner lives in Anderson, South Carolina. She is also the sister of Bill Ledkins. Danielle Blattner is Richard Berglund's long-lost sister. (Danielle Blattner/Courtesy ) Melissa did all of this communicating with Richard the day before I found out, she said. My husband and I were with friends that day. I had this recurring thought that I should ask God for a hallelujah year. I couldnt get that thought out of my mind. So I looked up what hallelujah means. It meant something that is over the top, undeniable, something impossible made real. It was also her birthday. Advertisement I prayed that prayer, and then went home and didnt think much of it, Blattner said. The next day, my daughter Melissa contacted me and asked me if I had a brother who was adopted out. I told her yes, that there actually were two boys. She texted me back and she said she thought she found one of them. This photo is of Danielle Blattner when she was 17. (Danielle Blattner/Courtesy ) Blattner ended up connecting with her potential brother by phone. After about 15 or 20 minutes of basic talking, I felt that this was going to be a turning point, she said. There was a question that only he would know from the past. When he confirmed the memory, I knew we had to explore more. Richard and I started conversing by email, Blattner said. He said to me that hes so stunned and so flabbergasted that he found his sister. He asked me if he could just call me his sister instead of my name for a while. I told him Yes, you can, brother! Big brother finds little brother Bill Ledkins lives in Kansas City and he is Berglunds older brother. When Melissa and Danielle finally realized the truth about Richard and everything matched, I can tell you that my reaction was a mixture of amazement, surprise and a deep-seated joy, Ledkins said. He said he had an inkling that a sibling might show up at some point. Advertisement Just before my mother passed away, she came to Kansas City and shared Thanksgiving dinner with us. At that time, she told me that there were two brothers out there and she thought I ought to know about it. But she didnt give me any other information, he said. BIll Ledkins is Richard Berglund's older brother. (Bill Ledkins/Courtesy ) He never pursued information about his brothers, partly because he didnt know about online tools like 23andMe. But Melissa found the way. So although it definitely came as a surprise when it finally did happen, I wasnt completely surprised since I knew a sibling was out there, he said. Reunion of sister and brother Since Berglund and Blattner had already developed chemistry as brother and sister, they didnt want to see each other via Zoom. Instead, they agreed to meet up in Savannah in mid-December to make it a big reunion. For Berglund it was a seven-hour drive, but he said he was more than willing to do it for a first meeting with his new sister. Everybody in the hotel knew what was going on already when he arrived, he said. Advertisement So I walked in the door and there she was, Berglund said, grinning. I gave her a huge hug. We took a picture that tells everything. It was our first embrace ever. Danielle Blattner, left, and Richard Berglund, right, met for the first time last December at a hotel in Savannah. (Danielle Blattner/Courtesy ) Berglund said that for two days at the hotel, all they did was hug, tell stories and cry. We just cried over and over and over. Ive never had so much emotion inside of me in my life. To have this relative, who youve never known, to be the sweetest person on Earth is indescribable, he said. While looking through old photos, they figured out that in 1991 both of them were vacationing with their respective families in Barbados during the same month and the same hotel. My wife noticed the dates and locations on some of the photos, Berglund said. We were both there on vacation at the same time, but we never would have recognized each other. It does seem like we were bound to cross paths at some point. Its just the most bizarre coincidence. Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. > Blattner also reflected on her reunion experience. Advertisement We talked about family members, she said. We talked about the events that led us to that moment. We just kept looking at each other in shock and amazement. Blattner said every moment was meaningful and precious. I cant explain this experience, she said. It is as if our DNA met and our souls recognized each other. Richardss voice was so familiar, even his gestures recognizable to me. It was as if the past became present right before my very eyes. Its so special to me and so heartwarming to know that its never too late for family. The reunited siblings are aware of a younger brother who they have also never located. Hes going to be their next effort to locate a missing family member. Berglund has contacted the state of Colorado, where he obtained his birth certificate, to see about getting his birth certificate. The fact that we found Richard has given everyone hope that maybe well find the other brother as well, Blattner said. Relatives of passengers who died in crashes of Boeing 737 Max jets are pressing Attorney General Merrick Garland to help them re-open a settlement that shielded Boeing from criminal prosecution for misleading federal safety regulators about the plane. Several family members and their lawyers held a video meeting Wednesday with Garland. They told the attorney general that the Justice Department violated a federal law by not informing them before finalizing the settlement in January 2021, two weeks before the Trump administration left office. Garland expressed sympathy to relatives who spoke during the meeting but made no promises or substantive comments on the case, according to participants. Last month, the families of more than a dozen passengers filed a motion in federal court in Fort Worth, Texas, alleging that the Justice Department violated a 2004 victims rights law by not consulting with them before reaching the settlement, which shielded Boeing from criminal prosecution. They are also seeking documents that the department gathered during its investigation. Michael Stumo, whose 24-year-old daughter Samya was killed in the 2019 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Max, said passengers relatives were blindsided and erupted in anger, shock and renewed grief when the settlement was announced. We dont think they could have gotten this deal through if they had allowed us to have any input and knowledge, he said. Stumo and two relatives of other passengers spoke during the meeting. Their lawyer, Paul Cassell, a former federal judge, argued that failing to inform families ahead of time made the settlement illegal. They asked Garland to support their legal argument that the Trump administrations Justice Department violated a crime-victims law. Cassell believes that if a court accepts that argument, it could invalidate the agreement. The family members, however, stopped short of asking Garland for a specific outcome, such as whether negotiations with Boeing should start over. Several high-ranking Justice Department officials in Washington and Texas also attended the meeting. The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Boeing also declined to comment. In all, 346 people were killed in two Max crashes, the first in Indonesia in 2018, and another five months later in Ethiopia. All Max jets were grounded worldwide for nearly two years. They were cleared to fly again after Boeing overhauled an automated flight-control system that activated erroneously in both crashes. In the January 2021 settlement, Boeing blamed two former test pilots for misleading the Federal Aviation Administration about the flight-control system before regulators approved the plane in 2017. The Justice Department agreed to drop a criminal charge of conspiracy to defraud the government if Boeing follows terms of the deal for three years. Nearly $1.8 billion of the settlement money was set aside for airlines that lost money because their planes were grounded. Another $500 million went into a fund for victims relatives, and Boeing agreed to pay a $243.6 million fine. Naoise Connolly Ryan, whose husband Mick died in the second crash, called the deal a slap on the wrist that wrongly holds no executive accountable. She also spoke to Garland during Wednesdays meeting. Since the settlement, one of the former Boeing test pilots, Mark Forkner, has been charged with fraud. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Aviation Aerospace InsurTech Accelerant raised more than $190 million at a $2 billion pre-money valuation in its latest funding round. Atlanta-based Accelerant serves a network of managing general underwriters (MGU) and program administrators (PA) that it refers to as its members. The firm supplies underwriters with risk exchange and data analytics coupled with long-term capacity commitments. Its InSightFull data platform helps members handle operational and regulatory complexity. Its focus is on small and medium-sized businesses and their insurance needs. We believe that data informs our shared assessment of risk and its why we share things such as neighborhood crime data, geo mapping of claims data and even the proximity of fire stations with our members, the Accelerant spokesperson said. This kind of granular data can help inform how or whether MGUs take advantage of an opportunity. The company said it will be expanding its geographical footprint and reinvesting in its InSightFull platform. While Accelerant is targeting small business customers, in the future, the company said it wants to build upon its success in additional markets as well. The round was led by Eldridge, with participation from Deer Park, Marshall Wace, MS&AD Ventures and others. Existing majority investor Altamont Capital Partners also participated. Financial Technology Partners served as exclusive advisor to Accelerant and its board of directors, and Sidley Austin LLP acted as legal counsel for the latest funding round. Topics InsurTech Tech Funding NFP Welcomes Cyber Risk Experts Mauge and Cavaliere Insurance broker NFP announced the addition of Courtney Mauge, senior vice president, cyber practice leader, and Rick Cavaliere, senior vice president, senior cyber broker. Mauge joins the company from Marsh FINPRO, where she managed a cyber/errors and omissions (E&O) liability portfolio and provided national thought leadership. Mauge is a frequent speaker on cyber/E&O topics, most notably privacy risks and the human element of cyber risk. Prior to that, she held cyber, broker and professional liability risk positions with Willis Towers Watson and Aon Risk Solutions. Cavaliere comes to NFP from Willis Towers Watson, where he managed its cyber and professional liability practice. Cavaliere oversaw client strategy, negotiated placements with carriers, handled complex claims, and cultivated and grew relationships with clients and prospects. He also acted as COO for the Willis Cyber/E&O team, helping drive client strategies and partner with carriers for best-in-class terms and service. Cavaliere earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois School of Law and his bachelors degree in finance from Loyola University Chicago. Both will report to Matthew Schott, managing director and head of NFPs Management & Professional liability practice. Chubb Appoints Dillman to Digital Transformation Post Chubb Limited announced that Julie Dillman has been appointed executive vice president, Chubb Group and Digital Transformation Officer. Currently, senior vice president, Chubb Group and global head of Operations and Technology, Dillman in her new role will partner with Chubbs Chief Digital Business Officer Sean Ringsted and the companys senior business executives to lead the companys transformation, including how work gets done and the skills and technology employed to serve customers and distribution partners. Dillman will continue to have executive oversight for the companys global operations and technology. Dillman joined Chubb in 2016 from Travelers Insurance, where, as executive vice president, Operations, eBusiness and Analytics, and a member of the companys management committee, she led operations and corporate-wide digital and analytics delivery. Dillman began her career as a personal insurance underwriter and held positions of increasing responsibility including product development leadership and integration leadership roles through multiple platforms. She was appointed senior vice president, Chubb Group in 2016. Thomas Kropp, who currently serves as deputy global Operations and Technology officer, has been named senior vice president, Chubb Group and global head of Operations and Technology, and will report to Dillman. In this capacity, Kropp will have global responsibility for technology, service operations, business resiliency, procurement, real estate and general business efficiencies. Dillman will retain direct responsibility for certain operational areas including workplace experience and flight operations. The appointments were effective January 1, 2022. Dillman will continue to report to Evan Greenberg, chairman and chief executive officer, and John Keogh, president and chief operating officer. Topics Cyber Willis Towers Watson Chubb Seeing no action on bills that would address Floridas spiraling property insurance problems head-on, one state senator took a different route Thursday and proposed reducing insurers payments to the states hurricane catastrophe fund, a move he said could save policyholders as much as $1 billion a year. The amendment by Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, to Senate Bill 468 surprised some but sparked considerable discussion at the Senate Appropriations Committee meeting. Weve only known about this for the last 24 hours, said Gina Wilson, chief operating officer for the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund. She urged Senators to wait on the amendment. This is a substantial reset to the cat fund, Wilson said. Because of the substantial impact on the cat fund, I think a deliberate and collaborative process would be important to really understand the impact of what this could do to the fund. Brandes, who is serving in his last session, has been outspoken about the need to remedy some of the issues that are causing Florida property insurers to raise premiums, slash coverage and, in some cases, become insolvent. But a Senate bill that would address what insurers have said are some of the main culprits behind the crisis, including solicitation by roofers, out-of-control litigation costs, and the requirement that most homeowner policies must pay for full replacements on roofs, has not received a committee hearing in the 2022 session. That has prompted Brandes to seek other approaches to try and reduce the escalating cost of property insurance. We have yet to see a bill that addresses or would make a real impact on Florida policyholders, Brandes said in the meeting. We have to do something. I think he saw this as a good opportunity to get the discussion going, said Paul Handerhan, president of the Federal Association for Insurance Reform, which supported the senators amendment. The catastrophe fund provides a backstop or state-managed reinsurance for Florida insurers who face huge losses after hurricanes. Premiums are paid annually by insurers, and part of those premiums go into a rapid cash buildup factor. The factor allows quick access to cash that isnt tied up in bonds, officials said. Brandes amendment would have allowed insurers to buy into the cat fund at a lower level of losses to pay lower premiums and access the cat fund reserves at a lower threshold than is now required. The amendment also would have required the fee for the rapid buildup factor only when the cat funds cash balance dips below $10 billion. The cat fund now has about $11 billion in reserves and another $3.5 billion in pre-event bonds, Wilson explained. The fund by law is limited to about $17 billion in total reserves, but one recent report noted it now has a claims-paying capacity of more than $20 billion. Brandes and others have argued that the excess capacity is not needed at this time, and that reducing the premiums from insurers would mean the savings could be passed on to consumers. The relief would amount to roughly $150 per year per residential policyholder, he said. The cat fund is in its best position ever and consumers are in their worst position ever, Handerhan said. Wilson, the cat fund COO, said that reducing premiums, lowering the loss threshold and putting an end to the rapid buildup funding could weaken the cat fund, forcing it to rely on reinsurance and capital investments from private sources. That happened the last time the loss threshold, also known as the retention level, was lowered in 2004, she noted. Carolyn Johnson, director of business economic development at the Florida Chamber of Commerce, said the Chamber is opposed to Brandes plan. The current structure keeps the cat fund viable and stable; without it, if the state were hit with major losses in a storm, all insurers, including commercial and auto insurers, could be stuck with higher assessment payments. The Chamber is looking at other measures that would address the Florida insurance crisis, Johnson said. Sen. Ben Albritton, R-Bartow, urged colleagues to consider forming a study commission or think tank that could analyze the issue, perhaps this summer. In the end, Brandes withdrew his amendment, but said he may offer it again next week to the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, where he is also a member. The bill that Brandes was attempting to amend, Sen. Keith Perrys SB 468, was approved Thursday by the Appropriations Committee by a vote of 18-0. The bill, which has already passed the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, would make a number of technical and relatively minor changes to workers compensation and insurance regulations, including the cat fund. Among other matters, it would direct the cat fund to reimburse for losses covered by lender-placed policies on homes, when the coverage amount differs from the amount under a lapsed policy; would exempt smaller businesses from workers compensation premium audits; and would allow Citizens Property Insurance Corp. to offer wind-only policies for condominiums. The Appropriations Committee also approved SB 838, requested by the states fire marshal and chief financial officer. It would make fire investigators in the state eligible for a presumption that provides limited benefits for firefighters who are stricken with any of 21 types of cancers. The program is considered an alternative to workers compensation benefits. The actions came one day after the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee approved another measure sponsored by Brandes. SB 186 could help stem the growth of the state-backed Citizens, an organization that was created to be an insurer of last resort but has ballooned in size in recent years. The bill would make it harder for seasonal Florida residents, or those with second homes in the state, to qualify for continued Citizens coverage if another insurer will write the property at slightly higher or moderately higher premiums. The bill also would allow more surplus lines insurers to participate in the Citizens take-out programs and would increase the maximum surcharge on policies if Citizens runs a deficit. The more policyholders Citizens has, the higher the surcharge, the bill stipulates. The measure also would limit commissions that Citizens pays to producing agents. Topics Florida Property Carla Denise Garrisons 8-year-old daughter picked up a used hypodermic needle from the parking lot outside a Target store and asked, Mommy, what is this? Garrison instinctively swatted the syringe away, poking her daughters palm in the process. The puncture led Garrison to a years worth of periodic blood tests with constant worries about contracting hepatitis or AIDS. After Target refused to pay Garrisons medical bills, she sued and won a $4.6 million jury verdict that was upheld by the South Carolina Court of Appeals. The verdict is the latest of several judgments or lawsuit settlements in recent months that have held property owners liable for not maintaining safe parking lots. In the Target case, the South Carolina Supreme Court may have taken most of the $4.5 million victory in a ruling on Wednesday. In a 5-0 decision, the high court directed the trial court judge to reconsider his decision to throw out the punitive damages award, but also to take into account South Carolinas statutory cap on punitive damages applies to Garrisons claim. That would could limit the jurys award of $4.5 million in punitive damages to $300,000 or $400,000. The exact amount depends on facts that must be determined by the trial court judge. The ruling reverses a Court of Appeals finding that the statute that caps punitive damages does not apply unless the defendant argues that it should in pleadings. That is known as an affirmative defense. The Supreme Court said affirmative defenses are generally reserved for issues that a jury is required to resolve. The plain language of the statute does not impose a burden on the defendant to prove the cap applies, the courts unanimous opinion says. Rather, the legislature only directs trial courts to determine which level of the cap must be applied in a particular case. After she was poked, Garrison immediately rushed into the public restroom at Target to run water over her hand. She reported the incident to the store. A claims investigator asked her if she thought Target was responsible for the injury. She told him that the store was responsible for the parking lot and wanted Target to pay for her medical bills. An infectious disease specialist prescribed medications that she said left her in a zombie-like state and caused night terrors. She underwent blood tests every three months for a year to monitor for any emerging infections. Garrison asked Target to pay her $12,000. After Target refused, she and her husband, Clint, filed a lawsuit in Anderson County. A jury found in the couples favor and awarded $100,000 in compensatory damages plus $4.5 million in punitive damages. The jury also awarded Clint Garrison $8,500 for lost wages and loss of consortium. Circuit Court Judge R. Keith Kelly threw out the punitive damages award in a judgment notwithstanding the verdict. But Kelly allowed the compensatory damage awards to stand, finding that Target had constructive knowledge that the parking lot was hazardous. Both parties appealed. A three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals reinstated the punitive damages award, citing testimony from witnesses that Target did not regularly clean the parking lot and there was trash everywhere even though the stores managers said the lot was cleaned every Thursday night. Clint Garrison had even camped out in the Target parking lot on a Thursday night to show that it was not regularly cleaned. The appellate court also found that Target had waived its right to cap the award under the statutory cap laid out in section 15-32-530 because it did not mention the limit in its pleadings. Judge D. Garrison Hill dissented, stating that nothing in the statute states that the cap on punitive damages cannot be applied unless it is mentioned in pleadings. Likewise, the Supreme Court found that the appellate panel had read into the law a requirement that does not exist. But the high court the trial court to take another look at the jurys punitive damage award and to consider not only the harm that had come to Garrison, but also to the potential harm that could have been done to her and other customers because of Targets negligence. Although Denise did not ultimately contract a disease from the syringe, the trial court erred in failing to consider any potential harm in the ratio calculation, including the harm likely to result to other customers due to Targets failure to maintain the parking lot in a reasonably safe condition, the court said. Of course, Section 15-32-530 will limit any punitive damage award to three times the amount of compensatory damages unless one of three statutory exemptions apply: The wrongful conduct was motivated by unreasonable financial gain and the high likelihood of injury was know the defendant. The defendants action could subject the defendant to conviction of a felony. The defendant acted while intoxicated after intentional consuming alcohol or drugs. If the trial court determines one of those factors applies, punitive damages are limited to four times the amount of compensatory damages. Either way, the judgment appears to limit Garrisons potential award to $500,000. There is one consolation for the family: The high court also reversed the Court of Appeals and ruled that Denise Garrison is entitled to 8 percent interest on her award from the date Target rejected her settlement offer to the date of the verdict, including on the amount of punitive damages, if any. The appeals court verdict is one of several judgments or settlements in the Southeast in recent months that have held retailers liable for millions of dollars for not patrolling or maintaining safe parking lots. In November, a Georgia appeals court upheld a $43 million premises liability verdict against the CVS Pharmacy chain, ruling that the company failed to take security measures to prevent the shooting of a patron in 2012. This month, a Florida Keys marina agreed to pay $6 million after a man working on a boat was robbed and killed. And a Coral Gables, Florida, billiard hall settled a suit for $2.8 million after a man was involved in a fight then was killed in the parking lot, which plaintiffs said did not have security guards. A federal jury on Thursday awarded $110 million to two U.S. Army veterans who said combat earplugs sold by 3M Co to the military caused them to suffer hearing damage, the largest verdict yet to result from hundreds of thousands of lawsuits over the product. Jurors in Pensacola, Florida, sided with U.S. Army veterans Ronald Sloan and William Wayman, who alleged that 3Ms Combat Arms Earplugs Version 2s design was defective, according to a spokesperson for the plaintiffs lawyers. Also Thursday, the judge in the case, Casey Rodgers, denied 3Ms request that she set aside the jury verdict. Rodgers said a judgment-as-a-matter-of-law set-aside order was only appropriate when there was no sufficient evidence for the jurys verdict. The companys lawyers had argued that the plaintiffs claims were fraudulent, had been misrepresented, did not provide sufficient evidence about the earplugs defectiveness, and were barred by a Kentucky statute of limitations. Topics Lawsuits Florida A Mississippi pharmacist was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison for a multimillion dollar scheme to defraud private insurance companies and a healthcare program for military members, retirees and their families. David Rutland, 42, of Bolton, pleaded guilty to getting paid kickbacks to distributors for the referral of medically unnecessary compounded creams and other prescriptions, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release. The scheme resulted in more than $180 million in fraudulent billings, including more than $50 million by federal health care programs. According to court documents, the pharmacist and co-owner of compounding pharmacies schemed to defraud TRICARE, the military health care program, and other health care benefit programs by distributing medically unnecessary compounded medications. Rutland adjusted prescription formulas to ensure the highest reimbursement, investigators said. Co-conspirators Mitchell Chad Barrett, of Florida, and Tommy Shoemaker, of Louisiana, also have admitted their culpability in the fraud, according to news reports. The indictment details the extent of the scheme. In addition to the prison term, Rutland was ordered to pay restitution and forfeit all assets traced to his illegal activity. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Mississippi Wei Wen Wu, 54, and Feng Wen Lam, 49, both of Arcadia, California, were charged with 43 felony counts of insurance fraud, grand theft, and conspiracy after allegedly underreporting nearly $4.5 million in employee payroll. The scheme reportedly fraudulently reduced their companys workers comp insurance premium resulting in a loss of $1.7 million in unpaid insurance premiums. A parallel investigation by the California Department of Industrial Relations reportedly uncovered wage theft from employees at the couples chicken processing business in El Monte. Lam is the owner of Golden Food Inc., a chicken processing business employing butchers and meatpackers located in El Monte, which receives chicken carcasses and breaks them down into boxes of chicken parts for sale. Lams husband, Wu, operated the business. The California Department of Insurance launched an investigation after receiving a referral from State Compensation Insurance Fund, which suspected the business of fraud after comparing the payroll reported during annual audits with the payroll reported to the Employment Development Department. After obtaining search warrants for GFI, the CDI was reportedly able to obtain the true payroll records from the companys computer and found fake tax reporting forms. The investigation reportedly showed that between 2015 and 2021, GFI underreported its payroll to its workers comp carriers by $4.4 million, resulting in a loss of $1.6 million in premiums to four insurers, including State Fund. In addition to the CDI investigation, the DIR investigation reportedly found employees were forced to clock out for breaks and continue to work, they were not paid overtime for work in excess of 40 weekly hours, and their pay stubs were falsified. Also, it reportedly revealed Wu routinely deducted work hours from employees and falsely counted that pay as bonus. An audit by DIR found that Lam and Wu failed to pay at minimum $437,542 in labor to their 34 employees based on the minimum legal market value. Wu and Lam are scheduled to appear in court on March 29. The Los Angeles County District Attorneys Offices Healthcare Fraud Division is prosecuting the case. Topics California Fraud Workers' Compensation A Florida nurse will spend six months in prison and six months in home detention after tampering with a patients medicine. A judge sentenced Jerome Clampitt on Friday morning after Clampitt pleaded guilty in October, the Department of Justice reported. Advertisement Court documents said Clampitt was a registered nurse at a Jacksonville hospital working a night shift in the ICU in January 2020. Two witnesses saw Clampitt inject something that was supposed to dispense fentanyl into the patient. However, there was no medical reason for the patient to receive the dosage, according to the DOJ. Advertisement A lab test confirmed the patients fentanyl dose was diluted with saline. Clampitt admitted diverting drugs from patients for personal use during an interview with authorities. But, he denied diluting the patients dosage with saline. Records showed another hospital fired Clampitt in 2019 after finding discrepancies in his records that suggest he was using his patients drugs for personal use, the DOJ reported. In his guilty plea, he admitted he knew diverting the drugs caused harm to one or more of his patients. DETROIT, Jan. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Gage Growth Corp. ("Gage" or the "Company") (CSE: GAGE) (OTCQX: GAEGF), a leading high-quality premium cannabis brand and operator in Michigan, today announced plans to open a flagship Cookies dispensary in the heart of Toronto, Canada ("Cookies Toronto") on Saturday, January 29th, 2022 at 9am ET. Cookies, one of the best-known cannabis brands in the world, will be located at 278A Queen Street West. Cookies Toronto will offer Cookies and Gage branded products cultivated by their exclusive collective production partner, NOYA Cannabis Inc. Cookies Toronto will become the 12th dispensary in North America operated by Gage and the first Cookies store in Canada. The flagship dispensary, operated by Gage through an exclusive partnership with Cookies, will carry the entire collection of Cookies products featuring hand-selected strains from rapper, entrepreneur and Co-Founder and CEO of Cookies, Berner, and his renowned breeder and cultivation partner, Jai. These hand-selected strains will include GP20, Georgia Pie, Medellin, Lions Mane, Soap and more. In addition to these iconic Cookies strains, the partnership will introduce additional Cookies brands such as Lemonnade, Minntz, Runtz, Grandiflora, Powerzzzup, RTJ and Collins Ave. to Canadian adult-use consumers. "Some of my favorite strains growing up originated from Canada - the { Nade } and { champagne Aka Pelli } were staples," said Berner, Co-Founder and CEO of Cookies. "It feels good to be in position to diversify the current flavor profile on the Canadian market, with a flagship store in Toronto. I think the Canadian connoisseur will be proud to have Cookies, and Noya already has our standards dialed in as far as cultivation goes, and made a powerful introduction for the Cookies brand in Canada. Introducing our customer journey to the Canadian markets is something I've been wanting to do for a long time now, and we hope Canada appreciates the attention our customers get and deserve while shopping at Cookies." "We are super excited for the iconic launch of the first Cookies store in Canada," said Fabian Monaco, CEO of Gage. "Working with Berner and his team to finally introduce Cookies to the Canadian market validates the painstaking processes we've developed at Gage, and we're eager to provide Canadian audiences with our unique and engaging retail platform. Launching the first Cookies store in Canada will bring an unparalleled experience to our growing consumer community while offering direct access to one of the leading brands in the cannabis industry." About Gage Growth Corp. Gage Growth Corp. is innovating and curating the highest quality cannabis experiences possible for cannabis consumers in the state of Michigan and Canada, and bringing internationally renowned brands to market. Through years of progressive industry experience, the firm's founding partners have successfully built and grown operations with federal and state licenses, including cultivation, processing and retail locations. Gage's portfolio includes three city and state cultivation and processing assets, and 19 provisioning centers (dispensaries). For more information about Gage Growth Corp., visit www.gagecannabis.com or www.gageinvestors.com. Instagram: @gagemichigan, @gagecannabisca, @cookies.canada, @cookies.toronto Facebook: @gageusa Twitter: @gagecannabisco About Cookies Cookies, founded in 2010 by Billboard-charting rapper and entrepreneur Berner and Bay Area breeder and cultivator Jai, is the most globally recognized cannabis company in the world. Cookies values the power of the plant and focuses on creating game-changing genetics. The company offers a collection of over 70 proprietary cannabis strains and more than 2,000 products. Cookies also actively works to enrich communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs through advocacy and social equity initiatives. Headquartered in San Francisco, the company opened its first retail store in 2018 in Los Angeles, and has since expanded to over 40 retail locations in 17 markets across 4 countries. Cookies was named one of America's Hottest Brands of 2021 by AdAge; the first cannabis brand to ever receive this accolade. Learn more at cookies.co. Instagram: @cookiesenterprises Facebook: @cookies_global Twitter: @cookiesglobal About NOYA Founded in Hamilton, Ontario in 2014, NOYA Cannabis Inc. is a licensed producer under the Cannabis Act. The company received its cultivation license in 2017, and its sales license in 2018. The company has positioned itself as a premium white label producer and is working with the biggest and best cannabis brands in the world. The company's mission is to distribute and cultivate premium craft cannabis to match the needs of the market. For more information on NOYA Cannabis Inc. visit www.noyagrow.ca. Instagram: @NoyaGrow Twitter: @NoyaGrow Caution Regarding Cannabis Operations in the United States Investors should note that there are significant legal restrictions and regulations that govern the cannabis industry in the United States. While legal in certain states, cannabis remains a Schedule I drug under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act, making it illegal under federal law in the United States to, among other things, cultivate, distribute or possess cannabis. Financial transactions involving proceeds generated by, or intended to promote, cannabis-related business activities in the United States may form the basis for prosecution under applicable U.S. federal money laundering legislation. Explanatory Note Regarding the Company's Operations References in this news release to the Company and its operations and portfolio are inclusive of the operations and assets of certain licensed cannabis operators that operate under the Gage brand pursuant to contractual arrangements with the Company. For additional information, please refer to the Company's long form prospectus dated March 26, 2021 and other disclosure documents available on the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Forward Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as, "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely", "expect", "anticipate", "believe, "intend", "plan", "forecast", "project", "estimate", "outlook" and other similar expressions, and include statements with respect to the opening of the Cookies Toronto store. Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and is based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management in light of management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors relevant in the circumstances, including assumptions in respect of current and future market conditions, the current and future regulatory environment; and the availability of licenses, approvals and permits. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information including, but not limited to, those risks disclosed in the Company's most recently filed management's discussion and analysis and other disclosure documents available on the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gage-cannabis--cookies-to-launch-flagship-cannabis-dispensary-in-toronto-canada-301470170.html SOURCE Gage Cannabis Co. Burma Myanmar Junta Arrests and Threatens Shop Owners Over Planned Silent Strike A normally traffic-choked road in downtown Yangon is deserted during the silent strike on December 10 last year. / Clean Yangon Myanmar junta forces have arrested over a dozen shop owners who notified customers that their businesses will be closed on February 1, when a nationwide silent strike is planned for the first anniversary of the juntas coup. Regime troops also sealed off the detainees houses and shops. The arrests and seizure of properties come as the military regime escalates its efforts to prevent the silent strike from going ahead. On Tuesday, the junta threatened people not to participate in the strike, saying that anyone taking part in the protest will face prosecution under a wide range of laws which carry harsh jail sentences including life imprisonment. Immediately after the juntas announcement, its supporters gave information about people who posted online that their businesses will shut on February 1, or who shared news about the silent strike, to the regime. That prompted the arrest of at least 13 shop owners, eight from Yangon and five from Mandalay, in less than 48 hours. However, the number of people detained and whose businesses have been forcibly closed is likely to be higher, as further information about arrests becomes clear. Also, a number of family members of those arrested are thought to have been detained by junta forces. Among the confirmed arrests are the owners of a spring roll shop, a hot pot shop, a seafood distribution and delivery business, a cellphone shop, a cafe, a shoe shop and a Rakhine restaurant, as well as a makeup artist and a fortune teller. After sealing off their houses and shops, junta forces placed a large notice at the entrance of each closed building saying, This land/building is sealed off for supporting terrorist CRPH [Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw], NUG [National Unity Government] and PDF [Peoples Defense Force]. As well as arrests, junta forces including police, administrators and municipal staff are pressuring shops to remain open as usual on the anniversary of the coup in several cities across the country. Reports have emerged of shop owners in several places being forced to sign agreements stating that that they will open on February 1. Anti-regime groups nationwide have invited the general public to join the February 1 strike by remaining indoors from 10am to 4pm. At 4pm, the strike will end with communal clapping. Amid the juntas oppression, anti-regime forces have urged people to be cautious about sharing their plans to join the silent strike and to respond in a smart and discreet manner. If they force shops to open, the shops can. The main point is for people to stay home on that day, an anti-regime protester said. The upcoming silent strike will be the third such protest. The first was held on March 24 last year and the second on December 10. Both the previous silent strikes saw the whole nation of over 54 million people staying out of sight for the day, with even roadside vendors who need to earn money daily refusing to open their businesses. That was a major embarrassment for the junta, which insists that normalcy is returning to the country. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Junta Locks Down Indian Border Town After COVID-19 Outbreak Over 1,000 Junta Soldiers Killed in Western Myanmar Last Year: Chin Resistance Forces Displaced Kayah Civilians Going Hungry as Myanmar Junta Blocks Supplies Burma Myanmar Junta Locks Down Indian Border Town After COVID-19 Outbreak Disinfectant was sprayed across Tamu in Sagaing Region on Tuesday following more than 50 infections at a school. / U Kyaw Theins Facebook More than 150 COVID-19 cases were reported over the past week in Tamu on the Indian border in Sagaing Region, according to Tamu District medical superintendent Dr. Thura. Myanmars military regime on Wednesday imposed a lockdown on Tamu. Swabs from 48 patients were sent to Yangon on Wednesday to diagnose the variant. Most the infected people are teachers and pupils and the most common symptoms are sore throat and cough. They dont have severe symptoms, said Dr. Thura. Coronavirus tests were carried out at No. 2 Basic Education High School in Tamu on Monday. More than 50 positive tests were taken and the town was locked down. Some of those infected were unvaccinated and those with more serious symptoms are being treated at Tamu District Hospital. Those with minor symptoms are being quarantined at the school, said Dr. Thura. Tamu Township Health Department carried out COVID-19 tests on its contacts and central market traders. More than 150 cases had been reported by Wednesday. The health department urged residents to stay at home and anyone who had contact with those infected to take a test at the township hospital, said Dr. Thura. Many of the towns medical staff are on strike as part of the civil disobedience movement against the regime, with only three doctors and three nurses left at the district-level 100-bed Tamu hospital. Meanwhile, many civil society organization staff in Tamu have fled junta arrests, meaning the township is ill-prepared to help COVID-19 patients. We have adequate medicines and few staff and have requested help from other townships, said the medical superintendent. A male Tamu resident told The Irrawaddy: We have never had so many positive cases in Tamu. Last year the regime was giving Chinese jabs but many refused to have one. Residents fear being trapped in the town because of the lockdown if fighting breaks out. A woman resident said: Food prices have not increased as the lockdown was imposed only a few days ago. We are worried what might happen if there is fighting while the town is under a COVID-19 lockdown. Junta troops and Sagaing resistance fighters clashed at a military checkpoint outside the town on Thursday. You may also like these stories: Over 1,000 Junta Soldiers Killed in Western Myanmar Last Year: Chin Resistance Forces Displaced Kayah Civilians Going Hungry as Myanmar Junta Blocks Supplies Major Australian Energy Firm Woodside Announces Myanmar Pullout Burma Over 1,000 Junta Soldiers Killed in Western Myanmar Last Year: Chin Resistance Forces Military vehicles damaged in an ambush in May by Chin resistance forces in Mindat, Chin State. / CJ Almost 1,030 Myanmar military soldiers were killed in firefights with resistance forces in Chin State last year, according to the Chinland Joint Defense Committee. The committee is comprised of around 16 ethnic Chin Peoples Defense Forces (PDF) representing each of the nine townships in the western Myanmar state. 184 clashes between military regime troops and Chin PDFs took place across Chin State, as well as in townships of neighboring Magwe and Sagaing regions, between April 24 and December 31. Other smaller shootouts also occurred. 1,029 regime soldiers and 58 Chin resistance fighters were killed during the battles, while 27 civilians were slain by junta troops, said the committee. The first clash in Chin State following the coup took place on April 24 when locals armed with traditional and homemade weapons attacked the police station in the mountain-top town of Mindat, after the junta repeatedly refused to release six detained anti-regime protesters. Since then, Mindat has seen the highest number of clashes a total of 60 of anywhere in Chin State, with junta forces suffering heavy losses. The Myanmar military suffered around 40 deaths alone in one clash in Mindat in early June with the Chin Defense Force-Mindat. The regime had to call on jet fighters and artillery from Kyaukhtu in Magwe Region to help its defeated ground troops in the fighting. Former army captain Kaung Thu Win, who defected from the militarys northwest command in December, said recently in a discussion that many army officers were investigated and a senior officer was interned by the junta after their detachment suffered heavy losses during a battle in Mindat in May. The Chin State capital Hakha was the second most restive area in Chin State, reporting a total of 25 clashes in the last nine months, followed by Falam Township with 19 incidents. Most of the state, with the exception of a few towns, is under the control of Chin resistance forces, according to an official of the Chinland Joint Defense Committee. He said regime administration officers have to hold meetings in secret, even in Hakha, to avoid being attacked. The official added that Chin PDFs are also deployed outside Chin State in townships in Magwe and Sagaing regions where ethnic Chin people live. In an effort to take control of the state, the military regime is now deploying large numbers of troops and weapons in three columns into Chin State via routes from Paletwa, near the border with Bangladesh, and Magwe and Sagaing regions. Between January 12 and 22, fierce clashes between regime soldiers and a combined force of nine resistance groups broke out near Hiangzing Village in Chin States Tedim Township. At least 80 junta soldiers and three resistance fighters were killed in the fighting, which saw the regime employing air and artillery strikes, and another nine resistance fighters were wounded, the Zomi Federal Union said on Monday. The military regime is now facing daily attacks from PDFs and ethnic armed groups nationwide, with the exception of Rakhine State, which is largely under the control of the Arakan Army. You may also like these stories: Displaced Kayah Civilians Going Hungry as Myanmar Junta Blocks Supplies Major Australian Energy Firm Woodside Announces Myanmar Pullout Myanmars KBZ Group Dissolves Subsidiary That Operated Jade Mine With Military Burma Resistance Groups Claim Rising Numbers of Yangon Attacks on Myanmar Regime An explosion near regime forces in Yankin Township, Yangon, on May 1 last year. / CJ Despite the threat of arrest and death sentences, several resistance forces in Yangon are continuing to attack Myanmars regime forces across the city. Last week the regime sentenced to death former National League for Democracy lawmaker Ko Phyo Zeyar Thaw and a veteran democracy activist Ko Kyaw Min Yu, also known as Ko Jimmy, for violating the Counterterrorism Act. They were accused of masterminding guerrilla warfare in Yangon. However, resistance groups reportedly continue to target regime forces, government offices, junta informants and military-linked businesses. The Irrawaddy could not independently verify any of the reports. Anti-regime activities have increased since late December. From Zero to Hero, a Yangon resistance group, claims to have bombed regime forces at the gate of the military interrogation center on the Bayint Naung Road in Hlaing Township on Friday morning. Some troops were injured in the blast and a second bomb was discovered by soldiers, the group said. The attackers escaped, despite regime forces searching for them, the group said. Two other groups claimed to have bombed Thaketa police station on Thursday night. The casualties are unknown, said the Dictator Revolt Front that coordinated the attack. Dark Shadow, another group, said it abandoned an attack on regime sentries under the Hledan flyover in Kamayut Township on Friday to prevent hurting civilians. The group requested Yangon residents to avoid regime troops and junta-controlled areas due to the danger of other attacks. On Thursday night, the electricity office in Thanlyin Township was reportedly attacked with a remotely controlled bomb by the Urban Guerrilla Force of Thanlyin, according to media reports. The corporation cuts power supplies to households that refuse to pay their bills. Since the Feb. 1 coup, citizens have been refusing to pay tax or bills to junta-controlled departments while over 400,000 civil servants, including thousands of police officers and soldiers, have refused to work for the regime. More than 12 regime soldiers were injured and two killed in the last week during attacks in Insein, Mingaladon, Taikkyi, South Dagon, South Okkalapa, Tamwe and Hlaingthaya townships, according to resistance groups. The regime is also being attacked in Mandalay. On Thursday, two groups bombed a telecommunication office where troops were deployed in the city. A soldier was injured in the blast, claimed Eagle Brothers, one of the groups involved. A member of bank staff was injured by a bomb at a Kanbawza Bank branch in Mandalay on Friday morning, according to media reports. No group has claimed responsibility. The regime faces attacks from peoples defense forces and many ethnic armed groups across the country, except for Rakhine State, which is largely under the control of the Arakan Army. You may also like these stories: Two Aged NLD Prisoners Freed by Myanmar Junta Washington Urged to Maintain Support for Myanmars Shadow Government Myanmar Junta Arrests and Threatens Shop Owners Over Planned Silent Strike If you were beaten and bullied as a child, if you lived for nine years in constant fear of being tortured or killed, if you and your family fled your home, losing everything, and were forced to live in a tent, would you call yourself lucky? Abraham Pizam does. For eight decades, Pizam founding dean of UCFs Rosen College of Hospitality Management did not speak publicly of the terror of his youth. In the big picture of things, he said, he didnt think it mattered. Advertisement After all, he survived. Six million Jews did not. Advertisement For many years, I also thought that my experience belongs in the past, he said Thursday, telling his story to an audience of strangers for the first time. I thought the future will be totally different, that people will have learned from our terrible experience. But I was wrong. It was Jan. 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and the Lake Eola fountain and Dr. Phillips Center and one of the bridges across the East-West Expressway were bathed in purple lights for the occasion. At Maitlands Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Florida, 140 people crowded into a small hall to hear Pizam speak; still more watched online. As the 84-year-old climbed atop a makeshift stage, officers stood guard outside the most visible evidence of the heightened security measures the center has been forced to embrace. A series of sophisticated bomb threats started in 2017, one of them prompting the evacuation of 300 preschoolers from the campus. Across the country, the threats, violence and vitriol have only increased since. Just two weeks ago, a British man took four hostages in a day-long siege at a Texas synagogue. He released one hostage after six hours; three others escaped 11 hours into the ordeal, moments before the FBI rushed the building, killing the gunman. According to the FBIs annual data on hate crimes, those targeting the Jewish community consistently account for over half of all religion-based offenses. In 2020, it was 831 a number widely believed to underestimate the true extent of the problem. I decided it is time for me to share my story, Pizam said. In this country, we have a constitution. We have this document that declares freedom of religion and equality. And yet now you have people banning books on the Holocaust from schools, people not allowing the education of children. We have people marching in the streets and saying, Jews will not replace us. A growing movement, he said, is trying to rewrite history a history he lived. Advertisement Born in a time of terror By the time Pizam was born in Romania, in the spring of 1937, Adolf Hitler had been appointed chancellor of Germany, a Nazi concentration camp had opened in Dachau, Jewish businesses were boycotted, and books by Jewish authors were publicly burned. In Romania, Fascist political forces were rising in popularity and power, urging an alliance with Nazi Germany. By the time Pizam was 4, Ion Antonescu, a deeply antisemitic career Army officer, had gained power, leading to the torture and beating of Jews and looting of their shops. The policies of Antonescu and his enforcers were independently responsible for the deaths of as many as 400,000 people. Young Abes parents changed his name and registered him for public school, sacrificing a proper Hebrew education, hoping to keep his Jewish heritage secret. It did not work, he said. I was beaten. I was bullied. I had to wear a yellow star on my clothing a badge in the shape of the Star of David. If you took that off in public, they wouldnt arrest you. They would just shoot you on the spot. Abe Pizam, founding Dean of the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida, speaks at the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida in Maitland. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel) (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel) While residents of his small Romanian town knew who was Jewish and who wasnt, Jewish adults pooled their money to bribe local politicians to lie to the Gestapo, the Nazi secret police, who made periodic visits hunting for Jews. Every time a stranger knocked on their door, Pizam said, he was terrified. Advertisement My sister and I, we lived in that terror every day for years, he said. My immediate family my mother, father, sister, me we survived. We did not go to a concentration camp. But you lived in constant fear, thinking, When will it happen? It is just a matter of time. His paternal aunt, who had married and moved to Poland, was imprisoned at Auschwitz, where she, her husband and children were executed. When Pizam was 8, his father took him to a local cemetery and had him open a coffin. Inside were brick-like bars engraved with initials that his father said meant Pure Jewish Fat. They were, the boy was told, soap that the Germans had made from the bodies of murdered Jews. In accordance with Jewish law on human remains, the soap had been given a burial. Imagine the shock I had as an 8-year-old, he said. For decades, the soap story was embraced by Holocaust survivors throughout the world. And though Pizam would later learn it was a myth propaganda, perhaps, to further terrorize the Jews that day has stayed with him. Advertisement The Promised Land The end of World War II and the Holocaust in 1945, though, did not end the misery for Pizam and his family. Romania became a communist country, its new leaders nationalizing everything, including the store owned by Pizams parents. Overnight, they lost everything they had saved. They left for Israel, but their ship was intercepted in the Mediterranean. They wound up in an internment camp on Cyprus. We survived the Holocaust and avoided the concentration camps only to spend a whole year, living like that, [surrounded by] barbed wire [and] submachine guns ... just for wanting to start a new life in our Promised Land. Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. > Five years later, having finally reached Israel, Pizams father died, leaving his mother without the means to send her son to school. She hoped a distant cousin, living in New York, could help her son find a job there while he was getting an education at night. A newborn activist Abe Pizam is now Professor Abraham Pizam, the Linda Chapin Eminent Scholar Chair in Tourism Management at the University of Central Florida. He has a masters degree from New York University and a doctoral degree from Cornell. He has researched, lectured and consulted in more than 30 countries and held academic posts in Austria, Australia, France, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Slovakia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, in addition to the U.S. He has published 10 books. More importantly, he said, he is a husband, father and grandfather. And now, in the twilight of his life, he is an activist. Advertisement Finally, I am relieved I can share my story, he said. Silence is an enemy. Where once he was optimistic, though, now his outlook is tempered by doubt. This can happen here, believe it or not, he said. Looking at the news, look at whats happening right now as we speak, looking at our country, with both the right and the left becoming more and more antisemitic, I start questioning my hope. And I hope that Im wrong. And I wish that Im wrong. ksantich@orlandosentinel.com Burma Two Aged NLD Prisoners Freed by Myanmar Junta Ousted planning and finance minister U Soe Win (left) and U Han Tha Myint, an NLD central executive committee member. Myanmars junta released two ailing National League for Democracy (NLD) figures from prison on Thursday. U Han Tha Myint, an NLD central executive committee (CEC) member, was sentenced to two years in prison on Dec. 30 for incitement over the partys statement condemning last Februarys military coup. According to sources, he was released due to poor health. The 74-year-old, who had surgery for prostate cancer and suffers from hypertension, was being held in Yangons notorious Insein Prison after being arrested during the February 1 coup. He contracted coronavirus while in custody and was treated in hospital. Former planning and finance minister U Soe Win was also seized during the coup and charged under the Official Secrets Act. He has been granted bail, a court source told The Irrawaddy. The 83-year-old CEC member was the oldest NLD cabinet member and has been at the 1,000-bed hospital in Naypyitaw since December due to colon cancer. He worked in the financial and banking sectors for half a century. U Soe Win, his predecessor U Kyaw Win and deputy planning and finance minister U Sett Aung were charged alongside Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for violating the Official Secrets Act for hiring Australian academic Sean Turnell as an economic adviser to the NLD government. Turnell has also been detained since the coup and charged under the Official Secrets Act. If convicted, they face up to 14 years in prison. The regime has set up a special court in Naypyitaw to hear their cases. A hearing was canceled on Thursday after prosecution witnesses failed to attend. Turnell is also being charged under the Immigration Law. Many aged and sickly NLD figures remain in prison. NLD CEC member U Nyan Win, 79, Daw Aung San Suu Kyis long-time personal lawyer, died of COVID-19 in July. He contracted the virus in Insein and died a few days later at Yangon Hospital. You may also like these stories: Washington Urged to Maintain Support for Myanmars Shadow Government Myanmar Junta Arrests and Threatens Shop Owners Over Planned Silent Strike Myanmar Junta Locks Down Indian Border Town After COVID-19 Outbreak Burma Washington Urged to Maintain Support for Myanmars Shadow Government Protesters in Taunggyi, Shan State hold posters in support of the NUG during a demonstration against the coup on "Global Myanmar Spring Revolution Day" on May 2, 2021. / AFP Myanmars shadow National Unity Government (NUG) urged the United States (US) to continue its support during a meeting with the US State Department Counselor Derek Chollet, who voiced deep appreciation for the NUGs leadership in response to the crisis created by the Myanmar militarys coup one year ago. The NUG called on the US Government to continue its strong and effective support in resolving the Myanmar crisis, wrote NUG foreign affairs minister Daw Zin Mar Aung, following Thursdays virtual meeting between the NUG and the US. The US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that Counselor Derek Chollet reaffirmed the United States strong commitment to the people of Burma [Myanmar] and the swift restoration of the countrys path to democracy. The Counselor voiced deep appreciation for the NUGs leadership in response to the crisis created by the military coup detat one year ago, said Ned Price. The NUG was formed in April by elected lawmakers of the National League for Democracy, their ethnic allies and anti-regime protesters. It has been lobbying for international recognition as Myanmars legitimate government and to de-legitimize the military regime. The NUG has earned popular support at home and abroad, and also provides support to striking civil servants and people displaced by fighting. The peoples government, as the NUG is dubbed, formed Peoples Defense Forces (PDF) to resist the regime. It declared war on the junta in September, taking the ongoing armed struggle against the Myanmar military to another level. Although foreign governments do not yet officially recognize the NUG, many, including the US, have engaged with the NUG both formally and informally. Since last Februarys coup, the junta has failed to consolidate its power as most of the Myanmar people are rejecting military rule. The pro-democracy movement has maintained its momentum, while anti-regime protesters continue to take to the streets. In addition, people are refusing to pay taxes, civil servants are joining the Civil Disobedience Movement, and young people especially are joining the armed resistance and conducting guerrilla attacks against junta troops in urban areas. Meanwhile, the fighting rages on between the regime and the combined forces of ethnic armed groups and PDFs in rural ethnic areas and Bamar-majority areas such as Sagaing and Magwe regions. Due to ongoing junta air and artillery strikes, in mid-January more than 385,000 people were internally displaced in Sagaing, Magwe, Bago and Tanintharyi regions and in Chin, Karen, Kayah, Shan and Mon states, according to the United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. US State Department spokesperson Ned Price added that the US representative discussed efforts to achieve a more inclusive democratic future for Myanmar. The US-NUG meeting was joined by the NUGs Acting President Duwa Lashi La, the Union Prime Minister Mahn Win Khaing Than, Daw Zin Mar Aung, US Counselor Derek Chollet and Kin W. Moy, the principal deputy assistant secretary for the USs Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Daw Zin Mar Aung added that the Counselor reiterated that the US has been working with its allies to help Myanmars situation more effectively. The NUG also highlighted its view on the role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the UN Special Envoys attempts to overcome the political crisis in Myanmar. The NUGs foreign minister said that they discussed the challenges they face on the ground amid the juntas continuous crackdown against civilians, the NUG and its supporters, as well as issues related to humanitarian assistance and coordination with ethnic political forces. The Myanmar regime has killed at least 1,498 civilians and arrested 11,787 people, including the countrys civilian leaders State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, according to monitoring group the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Both US officials held talks with Daw Zin Mar Aung in September, when they discussed the issues of humanitarian assistance, the political and human rights situation in Myanmar, and COVID-19 vaccination programs. The meeting followed the US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Shermans talk with Daw Zin Mar Aung in early August. In October, the NUGs acting president and foreign minister also met with Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser to US President Joe Biden. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Junta Arrests and Threatens Shop Owners Over Planned Silent Strike Myanmar Junta Locks Down Indian Border Town After COVID-19 Outbreak Over 1,000 Junta Soldiers Killed in Western Myanmar Last Year: Chin Resistance Forces Myanmar Diary Myanmar Diary: Eleven Months of Sleeping Under Strange Roofs Regime forces raid a neighborhood in Yangon in early March 2021. / The Irrawaddy Editors note: To give readers a fuller sense of life under Myanmars military regime, in this series we present the firsthand experiences of someone enduring these harsh Burmese days. The new year has brought me a new hideout. Initially at least, my only new years wish was that it might keep me as safe as its predecessors did. It is my fourth hideout in nearly 11 months. I doubt this life will change as long as the military regime led by Min Aung Hlaing maintains its grip on power. These two thingsmy personal safety and the existence of Min Aung Hlaing as leaderare directly related. If he and his regime were to vanish for whatever reason, I would be free to walk out of my den. But thats true not only for me, of course. The connection exists for every citizen of Myanmar. If MAH were gonedead or alivethe country would return to normal. If the killings he has been committing over the past 11 months, since shortly after his coup detat on Feb. 1, 2021, were brought to an end, citizens could feel safe again, and those who have gone into hiding or left for exile would be safe to return home. (Note: I will use MAH for Min Aung Hlaing; most Myanmar people refer to him using his Burmese initials, pronounced Ma-Ah-La. Unfortunately for the coup leader, these initials also stand for motherf in Burmese. No wonder people have so heartily embraced this shorthand!) I soon thought of another new years wish, however. It would be to see MAH vanish from this land. No, he should disappear from this Earth, as he is an evil presence who brings nothing good, not only for this country, but also for the world. Thats a perfect new years wish that goes beyond the desires of one individual and is made on behalf of everyone. Its a wish I certainly share with all of my fellow countrymen, from northern Kachin to southern Tanintharyi, and from eastern Kayah to western Chin. At the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, I should have sent this wish to all my friends: May 2022 be the year that MAH vanishes for all of us, and for our motherland Myanmar! I will never forget the day I left my home out of fear for my safety. It was March 8, 2021, 36 days after MAH staged his coup. Cruel killings, arbitrary arrests, brutal crackdowns and manhunts for anti-coup protesters and regime critics by his troops across the country were already forcing many to go into hiding or to make plans to flee the country. I no longer felt safe either, given my activitiesthings not looked on kindly by the regime. Friends and family members urged me not to stay at home. While I was having lunch at home on that day, a message from one of my friends popped up on my phone: Do you need a safe house? Yes, I replied. We chose an inconspicuous meeting point. He advised me not to go straight there, to make sure no one was following me. He was worried my house was already being watched. At around 4 p.m., we met at the designated place. I slipped into his car with my backpack, which contained only a notebook and some clothing. He asked me to lie down on the back seat. It took about 15 minutes to reach our destination. My friend even cautioned me to sneak into the house from the garage so as not to be spotted from neighboring houses. For our safety, he listed a number of dos and donts, then helped me cover the windows of the bedroom I would be sleeping in with blankets so that no light could be seen from outside. Unsurprisingly, I couldnt fall asleep on my first night in the hideout. I tried not to think about how many more sleepless nights I would endure in the coming days, months or years. Whenever I needed to go out, my friend checked the neighboring houses first so that I could slip into the car unnoticed. Under the roof of that hideout, every conversation was political; we spoke of nothing but the political situation and how it might develop, whether negatively or positively. Each day brought nothing but bad newsmore killings and arrests by MAHs troops. Our anger and emotions boiled under that roof. On March 24 I moved to my second hideout. Life grew even more unstable and unpredictable. It was unwise to stay in any one place for long. The atmosphere was one of constant uncertainty The owner of my second hideout showed me where I should conceal myself in his compound, should the authorities ever come to check. He suggested climbing into an attic or clambering up onto the roof from an attic window. A big pile of leaves behind the house presented another possibility; he said I could throw myself deep into it and cover myself with the dry foliage. I wasnt sure if I could really manage either of his ideas, if push came to shove. Luckily, I never had to put that plan into action. It wasnt until I moved to a third hideout just over one month later that I experienced a close call. One afternoon in early June, there was a big explosion nearby. I immediately knew it must have been a bomb blast. I ran to the verandah to observe the scene outside. I heard another explosion and saw smoke billowing from a location down the road. I ran back into my room and got down, my head almost on the floor. As I did I noticed shards of glass on the carpet; soon I found a small hole in my apartments window. Caused by a piece of shrapnel, the hole was head-high and right where I had been standing while looking down earlier. If I had not moved, I could have been killed. I was lucky. I again checked out the scene down on the street. Soldiers and police had blocked the road and were shouting at drivers to turn their cars around. They continued to scour the area where the explosions occurred for hours. Now, almost a year after the coup, Ive grown accustomed to hearing bomb blasts from my hideouts, or in my bed at night. Sleepless nights are nothing strange anymorethough, having said that, I have developed the ability to fall asleep in strange beds to the sound of bomb blasts and gunfire in the distance. I suppose that means Ive become used to such things. But these are things no one should ever grow accustomed to. Nights now are never the same as they were before the February coup. To date, Ive spent more than 300 nights in temporary beds in various hideouts, away from my home. For the time being, it seems, I must call these makeshift quarters home. What I have no way of knowing is how many more nights I will have to try to sleep on these beds With that, I wish you good night! You may also like these stories: After Residents Flee Fighting, Myanmar Soldiers Loot Town NUG Accuses Myanmar Junta of Committing Crimes Against Humanity Suspended International Infrastructure Projects Resumed in Myanmar Trinity, TX (77320) Today Mainly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mainly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Were working to cover how COVID-19 is affecting our region. Tell us your story. Have you or someone close to you been monitored, quarantined or tested and can you share about the process? Are you a medical professional dealing with this who wants to share your experience and needs at this time? Are you a student or worker affected by closures? Are there questions you have about the coronavirus and COVID-19 response that havent been answered? We want to hear about your experience. We understand this is a sensitive and private issue and we are willing to protect your identity if you request it. Ithaca, NY (14850) Today Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low 43F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low 43F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. It's World Data Privacy Day, during Privacy Awareness Week, with some top tech leaders making their thoughts public on how to stay private. World Data Privacy Day is today, January 28, although the Office of The Australian Information Commission and Stay Safe Online are celebrating a data privacy week, and this year, individuals are encouraged to Own Your Privacy by learning more about how to help protect the valuable data that is online, and businesses to Respect Privacy. So, what are some top tech leaders stating? David Maunsell, CEO of Haventec states: Our lives have become increasingly dependent on online and digital interactions that generate massive amounts of data containing private information. We often see the responsibility of data privacy fall into the hands of consumers, expecting them to understand the intricacies of cyber security to protect themselves. Meanwhile, regulatory bodies have called on businesses to know and respect their customers rights while also protecting every bit of data they hold for their customers. Enterprises are resorting to increasingly complex and expensive mechanisms to protect sensitive information resulting in a poor customer experience. "At Haventec, we believe its time we rethink the complexity of data privacy though the lens of human behaviour to create simple, secure, and safe digital experiences. An integral part of this is elegant authentication which builds trust between consumers and businesses, and promotes use of digital channels. At Haventec, we have developed and validated technology which eliminates the weakest link in digital security, the password, and in turn removed the burden on both businesses and consumers of credential breaches and data loss. Meanwhile, Paul Davis, Area Vice President of ANZ at Confluent says: One of the biggest challenges businesses are facing today is keeping up with data privacy. With the never-ending software upgrades, patching systems, new government legislation and the evolving security threats they face, companies are always in a constant race to keep up. This year, I believe that investing in cloud technology is highly advantageous when it comes to data security and privacy. As faster connections give rise to cloud computing, businesses can resolve security issues and stay on top of mechanisms quickly in complex and disconnected IT environments. Additionally, investing in talent within the industry is often overlooked, similarly determining clear roles and responsibilities to hold people accountable and deliver the best services possible. Hiring a Data Protection Officer that provides strategic insight and oversees IT operations could set an organisation apart and ensure that the business stays ahead of the curve. Next is Gregg Ostrowzski, Executive CTO at Cisco AppDynamics, who shares: "The AppDynamics App Attention Index 2021, showed that for consumers, security is the number one component of a high performing 'total application experience'. And 90% say that their expectation of brands to keep their data secure has increased since 2020. "It goes to show that brands must go above and beyond to meet their users' expectations towards security. In this post-pandemic era, a strong security posture means organisations have the necessary processes in place to protect their applications and their business from vulnerabilities and threats. In a world where sensitive data is constantly at risk of being compromised by malicious actors, they must be prepared and strengthen their security posture, enabling them to predict, prevent and respond to threats. "The DevSecOps methodology, a modern approach to software development, takes things a step further and incorporates security enhancements at the beginning of the application development lifecycle for a more proactive approach to reduce risks of threats to sensitive customer data. But in order for a DevSecOps approach to be fully effective, teams need to implement a full-stack observability solution. "This approach will give them in-depth visibility into the entire IT stack, including traditional legacy systems through to new, native cloud environments as well as hybrid deployments. It is a vital step in the right direction." Now comes Paul Lancaster, Director Pre Sales Engineering at Commvault, who explains: This Data Privacy Day is an opportunity for executives to evolve their understanding of data security, taking a renewed approach to how their organisations secure and recover assets. With data sprawl across on and off-site network environments growing, organisations must be proactive in how they approach the security of their systems. Conducting periodic 'fire drills' is one example, testing the strength, resilience, and speed of cyber defences and disaster recovery solutions. Business leaders may believe they have a robust strategy to fend off and recover from attacks; however, data integrity drills can confirm if these strategies are effective, ensuring critical information is always recovery ready. Additionally, addressing network visibility challenges must be top of mind for IT teams and executives. As companies shift from owned data management solutions to hybrid models, systems that provide insight into assets across networks are becoming critical to help drive efficiencies and provide early warnings of any issues. It's time business leaders adapt their understanding of security and recovery systems, shifting from infrastructure management to where solutions are deployed to drive outcomes for the business. Now we turn to Guillaume Noe, Regional Cybersecurity Lead, Avanade Australia. "Data Privacy Day is celebrated each year on January 28. It commemorates the first international binding treaty to protect individuals data signed in 1981 by members of the Council of Europe. The treaty called for the right to personal data protection as a necessity to secure the human dignity, the protection of human rights, the fundamental freedoms of every individual, and the personal autonomy based on a persons right to control their personal data and how it is processed. "Today, Data Privacy Day has evolved in its scale, reach and recognition into 'an international effort to create awareness about the importance of respecting privacy, safeguarding data and enabling trust'. Such awareness is critical for individuals, governments and businesses in both physical and digital contexts. "I believe digital privacy is equally important as physical privacy because the same human dignity and fundamental rights are at stake in a society where human interactions and communications are overwhelmingly processed with digital data. "Personal data can also draw financial and reputational costs when mishandled. "First, personal data can bear a direct monetary cost when stolen by cyber criminals seeking financial gains. In Australia alone and in 2021, the ACCC recorded 124,491 reports of personal information theft which accounted for a loss of over $33.9 million - an increase of 132% over the previous year (ACCC). The majority of the Australian workforce, aged 25-64, remains susceptible to phishing, identity theft, and hacks. "Secondly, it can bear a financial cost for businesses when fined for breaching privacy regulations. The European Union (EU) has set clear examples of holding business accountable for their privacy obligations. Similarly, Australian businesses are not immune to the local and international application of privacy regulations. For example, they can be held liable for damages to their offshore counterparts under laws such as the EUs General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Singapores Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). "Finally, it has a reputational cost for individuals, government entities and businesses when mishandling the personal data that they either own or are entrusted to protect. Trust in businesses and government is fragile when it involves the protection of customers and citizens personal data. "There is a need to reflect and raise awareness on personal data protection because data privacy will always be at risk, and the risk evolves with our society. This is why, on Data Privacy Day, I take the opportunity to reflect on respecting privacy, safeguarding data and enabling trust with better personal data handling - and I extend an invitation to all individuals, government entities and businesses to do the same." We finish with Lana Xaochay, Data Privacy Officer at Ivanti: When the World Wide Web launched in the public domain on April 30, 1993, no one realised the sheer amount of personal information that would be stored and shared online. According to the World Economic Forum, its estimated that by 2025 there will be 463 exabytes of data created every day! This poses a challenge for organisations as managing data has become increasingly complex and governments around the world have tried to rein in what and how we share and store data. "Data privacy concerns have been exacerbated by the pandemic as we have seen an uptick of ransomware and cybercrimes with bad actors taking advantage of the rapid shift to remote work, the increase in online deliveries and the proliferation of QR codes. The sheer amount of data we share about ourselves online is a privacy concern and more alarming is that many workers are using the same devices for personal and business activities. "For this reason, it is critical for businesses to be able to manage all devices that access their network, along with effectively prioritising and remediating vulnerabilities that pose the most danger to their organisation. "The Ransomware Spotlight Year End report released earlier this week underscores the need for organizations to address the rapidly evolving threat landscape, with a 29% increase in the number of vulnerabilities tied to ransomware and a 25% increase in ransomware families the frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks that will only escalate. "At Ivanti we continue to innovate and lock arms with our customers to help enable and secure the Everywhere Workplace. For instance, with Ivanti Neurons for Patch Management, which came out of beta a few days ago, we automate patch management for our customers and help them identify and patch their most critical vulnerabilities proactively. "This is critical as a recent study that we conducted revealed that 71% of IT and security professionals found patching to be overly complex and time consuming. It is critical for businesses to have real-time intelligence on known exploits along with threat context for vulnerabilities so they can respond with more agility to the vulnerabilities that place their organisation at the greatest risk. Villager commits himself to popularizing ethnic folk songs sung in rice fields of SW Chinas Yunnan People's Daily Online) 16:54, January 28, 2022 Singing traditional folk songs while working in the fields, people of the Hani ethnic group have turned terraced rice fields into a massive stage to showcase their strong bonds with nature, as well as the spirit of labor. The tradition of singing while working in the rice fields has been passed down by the Hani people during the course of about 1,000 years in Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest Chinas Yunnan Province. Chen Xiniang (first from right) performs Hani polyphonic folk songs with his fellow villagers in terraced rice fields. (Peoples Daily Online/Lei Yang) Chen Xiniang, an inheritor of Hani polyphonic folk music, expressed his hope that the Hani songs can be kept alive among future generations and become world-famous one day. As a national-level intangible cultural heritage, Hani polyphonic folk music does not have any written lyrics and people must pass down the songs by teaching them to each other. Chen started to learn Hani songs as a child after accompanying his parents to transplant rice seedlings in the fields. When he was 17 years old, Chen became a student under a folk artist who is a local inheritor of the Hani polyphonic folk music tradition. It took Chen eight years to develop all the various singing skills, and as of today he has mastered techniques at a high level, including singing and playing various musical instruments. The rice fields are a source of inspiration for us when creating songs, said Chen, introducing that when there is a small group of people working in the fields together, they will sing their tunes louder; and when there are many people working together in the fields, they will sing relatively more softly and engage in polyphonic singing. Chen and his fellow villagers first staged a show in Kunming, the provincial capital, in the 1980s, where their fabulous performances wowed members of the audience. Nowadays, with the concerted efforts of inheritors like Chen, Hani polyphonic folk songs have reached a wider audience from across the country and even around the world. In 2005, Chen and nine other folk artists performed Hani polyphonic folk songs during a show held in the Netherlands. It was a valuable opportunity to be able to make their folk music heard by overseas audiences, expressed Chen. Nowadays, you cannot find many young people singing songs at home. They have opted to leave the village to search for jobs. If there is no one to carry forward Hani music, it will perish sooner or later, Chen said, who added that he is always ready to teach the songs to more people as long as they are interested in the music. Under the influence of their father, Chens son and daughter also joined in the effort to pass on the tradition of Hani polyphonic folk music, both now being engaged in the protection of the intangible cultural heritage. In addition, two of Chens students have become provincial-level inheritors and four have become prefecture-level inheritors of Hani polyphonic folk music. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) Teachers and support staff in the Volusia County School District will earn a minimum annual salary of $47,500 after the school board unanimously approved a bargaining agreement with the teachers union Tuesday night. The agreement also reserves teacher planning time and limits the number of meetings teachers and support staff are required to attend, according to Volusia United Educators President Elizabeth Albert. Advertisement All of this is for the purpose of making sure that they have the time that they need to plan and prepare to teach the kids, Albert said. We know that our students have learning gaps because ... its the third year with a worldwide pandemic were trying to deal with. We believe that theres nothing more important than teacher planning time. Superintendent Scott Fritz recommended the board approve the agreement. Advertisement I just want everyone to know how appreciative and happy I am to have gotten to this point, Fritz said. Last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis set aside $500 million to increase teacher pay. Volusia received $10.4 million and used 80% for teachers making less than $47,500; the remaining 20% went to veteran teachers. Previous union agreements In December 2020, the school board and teachers union agreed that the districts lowest-paid teachers would receive a $4,700 salary bump, bringing their salary up to $44,335. All teachers would receive at least a 2.5% increase, and anyone making less than $44,335 would be brought up to that level. The district could not provide the full increase in 2020 because too many teachers made less than $47,500. Previously, Volusia Countys starting salary was $39,609 and the median salary in 2019 was $43,333, suggesting that more than half of teachers in the district made less than $47,500. But even after increasing the base pay to $47,500 Tuesday, theres still more work to be done, according to Albert. While the agreement raises the starting pay for teachers and support staff, it doesnt do much for veteran teachers. What were trying to do with salaries is were trying to reduce the compression that is occurring between our brand new folks or early career educators and ... our veteran teachers, Albert said. Which Albert said is problematic for the district, since in most other professions the more time you put in, the higher your salary. The more time you spend in that profession and the more masterful you become in your trade or craft, you generally are compensated at a greater rate, Albert said. Well, not in Florida, and not with public school teachers. Advertisement Shane Story, an ESE support facilitation teacher at David C. Hinson Sr. Middle School in Ormond Beach, said while the agreement is a step in the right direction, its still not enough. Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. > The little we have done to respect veteran teachers has pushed them out of the field, Story said. Were increasing the workload for teachers. Why stay if the workload is going up but your pay isnt going up? At the moment, new teachers are getting the additional $3,000 salary increase through their salaries, but veteran teachers are getting some in salary and the rest in bonuses, according to Albert. Which is problematic, because bonus money doesnt count toward a pension, Albert said. And thats one of the big things that our veteran teachers are really looking at is their pension. School Board Member Linda Cuthbert implored the public in attendance Tuesday night to write to their legislators to help raise the salary for veteran teachers. Our salaries we pay comes from our general fund, 80% goes toward salaries. We run on 20% of our general fund, Cuthbert said. We need the general public to advocate with us. Its not just Volusia, its all counties in the state; were all in this together. Advertisement Nikki Ross covers K-12 education, health and COVID-19 for the Daytona Beach News-Journal. She can be reached at nikki.ross@news-jrnl.com or follow her on Twitter @nikkiinreallife. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Nokia announced it is working with Alstom to deliver a private wireless network for the National Capital Regional Transport Corporations (NCRTC) Delhi to Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS). It will support European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 Signaling to maintain safety for commuters on the high-speed rail route, currently under construction, Nokia said. The Delhi to Meerut RRTS is the first in a phased development of a high-speed rail network that aims to enable sustainable economic and social development through enhanced connectivity in Delhi and the surrounding districts. Expected to be fully operational in 2025, the low-emission RRTS will transport more people at average speeds of 100 kmph to reduce travel time and road congestion. Nokia says the fully redundant private network, based on the Nokia Modular Private Wireless solution (MPW) including its latest AirScale radios, Air Frame-based evolved packet core capabilities, the 7250 IXR IP/MPLS backhaul routers, Group Communication platform for mission-critical push to talk/video (MCx/GC) and Network Services Platform (NSP) management, will span the 82 km rail route which incorporates 25 stations. The private network is being deployed to support ETCS Level 2 & 3 signaling as well as automated operation (ATO), which enables trains to use radio signals to continuously receive their movement authorities and to report their exact direction and position to ensure the safety of all on board. The introduction of LTE/4.9G technology for ETCS is an important asset for railway operators and will pave the way for a smooth transition to FRMCS (Future Railway Communication System), Nokia said. Alstom Transport India managing director digital mobility Thameem Kamaldeen said, We are pleased to work with Nokia, leveraging its extensive private wireless capabilities for the advanced signaling system that we are providing for NCRTC. The new high-speed rail network will help to transform the region. Nokia head of enterprise solutions CHIMEA (China, India, Middle East and Africa) Kamal Ballout said, Nokia has supported the digital transformation of more than 380 enterprises across diverse industries through our private wireless solutions. Nokia advanced railway solutions are designed to deliver a new level of connectivity for rail operators. Teams need to be aware of train positions in real-time to ensure the safety of passengers, and private wireless offers the security, reliability and high-speeds required to enable this. SAP SE and Icertis expand their partnership to develop contract management to help companies increase their efficiency, minimise risk, and realise the full intent of their agreements. Financially backed by SAP SE, Icertis will lead a joint product road map and deeper technological integration to deliver enterprise-wide value, including faster negotiations, greater compliance and AI-powered business insights and automation. The expanded cooperation with Icertis will help our customers take advantage of market-leading innovations for contract management from Icertis while managing core business processes with SAP solutions, says SAP SE CEO and executive board member Christian Klein. This partnership is a great complement to our portfolio, with multiple touchpoints to SAP systems across ERP, finance, procurement, sales, and HR. In 2020, SAP SE collaborated with Icertis to transform the source-to-pay and lead-to-cash processes by integrating Icertis Contract Intelligence (ICI) with SAP Ariba and Customer Experience solutions. The enhanced partnership will build on this existing relationship and will mutually leverage each others technology to deliver value to customers. Customers will have the opportunity to benefit from ICI capabilities for smart contract creation, online negotiation, AI-assisted risk identification, obligation management, and contract-driven insights for decision support while operating their core source-to-pay and lead-to-cash processes within SAP solutions. With this partnership, SAP and Icertis customers will be able to derive end-to-end value across the enterprise, so the intent of every contract is correctly memorialised and fully realised, says Icertis CEO Samir Bodas. Partnering with SAP to bring our AI-powered, best-of-breed contract intelligence to the market is another affirmation of Icertis strategy to become the contract intelligence platform of the world. It is also a testament to SAPs forward-looking vision for the intelligent and networked enterprise. As part of the expanded partnership, Icertis Contract Intelligence (ICI) for SAP Ariba solutions and ICI for SAP Customer Experience solutions are now SAP Endorsed Apps, premium certified by SAP with added security, in-depth testing and measurements against cloud operations best practices. "SAP's focus on the intelligent enterprise has enabled many organisations to move into the digital-first world, and the contracting process in SAP Ariba solutions has done much for the buying community, comments IDC vice president enterprise applications and digital commerce Mickey North Rizza. Contracts are the foundation of commerce, governing the rights and obligations between parties. Traditional contract management is often manual and siloed, creating inefficiency and risk while leaving value unrealised. ICI helps structure and connect data within contracts across an enterprise, enabling businesses to increase efficiencies, identify and mitigate potential risk, and drive bottom-line value throughout the contract lifecycle. Icertis solutions including ICI for SAP Ariba solutions and ICI for SAP Customer Experience solutions are available in SAP Store, which provides customers with real-time access to more than 1,800 solutions from SAP as well as partner solutions that complement and extend their SAP applications. Cybersecurity firm Sophos unveils its zero trust network access offering that fully integrates with Sophos Intercept X to provide advanced endpoint protection with a single agent. Sophos ZTNA (zero trust network access) introduces a security model for connecting users and devices to applications and data to simplify protection against ransomware and other cybersecurity threats. Sophos new research, Windows Services Lay the Groundwork for a Midas Ransomware Attack, shines light on the importance of ZTNA, detailing how attackers are able to spend nearly two months in undetected in a targets environment, taking advantage of limited access controls and network and application segregation. The research noted how the attackers further leveraged no-longer-used ghost remote access tools to move laterally, target and compromise other machines, create new accounts, install back doors, and exfiltrate data, before releasing the Midas ransomware. Through its integration, Sophos ZTNA eliminates the complexities of managing multiple vendor products and agents, and provides end-to-end protection for endpoints, users, their identities, and the applications and networks that they connect to. As part of the Sophos Adaptive Cybersecurity Ecosystem, Sophos ZTNA shares real-time threat intelligence with other solutions and automatically responds to threats. The solutions can better identify threats and assess device health so compromised and non-compliant devices can be quickly isolated. Many traditional remote access solutions, like remote desktops and IPsec and SSL-VPN, provide strong encryption, but very little else in defence against modern threats. We see attackers increasingly exploiting these limitations, stuffing credentials into RDP and VPNs to gain access to victim networks, and then moving freely once inside, all too often culminating in costly data theft and ransomware incidents, says Sophos chief technology and product officer Joe Levy. People, applications, devices, and data arent constrained to offices anymore theyre everywhere, and we need more modern ways to secure them. Zero trust is a very effective cybersecurity principle, and ZTNA embodies it in a practical, easy to use way, ensuring that users have secure access to only the resources that they need. Sophos ZTNA micro-segments networks to protect against intrusions, lateral movement, and data theft. It authenticates user identities with multiple factors to tighten access controls for users. It eliminates implied trust and only authorises user access to specific applications and systems on the network. The future of work will be hybrid, making it imperative that organisations are able to protect remote workers, remote data and remote applications, says IDC research director network security products Christopher Rodriguez. By integrating ZTNA with endpoint protection, Sophos ZTNA enables risk-appropriate access to resources from any device, at any time and from any location. Trust is a key factor in business today one that requires critical security controls to protect against business-impacting events, such as ransomware and data compromise. This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. Compiling reviews from IMDb and Metacritic, Stacker composed a list of the 50 best space movies of all time, from classic hits to new releases. Click for more. Floridas prisons are overcrowded, a result of overly harsh sentencing laws that cost the public millions of dollars and undermine the value of rehabilitation. There are multiple proposals in the current legislative session that would ease early release rules and update probation guidelines, among other reforms. The Legislature should pass some of the commonsense ideas, a needed step toward mending the states justice system. In Florida, inmates serving time for felonies can have their sentences shortened by earning gain time an incentive awarded for working, completing training programs or earning educational credentials while in prison. But theres a ceiling: No matter how much gain time inmates earn, they still must serve no less than 85 percent of their sentence. A bill filed in the House would reduce that minimum to 65 percent, while one in the Senate calls for 75 percent. A reduction to 75 percent is reasonable maintaining respect for crime victims and upholding consequences for serious and violent criminal acts. Advertisement Sen. Jeff Brandes, R- St. Petersburg, is a longtime advocate for prison reform and vice chair of the Senates Criminal Justice Committee. His SB 746 would roll back provisions that prohibit repeat offenders from eligibility for any form of early release and that require reoffenders to serve 100 percent of their original sentence. Inmates listen to a presentation on the Short Sentence mentor program in the Chapel of the East Unit of the Central Florida Reception Center in Orlando, on Friday, May 14, 2021. In 6 state prisons, incarcerated men and women have established a new mentorship program aimed at helping rehabilitate and prepare people with short-sentences to reenter society, through an intensive program that helps keep everyone inside focused on success. People with long-time sentences, often 'lifers,' are leading the new Short Sentence mentor program, helping guide and support people in prison for the first time, who will be released in the next year. The group is focused on therapy, support, substance abuse and other root causes, but have found they need support from outside organizations to help with reentry, once they can no longer support mentees on the outside. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel) (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel) Florida treats what it calls prison releasee reoffenders with unusual severity, directing prosecutors to seek the maximum sentence often life for anyone who commits a new crime within three years of leaving prison. Florida has 13,600 inmates serving life in prison without parole far more than any other state. Cost to taxpayers: more than $300 million a year. Advertisement Brandes prudent proposals have been rebuffed year after year, even with his own party in power. But this year could result in real progress, buoyed by greater awareness of harsh prison conditions nationwide and attitudes evolving back toward rehabilitation, not just pure punishment. Other bills under consideration would take the logical next step of helping to shore up Floridas probation system. Rep. Traci Koster, R- Tampa, filed a bill that would allow time off a probation period for good behavior and completion of life-skills programs. Another proposal by Rep. Dianne Hart, D- Tampa, would establish a program to prepare parole-eligible inmates for reintegration into society. It stands to reason that Florida might see a reduction in former inmates committing new crimes if it provided better support and guidance for people when they get out of prison. Its tough to get meaningful prison reform through the conservative Florida Legislature, which is too often focused on the cultural lightning rod of the moment, to the detriment of actual matters of public interest. Of all the proposals to improve the states prison system, reducing the minimum time inmates must serve from 85 percent to 75 percent of their original sentence shouldnt be a hard sell. It would ease overcrowding, give inmates more incentive to work on their lives and perhaps the easiest sell of all save money. Re-entry of Foreign Nationals Who Possess the Status of Residence Based on New Border Measures (27) from March 1, 2022, foreign nationals who apply for new entry into Japan to fulfill either of the following category (1) and (2) below, are regarded as those with special exceptional circumstances and are allowed for new entry into Japan in principle, if the receiving organizations located in Japan completes prescribed application in the Entrants, Returnees Follow-up System (ERFS). Currently, foreign nationals/people who are willing to enter Japan need a visa newly issued by Embassies or Consulates or Consular Office of Japan (for Taiwan, Taipei Kaohsiung offices of Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association) (hereinafter referred to as Japans overseas establishments) in the country/region depending on the purpose of their entry. Donate Now As a public service during this pandemic, the Jewish News is providing free, unlimited access to all articles. Jewish News is a nonprofit publication that is owned by the community and relies on community support. Ballad Health will allow employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 but are asymptomatic or showing improvement in symptoms to continue working to help the hospital system weather a critical staffing shortage. The system set another record on Thursday for the number of people hospitalized with the virus. CEO Alan Levine said Thursday the hospital system was without 834 employees, many of whom work on the clinical side, who have tested positive for the virus or are awaiting test results. Thats about 7% of the systems total work force. Of those employees currently out, 79% are vaccinated. Levine said the system was declaring crisis staffing, and would follow guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to allow employees who are positive for the virus or were exposed to continue working. If an employee is at home, if theyve tested positive with COVID but they are asymptomatic, our expectation is that they will come back, Levine said, adding that those who are symptomatic but whose symptoms have improved, we would invite them to come back under the same set of circumstances. Those who are symptomatic must be fever-free without the help of medication for at least 24 hours before they return. Levine said those who do return will not be allowed to work in certain departments such as oncology, the neonatal intensive care unit, birth and delivery, Niswonger Childrens Hospital and Hospitots Child Care Center. As a hospital system that has to care for patients that are very sick, theres a point beyond which it becomes more risky to keep these people at home and not take care of the people that need help, and thats the point were at, Levine said. We believe weve hit that threshold, both in terms of volumes of patients here at the hospital, as well as those at home with COVID that are employed by Ballad. CDC Crisis Capacity Strategies to Mitigate Staffing Shortages According to the CDC's guidance, health care workers who have tested positive but return to work should have their contact with patients who are moderately to severely immunocompromised restricted, and facilities should consider having their duties prioritized in the following order: If not already done, allow infected health care providers to perform job duties where they do not interact with others, such as in telemedicine services. Allow them to provide direct patient care only for patients with a confirmed COVID-19 infection, preferably in a cohort setting. Allow them to provide direct patient care only for those with a suspected COVID-19 infection. As a last resort, allow them to provide direct patient care without a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection. "If this is being considered, this should be used only as a bridge to longer term strategies that do not involve care of uninfected patients by potentially infectious (health care provider). Strict adherence to all other recommended infection prevention and control measures (e.g., use of respirator or well-fitting face mask for source control) is essential." Those requested to return to work should: Self-monitor for symptoms and seek re-evaluation if they worsen. Wear a respirator or well-fitting face mask at all times, even when in non-patient care areas, and distance from others if they must remove their mask to eat or drink. Physically distance from other to the extent possible. Patients (if tolerated) should wear a respirator or well-fitting face mask when interacting with those health care providers. Lisa Smithgall, Ballads chief nursing executive, said nurses are working more shifts and caring for more patients at once than they normally do, and said there simply arent enough bedside caregivers available to handle this crisis in our and other hospitals across the nation. Smithgall also asked the public to avoid using emergency rooms unless there is a life- or limb-threatening emergency or if theyre experiencing shortness of breath, chest pain, stroke symptoms or other serious health emergencies. There isnt enough staffing capacity to admit additional patients onto our inpatient floors, which is causing those overcrowding and longer wait times in our emergency departments, Smithgall said. In the past, Ballad had received additional staffing by way of the Tennessee National Guard, but Gov. Bill Lees executive order allowing National Guard members to work in hospitals was allowed to expire in November. Ballad officials have not had specific conversations with the governors office about re-issuing the executive order, but the system has requested additional support from Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Sign up to Johnson City Press Today! Top stories, delivered straight to your inbox. A fourth suspension of elective surgeries to free up additional staff is also unlikely. This time, weve made a decision that were not going to defer elective surgeries if we can avoid it, Levine said. The staffing crisis could worsen in the coming weeks, however, as employees face a Feb. 11 deadline from the hospital system to receive their first dose of the vaccine or receive an exemption something hundreds of employees have yet to do. While roughly 60% of Ballads work force has been vaccinated, about 1,000 employees have not been vaccinated or sought a medical or religious exemption, Levine said. If those employees remain unvaccinated and do not receive an exemption, the hospital system would be forced to terminate their employment in order to remain in compliance with the Centers for Medicaid and Medicares conditions for participation. Health care providers not in compliance could face fines or be barred from participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs something Levine previously said would be devastating for our region. Ballads deadline is two weeks later than the deadline set by CMS for health care workers in 25 states Tennessee among them as the hospital system waited to re-implement their mandate while a legal challenge made its way through the judicial system. Ballad announced it was re-instituting its mandate on Jan. 13, and has cleared its later deadline with CMS. We are going to do whatever we need to do to protect the safety of our patients, and to make sure we are adequately staffed to care for the needs of the people in this region, Levine said. We will do everything we can to work with CMS as we try to comply with the vaccine mandate. Were not going to put our patients at risk. That is our position. On Thursday Ballad reported a record number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 at their hospitals with 436, breaking the previous record of 427 set on Wednesday. Of those hospitalized, 78 were in the intensive care unit and 55 were on ventilators. Eight children are also hospitalized with the virus. Ballads Chief Infection Prevention Officer Jamie Swift said the vast majority of those patients are hospitalized because of the disease, not because they tested positive after being admitted for other reasons. Data from Ballad shows the vaccine has remained effective in preventing severe illness and hospitalization. Those who are not fully vaccinated account for 86% of hospitalizations, 92% of ICU patients and 96% of patients on a ventilator. According to data from the Tennessee Department of Health, cases in the region had yet to start declining as of Jan. 22, but Ballad Chief Operating Officer Eric Deaton said they have seen fewer patients testing positive at their testing sites in recent days giving them hope the surge may have peaked or will peak soon, though hospitalizations could remain above 400 for another week. As of right now we still feel relatively confident that our data is good, and we historically have had good information to base it on, Deaton said. FOR THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS AND UPDATES, DOWNLOAD THE JOHNSON CITY PRESS APP The Florida Legislature has had a tough time maneuvering through the politics of clean water to effectively curb pollution and protect public health. The Legislature enacted the Clean Waterways Act of 2020 with great fanfare, but though penalties were increased, the law was light on enforceable regulations to curb pollution. Instead, it continues to rely on largely voluntary and presumed compliance with state regulations. It also ignored many key recommendations of the Governors Blue-Green Algae Task Force. Advertisement But as it convenes for its 2022 session, the Legislature will have another opportunity thanks to Sen. Lori Berman of Delray Beach and Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson of Gainesville. The two Democratic legislators have introduced the Safe Waterways Act (Senate Bill 604 and House Bill 393). Howard L. Simon is the retired Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida. He is now Director of the Clean Okeechobee Waters Foundation. (Courtesy / Courtesy) The proposals most important feature would require (rather than simply authorize) the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) to issue health advisories and through its network of county health departments post and maintain warning notices at public bathing places where the water has been found to contain fecal bacteria, either fecal coliform, Escherichia coli or enterococci bacteria. Advertisement It also would require FDOH to notify a municipality or county if such a health advisory is issued within its jurisdiction. The department would be required to maintain such signage until state water quality standards are met. Currently, the state health department monitors and posts advisories at some coastal beaches and public swimming areas under the Healthy Beaches Program, but as the law currently stands, there is no requirement that any state, county or municipal agency warn people before they swim or launch their kayak. It is inconceivable that unsuspecting Floridians and tourists could be recreating in water contaminated with fecal bacteria. Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. > The Legislature must act on this urgently needed proposal. It is alarming that fecal contamination of Floridas rivers and streams is so widespread. Based on years of monitoring, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection says nearly 9,000 miles of streams and rivers designated for recreation are impaired by fecal bacteria. Invading Seas (Invading Seas / Courtesy) High bacteria counts are dangerous. Swimming or wading in contaminated water can cause a host of illnesses and infections, including gastrointestinal distress, rashes and eye irritation. The sources of the contamination are numerous. They include untreated stormwater, leaks from aging or poorly functioning sewage treatment plants, leaching septic tanks, and runoff from fields that contain animal waste. Gov. DeSantis Blue-Green Algae Task Force also urged health advisories to inform the public about the potential health impacts associated with exposure to algae and/or algae toxins. Requiring government to warn the public of a health threat should not be a heavy lift. Tornado watches and storm warnings are routinely issued by the National Weather Service. Since 1966, the U.S. Surgeon General has required tobacco companies to warn consumers that cigarette smoking can cause cancer, heart disease, emphysema and more. Advertisement Curbing pollution at its source, rather than dealing with its consequences, clearly is more effective and cost efficient. But absent enforceable pollution-control measures, the least the state can do is provide warnings to the public so people can make an informed decision about whether to wade into the water and risk their health. Howard L. Simon served as executive director of the ACLU of Florida from 19972018. He is now president of Clean Okeechobee Waters Foundation, Inc. and a board member of Calusa Waterkeeper. For more information on the campaign for a Right To Know, go to right2knowfl.org Joplin, MO (64801) Today Thunderstorms this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 54F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 2 to 3 inches of rain expected.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 54F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 2 to 3 inches of rain expected. Fewer than 1% of Florida homeowners generate their own solar energy. But Florida legislators have hatched a plan, backed by the state's largest utilities, that would make solar even less affordable and appealing. (Tom Benitez, Orlando Sentinel) My wife and I dont have solar panels on our home. But I respect those who do people who decided to invest their own money and generate their own clean energy. Thats why Im concerned about a power-company-backed bill rolling through the Florida Legislature designed to pop solar customers right in their panels. Advertisement The fight over solar energy is already woefully lopsided. Fewer than 1% of Florida households use solar. So this isnt like David vs. Goliath. Its more like David vs. 50 Goliaths. Advertisement Still, Tallahassee lawmakers are almost always on Team Goliath. And the power companies are worried that residential solar is gaining in popularity. So GOP lawmakers in both the House and Senate have filed bills that would allow power companies to reimburse customers who generate their own solar power at lower rates, making the systems tougher to afford. This bill aims to stop roof-top solar, said Susan Glickman, director of the Florida Clinicians for Climate Action, to choke it off before it takes hold. Its not just your traditional earthy-crunchy greenies opposed to this bill. George Riley, a former director of the Republican Party of Florida who now works with Conservatives for Clean Energy, said: Pulling the plug on this industry would be a massive step backwards. The power companies claim to be shocked and offended by accusations that they oppose residential solar programs. They claim to love solar energy but argue theyre currently paying inflated prices to customers who generate their own solar energy and sell it back to the grid. In fact, Florida Power & Light claims its overpaying greedy solar-panel owners by so much that the other 99% of their customers have to pay an extra $30 million. That sounds like a lot of money. But clean-energy advocates say FPLs numbers and arguments are a lot of bunk. They say FPL pays solar customers a fraction of what the company claims and note that solar-panel owners merely want the same fair value for the power they generate that power companies get. They say the power companies are really just trying to make solar less affordable to prevent more people from becoming self-reliant. At this point, you might need to ask yourself which side you believe. The clean energy folks from both the left and the right? Or the power companies? I think most people are gonna go with the bipartisan clean-energy guys. Advertisement But just for arguments sake, lets say you believe everything FPL says that its only interest in wanting to pay solar customers less is because they really, truly want to pass on savings to the rest of its customers. Then heres my question: Why doesnt the bill theyre pushing guarantee consumers will see those savings? I read the bill three times. I saw where it says that power companies want permission to pay solar customers less. But I didnt see anything requiring those savings be passed along to the other customers. Theres nothing in the legislation that guarantees lower bills, Glickman said. Huh. Well, that seems like a problem. You know what else seems like a problem? The Legislatures own staff analysis concluded this bill could lead to existing solar customers getting a lower return on their investment than initially expected, fewer people buying solar in the future and the utilities making more money. Advertisement My goodness. Its almost like the power companies wrote the legislation themselves. They did. Thats according to the Miami Herald, which found evidence that FPL not only wrote the bill for Jennifer Bradley, the senator sponsoring the legislation, but steered money her way to boot. Records from the Florida Senate show that FPL drafted the bill, and lobbyist John Holley delivered it to Bradley, R-Fleming Island, the Herald reported, and FPLs parent company followed up with a $10,000 contribution to her political committee. FPL responded to that story by setting up a website attacking one of the reporters who wrote it without refuting the facts about the company drafting the legislation or the political money involved. The Orlando Sentinel also discovered an interesting back story behind the similar House bill meant to undercut solar customers. That bill was sponsored by Tampa Bay Republican Lawrence McClure who based his call for reform, in part, on a report produced by a think tank one the Sentinel discovered received extensive funding from entities controlled by FPL consultants. That story made McClure look either ignorant or complicit. He wouldnt answer questions about which one he might be. Advertisement FPL says the industry and its legislative buddies are getting a bad rap; that they just want common-sense reform to the current solar-payment plan known as net metering. Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. > I would just emphasize that FPL does not oppose net metering, wrote FPL spokesman Christopher McGrath. We oppose the multi-million dollar annual subsidy thats paid for the 99.5% of customers who choose not to or cant buy a private rooftop solar system. So again, the argument here is that solar customers should get less credit for the energy they generate, so that FPL and other power companies can pass along more savings to other customers even though none of those savings are actually guaranteed in the legislation. Thats the part I keep coming back to: If the real point of the bill is to pass along savings, why wouldnt the bill explicitly demand that? And if the goal isnt really to stiff current solar customers and discourage future ones, why would the Legislatures own staff suggest that might be the result? Advertisement Unless maybe this proposal isnt really as sunny as its being billed. smaxwell@orlandosentinel.com Living Reporter and Theatre Critic Tim covers leisure and arts, and he is also a theater critic. He interned for the JI in 2015, and was hired in 2016. Tim graduated from UConn, Central College of McPherson, Kansas, and American Musical & Dramatic Academy. His favorite movie is "Jaws." Myanmars military seized power on February 1 last year, ousting the civilian government and arresting its de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. Nearly 1,500 people have since been killed and thousands of others arrested as the junta wages a bloody crackdown on dissent. Here is a look back at the year since the militarys latest power grab, which ended a decade-long experiment with democracy after half a century of military rule. Pre-dawn raids Soldiers detain Suu Kyi and her top allies during pre-dawn raids on February 1 ahead of the opening of the new parliament. The generals claim fraud in the November 2020 election, which Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) party won by a landslide. Their actions spark global condemnation, from Pope Francis to US President Joe Biden. Internet blocked Resistance to the coup begins with people banging pots and pans a practice traditionally associated with driving out evil spirits. The junta tries to block social media platforms including Facebook, which is hugely popular in Myanmar. Nightly internet blackouts are later imposed. Bold defiance Popular dissent surges over the weekend of February 6 and 7, with huge crowds gathering on the streets calling for the release of Suu Kyi. In the following weeks, these protests swell to hundreds of thousands of people in cities and villages around the country. Workers begin a nationwide strike on February 8. A 19-year-old woman is shot in the head when police fire on crowds in the capital Naypyidaw the next day. International sanctions Washington soon announces sanctions against several military officials, including junta chief Min Aung Hlaing. More sanctions follow from Britain and the European Union. Growing crackdown Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, the woman shot 10 days earlier, dies on February 19 after becoming a national symbol of opposition to the junta. Violent crackdowns on street protests escalate and by March 11, Amnesty International says it has documented atrocities by the junta including the use of battlefield weapons on unarmed protesters. A day later, a UN rights expert on Myanmar accuses the military of crimes against humanity. Deadliest day More than 100 civilians are killed in protest crackdowns on March 27 Armed Forces Day, the militarys annual show of strength. It is the deadliest day since the coup. The next month, ousted civilian lawmakers forced into hiding announce the formation of a shadow National Unity Government. American journalist detained Danny Fenster, an American editor at local outlet Frontier Myanmar, is detained at Yangons airport as he attempts to leave the country on May 24. Following a trial inside a prison in Yangon he is jailed for 11 years in November for unlawful association, incitement against the military and breaching visa rules. Three days later he is pardoned and freed, and flies home to be reunited with his family at New Yorks JFK airport. Suu Kyis trial begins In June, more than four months after she was detained, Suu Kyi goes on trial in a junta court. She faces an eclectic mix of charges, including illegally importing walkie-talkies and flouting Covid-19 restrictions during the 2020 elections. Covid wave Coronavirus infections surge across Myanmar from late June, with many pro-democracy medical staff on strike and the public avoiding military-run hospitals. People defy curfews to queue for oxygen cylinders for their loved ones and volunteers take up the grim task of bringing out the dead for cremation. Economic catastrophe In July the World Bank forecasts Myanmars economy will contract by 18 percent in 2021 as a result of the coup and the coronavirus outbreak, with the poverty rate to double from 2019 levels. 2020 election results cancelled In late July, the junta cancels the results of the 2020 polls, claiming more than 11 million instances of voter fraud. Six months to the day since the military seized power, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing says new elections will be held by August 2023. Suu Kyi jailed On December 6, Suu Kyi is jailed for four years for incitement against the military and breaching Covid regulations. The sentence is then cut to two years. On January 10, she is sentenced to another four years in prison after being convicted of two charges related to illegally importing and owning walkie-talkies and one of breaking Covid rules. She will be held under house arrest in Naypyidaw while she faces a host of other charges in court, which could see her jailed for decades. bur-rma/pdw/mtp/dva Meta Three months after the October 25 coup, the junta in power in Khartoum is faced with revolt from a new sector of Sudanese society: the judiciary. While it is not all the judiciary, it is enough to worry the coup generals, if only because it shows that a significant number of state officials are resisting and rebelling. A statement issued on January 20 by 55 judges, including four from the Supreme Court, accused the military brass of being responsible for extra-judicial killings and heinous violations against unarmed demonstrators. They added that they would take the necessary measures to protect citizens, but did not specify. They are supported by more than 220 prosecutors, who have announced that they will stop work from January 20. Their reason is again the security forces exactions against demonstrators, and they are calling for an end to the state of emergency in force since the coup. Public statements by judges are very rare in Sudan, and are also risky for the signatories. Since the putsch, the military has dismissed civil servants appointed by the civilian government during the transition and has given key posts to men from the regime of deposed President Omar al-Bashir. This is being done quietly in the ministries considered strategic: finance and justice. All levels of the judiciary are involved, in the federal states as well as in the central administration. A month after the coup, the Sovereign Council, the body that was supposed to oversee the democratic transition and which is now entirely controlled by the coup leaders, announced two important appointments: the chief of justice, who heads the judiciary, and the public prosecutor. Abdelaziz Fathal al-Rahman and Khalifa Ahmed Khalifa are well-known Islamists and al-Bashirs men. Both positions had previously remained vacant. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, as head of the Sovereign Council, had blocked these appointments, refusing to endorse the names proposed by his civilian partners, the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition. They are clamping down on everything, remarks bitterly a lawyer from Darfur who prefers to remain anonymous. We find ourselves facing the same magistrates as under the regime of al-Bashir. Sudanese demonstrators against military rule, December 6, 2021 in Bahri, near Khartoum. Gwenaelle Lenoir Judicial reforms suspended Justice, in the broad sense, has always been an obsession of the generals, who fear being one day dragged before national or international courts. They all served under al-Bashir, participating in abuses against the people and the repression of opponents. First among them is General Al-Burhan, former army chief of staff, who served in Darfur at the height of the war, notably as head of the border guards, which later evolved into the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) linked to the Janjaweed militia. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemetti, who is the current head of the RSF and number two in the Sovereign Council, has similar fears. As long as the top position in the Sovereign Council, the body overseeing the democratic transition, was held by a military officer in this case, General Al-Burhan the top brass could play for time. But according to the Constitutional Declaration of August 2019 at the beginning of the transition, this position was to revert to a civilian in November 2021. The transfer of power did not take place. Delaying the transfer of the Sovereign Council leadership to civilians is one of the major reasons for the coup, confirms legal expert Suliman Baldo, an advisor to the NGO Enough Project. If it had taken place, legal issues would certainly have advanced: on the control of the economy; on the International Criminal Court; and on their alleged responsibility in the Khartoum massacre of June 3, 2019. At dawn on June 3, 2019, security forces violently broke up a large sit-in that had been staged for two months by pro-democracy protesters in front of the army headquarters. Various security forces took part in the attack, including members of the RSF, Khartoums auxiliaries during the war in Darfur. At least 127 people died, dozens disappeared, hundreds were injured, bodies were thrown into the Nile, and people were gang raped. The trauma is lasting and people are calling for justice. Tightening a grip on the judiciary has not been difficult: after two years of democratic transition, reform of the judiciary was still in its infancy. The States influence goes deep and many in all sectors of the judiciary owe their positions to their Islamist sympathies or their proximity to the NCP, Omar al-Bashirs party, explains Baldo. Al-Burhan will therefore have no difficulty finding security and civilian cadres to manage the security of his regime and the state. This is especially the case since, in the wake of last Octobers coup, General Al-Burhan changed the composition of the Sovereign Council, expelling the five members of the FFC coalition and replacing them with civilians under his thumb. The government was dissolved and the one he formed on January 20, with great difficulty, is composed of bureaucrats with no political stature or with ties to the former regime. Investigation committees dissolved Among the first decisions taken by the coup leaders was the dissolution of the committees investigating the actions of thAmong the first decisions taken by the putschists was the dissolution of certain committees, such as the one on the dismantling of the old regime. As for the committee on the events of June 3, chaired by lawyer Nabil Adib, it still exists but, according to one of its members, its action is hampered by the lack of logistical support provided by the Prime Minister. The generals were very worried about the conclusions of his report, which was due to come out soon, says Kholood Khair, executive director of the think tank Insight Partners in Khartoum. The investigation was dragging on. Survivors and families of the victims, as well as some political parties, were accusing the government of obstruction. In fact, it was the military component of the government that was organizing a general policy of obstruction. All those who worked in the committees set up to investigate the former regime faced obstacles of all kinds, says Mamoun Farouk, a lawyer and head of an anti-corruption committee. For example, operating funds were never released. The Ministry of Finance gave the order, but the order was never signed at the demand, always verbal, of the military in the Sovereign Council. Weary of fighting, we paid for everything out of our own pockets, but that slowed down the procedures. Finding premises was also a challenge, continues this former candidate for Attorney General. We would find a house, a building, and the next day the owner would change his mind, or the Sovereign Council would pre-empt it for its own needs. This happened in particular to the June 3 investigation committee. They moved into the Sudan Airways training centre. Everyone knows that Sudan Airways does not have a single plane. And suddenly, after three months, the company needed its centre to train its stewards and pilots! Today, the buildings are still unoccupied We have completed some investigations, said Farouk. But the prosecutors offices in Nyala [capital of South Darfur state] and those in Zalinjei [capital of Central Darfur] were burned. We dont know who set fire to them in these criminal incidents, we just know that it was armed men. As a result, no one has been brought to justice either for the crimes in Darfur or in the Nuba Mountains. This gives the perpetrators a sense of impunity, and the population the impression that the civilians in power did nothing. In fact, it is the military that has prevented the judicial process. The people are the strongest and there is no turning back, says the sign of a protester against military rule in December 2021 in Sudan. Gwenaelle Lenoir Putting a brake on the ICC The recent coup by the generals was thus just the culmination of two years of constant obstruction and pretence in all areas of justice, including international justice. In mid-December, a month and a half after the putsch, a delegation from the International Criminal Court (ICC) visited Khartoum. The objective was, once again, to discuss the transfer to The Hague of the three defendants claimed by the ICC and imprisoned in the Kober prison in Khartoum: former president al-Bashir, his former minister of defence Abdelrahim Hussein, and former minister of state for humanitarian affairs Ahmed Haroun. In a statement to journalists in North Darfur, Al-Hadi Idriss, a member of the Sovereign Council, nonetheless asserted unabashedly on December 14 that the Sudanese authorities remained committed to handing over to the ICC those who have perpetuated crimes in Darfur, in accordance with what is enshrined in the Juba Peace Agreement, signed in October 2020 between the Khartoum government and a coalition of rebel movements, the Sudan Revolutionary Front. The delegation led by prosecutor Karim Khan returned to the ICC empty-handed, and it is a safe bet that they will have to wait. Real cooperation between the Sudanese authorities and the International Criminal Court had begun, even if it was incomplete because held back by the military component of the transition, says lawyer Salih Mahmoud Osman, winner of the 2019 Sakharov Prize. In 2020, then-prosecutor Fatou Bensouda was allowed to visit Darfur twice and meet with victims. In August 2021, the Council of Ministers led by Abdallah Hamdok unanimously adopted a draft bill to ratify the ICCs founding treaty, the Rome Statute, which was provided for in the Juba agreement. On his Facebook page, the Prime Minister welcomed the decision: Justice and accountability are the solid foundations for the new Sudan, committed to the rule of law that we all want to build. The authorities then pledged to cooperate with the ICC and allow the opening of an office in Khartoum. There are 18 of them here, they have visas and can investigate in Darfur, said Osman. But transferring al-Bashir to The Hague is another story! The military has always blocked that. I wonder if Al-Burhan ever intended to transfer to The Hague those who should be transferred. Omar al-Bashir was once a military man and head of the army. To hand him over to a justice system that is considered foreign would be considered treason by the military establishment, said Baldo. During the two-year transition, al-Burhans tactic was to publicly affirm his cooperation, but to effectively delay that same cooperation. In fact, General Al-Burhan never put the Rome Statute ratification project on the agenda. The military deliberately delayed the process by procedural means, Baldo concluded. ICC Prosecutor Khan stresses this in his report to the UN Security Council: according to the memorandum signed [in 2020] with the ICC and the Juba peace agreement, ICC investigators must have full access to the territory of Sudan, including documents, archives, crime scenes, witnesses and other evidence relating to Darfur. But they have never received a response to official requests for assistance. Since the coup, his teams have simply had no one to talk to. They face, he says, additional difficulties in their investigative and cooperative activities due to the appointment of new government officials. The military is right to be afraid In fact, everything has stopped. No one talks about the ratification of the Rome Statute anymore, not even international organizations, because it is considered a political issue, said Mohamed Ibrahim Nkrumah, a human rights lawyer in Al-Fashir, capital of Sudans Darfur province. People are losing hope that the three defendants who are imprisoned in Sudan will be transferred and tried by the ICC. They need to see the men who ordered the crimes committed here in Darfur brought to international justice. The inhabitants of Abu Shouk displaced peoples camp, adjacent to the city, agree. For the moment, only Ali Kushayb is going to be tried before the ICC, said a 24-year-old student and activist. With the coordination of displaced people in Kalma camp, we have drawn up a list of 51 criminals that we want to see brought before international justice. Now we have to add others, like Hemetti, because the RSF is killing as we speak. And the Sudanese justice system will do nothing, it is even more politicized than before the coup. For the violence has resumed, as American NGO Human Rights Watch warned in a December 15 press release. A new wave of attacks on civilians in Darfur since mid-November 2021 highlights the urgent need for the United Nations to enhance its scrutiny of the restive region of Sudan, it said. A year after the withdrawal of the United Nations/African Union Hybrid Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), violence between armed groups, in some cases implicating state security forces, has been on the rise, with a devastating impact on civilians. In a bare room, sitting under a slogan peace first painted on one of the yellowish walls, the student talks about transitional justice with some of his friends. The concept is also raised during weekly discussions between young people, organized more or less discreetly depending on the security context. Transitional justice is promised in the Juba peace agreement, and it is fundamental because it is the promise that crimes will be recognized and investigated. For us, the displaced, it means the end of fear, he says. But nothing has been put in place. Yet this is not for lack of popular interest, says lawyer Nkrumah. We are thinking about it a lot. Young people have set up discussion groups, either on social networks or on the ground, to explain that we must go beyond revenge. The elders have the crimes too much on their minds to accept without explanation that not all cases can be brought to justice, only the leaders can be brought before the courts, and that mediation and reconciliation will be necessary. It is curious to note that civil society is continuing its discussions on this while the military coup leaders are eating into the judiciary. The issue of justice and responsibility cannot be forgotten. It is only temporarily suspended because of the circumstances, promises Osman, a calm and stubborn lawyer. The military is right to be afraid of being accused of crimes in court one day. capitalization go through Elena Erskine 11:29pm On Thursday night, a divided Supreme Court allowed Alabama to execute a man who argued the state failed to provide him with proper accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act so he could choose the method of execution. In doing so, the judge overturned two lower court rulings that barred Alabama from carrying out the death penalty by lethal injection. The vote was 5-4, with Justice Amy Coney Barrett and the courts three liberal justices dissenting. Court brief, unexplainable Order Cleared the way for Alabamas execution of 43-year-old Matthew Reeves.Hours after the courts order, the state Lethal Injection. Reeves had attempted to execute by nitrogen hypoxia, a relatively new state method of execution that was considered far less painful than lethal injection. Instead of taking the drug intravenously, the person received nitrogen, which caused them to slowly lose consciousness and then die as blood oxygen levels dropped. A federal district court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit stopped Reeves execution and barred the state from executing him by any means other than nitrogen. A majority of the five justices reversed the injunctions that took effect as a result of those rulings. Justice Elena Kagan wrote a three-page dissent, joined by Justices Stephen Breyer and Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Barrett noted that she would keep the ban, but she did not sign Kagans dissent. Kagan wrote that most ignored the district courts findings and in doing so denied the respect required by the law. She highlighted the extensive written record and hours of testimony and oral arguments the district court considered in preventing Reeves from being executed by lethal injection. There is no reason for the court to re-weight the evidence presented below, Kagan wrote. And it has no other basis to overturn the detailed findings of the district court in support of the injunction. The district court issued the injunction Jan. 7 and the 11th Circuit upheld the injunction on Wednesday, prompting Alabama to file an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court. The Alabama legislature approved nitrogen hypoxia as a method of execution in 2018. Death row has a 30-day window to choose an alternative. Reeves did not opt ??for nitrogen hypoxia during the requested period. He then argued that he did not understand the election forms that prison officials handed out to death row. Reeves has significant cognitive limitations, including elementary school reading. He argued that the Alabama Department of Corrections violated the ADA by failing to facilitate his understanding of the forms. Reeves was sentenced to death for the 1996 murder of Willie Johnson when Reeves was 18. Alabama told the Supreme Court that the district court made a serious error in focusing on evidence that Reeves was unable to participate in the electoral-form plan, saying his needs were not overt and obvious to them. The state also said the district court had wrongly weighed the dangers of lethal injection to nitrogen hypoxia. The state argues that Reeves dyslexia a grade 2.2, according to an expert witness was not made clear to prison staff. In her dissent, Kagan pointed to irrefutable evidence that a person needs at least an 11th-grade reading level to understand the tables. The state has argued that Reeves claims were delayed in any way necessary to execute his nearly disguised attempts. Kagan noted that a lower court had found that the state was ready to execute Reeves through hypoxia within a few weeks. Federal regulators said Thursday that the governments key health agencies have failed in their responsibilities to lead the nations response to public health emergencies, including the coronavirus pandemic, extreme weather disasters and even a potential bioterrorist attack. The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office said it designated the Department of Health and Human Services leadership and coordination of public health emergencies as a high-risk area of ??government. While the designation wont be penalized immediately, it sends a signal to Congress that lawmakers need to pay special attention to the agencys operations. In its report, the GAO said HHS longstanding persistent deficiencies hampered the nations response to the current COVID-19 pandemic and past threats. If not addressed, these deficiencies will continue to hinder the nations ability to prepare for and respond effectively to future threats. The GAO said deficiencies included managing the healthcare supply chain, coordinating with federal and state agencies, and providing clear and consistent communication to the public and the healthcare community. The report is part of GAOs assessment of the governments response to the pandemic. It was released as bipartisan senators introduced draft legislation this week calling for a close study of the pandemic and a comprehensive review of HHS capacity. Among the priorities of lawmakers are closer congressional oversight of the HHS agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, building supply chains and improving coordination at the top of HHS. Some of these address issues raised by the GAO report. The report did not place blame on individual officials in the current or previous administration. Were in a much stronger position than we were a year ago, department spokeswoman Sarah Lowenheim said in a statement. She added: We look forward to reading GAOs feedback on these important issues, and as we look forward to it. Share the progress of this whole-of-government effort as we continue to work to ensure the American people are protected from future health-related emergencies. Not a Modern Healthcare subscriber? Register today. GAO said that of the 115 recommendations to HHS on public health emergencies over the past 15 years, 72 have not yet been fully implemented. Last year, the White House released a plan to update the pandemic response, but did not propose addressing serious flaws. Instead, it calls for increased public health capacity to be on par with the nations military defense response. Under the Biden and Trump administrations, HHS has relegated to the White House in the management of the coronavirus pandemic, even as scientists, doctors, disease detectives and service providers do most of the day-to-day work. The GAO said it found persistent deficiencies in five main areas. They include establishing clear roles and responsibilities for federal, state and local agencies, collecting and analyzing data to inform policymakers, and providing clear and consistent communications to the public. For example, the GAO said the department has yet to make recommendations to address supply chain issues, including the availability of diagnostic tests, from 2020. Increasing production of at-home COVID-19 testing has become a White House priority in recent weeks. The GAO concluded that data collection and analysis has been a key weakness of the government since the beginning of the pandemic. As a result, policymakers have only a partial or late view of certain developments. Back in 2010, Congress required HHS to create a nationwide public health situational awareness surveillance system. But more than 10 years later, thats still not done, which the GAO said has forced policymakers to rely on data collected by thousands of state health departments and labs, as well as multiple federal agencies, which have different capabilities and protocols for processing the information. The regulator also found that HHS and its agencies had an ambiguous and inconsistent communication pattern during public health emergencies, not only with ordinary citizens, but also with their state and federal counterparts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans are confused by the CDCs shift guidance on what they can do to protect themselves and those they interact with. The American people have stopped listening to the CDC because of their guidance, Sen. Richard Burr, RN.C., said this week as he released bipartisan legislation to overhaul the governments pandemic response. People are confused and contradictory it makes sense. The pain of this pandemic is unforgettable, and we have a responsibility to make sure its lessons are unforgettable, said Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat who wrote the measure with Burr. Subscribe to our podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you get podcasts. Justin Bright longboards on the South Lake Trail in Clermont on Wednesday. The Florida native is traveling more than 1,100 miles from the Alabama border near Pensacola to Key West, raising awareness of the need for land conservation along the way. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel) While traveling by car is a popular way to see the Sunshine State, Justin Bright is experiencing Florida on a different type of four-wheeled setup: a longboard. The St. Petersburg native is skating more than 1,100 miles from the Alabama border near Pensacola to Key West. Along the way, he hopes to raise awareness of the need for conservation and land preservation in Florida. Advertisement Ive experienced both extremes of hope and hopelessness at the same time, Bright said. Ive seen firsthand how beautiful Florida can be but also what the encroachment looks like and what that means. Pinellas County, where Bright grew up, is the densest in the state with just over 3,500 people per square mile. Advertisement Justin Bright travels on the South Lake Trail near the Lake Hiawatha Preserve in Clermont. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel) The recent UF graduate, who earned his masters degree in mass communication, majored in journalism and wildlife ecology as an undergrad, which sparked his interest in Floridas wildlife, biodiversity and ecosystems. The route I chose wasnt necessarily the fastest to get to Key West. I wanted to pick something where I could see the cool and significant parts of Florida, he said. Theres no more intimate of a way to see a landscape than going nine miles per hour, seeing everything, hearing everything and talking to random folks. On this trip, Bright is combining his love for skating and the states wild lands while raising money for Conservation Florida more than $2,500 so far. The nonprofit land conservancy seeks to protect natural and agricultural lands, especially the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Justin is amazing. We admire his courage and originality as he draws attention to the need for land conservation and wildlife crossings and corridors in a unique way, said Traci Deen, CEO of Conservation Florida, in a statement. Justin Bright is traveling more than 1,100 miles from the Alabama border near Pensacola to Key West, raising awareness of the need for land conservation along the way. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel) Part of Brights goal is to show the challenges for wildlife, specifically black bears and Florida panthers, in navigating a growing network of roadways with speeding cars and urban sprawl. As he skates along the shoulder of busy roadways, it becomes clear how animals feel as they avoid traffic. Travel Unraveled Weekly Get away from it all with vacation ideas, trip planning help and money-saving tips. > I realized early on that its not as much of a physical challenge, but Im exerting just as much effort trying not to die, trying not to get run over, he said. Animals are just doing their thing. Theyre trying to mate and look for water and food I feel unsafe as a six-foot human being, imagine not even being this big. Now more than three weeks into a six or seven-week journey, Bright has found his routine. With a lightweight tent, sleeping bag and a few extra clothes, the skateboarder has made his way through the Panhandle and into Central Florida, camping along the way. One of the challenges, other than braving gusty nights in the tent and cold temperatures, has been finding fresh food. I didnt eat a vegetable for nine days, I dont think. Maybe a few gas station bananas. You either get a Sunoco or a Circle K or like, Mamas Burgers or Uncle Joes BBQ, Bright said, then remembering the time he showed up at a Hunt Brothers Pizza with the hopes of finding a veggie pizza: I read the sign and their slogan is like, Hunt Bros Pizza. One rule: no vegetables. Im like, What the heck? Advertisement Justin Bright longboards on the South Lake Trail in Clermont on Wednesday. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel) The real reward of this adventure has been seeing wild Florida in all of its glory. You go through a lot of stuff in 1,100 miles. Florida is this magnificent, diverse land, Bright said. Its this little tiny peninsula that juts out of an unreal continent with all this biodiversity Theres lots of different people and environments. Im excited to continue south. To follow along with Brights journey, follow him on Instagram @justindoeslife. Find me @PConnPie on Twitter and Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com. For more fun things, follow @fun.things.orlando on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. KU Student Body Vice President Ethan Roark speaks to Student Senate at Wednesday's meeting. Student Senate criticized the University's communication with students, in light of a recent act of plagiarism by former vice provost for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, D.A. Graham. With only one week left, JTBC's Saturday and Sunday romance drama "Snowdrop" teases fans and viewers with observation points to look out for in the final three episodes! "Snowdrop" depicts the forbidden romance story between a South Korean woman and a North Korean spy who fatefully met in the most unconventional way and went into hiding. Here are some important points to watch for in the drama! The Fate of the Hostages: The Victims of the South and North War As the presidential election draws nearer, the focus is given to the hostage crisis inside the Hosoo Women's University dormitory. In "Snowdrop" episode 13, the ruling party secretary general Nam Tae Il (Park Sung Woong) counterattacked rashly by sending a firing squad and enveloping the place with explosives. Attention is given to what kind of measures he will do next to save the hostage victims. Meanwhile, Eun Chang Soo (Heo Jun Ho), who was shot at the command of Nam Tae Il, suddenly wakes up and learns about the betrayal, hinting at a new strain between their relationship. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Jung Hae In and BLACKPINK Jisoo's 'Snowdrop' Enjoys Solid Viewership Ratings as it Nears Finale In addition to that, the focus is also given to Im Su Ho (Jung Hae In), Kang Cheong Ya (Yoo In Na), and Lee Kang Mu (Jang Seung Jo), who work together in order to escape the bomb-threatened place safely. Im Su Ho and Eun Young Ro's Forbidden Romance, Can Their Love Still Grow Despite All Thorns? In the previous episode, Su Ho and Young Ro (BLACKPINK Jisoo), despite their struggles as hostage-taker and hostage victim, see the beauty beyond the tragedy. The final three episodes will show whether the two will be able to overcome their reality to let their love flourish. Su Ho and Young Ro first met in a group date where they both grew a liking for each other. As the situation becomes more complicated, the two discover each other's identities and gradually resolve the misunderstandings. With a sweet shared kiss, the two confirm their feelings for one another. However, even after they escape, Su Ho has to go back home to protect his family and uphold his name as a North Korean. Meanwhile, Young Ro is the daughter of the South Korean security chief. The two are trapped in a heart-shaking situation. Will love be able to blossom? Who is the Culprit Hiding Inside the Dormitory? The most important thing to watch for until the final episode is the identity of the culprit who had been hiding inside the Hosoo Women's University dormitory, who leaked the information to sabotage the presidential campaign. Inside the dormitory, Su Ho and Kang Moo figured that the culprit had been hiding in the dormitory even before Su Ho arrived. Attention is focused on how the culprit hid their identity, which can be one of the biggest threats in South Korean agents and managenent. Moreover, "Snowdrop" airs every Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 p.m. KST on JTBC. It is also available for online streaming on Disney+. Follow KDramaStars for more KMovie, KDrama, and celebrity updates! KDramaStars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. Just a day after Spotify agreed to remove Neil Young's music from its service, pictured here, on February 6, 2015 in Los Angeles, California, Apple Music trolled its streaming rival by giving the musician some rock star treatment. Cyclists, elected officials and community members gather to celebrate the opening of a new segment of Volusia CountyOs Spring-to-Spring Trail on Friday, Jan. 21, 2022. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel) Say, Trail! On the count of 3, 2, 1, public officials and dozens of cyclists cut the ribbon to open a new 2.9-mile segment of Volusia Countys Spring-to-Spring Trail on Jan. 21. Though the mileage seems minuscule, this stretch of paved path means that nearly 24 continuous miles of the planned 27.2-mile trail are finished. Advertisement Trail users can now travel from Green Spring to Lake Beresford Park, just north of Blue Spring State Park, and the route will ultimately stretch north to De Leon Springs State Park. Cyclists travel on a new segment of Volusia County's Spring-to-Spring Trail on Jan. 21, 2022. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel) After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, cyclists traveling from Gemini Springs to Blue Spring spotted endemic Florida scrub jays and gopher tortoises while traveling through sand pine scrub habitat, plus manatees in the spring run. Advertisement The countys construction is helping in the larger picture of allowing cyclists and pedestrians to explore Florida away from busy roadways. Were celebrating the final connection between Lake Beresford Park, Titusville and Edgewater, said Maggie Ardito, president of the St. Johns River-to-Sea-Loop Alliance. The River-to-Sea Loop is 260 miles and one of the two Florida SUN Trails. A map shows Volusia County's Spring-to-Spring Trail in relation to the larger St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop. The county recently connected a segment just northwest of Gemini Springs Park. (St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop Alliance) As the Spring-to-Spring Trail inches closer to completion, the route leads into 75 miles of paved path when combined with the East Coast Central Regional Rail Trail. Now about 55 percent complete, the larger St. Johns River to Sea-to-Sea Loop aims to connect DeBary, Palatka, St. Augustine, Daytona Beach and Titusville using these trails. The latest trail segment was built with $282,613 in Volusia ECHO funds, which are used for environmental, cultural, historical and outdoor purposes, and $2.84 million provided by the Florida Department of Transportation and SUN Trail grants. The St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop is one of two priority trails to receive state funding through the Shared-Use Nonmotorized (SUN) Trail program; the other is the 250-mile Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail, which utilizes part of the Spring-to-Spring Trail and is more than 80 percent complete. The latter links St. Petersburg and Titusville with paved trails extending the width of the state. Cyclists are among the first to check out the new leg of the Spring-to-Spring Trail before the dedication ceremony in DeBary on Jan.21, 2022. The recreation trail connects DeLeon Springs State Park to Green Springs Park and is part of the 260-mile St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop in Volusia, Flagler, Brevard, St. Johns and Putnam counties. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Travel Unraveled Weekly Get away from it all with vacation ideas, trip planning help and money-saving tips. > When we have these trails, we connect all of our communities together. We all benefit, said Tim Baylie, director of Volusia County Parks, Recreation and Culture. Once you have more miles connected it becomes more of a regional impact, which also brings in economic development, shopping, business for restaurants, stays in hotels. On an even broader level, these Sunshine State paths are helping a national vision come to fruition. Cyclists travel on Volusia County's Spring-to-Spring Trail, heading toward Blue Spring State Park, on Jan. 21, 2022. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel) The River-to-Sea Loop is a segment of the larger East Coast Greenway, which is a continuous planned 3,000-mile trail from Maine all the way down to Key West. As we like to say from moose to manatee, said Robert Barto, Florida coordinator for the East Coast Greenway Alliance. Florida has about 600 miles of trailway. Its not all complete, but thats why were out here. Its so important to advocate for this. Advertisement In order to see Floridas trails increasingly connected and contributing to the nations network of paved paths, it takes collaboration at every level. Cyclists and community members gather to celebrate the opening of a new segment of Volusia County's Spring-to-Spring Trail on Jan. 21, 2022. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel) People were using this trail the first day asphalt was poured. Clearly, theres a desire and a need, Barto said. Its really a balancing act of all these balls in the air: nonprofits, volunteers, government agencies and everyone coming together. For more information, visit volusia.org, river2sealoop.org, floridadep.gov, floridasuntrail.com or greenway.org. Find me @PConnPie on Twitter and Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com. For more fun things, follow @fun.things.orlando on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Kelowna-area school trustees are shown voting in favour of a vaccine mandate for teachers and other school staff at a meeting on Jan. 27. But trustees have now decided to pause implementation of the mandate, which was to have taken effect this Friday. Innovation, Science and Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021. Champagne says the pending takeover of a Canadian lithium mining company by a Chinese state-owned company was subjected to a thorough national security review contrary to what some experts and Conservative politicans have asserted. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle Sayed Rahman owner of Phone Cards Plus at the Jane and Finch Mall, is given a COVID-19 vaccine by Nurse Sandra Bernal during a mobile clinic, operated by Black Creek Community Health Centre, in Toronto, on Thursday, January 13, 2022.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young 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 Overcast with rain showers at times. High near 50F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Light rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 39F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Washington, DC US (PANA) - The US says reports of renewed fighting in Ethiopias Afar region are very concerning", and repeated calls to all actors to "cease all offensive operations" DUNES CITY, Ore. -- Dunes City Councilor Rory Hammond is explaining what motivated him to hold up a pair of pants in front of everyone during a city council meeting last Wednesday night. "No, he did not take his pants off," said city administrator Jamie Mills, who was at the meeting. "He was trying to make a point that you can't necessarily catch everything just by watching the video." Hammond brought a box to the meeting containing an identical pair of pants to the ones he was wearing, a pair of boxers and briefs. Because the cameraman only films from the chest up, it appears that Hammond takes off his pants but he said he just bent down to grab an identical pair out of a box. Hammond said he started devising this plan because a local newspaper called The Siuslaw News allegedly reported false information about one of their meetings. "In August, the governor had just reinstated the mask mandate," said Hammond. "About a half hour to 15 minutes before the meeting, all of us showed up except one councilor and we all wondered if we should be wearing a mask." He said several councilors had disagreements about mask wearing and the councilor who came in later criticized those who were against wearing them. "At the end of the meeting, Councilor Orr chastised us for not wearing masks and said we should do it and we should be good examples," said Hammond. "The irony of it was that we did talk about it, but Councilor Orr wasn't there, and the newspaper reported it and the letters to the editor started to come like, 'How could we be so cavalier?'" Mills said the newspaper has also misspelled names and got building codes incorrect in the past. "They have not been sending a reporter to watch the meeting live and they've been getting the meeting from the video on our website," said Mills. "But they've been getting some of the stuff wrong." But reporters at The Siuslaw News said there are a number of reasons they don't come to the meetings in person, including some councilors refusing to wear masks. "There are a lot of meetings and we try to go to as many as possible," said editor Chantelle Meyer. "We have a small staff, just three people. Two reporters and me as an editor. It's a lot to do and the fact is that the majority of the people on the Dunes City Council do not wear a mask while they are indoors at these public hearings." Meyer said they've also never been contacted about false information. "We haven't received a written complaint or something to address," said Meyer. "Just like any news organization, we used pulled quotes from meetings or statements from board packets." But Hammond said this act was to show how looks could be deceiving. "I asked Councilman Snow if I'm wearing briefs or I didn't say am I wearing briefs, I asked, 'Do I have briefs?' and she said yes and looked kind of suspicious because she didn't know what I was planning," said Hammond. "So if you listen both of [the councilors] are saying yes. The news isn't accurate but both are correct." Hammond hopes more community members come to the meetings to provide their input and get the full story. "Do you always believe everything you hear? Do you always believe everything you see on TV? Do you always believe everything you see in person?" said Hammond. "You think you saw something you didn't. That's why you have to have an open mind and try to listen to what other people are saying." Also, the cameraman shown in the city council meeting was not bribed $20, as shown in the video. Council members said the cameraman immediately returned the $20 to Hammond once the meeting was over. EUGENE, Ore. Dozens of people showed up at a rally on Thursday to show their support for Starbucks workers in Eugene who are trying to unionize. Up to 80 people attended the rally, which was held by the Eugene Springfield Solidarity Network. The Starbucks location at 29th Avenue and Willamette Street is the first in the state to file a union petition, joining dozens of stores trying to do the same thing nationwide. Organizers in Eugene said that 23 out of 25 workers signed petition cards citing pay, staffing and COVID protections as their concerns. Pull Quote "Were pretty close. I think its a surefire thing, said barista Keira Wilson. Starbucks officials said they have worked to address these concerns. The Eugene Springfield Solidarity Network will be showing a hearing with the National Labor Relations Board on their Facebook page on Friday. The hearing starts tomorrow, and its going until Wednesday. Were pretty close. I think its a surefire thing, said barista Keira Wilson. Looking to update your home? Watch the KHQ Spring Home Design Guide featuring the areas top home improvement businesses on Sat, May 7 at 4:30pm on KHQ. And click here to win a $500 VISA gift card, courtesy of our presenting partner - VPC Electric! Kilgore, TX (75662) Today Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - A conference on "Strengthening the role of diplomacy through international cooperation channels to achieve sustainable development goals" in Libya was organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Organisations on Thursday in Tripoli 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. Kilkenny Chamber has announced a new date to celebrate the Kilkenny Business Awards 2021. The event was postponed last November due to safety concerns and rising covid case numbers. Today, Kilkenny Chamber, and main sponsors, TransferMate have announced that the event will go ahead in the Lyrath Estate Hotel on Saturday, March 12, 2022. Tickets are now available from www.kilkennychamber.ie. The event will take place almost two years, to the day, since the Government asked the people of Ireland to restrict movements and work from home as Covid 19 took hold. No one could have anticipated that it would take two years to begin to emerge from the Pandemic. Nor could they anticipate the challenges people would face, not least the Irish business community. The gala awards ceremony will celebrate the resilience and determination of the local economy with 18 awards. A new category for 2021 will honour the Best Business Pivot in the Pandemic. A special recognition for local businesses with an exceptional Covid-19 story to tell. Local businesses that, in the face of an unprecedented global pandemic, lockdown, restrictions, closures and much uncertainty, have not only survived but thrived, adapted and grown. The coveted Lifetime Achievement Award, Presidents Award plus the overall business of the year will also be announced on March 12th. After a challenging two years, the flagship event provides a long-awaited opportunity to meet and network, in person, with colleagues, clients and friends from Kilkennys business community. The date is set to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of local business. Kilkenny Chamber is thrilled to announce the return of its flagship gala event on March 12," said Colin Ahern, President of Kilkenny Chamber. "The event will be a special reunion and chance for people to meet face to face in a safe environment. I am looking forward to meeting friends and colleagues to celebrate everything that we have achieved across the county under unprecedented circumstances. The evening of celebration will start with a champagne reception from 6pm in the Conference Centre at Lyrath Estate Hotel followed by a delicious four-course dinner. Host Helen Carrol will announce the winners throughout the evening. Music by the Party Girls will round off the evening. Tickets are limited. Those interested in attending can contact admin@kilkennychamber.ie or see www.kilkennychamber.ie for more information. The event will be held with all necessary safety precautions and in strict adherence to the Government guidelines. Increasing the number of nurse specialists in neurology will reduce waiting lists, free up hospital resources and deliver real improvements for neurology patients here. Thats according to the Neurological Alliance of Ireland (NAI), which has launched a new campaign seeking investment to tackle the serious shortage of nurse specialists in neurology at Waterford University Hospital. Based on local and international recommendations, University Hospital Waterford needs six nurse specialists in neurology. The hospital has just one; a shortfall of five nurse specialists caring for people in Waterford and surrounding counties including Kilkenny. Neurological conditions affect the brain and spinal cord. They are the leading cause of disability throughout the world and include many common conditions such as stroke, dementia, migraine, epilepsy and acquired brain injury as well as rare and genetic conditions. Magdalen Rogers NAI Executive Director said: There are 800,000 people living in Ireland with a neurological condition and they have been historically underserved by the health system. We know that 24,000 people are waiting for a neurology outpatient appointment, with 8,601 waiting more than 18 months resulting in delayed diagnosis and treatment. Neurology patients deserve better. Investing in more nurse specialists in neurology is a cost-efficient way of freeing up capacity of neurology consultants, reducing waiting times and ensuring that patients in Waterford and across the country have access to the specialist support they need to manage their conditions. Nurse specialists in neurology provide a range of services to people with neurological conditions including nurse-led clinics, rapid access clinics, telephone advisory services and outreach services. They can significantly improve the quality of care at lower cost, mainly by preventing unnecessary admissions, through advice, information, support, counselling and with appropriate safeguards adjustments in medication. The Patients Deserve Better campaign is supported by Roche and brings together over 30 non-profit organisations working with people with neurological conditions. The ISPCA is asking people to sign a petition urging the European Commission to uphold and strengthen an EU ban on animal testing. The call comes following a 2020 decision by the European Chemicals Agency's (ECHA) Board of Appeal requiring a German firm to conduct animal testing on some cosmetic ingredients - namely homosalate and 2-ethylhexyl salicylate - to ensure safety. The move is prompting animal lovers and activists to fear a return to the past. Currently, EU-wide legislation enacted in 2013 bans cosmetic product testing on animals, with one exception. The EU's flagship chemicals regulator REACH requires chemical companies to use animal testing for the safety certification of certain cosmetic ingredients if no other option is available. The petition is demanding legislative change to achieve protection for all cosmetic ingredients without testing on animals "for any purpose at any time", as well as a commitment to creating a roadmap to phase out all animal testing in the EU before the current legislative term ends. Help us to do something amazing for animals suffering in EU laboratories. Were urging EU citizens to demand that Europes ban on animal testing for cosmetics be upheld. Sign here https://t.co/8ogfamzJoO#EndAnimalTesting #SaveCrueltyFreeCosmetics https://t.co/7gJ5ZLMlvR pic.twitter.com/4npGG6NNhx ISPCA (@ISPCA1) January 24, 2022 In a statement, the ISPCA said, "Across Europe, millions of animals are used in education and science each year in experiments that frequently inflict suffering, which can be severe, but seldom deliver on their main promise, which is better health for humans. They include mice, fish, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, cats, dogs, and monkeys. We need your help to end this suffering for the animals and for better medicine, better product safety, and better environmental protection. "We want to see humane, human-relevant, animal-free science properly funded and fully utilised." The petition has amassed 350,000 signatures out of a goal of one million, and is being supported by animal rights groups as well as cosmetics industry giants. To be successful, a European citizens' initiative such as the petition has to reach one million signatures of support as well as minimum thresholds in at least 7 countries. Thresholds have currently been met in four countries; Czechia, Finland, Slovakia and the Netherlands. A threshold of just 32% has been reached in Ireland so far. The local community of Castlecomer were out in force this afternoon for the official opening of the pedestrian footbridge in the outskirts of the town linking it to the Discovery Park. The plaque was unveiled by Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr. Fidelis Doherty and Cllr. Pat Fitzpatrick, Chairman of the Municipal District of Castlecomer. The opening of this bridge is very much welcomed by the people of Castlecomer area, connecting and making it safer for residents and visitors alike to access the very popular Castlecomer Discovery Park. I want to acknowledge the commitment to and funding provided by Transport Infrastructure Ireland for this Project. said Cllr. Fidelis Doherty, Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council. Cllr. Pat Fitzpatrick on behalf of the Municipal District of Castlecomer also commented I congratulate all stakeholders involved in getting this project to the stage of opening today. This will be a huge addition to the tourism offering in Castlecomer and is another example of Kilkenny County Councils commitment to the promoting the development of Castlecomer as a tourist destination providing the visitor with an experience to remember. A key objective in the Castlecomer Local Area Plan 2018-2024 has now been realised with the construction of the pedestrian bridge over the river Dinin between the town centre and the Castlecomer Discovery Park. The new Castlecomer Footbridge is located next to the existing protected road bridge, with tie-ins beyond the eastern and western ends of the current bridge. The bridge structure is a two-span steel box girder footbridge with a timber deck supported on piled concrete foundations. The supporting walls for the structure are clad in stone to sensitively complement the existing stonework on both sides of the bridge. The footbridge will be illuminated by lighting contained within the handrails and also provides for strategic lighting of the niches of the protected roadbridge. Getting the project from inception to now, the footbridge opening has involved a collaborative effort by Kilkenny County Council, the Bridge Management Office in Kildare County Council, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the appointed consultants RPS Consulting and the Contractor, Kennys Plant & Civils Ltd and their bridge fabrication specialist Thompsons of Carlow. The input of Inland Fisheries Ireland, NPWS and other stakeholders at various stages of the project lifecycle is also acknowledged. In addition, the progression of the scheme to construction would not have been possible without the consent and co-operation of the landowners on both sides of the river and the support of the Castlecomer Discovery Park. Modernization of agriculture, rural areas should be prioritized, he says For 10 years in a row since he became general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee in 2012, Xi Jinping has made it a tradition to visit people at the grassroots level nationwide, especially disadvantaged groups, ahead of Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival. With the most important Chinese festival starting on Tuesday, Xi, who is also China's president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, started his annual festive tour to meet the people on Wednesday. This time, he chose North China's Shanxi province as his destination. The inspection tour, which concluded on Thursday, took him to visit villagers, workers engaged in cultural relics protection and energy supply, and officials working at the grassroots level in southern and central parts of the province. On Wednesday afternoon, Xi went to two villages, where he visited villagers' homes and inspected post-disaster reconstruction in areas affected by last year's floods, as well as local work in restoring farming, ensuring the public's access to heating in winter, consolidating and expanding anti-poverty achievements, and advancing rural vitalization. In Fengnanyuan, a village in the city of Huozhou, which was hit hard by severe flooding last year, Xi told the villagers he came to see how much the disaster had affected their lives, and he was gratified that the villagers have weathered the storm and made achievements in the reconstruction of their homes through local governments' help and their own efforts. He wished them a happy Spring Festival. Speaking to residents of Duancun village of Fenxi county, who came to welcome him, Xi said that in governing the country, the CPC has no other option but to do something good for the people, wholeheartedly serve the people, and make every effort to ensure the people can pursue a happy life. As the new journey has begun toward the second centenary goal of comprehensively building China into a modern socialist country, Xi said agricultural and rural areas' modernization should not be left behind. Farmers' lives will be better and better, he added. Putting people first has been at the center of Xi's governance philosophy. Every time he has conducted inspection tours nationwide in recent years, he has chatted with locals to learn details about their lives, including their incomes, housing situation, healthcare, children's education and old-age services, and has seen how the Party's and government's policies have been carried out to benefit the people. In his New Year address to ring in 2022, Xi said, "The concerns of the people are what I always care about, and the aspirations of the people are what I always strive for. "Our country, big as it is, also has its list of priorities. The myriad of things we attend to all boil down to matters concerning every household. ... Every time I visit people in their homes, I would ask if they have any more difficulties, and I would remember everything my folks have to share with me." Cai Wenming, 62, a farmer from Duancun village, was excited to see Xi, the country's top leader, visiting his home on Wednesday afternoon. "General Secretary Xi was very affectionate. He asked me in great detail about how we had prepared the food and other goods for Spring Festival. He asked me how much income I can earn from raising sheep," Cai said. Cai said that although the general secretary is busy taking care of 1.4 billion people in the country, he nonetheless spends time visiting a mountainous village to see in person what local farmers' lives are like, and whether the villagers who were lifted out of poverty one year ago live a better life now. Cai added that he was very thankful for Xi. Li Jiali, the village's Party secretary, said Xi's visit inspired her a lot. "As a grassroots-level official, I will be more down-to-earth to work for my villagers, always putting the people's interests in my heart," she said. In addition to people's lives, Xi also paid much attention to the province's high-quality development. During his visit on Thursday to Pingyao county, which is famed for its importance in Chinese economic history and for its well-preserved urban planning and architecture in Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), Xi emphasized the importance of preserving cultural relics and upholding cultural confidence. Inspecting a coal-fired power plant in the city of Jinzhong, Xi underlined the need to promote low-carbon development of the coal sector while ensuring the energy supply to contribute to the country's carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals. He also urged Shanxi to fully follow the decisions and policies made by the CPC Central Committee, comprehensively and faithfully implement the new development philosophy and make coordinated efforts in COVID-19 pandemic response and socioeconomic development. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libyan Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangouch and High State Council President Khaled al-Mechri on Thursday stressed the importance of activating the constitutional process to het a draft constitution for the people to hold free and fair elections If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 49F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 49F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona speaks during a visit with first lady Jill Biden to Bergen Community College in Paramus, N.J., Jan. 20, 2022. Cardona on Thursday, Jan. 27, called on the nations schools to act more urgently to help millions of students who have fallen behind during the pandemic. We must make up for lost time, he said. A new collection of peaceful stories aims to awaken self-awareness and empathy. GENEVA, Switzerland, -- The Cuco Azul Association is a group of professionals dedicated to the study of thought, philosophies, cultures, and comparative religions, focused on helping children to enrich their lives through meditation of body and mind. Their new picture book collection, Cuco Azul Meditates, is inspired by different spiritual and philosophical traditions from India, China, Tibet, and beyond to enhance self-knowledge in kids through meditation. The goal of the Cuco Azul Meditates books (cuco azul means blue cuckoo in Spanish) is to foster development of emotional skills, encourage inner reflection and intentional living, and embrace traditions of other cultures. Through their teachings of the practice of meditation, the beautifully illustrated stories invite children to discover their inner world. In The Buddhist Journey of Mani, young Mani embarks on a journey surrounded by nature, animals, and auspicious symbols of the Buddhist tradition. On her path to self-knowledge, Mani discovers how to overcome fear and ignorance through simple Buddhist teachings. Mani no longer felt fear, but a great curiosity mixed with the desire to know everything she found in her path. She was like an explorer ready to make great discoveries...She suddenly understood that everything was connected. She felt part of everything in the landscape: of the plants, the clouds, the wind and the animals. In The Rainbow Boy: A Story about Meditation and Inner Light, a young boy from the mountains named Tapi tries in vain to catch an elusive rainbow. When he learns from a blue cuckoo how to achieve his goal, Tapi understands that wisdom, self-confidence and meditation are the path to attaining greater self-knowledge. In The Teachings of the River: A Zen Tale that Invites Us to Flow with Life, a farmer with three daughters wants to bequeath to his girls unencumbered lives. To his first daughter he gives freedom by not leaving her a house and farm with responsibilities. To his second daughter, he provides the ability to listen to the language of nature from the trees, instead of giving his forests with timber that requires much work and oversight. When his last daughter is bequeathed the water of the river, she comes to learn that the water and nature around it belong to everyone and that all must live in communion with it. The Cuco Azul Association is a non-profit organization based out of Geneva, Switzerland. The groups publishing arm promotes books and educational materials for children and adolescents to develop their mental and emotional skills. It also seeks to foster their creativity and cognitive abilities, promoting stories, philosophies and traditions that help children to develop self-awareness and empathy. Contributing author, Mara A. Zanden specializes in the study of Bon and Buddhism in the West. Maya Alvisa is a professor and researcher at different universities in Buenos Aires with an expertise in the study of Asian history, religions and philosophies, especially in China and India. Matias Gen Sui is a Buddhist monk of the Soto Zen-Deshimaru tradition, committed to social and educational projects. A Mindfulness Teacher MBSR, he was trained in childhood ecology at the European Institute of Perinatal Mental Health. Cuco Azul distributes a portion of their books profits to solidarity projects aimed at providing access to comprehensive education to economically marginalized children. Currently, this focus is on a school in Siliguri, located in northern India at the foot of the Himalayas and which promotes meditation and the preservation of traditional Himalaya cultures. ### If you would like more information about the Cuco Azul Association and the Cuco Azul book series, please contact info cucoazul.org or visit https://cucoazul.org/ . According to the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office, Chukwuemeka U. Emmanuel was convicted in November 2021 of first-degree rape or attempted rape after a bench trial. The 38-year-old was sentenced to spend 20 years in a Missouri prison. North Korea fires two suspected ballistic missiles By Kang Seung-woo U.S. President Joe Biden nominated a former sanctions enforcer to be his first ambassador to South Korea, but it is too early to predict if the United States will return to a hardline stance against North Korea, according to diplomatic observers. Philip Goldberg / Courtesy of U.S. Department of State According to diplomatic sources, U.S. Ambassador to Colombia Philip Goldberg has been tapped to head the U.S. Embassy in Seoul and the South Korean government is now said to be in the process of granting an agrement, which refers to a state approval of accepting a member of a diplomatic mission from a foreign country. Since the last U.S. ambassador to South Korea, Harry Harris, resigned and left the country on Jan. 20, 2021, the post has remained unfilled, with U.S. Charge d'Affaires to Korea Christopher Del Corso currently serving as acting ambassador. News of Goldberg's nomination have fueled speculation in South Korea that the U.S. government will adopt a hardline policy toward Pyongyang, which has refused to return to the negotiating table and continued instead to test-fire ballistic missiles in a show of force. Such speculation is based on his past career as the coordinator for the implementation of United Nations (U.N.) sanctions on North Korea under the Barack Obama administration. "I think the Biden administration has nominated a big shot among Career Ambassadors, the State Department's highest diplomatic rank, given his past overseas assignments, but given that his one-year tenure from 2009 to 2010 as coordinator for implementation of U.N. sanctions on North Korea, I think it is hasty to jump to conclusions that the U.S. will increase sanctions pressure on the North," said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Important to take each and every election seriously Posted by Liam on at 09:16 AM CST Well wishes,fans! This week on site were taking a look at the Battle of Scarif, the climactic ground battle between Rebel and Imperial forces that determines the possession of the Death Star plans in the 2016 film. Make sure to read our Expand Your Mind article first to learn about how the firstproject came to be and why the Battle of Scarif is so integral to the franchises history. Stay tuned throughout the week for more articles, insights, videos, and information about all the coolest merchandise that youll want to have.introduced six new heroes who make up the heist team to steal the Death Star plans from the Imperial facility on Scarif. Many of the antagonists are ones that viewers have been following since 1977, including James Earl Joness return to voice Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin, whose deceased actor Peter Cushing was recreated using (controversial) CGI. However, the film created tension by introducing a new villain whose fate wasnt already known. Acclaimed British actor Ben Mendelsohn stepped into the role of Director Orson Krennic, who leads weapons research for the Empire and develops the technology behind the Death Star.Like manyvillains, Krennics fearesome nature is evident from the very beginning thanks to the opening scene. Krennic storms the home of Galen Erso in order to convince him to develop the weapons technology, killing his wife and leaving Jyn abandoned. It was clear that Krennic was more ruthless than some of the incompetent Imperial officers of the classic trilogy like Admiral Ozzle or Captain Needa. It gives Jyn a personal vendetta to face Krennic again.While he often buckles under the pressure of dealing with Tarkin and Vader, it makes him even more of a complex character. Krennic is just as terrified of facing Vaders wrath as any of the Rebels are, and the pressure to avoid his wrath puts him under even more stress to rise to complete his mission. However, Krennic is clearly more than just a guy doing his job. He shows an admiration for the power of the Death Star and its destructive capabilities, praising the destruction of the ancient city Jedha as beautiful.Krennics further history is explored in the novelwhich explores the period betweenopening sequence and the rest of the film. It goes into detail about his relationship with Galen Erso, and how exactly Galen grew to secretly betray his employer and install a secret weakness within the battle station. James Lucenos brilliant writing helps to flesh out the lengths that Krennic goes to in order to convince the Imperial high command that the Death Star should be tested as soon as possible, as hes anxious to see it wreck havoc. It also helps bridge the gap between the brief reference to Seperatist development of the weapon inWhat do you think,fans? What do you make of Krennic and how does he rank amongvillains for you? Who are some of your other favorite Imperial officers? Let us know in the forums , and as always, may the Force be with you!Check out Rebelscum.com merch!Be sure to follow us on all of our social media platforms: RED LODGE, Mont. - Red Lodge Fire Rescue is building a new training center for first responders. "We're actually going to have a space to train firefighters, EMTs, search and rescue members, even law enforcement, from our station and the surrounding area," Volunteer Coordinator and Firefighter/EMT Amy Hyfield said. The training center will have two burn rooms, so firefighters can practice fighting real flames. There will also be a smoke generator, a rappelling wall (so crews can practice high angle rescues) and concrete pads (for vehicle fires and car extrication practice). It has two main floors, along with an attic space. "We have so many miles that we are covering," Hyfield said. "And we want to make sure everyone is going home at the end of the day. And one of the ways that we do that is by training." Red Lodge Fire Chief Tom Kuntz said the training center has been a dream for several years. "We're super excited about our new training center," he said. "I think it's been a dream of ours for the last 20 years to build a training center like this. And when it's completed, I think it will be one of the best, if not the best, training center in the state of Montana." "The building has multiple windows, multiple roof pitches, different heights, different angles, Kuntz added. "So, we can create all kinds of scenarios for ladders, coming in through windows, going out through windows." Kuntz said the training center cost about $1.2 million to build... and it has been completely paid for with donations. No taxpayer money has been used. "I think, you know, we are beginning to enter a new era for our organization, which is really exciting," Kuntz said. "Having this training center will allow us to better train our volunteer personnel. What we do is risky. We know what we do is risky. And we find that training folks well really is the core of keeping folks safe." Kuntz said they hope the training center will benefit the entire region. "Our vision of this training center is it's going to be a regional training center," he said. "And we will open it up to any fire organization in our area or throughout the state that wishes to use it." Kuntz said the training tower should be finished around the first part of March. Then, the concrete pads will be poured later in the spring. UPDATE: JAN. 28 AT 10:44 A.M. A man was arrested Friday morning following a pursuit with law enforcement across the Montana-Idaho border Thursday night. A release from the Mineral County Sheriff's Office said the suspect, identified as Jesse Robert Spitzer, 30, lead law enforcement across the Montana-Idaho border around 10:30 p.m. Thursday. The Montana Highway Patrol managed to disable Spritzer's vehicle near the Haugen exit. MSCO said Spitzer threatened officers with a gun and then escaped on foot. Law enforcement located and arrested Spitzer a little after 9 a.m. Friday. According to a Facebook post from the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office (SCSO), Spritzer was wanted in Snohomish County, Wash. for first-degree burglary, first-degree assault and possession of a stolen vehicle. He was also wanted in Chelan County, Wash. and Post Falls, Idaho for crime sprees, according to SCSO. MCSO said there is no threat to the public at this time. BORAX, Mont. - An active law enforcement incident is happening on I-90 eastbound near the Montana-Idaho border Friday. The message from the Montana Department of Transportation said, "Do not pick up hitchhikers. Call 9-1-1 if suspicious activity is observed." The incident is located from mile-markers 0 to 18 near Lookout Pass. We're working to find out more. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Have a news tip or would like to report a typo? Email Anthony Victor Reyes at areyes@kvoa.com. A teenager tries MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly. A retiree buys painkillers off the street to deal with his arthritis. A 30-year-old picks up an 8-ball of cocaine during a friends birthday party, the first time shes used coke since college. While illicit drug use isnt advised, in rare instances it could be deadly. The lives of that teenager, that birthday partier, that retiree could be at risk because those drugs are becoming more likely to have been cut with incredibly deadly, and cheap, fentanyl. And the users of those drugs may have no idea what they are putting into their bodies. During a phone interview Thursday, Alison Heller said that a friend of a friends 15-year-old son recently died by overdosing because the MDMA he tried had been cut with fentanyl. His death was preventable. If you were a cocaine user or addicted to painkillers, and found out that your drugs had been mixed with fentanyl which is considered to be at least 50 times, and possibly as much as 100 times, more potent than morphine would you still use it? Theres a chance you wouldnt, especially if you were a recreational user and not a full-blown addict. That reluctance could save your life. In Wisconsin and many other states, its a crime to even possess the strips that can test drugs for the presence of fentanyl. Basically, the fentanyl test strips are classified as drug paraphernalia, state Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, said in a phone interview Wednesday. That could soon change. A bill that would make fentanyl test strips legal to possess in Wisconsin has passed both houses of the Legislature. It was sent to Gov. Tony Evers desk to sign or veto earlier this week. Wanggaard authored the Senate version of the bill, with the Assembly version of the bill authored by Rep. Jesse James, R-Altoona. Wanggaard said that if someone wants to make the bad decision to buy black market oxycodone, it should not be illegal for them to find out if a much more dangerous drug is mixed in with what they bought. A drug habit isnt worth dying over. Heller, who cofounded California-based FentCheck with a hospitals chief technology officer, Dean Shold, said that she wants access to fentanyl test strips to be normalized. The inspiration for Heller and Shold came from the condom distribution programs that arose amid the breakout of the AIDS epidemic, during which packaged condoms were placed in public bathrooms. That allowed picking up condoms to be destigmatized and likely prevented many premature deaths. Heller and Shold know that people are going to continue using drugs. But they want it to be easier for someone to protect themselves. Libraries are equipping themselves with overdose antidotes. Racine hasn't, not yet at least. Although some libraries nationwide equip their staffs with the opioid overdose antidote naloxone (often referred to by the brand name Narcan), the Racine Public Library does not. Heller and Wanggaard compared the potential legalization of fentanyl test strips to how Narcan, an opioid-overdose antidote, is already widely available to anyone. Narcan stops someone from dying but doesnt stop someone from overdosing. Fentanyl testing strips actually help prevent fentanyl overdose, Heller said. Looking to reduce harm It is becoming an epidemic. People are dying because they dont know theres fentanyl in it (what theyre using), Wanggaard said. The way most fentanyl test strips work is you dip the strip into some water and then dip the strip into some of the drug. Within a minute, one or two lines will appear on the strip similar to a pregnancy test. If one line appears, fentanyl was not detected. If two lines appear, that would act as a warning that there is fentanyl present. Other versions of the strips change color when they come in contact with fentanyl. Still others have only one line that may or may not appear. It is common for fentanyl to appear unexpectedly in recreational drugs, as in the case of the 15-year-old Heller knew who passed away. This stuff is so potent, said Wanggaard, a retired Racine Police officer. Among the reasons is that fentanyl a synthetic, easy-to-produce opioid that can generate a high in much lower quantities compared to most other street drugs, making it cheaper for dealers to sell to unwitting users or middlemen. As Wisconsin Public Radio reported in October: Fentanyl, a drug originally designed for use in hospitals, has been found in fake pain pills to such a degree the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency issued a rare public safety alert last month, warning that these counterfeit pills had been seized in every state in unprecedented quantities. In 2017, 10% of counterfeit pills seized by the DEA contained a lethal dose of fentanyl, which can be as little as 2 milligrams, comparable to several granules of sugar. Wanggaard said possession of fentanyl test strips was originally made criminal because dealers so often use them to test their product, and so making them illegal gives police officers more reasons to be able to arrest suspected dealers. A team of volunteers that works with FentCheck in the San Francisco Bay Area regularly restocks bowls of test strips at places such as music venues, tattoo parlors and bars. That way, its easy and free for people to test their drugs, potentially saving lives. Its all about harm reduction, Shold said. Even though possessing the strips is still technically illegal, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services still encourages the use of them in some of its overdose-prevention pamphlets. DHS has been advocating for the lift of the ban. Why illegal? Would you call 911 to help a friend overdosing, if it meant youd be arrested? RACINE The opioid epidemic is continuing to make its lethal presence felt in Racine. Overdose deaths are on the rise, although some of them might have been prevented if there was more awareness of certain laws protecting witnesses who call 911. Jon Woodruff, an attorney with the nonprofit Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association, told a Colorado NPR affiliate that many states just copied their drug paraphernalia laws from what the DEA had in the 1970s, and at the time the DEA had down that tests for illegal drugs should be considered drug paraphernalia. But now lawmakers in several states are working to make some of these tests legal, due to their life-saving potential. Other groups supporting the bill include the Wisconsin Medical Society, Wisconsin Nurses Association Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association and Wisconsin Professional Police Association.(tncms-asset)69d31d74-7837-11e9-822c-00163ec2aa77[6](/tncms-asset)(tncms-asset)01e059ab-0943-5905-926e-6bba3198aad9[7](/tncms-asset) Osage Beach, MO (65065) Today Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 53F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch.. Tonight Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 53F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch. Hannah Balthaser had a fabulous day on the tanbark with Groovy, her 4-year-old Brown Swiss, as they competed for the title of supreme champion cow at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. In Connecticut, Beardsleys Cider Mill and Orchard in Shelton has been family run since 1849, the Staehly Farm in East Haddam is run by the second and third generations of the family, and the 122-year old Clydes Cider Mill in Mystic is under the direction of the fourth and fifth generation of the Miner family. The IDFA reports that dairy supports over 3 million jobs nationwide and generates over $41 billion in direct wages. Dairys overall impact on the U.S. economy is about $753 billion annually. Where do dairy exports fit into all of this? New Delhi [India], January 28 (ANI/NewsVoir): Turing, an AI-powered, international platform that connects software developers with high-quality, long-term, remote U.S. jobs, announced today the launch of Turing Community: a global career-centric community exclusively for developers. With a mission to unleash the world's untapped human potential, Turing is building a diverse community, free and open to all developers worldwide. The community helps developers with job preparation, upskilling and reskilling, English communication and personal development, and mentoring, among other perks. Through this initiative, the company aims to build a safe space for developers to grow, seek guidance from experts, and progress in their careers. Also Read | Rajasthan Shocker: 5-Year-Old Girl Raped By Speech-Impaired Neighbour In Alwar District; Accused Arrested. With over 1 million developers signed up on Turing, the launch of a career-centric developer community will further strengthen the company's mission to help solve the challenges faced by software developers globally. The community plans to host a range of events including the Women's Mentoring Circle, Rethinking the Developer Career Path, and AMA Sessions with Senior Developers, amongst others. These events will equip developers with the necessary knowledge and tools to advance through their careers. Commenting on the launch, Uma Subramanian, Sr. Director and Head of Developer Success and Community at Turing said, "Thousands of developers from more than a hundred countries have already joined our community and are making their way to the top with the tools and opportunities provided by the community. At Turing, our intention is not only to offer jobs but also to offer a community that inspires learning and development. Moreover, the community is equipped with tools that steer developers to their calling while understanding their passion and enhancing their skills. Aiding developers to walk the path to success resulting in breakthroughs in fields like science and tech-that is what the Turing community is all about-tapping into the world's unexplored human potential and bringing disruption to the industry while forming a legacy!" Also Read | Flipkart Electronics Sale: Apple iPhone 12 Mini, Vivo X70 Pro, Pixel 4a Get Massive Discount. Furthermore, the Turing Community aims to help developers form deep relationships with fellow developers, seek advice from industry veterans, and create positive experiences. Founded in March 2018, Turing's Intelligent Talent Cloud uses AI to connect the world's best developers to high-quality U.S. jobs. Turing is the brainchild of Stanford alumni and serial AI entrepreneurs Jonathan Siddharth and Vijay Krishnan. The duo's previous company Rover, a machine learning-based content discovery engine, was successfully acquired. With Turing, companies can hire pre-vetted, Silicon Valley-caliber remote software talent across 100+ skills at the "push of a button". 200+ firms, including Johnson & Johnson, Dell, Disney, Coinbase, Rivian, Plume, and VillageMD, have hired remote engineering talent from Turing. The company recently entered unicorn territory (now valued at over $1.1 B) with a Series D round of financing and is backed by prominent investors such as WestBridge Capital, Foundation Capital, Founders Fund (investors in Facebook, Tesla, Asana), Altair Capital, Mindset Ventures, Frontier Ventures, Gaingels, Facebook's first CTO (Adam D'Angelo), and illustrious executives from Google, Amazon, and Twitter. To learn more about the Turing Community, please visit: community.turing.com. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], January 28 (ANI): Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday said that if the party comes to power in Uttar Pradesh, it will set up a special recruitment commission to streamline the selection process for all vacant government posts. In a virtual interaction with the youth in the poll-bound state, Priyanka Gandhi took a dig at opposition parties in the state and said they were not talking of issues concerning people. Also Read | Union Budget 2022-23: Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha Likely To Begin Debate on Motion of Thanks to President Ram Nath Kovind's Address on February 2. "If Congress comes to power in Uttar Pradesh, it will set up a special recruitment commission to streamline the selection process for all vacant government posts," she said. The Congress leader said they will also make a timetable to ensure that exams are conducted and results are declared by a defined date. Also Read | India Never Been Linked to a Group of People or Any Religion, Says Report. "If our government comes, we will make a timetable for every job-related exam to ensure that these are conducted and results are declared on a defined date. The recruitment process will be done within a six-month period. If it is not done, action will be taken against concerned officials," she said. She alleged that opposition parties were practising casteist politics in the state. She also alleged that they make promises but do not fulfil them. "The promise which we have made of 20 lakh jobs, we have mentioned in detail how we are going to execute this. During elections, opposition parties divert people from the main issues. Why BJP doesn't speak about employment and other real issues? The government doesn't want you to be Atmanirbhar, they don't think that it's their responsibility to make you Atmanirbhar," she added. The assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will be conducted in seven phases starting on February 10. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, Jan 28 (PTI) The Maharashtra government and the BMC on Friday assured the Bombay High Court the situation related to the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was under control and that authorities were fully geared to meet any eventuality. Also Read | China 'Concerned' Over India's Business Environment Amid Tax Probes on Chinese Firms Like Oppo, Xiaomi and OnePlus. A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and M S Karnik was hearing a public interest litigation seeking judicious distribution of the state's resources to tackle the pandemic. Also Read | Gionee 13 Pro With Dual Rear Cameras Launched, Check Price & Other Details Here. Advocate Purnima Kantharia, appearing for the government, and senior counsel Anil Sakhare, appearing for the BMC, on Friday told the court the situation was under control and authorities were prepared to handle the effects of the Omicron variant of the virus if required in future. The court, while accepting the statements, in its order said, "The state government as well as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation submit that the situation is 100 per cent under control and that the government is fully geared to meet any eventuality in future with regard to the spread of the omicron variant". Chief Justice Datta noted that, as per experts, the Omicron variant was not as lethal as the Delta variant of the virus but was spreading quicker. Sakhare told the court there was a hike in the number of COVID-19 cases in the first week of this month in Mumbai but the numbers were now decreasing. As on date, there is no pressure on the hospitals and there is sufficient machinery in place. There is enough oxygen stock available and also medicines, he said. The court posted the matter for further hearing on February 4. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Panaji (Goa) [India], January 28 (ANI): Trinamool Congress Vice-President Luizinho Faleiro on Friday announced his withdrawal as a TMC candidate from Goa's Fatorda constituency for the upcoming Assembly polls. "I announce my withdrawal as Goa TMC candidate from Fatorda and hand over the baton to a young woman advocate. That has been the policy of the party - to empower the women," said Luizinho Faleiro. Also Read | Lenovo Legion Y90 Specifications Revealed via TENAA Listing: Report. The TMC's new candidate for the Fatorda constituency is Seoula Avilia Vas. According to Faleiro, he has taken the decision after 'could not do justice' in the last election. "My earlier experience says that when I fought the election last time, we could not do justice to them. To replace me, we have a very able Flora, who will represent the Fatorda constituency," he added. Also Read | Kerala: Train Services Disrupted as Goods Train Derails Near Aluva. He said that he had consulted the party leaders before stepping down as Fatorda's candidate. "I've taken this decision after consulting our party's national chairman because I would like to fight and campaign all over Goa for all the TMC candidates so that they can perform well," said the TMC's National vice-president. Speaking at the press conference Mahua Moitra said, "We are here in Fatorda to put up a fight and defeat the BJP. We are here not as the last moment option but a true and honest option to people of Fatorda who do not want BJP." "We have chosen a woman who is a fighter, an activist and most important she is not connected to a political family. That is what Mamata Banerjee wants to do", said Moitra. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Jan 28 (PTI) India and China agreed at the previous round of Corps Commander-level talks to stay in close contact and maintain dialogue via military and diplomatic channels to work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues related to the LAC in the western sector at the earliest, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday. Asked about the border standoff with China, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "As you are aware, the 14th round of India-China Corps Commander level meeting was held on January 12 this year. The two sides agreed that resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest would help in the restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the western sector and enable progress in bilateral relations." Also Read | Union Budget 2022: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Reviews Preparations at Parliament Ahead of Budget Session. "The two sides agreed to stay in close contact and maintain dialogue via military and diplomatic channels and work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest," he said. In this context it was also agreed that the next round of the commanders level talks should be held at the earliest, Bagchi added. Also Read | President's Bodyguard To Retain Retiring Horses Vikrant, Viraat As Mark of Respect. The eastern Ladakh border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area. Both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry. As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process last year in the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area. Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the sensitive sector. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, January 28: India reported 2,51,209 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry reported on Friday. With this, the daily positivity rate in the country dropped to 15.88 per cent. As per the ministry, the country's active caseload mounted to 21,05,611, which is 5.18 per cent of the total COVID-19 cases reported so far. Also Read | Reddit Reportedly Testing NFT User Profile Picture Feature. As many as 627 covid-19 deaths and 3,47,443 recoveries from the virus have also been reported in the last 24 hours. India Reports 2,51,209 New COVID-19 Cases, 627 Deaths In Past 24 Hours; Active Cases Drop Below 22 Lakh. The weekly positivity rate too witnessed a drop today; was recorded to be 17.47 per cent. Also Read | Maharashtra Fire: Blaze Erupts at Furniture Godown in Thanes Bhiwandi, No Casualty Reported. 164.44 crORE vaccine doses have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive. The Ministry, in its release, informed that 15,82,307 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours. Over 72.37 crore tests have been conducted so far in the country, said the ministry. Meanwhile, under the ongoing nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive, 1,64,44,73,216 vaccine doses have been administered so far. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], January 28 (ANI): A 38-year-old man was allegedly shot dead by unidentified persons in north Delhi's Alipur on Thursday night, said police. The deceased has been identified as Pramod, a resident of Hiranki village. Also Read | Lenovo Legion Y90 Specifications Revealed via TENAA Listing: Report. Police on Friday said the Alipur police station received the information at around 10:44 pm last night that some unknown persons had opened fire at a man and fled. Police further said that it rushed to the spot and found out some motorcycle-borne assailants had fired at Pramod, who was then shifted to the Max Hospital in Haidarpur where he was declared brought dead. Also Read | Weather Update: Cold Wave Conditions To Persist In North-West India Over Next Few Days; Dense Fog In Parts Of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar. The spot was inspected by a crime team where nine empty cartridges were found, police said. A case has been registered under relevant sections and further investigation is underway. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) By Shalini Bhardwaj New Delhi [India], January 28 (ANI): Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will be holding a high-level meeting on COVID-19 on Friday through video conferencing. Also Read | Union Budget 2022-23: Direct and Indirect Taxes Explained; Heres All You Need To Know. The meeting will be held to review the COVID-19 situation and public health preparedness and response measures being taken in the context of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 with Health Ministers of Southern States/UT's Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andaman and Nicobar Island, official sources told ANI. The meeting will also be attended by Senior health officials also. Also Read | Samsung Galaxy S22 Series, Galaxy Tab S8 Series Prices Leaked Online: Report. Earlier he held a high-level meeting with nine northern states/UTs and advised them to send Covid testing and vaccination data timely. He also suggested that testing should be ramped up in the states where it has gone down. He also advised states and UTs to ensure that those in home isolation should be efficiently monitored in line with the National Guidelines. He had said, "This will ensure that the vulnerable categories of active cases in home isolation get the required medical help in a timely manner." The Union Health Minister re-emphasized the need for ramping up testing in the states and UTs. Those states/UTs that are showing a lower share of RTPCR testing were requested to ramp up tests through RTPCR. States and UTs were also reminded to keep a close watch on the emerging clusters and hotspots and monitor the trend of hospitalized cases along with the deaths in the state. Mandaviya said that with our past experience, 'Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate & Adherence to COVID Appropriate Behaviour' along with monitoring of cases remains crucial for COVID management. The Union Health Minister also urged the States and UTs to adopt the hub and spoke model for teleconsultation. According to the Union Health Ministry, Mandaviya urged the States and UTs to adopt the hub and spoke model and ensure that more and more centers of teleconsultation are opened. This will enable beneficiaries to access expert advice from experts stationed at the district hubs. He also said that e-Sanjeevani has been able to provide services to more than 2.6 crore beneficiaries where people can seek medical advice from the confines of their homes. "This will prove to be a game-changer and will be of immense value and importance for the hard-to-reach and far-flung areas, and especially in the northern regions in the current winter season," said Mandaviya. Mansukh Mandaviya also urged the 9 States and UTs to review and expedite the implementation of activities under the ECRP-II package for strengthening the health infrastructure. He said, "Health Ministers and the State authorities to plug the existing gaps by efficiently utilizing the amount sanctioned for various infra projects. With strengthened health infrastructure, we can meet any health emergency and public health crisis with better preparedness." (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Suman Toor, who claims to be Sidhu's sister from the United States. (ANI/photo) Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], January 28 (ANI): Days ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections, a woman, Suman Toor, who says she is Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu's sister described her brother, Sidhu as a 'cruel person' and alleged that he had deserted their old mother after their father's death. Toor, who is based in the United States alleged, "Sidhu abandoned our old mother after the death of our father in 1986 and she later died as a destitute woman at Delhi railway station in 1989." Also Read | Rahul Gandhi Asks PM Narendra Modi: When Will We Get Our Land China Has Occupied?. According to her, Navjot Singh Sidhu ended "everything for the sake of money". She also said that in a news article earlier Sidhu had lied about their parents having been separated, when he was two years old. Meanwhile, a response from Navjot Singh Sidhu on the allegations is still awaited. Also Read | Apple Reportedly Testing New Feature To Let Users Use Face ID With Mask On. Punjab will go to the polls on February 14 and the counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Jan 28 (PTI) The NIA has filed a chargesheet against eight alleged ISIS terrorists for their involvement in radicalising, recruiting, organising terror funds and grooming gullible Muslim youth through different secured social media platforms to join the global terrorist organisation, an official said on Friday. Deepthi Marla, Mohammad Waqar Lone, Mizha Siddeeque, Shifa Haris, Obaid Hamid Matta, Madesh Shankar, Ammar Abdul Rahiman and Muzamil Hassan Bhat have been named in the chargesheet, the official of the premier investigation agency said. Also Read | Beating Retreat Ceremony 2022: 'Around 1,000 Indigenously Built Drones To Form Part of Light Show', Says Union Minister Jitendra Singh. The NIA registered the case in March last year over terrorist activities of an accused, Mohammed Ameen of Kerala, and his associates, who were running various ISIS propaganda channels on different social media platforms such as Telegram, Hoop and Instagram for propagating the violent jihadist ideology of the ISIS and radicalising and recruiting new members for the ISIS module, the official said. Earlier, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a chargesheet against three accused in the case in September last year. Also Read | Union Budget 2022: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Reviews Preparations at Parliament Ahead of Budget Session. All the eight accused chargesheeted on Friday are affiliated with the banned terrorist organisation ISIS and were involved in radicalising, recruiting, organising terror funds and grooming like-minded gullible Muslim youth through different secured social media platforms to perform Hijrat' (migration) to ISIS-controlled territory for joining ISIS, the official said, adding further investigation in the case continues. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], January 28 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Friday set aside the one-year suspension of 12 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs from Maharashtra from the state Legislative Assembly terming it "unconstitutional and arbitrary". A Bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar held that suspension of MLAs could not have been suspended beyond that ongoing Monsoon session in July 2021. Also Read | Rajasthan Shocker: 5-Year-Old Girl Raped By Speech-Impaired Neighbour In Alwar District; Accused Arrested. Twelve MLAs were suspended for one year for allegedly misbehaving with the presiding officer. These resolutions passed, apart from being illegal and unconstitutional, were also "beyond the powers of the assembly" in question, the Bench said. Also Read | Flipkart Electronics Sale: Apple iPhone 12 Mini, Vivo X70 Pro, Pixel 4a Get Massive Discount. Earlier, the apex court had said that the suspension from Legislative Assembly for one year should be linked with some purpose and there has to be an "overpowering" reason that the member should not be allowed to even attend the next session. The Bench had also observed that the resolution passed by the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly suspending 12 BJP MLAs, is prima facie "unconstitutional" as such a suspension cannot operate beyond six months owing to a constitutional bar. It had said that the explicit outer limit as per the Constitution for an MLA to be absent from his seat is 60 days, after which the seat is deemed to be vacated. "How long can seat remain vacant? At the most six months, the outer limit can be there. Here we are talking about a constituency being represented in a parliamentary form of democracy? Is this not hitting the basic structure of the constitution when the 12 constituencies are unrepresented?" the Bench had asked. "We can say that the decision to suspension can only operate till 6 months and later than that it will be hit by the constitutional bar," it had added. The Bench had also taken exception to the arguments of senior advocate Aryama Sundaram appearing for Maharashtra Assembly that the House has absolute powers to frame its own rules including on period of suspension of its members. To this the Bench then said that even if the Assembly rules are read in consonance with the Constitution, the maximum bar could be for six months only. It had further opined that the decision of suspension is even worse than expelling them since no one can then represent the constituents of the suspended representatives in the Assembly. Twelve BJP MLAs were suspended on July 5, 2021, from the Assembly for one year after the State government had accused them of "misbehaving" with presiding officer Bhaskar Jadhav in the Speaker's chamber. The motion to suspend these MLAs was moved by state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anil Parab and passed by a voice vote. On July 22 last year they had filed a plea in the top court challenging the resolution passed by the Assembly to suspend them for one year. The 12 suspended members are - Sanjay Kute, Ashish Shelar, Abhimanyu Pawar, Girish Mahajan, Atul Bhatkhalkar, Parag Alavani, Harish Pimpale, Yogesh Sagar, Jay Kumar Rawat, Narayan Kuche, Ram Satpute and Bunty Bhangdia. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Hathras (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 28 (ANI): A woman was killed and her husband sustained critical bullet injuries after they were allegedly shot at in Hathras. According to Hathras DSP Ruchi Gupta, the husband and wife were returning home from a temple when they were attacked. While the woman died on the spot the husband sustained serious injuries. Also Read | Lenovo Legion Y90 Specifications Revealed via TENAA Listing: Report. The incident took place near the Ganga Dham Colony located at Khonda Hazari of the Sadar Kotwali area in the city and triggered chaos. The couple's relatives alleged that the woman and her husband were shot at for asking some people to return the money they had given in exchange for land. Also Read | Weather Update: Cold Wave Conditions To Persist In North-West India Over Next Few Days; Dense Fog In Parts Of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar. The husband and wife were rushed to the district hospital where doctors declared the wife dead on arrival. The man with injuries was referred to Aligarh Medical Hospital. "Police reached the district hospital soon after. A special probe team has initiated an investigation and launched a search operation for the assailants", informed the DSP. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Jan 28 (PTI) Vedant Fashions Ltd, which owns ethnic wear brand Manyavar, on Friday fixed a price band of Rs 824-866 a share for its Rs 3,149-crore initial public offering (IPO). The initial share-sale will open on February 4 and conclude on February 8. The bidding for anchor investors will open on February 3, according to the company. Also Read | Lenovo Legion Y90 Specifications Revealed via TENAA Listing: Report. The public issue is purely an offer for sale of 36,364,838 equity shares by promoter and existing shareholders. The OFS comprises sale of up to 1.74 crore shares by Rhine Holdings Ltd; up to 7.23 lakh shares by Kedaara Capital Alternative Investment Fund-Kedaara Capital AIF I; and up to 1.81 crore shares by Ravi Modi Family Trust. The promoters of the company are Ravi Modi, Shilpi Modi and Ravi Modi Family Trust. Also Read | Google Maps Now Lets Users in India Save, Share Home Address With Plus Codes. Since, the IPO is entirely an offer for sale, the company will not receive any proceeds from the public issue. At the upper end of the price band, the public issue is expected to fetch Rs 3,149 crore. Half of the issue size has been reserved for qualified institutional buyers, 35 per cent for retail investors and the remaining 15 per cent for non-institutional investors. Investors can bid for a minimum of 17 equity shares and in multiples thereof. Vedant Fashions' Manyavar brand is a category leader in the branded Indian wedding and celebration wear market with a pan India presence. The company's other brands include Twamev, Manthan, Mohey and Mebaz. As of September 2021, the company has an extensive retail network with 546 exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) including 58 shop-in-shops globally, including 11 overseas EBOs across the United States, Canada and the UAE, which are countries with a large Indian diaspora. In India, the company's EBO network spans across 212 cities and towns, as of September 2021. "We seek to grow our retail network and product reach by entering new geographies, including in Tier II and III towns and cities in India, as we believe that these markets offer significant growth opportunities for us," the company said in the red herring prospectus. Axis Capital, Edelweiss Financial Services, ICICI Securities, IIFL Securities and Kotak Mahindra Capital are the book-running lead managers to the issue. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Espanola, NM (87532) Today Partly cloudy skies. Low 36F. NNW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low 36F. NNW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. New Delhi, Jan 28 (PTI) State-owned SJVN Ltd on Friday said it has got a letter of intent (LoI) for supply of 200 MW solar power to Bihar. "Bihar Renewable Energy Development Agency (BREDA) has issued LoI for procurement of 200 MW of power at a discovered tariff of Rs 3.11 per kWh from...SJVN from the company's grid connected solar power project being implemented in the state of Bihar," a company statement said. Also Read | Gionee 13 Pro With Dual Rear Cameras Launched, Check Price & Other Details Here. The LoI has been issued after approval of tariff by Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission (BERC). SJVN will sign a power purchase agreement soon in this regard. Nand Lal Sharma, Chairman & Managing Director of SJVN said the company had bagged a grid connect solar power project in Bihar through an open competitive tariff bidding process for capacity of 200 MW during an e-reverse auction in August 2021. Also Read | Ignitron Motocorp Unveils GT 120 Electric Bike in India. Sharma further said the tentative cost of construction and development of this project will be Rs 1,000 crore. The project is expected to generate 420.48 MU (million units) in the first year and its cumulative energy generation over a period of 25 years would be about 10512 MU. SJVN has 2550 MW of solar projects under execution in various locations. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Toronto, Jan 28 (PTI) Canadian authorities have confirmed the identities of a family of four Indians, including a baby, whose bodies were found frozen in Manitoba near the Canada-US border on January 19, the High Commission of India here has said. In a statement issued on Thursday, the High Commission of India said that Canadian officials have identified the four bodies as that of Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel (male), 39, Vaishaliben Jagdishkumar Patel (female), 37, Vihangi Jagdishkumar Patel (female) 11, and Dharmik Jagdishkumar Patel (male), 3. Also Read | China Has Increased Investment in Zimbabwe but Locals Are Losing Jobs, Says Report. Further to the report of the tragic death of four people, including an infant, whose bodies were recovered near the Canada-US border in Manitoba on 19 January 2022, Canadian authorities have confirmed the identities of the four deceased. All the four were Indian nationals. The next of kin of the deceased have been informed, the High Commission said in a statement. Officials from the High Commission of India are also in touch with the next of kin of the deceased and is providing all the consular support. Also Read | Ukraine Shooting: Gunman Kills 5, Injures 5 at Military Plant in Dnipro. On January 19, the Manitoba Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said that the bodies of four people two adults, a teen and an infant were found on the Canadian side of the US/Canada border near the Emerson locality in south central Manitoba. The family, who hail from Gujarat, died from the exposure to extreme cold weather. The Gujarat Criminal Investigation Department is probing whether the four members of a family from the state had taken the help of local agents, according to media reports. The High Commission of India, in its statement, further said that Canadian authorities have also, after medical examination, informed that based on the circumstances, the death of all the persons have been determined to be consistent with exposure to the outdoor elements. The High Commission of India in Ottawa and our Consulate in Toronto continue to work closely with Canadian authorities on all aspects of the investigation into this incident. A special team, led by a senior consular officer from the Consulate General of India in Toronto, is camping in Manitoba to assist ongoing investigations by Canadian agencies and to render any consular services for the victims, the statement said. The High Commission said that the tragedy of the four member family has brought into focus the need to ensure migration and mobility are made safe and legal and that such tragedies do not recur. A number of ideas remain under discussion between India and Canada. For instance, to prevent and suppress irregular migration, smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human being and to facilitate sustainable and circular mobility, India has proposed a comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement (MMPA) to Canada, which remains under the consideration of the Canadian government, the statement said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington [US], January 28 (ANI): German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will meet US President Joe Biden on February 7 at the White House to discuss their shared commitment and joint efforts to deter further Russian aggression against Ukraine, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said on Thursday (local time). "US President Joe Biden is looking forward to welcome German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to the White House on February 7. Chancellor Scholz' visit provides an opportunity to affirm the deep and enduring ties between the United States and Germany," Psaki said in a statement. Also Read | China Has Increased Investment in Zimbabwe but Locals Are Losing Jobs, Says Report. According to the statement, the leaders will discuss their shared commitment to both ongoing diplomacy and joint efforts to deter further Russian aggression against Ukraine. They will also discuss the importance of continued close cooperation on a range of common challenges, including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing the threat of climate change, and promoting economic prosperity and international security based on our shared democratic values, the statement added. Also Read | Ukraine Shooting: Gunman Kills 5, Injures 5 at Military Plant in Dnipro. Olaf Scholz was appointed as Germany's new Chancellor last year in December, bringing an end to Angela Merkel's 16 years of leadership. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mendon(US), Jan 28 (AP) A Boston hospital is defending itself after a man's family claimed he was denied a new heart for refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19, saying most transplant programs around the country set similar requirements to improve patients' chances of survival. The family of DJ Ferguson said in a crowdfunding appeal this week that officials at Brigham and Women's Hospital told the 31-year-old father of two that he was ineligible for the procedure because he hasn't been vaccinated against the coronavirus. Also Read | China Has Increased Investment in Zimbabwe but Locals Are Losing Jobs, Says Report. We are literally in a corner right now. This is extremely time sensitive, the family said in its fundraising appeal, which has raised tens of thousands of dollars. This is not just a political issue. People need to have a choice! Also Read | Ukraine Shooting: Gunman Kills 5, Injures 5 at Military Plant in Dnipro. DJ's mother, Tracey Ferguson, insists that her son isn't against vaccinations, noting he's had other immunisations in the past. But the trained nurse said Wednesday that he's been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation an irregular and often rapid heart rhythm and that he has concerns about the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine. DJ is an informed patient, Tracey Ferguson said in a brief interview at her home in Mendon, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southwest of Boston. He wants to be assured by his doctors that his condition would not be worse or fatal with this COVID vaccine. Brigham and Women's Hospital declined to comment on DJ Ferguson's case, citing patient privacy laws. But it pointed to a response that it posted on its website in which it said the COVID-19 vaccine is one of several immunizations required by most US transplant programs, including a flu shot and hepatitis B vaccines. The hospital said research has shown that transplant recipients are at higher risk than non-transplant patients of dying from COVID-19, and that its policies are in line with the recommendations of the American Society of Transplantation and other health organizations. Patients also must meet other health and lifestyle criteria to receive donated organs, and it's unknown if DJ Ferguson did or would have met them. Brigham & Womens Hospital also stressed that no patient is placed on an organ waitlist without meeting those criteria, and rejected the notion that a transplant candidate could be considered first on the list for an organ a claim Ferguson's family made in its fundraising post. There are currently more than 100,000 candidates on waitlists for organ transplantation and a shortage of available organs around half of people on waiting lists will not receive an organ within five years, the hospital said. Hospitals in other states have faced similar criticism for denying transplants to patients who weren't vaccinated against COVID-19. In Colorado last year, a woman suffering from late-stage kidney disease said she was denied a transplant by her hospital because she was unvaccinated. Leilani Lutali, a born-again Christian, said she opposed immunisation because of the role that fetal cell lines play in some vaccines' development. There is a scarcity of donor organs, so transplant centers only place patients on the waiting list whom they deem the most likely to survive with a new organ. A donor heart is a precious and scarce gift which must be cared for well, said Dr. Howard Eisen, medical director for the advanced heart failure program at Penn State University in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Our goal is to preserve patient survival and good outcomes post-transplant. The United Network for Organ Sharing, the nonprofit that manages the country's organ transplant system, doesn't track how many patients refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccine have been denied transplants, said Anne Paschke, an organisation spokesperson. She said patients who are denied organ transplants still have the right to go elsewhere, though individual hospitals ultimately decide which patients to add to the national waitlist. According to the online fundraiser, DJ Ferguson was hospitalised in late November for a heart ailment that caused his lungs to fill with blood and fluid. He was then transferred to Brigham and Women's, where doctors inserted an emergency heart pump that the family says is only meant to be a temporary stopgap. It's devastating, Tracey Ferguson said. No one ever wants to see their child go through something like this. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington, Jan 28 (PTI) Indian-American non-profit body Sewa International has jumped to the 10th spot in a latest list of charitable organisations for the year 2021, mainly because of the commendable work carried by it during last year's COVID-19 crisis in both India and the United States. Notably in 2020 Sewa International was ranked 375 in the list of Benevity Inc, the leading provider of global corporate purpose software, and was placed at 690 in 2019. In 2021, the list is led by Doctors Without Borders. Also Read | China Has Increased Investment in Zimbabwe but Locals Are Losing Jobs, Says Report. Non-profits supporting India's COVID-19 crisis received a groundswell of support, including Sewa International. Our earnest thanks to Benevity Inc. for keeping track of these trends and identifying Sewa's increasing support from corporations and their people, said Sandeep Khadkekar, Sewa's vice president for Marketing and Fund Development. In 2021, nearly 1.6 million people from over 700 companies donated USD2.3 billion on the Benevity platform to more than 200,000 nonprofit organisations around the world, a media release said. Also Read | Ukraine Shooting: Gunman Kills 5, Injures 5 at Military Plant in Dnipro. Nonprofits supporting India's COVID-19 crisis received a groundswell of support, including Sewa International (ranked 10 vs. 375 in 2020), Give2Asia (23 vs. 63), Pratham USA (26 vs. 75) and Goonj (30 vs. 384), Benevity said. The crisis in India also drove additional giving to UNICEF and was part of the reason the organisation's support through Benevity almost doubled year over year (USD13.5 million vs. USD7.3 million in 2020), it said. When the Delta variant hit India last year, we saw companies and their employees mobilise to help, said Birger Stamperdahl, Give2Asia's president and CEO. Their generosity made possible life saving projects that delivered oxygen concentrators, protective gear for health workers and emergency food rations to those hit hardest by the pandemic, he said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kabul [Afghanistan], January 28 (ANI): Taliban's acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Thursday termed the international community's call for the formation of an inclusive government as just an "excuse" and said they do not have any definition for an "inclusive government." The statement comes after Muttaqi completed its three-day visit to Oslo. Also Read | China Has Increased Investment in Zimbabwe but Locals Are Losing Jobs, Says Report. "(The international community) doesn't have a definition for an inclusive government, nor is there an example ... these are just excuses," Tolo News quoted Muttaqi as saying. Muttaqi insisted that the current government represents all Afghan ethnic groups, and he said that the government's cabinet has yet to be completed. Also Read | Ukraine Shooting: Gunman Kills 5, Injures 5 at Military Plant in Dnipro. "As we do not have the officials of the former government in our cabinet, this is the (rule) of the world. After (US President Joe) Biden won the election, did he appoint any officials from the Trump administration?" Muttaqi asked. "It is not an inclusive government and neither is the cabinet technically prepared," Tolo News quoted Sayed Zakir Shah Sadat, a political analyst as saying. To recognize the current Afghan government, the international community has called for the formation of an inclusive government and for the respect of the rights of women and minorities, as well as human rights generally. The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated drastically since the Taliban took control of Kabul in mid-August last year. A combination of a suspension of foreign aid, the freezing of Afghan government assets, and international sanctions on the Taliban, have plunged the country, already suffering from high poverty levels, into a full-blown economic crisis. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Houston, Jan 28 (AP) A Houston man accused of stabbing a police dog has now been charged with murder in the death of his father, whose body was found hidden in his home's garage after authorities said his son evaded capture for several hours. Ryan Mitchell Smith, 26, remained jailed Thursday after prosecutors accused him of killing his father, Cameron Smith, by using a 15-pound dumbbell to hit him three times in the head on Monday, according to court records. Also Read | China Has Increased Investment in Zimbabwe but Locals Are Losing Jobs, Says Report. The death of Cameron Smith came less than a day after Ryan Smith was released from jail on bond following his arrest Saturday on charges related to trying to steal a car and attacking the police dog. Ralph Manginello, Smith's attorney, has said his client has a history of mental illness and what he's accused of doing was likely the result of a psychotic episode. Also Read | Ukraine Shooting: Gunman Kills 5, Injures 5 at Military Plant in Dnipro. Ryan Smith is accused of attempting a carjacking Saturday morning and then stabbing a Houston police dog named Nate who tried to chase him down. Smith was arrested on charges of robbery, interference with a police service animal and evading arrest. He was released Sunday from the Harris County Jail after family members posted his bonds and was staying at his father's house. Cameron Smith's family called police on Monday when they couldn't get a hold of him. As police officers searched the home late Monday evening, they noticed the father's truck parked nearby. Officers approached the truck and saw Ryan Smith behind the wheel. Smith fled the scene and led officers on a chase that ended early Tuesday after he crashed the truck near a park, authorities said. Officers lost track of Smith after he ran into a wooded area. A loaded hunting rifle and the family pet, a black Labrador Retriever, were found in the truck, according to court records. The dog was safe. Homicide detectives continued searching Cameron Smith's home and found his body in the garage, hidden under several items, including a small Christmas tree, a table and a chair. The dumbbell that authorities allege was used to kill him was found in the truck. Ryan Smith was found later Tuesday about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Houston, walking along a highway in Waller County. Smith provided a statement (to police) indicating that he had killed (his father) ... by distracting him and then striking him in the head 3 times with a 15-pound dumbbell before tying a plastic bag around (his) head, according to court documents. Smith is also facing a charge of evading arrest related to the police chase. Authorities said Nate, the police dog, underwent surgery and was recovering from his injuries. Officer Paul Foster, Nate's handler, told KRIV-TV that the police dog was recovering really well at home and was expected to be back at work in about two months. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) In a major boost to maritime security, Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN) Lieutenant General Ajai Singh on Friday formally inducted indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) MK III aircraft at at INS Utkrosh at Port Blair. The ALH MK III aircraft is manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The aircraft represents a tremendous leap towards self-reliance in the field of military aircraft, in line with the governments push towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Till date, over 300 of these aircraft have been delivered by HAL and are being flown by the Armed Forces. Tweets By ANI: In a boost to maritime security, the indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) MK III aircraft was formally inducted at INS Utkrosh by Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN) Lieutenant General Ajai Singh at Port Blair today. pic.twitter.com/IANJXo0n8Z ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2022 Till date, over 300 of these aircraft have been delivered by HAL and are being flown by the Armed Forces. Amongst its variants, the MK III variant is a maritime role variant encompassing state-of-the-art sensors and weapons that add punch to Indias prowess at sea. ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2022 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) Elevator maintenance men returning to work after a month-long break for Chinese New Year made a horrific discovery last week when they opened the cab of a broken lift and found the body of a woman who had been trapped inside since late January and starved to death. The gruesome incident in the western city of Xian, renowned as the home of Chinas Terra Cotta Warriors, has sparked outrage over the apparent negligence of the elevator repair company and the buildings management office. See more of our top stories on Facebook >> The property managers told the Beijing Youth Daily that the elevator cab was returned to the first floor and taken out of service after workers had confirmed that no one was inside. But police investigators said workers simply shouted to check whether anyone was inside and did not open the cab to perform a visual inspection, the news magazine Caixin reported. Authorities said the case involved gross negligence on the part of the elevator maintenance company and at least one responsible person has been detained in connection with the investigation, according to the magazine. The case has been classified as a negligent homicide. Advertisement The victim, believed to be in her late thirties or early forties, was identified only by her surname, Wu. Investigators said that when her corpse was found, her hands were mangled apparently due to her attempts to pry open the cab doors. Although a month-long wait to repair an elevator seems unusual even by Chinese standards, many businesses and services grind to a halt during the new year holiday. Although the official break lasts only about a week, many workers take time off before and after the holiday, causing serious disruption to many commercial services. The Xian case revived memories of a tragic escalator death last summer also related to maintenance issues. In that case, a 30-year-old woman in the central Chinese city of Jingzhou, 130 miles west of Wuhan in Hubei province, was eaten alive when she stepped onto a loose metal plate at the top of an escalator in a shopping mall. The plate collapsed and the woman was pulled into the gears; she managed to shove her small child to safety at the last minute. But questions remained over how the woman in the elevator could have remained trapped for so long with neither her neighbors or her family realizing it. Local media reports portrayed the victim as mentally ill and said that her family believed she had just gotten lost somewhere. They had reported her missing but did not take further steps to determine her whereabouts. A resident of the apartment complex, surnamed Ding, told Sohu News that the building management service was poor and routinely ignored residents complaints about the frequently broken elevators and other matters. Theres now a shadow across my heart. Its scary, and it gives me shivers to pass by that part of the building, the resident said. To think of this happening in ones own building. After the womans body was discovered, residents staged a protest against the building management. Caixin said that local officials were taking steps to replace the building management. Yingzhi Yang in the Times Beijing bureau contributed to this report. Follow @JulieMakLAT for news from China ALSO Knife discovery stirs up speculation in O.J. Simpson case UC Davis chancellor apologizes for controversial moonlighting activities UFC 196 results: Diaz upsets McGregor; Tate takes title from Holm Authorities said three Houston police officers were shot, with the whole force dealing with a barricaded suspect on a Thursday afternoon. The 31-year-old suspect fired at police from a vehicle as officers moved on him, according to a Fox News report. The Houston police said the suspect had fled driving a white Mercedes-Benz vehicle. Houston Police Department also said that the officers were shot in the 2100 block of McGowen Street around 2:30 p.m., as reported by KHOU 11 News. The suspect was named Roland Caballero, with law enforcement noting that he was involved in a standoff on a Lockwood Drive resident. Caballero was also reportedly suffering a gunshot wound to his neck. The car the police were chasing crashed on the edge of downtown, with surveillance video showing officers jumping from a patrol car and exchanging what seemed to sound like gunfire. Stephen Hinson, who witnessed the incident, said that he was in his townhome when he heard "some type of a crash." He said he then heard popping noises, which he did not think were gunshots at first. However, it suddenly started getting closer and sounded like about 50 rounds went off. Hinson then looked at his window and saw officers running. He then realized that there was an officer down right in front of his home. The witness then went to the rooftop with some neighbors to see what was happening, wherein he said the area was swarmed by police officers quickly. Houston police tweeted that the officers who were shot are all in stable condition and that they are being treated at Memorial Hermann Hospital. READ NEXT: Texas Stepfather Beaten to Death by Teens After He Sexually Abused Their 9-Year-Old Sister Shooting Involving Houston Police Officers Caballero's shooting incident is the second incident this week, wherein a law enforcement officer was shot in Houston, according to an ABC News Go report. Cpl. Charles Galloway of Harris County Constable Precinct 5 was shot and killed on Sunday when the deputy pulled over a car in southwest Houston. The suspect was 51-year-old Oscar Rosales. He was arrested on Wednesday after fleeing to Mexico. Rosales has been charged with capital murder in that shooting. Underfunding of Police Departments White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Monday noted that the U.S. has seen a rise in crime over the last two years, pinning the blame on underfunding police departments, The National Review News reported. Psaki claimed that U.S. President Joe Biden is working to focus federal law enforcement resources on fighting violent crime and has put "unprecedented" levels of funding on rescue plans to fund more police officers in cities. Psaki said that the administration should be focusing on offering support to community policing programs when asked if there are any other strategies to fight the surge in murder rates. Experts noted that staffing shortages from police retirements and resignations have triggered a wave of anti-police sentiment, bail reform, and declining arrests. In 2021, at least 13 cities broke their homicide records, such as Portland, Oregon; Rochester, New York; Columbus, Ohio; and Austin, Texas, among others. READ MORE: Texas Teen Adalia Rose Dies at 15 After Her Battle With Real-Life Benjamin Button Disease This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Team coverage: Suspect in shooting of 3 Houston police officers identified; SWAT standoff continues - from KHOU 11 China's top political adviser Wang Yang extended Spring Festival greetings on Thursday to religious figures and believers nationwide and called for efforts to encourage religions in China to better adapt to socialist society. Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, extended the greetings at a symposium with leaders of national religious organizations in Beijing ahead of Spring Festival. Wang said that religious groups serve as a bridge for the Party and the government to unite religious figures and believers. He stressed the need to fully implement the Party's theories and policies on religious work in the new era, and to gather positive energy for the new journey and the realization of the Chinese dream. Speaking highly of the religious groups' work last year, Wang urged them to strengthen self-education. Efforts should also be made to continue enhancing the identity of the motherland, the Chinese nation and culture, the CPC, and socialism with Chinese characteristics among religious figures and believers, he said. Wang said that religious groups in China should better adapt to socialist society and the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Stressing the importance of running religious schools well, Wang said it's necessary to train both grassroots teaching staff and high-level religious talent who are well versed in classical doctrines and traditional Chinese culture. Regarding religious events during Spring Festival, Wang called for strict implementation of COVID-19 control measures and advised a reasonable reduction in the number of gatherings. Stressing that the Party and the government attach great importance to religious work, he called for related departments to support religious groups in their work and help solve their practical difficulties. Migrants from southern border states are being secretly flown to New York by federal contractors, according to leaked video footage. One federal contractor told a Westchester County police officer in a conversation recorded on the officer's body camera that the government is "betraying the American people," according to a Fox News report. Former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino obtained the footage after requesting it through a Freedom of Information Act. Astorino said on Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight" that the government is "completely out of control right now," adding that the administration has lied to the public. Astorino is running as Republican for the governor of New York. He noted that he personally saw the migrants being placed on a bus to Costco, where they were then "released into cars into the community." Westchester Police Sgt. Michael Hamborsky was shown in the footage asking federal contractors questions about the after-hours flights and why the local police were not briefed. Hamborsky said that it was all "anti" to their "security stuff." READ NEXT: White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Insists It Was an "Early Flight" When Asked Why the Administration Is Flying Illegal Immigrants in the Middle of the Night Federal Contractors Secretly Flying Migrants Employees of MVM Inc. were also on board as chaperones, according to a New York Post report. MVM Inc. has been a controversial private security firm that was a major contractor for the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council in Iraq. The security firm signed last year a $136 million contract with the federal government to transport illegal migrants and unaccompanied children around the country. Hamborsky asked one of the MVM contractors to see their ID. The man replied that he can give Hamborsky his state ID, but that his work IDs were not allowed. The contractors start giving Hamborsky the lanyards from around their necks, with one saying that they are not allowed to have their picture taken when they get on base. Hamborsky then replied and asked whose order was that, asking if it was the Department of Homeland Security's. One of the contractors replied yes, "and the United States Army." The contractors added that "DHS wants everything on the down-low." Meanwhile, it was not only New York that was seeing clandestine transport of migrants. Another footage also showed federally contracted buses dropping off dozens of primarily male migrants at a parking garage in Brownsville, Texas. Several of those migrants told the media outlet that they had crossed illegally that morning, paying around $2,000 per person to cartel smugglers. The migrants said that they were flying to destinations including Miami, Houston, and Atlanta. The city of Brownsville said that its Office of Emergency Management works to facilitate the "transfer of these migrants to their final destination." A spokesperson confirmed the parking garage serving as a staging area for migrants to be given travel information. In addition, migrants can also be given a health screening there. Customs and Border Protection noted that the agency was not involved in the release in Texas, while an Immigration and Customs Enforcement source who reviewed the footage said they believe it was an ICE release. READ MORE: Biden Administration Suspends Use of Horses by Border Patrol Agents Amid Outrage This article is owned by Latin Post Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Bombshell footage reveals Biden admin's undercover migrant flights - from Fox News Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy announced on Thursday that he is joining Texas Governor Greg Abbott's lawsuit against the Biden administration over the federal vaccine mandate concerning the National Guard. The lawsuit was specifically filed against the U.S. Department of Defense as the agency mandated the vaccine for the National Guard of every state, The Hill reported. Fox News noted that the complaint from the Alaska governor was filed in a Texas federal court, claiming that the vaccine mandate on the National Guard undercuts their role as governors of their respective state. "This is not a case demanding a position of a pro- or anti-vaccine, nor is it a case that challenges any aspect of the federal government's authority over National Guardsmen once that federal authority has been properly established," the complaint noted. In a statement, Alaska Governor Dunleavy said that the responsibilities of protecting the freedom of the National Guardsmen rest on the shoulders of their respective governors. "The federal government has no authority to make health decisions for National Guard members who are at work under state authority," Dunleavy underscored. READ NEXT: New COVID Variant: WHO Warns of the Omicron Sub Variant 'BA.2' Texas Governor on Biden's National Guard Vaccine Mandate Alaska's complaint came after Texas Governor Greg Abbott filed the lawsuit against the Biden administration over the same issue earlier in January. The lawsuit was one of the litigations the Texas governor filed against the current administration over vaccine mandates, Texas Tribune reported. The said litigations filed by Texas include vaccine mandates for health care workers, large businesses, and federal contractors. "As long as I am your commander-in-chief, I will not tolerate efforts to compel receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine," Abbott wrote in a letter addressed to Major General Tracy Norris, the adjutant general of Texas National Guard. Abbott furthered that the vaccine mandate from the Defense Department "conflicts" with the order he gave his constituents. Aside from the governors of Alaska and Texas, Governor Kevin Stitt from Oklahoma also filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration over similar concerns. However, a federal judge rejected Stitt's lawsuit in December. Several governors also resorted to other ways to set their national guards free from the vaccine mandate issued by the Department of Defense. It can be recalled that governors of Alaska and Texas, as well as the governors from Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska, and Wyoming, were among the officials who issued a letter to the Pentagon in December asking the agency to rescind their vaccine mandates on the national guards. Biden Admin's Vaccine Mandate on National Guard Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin mandated the COVID-19 vaccine for the entire military in late August last year. Reports mentioned that Air National Guard members had until December 31 to be inoculated, while Army National Guard Members were given until June 30 to be vaccinated. In Texas, more than 220 Air National Guard members and at least 40 percent of the Texas Army National Guard do not want to be vaccinated. Meanwhile, 90 percent of Alaska's Air and Army National Guards are seeking vaccine exemptions and an undisclosed number of its members are refusing to be inoculated against COVID-19. READ NEXT: Aaron Rodgers Hits Back at Pres. Joe Biden Who Said He Wanted the Green Bay Packers Star to Get COVID Vaccine This article is owned by Latin Post. Written By: Joshua Summers WATCH: Dept. Of Defense To Require Covid Vaccination Among All U.S. Service Members - From NBC News Tesla CEO Elon Musk attempted to pay a teen thousands of dollars to shut down his Twitter account @ElonJet that monitors the movements of his private jet around the world. Last fall, the billionaire reached out to the 19-year-old college student Jack Sweeney via Twitter DMs and offered him $5,000 to deactivate the account, Protocol reports. "Can you take this down? It is a security risk," he wrote to Sweeney, expressing his dislike with the prospect of being shot by a "nutcase." The teen nearly seven hours later responded: "but it'll cost you a Model 3 only joking unless?" Musk asked the teen how much money he made from the Twitter accounts, to which he stated it was no more than $20 per month. Elon then made his own offer: $5,000 to shut down the account and stop "crazy people" from tracking his whereabouts. After exchanging a few messages, Sweeney eventually gave a counteroffer of $50,000 as he told Musk the money would be a "great support in college" and that it could help him get a car, "maybe even a Model 3." Musk said he would consider the offer. Either way, Sweeney is fine with being ghosted, saying he gained a lot of social media followers, learned how to code, and even landed a part-time job as an application developer with UberJets. Now, the self-described Elon Musk "fan" even got to have a conversation with a man he's looked up to for years. ALSO READ: Elon Musk Says Joe Biden 'Still Sleeping' After President Ignores SpaceX's Historic All-Civilian Orbital Mission How Does It Work? @ElonJet is one of the 15 flight-tracking accounts Sweeney has created, all of which are run by bots he's programmed to read the data and tweet every time a chosen plane takes off or lands. Each one follows a high-profile person, almost all in the tech industry, including Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos. With roughly 83,000 followers, Musk's tracker is the most popular. The 15 bots use available Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) information, where it keeps track of when and where planes depart and land, as well as their intended path. However, Musk's plane, which removes identifying information from the data, is on the LADD block list. In Sweeney's case, blocked planes are not truly private, as he uses data from the ADS-B transponders present on most aircraft, charted on the ADS-B Exchange, the world's largest public source of unfiltered flight data. The teen will then parse the information like a logic puzzle, cross-referencing the data with other websites to determine each plane's intended destination. The information is all entirely public and can be used to track most private aircraft. One needs a lot of industry-specific knowledge as it's a loophole in high-profile security, but Sweeney had that context: His father works in the airline industry, and Sweeney has been tracking planes since he was a child. He recalls, like many young boys, he would try to identify types of planes as they flew across the sky, often checking his guesses to what he could find on internet flight tracker apps. Musk was shocked by how easily accessible the data was when Sweeney revealed where he was getting it. "It's so primitive," Musk said, referring to air traffic control. Although the Twitter account hasn't resulted in any dangerous situations so far, fans, stalkers, and other types of people have been known to ambush celebrities at airports. The most recent Musk and Sweeney exchange was last Wednesday when Sweeney said he'd prefer an internship overpayment in return for deleting the account. Musk hasn't opened the message, Sweeney said, and he thinks he knows why: "I guess he's on vacation in Hawaii if you check ElonJet." READ MORE: Elon Musk Calls California's Solar Metering Rules 'Bizarre Anti-Environment Move;' Tesla CEO Points Out Consumers Stuck With Higher Energy Bills This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Jess Smith WATCH: Elon Musk offered teen $5K to shut down Twitter account tracking his private flights report - Breaking News World After Chicago drug lords - the Flores twins - were arrested for their involvement with Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera, their wives allegedly used drug money for lavish trips in 2018 and 2019, including flying to Las Vegas for a Jennifer Lopez concert. The Flores twin brothers, Pedro Flores and Margarito Flores, were arrested in 2008 and became key informants in the case against El Chapo, according to Chicago Sun-Times. According to an affidavit for a search warrant in 2019 that has now been made public, their wives, Vivianna Lopez and Valerie Gaytan, allegedly received suspected drug cash in the mail and used it for lavish trips to the Caribbean and Europe. A federal postal inspector revealed in the affidavit that the wives of the Flores brothers used the drug money for their 2018 and 2019 trips to the Turks and Caicos islands, Dubai, Greece, Italy, and flying to Las Vegas for a Jennifer Lopez concert. The two women were identified in the affidavit only as "Spouse 1" and "Spouse 2." The warrant was for a priority mail package with a return address for the mother of one of the wives. In June, Lopez, the wife of Pedro, and Gaytan, the wife of Margarito, were charged in a federal court in Chicago with helping to stash hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug money over a dozen years, which started in 2008. The indictment noted that the money paid for schools for the Flores twins' children and Lopez's student loans. It also paid for an exercise bike. The October 2019 affidavit said one of the Flores twins' wives spent $20,000 to $30,000 in cash per trip, including airfare and hotel accommodations for groups of people. A man driving a pickup truck allegedly delivered the cash to an unnamed travel agency that booked the trips. A witness said in the affidavit that the money was rolled up and "smelled funny," which was probably from being near drugs. The affidavit provided more information on how the Flores brothers' wives spent the money their husbands allegedly stashing away after they surrendered to authorities and agreed to become informants against El Chapo. In exchange for their cooperation, the Flores brothers got lighter sentences of 14 years in prison. READ NEXT: El Chapo Trial: Sinaloa Cartel Boss' Life Sentence Upheld by U.S. Appeals Court Flores Twins' Wives on El Chapo's Case The Flores brothers' wives are both the daughters of Chicago police officers and grew up in the city. Valerie Gaytan was previously married to Latin Kings gang leader Rudy "Kato" Rangel, who was murdered at a West Side barbershop around two decades ago. Chicago Tribune reported that the wives wrote a tell-all book entitled "Cartel Wives" after their husbands were sentenced. They detailed the highs and lows of being married to drug kingpins, who later became informants. Both wives are now living under assumed names due to threats they received after their husbands' cooperation against El Chapo has been made public. The Flores brothers, known to the cartel as "the Twins," admitted smuggling at least 1,500 kilograms of Sinaloa Cartel cocaine into the U.S. every month between 2005 and 2008. Their plea agreements noted that they sent more than $930 million in "bulk cash" back to the Mexican drug cartel, according to Meaww. Flores Brothers Became Informants in the Case Against Sinaloa Cartel Boss El Chapo A federal judge told the Flores twins during their 2015 sentencing that they would always have to worry about being hunted down by Sinaloa Cartel hitmen after their decisions to cooperate with prosecutors to apprehend El Chapo. At the time, the judge said the brothers and their families would always have to look over their shoulders. The judge added that they will always wonder anytime they start their cars if they would start or explode. But the Flores twins still agreed to cooperate, and the prosecutors, in return, asked for an even lighter sentence for them. The Sinaloa cartel is considered to be one of the most powerful drug-trafficking syndicates in the world. The Mexican drug cartel has been known to carry out assassinations, murders, and torture to protect its turf. The group was founded in the late 1980s and headed by El Chapo. Under El Chapo's leadership, the Sinaloa cartel earned its reputation through violence and outfought several rival groups. El Chapo was sentenced to spend the rest of his days in the ADX Florence "supermax" prison after being sentenced to life imprisonment in 2019. READ MORE: El Chapo Allegedly Ordered Sinaloa Cartel Hitmen to Torture, Kill 2 Men Who Forced Him to Pay $500K for Son's Underwear This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Wives of El Chapo Smugglers Reveal Secrets of the Mexican Drug Cartel - From NBC New York An Arizona hiker fell hundreds of feet to his death after he slipped while trying to take a selfie on a mountain peak on Monday. According to Daily Mail, the body of Richard Jacobson, 21, of Mesa, Arizona, was recovered after his unidentified companion called 911 at around 12:45 a.m. Monday. Jacobson was reportedly camping with his friend on top of the Superstition Mountains Flatiron in Lost Dutchman State Park, some 40 miles east of Phoenix, this week. READ NEXT: Florida Man Says TikTok Saved His Life After Viewers Spotted Cancerous Moles on His Back Arizona Hiker Falling to Death In a statement, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said the Arizona hiker had gone to the mountain's edge to take a selfie when he slipped. Sergeant Doug Peoble of the Pinal County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue told AZFamily that Jacobson lost his footing, slipped, and fell while trying to take a selfie with the city skyline in the background. The police officer noted that they did not find any signs of foul play or drug use during their investigation. He said it was "just a very tragic accident." The sheriff's office noted that the young Arizona hiker was immediately pronounced dead at the scene after he fell about 700 feet off the mountain's edge. An Arizona Department of Public Safety Ranger helicopter aided to recover Jacobson's body. His friend was also flown from the campsite. No other details about the incident have been released. AllTrails, a hiking review website, noted that one of the most popular ways to visit the Flatiron Peak is through a 5.5-mile hike on the Siphon Draw Trail. However, it was unclear whether Jacobson took this route, but a description on the website said there had been several rock slides in the area, according to People. The hiking review website noted that the hike takes about four hours to complete and is open year-round, with one reviewer saying that it was "not for the faint of heart." Other Hikers' Deaths In September 2020, three hikers, with two who were rock climbing at the time, died in six days in the White Mountains in New Hampshire, The New York Times reported. After being rescued in November 2020, a woman in California, who was missing for two days on Mount Whitney in California, died from her injuries. A California family of three was found dead on a hike after they were killed by extreme heat last August. The Guardian reported that the California family was hiking in Sierra national forest and was killed by extreme heat and possible dehydration. The family was found dead in August, but it was only in October that authorities found the details surrounding their death. Jeremy Briese, the Mariposa County sheriff, said that heat-related deaths are extremely difficult to investigate. No signs of cause of death were immediately clear when officials found the bodies. The sheriff's department described the case of the California family as unusual and unique. READ MORE: Disturbing TikTok Challenge 'Slap a Teacher' Prompts Warning From California Teachers Association This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Hiker Falls off Flatiron Summit, Dies After Trying to Take a Photo at the Trail's Edge - From FOX 10 Phoenix As Mexican drug cartels continue to fight over territory, the number of violent crimes in cartel-plagued Guanajuato state in Mexico continues to rise. On Thursday morning, Periodico AM reported that four bags with human remains were found outside a grocery store in Opalo Street at Tinaja de Bernales community in Irapuato City. A green cardboard was placed on one of the bags, with a message from an alleged drug gang. Residents, who saw the bags on the store's access ramp, said the human remains were cut in pieces. They further noted that there were no traces of any clothes, making it hard to identify the victim or victims. Law enforcement officers arrived in the area after residents reported the packages to 911. Municipal police and National Guard members immediately cordoned off the area and reported the incident to the Public Ministry Agency. After forensic personnel worked and collected evidence on the site, the bags were taken to the Forensic Medical Service for the autopsy. In Celaya City, a dead man with a plastic bag covering his head down to his waist was found under a bridge in the community of La Cruz around midnight of Wednesday. Authorities have yet to identify the victim, who was wearing black denim jeans. Local reports said his hands were also tied behind his back. The body, lying face down, reportedly had gunshot wounds. A cardboard with a message was also left on top of the body. In Resurreccion town, also in Celaya, two men, who were in their 60s, were shot in front of the church on Thursday afternoon. After providing first aid, responding police officers and paramedics rushed the victims to a hospital. However, one of the two men died in the hospital due to gunshot wounds to the abdomen and chest. The second man was reportedly in stable condition after he was shot in the left arm. Meanwhile, two men in Celaya's Arboleda de San Rafael neighborhood died instantly on Wednesday afternoon after armed men broke into their house and repeatedly shot them. After releasing 10 bullets to kill the victims, reports said the hitmen immediately boarded a vehicle and fled the scene. READ NEXT: Rival of Sinaloa Cartel Sent Severed Head, Death Threat to Tijuana's New Police Chief on First Day Other Recent Killings Reported in Mexico's Guanajuato State Last week, at least 21 people were reported dead in Guanajuato state in just 24 hours. The victims, consisting of men, women, and children, were found dead in several municipalities on January 17, with their bodies riddled with bullets. A week before this, at least seven people were killed in two attacks in the state. Two men and two women were reportedly killed on the morning of January 9 after armed men entered a property near Acambaro. In the evening, two men and a woman were murdered inside a house in the center of Irapuato. Mexican Drug Cartels Are Fighting Over Territory The Jalisco cartel has been fighting to take over territory in Guanajuato from local drug gangs. According to Border Report, the state is the scene of a bloody turf war between the Jalisco cartel and the home-grown Santa Rosa de Lima gang. The bloodbath in the state reportedly started in 2018 when the Jalisco New Generation Cartel or Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) moved into Guanajuato. The Jalisco cartel is infamous for its public displays of violence and military power. According to the U.S. State Department, the Jalisco cartel is considered "to be the most violent drug trafficking organization currently operating in Mexico, with the highest cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine trafficking capacity." Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera is currently leading the cartel. As he continued to evade capture, the U.S. government offered a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest. Pending data for December 2021, Guanajuato is reportedly destined to be named the state with the most homicides for the fourth consecutive year. From January through November last year, the state recorded 3,239 homicides. Baja California followed with 2,800 homicides. Guanajuato's population is only five percent of Mexico's population. However, it reportedly accounted for about 13 percent of the country's murders in 2020. READ MORE: Mexico: 2 Bodies Found Hanging From Bridge, 3 Police Officers Killed as Mexican Drug Cartels Battle for Territory This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Bodies of Young People Found in Mass Grave in Mexico's Guanajuato - From Al Jazeera English Federal prosecutors in Wyoming have officially dropped the bank fraud charges filed against Brian Laundrie for using Gabby Petito's debit card. According to Fox News, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Scott Skavdahlon granted the motion of the prosecutors to dismiss the fraud charges against Laundrie on Wednesday. New York Post reported that the Wyoming judge signed the order "with prejudice," which means the prosecutors will not be able to refile the same charges in his court. According to the court document, Skavdahlon granted the motion "for the reason that the Defendant is deceased." READ NEXT: Brian Laundrie Admits Killing Gabby Petito in His Notebook: FBI Says Wyoming Prosecutors Seek to Drop Brian Laundrie's Charges On Tuesday, federal prosecutors in Wyoming has filed a motion asking the court to drop the bank fraud charges against Brian Laundrie, who died by suicide. The court document was signed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Sprecher and was filed in the U.S. District Court in Wyoming. Prosecutors were asking the court's permission to dismiss the case because Laundrie was already dead. The motion filed by the prosecutors noted that they "secured Brian Laundrie's certified death certificate" on December 6. The U.S. District Court of Wyoming has issued a federal arrest warrant for Laundrie over debit card fraud last September 23. The FBI Denver earlier said the issued warrant was pursuant to the use of unauthorized access devices related to Laundrie's activities following Gabby Petito's death. Laundrie reportedly used a debit card and PIN for accounts that did not belong to him for charges of more than $1,000 sometime between August 30 and September 1. Court documents showed that Laundrie "knowingly with intent to defraud" used a debit card that belonged to Petito. Laundrie has been the subject of a manhunt as investigators searched for clues in Petito's disappearance and death. But the month-long chase for Gabby Petito's fiance came to an end after the FBI said the skeletal remains discovered at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on October 20 belonged to him. Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie's Death Gabby Petito disappeared on a cross-country road trip with Brian Laundrie. The couple was traveling to Oregon when the YouTuber stopped communicating with her family in Wyoming in late August. Laundrie was named a person of interest by the North Port police after returning home on September 1 or 10 days before Petito was reported missing by her family. On September 19, Petito's body was found at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campground near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. A Teton County, Wyoming coroner said she was strangled to death by a "human being," and the manner of death was homicide. On the other hand, Laundrie's autopsy report showed that he died of a gunshot wound to the head, and the manner of death was suicide. Last week, the FBI revealed that Laundrie confessed to killing Petito in a message left in his notebook. In its final report on the case, the FBI said a review of the notebook revealed written statements by Laundrie claiming responsibility for Petito's death. The FBI noted that its investigation has concluded that Laundrie was the only person responsible for Gabby Petito's "tragic death." Apart from the notebook, the FBI confirmed that they also found a "backpack" and a "revolver" upon further search of the area, where Brian Laundrie's remains were found. READ MORE: Brian Laundrie, Gabby Petito Families Finally Agreed to Split the Couple's Belongings - Including the Notebook This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Joshua Summers WATCH: Gabby Petito Case: Brian Laundrie Search Continues After Arrest Warrant for Using Her Bank Card - From Global News Former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa's granddaughter was found dead at her residential apartment here on Friday The victim, Soundarya, is the daughter of Padmavathi, Yediyurappa's second daughter. The incident came to light at around 10.30 a.m. when the domestic helper came to wake her up for breakfast. When she didn't open the door of her room, the helper informed others. The apartment staff arrived and the victim hanging from the ceiling of the balcony and informed the police. Soundarya and her husband Neeraj had lived in the apartment since two and a half years. The body has been shifted to the Bowring hospital for the post-mortem. An investigation into the matter is currently underway. A powerful Dail committee chaired by a Laois Offaly TD wants the Department of Justice to review the policy used by the Irish Prison Service to allow staff highlight failings or wrongdoings at jails in Portlaoise and other parts of the country. The operation of Protected Disclosures was referred to in the Comptroller and & Auditor Generals 2019 Report on the Accounts of the Public Services which was considered by Brian Stanley and other members of the Dail Public Accounts Committee. A follow up report published on January 27 on the Examination of the 2019 Appropriation Account for Vote 24 Justice and Equality, the Committee makes recommendations on issues which were discussed with the Department of Justice and the Irish Prison Service in December 2020. The report from Dep Stanley and his colleagues makes the following recommendation. "On the issue of Protected Disclosures within the Irish Prison Service, the Committee recommends that the Department of Justice reviews the Protected Disclosure Policy currently applied in the IPS with a view to ensuring that the policy is working as intended and that staff members can have confidence in the system. "The Committee recommends that this review is carried out within six months and that it is furnished with a copy of the findings," it said. The recomendation was made following concerns highlighted in the new report. It said the Committee raised concerns regarding the process of reporting protected disclosures. In 2019 the IPS received eight disclosures that were deemed to be protected disclosures under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014. Of these, one was transferred to the Department of Justice and the remaining seven were sent for external investigation. At the time of the meeting, three of these investigations had concluded and one disclosure had been terminated by the investigator. The new report says the IPS informed the Committee that when a disclosure is submitted, it is sent to an external examiner to determine whether it meets the criteria to be classified as a protected disclosure. If a complaint is determined to be a protected disclosure, it is then sent for external investigation. "However, the Committee is concerned that the Terms of Reference for investigating protected disclosures appear to be quite narrow and that cases cannot be sent to An Garda Siochana if criminality is suspected. "While the Committee is aware that the Terms of Reference and the legal status of protected disclosure investigations are not determined by the Department of Justice or the IPS, it remains a matter of concern. "Furthermore, the Committee noted that a negative perception of the protected disclosures process could potentially deter individuals from making disclosures for fear of professional reprisal. The Department and the IPS stated that no staff member has been disciplined as a result of making a protected disclosure and that the IPS Protected Disclosure Policy allows for individuals to make a complaint if they feel they have been disciplined for this reason. "Nevertheless, the Committee is concerned that the Protected Disclosure Policy is not fully working in the way it was intended to and that disclosers are not fully protected by the process," said the Dail Public Accounts committee. The processing of complaints by prison officers has been the subject of ongoing controversy with some staff saying they have been forced to leave due to the consequences. Judge William Early made damning findings against the Irish Prison Service over the treatment of a prison officer who blew the whistle on an incident in which two of his colleagues were viciously assaulted in March 2015. The prison officer subsequently left the service. A man was sentenced to six months in the Midlands Prison for breach of a barring order at Portlaoise District Court last week. The court heard that the man had breached the order, taking his wifes car, which he also faced a charge for. The car was subsequently crashed. When gardai attended there was no one in the vicinity. Later gardai received a 999 call that the man was back in the house. He was found on the landing of the home. The court heard he had 66 previous convictions, with two for breach of safety orders. Defence solicitor Barry Fitzgerald said he had difficulties with his wife. He was in breach of the Order that day and was where he should not have been. He took the car without the consent of the owner. He had difficulties with alcohol in recent times. He had got treatment, but had relapsed. Mr Fitzgerald noted there was no threat of violence. He accepted his guilt. He apologised to the court and his wife. Judge Catherine Staines noted it was his third breach of a domestic order. The victim impact report was before the court. She noted that it had been very frightening for his wife. The woman wanted a better life for herself and her children. This behaviour was not acceptable. She sentenced him to six months in the Midlands Prison, with six months concurrent for taking the car. Recognisances were fixed in the event of an appeal. An industrial anaerobic digester planned near Portlaoise has been deleted from the climate action list in the new Laois County Development Plan. The factory by Bord na Mona will take in animal waste and brown bin waste and convert it to biogas to use instead of the fossil fuel natural gas that is serving the Irish network. The plan had received multiple objections, from local people, from politicians and An Taisce who described the energy produced as "greenwash" and not sustainable. It was approved by Laois County Council in January 2021 but appeals were then lodged to An Bord Pleanala who have not yet made their decision. Laois County Council has listed it by name as one of the renewable energy industries existing or planned in Laois that when added together help the county meet its green energy target. The list includes windfarms and solar farms, details below. They described in detail how the AD would work. "An Anaerobic Digestor planned for Portlaoise has the potential to use up to 80,000 tonnes of biodegradable waste as feedstock per year, which has a potential Green House Gas emissions saving of 270,160 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. "This project has the potential to produce approximately 7,000,000m3 of biomethane and used as an alternative fuel to fossil fuels for regional energy and heat production. "The biomethane from the proposed development will be injected into the gas network and it will then form a portion of gas used in the network for residential, commercial and industrial purposes." However Portlaoise Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald has requested that the named reference be removed, in the meeting to approve the Laois County Development Plan 2021-2027. "I don't feel comfortable that it's clearly named. Are we rubberstamping it if we agree today?" she said. The council's senior planner Angela McEvoy said that permission is not granted for the plant. Cllr Willie Aird said "it might never go ahead". The CEO John Mulholland said approval of the naming of the plant in the development plan was "not rubberstamping it". "We will remove the name and not identify it. Nonoe of us know if these will go to construction or not," he said. Also listed are Laois' two existing windfarms at Gortahile and Baunagra, and three more with permission, at Rathdowney, Ironmills, and near Ballyroan/Timahoe. That total of 43 turbines is expected to supply 120 megawatts, or 1.5% of Ireland's requirement of 70% renewable energy by 2030. Five planned and approved solar energy farms in Laois are also listed. They are in Rathdowney, Mountmellick, Portlaoise, Stradbally and Mountrath. They are expected to supply another 138megawatts when in production. Months of work will be needed to install 3 kms of new water mains in The Swan village in Laois as part of ongoing efforts to tackle water leaks, according to Irish Water. Securing the water supply in Laois remains a vital focus said Irish Water as it announced works starting in the Swan Village area on Monday, January 31 to drive down leakage and improve the water supply for customers. Working in partnership with Laois County Council, Irish Water says it is replacing 2.9km of old problematic water mains along the R430 through Swan Village with new modern pipes. It says this will reduce the number of bursts and water outages impacting the community. The works will also involve laying new water service connections from the public water main in the road to customers property boundaries and connecting it to the customers water supply. The utility said these essential works will provide a more reliable water supply, reduce high levels of leakage and reduce the frequency of bursts improving water quality to homes and local businesses. To minimise the impact on customers, Irish Water says areas of work will be limited to short sections. To facilitate the safe delivery of these works some traffic management may be necessary, however, it added that local and emergency access will be maintained. Irish Water said the works may involve some short-term supply disruptions which we understand may cause inconvenience. It said the project team would ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours notice prior to any planned water interruptions. Irish Water and Laois County Council regret any inconvenience these improvement works may cause. Speaking about the project Joe Carroll, Leakage Reduction Programme Regional Lead with Irish Water said: These works are vital to ensure a more secure water supply to homes and businesses in Swan Village and are part of a significant investment by Irish Water to safeguard the water supply. We understand this type of work can be inconvenient and we will ensure our work crews make every effort to minimise any disruption these necessary works may cause. We would like to thank the community for their patience and cooperation while we continue to deliver these vital water network improvement works and safeguard the water supply now and into the future. The works will be carried out on behalf of Irish Water by Ward & Burke Construction and are expected to be completed in late May. Irish Water said that in 2018 the rate of leakage nationally was 46%, by the end of 2021 it was reduced to 38%. For more information, please visit www.water.ie/reducingleaks. The Irish Water customer care helpline is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact us on Twitter @IWCare with any queries. For updates please visit the Water Supply Updates section of the Irish Water website. Irish Water is responsible for the delivery of all public water and wastewater services in Ireland. We are committed to continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support the growth needed in housing and across our economy, while protecting the environment and safeguarding water supplies. A controversy over the finances in the operation of canteens for staff as well as shops at prisons in Portlaoise and elsewhere is back on the spotlight in a report by the Dail Public Accounts Committee that is chaired by Laois Offaly TD Brian Stanley. The operation of so-called Voluntary Mess Committees (VMCs) is referred to in the Comptroller and & Auditor Generals 2019 Report on the Accounts of the Public Services. It examined the management of catering and ancillary services in the prison system. Overall, the C&AG found that the systems for managing the control and operation of the provision of food within the prison system were weak and needed to be significantly strengthened. In its report published on January 27 on the Examination of the 2019 Appropriation Account for Vote 24 Justice and Equality the Committee makes recommendations on issues which were discussed with the Department of Justice and the Irish Prison Service in December 2020. Deputy Stanley commented on latest developments. Voluntary Mess Committees (VMCs) operate in most prisons and act as canteen facilities for prison staff. Kitchen facilities are provided to VMCs free of charge and prisoners prepare food that is then sold to prison staff. VMCs purchase food from approved suppliers at prices agreed by the Irish Prison Service. The C&AG informed the Committee that the relationship between the Irish Prison Service and the VMCs is not underpinned by a written agreement and the report found that adequate processes were not in place to ensure there was no subsidisation of food costs for the staff committees," he said. In 2019 gross profit of 1 million was recorded from shop sales of 7 million across the prison system. "The C&AG found a number of issues in respect of the operation of the prison shops, including weaknesses in controls over stock and cash purchases and delays in the submission of accounts and bank reconciliations, said Dep Stanley. A statement said the Committee wrote to the Minister for Justice requesting an external investigation of the matters raised. In July 2021 the Minister informed the Committee that a review had been approved. The review was due to be completed by the end of 2021 and published in the first quarter of 2022. Deputy Stanley said: The Committee recommends that the independent review of the operation of Voluntary Mess Committees in prisons is published by the end of quarter one 2022 as stated by the Department of Justice, and that the Committee is furnished with a copy of the report upon its completion. The PAC is a standing committee of Dail Eireann which focuses on ensuring public services are run efficiently and achieve value for money. Further information on the role and remit of the Committee can be found here. The PAC Report Examination of the 2019 Appropriation Account for Vote 24 Justice and Equality; and Vote 21 - Prisons is available on the Oireachtas website. A light aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) made an emergency landing in Bihar's Bodh Gaya due to a technical glitch on Friday, an official said, adding that the two pilots, including a trainee, were safe. The two-seater aircraft M-102 was being used by the Air Force Station of Gaya for training purposes. The official said that there were two pilots, one of whom was undergoing training in the aircraft when a technical glitch arose. The two pilots managed to land the aircraft in the agricultural field in the Bagdaha Beli Ahar village under Bodh Gaya police station. The training had started in the OTA ground on Friday morning from where it took off. Gaya City Superintendent of Police Rakesh Kumar confirmed the incident. He said that both pilots were safe and the aircraft did not suffer much damage. The IAF officials have taken the aircraft to their base. Following the incident, the IAF officials rushed to the accident site and removed the aircraft. A large number of villagers also assembled at the place, who demanded compensation for the crop loss due to emergency landing. Green Party Ireland South MEP and Spokesperson for the Marine, Grace OSullivan, says Irish fishers and environmentalists have found common cause in opposing Russian naval drills and missile tests off the Irish coast, recalling her own direct experiences with the Russian military. As someone who has come face-to-face with the Russian military over my time as a Greenpeace activist, I know they would be less than welcoming if our fishers were to square up to them off our shores. I would certainly have concerns for fishers safety under those circumstances. The MEP and ecologist, who hails from Tramore in Co. Waterford has spoken of her experiences with Greenpeace in the past, describing one particular action when she climbed the anchor chain of a Russian nuclear warship in the 1980s: I was barefoot and carrying an anti-nuclear flag in an action aimed at highlighting the presence of Russian military nuclear warships in the Mediterranean Sea, close to densely populated areas. I was greeted with a water cannon and the crew proceeded to drop the anchor chain, attempting to submerge me. In my view, fishers will not be welcomed by the Russian naval personnel, but I am an activist at heart and understand fishers desperation in trying to protect marine life in the area and fight to save their livelihoods and way of life. Russian plans to undertake naval drills and missile tests in our waters are alarming on every front. Some reassurance has been given to fishers today, that their fishing grounds will not be affected by next weeks Russian naval exercises, however, I remain gravely concerned at the potential negative impacts on the general marine environment in the area. With naval drills and missile tests due to take place about 240km off the Irish southwest coast, OSullivan has joined fishers in expressing deep concerns on environmental grounds. Important species such as whales, dolphins, and tuna as well as fragile marine ecosystems are affected by military drills, while the livelihoods and safety of our fishers are also at risk. We know for a fact that beautiful creatures such as the great blue whale, sperm whales, fin whales, and beaked whales are present in those waters, species which are already facing the pressures of climate change and ocean acidification. The outcry from fishers is, OSullivan says, justified. It reflects general opposition amongst the Irish public to the militarisation of our waters, where the navies of Russia and other countries can operate without accountability. As a member of the Fisheries Committee in the European Parliament, I will continue to oppose the militarisation of our seas as I have done for over thirty years and fight to hold militaries accountable for their detrimental impact on the marine environment and the safety of seafarers everywhere. Ireland South takes in Laois and Offaly. Irish Fake Tan sister brands Bellamianta and Iconic Bronze have released an official statement regarding the new regulations over the use of Dihydroxyacetone that will come into effect across the EU throughout 2022. Both brands have researched and reformulated their product ranges over the last 18 months to include new, safe and skin-loving ingredients to continue providing their famous bronzed hue. The changes come after the EU stated that all brand owners of products containing DHA (Dihydroxyacetone) must amend their formulations to ensure they do not exceed the maximum amount of 10%. The roll out of these new regulations state that brand owners will no longer be permitted to sell to Retailers (B2B) from January 2022, and all online sales must cease from April 2022. Currently, the old formulas for both brands will still be available until April 2022, while stocks last, with the newly reformulated products arriving online and on shelves after this date. A number of other tanning brands are facing the same situation with DHA an important ingredient in most tan products, particularly dark and ultra-dark variations. DHA - dihydroxyacetone is a safe, sunless tanning ingredient, currently the most popular way of gaining a tan-like appearance without sun exposure, as it carries fewer health risks than any of the other available methods. It is a colourless 3-carbon sugar that when applied to the skin causes a chemical reaction with amino acids in the surface cells of the skin producing a darkening effect DHA does not damage skin as it only affects the outermost cells of the epidermis (stratum corneum). All effective sunless tanners contain DHA. Bellamianta & Iconic Bronze said: At Bellamianta & Iconic Bronze, we have taken this change in regulations as a stepping stone for both brands to move further onto our next passion project and something we have been working on in the background for years Skincare. At Bellamianta, skincare has and will continue to be at the forefront of our products. All of our products are vegan, cruelty-free, PETA approved, alcohol-free, and free of all other GMOs, sulphates and toxins," said brand Owner & Founder Linda Stinson. "This update from the EU has required us to reformulate our products to make them even better than they currently are. We have used this reformulation as an opportunity to give our products even more benefits, combining our two core passions: Tanning and Skincare. Whilst we have been working for a long time to bring a new and improved formula, we have taken this as an opportunity to enhance all our formulations with skin-loving ingredients." Suzanne Jackson from the SoSueMe brand has said her ultra dark product will be "nowhere near what it was" before the EU changes. She described the regulation changes as a "sad day for tanning." Extremely distressing scenes in Prosperous, Kildare unfolded last weekend as a child and dog were viciously attacked by another dog. One witness at the scene, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Leinster Leader that the incident occurred at around 3:30pm on Sunday, January 23. They said that "what had started out as a leisurely Sunday afternoon walk turned into a scene straight out of a Stephen King horror movie." During the attack, one girl was mauled by the attacking dog but sustained only minor injuries. However, one dog was not so lucky. The witness explained: "Three friends had planned an afternoon walk around the village with their family pets: an eight-year-old miniature Schnauzer and a two-year-old Maltese, along with their four girls aged between 12 and 14; they planned to meet on Main Street as they were travelling in opposite directions from home. "One of the mothers and her 12-year-old daughter were walking their dog on a leash down Main Street opposite side to Larrys pub when they noticed a dog that resembled a pit bull sitting outside a house without a leash and decided to cross over the road. "As they crossed the road they noticed a stray dog racing towards them coming from the direction of a nearby housing estate. The Maltese dog that accompanied the miniature Schnauzer The witness continued: "Immediately, they felt this dog was a danger, he had no leash and looked extremely fierce; they lifted their Maltese dog and the 12-year-old girl held him straight up above her head." From there, it is understood that the mother tried to stand between the Maltese and her child, but the dog jumped up and started attacking the 12-year-old to try to get to the Maltese. "Several cars had stopped to try to help and intervene: one car pulled the 12 year old girl and Maltese to safety. "At this point the pit bull managed to pull the Schnauzer down through his harness and out of the owners arms: she was left with his harness in her hands and had to watch her defenseless dog being mauled in a vicious frenzied attack." The witness then explained that while the larger dog attacked the Schnauzer, three men tried to help and two of the women kept kicking the dog but it relented: "At some point one of the ladies saw a concrete block and asked one the men to throw at the pit bulls head, he had the schnauzer pinned down at that time. "That stone made him release the dog for a few moments but he tried to go again, except one the men kicked him and the other threw another rock, and he bared his teeth at the men. "While he was distracted one of the men managed to pull the injured dog into his arms." The miniature Schnauzer that was attacked It is understood that the Schnauzer was rushed to the emergency out of hours vet in Grey Abbey in Kildare Town, and is now stable, although it still remains in a great deal of pain. "This is the most horrific scene any of us has ever seen" the witness explained: "The children were crying and shouting, traumatised, he had attacked a young child, small dog and they were unsure who was next. "They phoned for cars to collect us because the dog headed back into the area where they lived and they were too frightenedthe dog was still at large, with blood dripping from his mouth." Kildare County Council (KCC) has confirmed that statements detailing the attack have since been given to the gardai, and the dog warden informed the owners of the Schnauzer dog that the offending dog is not in the area anymore. The witness then said that the victims of the attack want to know what KCC are going to do following the incident, and asked "will it take a child to be killed for this to be taken seriously?" They also pointed to the fact that Dublin City Council have banned certain "dangerous" breeds of dogs, and said that similar measures should be looked into by KCC. "A danger to the community:" In a letter sent to KCC, the victims of the attack said: "We believe this dog presents a danger to the community: this dog has clearly demonstrated that it poses serious danger to life to anybody in the vicinity. "We are seriously worried about our safety; of our community at large. "A young child was attacked and other children, adults or an elderly person are at risk if this dog continues to be managed in such a way; our children are traumatised from this incident as are us adults." "We cannot allow our village to be in any fear, we should be able to take our dogs for a walk without the fear in our minds and we need to know we are safe from further possible attacks," it concluded. Commenting on the incident, gardai have since confirmed that they are "investigating dog offences" in Prosperous during this time. Men armed with hatchets damaged a house and a car in Naas, it was alleged at a sitting of the local District Court on January 26. Brothers David McDonagh, 35, whose address was given as 6 Clonmullen Lane, Edenderry and Christopher McDonagh, 26, whose address was given as 16A Stonebridge Park, Rochfortbridge, County Westmeath. Each was charged with alleged criminal damage at 94 Hazelmere, Naas on January 14 last. Gardai gave evidence of arresting the pair on January 25. Read more Kildare news Detective Garda Christine Brady objected to bail and said she feared that other offences would be committed. The cost of the damage was estimated at 1,500 Det Gda Brady said the incident happened in broad daylight between 2pm and 2.15pm. A car entered the Hazelmere estate and three males got out of the vehicle. She said they went either side of the car and attacked it with hatchets. Windows in the house were also broken. It was quite violent in a residential area, said Gda Brady, adding that they left in the car they came in. The court heard that one of the defendants is the brother in law of the injured party. The court was also told that the injured party, a woman, knows the defendants for 14 years. There was an incident at the location previously, which is not related to this incident. Barrister Aisling Murphy said that the defendants had only come home from the UK that day and they were not in County Kildare at the time of the incident. Ms Murphy said the defendants had nothing to do with the incident and were in Skerries at the time. Ms Murphy added that David McDonagh has a pacemaker and has epilepsy. Judge Desmond Zaidan remanded the pair in custody to February 2 for directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions. The weather for Ireland is set to turn unsettled on blustery over the weekend according to the latest weather forecast for Ireland from Met Eireann. According to Met Eireann, there will also be outbreaks of rain over the weekend. Weather forecast for Saturday According to Met Eireann, Saturday will be cloudy with patchy outbreaks of rain or drizzle early Saturday morning. Westerly winds will increase strong ahead of a band of more persistent rain moving south over the country in the morning. The winds will increase to gale force for areas in the far north for a time Saturday morning before changing northwesterly and weakening as cooler but drier air moves over the country. Highest temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees will occur early in the day. Saturday night will be mainly dry and clear but it will also be cold. It will become cloudier from the west overnight with some patchy drizzle developing. Lowest temperatures of -1 to 4 degrees with patchy frost possible and generally light winds. Weather forecast for Sunday According to Met Eireann, Sunday will start mostly dry start but cloud will quickly build from the west ahead of strengthening southerly winds. A front will move in from the west of the country bringing outbreaks of rain for many areas, heaviest and most persistent in the west and northwest. Highs of 9 to 11 degrees with moderate to fresh southwesterlies. On Sunday night, a ridge builds from the southwest which helps clear away any of the wet weather from the southern half of the country early in the night. Rain will persist in the northwest and staying cloudy for many areas with overnight lows of 2 to 5 degrees and moderate to fresh westerlies. Weather forecast for Monday A fresh northwesterly flow over the country will bring plenty of cloud and outbreaks of rain in the west and north of the country on Monday. It will be a little drier and brighter in the southeast with highest temperatures of 6 to 9 degrees. The rollout of the National Broadband Plan has fallen behind schedule and will not meet its targets, the Dail has been told. The delay has been criticised by politicians after it emerged the company charged with rolling out rural broadband networks will miss its January target. National Broadband Ireland (NBI) Infrastructure has said it will be March before it hits the target of connecting 60,000 homes and premises to highspeed broadband. NBI is responsible for building and operating Irelands high-speed broadband network. But the project is running more than six months behind schedule because of the pandemic and other delays. NBI chief executive Peter Hendrick cut its January target to 60,000 premises, down from an original target of 115,000. Mr Hendrick told the Oireachtas committee on transport that the revised target will be missed by some two months. Minister of State Ossian Smyth said the delay is frustrating for everyone. Part of the delay comes from the natural things that happen within a large rollout contract, where there is a period of time where you are developing momentum and becoming more skilled, Mr Smyth told the Dail. I expect some of the delays are the fault of the NBI and they may believe its the fault of their sub-contractors, and may attribute some of the blame but that doesnt excuse them. They have to take responsibility even where they have delegated responsibility. He said the targets for this year are under negotiation. The specific milestones and deliveries are set in the contract at the start, he added. Fianna Fails Dara Calleary said he is rapidly losing confidence in the rollout of the broadband plan. In east Mayo, there are three companies who export internationally and we have been working to try and get a sense of when these companies and communities can be connected, Mr Calleary added. National Broadband Ireland came back and said between January 2025 and December 2026. That is not a window, that is a conservatory. That shows a lack of ambition and I am concerned we are coming to the last week of January and we do not what is going to happen in terms of connection for 2022. They keep telling us they are working on the ground but the reality for this community is that jobs could potentially be lost. Mr Smyth said: It is a seven-year contract to connect 540,000 homes. We are two years in, so a proportion of those homes are due to be connected in years six and seven. I am taking a very hands-on approach. I am examining everything we can do to accelerate the project. My focus on this is getting connections up to a point where the project is back on track. It is not okay that we were six months behind because of the pandemic and then more months because of other delays. We will overcome and rejoin and get every home connected to fibre optic broadband. Sinn Fains Ruairi O' Murchu said: It looks like at this point in time that the person who was awarded the contract was awarded on the basis of here, the emperor has no clothes. Mr Smyth added: The fact that the early stages of network build has faced challenges is frustrating for everyone. I am disappointed that the programme is behind schedule and I can assure my colleagues that I and everyone working on this in the department is determined to continue to drive an acceleration of the network build programme, with the aim of getting it back on track. A LIMERICK farmer has failed in his efforts to have his conviction for rape overturned at the Court of Appeal after arguing that the trial judge did not properly charge the jury regarding his attack on his ex-girlfriend. The trial heard that farmer Eamon Roche had texted the victim hours after he raped her in a car he was driving, saying: Sorry for being a bollocks." The 31-year-old, who has an address at Ballymorrough, Templegantine had pleaded not guilty to committing a single count of rape against the mother-of-one on March 21, 2015. However, he was convicted by a jury in April 2019 at the Central Criminal Court and sentenced to six years imprisonment by Mr Justice Paul McDermott. That court was told the victim, aged 22 at the time of the attack, wished for Roche's name to be published. Roche appealed the conviction, claiming Mr Justice McDermott failed to advise the jury properly of the possibility that the defendant had been "reckless" in his conduct. It was further claimed that the judge failed to explain the importance the defence were placing on a driving episode which took place prior to the rape and the text messages between the defendant and complainant hours afterwards. The defence submitted that Roche had been apologising for speeding away from a garda checkpoint because the car he had been driving at the time did not have any tax, insurance, or up-to-date NCT, and not for anything else. In a judgement, delivered this Friday, Ms Justice Patrick McCarthy outlined the background to the rape. "On a number of occasions, the appellant [Roche] would offer or accept requests to drive from his home to collect the complainant from her home and take her to meet a friend. He would also collect her afterwards and take her home; the round trip was a considerable distance. This journey was made on four occasions and the first was in February 2015. They had consensual sex on two occasions the first and third of those four in all. The latter occurred at the same place as that where the rape occurred," he said. On the fourth occasion, on March 20, 2015, the complainant had asked for a lift to visit her friend and was collected by Roche at around 7.45pm. Upon arrival, he went to kiss her but she pulled away and he sent a text afterwards saying, "sorry for kissing you, I feel bad now". Later in the night, she texted Roche asking him to collect her. He arrived around midnight and waited for her to leave a bar. After collecting her and on the way home, Roche saw a garda car. Gardai tried to stop Roche but he drove on to avoid them, explaining to the woman that he was driving without insurance and that he had road traffic offence convictions. Gardai gave chase but abandoned it due to the dangerous driving of Roche. "The complainant was not sure how long the appellants 'crazy' driving to evade the gardai lasted but she said that it 'felt like a lifetime and she was going to die,'" said Mr Justice McCarthy. After evading the gardai, Roche changed cars and proceeded to drive the woman to her home but went past it (her home) and onto a location where they previously had consensual sex. There, he raped her in the car after she tried to get out, pushed him away and repeatedly told him she wanted to go home. Roche's defence was that the sexual intercourse was consensual. The complainant, however attend the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit where two injuries were recorded - one to her right hip and the second to her left leg. At trial, Roche maintained that subsequent apologetic texts referred to wider events of the night, regarding the attempt to kiss the complainant and the car chase. The prosecution maintained that they amounted to the admission of the rape. Michael Bowman SC, for Roche, told the Court of Appeal that although Mr Justice McDermotts charge to the jury had been immaculate, as far as it went, it should have gone further and that there were other matters to consider, such as recklessness. Counsel also said that the defence and prosecutions case had been polar opposites in terms of consent. Mr Bowman argued that there was room for a middle-ground, within which the concept of an honest mistake existed and this had not been addressed by the trial judge. In response, Anne Rowland SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said not only had Mr Justice McDermott charged the jury properly he went further than he needed to in the circumstances of this case. She submitted there was "no error" by the trial judge. Today, Mr Justice McCarthy agreed, saying that the jury were properly charged by the trial judge, who had "no need to go further". He added: "Extensive reference was made by the judge to what was said by the appellant to the gardai in interview. Frequently, judges refer only briefly to the substance of interviews since the jurors have them in writing. Here, however, the judge went through the substance of what was said in some detail in a number of respects referring to the responses of the appellant when asked about the texts. "The appellants stance about the meaning and intent of the texts was abundantly clear to the jury," he said. Mr Justice McCarthy said that "repeated and extensive references" were made by the trial judge in his charge to the jury regarding the texts and Roches explanation. "There was no need for the judge to go further. We therefore reject this ground of appeal," said Mr Justice McCarthy. Regarding the possibility of whether or not Roche had "recklessly" formed the opinion that his victim had given consent to sexual intercourse not being explained to the jury, Mr Justice McCarthy said the court also rejected that argument. "We think that the judge was right to reject the requisition and that the absence of such a reference is not open to criticism," said Mr Justice McCarthy. "The issues here could not have been more obvious to the jury on the plain terms of the charge, especially on the issue of mens rea [guilty mind] and subjective belief whether reasonably held or not; each sides case was plain to be seen from what the judge said. The topic was dealt with comprehensively in every possible respect. Whether to say anything or not will fall to the discretion of the judge," he said. TWO Limerick city students were recognised for their outstanding Leaving Certificate results last year and in turn, were awarded special scholarships to a top University. Gaelcholaiste Luimnigh pair Emily Calton O Keefe and Elaine Treacy pushed past the uncertainty of the pandemic, landing 625 points apiece. Recalling the moment she logged onto the system to check her results, Emily told the Limerick Leader that she was in utter shock and could not believe her luck. I genuinely thought it was a glitch in the State Exam's system, she thought, as a row of seven H1s lined her computer screen. Academically, the pair have been through thick and thin together. Both originally from Nenagh in Tipperary, they were side by side, as they graduated preschool, Gaelscoil Aonach Urmhumhan and Gaelcholaiste Luimnigh in tandem. Crediting an incredible staff at the all-Irish speaking secondary school in Limerick city, Elaine exclaimed that the focus was always on development inside and outside of the classroom. During her time there, she participated in the BT Young Scientist Exhibition, Scifest, travelled to the European Parliament in Strasbourg and also had a leading role in the Transition Year school play. The schools motto is "Ag forbairt le cheile" which means, developing together. Looking back on my time and experience in GCLuimnigh, I can safely say that this statement is definitely apt and fitting for what the school stands for, Elaine admitted. Emily, who lives in Annacotty with her family, said that the uncertainty of whether the State Examinations would take place in 2021, was the most difficult part. However, notes compiled over several years and a culture of note sharing, helped her put maximum points on the board during the June examination period. Emily and Elaine were formally awarded their Quercus Entrance Scholarships from UCC for 2021/2022, with their families expressing incredible joy at their achievements. Congratulations to former @GCLuimnigh students Elaine Ni Threasaigh and Emily Calton O Keeffe on accepting their Quercus Entrance Scholarship in @UCC last night. #brod @LCETBSchools pic.twitter.com/b0RfLJ8gLb GCLuimnigh (@GCLuimnigh) January 26, 2022 Emily is now studying a degree in Arts International, and is fascinated in international relations, particularly Asian Studies and European Studies. Following in the footsteps of her mother who studied at UCC, Elaine is now taking on the challenge of a Law and Business (BCLB) degree and is excited at the prospect of choosing between a career in the legal or commercial fields. As a final word of advice, they are encouraging final year students in Limerick to believe in themselves as they head into the final push of their second level education. Do the best that you can but remember that even if you dont get the results youre looking for, there are so many ways to get where you want to, Emily concluded. A REMARKABLE Limerick landlady is entering her 66th year pulling pints behind the bar. Ninety-two-years young Margaret Carmody, known to one and all as Peg, can be found behind the counter every day in the family run pub in Hospital. Peg is surely the oldest publican in County Limerick, if not Ireland and perhaps Europe. Last January, The Manchester Evening News ran an article on a Donegal-born publican thought to be Britains oldest and longest-serving landlady. Nancy Swanick, aged 89, celebrated half a century in the pub trade in Manchester but Peg has been behind the bar for 16 years more than that. She has been helped in Carmodys by daughters Catherine and Geraldine, son Joe and many grandchildren over the years. I taught them all how to pull a decent pint, smiled Peg. They say Guinness is good for you but it hasnt helped Peg achieve her remarkably fresh face. I never drank myself. I never touched it, said Peg, who is a mum of seven - Pat, Tommy, Joe, Margaret, Geraldine, Helen and Catherine. She combined raising her children with running Carmodys. Her late husband Joe, who passed away in 1995, was also very busy as he worked for Limerick County Council, had a farm and bought, did up and sold houses. The public house was passed down from Joes parents - John and Catherine. I took over the running of it in November 1956. I had worked in a hotel in Kilfinane before I got married so I was well used to meeting people and dealing with the public, said Peg. The thought of not reopening after pubs were closed due to Covid never entered her head. I found it very hard when the pub had to close. I missed the company, the chats and the laughs with my regulars. I didn't know what to do with myself as being in the pub filled my day. I couldn't wait to reopen. I looked forward to meeting everyone again. I was delighted to open back up on September 25, said Peg, who has customers of all ages. They call in for a drink and a chat. I have lovely quiet customers, no cursing or bad language allowed. We look after each other. I love seeing the young people calling. They are really friendly and pleasant, said Peg, who agreed with the 8pm curfew being lifted on Saturday. She spoke of the importance of pubs to the social fabric of society and combating loneliness, particularly in rural areas. The last question has to be what is her secret to looking and feeling so young? Hard work and a listening ear, replies Peg, who will turn 93 in May but shows no signs of slowing down. She says she wants to continue on the business, the same as her mother-in-law before her. I want to leave it as I found it, said Peg, who is doing just that. Devendra Fadnavis Calling the Maharashtra Assembly presiding officer Bhaskar Jadhav's decision to suspend 12 BJP MLAs a conspiracy in July last year, leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government should stop acting in an unconstitutional manner, in wake of the Supreme Court's decision on Friday striking down the suspension. Addressing a press conference in Goa, Fadnavis also said the Supreme Court's decision was historic and would prevent abuse of legislative power in state assemblies purely based on the basis of numerical majority. "The Court itself said that we do not want to encroach in your space, therefore correct the unconstitutional action and take them back. But, this arrogant government refused the opportunity and today, the SC has given a historic decision... Because of this decision, abuse of power will not be able to be meted out on the basis of a majority. This is a precedent laid down by the Supreme Court," Fadnavis told reporters in Panaji. The BJP leader is the party's election in-charge for the February 14 Goa polls. The former Chief Minister also said that the responsibility should now be fixed to ascertain as to who masterminded the expulsion of the MLAs, adding that such a decision could not be taken without sanction from the top leadership of the MVA government, including the Chief Minister. "In reality, the decision is such that responsibility should be fixed on this government to find out who masterminded the conspiracy, who were those who told the house wrong stories, who were those who victimised these MLAs, needs to be found out. And those who did this, should unconditionally apologise to the residents of these 12 constituencies," Fadnavis said. "Even if it (resolution to expel) was taken by the Assembly, the decision is taken by the government. The resolution was brought forth by the treasury benches and it was passed with a majority. That is why I said the Chief Minister, deputy Chief Minister, Parliamentary Affairs Ministers, senior ministers and some persons outside the Assembly are also involved," Fadnavis said. Earlier on Friday, the apex Court struck down the suspension of 12 MLAs by the presiding officer Bhaskar Jadhav, over protests related to Other Backward Class reservation-related issues. "In one way, in order to create an artificial majority, 12 members were suspended for one year. The apex court has ruled that the action was unconstitutional, illegal, irrational. The court has used strong words. In a way it is a slap in the face of the Maharashtra government and its unconstitutional act," Fadnavis said. LIMERICK City and County Council is on the brink of purchasing the former tourist office at Arthurs Quay, which has been plagued by vandalism in recent weeks. The local authority has experienced delays in acquiring the premises from its current owners Shannon Properties, and in that time, its windows have been smashed, while it has also been targetted by graffiti. However, Mayor Daniel Butler says he will be taking a personal interest in ensuring the first priority is for it to be cleaned up once council gains the deeds. Its in a totally unacceptable condition in a very prominent area of Limerick. An entry point into the city, and it doesnt create a very good impression at all. Unfortunately there were delays in the ownership. But my understanding is its now been addressed and well see a closure of the sale very quickly, said the first citizen. Mayor Butler went on to criticise Shannon Properties for allowing the building to reach the condition it is currently in (pictured above). Its totally unacceptable, its incredibly disappointing, and Im hopeful under the ownership of Limerick Council, that we will see a very rapid improvement, and most importantly, we see an activation of the building into meaningful use which will be positive for the city as opposed to its current contribution, which is a total eyesore, Cllr Butler said. Shannon Properties did not return requests for comment. One group which has its eye on the premises is Limerick Treaty Suicide Prevention, which is on the hunt for a new base, with its lease up in Johns Street. Chairman Matt Collins said that Arthurs Quay is already a place where its volunteers find people are struggling mentally so it would be ideally located. THE boss of the University of Limerick Hospitals Group (ULHG) says it could be eight years before the new maternity hospital is ready. Colette Cowan, the chief executive of ULHG confirmed a feasibility study on the long-awaited project is under way, and will be presented to the board of the HSE this year. It will see the University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL) move from its current location at the Ennis Road into the Dooradoyle campus. Ms Cowan said: Work is already progressing on it. We have sign money to start designing. We will be tabling a feasibility study and gap analysis to the HSE board in 2022. But no matter what way we do it, it will take a number of years because we will have to do enabling works, and knock the nursing home. We will have to rebuild the accommodation around that, so you're talking anything up to eight years. UMHL is the only facility of its kind in the region, but the hospital boss acknowledged the current building is not fit for purpose. We have designed a new building to be built on the UHL campus at a cost of 250m. So It's significant, she added, It is in the Ireland 2040 plan and was listed as a core project which must be delivered for the region for the safety of women and indeed support to people who live in the area. So we are working on that behind the scenes all the time. During the pandemic, restrictions meant many loved ones could not be with their partners when they were giving birth to their children. We were desperately upset ourselves about having to impose restrictions on women and partners who were having the most important event of their life experience. It was very tough, Ms Cowan said. Chief clinical director at ULHG Prof Brian Lenehan said he would be hopeful the new maternity unit will reduce the need for similar restrictions to be in place in the event of another pandemic. "I'd be hopeful we will see a new maternity unit here in the hospital which is state of the art and has adequate accommodation, he explained. THE progression of the new 96-bed unit at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) will take a big step forward next month, with tenders for the project due. Chief executive of the University of Limerick Hospitals Group (ULHG) Colette Cowan said the new unit, which has permission to be built on the hospital campus in Dooradoyle, will take the pressure off the existing bed stock. The project is out to tender at the moment. The tenders are due in in Feburary. We had said January, but Covid took over everybody in all offices. So it will be early February now, the hospital chief added. The 96-bed block, why we've pitched for it, is we have 199 beds in our Nightingale wards across the hospital group, and it's very evident to us over the years and even more so since the pandemic, it's a risk for outbreaks. Our plan is to eliminate these Nightingale wards and provide the isolation facilities, Ms Cowan said. The news came in a week where UHL was forced to open up surge capacity for its facilities, after one of the highest attendances in the emergency department in recent years. Another 60 beds are available for patient care, but Ms Cowan said these have not been able to be used generally at the moment, since it is in effect a unit caring for people with Covid-19. When it's freed up after this pandemic, we will be able to flow more patients from the emergency department, she said. Ms Cowan said the hospitals group will be enhancing community care, with a significant project under way. We have had huge investment into the area to set up community assessment hubs and alternative pathways for patients so they do not have to come into the emergency department, especially those with chronic diseases, she said. Despite the pressure on the emergency department, Ms Cowan says the hospital has never had to send a patient out of the region for critical care treatment. Weve looked after every single one of them. In fact, we've taken patients in from other hospitals in other regions to support their beds, she said. The chief clinical director at ULHG Prof Brian Lenehan added: At all times, the executive would have contingency plans and surge plans in place for our intensive care unit. If our 12 intensive care beds are full and 16 high-dependency beds are full, we'd have moved the high-dependency units to the third floor and converted the remaining beds into intensive care beds and redeployed staff into support them. We'd not have found ourselves in the situation where there is no room at the inn. We had contingency plans to flex-up had the circumstances arose which thankfully did not. The deadline for tenders was last September, with the hospital now sorting through these ahead of a decision on the appointment of a contractor. This is widely expected to happen early next month. Last week, 97 patients were without a bed at the Dooradoyle hospital, sparking concern from nursing unions. A SENIOR executive in Lilly, which has announced 300 permanent new jobs for Limerick today, has talked up the possibility of further expansion locally. Darin Moody, the senior vice-president of manufacturing global services at the company, said: "Certainly when we commit to an investment of this magnitude, we have to think about the future. As we start the construction of this facility, we have obviously considered in its design, the potential to expand, as we do all with all our manufacturing sites." He said while Lilly's current focus is on the initial investment - which will also deliver 500 construction jobs - the site on the edge of the Raheen Industrial Estate has the "potential for expansion". Lillys European footprint is growing! We are very proud to announce a 400 million investment in a second manufacturing site in Ireland . Our new plant in Limerick will become our 5th in the . Read more here https://t.co/lC5hB1rrFu pic.twitter.com/SHNV9vBRaB LillyPad EU (@LillyPadEU) January 28, 2022 Fellow biopharmaceutical company Regeneron, which will neighbour Lilly, also started with 300 positions in 2013, but it has scaled up to 1,400 now. Speaking to the Limerick Leader from Lilly's global headquarters in Indianapolis, Mr Moody revealed staff in Raheen could be looking at developing new products which can treat Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, cancer and immunology conditions. "It will be a biologics manufacturing site. Specifically it will manufacture monoclonal antibodies. Lilly has a large portfolio of monoclonal antibodies in our existing product portfolio which continues to grow. So we are adding capacity to support that growth," he added. Asked why the firm picked Limerick to open its second facility in Ireland, he said: "We looked at hundreds of criteria." "The key for an operation like this is we have to have access to a significant number of talented people across the spectrum of types of roles and capabilities with a strong emphasis on engineers, scientists and technicians and operations personnel. The availability of a strong talented workforce, access to universities and the effectiveness of partnerships between industry academia and local communities, the overall economic climate, the quality of infrastructure and transportation hubs. All these things were significant factors which helped inform our decision," he said. Welcome @LillyPadEU to @IDA_MidWest and congrats on plans to invest 400m in new Limerick biopharma manufacturing plant #whyireland https://t.co/VSudRbUDzS William Corcoran (@Will_Corcoran) January 28, 2022 In terms of the delivery of the jobs, Mr Moody revealed that, if the firm secures planning permission - an application is going to council in the coming weeks - there will be a three-year construction phase. Permanent staff will be recruited as the facility reaches an operational stage. In terms of graduates, Lilly will seek those with engineering backgrounds, particularly in the fields of chemical, mechanical and electrical. Analytical science, chemistry, software engineering, process automation and instrumentation scolars will also be sought. Operators will be hired for the plant itself, while support workers in finance and human resources will also be offered jobs. LIMERICK City and County Council has hailed the announcement by Lilly that it is to invest 400 million in a new manufacturing facility in Raheen as a major endorsement of Limerick as a location as a biopharma hub. The local authority has welcomed the investment which will result in the creation of more than 300 new jobs for highly skilled workers such as engineers, scientists and operations personnel at a new facility. In addition, an estimated 500 jobs will be created during the construction phase of the manufacturing centre, which, when operational, will be at the leading edge of the innovation of new medicines. Welcoming this morning's announcement, Mayor of the City and County of Limerick Cllr Daniel Butler said: I would like to welcome Eli Lilly to Limerick and thank the company for choosing Limerick and the IDA Ireland for their work in securing this investment for Limerick and Ireland. "The decision by Eli Lilly to choose Limerick shows that the partnership approach that exists here between the local authority, IDA Ireland, the various other state agencies and the third level sector is working and Limerick is one of the most attractive locations for foreign direct investment in Ireland. This is a huge day day for #Limerick Delighted as mayor to be able to welcome this announcement. This reinforces the fact #Limerick is the leading location for the most innovative companies in the world. We are global leaders not just national. https://t.co/d3bGpaLS64 Cllr Daniel Butler, Mayor of Limerick (@DanielButlerFG) January 28, 2022 Dr Pat Daly, Chief Executive of Limerick City and County Council added: There has been a coordinated strategy to make Limerick a hub for the biopharma industry and todays multi-million euro investment by Lilly, is a further endorsement of this strategy." Dr Daly said the council has worked closely with IDA Ireland to ensure that Limerick has the infrastructure and resources in place to ensure that the investments that are coming in are successful and that they continue to invest here in Limerick once they arrive. The company will be able to leverage the expertise in Smart and Advanced Manufacturing established in the region," he said. An application by the State to jail a man for assaulting his baby daughter has been rejected by the Court of Appeal. The man was given a six-month prison sentence for assaulting his partner in a separate incident. In passing sentence, Judge Martin Nolan had said he was taking into consideration the attack on the child when jailing the man at a hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court last March. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) later appealed this decision on the grounds it was unduly lenient. In the first attack, the mans partner was holding their four-month-old daughter when he repeatedly punched her before pushing her against a wall at the woman's home on September 18, 2019. The babys head hit the wall during the assault and she began vomiting shortly afterwards. The child was still vomiting when gardai arrived at the scene in Skerries, north Dublin. The second attack took place on June 12, 2020, when the man and woman were in his home in Rush, north Dublin and began arguing over who would go to the shop to get milk for the baby. The man later pleaded guilty to a Section 2 assault contrary to the Non-Fatal Offence Against the Person Act in relation to the second incident, and guilty to a Section 3 assault contrary to the same Act in relation to the first incident. At the Court of Appeal today, Ger Small BL, for the DPP, said there was no prosecutorial complaint regarding the Section 2 assault. She asked the court to focus on the first matter, adding the sentencing was unduly lenient and out of kilter. This was a four-month-old infant in the arms of her mother, Ms Small said. Judge Nolan, counsel continued, had erred by confining the defendants culpability to a six-month summary matter. The Section 3 offence was a far more egregious offence, she explained, James Dwyer SC, for the respondent, said judges must be allowed to use their discretion when sentencing. Mr Dwyer also argued that an order by the judge to take a matter into consideration was not a conviction. Dismissing the appeal, Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly, sitting with Mr Justice George Birmingham, presiding, and Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, said the court was satisfied that the defendant had been convicted of the Section 3 assault as a result of his plea of guilty. Although Ms Justice Donnelly acknowledged the assault against the child had been the more serious offence, she said the court could find no practical consequence in resentencing and was refusing the DPPs application. Previous evidence: Mr Dwyer said his client's mother died in tragic circumstances when he was young and that he started taking drugs in his late teens. He said his client's family have a pub in the midlands and that there is an offer of work there for his client. Judge Martin Nolan said he was satisfied that the man never intended to harm the child but that he behaved with recklessness in relation to her. He said that his actions were nonetheless pretty inexcusable. Car fuel prices took another jump as a result of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, with an average increase of 2 cent overnight. The latest increase is another blow to beleaguered motorists who have been facing high fuel costs for a number of months. AA Ireland warned drivers it was inevitable that the dispute with Russia would bring Irelands highest ever fuel prices, as crude oil has soared to above $90 a barrel for the first time in eight years. At the start of 2022, fuel prices remain close to the highest levels ever recorded. That is according to figures recentlhy compiled by AA Ireland, which showed earlier this week that the average national price of petrol was 170.3 cents per litre, while diesel stands at 160.5 cents per litre on average. One forecourt was selling petrol at 177.7 cents per litre today, as prices soar across the country. Looking at the figures for January 2021, the average price of fuel stood at 129.9 cents for petrol and 120.8 cents for diesel. This means the price of petrol has increased by 31% in the past year, and there has been a 33% increase in the price of diesel, says Anna Cullen from AA Ireland. The prices this month are on par with December 2021, with a negligible decrease of about 1%. They are down by 1.5% on November figures, when AA Ireland reported record high fuel prices, Cullen adds. Currently, Ireland is the 17th most expensive country in the world for fuel and we rank 12th in Europe. The most expensive countries include Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Israel, Norway, Finland, Denmark, the UK, Greece, Iceland and Sweden. 60% (two-thirds) of the price paid at the pumps is tax and this includes VAT and carbon tax. And, keep in mind it can take two weeks for any reductions to reach the pumps. Then, there is the cost of oil as well as production. In early 2020, members of OPEC Plus (a large group of oil exporting nations), agreed to cut output by about 10 million barrels a day (bpd) due to the lack of demand. However, demand for oil has risen significantly and will continue to rise this year. The difficulty is that oil producers arent keeping up with this demand, causing prices to stay high. Nearly two years since schools across Ireland were closed as part of the first lockdown, the Ombudsman for Childrens Office (OCO) is publishing a Child Rights Impact Assessment detailing the impact that closures in 2020 and 2021 had on childrens rights. A Child Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA) examines the potential impacts that laws, policies, budget decisions, programmes and services may have on children, as they are being developed and before a decision is made. Therefore, CRIA can identify ways to avoid or mitigate negative impacts on children of a proposed action before it is implemented. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has identified CRIA as a key measure that States should implement to progress the realisation of childrens rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Although Ireland ratified the CRC in 1992, the State has not yet introduced CRIA to support the implementation of childrens rights in Ireland. The OCOs CRIA focused on the rights of five groups of children in particular; those experiencing mental health difficulties, children who are homeless, children living in Direct Provision, children with disabilities, and Traveller and Roma children. The CRIA found that these groups of children are among those whose rights were disproportionately impacted by the school closures. As well as highlighting how much we rely on schools and the school community to support childrens enjoyment of their rights, this CRIA also indicates that the closures had a predominantly negative effect on a childs right to education, disproportionately impacting those children already experiencing educational disadvantage; had a negative impact on the mental health and wellbeing and/ or social and emotional development of some children; led to the disruption of vital health services provided in schools, such as the school immunisation programme, hearing, vision and dental checks, as well as the School Meals Programme; contributed to an increased risk of children experiencing harm and abuse, including domestic violence, in the home and reduced opportunities for school-based professionals to recognise and report child protection and welfare concerns. Commenting on the findings, Head of Policy at the OCO, Dr Karen McAuley, said: This CRIA is a snapshot in time that aims to capture how childrens rights were impacted by the decision to close schools in 2020 and in early 2021. While all children were impacted, our CRIA found that the closures had a disproportionate negative impact on the five groups of children focused on, and that not enough consideration was given to their specific needs when the initial blanket decision was made to close schools in March 2020. As such, our CRIA not only highlights the need for the State to give due regard to childrens rights when making decisions, including in emergency situations, but also to consider what special measures are needed to mitigate the disproportionate impact that decisions can have on particular groups of children. It is also clear that school is about so much more than education, with the importance of teachers and other school professionals for the realisation of childrens rights evident. For many children school is also a place for them to develop emotionally and socially and to avail of important health checks. For some children, it is a place where they are provided with a hot meal. For other children, school provides a safe place away from potentially harmful or abusive situations at home and is a place where professionals can identify and report child protection and welfare concerns. Child Rights Impact Assessment has not been introduced in Ireland yet. Just like an Environmental Impact Assessment is carried out to examine the effects of a proposed project on the environment before it is given the green light, we believe the Government should seriously consider introducing CRIA in Ireland to child-rights proof proposals affecting children, Dr McAuley concluded. The OCO was one of 13 organisations that took part in a joint project between the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC) and UNICEF to conduct a pilot CRIA on the impact of Covid-19 measures on childrens rights. The OCOs CRIA was carried out between April and October 2021, and consisted of a desk-based review of relevant national and international documentation, as well as interviews with several key stakeholder organisations. AMERICAN movie star John Travolta touched down in Shannon Airport earlier this week, having flown his own plane from Florida for business purposes. The Grease and Pulp Fiction star took to Instagram to let his 3.7 million followers know that he was making his way across the Atlantic. So our flight time tonight from Florida to Shannon, is 7 hours and four minutes, he announced, from the cockpit of his Falcon 900, a French built corporate aircraft, 20 metres in length. View this post on Instagram A post shared by John Travolta (@johntravolta) In a further update, the Saturday Night Fever star, informed followers that it was time for him to descend to Shannon, Ireland, following a good flight. The 67-year-old also revealed a quick shot of him arriving at Dromoland Castle, where it is presumed, he is staying while on his business trip to Ireland. In the video, the actor confirmed he had arrived safely in Ireland and thanked his followers for all their support for his daughter Ellas song Dizzy, saying it was a big success. We are very proud, and its all because of you, he said as he looked into the camera. Closing out his Instagram video, the Hollywood actor tried on his best Irish accent, saying: As the Irish say, life is what you make it. MUMBAI : The retreat from risky assets intensified on Thursday after the US Federal Reserve said it is on track to raise interest rates in March and reaffirmed plans to end bond purchases, signalling the end of an era of abundant liquidity. Investors are worried other global central banks will follow the hawkish shift by the Fed, resulting in capital outflows from emerging markets such as India. The US central bank had reduced borrowing costs to near-zero in 2020 to counter the economic jolt of the pandemic. Indian stocks joined a global selloff on Thursday. The BSE Sensex slipped 581.21 points, or 1%, to 57,276.94. The National Stock Exchanges Nifty index shed 167.80 points, or 0.97%, to 17,110.15. View Full Image Losing currency Shares fell in other Asia-Pacific markets, too, with Japans Nikkei 225 shedding 3.11%, South Koreas Kospi 3.5%, Hong Kongs Hang Seng 1.99% and Chinas Shanghai Composite 1.78%. On Wednesday, US central bank chief Jerome Powell pledged a sustained battle to tame inflation. Subsequent interest rate increases and an eventual reduction in the Feds asset holdings would follow as needed, Powell said, while officials monitor how quickly inflation falls from current multi-decade highs back to the central banks 2% target. Much was left undecided, he told reporters after the end of the Feds latest two-day policy meeting, including the pace of subsequent rate hikes or how quickly officials will let its massive balance sheet decline. Indian bond yields spiked while the rupee struck a one-month low on Thursday. US two-year bond yields rocketed to 23-month highs, and the dollar busted out of its recent range after the Federal Reserve stuck to plans for an interest rate rise in March and Powell warned about inflation. The markets feared that the central bank could be more aggressive in its monetary policy to curb inflation. Hawkish US Fed commentary, rising crude oil prices, and foreign institutional investors selling were the major reasons for the negativity in the market," said Siddhartha Khemka, head-retail research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd. Investors fear that following the Fed meeting, the FII sell-off in equities may become aggressive as a rate hike in the US typically makes emerging markets assets less attractive. In January alone, FIIs were net sellers of Indian shares worth $2.2 billion, while continuously draining out funds in the last four months. FIIs have sold Indian equities worth $6.97 billion since October 2021. However, markets still have support of domestic institutional investors money amounting to 12,039.76 crore in January.. Market participants fear that monetary policy tightening to tame high inflation may prompt foreign investors to pump out liquidity from emerging markets," said analysts at ICICI Direct. The brokerage said the dollar index may continue its positive bias as the US Fed signalled aggressive monetary tightening. It feels that Indian currency may depreciate further to 76.30 against the dollar amid persistent FII outflows, a strong dollar and elevated crude oil prices. Oil rose on Wednesday, touching $90 a barrel for the first time in seven years, as tight supply and rising political tensions between Russia and Ukraine added to concerns. According to Madan Sabnavis, chief economist, Bank of Baroda, the Reserve Bank of India has to take a call on the rewinding of liquidity, and the Feds long-term guidance could be taken as a template by the monetary policy committee for consideration. We have high inflation and uncertain growth just like the US. The market is demanding higher yields, and the question is how long can the RBI hold on to the present stance," he said. Analysts at BofA Securities feel that the Fed is likely to hike rates more than the market is currently pricing. We still think the market will likely price 6-7 hikes this year and encourage clients to position as such. We also expect the market will continue challenging the Fed towards a 50 basis points (bps) hike in March. If the market prices a 50 bps hike in March, we expect the Fed will follow it given their current humble" and nimble" approach to setting policy," BofA Securities said in a note on 26 January. Reuters contributed to the story. The Prime Minister's Office has convened a meeting with officials from the Railways on Friday to evaluate the examination process in the wake of a growing number of protests against the Railway Recruitment Board's recent test for Non Technical Popular Categories Exam (RRB NTPC). A 10-minute drone show involving around 1,000 drones fabricated through indigenous technology will, for the first time, be a part of the Beating Retreat ceremony scheduled to be held on 29 Jan, said the ministry of defence on Friday. A novel drone show will be one of the major attractions of this years Beating the Retreat ceremony. For the first time, the show has been made a part of the ceremony to commemorate 75 years of Independence, being celebrated as Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav," the ministry said in a statement. The drone show has been organised by a startup Botlab Dynamics and supported by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and the Department of Science and Technology. In addition to this, the ministry said that another attraction of the ceremony would be a projection mapping show to commemorate 75 years of independence. The show, of around three to four minutes duration, will be showcased on the walls of North and South Block before the end of the ceremony. It also informed that a total of 26 musical performances will enthral the spectators with foot-tapping music played by the bands of the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). The entry band will be Massed Band playing the Veer Sainik tune. This will be followed by Pipes & Drums Band, CAPF Band, Air Force Band, Naval Band, Army Military Band and Massed Bands," it said. A number of new tunes have been added to the ceremony to celebrate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. These include Kerala, Hind ki Sena and Ae Mere WatanKe Logon. The event will come to a close with the ever-popular tune of Sare Jahan se Acha. The ceremony will be presided by President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Ram Nath Kovind at the historic Vijay Chowk. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence minister Rajnath Singh will also be a part of the show. Beating the Retreat is a centuries-old military tradition dating from the days when troops disengaged from battle at sunset. As soon as the buglers sounded the retreat, the troops ceased fighting, sheathed their arms and withdrew from the battlefield. It is for this reason that the custom of standing still during the sounding of retreat has been retained to this day. Colours and standards are cased and flags lowered at retreats. Drumbeats recall the days when troops, billeted in towns and cities, were recalled to their quarters at an appointed time in the evening. Based on these military traditions, Beating the Retreat ceremony creates a mood of nostalgia of the times gone by. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The City of Laredo announced on Thursday that it is celebrating a local landmark downtown. The city announced that the Plaza Theatre is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2022. And Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz joined District VIII Councilmember Alyssa Cigarroa in a virtual proclamation ceremony to mark the special occasion on the Plazas Diamond Jubilee Anniversary on Thursday. Last November, the City of Laredo unanimously approved a $12 million allocation of funds to renovate the Plaza Theatre. This was in hopes to not only improve the facility but also as part of the plan to revitalize the downtown area. Joining Thursdays ceremony were community partners in the Laredo Film Society and Able City, who further explained how the Plaza Theatre will be restored to serve as a multi-purpose facility as well as a movie theater. The Plaza is a historic symbol of downtown that will create economic development opportunities for those with low income, Saenz said. Located in the heart of downtown, the theaters renovation is expected to generate activity that will further spur economic development in the central business district. The renovation process includes preservation, restoring and transforming the Plaza Theatre into a multi-use facility. The plans for the Plaza Theatre renovations will not only bring back a nostalgic cultural landmark, it will also transform into an affordable and unique multi-functional event venue which can serve for lectures, recitals, meeting places, performances and receptions. On the cinematic part of the theater, the Plaza will feature English and Spanish movies. Tourism does not go to a city that has lost its soul, said Executive Director of Webb County Heritage Foundation Margarita Araiza, quoting famed travel writer Arthur Frommer. Araiza stated that cities lose their soul or theme by the destruction and decline of central inner cities. Frank Rotnofsky from Able City shared the building is in great condition for a 75-year-old work, as a lot of the original work that went into the building is still intact to this day. Other parts damaged or missing are able to be restored. Rotnofsky echoed the importance of having these types of venues for not only downtown areas but also for the surrounding communities too. Able City will be working with the Secretary of Interiors Standards to bring back to the building its historical significance, as it has been a fixture of the Gateway City since it was built in 1947. Aside from doing the architecture preservation portion of the work, we do have our team working on a never-done-before analysis on how this fits on the renaissance of downtown Laredo, Rotnofsky said. Were conducting some economic development studies as well. Laredo Film Society Board Director Gabriela Trevino invited the community to be part of a project that LFS is working on. It plans to tell Laredoans memories with the Plaza Theatre in a documentary, which will be under the direction of local director Danny Davila. The plaza has played a crucial role in the memory of Laredoans, she said. Trevino invites anyone who has experiences with the Plaza Theater to email gabriela@laredofilm.org. If they wish to, community members can also contribute to the documentary in other possible ways by contacting the The Plazas Third Act Facebook page. The Laredo Film Society plans to develop a series of films to celebrate and premiere in the reopening of the Plaza Theatre to promote and share cultural inspiration in the community. cecilia.trevino@lmtonline.com Amazon Theres never a convenient time or place for your cars battery to give out except maybe in front of a trusted auto garage during business hours in the middle of their Annual Car Battery Bonanza Blowout Giveaway Sale; thats fine. But you dont want to find yourself stranded in the middle of nowhere without a way to get home. Especially in bad weather. This 12-volt lithium-ion NEXPOW Battery Jump Starter breathes life back into dead cars, lawn mowers, motorcycles, snowmobiles, SUVs, and even yachts with a 22,000-megahertz boost that delivers a full charge for approximately six hours. Delhi Police have arrested nine people, including eight women, in the sexual assault case of a 20-year-old woman in the city's Shahdara area. Two male minors were also apprehended in the case. The incident occurred on Wednesday when the woman was allegedly attacked by a group of people, including women, who tonsured and stripped the victim before blackening her face and parading her on the streets of the Shahdara area. It was also alleged that the woman was gang-raped in a house in the same area. "We have so far arrested nine people and apprehended two minors," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara district) R Sathiyasundaram told IANS. According to the DCP, the two minors, who have been apprehended, were involved in sexually assaulting the victim. The police have registered an FIR under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for gang-rape, kidnaping, illegal confinement, and physical assault of the woman. "All possible help and counselling was provided to the victim. We took the matter very seriously," said the DCP. Source privy to the investigation told IANS that the victim woman used to live in the same locality till she got married a few years ago and then moved to some other area. "She is a mother of a two-year-old child," said sources. A man who used to live in her neighbourhood and was in one-sided love with her. She had spurned his advances many a times. Last year, the same man had allegedly committed suicide by jumping in front of a train. His family blamed the victim woman for their son's death and wanted revenge. The DCP also confirmed that the crime prima facie seems due to some personal enmity, however, the cops are in the process of verifying the facts and allegations. IANS was able to access the names of 7 people, all women, who were involved in the brutal crime. The accused women were identified as Shalu alias Mungeri, 36, Rajji, 40, Prerna, 18, Komal, 25, Varsha, 38, Priti, 36, all residents of Kasturba Nagar, Delhi and Baby, 40. Soon after the incident, a video in which the victim women was being paraded on the streets with a blackened face and the mob cheering in the background went viral on social media forcing the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) to take suo-motu cognisance of the said incident. In the video, which was also shared by DCW chief Swati Maliwal, the victim woman was also made to wear a garland of slippers. Maliwal issued a notice to the Delhi Police in connection with the matter and said that it was the most unfortunate incident that was reported from the national capital. "A woman was gang-raped by the accused, who deals in illicit liquor business. She was made to wear a garland of shoes. Her face was blackened and she was paraded in the area. Most unfortunate incident. I am writing to Delhi Police to provide security to the woman and her family and take strong action against the accused," said Maliwal. Maliwal, along with her team, met the victim at the hospital and recorded her statement. She has assured all help to her. Delhi Chief Minister also reacted to the horrific incident and asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal to instruct Delhi Police to take strict action against all the accused. "This is very shameful. How did the criminals get so courageous? I urge the Union Home Minister and the Lieutenant Governor to instruct the police to take strict action and pay attention to the law and order situation. Delhiites will not tolerate such heinous crime and criminals at any cost," said Kejriwal in a tweet. Bharatiya Janata Party MP from east Delhi Gautam Gambhir said that he spoke to DCP Shahdara over the "barbaric assault on the 20 year old woman". "Some arrests have been made & more will follow. I assure that these animals (men & women) will not be spared. Every kind of support will be provided to the survivor," the parliamentarian said. If you do not have a current print subscription to the Lodi News-Sentinel, but want to view unlimited articles for the month, please choose this option. Check out our latest E-Edition Accessible anytime and anywhere on your desktop, tablet and smart phone devices. The Lodi News e-Edition is enhanced with the latest digital tools, including RSS feeds, social networking and much more. Check out our latest E-edition! Four members of a midlands based traveller family who became embroiled in a violent row outside a petrol station in Longford over the shooting dead of a relative in Northern Ireland almost seven years ago have been given suspended sentences. Sammy McGinley (33), Denis McGinley (37), both of 6 Blackberry Lane, Athlone, Co Westmeath, Mick McGinley (20) 5 Blackberry Lane, Athlone, Co Westmeath and Bernard McGinley (22) 10 Blackberry Lane, Athlone, Co Westmeath were all charged with violent disorder following an incident at Hanlons Gala, Dublin Road, Longford on June 3, 2019. The quartet appeared before a sitting of Longford Circuit Criminal Court today for the purposes of sentencing. Mick and Bernard McGinley were also charged with criminal damage and theft respectively with Sammy and Denis being charged with possession of an article on the day in question. Sammy, Denis and Mick McGinley were all given 18 month sentences, suspended for a period of five years on the condition each of the men enter into a 500 peace bond and pay 2,000 in compensation to Longford Tidy Towns. Bernard McGinley, meanwhile, was given a one year sentence, suspended for five years after the court found his participation in the incident was at the "lower end" of the scale. He was also ordered to pay a sum of 1,000 to Longford Tidy Towns Garda Rachel Dillon told the court how she and colleague Garda Leo Shiel were passing by a petrol station on Longford's Dublin Road at around 8:30pm when a large group of people were observed in a fight in full view of startled members of the public. Garda Dillon said the violence on display was so grave, customers had to lock themselves in their cars while staff had to close the main door of the shop "to keep customers safe". The court heard a family member of the McGinleys pulled up to purchase diesel when four other men approached the van Mr McGinley arrived in. She said Garda Shiel noticed Denis McGinley holding a five foot long stick before seizing it and arresting him under Section 24 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act. She said during his attempts to restrain Mr McGinley, another man picked up the stick as the melee escalated. Sammy McGinley, it was revealed was seen "shouting and inciting others" while Mick McGinley could be observed breaking the passenger side window of a vehicle. CCTV footage taken from the scene also showed Bernard McGinley taking the keys of the vehicle before putting them into a bin. All four were arrested and charged with violent disorder on December 8, 2020. Sammy and Denis McGinley were also charged with possession of a weapon with Bernard McGinley being charged with theft. Mick McGinley was further charged with damage to property. In a voluntary caution statement given to gardai in October 2019, Denis McGinley said he had been in Longford that day to settle a dispute between two other locally based traveller families. He told of receiving a phone call that evening of a disturbance involving his son and arrived on the scene moments later. CCTV footage of the episode lasting around 30 minutes was played before presiding Judge Keenan Johnson this afternoon. Gerard Groarke BL, for Sammy McGinley said the incident was not one of an ongoing feud but rather "differences" which had arisen between the "Longford McGinleys and McGinleys from Athlone" over the murder of Bernard 'Barney' McGinley in Northern Ireland in 2015. A father and son were jailed for a total of seven and a half years in 2018 over a shooting outside St Mary's Catholic Church in Newtownbutler on February 11, 2015. Judge Keenan Johnson described the incident as "totally reprehensible", saying the people of Longford should not be subjected to such acts of brazen violence and in full view of shocked members of the public. Pupils from St Teresa's National School, Killoe are celebrating after they were chosen as the Junior and Senior County Winners of the prestigious national art competition, Someone Like Me. Senior Infants pupil Conor Nolan and 6th Class pupil Matthew Yacob will now go up against pupils from over 40 other schools to compete for the much sought-after national title at an online national awards ceremony to be held on Thursday, February 3. Conors teacher is Ms Sophie Dalton and his poster shows a drawing of a 'friend-ship' with the caption 'This is my friendship, I am the captain! Everyone is welcome on my ship'. Matthews teacher is Grainne Fox and his amazing poster shows that you can do anything in life that you put your mind to. Matthew wants to portray the message that everyone should be treated the same, 'the only disability in life is a bad attitude'. Someone Like Me, which is organised by the National Disability Authority, attracted more than 1,800 entries from national schools across the length and breadth of the country. The competition has been designed to be a national celebration of the things that unite children of all abilities and, over its six-year history, more than 8,000 children have taken part, creating a tangible contribution to developing more positive attitudes towards persons with disabilities. Congratulating St Teresa's NS on their success, Minister of State with special responsibility for disability, Anne Rabbitte TD, said that she was hugely encouraged by the growing interest in the competition which is helping to develop a shared understanding of how we should treat others in a caring, sensitive and inclusive way, and promoting a sense of belonging and connectedness. We are exceptionally pleased with the response to this years competition which took place during challenging times not just in our schools, but right across our communities, due to the ongoing global pandemic, she said. The competition, which offers a range of prizes up to the value of 750, was open to all primary school pupils from junior infants to sixth class and more than 1,800 entries were received from individual pupils, class groups and whole schools right across Ireland. Longford Arts Office in partnership with Longford Live & Local and Mide Arts Group are currently developing the Iora Nua (New Squirrel) project that is set to reinvigorate three town centres with an injection of artistic flair this spring. This project is part of Longford County Councils Public Art Programme, funded by Longford Arts Office, the Creative Ireland programme and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. Iora is the Irish word for squirrel and many people may not be aware that it was at the grounds of Castle Forbes in County Longford where the North American grey squirrel was first released into Ireland in the summer of 1911. A number of grey squirrels were presented as a wedding gift on the lawns of the beautiful castle, but the invasive breed ultimately went on to cause a 20% decline in the numbers of its smaller cousin, the native Irish red squirrel. This Iora Nua project involves the placement of giant fibreglass squirrel sculptures in each of the three municipal districts of the county. The Mide Arts Group is looking for Longford-based artists to submit proposals for the design and rendering of the sculptures surfaces. Selected artists will be given a financial grant to cover their time, materials and venue rental in order to render their design on the sculpture. Finished works will be placed at designated sites in Longford Town, Ballymahon and Granard. This is a fantastic project, said Arts Officer Fergus Kennedy, It taps into Longfords association with the squirrel and adds some more colour and fun to towns of the county as we emerge from this pandemic. Details of the Iora Nua open call including submission forms can be found on www.republicofculture.ie or by contacting republicofculture21@gmail.com. Deadline for submissions is 5pm on Monday, January 31, 2022. India joins the elite club of missile exporters on Friday with the Philippines signing a $374.96 (Rs 2,770 crore) million deal for procuring Brahmos shore based anti-ship variant supersonic cruise missiles. Philippines signed a pact with Brahmos Aerospace Pvt ltd for the supply of three batteries of 290 kilometers range BrahMos missile system for its naval force. The Philippines Navy is ramping up its naval prowess to counter China's belligerent behaviour in the South China Sea. The country has territorial disputes with Beijing in the region as China claims sovereignty over the sea that has a huge source of hydrocarbons. The first ever contract to export Brahmos missiles, which India has developed jointly with Russia, will pave the way for more such deals. Brahmos Aerospace is the Joint Venture between India's DRDO and Russia's NPOM. The shore based anti-ship system of the Brahmos is a deadly conventional weapon that flies almost three times the speed of sound. Earlier this month, the Brahmos had sent the proposal to the Philippines government, which after deliberations was accepted by them. The Philippines Department of National Defence had informed the BrahMos Aerospace about the decision through a Notice of Award. Besides, other Southeast Asian countries, which have evinced interest in BrahMos supersonic missile system, include Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. Sources in the government stated that the deliberations with Thailand are in preliminary stage, with Vietnam at an advanced stage while with Indonesia, its naval team had visited India to discuss if missiles could be fitted on the Indonesian warships. The Women of Honour (WoH) group has slammed Simon Coveney's approach to investigating allegations of sexual assault, sexism and bullying in the Defence Forces. The serious allegations were unveiled in an RTE documentary last year, with the Minister for Defence on Tuesday January 25 confirming a judge-led independent review will be established. However, WoH is adamant a legal process is needed rather than a review, and walked out of yesterday's meeting with Minister Coveney. In a statement on Wednesday January 26, a WoH spokesperson said, "A one-year-long administrative review does not have the statutory protections required for such sensitive investigations to be effective and is just kicking the can down the road of pointlessness. "The group appointed do not have the tools to compel attendance by witnesses or documents. Disgracefully, Minister Coveney arrived to the meeting yesterday with terms of reference that had the words final stamped all over them. He then tried to stamp all over us." Diane Byrne, a member of the Women of Honour group, said the decision by Simon Coveney not to commit to a statutory inquiry into issues of sexual assault in the Defence Forces will cause a lot of damage to victims. pic.twitter.com/wfcRkrT2Uy Cate McCurry (@CateMcCurry) January 25, 2022 The group has welcomed the decision of Taoiseach Micheal Martin to meet with them about the issue following what they've called Minister Coveney's "mishandling" of the situation. The spokesperson continued: "The circumstances of Women of Honour and countless other serving and former members of the Defence Forces involve issues surrounding dignity in the workplace, bullying, harassment, discrimination, assault, sexual harassment and sexual assault. These issues remain in the Defence Forces and are still unfortunately real and live. That is why we are so devastated by Ministers Coveneys attempt at white-washing." The minister met with the group in September 2021, where he pledged to address the issues raised. At the time, he stated, "I would like to say sorry to anyone who has suffered during their time in the Defence Forces and assure them The State will now urgently carry out an Independent Review." Yesterday, he released a statement calling the review "absolutely critical" to ensure the workplace is safe for serving members. He stated, "In this endeavour, I believe I have the wholehearted support of serving personnel." The interim report is expected to be submitted within six months, with a final report available within nine months. In the statement, Minister Coveney did not rule out a future "further body of work" to examine historical allegations brought forward by Women of Honour and other stakeholders. He said, "I am very grateful for the courage Women of Honour, other Groups and serving personnel have shown in sharing their experiences. These historical cases are complex, particularly in relation to cases of alleged sexual misconduct. I have additionally liaised with the Attorney General and taken advice from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre on these matters. "I wish to state categorically that these cases are not being ignored but careful consideration on how best to address these allegations is required. The Terms of Reference of this Review provide that both former and serving members may share their experiences with the Independent Review Group who may then determine if a further body of work is required in relation to specific allegations." Netflix has announced the latest batch of additions to their streaming catalogue for the month ahead with a whole host of content to keep you entertained. Check out the full list of titles coming to Netflix this February below: NETFLIX TV SERIES Raising Dion: Season 2 01/02/22 Raising Dion follows the story of Nicole (Alisha Wainwright) and her son Dion (Ja'Siah Young) after Dion starts to manifest several mysterious, superhero-like abilities. Two years after defeating the Crooked Man (Jason Ritter), Season Two follows Dion as he continues honing his powers with the support of his mom and Tevin (Rome Flynn), his Biona trainer who catches Nicoles eye. After befriending new student Brayden (Griffin Robert Faulkner) - a fellow powered kid - a series of alarming events unfold, and Dion learns that danger is still looming. Navigating twists, turns, and surprise visitors, Dion and Nicole must prevail again -- not just to save themselves, but the entire city of Atlanta Dark Desire: Season 2 02/02/22 As Alma tries to rebuild her life, a reunion with Dario rekindles their doomed affair and brings his more sinister side to the surface. Murderville 03/02/22 Meet Senior Detective Terry Seattle (Will Arnett), Homicide Division. For Terry, every day means a new murder case and a new celebrity guest star as his partner. But heres the catch: each episode's guest star isnt being given the script. They have no idea whats about to happen to them. Together, the guest star and Terry Seattle will have to improvise their way through the case... but it will be up to each celebrity guest alone to name the killer. Join them as they punch a one-way ticket to Murderville. The six-episode procedural crime comedy premieres globally on Netflix on February 3. Young Wallander: Killer's Shadow 17/02/22 Set in contemporary Sweden, Kurt Wallander is found adrift and uncertain of the future following his exit from the police force. An opportunity to re-join the Major Crimes Unit arises when a new Superintendent, Samuel Osei, takes on the leadership. Wallander accepts the offer and is tasked with what seems to be a straightforward case: a hit-and-run outside a nightclub. However, when the victim is found to be connected to an infamous murder case handled by Frida Rask eight years ago, Wallander quickly suspects that there is more to this incident than meets the eye. Determined to uncover the truth, he refuses to back off - even when the investigation leads him to the door of those who could end his career in a heartbeat. Sweet Magnolias: Season 2 04/02/22 Sweet Magnolias centers around three best friends (Maddie, Helen, and Dana Sue) born and raised in Serenity, SC, a small southern town where everybody knows everybody and everybody knows everybodys business. As Season 2 opens, Maddie, Helen, and Dana Sue learn who is in the car. But that's just the first of many surprises that come out of Prom Night -- surprises that reshape relationships all over town. Friendships flounder. Old loves end and new loves begin. Long-hidden secrets disrupt jobs, change lives, and shift the balance of power in Serenity. Everyone is affected. But in laughter and in loss, the Sweet Magnolias continue to fight for what is right for themselves and the people they love -- even when those efforts come with a high price tag. Will they find there are some problems not even Margarita Night can solve? Come pour it out and find out. Disenchantment: Part 4 09/02/22 The misadventures of hard-hitting, hard-drinking Queen Bean, her feisty elf companion Elfo and her personal demon Luci return and deepen in Part IV of Matt Groenings comedy fantasy series Disenchantment. The mystery of Dreamlands origins - and the stakes for its future - become ever clearer as our trio - and King Zg - find themselves on personal journeys that will ultimately tie in to the kingdoms fate. Separated at the end of Part III, our heroes race to reunite in this sweeping series of ten episodes. Theyll find themselves everywhere from the depths of Hell to the clouds of Heaven and everywhere in between, including Ogreland, Steamland, underwater, monasteries, insane asylums, the Enchanted Forest, the Dreamscape and more. All the while, puzzle pieces both canonical and personal will reveal themselves to eager fans. Until Life Do Us Part 10/02/22 Three generations of a family living together in an idyllic villa juggle the demands of their wedding planning business and their own personal crises. Inventing Anna 11/02/22 In Inventing Anna, a journalist with a lot to prove investigates the case of Anna Delvey, the Instagram-legendary German heiress who stole the hearts of New Yorks social scene and stole their money as well. But is Anna New Yorks biggest con woman or is she simply the new portrait of the American dream? Anna and the reporter form a dark, funny love-hate bond as Anna awaits trial and our reporter fights the clock to answer the biggest question in NYC: who is Anna Delvey? The series is inspired by the New York Magazine article How Anna Delvey Tricked New Yorks Party People by Jessica Pressler. Love Is Blind: Season 2 A new journey begins for singles seeking transformative love sight unseen. Who will find romance and who will come face to face with heartbreak? Forecasting Love and Weather 12/02/22 Inside a national weather service, love proves just as difficult to predict as rain or shine for a diligent forecaster and her free-spirited co-worker. Twenty Five Twenty One 12/02/22 In a time when dreams seem out of reach, a teen fencer pursues big ambitions and meets a hardworking young man who seeks to rebuild his life. Business Proposal (Coming Soon) A blind date leads to misunderstandings and mishaps in this workplace rom-com. Love, Life & Everything in Between (Coming Soon) An ode to Valentine's Day in various Arab cities, this anthology series tinged with dark humour explores love at large and relationships up close. Devotion, a Story of Love and Desire 14/02/22 A seemingly happy marriage begins to dissolve when the husband's faithfulness is called into question, and both spouses become tempted by other people. Fishbowl Wives 14/02/22 In a luxury apartment tower, six different women in unhappy marriages end up crossing the line into infidelity. Based on the manga series by Kurosawa R. Thirty-Nine 16/02/22 Leaning on each other through thick and thin, a trio of best friends stand together as they experience life, love and loss on the brink of turning 40. Swap Shop: Season 2 16/02/22 One person's junk is another person's profit. Seasoned collectors venture out across Tennessee in search of bargains they can sell for big money. One of Us Is Lying 18/02/22 Detention brings together five disparate high schoolers, but a killing and secrets keep them together as a cat-and-mouse murder mystery unfolds. Toy Boy: Season 2 11/02/22 As Hugo investigates the bombing, he and his friends deal with a new pair of adversaries and a fresh set of challenges at work. Space Force: Season 2 18/02/22 Season 2 of Space Force picks up with General Naird and his underdog team having to prove their worth to a new administration while dealing with interpersonal challenges. Will the group come together or fall apart under the pressure...? Space Force is only human after all. Cat Burglar 22/02/22 Classic cartoon craziness meets an interactive quiz in a new series from the creators of "Black Mirror." Juvenile Justice A tough judge balances her aversion to minor offenders with firm beliefs on justice and punishment as she tackles complex cases inside a juvenile court. Back to 15 25/02/22 Thirty-year-old Anita travels back to age 15 and starts meddling with everybody's lives until she realizes the only life that needs fixing is her own. Vikings: Valhalla 25/02/22 Set over a thousand years ago in the early 11th century, VIKINGS: VALHALLA chronicles the heroic adventures of some of the most famous Vikings who ever lived the legendary explorer Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett), his fiery and headstrong sister Freydis Eriksdotter (Frida Gustavsson), and the ambitious Nordic prince Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter). As tensions between the Vikings and the English royals reach a bloody breaking point and as the Vikings themselves clash over their conflicting Christian and pagan beliefs, these three Vikings begin an epic journey that will take them across oceans and through battlefields, from Kattegat to England and beyond, as they fight for survival and glory. NETFLIX FILM Erax 17/02/22 During a sleepover, Auntie Opal and her niece Nina accidentally release the mythical and dangerous Erax creatures that must be returned to the storybook from which they escaped. Heart Shot 17/02/22 High school seniors Nikki and Samantha are in love and planning their future until Nikki's violent past comes back to threaten everything she holds dear. My Best Friend Anne Frank (Mijn beste vriendin Anne Frank) 01/02/22 Based on the real-life friendship between Anne Frank and Hannah Goslar, from Nazi-occupied Amsterdam to their harrowing reunion in a concentration camp. Through My Window 04/02/22 Raquel's longtime crush on her next-door neighbour turns into something more when he starts developing feelings for her, despite his family's objections. Looop Lapeta 04/02/22 When her boyfriend loses a mobster's cash, Savi races against the clock to save the day if only she can break out of a curious cycle of dead ends. The Privilege 09/02/22 A wealthy teen and his friends attending an elite private school uncover a dark conspiracy while looking into a series of strange supernatural events. Into the Wind 10/02/22 While vacationing at a seaside resort, a hopeful medical student experiences first love with a local kitesurfer, but their friends and family disapprove. Love Tactics (Ask Taktikleri) 11/02/22 An ad executive and a fashion designer-blogger don't believe in love, so they place a bet to make the other fall head over heels with unusual tactics. Love and Leashes 11/02/22 An ad executive and a fashion designer-blogger don't believe in love, so they place a bet to make the other fall head over heels with unusual tactics. Anne+: The Film 11/02/22 Under pressure to finish her novel and move to Montreal for her relationship, a queer 20-something in Amsterdam searches for what she wants in life. Tall Girl 2 11/02/22 After her inspiring speech at the homecoming dance, Jodi (Ava Michelle) is no longer just the "tall girl" - she's popular, confident, has a boyfriend, and just booked the lead role in this year's school musical. But as the pressure of her newfound popularity intensifies, so do her insecurities, and new relationships are formed while old ones are tested. As the world she built starts to crumble around her, Jodi realizes that standing tall was only just the beginning. Bigbug 11/02/22 Android chefs. Drone security. Robot overlords. The future looks bright until the cracks show and the AI uprising begins in this sci-fi comedy. Fistful of Vengeance 17/02/22 A revenge mission becomes a fight to save the world from an ancient threat when superpowered assassin Kai tracks a killer to Bangkok. Forgive Us Our Trespasses 17/02/22 In 1939 Germany, a disabled farm boy is pursued by Nazi soldiers after Hitler enacts Aktion T4; a program to euthanize people with disabilities. Rabbids Invasion Special: Mission to Mars 18/02/22 An unlikely team of Rabbids are on the mission of a lifetime to Mars. It's up to them to come together and stop the galaxy's newest threat. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 18/02/22 After nearly 50 years of hiding, Leatherface returns to terrorize a group of idealistic young friends who accidentally disrupt his carefully shielded world in a remote Texas town. Melody (Sarah Yarkin), her teenage sister Lila (Elsie Fisher), and their friends Dante (Jacob Latimore) and Ruth (Nell Hudson), head to the remote town of Harlow, Texas to start an idealistic new business venture. But their dream soon turns into a waking nightmare when they accidentally disrupt the home of Leatherface, the deranged serial killer whose blood-soaked legacy continues to haunt the areas residents including Sally Hardesty (Olwen Fouere), the sole survivor of his infamous 1973 massacre whos hell-bent on seeking revenge. Also stars Moe Dunford Don't Kill Me 20/02/22 After Mirta dies of a drug overdose with her lover, she resuscitates alone and discovers she's part of a violent world she never knew existed. UFO 23/02/22 When aspiring musician and student Deniz falls for a rough-hewn motorbike racer, tragedy and family opposition obstruct their path to love. Tyler Perry's A Madea Homecoming 25/02/22 Madea's back hallelujer! Tyler Perry returns with everyone's favorite character in Tyler Perry's A Madea Homecoming, the newest film in the Madea franchise set to debut on Netflix. Writer-director-producer Perry stars in the film that centers around Madea's great-grandson's college graduation, though the celebratory moment hits a halt as hidden secrets and family drama threaten to destroy the happy homecoming. Restless 25/02/22 After going to extremes to cover up an accident, a corrupt cop's life spirals out of control when he starts receiving threats from a mysterious witness. My Wonderful Life 28/02/22 A blackmail note threatening to reveal a womans affair sparks a chain of events that serves as large-scale group therapy for her entire family. NETFLIX COMEDY Only Jokes Allowed 09/02/22 Six of South Africa's top comedians take center stage and showcase their talent in this collection of short stand-up sets. Ms. Pat: Y'all Wanna Hear Something Crazy? 08/02/22 Y'all wanna hear something crazy? Then tune into Comedian Ms. Pat's first hour-long Netflix special, directed by the legendary Robert Townsend. Ms. Pat recalls growing up poor in Atlanta during the Reagan era, what she learned spending five days in juvenile detention, how her mom made her get baptized at local churches to get money, and much much more. Ms Pat: Y'All Wanna Hear Something Crazy? Mo Gilligan: There's Mo to Life 17/02/22 Mo Gilligan breaks down his days as a broke teenager, working in retail, relationship dynamics, annoying talk show producers and more in this special. NETFLIX DOCUMENTARIES The Tinder Swindler 02/02/22 The Tinder Swindler tells the jaw-dropping story of a prolific conman who posed as a billionaire playboy on Tinder, and the women who set out to bring him down. Swipe, swipe, swipe Its not easy to find love online, so when Cecilie matches with a handsome billionaire playboy, she cant quite believe it when he turns out to be the man of her dreams. But dreams aren't reality and by the time she discovers this international businessman isnt who he says he is, its too late. Hes taken her for everything. Where this fairytale ends, a revenge thriller begins. Cecilie discovers his other targets and once they band together, they're victims no more: The Tinder Swindler meets his match. From the producers of The Imposter and Dont F**k with Cats, this riveting feature documentary follows as they uncover his true identity and fight to bring him to justice. MeatEater Season 10 Part 2 02/02/22 Steven's travels take him to New Mexico for big game and an exotic import, as well as Hawaii, where he hunts feral goats and takes up spearfishing. Catching Killers: Season 2 09/02/22 The detectives who captured the BTK Killer and other notoriously brutal murderers recount the brave actions and burdens behind their investigations. Downfall: The Case Against Boeing 18/02/22 Investigators reveal how Boeings alleged priority of profit over safety could have contributed to two catastrophic crashes within months of each other. jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy 16/02/22 A landmark documentary event presented in three acts from Clarence Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah, jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy is an intimate and revealing portrait of Kanye Wests experience, showcasing both his formative days trying to break through and his life today as a global brand and artist. Race: Bubba Wallace 22/02/22 Both the personal and professional tracks of race car driver Bubba Wallace's life are chronicled in this new docuseries. With exclusive access to Wallace during the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, his first with Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlins 23XI Racing, the six-episode series traces his rise to the elite ranks of NASCAR as the only full-time Black driver and the turbulent aftermath that followed his decision to speak out about racial injustice. NETFLIX KIDS & FAMILY Gabby's Dollhouse: Season 4 01/02/22 New lessons, new surprises, same adorable kitties including Floyd! Gabby leads the way with Pandy, CatRat, Cakey, Baby Box and other beloved pals. Ridley Jones: Season 3 15/02/22 Outer space adventures, treasure hunting and new friends keep Ridley and crew busy as they protect the museum from magical mishaps and Mr. Peabody. Secrets of Summer 16/02/22 A remote Argentine resort revives its wakeboarding competition, drawing in Mexican athlete Steffi, who is determined to uncover a family secret. Kid Cosmic: Season 3 03/02/22 Kid's superhero dreams come true as the Local Heroes become Earth's greatest champions. But is something amiss with this ridiculously awesome adventure? The Cuphead Show! 18/02/22 Follow the misadventures of the impulsive Cuphead and his easily swayed brother Mugman in this animated series based on the hit video game. Karma's World Music Videos 24/02/22 Step into Karma's musical world as she rocks the mic and her curls for this fun and funky playlist packed with rhymes and the power of positivity! Crime, Community, Charity & Cause By Chris Boyle Published: January 28 2022 These new Deputy Sheriff Recruits will begin a rigorous six-month training program. The Suffolk County Sheriffs Office recently held a swearing in ceremony for ten new Deputy Sheriff Recruits at the Maxine S. Postal Auditorium in the Riverhead County Center. These new Deputy Sheriff Recruits will begin a rigorous six-month training program that includes instruction in firearms, emergency vehicle operations (EVOC), EMT training, and individualized field training. The recruits will graduate in the fall, joining a force consisting of 254 Suffolk County Deputy Sheriffs. Sheriff Toulon welcomed these new deputies to the Sheriffs Office, reminding them that they now hold a position of authority in Suffolk County, and with that authority comes great responsibility. Ensure you get a print copy of the Loudoun Times-Mirror delivered weekly to your home or business! Complete online access is included with all print subscriptions purchased online. Plus, up to four other members of your household can share online access through this subscription with their own, individual linked accounts at no additional charge. (Are you a current advertiser? Ask your sales rep for our special advertiser rate code!) (Clarifying the issue of shares) (Alliance News) - Oxford BioMedica PLC said on Friday that it has agreed to acquire a majority ownership in a newly formed business in the US focused on adeno-associated viruses which are known infect humans and other primates. The Oxford-based gene and cell therapy company said it has agreed with Massachusetts-based genetic medicines company Homology Medicines Inc to acquire an 80% ownership interest in the newly formed Oxford Biomedica Solutions LLC for USD175 million. Homology will hold the remaining 20% ownership. Oxford Biomedica will acquire the ownership interest through a USD130 million cash payment to Homology and a USD50 million capital injection into Oxford Biomedica Solutions to fund its growth. Oxford Biomedica said the acquisition will broaden its viral vector offerings, expand its geographic presence and will be immediately accretive to revenue growth. Oxford Biomedica Solutions will offer a scalable manufacturing platform to customers, including Homology through a multi-year supply agreement as a preferred customer. The agreement will have minimum contracted revenue of approximately USD25 million for the first twelve months. The business will focus on adeno-associated viruses which are not currently known to cause disease but have several features that make them attractive candidates for creating viral vectors for gene therapy and human disease models. Oxford Biomedica added that it will raise total gross proceeds of GBP80 million through an initial issue of 4.9 million shares at 50 pence per share, plus the issue of additional shares at a later date to make up the rest. The net proceeds will fund the company's existing capital requirements, cover the expenses of the transaction and provide additional working capital for the group. The company said has also entered into a commitment letter for a secured short term loan facility of USD85 million which, if drawn down, is repayable in twelve months after completion of the transaction. Shares in Oxford BioMedica were down 9.8% at 812.00 pence on Friday morning in London. By Heather Rydings; heatherrydings@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Friday and not separately reported by Alliance News: ---------- Henderson Opportunities Trust PLC - aims to achieve capital growth in excess of the FTSE All-Share index from a portfolio of UK investments - For the year ended October 31, net asset value total return stands at 58.4%, compared to its benchmark, the FTSE All-Share Index, which returns 35.4%. As at October 31, net asset value per share rises 55% year-on-year to 1,626.9 pence from 1,046.3p. Declares dividend of 27.5 pence per share for the year, but from 27.0p the year prior. ---------- Jupiter Emerging & Frontier Income Trust PLC - investment trust focused on companies in emerging and frontier markets worldwide - For the year ended September 30, NAV total return was 28.6%, outperforming its benchmark, the MSCI Emerging Markets Total Return index, which returned 13.3%. Net asset value per share as at September 30 increases 24% to 108.88 pence from 87.91p the same date the year before, driven by an increased exposure to frontier markets and smaller companies, as well as an underweight position in China. ---------- Stranger Holdings PLC - London-based investment company - For the six months ended September 30, pretax loss remains flat at GBP222,000 year-on-year, as higher administrative costs offset a drop in finance expenses. In September, the company signed a memorandum of understanding with Mayflower Capital Investments Pty Ltd to acquire certain mineral rights in Africa, which includes commodities such as tin and uranium. This developed into a deal to acquire a near-term production uranium project in South Africa. ---------- Treatt PLC - Bury St Edmunds-based ingredients supplier - Reports good start to its new financial year, with order book rising year-on-year. As a result, pretax profit for the current year ending September 30 to refer back to being weighted towards the second half. Move to new UK headquarters is progressing as planned. ---------- Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd - Bangladesh-based pharmaceutical company - For the six months ended December 31, pretax profit rises 37% to BDT4.09 billion, around GBP35.5 million, from BDT2.99 billion a year prior, on revenue which grows 18% year-on-year to BDT16.97 billion from BDT14.40 billion, driven by a rise in domestic sales, through the launch of new products and being the exclusive supplier of the AstraZeneca PLC Covid-19 vaccine in Bangladesh. ---------- Blencowe Resources PLC - miner focused on developing the Orom-Cross graphite project in Uganda - For the year ended September 30, pretax loss narrows to GBP649,726 from GBP1.1 million, due to lower administrative expenses from a drop in professional and broker fees. Looking ahead, the company is continuing to work on the financing and development of Orom-Cross graphite project. ---------- LPA Group PLC - Essex-based LED lighting and electro-mechanical system manufacturer - For the year ended September 30, swings to pretax loss of GBP387,000 from a profit of GBP551,000 the year before, as a result of revenue dropping 12% year-on-year to GBP18.3 million from GBP20.7 million, due to a slower than expected rebound to major projects. However, order book increases 22% to GBP27.3 million from GBP22.5 million. ---------- GreenX Metals Ltd - Arctic Rift copper project in Greenland - During the three months ended December 31, signs an earn-in agreement with Greenfields Exploration Ltd to acquire up to 80% in the Arctic Rift project. In addition, following the quarter, new copper targets have been identified from ongoing geological analysis. ---------- Chill Brands Group PLC - Grand Junction, Colorado-based cannabidiol products - For the six months ended September 30, pretax loss widens to GBP2.6 million from GBP1.1 million a year prior on higher costs, on revenue which rose sharply year-on-year to GBP1.1 million from GBP54,554. ---------- Aura Energy Ltd - Tiris uranium project in Mauritania - During the three months ended December 31, notes completion and successful results from the water drilling program at Tiris, with strong flows encountered, in line with results from the 2019 water drilling program. Post-period, appointed Will Goodall as acting chief executive officer in January. ---------- Dukemount Capital PLC - investor in the sustainable and flexible energy markets - For the six months ended October 31, pretax loss widens to GBP227,218 from GBP156,947 the same period a year before, due to the generation of no revenue for the period, compared to GBP1.4 million. ---------- By Dayo Laniyan; dayolaniyan@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - Indivior PLC said on Friday that research into its buprenorphine product has shown that it reduces respiratory depression and apnoea associated with increasing doses of fentanyl. The Virginia, US-based pharmaceutical company said the clinical study was designed to assess the interaction of synthetic opioid fentanyl and buprenorphine on respiratory depression, a type of breathing disorder characterised by slow and ineffective breathing. It evaluated the ability of treatment-relevant concentrations of buprenorphine to prevent respiratory depression and the resultant cessation of breath - apnoea - caused by increasing doses of fentanyl. The effects were measured by minute ventilation. Minute ventilation is the volume of gas inhaled or exhaled from a person's lungs per minute and is an important factor in respiratory medicine due to its relationship with blood carbon dioxide levels. The maximum decrease in minute ventilation was nearly 60% less with a steady plasma buprenorphine concentration compared with a placebo, Indivior explained. The risk of experiencing apnoea was also significantly lower with buprenorphine than with a placebo. In June, the US Food & Drug Administration approved a label update for Sublocade, a buprenorphine extended release injection, to include data from this clinical pharmacology study. Chief Scientific Officer Christian Heidbreder said: "Future research is warranted to assess the competitive interaction of buprenorphine and fentanyl, as well as other illicitly manufactured fentanyl analogs, as we continue to deepen our understanding of buprenorphine as an evidence-based treatment for patients struggling with opioid use disorder." Shares in Indivior were down 2.2% at 226.80 pence on Friday afternoon in London. By Heather Rydings; heatherrydings@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Weather Alert ...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in Louisiana... Mississippi River At Red River Landing affecting West Feliciana, East Baton Rouge and Pointe Coupee Parishes. For the Lower Mississippi River...including Red River Landing, Baton Rouge, Donaldsonville, Reserve, New Orleans...Minor flooding is forecast. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Caution is urged when walking near riverbanks. Additional information is available at www.weather.gov/lix. Click on the Rivers and Lakes menu for forecasts and observations. The next statement will be issued when updates are needed. && ...FLOOD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL EARLY SATURDAY MORNING... * WHAT...Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Mississippi River At Red River Landing. * WHEN...Until early Saturday morning. * IMPACTS...At 51.0 feet, All river islands along the reach from Red River Landing to Baton Rouge will be inundated. Recreational camps and river bottom farm land will be under water. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 11:00 AM CDT Wednesday the stage was 49.6 feet. - Recent Activity...The maximum river stage in the 24 hours ending at 11:00 AM CDT Wednesday was 49.7 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to fall below flood stage Friday evening and continue falling to 41.5 feet Wednesday, June 01. - Flood stage is 48.0 feet. - Flood History...This crest compares to a previous crest of 48.8 feet on 04/22/2014. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood && Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has positively evaluated the talks of the Normandy format advisors that were held on Wednesday in Paris, the presidential press service has said in a statement. "Zelensky positively assesses the fact of the meeting, its constructive nature, as well as the intention to continue meaningful talks in two weeks in Berlin," said the statement on the Ukrainian presidential website. According to the statement, Zelensky emphasized that the sustainable and unconditional ceasefire in Donbas could be a basis for the next steps in the peace process, Xinhua news agency reported. Advisors to the heads of state and government of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France met in Paris under the Normandy format and called for an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine's conflict-hit Donbas region. During the talks that lasted for about eight hours, the parties agreed on a joint statement, the first since December 2019, and decided to hold the next meeting in Berlin in two weeks. The ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has claimed the lives of some 14,000 people and left as many as 40,000 wounded, began in April 2014. It's also been confirmed that Future will executive produce the project. Kanye previously had a replica of his home built in the middle of Soldier Field in Chicago for one of his 'Donda' album listening concerts. 'Donda' was released in August 2021 and featured guest appearances from a host of big-name artists, including Playboi Carti, Lil Baby and the Weeknd. However, Kanye - who legally changed his name to Ye in 2021 - has a long history of album delays and has previously announced projects that never came to fruition, so it remains to be seen whether he sticks to his February 22 release date. Meanwhile, Kanye - who is one of the world's best-selling artists - previously claimed that he doesn't think there's any limit to what he can achieve. The outspoken star - who has also enjoyed significant success as a fashion designer - explained: I always felt like I could do anything. Thats the main thing people are controlled by, thoughts, their perception of themselves. Theyre slowed down by their perception of themselves. If youre taught you cant do anything you wont do anything. I was taught I could do everything, and Im Kanye West. Bang Showbiz You have to hand it to Juan Jose Hidalgo. Eighty years old and he isnt giving up. It had looked as if he was content to spend most of his days at a company hotel in the Dominican Republic, but the president of Mallorca-based Globalia and Air Europa, who was prominent at last weeks Fitur tourism fair in Madrid, seems to be firmly holding the reigns. Seems to be, but he has hinted that there might be negotiations going on without his consent, these negotiations concerning the sale to Iberia (IAG) or indeed a Spanish government stake in Air Europa. In a statement to the media, he has said that the only thing that counts is what Pepe Hidalgo says, and Pepe is neither minded to sell to Iberia nor to let the Spanish government take a stake. While Nadia Calvino, the first deputy prime minister (and minister of economic affairs), is the principal target for his rebuttal, the minister for industry, trade and tourism, Reyes Maroto, has been saying that the government will guarantee the viability of Air Europa, as it is strategic. Negotiations with Iberia about the sale of Air Europa broke down a week or so before Christmas. Negotiations to rescind the deal were at an advanced stage, Air Europa anticipating a 75 million euro compensation package from Iberia for failure to consummate the deal. But this 75 million also appeared to be an advance payment for a future purchase at some point in an unspecified future. More recently, Pepe has been insisting that, by law, Iberia cannot buy Air Europa. This is because of foreign capital, IAGs, and the UK is no longer part of the EU. He argues that there is a growth plan in place for Air Europa. There will be no sackings at the airline. Repayment of the governments loan (which bailed Air Europa out because of the pandemic) doesnt take effect until 2026, and the Iberia 75 million will see the airline through until June. The June date is significant in that a government moratorium on bankruptcies due to Covid is set to expire. Third parties could force the issue. But even then, Pepe believes there will be a further government bailout, while all the time - and still in the background - is the possibility that Iberia could yet buy the airline, despite his opposition. This purchase might even be in the form of a joint venture with the government. An option spoken about is that the two both take a 40% stake, leaving 20% with the Hidalgo family. Throughout all the talk of an Iberia purchase, the founder of Air Europa has seemed to be the member of the Hidalgo family least impressed by the possibility. The European Commissions raising of objections and demands on the offloading of routes in order to permit a sale (merger) made a breakdown in negotiations almost inevitable, but Pepe, for one, doesnt seem to be saddened by this. The situation as it now stands is that the government does indeed continue to view Air Europa as a strategic asset, as it has all along looked upon a tie-up with Iberia as strategically beneficial. The government, therefore, has no desire to see Air Europa go to the wall, despite its debts. Although the European Commission has made the amalgamation difficult, it would seem as though negotiations are taking place, the assumption being that Pepes son, Javier, even though he has been sidelined to some extent, has been maintaining contacts with Iberia from his Los Angeles home. Senior management at Air Europa are understood to agree with Javier that a sale is necessary because of the airlines financial situation. Pepe clearly doesnt agree. In this regard, he could either be seen as being foolhardy or celebrated for his determination to keep Air Europa independent. For the latter reason, one does have to admire him, and one hopes that he succeeds. Whether, realistically, he can is another matter. Meanwhile, and wouldnt you just know it, Michael OLeary has been offering his views. In the end, and after all the money pumped into Air Europa by the government, he believes it will become inevitable that Iberia ends up buying the airline - and for a small price. The Ryanair CEO gets to the crux of the matter in terms of competition, and that is that slots at both Madrid and Barcelona would have to be given up. Relinquishing these would reduce the strategic sense for amalgamation and also any sale price. Everyone seems to appreciate this, including Pepe Hidalgo. As the longest-serving Chinese ambassador to the United States, a role he filled from April 2013 to June 2021, Cui Tiankai, 70, has definitely been a policy influencer in China-US relations. Speaking of Cuis tenure in Washington DC, former US president Jimmy Carter said in a letter to him that he provided calm, steadiness and sensibility during uncertain times. Andrew Mertha, director of China Studies at Johns Hopkins Universitys School of Advanced International Studies, said that Cui absolutely represents Chinas interests, but he deeply understands US views as well.(He) understands the political realities in both countries and is able to navigate them extremely well. In an exclusive interview with China Daily ahead of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the China-US joint communiquean important diplomatic document issued by China and the US on Feb 28, 1972, to work toward the normalization of their relationsCui urged both countries to have better communication to avoid misunderstanding, misperception, miscalculation, and certainly to avoid conflicts and confrontation. Cui underscored the importance of the Taiwan question in bilateral ties, saying it is a matter of life and death for China because the Taiwan question concerns its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Theres no room for compromise and concession for China, he added. The country will be reunified someday, of course, sooner better than later, Cui said. So I think American policymakers should have a better understanding of the importance and sensitivity of this Taiwan question. In the China-US joint communique, also known as the Shanghai Communique, the United States acknowledges that all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Straits maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China. The Shanghai Communique, together with the Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations and the joint communique on arms sales to Taiwan, constitutes the foundation of the development of China-US relations. Cui expressed his concerns about the US administration saying one thing while doing another, commenting they are removing the real substance from the one-China principle. Washington has been constantly playing the Taiwan card in recent years to contain Chinas development by developing official exchanges with Taiwan and selling more and more advanced, sophisticated arms to the island. What they are doing is a clear violation of the one-China principle and the three joint communiques, Cui said. If things go on like this, its going to be very serious and dangerous, Cui said. We will have to defend our territorial integrity, and well do whatsoever is needed to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity. The senior diplomat engaged with three US administrations in his time as ambassador and has watched as China-US relations have plunged to historical lows, marred by a trade war, escalating tensions, and a highly politicized pandemic. Cui said he saw a clear attempt to upgrade relations between US and Taiwan authorities, which is a clear violation of the US commitment to the one-China principle and the agreement between the two governments. In 2018, former US president Donald Trump signed the Taiwan Travel Act into law, encouraging visits between the US and Taiwan at all levels. Another provocative move against China was a visit by a delegation of US Congress members to Taiwan by a military plane in November. Theyre still telling us this is an unofficial relationship. I dont know how people could be so hypocritical, Cui said. Sovereign equality He stressed that one of the basic principles set out in the United Nations Charter is sovereign equality. If Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity is violated, it could set a very bad precedent for other countries, he said. On the South China Sea issue, Cui warned that the US sending more and more warships and military planes into the region is a very dangerous move with a view to escalating the tensions. None of the countries in the region have any intention to become involved in direct conflict, he said. We want to solve the issue through negotiations. But now the problem is that the United States, (and) maybe also a couple of other countries, is trying to intervene, although they have no territorial claims in the region, he added. Cui urged the US to refrain from intervening in the South China Sea issue, saying if theres no outside interference, countries in the region will be able to solve the difficulties by themselves. Well work out a way to manage the situation and eventually solve the disputes all by ourselves. I have full confidence in this. Analyzing the underlying reason for the difficulties in the China-US relations, Cui said some politicians, think tanks and the US media are not ready to face a rapidly growing China due to a totally different world outlook from the Chinese people. Many US people have a mentality that the US should always be the global leader of the world, they believe that the winner takes all and everything is a zero-sum game, the diplomat said. But for us in China, its quite different. We believe in a win-win outcome. So sometimes you should not have winners versus losers. You should try to make everybody a winner. He urged US political leaders to focus on responding to domestic challenges such as the disparity between the rich and the poor and gun violence, which, he said, are the things to keep them awake at night, instead of being obsessed with an imaginary threat from China. China and the US, despite different systems and cultures, can work together to solve the problems the world is facing, Cui said. We cannot develop all by ourselves. We cannot solve our problems all by ourselves. We have to work together. We need multilateral and global cooperation for shared prosperity, financial stability, economic growth, and addressing the issue of poverty, climate change and terrorism, Cui said. Source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ Commentaires via Facebook : Mankato, MN (56001) Today Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 46F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 46F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Dr. Chengcai Shen from the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and colleagues have analyzed images of the so-called supra-arcade downflows captured by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard NASAs Solar Dynamics Observatory. In January 1999, solar astronomers observed mysterious motions within a solar flare. Unlike typical flares that showed bright energy erupting outwards from the Sun, this solar flare also displayed a downward flow of motion, as if material was falling back towards the Sun. Described as downward-moving dark voids, scientists wondered what exactly they were seeing. We wanted to know how these dark finger-like structures occur, Dr. Shen said. Whats driving them and are they truly tied to magnetic reconnection? Scientists have assumed that supra-arcade downflows are tied to magnetic reconnection since their discovery in the 90s. The process occurs when magnetic fields break, releasing fast moving and extremely energetic radiation, and then reform. On the Sun, what happens is you have a lot of magnetic fields that are pointing in all different directions, said Dr. Kathy Reeves, an astronomer with the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Eventually the magnetic fields are pushed together to the point where they reconfigure and release a lot of energy in the form of a solar flare. Its like stretching out a rubber band and snipping it in the middle. Its stressed and stretched thin, so its going to snap back. The scientists assumed the dark downflows were signs of the broken magnetic fields snapping back to the Sun after a solar flare eruption. But there was a catch. Most of the downflows observed by scientists are puzzlingly slow, said Dr. Bin Chen, an astronomer at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. This is not predicted by classic reconnection models, which show the downflows should be much quicker. Its a conflict that requires some other explanation, Dr. Shen said. To find out what was happening, the team analyzed downflow images captured by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard NASAs Solar Dynamics Observatory. They then made 3D simulations of solar flares and compared them to the observations. The results show that most supra-arcade downflows are not generated by magnetic reconnection after all. Instead, they form on their own in the turbulent environment and are the result of two fluids with different densities interacting. Those dark, finger-like voids are actually an absence of plasma. The density is much lower there than the surrounding plasma, Dr. Reeves said. A paper on the findings was published in the journal Nature Astronomy. _____ C. Shen et al. The origin of underdense plasma downflows associated with magnetic reconnection in solar flares. Nat Astron, published online January 27, 2022; doi: 10.1038/s41550-021-01570-2 Weather Alert ...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON... * WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible. * WHERE...Portions of Arkansas and Oklahoma, including the following counties, in Arkansas, Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Franklin, Madison, Sebastian and Washington AR. In Oklahoma, Adair, Cherokee, Choctaw, Craig, Creek, Delaware, Haskell, Latimer, Le Flore, Mayes, McIntosh, Muskogee, Nowata, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Pittsburg, Pushmataha, Rogers, Sequoyah, Tulsa, Wagoner and Washington OK. * WHEN...Through Thursday afternoon. * IMPACTS...Main-stem river flooding is expected in several locations. Extensive low land flooding will be likely in some areas, especially where the heavier rain has already occurred. Many low-water crossings will likely become flooded. Area creeks and streams are already running high and will likely flood with more heavy rain. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - Additional rounds of thunderstorms with very heavy rain are expected this evening through the overnight hours. Widespread 2 to 3 inches of rain is expected with locally higher amounts of 5 to 6 inches. The heavier rain will begin to shift east of far southeast Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas Thursday afternoon. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... You should monitor the latest forecast and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action quickly should flooding develop. Be especially cautious while driving at night. Do not drive through water of unknown depth. && by Dr. Ruwantissa Abeyratne in Montreal All bad behavior is really a request for love, attention, or validation. Kimberly Giles, Choosing Clarity: The Path to Fearlessness The term unruly passengers refers to passengers who fail to respect the rules of conduct on board aircraft or to follow the instructions of crew members and thereby disturb the good order and discipline on board aircraft. There has been a spike in the incidence of unruly passengers during the pandemic. Earlier this month CNBC reported that there were more than 5,700 reports of air rage on U.S. airlines in 2021 compared with the average recorded in a typical year of about 100 to 150 cases. The Guardian reported that the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) had more than 4,600 incident reports between January and early October 2021, of which 72 per cent related to a refusal to comply with the federal mandate to wear a mask. Some 849 of these reports have been investigated versus a yearly average of 142 over the last decade. An earlier report published in September 2021 of CNBC says: Airlines have banned hundreds of passengers for unruly behavior since the start of the pandemic. Delta Airlines wants carriers to share those lists. The Atlanta-based carrier has asked other airlines to share their no fly list to further protect airline employees across the industry. Kristen Manion Taylor, Deltas senior vice president of in-flight service, who wrote to flight attendants is reported to have said: A list of banned customers doesnt work as well if that customer can fly with another airline. The report continued: Delta said it has 1,600 passengers on its list. It declined to comment further on a shared no-fly list of banned travelers. Flight attendant and pilot labor unions have raised alarms about unruly passenger behavior thats surged during the coronavirus pandemic. Reports have included incidents of shouting, verbal abuse of crews and, in rare cases, physical assault. In late January 2022 a United Airlines flight carrying 123 passengers from Newark, New Jersey to Tel Aviv, Israel turned back after two riders self-upgraded to business class. The Israeli nationals had caused a 'riot' after flight crew requested to see their tickets. Officials had been waiting for the disruptive duo when the plane returned to Newark. The flight was cancelled and affected passengers were given meal vouchers and hotel accommodations. It was the second time in a week that poor passenger behavior caused an international flight to return to the US. Roughly 75% of the unruly-passenger reports since Jan. 1 2021 in the United States had started with people who didnt want to wear their masks and escalated from there into profanity, shouting matches, even physical violence. The increase of incidents of unruly behavior during the pandemic is a global issue. The Guardian reported: Airlines have complained about rising cases of unruly passengers and non-compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols; therefore, they are demanding stiffer sanctions from the authorities. The airlines observed that the global phenomenon has doubled in 2021 with more travelling public uncomfortable with basic safety rules. Recently, Arik Air deplaned an Asaba-bound passenger in Lagos, who allegedly refused entreaties on face mask and hand sanitizer use onboard. To many, air travel proves to be an apprehensive business where trepidation and anxiety mixed with the fear of travel in an aircraft is an unhinging experience. Add a pandemic to this profound discomfort and the fear of flying could be aggravated by what Author Naomi Klein calls the shock doctrine in her book The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism (Knopf: Canada, 2007). This doctrine is based on the premise that people who are devastated by a disaster and are profoundly disoriented desperately seek to get back to the status quo ante. One can imagine the terror in a person who already has a fear of flying, which is increasingly becoming a unique human factors issue, and has many facets, not all of which apply directly to flying itself. Some of these are: heights; enclosed spaces; crowded conditions; sitting in hot, stale air; being required to wait passively; not understanding the reasons for all the strange actions sounds and sensations occurring around; worrying about the dangers of turbulence; being dependent on an unknown pilots or mechanics judgment; not feeling in control. In addition to all this misery, put a mask on the passengers face and constrain his breathing and the free flow of oxygen while cramped in a steel tube for hours and the result could be disastrous. Thierry Steimer, PhD, writing in Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience says: [A]nxiety is a psychological, physiological, and behavioral state induced in animals and humans by a threat to well-being or survival, either actual or potential. It is characterized by increased arousal, expectancy, autonomic and neuroendocrine activation, and specific behavior patterns. The function of these changes is to facilitate coping with an adverse or unexpected situation. Passenger hostility is a symptom of a blend of emotions and fear of flying is one of them. Other common symptoms are the threat of losing control, fatigue, and personal and environmental stress. This could lead to self-protectionin demanding alcohol, a particular seat or the right to smoke in the cabin. In the early days of flying, the role of the cabin crew was to alleviate passenger concerns by explaining the rules of aerodynamics, cloud formations and meteorology. They also acted as tour guides, particularly when the aircraft flew at low altitudes since large windows offered spectacular views that could alleviate fear. Fear of flying does not always result in air rage or criminal conduct on the part of the person concerned. However, the fact that fear of flying has the potential to make a normally calm and law-abiding person turn into an offender is real. The biology of fear- and anxiety-related behaviors In an article published in the Journal of Transportation Security I wrote: Situations that would evoke fear are flight preparation (getting ready to leave, packing bags), pre-flight procedures (getting the boarding pass, clearing security). The air traveler could also be intimidated by the aviation environment, be it airport design, signage and announcements over the public address system. Take for instance the use of the words terminal building; final call for boarding; and final destination. These could be ominous to the person who is apprehensive about crossing the boundaries of his evolution. Separation from loved ones and friends at the terminal building and entry into the sterile area could also facilitate anxiety and the feeling of being alone in a foreign environment. It could even be worse inside the aircraft. Each time the aircraft door closes the fuselage becomes a veritable prison. Cabin crew, who are not immune from the fear of flying themselves, would then be facing a group of 50 to 60% of people who share a fear of flying. Some of them could be under medication and some could have a history of violence. All of them would have experienced stress in the checking in and boarding process. The passengers could well be an eclectic mix of perverts, pickpockets, priests, doctors, people harboring strong discriminatory views against women, gays and people from minority groups, people who are addicted to drinking and smoking, people with poor personal hygiene, and the list continues. These are people who are travelling on business, leisure, to attend a wedding or funeral, to immigrate to an unknown country, or even just to escape. Explaining the security procedures (including how to use an inflatable life jacket) to such a group of people would in itself be sufficient to cause a crew member some anxiety All this goes to show that this is yet another area for a well thought-through study by the regulators and the aviation industry. Dr. Abeyratne, a published author of 36 books and over 450 law journal articles on aviation, is a former senior official of the International Civil Aviation Organization. He teaches aviation law and policy at McGill University and is a Senior Associate at Aviation Strategies International. UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- China's permanent representative to the United Nations on Wednesday calls for more humanitarian and economic assistance to Afghanistan. "China calls for a stronger sense of urgency from the international community and more humanitarian and economic assistance to Afghanistan, so as to bring warmth and hope to the Afghan people," Zhang Jun told a Security Council meeting on the situation in Afghanistan. "After the hasty withdrawal of foreign troops last August, the Afghan economy has been in free fall and the Afghan population is experiencing a humanitarian crisis of the worst kind," said the ambassador. Noting 95 percent of the Afghan families are without enough food, more than 1 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition, and 23 million people are suffering from a severe famine, Zhang said: "At this rate, by the middle of the year, 97 percent of the Afghan population will be impoverished and will not be able to afford to live on 2 U.S. dollars a day." The council adopted Resolution 2615 last month, which affirmed that humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan does not violate the council's sanction measures, and cleared any legal obstacles that may exist, he said, adding, "Unfortunately, there has been no fundamental change in the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan." "Clearly, the key issue is not a legal obstacle, but a political one. It's the politicization of the humanitarian issue," he pointed out. "This is playing games with the lives and well-being of 38 million Afghans, who are in dire need of relief." China welcomes the efforts of the World Bank and other international institutions to explore financing support for Afghanistan, according to Zhang. "But without a full injection of liquidity, the restoration and development of the domestic market and foreign trade, the efforts of international institutions will only be a drop in the bucket in the current situation." "Unilateral sanctions are no less lethal than military intervention," he said, urging "the immediate lifting of the asset freeze and unilateral sanctions against Afghanistan." "Adhering to the principle of Afghan-led and Afghan-owned certainly means respecting Afghan ownership and leadership of economic resources," he added. 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